◈ Episode 347. Some Things Never Change (3)
Ever since Eunaxus disappeared in green flames. If you counted the world’s most talked-about stories on three fingers, the first would be the sublime sacrifice of Cat Tower Master.
“Hey, it looks like we’re all here except the Heavenly Unity.”
“Even if it’s not sincere, they will still attend. To put it bluntly, the Tower Master, an Arcanian, gave up his life for us, but pretend not to notice. Can you handle it? the bombardment of comments from netizens?”
“They’re just doing it for image management.”
The second and third stories, too.
It could be found at the Magic Tower.
murmur─
At the same time as each sound.
The crowd whispers at the sight of the newcomers.
The whispers were in Arcanians.
“Senior Lee, your hair is back to normal, isn’t it?”
“Personally, I preferred long hair……. You weren’t wearing a jacket then, but when I imagine your long hair and the jacket fluttering around your shoulders together……!”
“You know, I’m not really interested in your personal preference.”
Player said.
“Wasn’t that a skill or something back then?”
“Eh, I don’t think there’s a skill like Long Hair in the Arcana anyway, so what’s the point of using it while facing a dragon?”
“Live for appearance and die with appearance. Wasn’t it cool, long hair?”
“I can’t argue with that, but…….”
Hoyeol’s ever-changing hairstyle.
And the last one, too.
Thanks to the clueless Dmitri, I was able to check it again.
The dragon’s loot that Hoyeol would have gotten.
Dmitri wants to know what he got.
Dmitri breaks out in a cold sweat.
“Oh, no. That’s it, Chief……?”
Is there anything more fun than the Buddhist scenery across the river?
Literally, Dmitry earned his punishment with his mouth.
There’s an unwritten rule among players. Unless you’ve lost or are about to lose, you don’t ask successful raiders what loot they’ve gotten.
The reason is simple.
“There’s nothing in the world more maddening than raid mother-in-law.”
After Cataclysm, raiding became a life-and-death struggle.
It’s only fitting that something called a raid should be a life-and-death struggle. To value the loot was to weigh the sacrifice of the raid against the value of the loot.
And this time, the sacrifice was even heavier.
“Dmitri, that’s really crossing the line.”
It was a battle in which a Master of the Magic Tower had sacrificed himself, and it was in the Magic Tower where such a Master’s memorial was held. To speak of loot so openly in such circumstances, and then to no one else.
It was Hoyeol who discovered the atrocity.
Some players even turned away.
“I’m so pitiful that I can’t see it. Now that I think about it, Dmitry, didn’t he get caught by the fluff when his proposal was rejected before? Why has he been so salty ever since?”
“Because you think I did that……. Ew, I’m about to throw up.”
“I’m already getting chills, is that normal……?”
When things happen that you don’t even realize are happening.
Help me.
Stuttering, Dmitri looks desperately for his allies, his Shining companions, but neither Lox nor Camilla are in sight, not a hair, not even a shadow.
“……You guys?”
Dmitri’s cluelessness is more than compensated for. The sharp-eyed Lox had ducked out of the way as the flames erupted, and Camilla had long since made her way through the crowd to find Jesse.
“Tra, traitors……!
A dilemma.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me, Dmitri.’
Everyone was waiting for Dmitri’s ‘disposition’.
Hoyeol spoke up.
I don’t know why.
No one expected it.
“Then wait for your turn.”
Wait your turn?
Procedure and formality.
It was a phrase that Hoyeol used to say like a habit……..
Wait for your turn.
Hoyeol left that word alone.
He took a step.
Dmitri, who was on the brink of death, released the breath he had been holding.
“Huhhh.”
He didn’t have time to think.
Once again, he turned to his companions.
Dmitri whispered to the Shining Guild member and analyst.
“You don’t mean you’re going to dispose of me in order, do you?”
“Well, that could mean two things.”
“……Two things, what are they?”
“One would be the order of disposition, like you just said.”
“Whoa, so what’s the other one?”
“The other one, I’m guessing, is…….”
The man ponders, then says
“If you had intended to reveal player Lee Hoyeol about the loot of Eunaxus in the first place……. Wait for this turn could be interpreted differently, right?”
“……Oh.”
Heaven and hell, depending on the interpretation.
There was only one way for Dmitri to foresee his future, so what was next on the agenda for the procedure-oriented Hoyeol?
The mages of the Magic Tower knew better than anyone.
Through the crowd, Jibril whispered to Klee.
“Come to think of it, isn’t today the day of the Round Table, Klee?”
*
I’m grateful, Dmitri.
