◈ Episode 239. Like a Dragon (1)

The senior mages were waiting outside the office. Kiko Armin, Bellier Yusia, Vangrit Tom, Matisse Deankarl, Nasrow……. Even a few unreached seniors.

‘What the hell.’

All of their faces were grim.

I could only think of one thing.

First of all, it’s not about the Arcana Continent, is it?

It will be disposed of according to the rules.

I had just made an announcement at the Crystal Hall.

Then.

‘…… Is that it?’

I mean, renting magic equipment until I die?!

Especially with the appearance of the enchantment departement.

Looking at Senior Kiko, the speculation becomes more credible.

No wonder so many senpai came to visit.

‘It’s because I borrowed a lot of your magic equipment, isn’t it?’

Seeing that a senior from Frozen Magic and a senior from Curtain Revolver are here, I guess it’s true. So how do I explain this……. It was a moment of head scratching.

Kiko was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry, Chief Lee Hoyeol.”

No, there’s nothing to apologize for.

I’m the one who’s at fault for borrowing two more pieces of decisive magic equipment without any coordination.

Despite the fact that it stings, I open my mouth brazenly.

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

“……No.”

“I know you came to me for a reason.”

So I’m going to slow down and talk.

To the top floor, anyway.

It was just the right time to walk up the stairs alone…….

……

I was on the verge of the top floor.

I stopped walking.

……I asked if there was a reason, but what was it?

‘Am I going to die? Why am I going to die?!’

The root of the problem was this guy’s overly direct way of speaking, which meant that the senior mages, including Kiko, had completely misunderstood……!

“We can’t let our chief leave like this……!”

I’m entering the Arcana Continent with the intention of dying!

I look back at my actions.

When I think about it…….

This overreaction is understandable.

First of all, I’m the one who gave away the connector.

It felt like I was leaving a legacy, didn’t it?

The nuance of saying, Take care of yourself when I’m not around.

And then there’s the whole borrowing a bunch of magical equipment.

And to add to that.

It even specified a rental period that could easily be misunderstood as a special ticket for a special appearance.

‘After all, I brought this on myself.’

Naturally, I have to correct the misunderstanding.

In fact, I’d like to explain the effects of the Last Adventurer in detail. Just as players don’t understand magic, senior mages don’t understand the concept of a system.

In the end, it was best to be myself.

“It doesn’t hurt to have your concerns.”

“……!”

“But that, too, is nothing to worry about.”

I’d come out of this alive and well.

Well, technically, I might die once…….

Anyway, I’ll be back in the Magic Tower again.

“You know that, don’t you?”

“What……?”

“That I am a man of my word.”

“……!”

“Believe me, I will return.”

I add an unnecessary postscript.

“At least to review your documents.”

Anyway, I’m too dedicated to my job.

“!!!”

The seniors’ faces brightened a bit.

Matisse’s face still looks worried.

But like I said, there’s nothing to worry about, Matisse.

Even if this doesn’t explain it, you can really feel relieved.

Matisse bowed his head in response.

“I will await your return, Chief Lee.”

I don’t think he needs to bow, though…….

I nodded and walked to the top floor of the tower.

Let’s see.

I’ve corrected my misunderstanding of discipline.

It is finally time to return to the Arcana Continent.

.

.

.

With a thud!

Matisse slammed the door to his office.

Then he muttered something low.

I knew it.

The Chief is a man of his word.’

I’ve seen it before, and I’ll believe it again.

He would certainly return to the Magic Tower.

But he is a man of his word.

There were words that pierced my heart.

“……until the day I die.”

On the stairway to the top floor, Matisse listened to the conversation between Hoyeol and the other senior mages. Through it all, Hoyeol never denied the words.

Matisse finally said.

“Is death always at your side, Sir?”

Suddenly, Hoyeol’s otherworldly power came to mind.

The Demon King of Conflict.

An unfathomable, black magic.

‘Is your fearlessness of death also related to your past…….’

As the founder of Black Magic, Matisse had traveled the continent and observed countless black magic practices. Naturally, he was more familiar with the Dark Places of the Arcana than others.

A place where death abounds. But there is a difference between being near death and not fearing death.

Matisse could assure him.

‘Nobody except Sir.’

No one could stand still in the face of death.

So it was impossible to tell.

What kind of past you hold in your heart.

I could only guess at one thing.

“Claudi…….”

I could only guess that it was related to an unknown word.

*

The Another Spaceship.

“Acha, have you heard the news?”

“News? You must be a one-eyed bird.”

“Well, when you say that, I have something to say and then it’s gone. You make me sound like a one-eyed bird.”

Zero Mountains.

Ever since the day the dragon was spotted at the top.

The man did not take his attention off the Zero Mountain Range.

The reason is simple.

The dragon that tore through the dimension and disappeared hasn’t returned.

“So you’re really not curious?”

“What’s the news, what’s the fuss?”

“This is big news, man!”

Try telling me it’s not big news.

“I’ll put you in this seat instead of me.”

He finally looked away from the mountain range.

He took the tablet the junior held out to him.

The screen flashed with news from Earth from the AAU.

“……What is this?”

“What do you think, am I right?”

“It’s not April Fool’s Day today, is it?”

“No, sir. Not with the time difference between Earth and here. You’re way ahead of me on April Fool’s Day, and now you know why I was being so snarky.”

Big news.

Raymond Sean has pulled the trigger on the World Quest.

In doing so, he has opened a path to the Arcana Continent.

The medium was none other than an Arcana VR connector.

The man swallowed dryly.

“This isn’t exactly news to celebrate, is it?”

