◈ Episode 35. Innocence (1)

Harkon remembered his last days in the Empire.

He still couldn’t forget his Lord’s bitter voice.

“The trials never end, Harkon.”

“……Your Majesty.”

“What is it that the gods want from me? Even as Emperor, I can’t fathom it. I feel like I’ve been thrown into a deep darkness where there is no light…….”

Demons have appeared and adventurers have disappeared.

As if that weren’t enough, the empire’s territory and people have evaporated without a trace.

Even the towers.

Harkon was sure of it.

Demons were responsible for all of this.

But even if he knew the cause, there was nothing he could do about it.

Fighting a demon beyond its power was hopeless.

His lord knew that.

“They say a demon legionnaire has emerged from the northwest, a legionnaire. Thousands of men will die in this expedition, and I will drive them to their deaths.”

“Your Majesty, such words are not…….”

“Harkon. Every night I ask the gods, the goddesses. What have we done so wrong, and if you have any pity for us, tell me what choice I must make.”

The Emperor laughed bitterly.

“But not once has he answered.”

Harkon said nothing.

He merely fulfilled his duty as his master’s sword.

“I will return after slaying the demon legion leader, Your Majesty.”

That was the last thing he remembered.

When he woke up in the middle of the expedition.

“……!”

Harkon opened his eyes to an unfamiliar world.

For the first time, he could fathom his master’s mind.

That feeling of being abandoned by a god.

“Why! Why us! Why us! We must not let the Demon Legionnaire……!!!”

This strange world is the home of adventurers.

The adventurers who disappeared are here.

Buildings, people, and towers that evaporated exist here.

When I learned of this, I was hopeful.

But that hope was quickly destroyed.

“……And you can’t figure out why?”

The adventurers’ hometown was in turmoil as well.

The demonic forces had reached this far.

“What am I supposed to do here?

The first thing that came to mind was the tower.

“If it’s the Magic Tower.”

Their wisdom.

They might have a way out of this.

But weren’t the wizards of the Magic Tower something even the Emperor took for granted?

I couldn’t realistically hope for their help.

Then the rumor came.

“……The Yusra Islands?”

A legendary treasure island.

The story that the Yusra Islands had appeared in this world.

A glimmer of hope?

I honestly didn’t expect it.

“Legends are just that, legends.”

Even if the treasure of the Yusra Islands did exist.

What good would it do in this situation?

Still, Harkon and the Knights of Ryan Hart had come to Yusra for a simple reason.

If they stayed put, they would go insane.

“……I can’t lose.

When the devil is the cause of everything.

And I wanted to resist it until the end.

Then I met a man, an adventurer.

“That bracelet,” he said, “‘It must be from the Magic Tower……!

At first, I thought it was a golden opportunity.

I didn’t realize there was an adventurer with such close ties to Magic Tower.

I thought that if I went through him, I would be able to contact him.

That’s what I was hoping for.

But the further I traveled, the more I thought differently.

‘…… saw through my impure intentions.

He didn’t question me.

I moved on.

That generosity showed in battle.

Despite their magical abilities.

He simply cleared the way for them to operate.

Harkon was no stranger to arrogant mages.

He couldn’t help but admire them.

“That’s the attitude of a true noble……!

That was it.

“Lord Ho-Yeol.”

The title changed for the adventurer.

But it didn’t end with admiration.

The island shook and a golden palace appeared.

Harkon was well aware of the creepy aura.

“There’s a demon here, too.”

It was a powerful one, too.

Harkon swallowed a sigh.

“Does this mean we’ve been playing into their hands again?

But the sigh quickly turned into a sigh of relief.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“……?”

“You despicable fiend of great wickedness.”

“……!!!”

That, too, was thanks to Ho Yeol.

Harkon couldn’t believe his eyes.

A demon.

How could a human being be so confident in the presence of such a great evil?

“What is this unshakable grace?”

It was an attitude he had never seen in himself, or even in the Emperor.

Harkon could only blame himself.

“……I am sorry, Your Majesty. If only I had known sooner.”

If only he had known of Lord Ho-Yeol’s existence.

Before the demons stretched across the Empire.

I could have destroyed them.

A moment of regret.

Then Harkon’s eyes flashed.

“Yes, yes. This is my chance to correct my mistake.

No more excuses were needed.

Demons existed here, in the world of adventurers.

It didn’t matter if this was a test from the gods or a punishment from heaven.

“I will fight back.

How could he say he would protect the Empire and the Emperor if he couldn’t even defeat the demons of this world?

As if to support Harkon’s resolve, Ho Yeol spoke up.

“I don’t believe in gods.”

Indeed, a declaration worthy of Lord Ho-Yeol.

“Perhaps we are of the same mind.

Harkon smiled.

Throb.

The sleeping lion’s heart began to beat again.

*
*.Read first on https://pindangscans.com
*

The Knights of the Lionheart.

They’re called the mightiest knights of Arcana.

I can see why.

Crack!

The skeletons approached with bone-crunching sounds.

Those bastards were level 500.

When I checked, I was horrified.

I heard Leonie’s ridiculous voice.

“…… This is so f*cking tough. Seriously.”

Of course, there’s a difference in the level of expression.

I agree.

No matter how evil it is, it’s not that difficult.

[Sleepless Soldier : Lv.500]

[Sleepless Soldier: Lv.500]

[Sleepless Soldier: Lv.500]…….

If it was just one or two of them, I wouldn’t be talking.

There’s a lot of them, even from a distance.

Even if the undead were a race with a clear weakness.

With such an extreme difference in level, even their weaknesses would be blunted.

‘I guess it’s impossible to conserve magic power.