‘For not paying attention to my long hair like everyone else…….’
I’m still reeling from last night.
The phone was ringing in my hand the whole time.
A strange shock – the vibration of a smartphone notification.
-ㅁㅊ Hoyeol, what is your hair??
-Creepy. lol
-What’s creepy~ It suits you well~.
-Are you always going to come and go?!?!
-Yerim, you know kids are so honest, but I remember when Arang said she thought her uncle looked like a real prince, lol.
-She never once said her auntie was pretty. ㅡㅡ
Numbers 2 and 3 are the ones who crave me as always.
Even my oldest sister, who gives me consolation instead of comfort.
I could not have been so resentful……!
I was prepared, but it was a harsh aftermath. The good news is that my hair is back to normal, as you can see, after the damned skill [Celestial Infant Solitude] was released.
‘And the bad news is.’
If I activate it again, my hair will be shaggy again……! Strength in exchange for shame in the world. Even if it is now, I worry about the future.
[Dark Understanding (Curse): Greatly increases affinity with suitable magic. However, you must confront your past, which is the source of this power. – Current Suitable Magic Affinity: 10%]
When I learn about Grandfell’s past through [Dark Understanding].
[Celestial Infant Solitude (10%): An unparalleled genius, insulting even the Goddesses, Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo’s talents are unleashed].
The skill level of [Celestial Infant Solitude]. will also increase. I’m worried that if I master the skill, I’ll end up just sweeping the floor with my hair…….
So be thankful.
‘Loot questions to lighten the mood.’
This allowed me to attend the next event on the agenda, the Roundtable, without being questioned by anyone, and I stepped up to the podium in Crystal Hall, where the Roundtable was held, as is protocol.
I opened my mouth as Commander-in-Chief of the Holy War Alliance.
“Eunaxus no longer exists in this world.”
Although many players joined in, it was the Holy War Alliance that led the raid on Eunaxus. That means it’s up to me to settle the outcome of the raid.
“Thanks to your noble sacrifice.”
Nam Taemin, Hisagi, Leonie, and Skal…….
Gaze after gaze.
The last to stop was Harkon.
Harkon lost both of his legs in this battle.
His legs were crushed, and the extreme heat and melted sheet metal exacerbated his injuries. His injuries were beyond the reach of modern medicine and the healing magic of the tower.
“That sacrifice deserves to be honored.”
I nodded to Harkon.
Harkon had lost his leg while leading the Holy War Alliance in my unexpected six-day absence. I would have paid my respects more fervently, but my damned throat was stiff even at this time.
But on behalf of such a man.
Clap clap clap─
Everyone at the roundtable stood.
They applauded Harkon.
Harkon looked embarrassed but smiled.
“Oh, no……. This is embarrassing in its own way.”
When the applause died down, I spoke up.
“Eunaxus, he was a foe to be reckoned with, a foe no demon or great evil could ever hope to match, and it is thanks to you that we are able to defend reality from him.”
“……!!!”
I can feel the audience being shocked.
Who is this great Grandfell?
Someone with a demanding personality who doesn’t usually give out praise.
The praise is pouring out of the Grandfell’s mouth, and not just from the mages in the tower, but from the players who are new to the roundtable now that the tower is open to the public.
They didn’t realize there was more to it than that.
‘Look at how he’s still puffing out his chest.’
In any case, I was the overwhelmingly dominant contributor to Eunaxus’ downfall.
I wasn’t the one who attacked him, but I was the one who took the full brunt of the heat during his final, spectacular blast of flame.
‘In other words, I’m the best.’
Proof of that is the 800-level wall I broke through.
[Level: 826].
A whopping 26 additional levels.
And all of that, plus the loot left behind by Eunaxus, because of my high kill contribution. Yes, I took to the podium to reveal that fact.
Why, shouldn’t I practice what I preach?
“I will reveal to you the legacy left behind by Eunaxus.”
*
AAU Korea Branch.
It was as if a storm had swept through.
Sung Hyunjoon and Yoon Soogyeom are catching their breath.
Two iced Americano’s are placed next to them.
“Huh?”
It’s also a large Venti size.
” …… branch leader Park?”
It’s Park Minjae, the branch leader.
He loves canned coffee and mixed coffee, which is rare in this day and age.
For some reason, he put down the cafe’s iced Americano.
The sun must be rising in the west.
Either that or he’s won the lottery.
As the two men stare at him, Park Minjae speaks up.
“…… My wife shot it.”
“What, your wife is here?”
“Yeah, while you were all pounding away on your keyboards…….”