It would have ramifications, no doubt.

Damn, it made his already cluttered head even more dizzy.

But my internal musings didn’t last long.

Thanks to the time difference between Earth and space, as he’d just said.

“Sen, senior?”

“……!”

He felt a strange sense of disorientation at the voice calling out to him.

He reflexively glanced at the instrument panel.

Then, just like the time when the dragon tore through the dimension and glided.

“!!”

The instrument panel hadn’t bothered to come down from its maximum.

What it meant was simple.

The dragon had returned to the Zero Mountains.

Tadadak!

With a flick of a lever, the lens of the Another Spaceship shifted.

Soon, the view of the Zero Mountains is on the monitor.

But something’s wrong.

“This can’t be …….”

There was nothing to see but fog.

No black hole in sight.

The unexpected.

A voice called out to the panicked man.

“Sir, it’s not that way, it’s upwards……!!”

“Up?”

The man rolled his eyes.

There is no place on earth higher than the top of the Zero Mountains.

But he didn’t mean up there.

The Zero Mountains in the Pacific Ocean.

At that latitude.

37 degrees north latitude and 126 degrees east longitude, to be exact.

Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

A black hole was hovering over Seoul.

“Hey, why is that in Seoul……!!”

A moment of panic.

The lens quickly switches perspectives.

Soon, Another Space had pinpointed the exact location.

The man opened his mouth to speak.

“Magic Tower…….”

The words stuttered.

“No way, General Manager Lee Hoyeol……?”

.

.

.

Well done, Lee Hoyeol.

No matter how you look at it.

Manifesting Anomaly portal on the top floor of the Magic Tower was a good move.

It’s not just a portal.

Dimensional tearing couldn’t be more appropriate.

Kwajijijijiji!

A rift appeared.

The void ripped open.

Magic power is sucked into the torn dimension.

The power of the blow was terrifying.

I wonder if the two people and a cat who were watching silently were shocked.

Tower Master, tail erect, turns to me.

“Chief, if you ever change your mind, just say the word.”

Anyway, look at that cat’s tricks.

Every chance he gets, he tries to unseat Tower Master seat……!

Naturally, it is easily ignored.

“Don’t worry about the upvotes, Chief.”

Now it’s really crazy to even help Yugweed.

At least Marcelo was on my side.

He didn’t say anything, just looked at me with concern.

‘There’s a lot I’d like to tell you, actually.’

[Quest: Marcelo’s Research].

Chief Mage Marcelo, Magic Tower.

To reach the next level of magic.

He wants you to join him.

Aside from the Demon Hunter class quests, this was the first large-scale quest I had ever started. Even though I had completed many quests and was on my way.

Marcelo’s research quest was still ongoing.

‘that’s because the goal is ridiculous.’

I will explore the anomaly and return to the Arcana continent!

Such a grandiose goal.

If only Raymond Sean hadn’t come up with the idea of a connector.

I would have been nowhere near where I am today.

And Marcelo knows that.

That’s why he can’t hold his head high.

But don’t underestimate the pride of Grandfell, Marcelo.

‘Even if you don’t know it yet.’

I don’t think Grandfell would be satisfied with an answer given to him by someone else, by Raymond Sean, by his prey. Why, I can tell by the fact that he’s not using a much more convenient connector right now.

Besides.

‘There are at most ten of them.’

I can only manifest a portal that allows me to travel between worlds by myself. So, if we were to evaluate the portal that has now appeared in the manner of Grandfell…….

“Doesn’t it seem inefficient to you, Marcelo?”

I mean, it’s a terrible structure.

“……!”

I say nonchalantly to a shocked Marcelo.

I wanted to be nice and explain what was going on in my head.

Like I said before.

The amount of magic that was being consumed in real time was no joke………!

‘I’ll be drained before I even get in.’

As usual, it was best to imply it.

“I’ll continue my research on the anomaly when I return.”

Sure enough, it was Marcelo.

He’d gotten what I meant, even if I’d said it like a dick.

The color returned to his face immediately.

Marcelo bows his head in greeting.

“I will take your words to heart, my lord.”

With that, I made my way to the portal of Anomaly.

If only the portal had been bathed in light.

Thick darkness poured out of Anomaly portal.

But my other name, whatever it is.

‘I hate to mention it, but…….’

It means ‘infinitely deep darkness.’

It’s hard to be scared of this kind of darkness.

My black history is darker, and more scary…….

.

.

.

I open my eyes in the darkness.

I am here.

The Arcana continent.

An unfamiliar message greets me.

[You have entered the Arcana Continent, heading for destruction].

I will return to Arcana.

Once again, you’re a man of your word, Grandfell.

That reminds me of the time I traveled to Arcana via the [Map of All Things].

Empty-handed.

Just before oxidizing with millions of demons with the Iron Castle’s magic cannon.

I’m pretty sure I said something like that.

-“This is just the beginning.”

-“I’m a demon hunter.”

-“I am your nemesis, your terror.”

Yes.

Shouldn’t I live up to those words?

The Lee Hoyeol of today.

Don’t think I’m the same as I was then.

I spoke coldly.

“I told you, the millions were just the beginning.”

[Skill, ‘Natural Enemy’ triggers].

Then a message popped into my mind.

[Skill, ‘Fear’ is triggered on Shahinpakum, Sage of the Demon World].

[Trigger ‘Fear’ on Russell, the Cruel Trickster].

[Fear is occurring to Daemon Worm, the corpse scavenger].

[Causes ‘Fear’ to Copyscream in Leather Armor]…….

Tens of millions of messages.