◈ Episode 315. What if it were me? (2)

Am I seeing things because I have an eye patch over one eye?

……No, it can’t be.

System messages are in my mind. Even if I can’t see, I can still see the system message clearly. Still, I mutter in disbelief.

“Really?”

[You have entered the Arcana Continent].

The Arcana Continent, headed for destruction.

The despairing words that adorned the entry message are gone. But that’s not why the members of the Heavenly Unity Guild are surprised. Since this is the first time they’ve entered, they don’t know what the message was before.

Then.

[It was a single man who saved the Arcana Continent from falling into despair. He brought new hope to the Arcana Continent].

The identity of the man who brought hope.

Have I guessed too much, and am I alarmed?

Not yet.

There was nothing in the message to suggest otherwise.

The reason for the alarm came in the messages that followed.

[The Arcana continent will sing its legend from now on. The cold winds blowing across the Arcana continent have ceased, and the frozen ground is melting and trembling with life. : Increases experience gained by 50 percent].

“T-that’s ridiculous……!!”

That’s right.

The reason why the members of the Heavenly Unity Guild freaked out as soon as they stepped onto the Arcana Continent was because of the ridiculous buff. A 50 percent increase in experience gain with no requirements, a buff that most players in the real world couldn’t even imagine.

And that was just the beginning.

[The spirits of the universe rejoice in the reversal of entropy, and no one would blame them if their mischief greatly distorted the causality of the Arcana continent. : Item drop rate increased by 50 percent].

[The pure-blooded mage race, the Descendants of the Twilight, scatter violet magic across the Arcana Continent. The concentration of magic on the Arcana Continent increases. The dawn of the Archmage Era has begun. : Magic manifestation is increased by 30%].

[The mysteriously absent Master Weapon has returned. Every weapon on the Arcana continent worships him and looks forward to surpassing him. : Increase the mastery of all weapons by 30 percent].

[The missing Romantic Explorer, Lorenzik, has returned to the Arcana continent, his knowledge enriching the continent with his dramatic survival and hermitage. : Romantic explorer, Lorenzk, wanders the continent, spreading his knowledge].

…….

Each one was a buff that could change the order of Arcana.

The messages were competing for attention.

Players who were considered skilled in the Heavenly Unity were able to set foot on the Arcana continent. Their knowledge of the game led them to conclude what this buff message meant.

All seven had the same thought.

‘This is an opportunity for a metamorphosis.’

With these ridiculous buffs, they embark on a mission on the Arcana continent. By the time they return to reality……. they were confident that they had grown to a point where they would be completely different from what they were before.

So they couldn’t help but be impressed.

“I’m honored that you would give me this opportunity. Thank you!”

Of course, the feeling was short-lived.

One moment I’m admiring the buff, the next, my head is spinning.

In the message, it was clearly referred to as ‘a man’.

‘Who the hell is he?’

How could he bring a buff like this across the Arcana continent?

The question didn’t last long.

Over and over again.

A legend is something that grows from mouth to mouth.

In that sense.

It was only natural that the legend of the man would spread across the Arcana continent.

Too many to print out as messages.

The last message flashed.

[All of this was the arrangement of the Dark Dragon].

“……?!!”

Dark Dragon.

At the sound of that word, the guild members’ complexions turned white.

The name is a world completely different from the Arcana Continent, and even in reality, there is no rest. As someone said, it was a name that rang out hundreds of millions of times a day.

“Lee, Lee Hoyeol……?”

Yes, it was Lee Hoyeol’s alias.

I read the message in shock.

A man, a Dark Dragon, Arrangement…….

The knowledge of an experienced player concludes.

“All of this is due to the actions of Lee Hoyeol, alone……?”

When Arcana was just a game.

Sometimes buffs were triggered based on players’ achievements.

But this is a different story.

At best, these are buffs that apply to a limited area, like a hunting ground or town, not the entire continent of Arcana. What’s more, each and every one of them was a disruptive, balance-altering effect.

The player’s knowledge speaks.

“……What kind of achievement?”

Even with the knowledge of that knowledgeable person, it could not even be estimated. Even in his confused mind, what he did not forget was his loyalty to the monarch. Loyalty warned.

“My lord, he can’t be…….”

Lee Hoyeol, he’s different.

Different, but how many dimensions!

If all of this was due to Lee Hoyeol’s influence, then the Arcana Continent was already in his grasp. The Arcana Continent, which seemed like a paradise, was now in the middle of enemy territory.

The members of the Heavenly Unity Guild made a decision.

“We must retreat for now, my lord.”

But they too.

Like their lord, they had overlooked it.

The only thing Liu Zunqun shares with them is his vision.

“……Don’t you hear?”

Liu Zunqun couldn’t hear my voice.

Neither can he see the message in my mind.

And then.

“……How else am I supposed to get back?”

There is no way to log out of a connector.

*

Yusra Kingdom.

I move the chess pieces on the round table.

Across from me sits the king, Hakuna.

To others, it might look like we’re relaxing with a leisurely game of chess, but to me, it’s an injustice. Grandfell is not a great man who takes it easy.

This is an extension of his work.

Besides.

‘What’s with the chess pieces?’

I don’t know how to play chess.

I know how to identify recesses and organs, but I don’t know anything about chess.

I don’t even know the names or functions of the pieces.

‘Is this what they call a pawn, or a king because a crown is a king?’