By the way, if you think about it, didn’t I shoot this too……?
Park Minjae’s eyes were about to turn sad.
Sung Hyunjoon quickly hit him.
“Waaaah, I’ll drink it with gratitude, Mr. Park! The coffee you’re buying for me tastes good after all. Oh, and have you checked? There’s been a lot of breaking news in the media.”
“Breaking news? Turn off the Magic Tower?”
“Yeah.”
Sung Hyunjoon turned the monitor toward Park Minjae, just in case.
Park glanced at it and nodded.
“Of course, I read every word.”
“I think we’re finally getting somewhere.”
“Yeah.”
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
Park Minjae sneakily reached for Yoon Soogyeom’s coffee.
Yoon’s hand was faster.
Quickly, he puts his lips to the straw and asks.
“Do you want some water?”
“No, thank you. No, it’s okay.”
“What on earth did you do, asshole?”
The asshole here is, of course, Raymond Sean.
The dragons who had followed Hoyeol as the Dark Dragon, and there was no reason for him to be spewing brains into reality and players now, I thought.
“Eunaxus swallowed the evil fruit. It must have been the evil fruit that preceded it.”
“So I’ve been scouring the Cosmo databases again, and there’s no sign of the Evil Fruit, even if there is a Good Fruit, and I’ve been digging through the deleted material. I don’t know where it all went wrong…….”
“Well, it’s no wonder we don’t know, seeing as how it was an emergency update and not even Raymond Sean, the asshole, saw it coming.”
“Well, that’s its own kind of asshole.”
On the other side.
Sung Hyunjoon and Yoon Soogyeom shook their heads as they sipped their Americanos.
By the way, speaking of unexpected things…….
Sung Hyunjoon opens his mouth.
“I never thought this Eunaxus Raid would end up like this. In fact, I was secretly hoping that Yusra General Manager Lee Hoyeol would be able to sort things out…….”
“You didn’t expect him to show up with long hair and a shaggy head?”
“Well, that’s part of it, isn’t it? But he’s the general manager, he always does, and I have infinite faith in him, so I didn’t expect to be so surprised.”
“Testimony time, or what?”
He’s no different from me.
Park Minjae takes a moment to swallow a smirk.
Sung Hyunjoon takes over.
“But Eunaxus, who swallowed the evil fruit, turned into an evil dragon, and caused a small amount of damage to reality, I never expected to be remembered and recorded in this way.”
“Really?”
Park Minjae recited the breaking news headline at Sung Hyunjoon’s words.
“Lee Hoyeol said, Eunaxus’ Dragon Heart has opened a portal to the Arcana Continent. From now on, you can freely enter the Arcana continent through the portal in the Magic Tower. The era of the battle for connectors is about to end…….”
Yoon adds.
“No one would have thought that you would use the Dragon Hearts you acquired as loot as a means to reach the Arcana Continent.”
For a man who treats wealth and honor as nothing.
To such a man.
It was a development that could only have happened because of the Dragon Heart.
Suddenly, Park remembered the setting of the Arcana Continent biography.
“Wasn’t that actually the final content of the Arcana Continent Biography that we planned back in the early days of Cosmo? The Zero Mountains and the dragon atop them?”
“It was.”
“Even if the Cataclysm hadn’t happened, players would have succeeded in hunting the dragon at some point. Of course, even then, the Arcana biography wouldn’t have ended there, because there would have been new content added all the time.”
“That would have been true, too.”
“Still, the Dragon Raid would have been a major turning point, because it would have been the point at which the world would have expanded beyond Arcana, which is what we had planned.”
Sung and Yoon exclaimed at the same time.
“Oh……. How does that make sense?”
“In any case, the Eunaxus Raid was a turning point, because it opened a portal to a completely different world, the Arcana Continent. That’s a perspective I hadn’t really thought of, Mr. Branch Leader.”
“Really?”
Well, that was worth the expensive coffee.
Park shrugged unnecessarily.
And yet, he thought to himself.
Yes, the truth has always been the same.
Just different perspectives.
In that sense.
It really is unfathomable.
From on high, watching over everything.
It was a constant perspective and interpretation.
Park Min-jae sighed involuntarily.
“Even the evil dragon that almost set the world on fire, the polar flame dragon Eunaxus. Yusra General Manager Lee Hoyeol saw the Arcana Continent as a torch to light a new era………….”
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tl/n: I think when players go to Arcana Continent, maybe Hoyeol will go to another world, whether it’s Demon World or something like Seorn Continent, and when the demon race exists, maybe the angel race also exists with the world?