◈ Episode 212. It was you.

If someone heard it, they would say what nonsense you are talking about.

Of course they would.

I’m the founder of Anomaly.

I had no way to prove it.

But you, Archmage, you know better. How Jesse, who had no magic knowledge whatsoever, could know a higher concept than that.

“……?”

Perhaps there is no master and pupil among mages?

I agree.

But I’m a demon hunter, not a mage. That said, Jesse and I have had some pretty in-depth conversations about magic and anomaly.

The Archmage huhu—spits out a laugh.

“Yeah, I definitely remember that. Damn it.”

Jesse’s mind, or the memory in the cone hat.

Jesse’s previously relaxed expression turns serious.

Maybe she’s starting to get the picture.

‘It’s late, though.’

It’s Grandfell, where one lives for pride and dies for pride.

If you take other people’s pride lightly in front of such Grandfell.

you will pay a price.

Not to mention the price.

Indeed, let’s compete to see whose pride is more upright and fanatical.

“And yet, no one is allowed to approach Anonaly. What right do you have to do that, even if you’re the founder? I don’t understand what you mean.”

You’re right.

The path to Anonaly is not really a path at all.

It’s not my place to interfere.

However, even though I am not a mage, I am the chief of the Magic Tower.

As such, I know what mages are most reluctant to do.

“The limit of magic you were aiming for.”

I declared.

“I will be the first to reach the end of the line.”

“……!”

I will steal your truth, so to speak.

That’s the Archmage.

It’s the only way to crush your pride.

After a brief silence, the question returned.

“Am I to take that as a declaration of war against us?”

Silence is affirmation, of course.

Oh, except for the stunned Jesse, because she’s innocent.

I rolled my eyes.

‘It was an incredibly turbulent day until the end.’

Are you saying that opposites are in sync?

I can’t believe I’m in a hostile relationship with not just one person, but the archmages.

I wondered if this was really the effect of my greatly increased luck.

But I don’t doubt it.

I’ve seen the effects of luck.

So…….

Let’s look at it in reverse.

There must be a reason why this situation is considered lucky.

I thought back to my day, which had been unusually difficult.

Then I remembered a memory from the tower.

Marcelo’s words, to be exact.

──────

The Tower Master reacted for the first time.

──────

At the same time, the voice of the archmage rises.

-“As the chief of the Magic Tower, don’t you know better than anyone else?”

-“that’s right. In Magic Tower terms, it is ‘truth.’”

The Archmage in front of me knew far too much about the Magic Tower.

Moreover, being a transcendent and entering a spacetime social hall meant that as a mage, you had at least formed a ‘circle’.

To my knowledge, there was only one other mage who had formed a circle in the Tower.

I opened my mouth to speak.

“It was you.”

At the same time, the quest window flashed.

[Quest: Reconstruction of the Magic Tower].

The contradictions that existed in the Magic Tower.

Even its purpose, the pursuit of truth, has been corrupted.

Rebuild the tower from its foundations.

Meet with the Tower Master. (Success)

The moment when speculation becomes certainty.

The taste could not have been more bitter.

After all, there was a reason the water below wasn’t clear.

‘Because this is the truth that Tower Master thinks.

Karimzeva and the others.

And the senior, adept, and apprentice mages below them.

Truth had to be locked inside a cage.

But at this moment, that wasn’t the only quest objective that flashed.

─Find the Real Truth (in progress)

Yes, Magic Tower threw away Truth in name only.

and set out to find the real truth.

You have changed.

Tower Master, things changed a lot while you were floating in the Magic Sphere.

At that point, I suppose we have nothing more to talk about.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I said, rising from my seat.

“You’re no good at acting.”

“……Acting?”

“I would advise you to stop now.”

“Do you know that you’ve been saying riddles since a while ago? This is my first time meeting a man who is not this easy. Besides, I already gave up on acting, right? Chief Lee, thanks to you for showing a straight face even when it comes to personal pranks.”

No.

I’m telling you to stop acting.

I’m not talking about imitating Jesse.

“Adventurer Jesse Heinness. Was the reason you granted her the qualifications as an apprentice mage so that she could keep a close eye on the Archmage’s vessel?”

“……!”

“I do have one question, however.”

The Archmage’s expression hardened at my words.

“Unlike the archmages before you, isn’t your body floating in a magic sphere? If what you said is true, then that action clearly violates the one-man succession procedures.”

“……Uh, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“As I said, you have no talent for acting, Tower Master.”

“!”

The fact that I’m asking you to stop is self-inflicted.

For some reason, you’ve decided to violate the archmage’s procedures.

Separating body and consciousness.

I don’t know if you’re doing something dangerous.

“I will keep this matter confidential for now.”

Tower Master, it’s not that I’m worried about you.

“I don’t want to disappoint Chief Marcelo.”

Until the moment when he was dying due to the curse of a terminal illness.

Tower Master, I’m doing this because I feel sorry for Marcelo, who was worried about you.

Make no mistake.

The moment I say Marcelo’s name.

Tower Master’s face was no longer relaxed.

Druk!

The sound of a chair being dragged nervously.

And then a sharp voice.

“Wait a minute, is it okay to leave like this? I think you would be worried. Are you sure you haven’t forgotten that I’m controlling this child’s body?”

Threatening.

I don’t think you’ve quite gotten the picture yet.

I can return the favor.

I shot back coldly.

“Tower Master, keep in mind that your body is also under my control. And let me advise you once again: you are not a good actor by any stretch of the imagination.”

Besides, Tower Master had gotten Jesse’s body.

I realize that luck had a lot to do with it.

I had vaguely suspected.

[Time remaining: 3 minutes, 21 seconds].

Even by my own words.

