◈ Episode 361. Welcome (1)

Claudi.

As for the name, only speculation abounded.

The Arcana Continent and reality.

There would be gaps in information depending on the individual.

Nevertheless, everyone had a vague idea.

“…… This is Lee Hoyeol’s nickname, right?”

It was certain.

Claudi.

Definitely one of the many names for Lee Hoyeol.

The difference was that the meaning was ambiguous.

It wasn’t the kind of nickname that was intuitive, like a ray of light in the infinite darkness, or the Dark Dragon, or the kind that made you think of Hoyeol as soon as you heard it.

This has left some players and self-proclaimed experts scratching their heads.

The most plausible one is…….

“Why, Lee Hoyeol is the leader of Akshan, so I’m sure it’s some sort of nickname that’s used inside Akshan, and there’s some sort of rule about hiding your real name in front of the demon!”

-“What……. Is that plausible?”

-“Then why did the demons yell, “Claudi!” instead……?”

The speculation was that Claudi was an nickname within Akshan. But the reality, or more precisely the reality related to Hoyeol, has always easily surpassed imagination.

[Hidden Piece, you have entered the ‘Claudi Territory’].

“Hidden Piece? Hidden Piece is a real thing?!”

“……Is it because it’s a hidden piece that it’s so fine?”

“It’s called Claudi Territory, so what is it doing there, does anyone know?”

Some of the sharp-eyed ones, including Park Hwigang, recognized it.

” ……It’s called the Claudi Territory, which means it’s Claudi’s territory, right?”

Entering the Arcana Continent.

The first ground they stepped on.

“This, this, this is the territory of Lee Hoyeol……!!”

Claudi.

In other words, it’s Hoyeol’s territory.

Pre-cataclysmic common sense.

A time when the entire Arcana continent was just a game.

The value of a territory comes to mind.

“How many players had territories?”

“As far as I know, there was only one individual, Skal.”

“That’s right, Skal, because he’s had guild-level influence since then.”

Back then, Skal was the undisputed number one. Aside from him, only the guilds, especially the top-ranked guilds, could own land that could be called a territory.

However.

“But those were the early days, no matter how you slice it, when Ranked players were still hovering around level 200 at best! Even with that kind of level, it’s hard to imagine anyone acquiring territory…….”

Even on the outskirts of the empire.

No, it was just a small village that wasn’t even part of the Empire. Although they did own [Laundry], which could be considered a decent city……….

“They were basically pants lords.”

Knowing the details of the past?

It wasn’t unusual for players with the skill and confidence to enter the Arcana continent at the top of the leaderboards. There was something truly strange.

Park Hwigang cautiously continued.

“How long have you owned this land?”

Claudi Territory.

It was the same image he had seen when he entered the portal.

Park Hwigang spat out pure admiration.

“Anyway……. It’s spectacular!”

Saaaaaah─

The woolly grass stretched as far as the horizon, and the trees were tall as if to protect such a territory. The sky was clear, and even the breeze was refreshing.

It was a world away from the rumored Arcana continent. But what struck the players most was that it was a world apart.

“……Wait, what is that?!”

A mansion with an imposing presence from afar.

“Huh.”

“Hey, isn’t that just a castle?”

One after another, Claudi’s mansion was holding back those who entered the Arcana Continent and Claudi’s territory through the portal. Park Hwigang muttered in disbelief.

“So that’s Hoyeol-nim’s mansion, then it makes sense, why did you put so much emphasis on aesthetics, of course, living in a place like that……!”

Open Eyes.

It was the kind of beauty that forced the word aesthetician to come to mind, and so, like mesmerized by something, the players made their way to Claudi’s mansion.

In the crowd.

“……, you’re looking at us like we’re something to behold.”

The three guild masters of the Great Alliance whispered in private.

And then there was Skal.

Whispering to Hisagi, Nam Taemin had a hunch.

“Is this Mr. Hoyeol……. No, it must be the one he was sorry he couldn’t show us, why, the one he was talking about on the Iron Castle!”