I thought to myself. ……

“Sacrifice your heart. So that Lord Ho Yeol can reach the Great Evil!”

Suddenly, I hear Harkon’s shout.

“Give your hearts!”

At that, I could feel the morale of the Lionheart Knights boiling over.

It was no illusion.

The knights were on the front lines.

They began to literally smash through the skeletons.

One in particular stood out.

Three knights, including Harkon.

[Harkon Kingsguard : Lv.600]

[Yeshka Bright: Lv.430]

[Enoch Lauren: Lv.400]

Gao-oh─

Harkon’s blade glows with a faint light.

Every time he swings it, skeletons fall helplessly to the ground.

This shouldn’t be surprising, as Harkon’s level was far superior to the skeletons.

But Yeshka and Enoch.

How can I explain the performance of those two knights?

‘They’re definitely outmatched in terms of level. But.

They were just as strong, if not stronger, than Harkon.

They were as strong, if not stronger, than him.

I could recognize the reason.

‘A glowing sword. That’s it.

Goh-oh-oh.

It wasn’t a clear light like the harkon.

But Yeshka and Enoch.

Their swords also emitted a faint glow.

That’s a source of strength that offsets even their level.

I looked at that light with Grandfell’s gaze.

Just like when I first witnessed 『Magic』.

Search, interference, manifestation…….

Like when I saw words I didn’t know scribbled on paper.

I could recognize the identity of that light.

‘……Sword energy.’

Does such a thing really exist?

Even I questioned.

But there’s no point in overthinking it.

Like magic, you’ll find out when you experience it.

And more importantly, in this moment.

“What are you doing anyway, giving your heart for me?

Harkon’s attitude was getting more and more extreme.

“I’m scared. I’m scared.

Of course, I didn’t seem to mind the declaration.

Even though I was feeling it.

My fellow players reacted violently.

“……How did you get to that level of intimacy?”

“Ew, monster. A monster.”

“You’re more than I imagined, Mr. Ho-yeol!”

Nam Tae-min.

Not a common sight even for top ranked players.

This must be a chip on his shoulder, right?

I don’t know what it is, but I might have felt a sense of pride.

But my shoulders were heavy.

Noblesse oblige.

Thanks to that tired setup.

Because I couldn’t help but feel responsible for the sacrifice of the Knights of Lionheart.

So.

“You found it.”

A shadow sitting on the throne.

A message floats above its head.

[Incarnation of the Seven Deadly Sins Greed: Lv.650]

I did not tremble in its presence.

Another angle─

A confident step forward.

The angle of my waist and neck.

A gaze unbowed by a high throne.

I opened my mouth to speak.

“How long do you think you’re going to sit there, you lowly devil?”

As always.

“You have no manners for an inferior race.”

.

.

.

“!”

Nam Tae-min and Leonie.

Both of them shouted before anyone else.

“Everyone back off!!!”

“Don’t come any closer!!!”

It wasn’t another monster, it was a demon.

Stronger than the absolute level is basic.

Demons that were in a terrible state.

“I can’t fight them with my head!

He couldn’t stand guildmates whose levels and equipment items were lower than his own.

It was an order based on that judgment.

Even so.

“F*ck, really.”

Leonie bit her lower lip hard.

It wasn’t as if he could call himself unharmed.

His current level was 352.

That was a difference of 300 levels.

“……, I think I’m in trouble, don’t you?”

Level 369.

Being a South Korean didn’t make it any different.

Berserkers and Barbarians.

Their fighting spirit rose the more unfavorable the situation.

If anything, their superior sense of combat was telling.

They were f*cked.

But the two were quick to assess the situation.

‘……Even if we can’t do anything.

I can’t be a burden.

A determined Nam Tae-min spoke up.

“First, I’ll hold out as long as I can, but if I can no longer resist the condition……. I will withdraw from the battle as soon as I realize it.”

“Me too……, because once we’re in the fight and it looks like it’s not going to work, I’ll just cut my Achilles tendon…….”

“Oh, that sounds good.”

I’ll cut my own Achilles.

Truly, a berserker and barbarian declaration.

It’s a stupid way to go, but it’s the best way to go.

They’d seen it all before.

A player who’s out of shape and pointing a knife at an ally.

He’d rather crawl on the ground than be a threat to his allies.

It was an injury, one that could be healed if he survived.

“……?!”

That’s what I thought.

The one sitting on the throne moved.

At the same time.

I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest.

[The incarnation of the seven deadly sins of greed is watching you].

……What is this message?

“Holy sh*t.”

You can’t resist for a single moment?

This is no ordinary demon.

It’s literally a “great evil.”

At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before he goes insane.

It might point its sword at an ally, at Ho Yeol.

We need to step back quickly…….

[Irresistible desire clouds judgment].

……No, why bother?

If I just slash this stuffy chest.

Maybe it’ll all be over.

[Aberration: greed arises].

The two were about to pick up their swords with trembling hands.

Ho-Yeol’s voice came through.

“There’s no need.”

It was a generous voice.

“I am here.”

It was enough to suppress the greed in their hearts.

Bang.

Two swords falling to the floor.

……What was I thinking?

The words brought the two men to their senses.

It wasn’t an illusion.

Ho Yeol had managed to neutralize the evil spirit.

He was arrogantly sitting on the throne.

“You, who are you, and how did you……?”

The uneasy trembling in his voice was proof of that.

[The ‘Orb of the Vampire Count’ was chosen as the sacrifice].

[Skill, ‘Ritual of the Exorcist’ is triggered].

[The incarnation of the Seven Deadly Sins of Greed is invited to the ‘Ritual’].

The demon hunt has begun.