You said you were lucky enough to see the world for the first time in a long time.

I feel like I once again benefited from my occupational disease.

‘Maybe it’s because I’ve only dealt with the most vicious demons.’

I can recognize malice when I see it.

I’m capable of doing unbelievable things.

So I don’t know what drove you to do what you did.

I didn’t sense any malice in the man who was threatening Jesse with.

‘Besides, I have proof.’

He was the owner of the tower whom the great Marcelo respected. If I deny Marcelo’s perspective, I would be denying myself, who achieved the position of chief thanks to Marcelo.

So, the acting that I told you to get rid of earlier.

Tower Master, I’m talking about acting as a bad person that doesn’t suit you.

Jalgeun─

Tower Master bit her lower lip in Jesse’s face.

Then she looked at me and said.

“……That’s rude, Chief Lee. You are.”

What?

Rude?

I’m the one who lives and dies by politeness?

“Is it really necessary to reveal your boss’s secrets like that?”

……Ah, when you bring up rank, there is nothing left to say.

I can’t think of anything to say, so I stay still.

Tower Master’s complexion changed once again.

It changed quickly depending on the situation.

It’s scary to think that I’m really looking at the head of the department.

‘After all, you can’t ignore age.’

I stuck out my tongue.

“Chief Lee. Since you’ve seen through everything, I can’t help it. I need you to be my accomplice, no matter what.”

……But, what, accomplice?!

Am I crazy or would I be in the same company with a boss who smells so bad?

It’s the social equivalent of not taking on rotten coworkers.

But at this moment, my vision flickered.

[Quest: Reconstruction of the Magic Tower].

The contradictions that existed in the Magic Tower.

Even its purpose, the pursuit of truth, has been corrupted.

Rebuild the tower from its foundations.

Meet with the Tower Master. (Success)

Stop the Archmages’ plot. (Ongoing)

Suddenly, I realized.

‘……Wait, was it acting from there?’

I guess I should take back from saying that you can’t act.

*

The dragon had glided!

The breaking news spread around the world.

The ripples were enormous.

Even players who had no immediate fear of monsters in the Zero Mountains stopped in their tracks.

“……That thing, it’s not going to fly at us, is it?”

“Hey, where in the world is there a boss mob that comes to greet you at the entrance?”

“Right, I’m probably worrying for nothing, right?”

Until they were actually informed by AAU.

Players in the Zero Mountains had no clue.

The Zero Mountains are so high.

No wonder they couldn’t hear it, unless it was as loud as the roar of the battle between Hoyeol and The Sword Saint Shegwin.

Southwest of the Zero Mountains.

The base camp of the Great Alliance.

The analyst, Nam Cheol-min, recited the incoming information.

“A phenomenon similar to that of the Broken Dimensional Rift was detected at the top of the Zero Mountains……. That’s all the information we have so far. Is everything okay on your side?”

-Yes. Except for the fact that the rabbits are terrifyingly tough.

“Good. No sign of the dragon anywhere after the glide from the peak……. After all, it most likely traveled to the Arcana Continent through the rift it created.”

-Really? The expert next to me said the same thing as my brother.

“……Expert?”

At Nam Tae-min’s words, Nam Cheol-min scratched his head.

Where in the world is a dragon expert…….

No, is he really with Mr. Hoyeol?

-No, not Mr. Hoyeol, but Skal, the dragon knight.

“I… again.…. Isn’t it Skal?! Why is Skal next to you?”

-Ah, it just joined us a little while ago.

“What, what?!”

Nam Cheolmin’s eyes widened.

Who was Skal?

Mysticism itself.

A player who didn’t belong to any guild and had never fallen from the top of Arcana’s official rankings. Moreover, he was considered to be the best of the Hidden Classes in terms of his potential!

Such a Skal had joined the Great Alliance?

Instantly, a calculation pounded in my head.

‘If we do well, we could be equal to the Shining and the Heavenly Unification…….’

Maybe we can overtake them?

Of course, Nam Cheolmin’s imagination didn’t last long.

After the battle with the rabbit, Nam adds.

“That’s right, I was proud.”

jjilis─

Leonie, who was beside him, rolled her eyes.

‘No, you think that explains it?’

From Hoyeol and dragons to class quests.

It was a long and complicated process of Skal joining the Great Alliance. It’s a long and complicated story that could be told in a thousand words.

But if I told it to you in a single word of pride, would you understand?

“I knew you’d understand.”

“?!”

……But there it was.

Leonie was stunned again.

No way, am I abnormal……?

Damn, her head was spinning.

“I swear, everyone is crazy…….”

But Leonie’s headache didn’t last long.

“Ugh, ouch!!!”

Skal was brushing the tail of his horse, Alexander.

He freaked out and yelled.

Heh heh heh!

Puck!

Alexander, startled by the wind, jumped and kicked back.

But Skal didn’t seem to mind the blow.

In fact, Hisagi and Schreig were worried.

“Are you all right, Mr. Skal?”

“I heard something scary.”

“……Somehow, that Skal is not the image I was familiar with. Sis?”

There was shouting all around.

Skal was too distracted to care.

Better than getting hit in the groin by a horse’s hoof.

The horrible words flashed before my eyes.

“……Ah, no.”

When I heard the news that a dragon was gliding, I couldn’t believe it.

I thought no, probably not, and tried to look away.

But now, with the new quest window flashing.

I couldn’t deny it any longer.

[Class Quest: Summoning All Dragons]

Tears formed in the corners of Skal’s eyes.

” ……The Great Family? Returning to the continent of Arcana? Gathering all the dragons?! How long has it been since the dragons moved, and what have you been up to? What kind of quest is this……!!!”

It was the moment when the aftereffects of heavenly luck began.