And yet, he moves the pieces with a bravado.

“There are three main forces left.”

Being an extension of my job was not an adequate excuse. As commander-in-chief of the Holy War Alliance, I was reviewing the strength of Yusra’s King Hakuna and his allies and enemies.

The powers of our allies had been burned into my brain without me having to mention them, thanks to my daily routine. Now I was about to recite the powers of our enemies, the demons.

Click.

A finger snapped, setting the chess piece down.

“High-ranking demon king.”

A word referring to the top 10 demon kings.

4th place there.

Not counting Gamigin, who was dragged down to hell by me and Akshan.

That leaves exactly nine.

Thud.

“Great Evil, the Seven Deadly Sins.”

Thud.

“And the Primordial Evil.”

Two chess pieces down, one after the other.

“Of the seven deadly sins, there are five left, I suppose.”

“I see.”

I nodded at Hakuna’s words.

Greed that had possessed Hakuna had been severed from its roots and consigned to hell.

Envy could be hunted down at the expense of the Shadow Mercenaries.

‘If there are many, there will be many, if there are few, there will be few.’

But demons are growth monsters.

Nasty little things that grow stronger through negative emotions.

The scary thing is that you never know when or how a lowly demon imp will grow stronger.

The proof is in the class quest.

-Hunt demons. (repeat)

●Follow the blood trail to track down a half-breed demon. (Ongoing)

It’s not a normal one, given that it’s the objective of the grandiose class quest [Rebuild Akshan], but the lack of information about half-breed demons shows how troublesome they are.

‘There.’

Demon isn’t everything.

The source of their power in the first place is someone’s negative emotions. They’re just as evil as devils, and they abound in the real world and on the Arcana continent.

Of course, it’s a natural phenomenon.

In the real world, it’s more of a philosophical discussion about sex and evil.

At least in Arcana, there were clear-cut answers.

Why, good and evil.

Isn’t that what the world capital was supposed to be about?

It’s only natural that good and evil coexist.

It’s an ocean that even the greatest Grandfell has recognized.

Which, of course, meant that it didn’t matter, because evil would eventually submit to good.

Anyway.

‘Let’s not go that far, please.’

Aren’t the remaining demons all big shots?

I’m too busy worrying about demons.

If there’s any consolation, though, it’s that I’ve gained some reliable allies, including Hakuna.

Hakuna stares at the chess pieces.

……Is it because I made three moves in a row?

I wondered if you were taking chess seriously. Then Hakuna lifts his head, his pupils glowing with determination.

“As I was once possessed by a demon, I do not have the confidence to face it boldly, but please do not forget my presence, my benefactor. Whether it is here or on the Arcana Continent, I am ready.”

The Arcana Continent is in upheaval.

I have heard through Hiel that those who have poured forth from the Bad Omen are bringing new life to the devastated continent of Arcana.

Naturally, there will be conflict.

Doesn’t everyone know of the existence of Akshan?

Yes.

But Akshan is Akshan, and they are they.

‘Well, Akshan is not a god.’

It’s ridiculous to expect the conflict between them to be resolved in Akshan’s name alone.

‘I’m not saying that’s bad.’

Like I said, it’s natural.

But at the same time, I know.

The negative emotions that grow out of conflict are fuel for demons.

So you’re going to have to coordinate behind the scenes.

As I’m saying that, another word comes to mind…….

‘In the end, the Dark Dragon is the right word, right?’

Claudi, the giant Dark Dragon who was orchestrating the Arcana continent from behind the scenes!

It’s the snout that’s the problem.

Once you say something, it somehow becomes a reality, right?

‘It’s not for nothing that we’re told to watch our mouths, really.’

In that sense, I think you should be careful, Hakuna, even if you’re King Yusra, because one of the most dangerous things you can say at work is to ask someone to do something.

‘I know, I’ve been screwed over by Wensu before.’

I told Hakuna sincerely.

“It’s better not to say anything you can’t handle, Hakuna.”

Of course, that didn’t sound like warm advice, because it was Grandfell style, but it’s a good thing Hakuna had already suffered through Grandfell style to the point of scabbing over his ears.

Hakuna replied with a small smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind, benefactor.”

.

.

.

Hoyeol left, and Hakuna, alone, looked at the chessboard. There were three moving pieces, all pawns. Hakuna recalled the names of the three pawns.

“The High Ranking Demon King, the Great Evil, and the Primordial Evil.”

Greed, the seven deadly sins.

Hakuna knew the evil better than anyone.

He could only imagine how great they were.

“Nevertheless, it means that it is just a soldier.”

But Hoyeol had used all three of them as pawns.

One might say.

You’re underestimating them.

No, it’s just that one knows what he means and the other two don’t.

“Demons grow out of negative emotions…….”

In the rules of chess, pawns are also promoted.

What the pawn means is that even if the demon is only a lowly pawn, it can still grow and change. It’s a metaphor for never letting your guard down.

At the same time.

“Still, a pawn cannot be king.”

He wanted me to realize the difference in power.

Hakuna pondered the chessboard in front of him.

If Hoyeol’s words were even slightly overlooked.

He couldn’t fathom its deep meaning.

*

“……Huh!”

A heart that beats rapidly.

Unfamiliar scenery and sensations.

The half-blood demon opened his eyes.

What the hell was going on……?