They had been the first to enter the Arcana Continent as the advance party.

Hisagi nodded.

To be precise, the first line was…….

-“Forgive me for not being prepared to greet you.”

That’s what he’d said.

I hadn’t understood what he meant then.

Now I knew.

At the same time, I laughed.

“It’s quite a sight to behold.”

“……What are you talking to yourself all of a sudden, can’t you hear me?”

“Shut up, both of you. They look at me more because of you.”

Leonie sanctified in ventriloquism with her mouth closed.

The players’ eyes poured over her, burdened.

Even within the Holy War Alliance, they were Hoyeol’s most trusted allies.

They must know something about this situation.

But.

‘Not a damn thing.’

One look at Skal, pacing back and forth, and it’s clear.

“It is a mansion with a sense of history and tradition.”

“Skar, how can you sense that?”

“Didn’t I tell you about my family?”

“Family? You come out of nowhere. I don’t care about your family tree, and you don’t care if you’re a spirit man or an antelope man, or how many generations you’re descended from.”

“Neither do I. Save your admiration.”

Leonie shook her head.

‘…… All three of you, just walk away, please.’

By that point, the players had realized that they didn’t know what they were talking about, and their attention had been drawn. The unnecessary attention was gone, but Leonie’s mind was still racing.

‘……Are you putting too much faith in this?’

An invitation to the estate.

It was like inviting someone into his living room.

There are a lot of players who don’t even know that he has that much pride!

‘Bluff.’

For attention.

There’s no shortage of trolls out there.

For them, Hoyeol’s territory would be a great topic.

Of course, the more formal Hoyeol wouldn’t stand for it……. It’s just that he’s so forgiving and generous.

Leonie clucked her tongue.

‘The pinnacle of being praised as a saintly gentleman by the world.’

Well, it’s not okay to like people too much.

Of course, Hoyeol’s gentleness is born of confidence, but the problem is that the landlord is not immediately present in his territory, Claudi.

-“I’m afraid I have an arrangement.”

Given the time difference between Arcana and reality.

At least a day or two.

The amount of time the players might spend in the Claudi Territory.

Leonie’s gaze flicked to the portal behind them.

‘In the meantime, they’ll keep coming in, things without pride..’

A day or two was enough time for events to unfold.

But Leonie’s mood didn’t last long.

How far had she gone?

They reached the mansion’s front garden.

Four statues blocked the players’ path.

Someone spat out an observation.

” …… Isn’t the location of the statues ambiguous?”

The answer came from the statue’s mouth.

“It’s not a statue.”

“Huh, Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!”

“We are incarnations of the four families that serve Claudi.”

gugugugung……!

“At the command of our Lord, we will watch over your pride.”

At the same time.

The four statues moved with a magnificent sound.

The sight brought a smile to Leonie’s lips.

That’s how it should be.

Wherever you go, there is an arrangement.

Is it possible that there is no arrangement in a territory that is like a master bedroom?

Shhh, Leonie turns around.

“Suck.”

A few of the thieves’ feet seemed to go numb.

Frozen, aren’t they?

Leonie stared, and finally shook her head.

“I don’t have any unnecessary worries, really.”

*

“Mmm.”

The new breeze of excitement is unpleasant.

“A little hope in the midst of despair.”

But it’s not bad.

No, I want them to stay that way. That way, they’ll feel even more guilty about their sloppy behavior, and the more they do, the more this body will gain strength.

Lust, the Seven Deadly Sins.

Lust looked at the offerings.

If you ask Lust what these sacrifices are for, he’ll let his actions speak for themselves. Lust looked at his wounds, still not fully healed.

The bone in his side was exposed, unhealed.

‘I didn’t give her blood and flesh for nothing.’

Gremory, Demon King.

Lust forcibly infused Gremory with his own blood and flesh.

As a result, the Arcana Continent and the Demon World.

A new demon was born, merging the malice of both worlds.

A half-breed demon reborn.

Gremory’s power was beyond expectation.

Especially.

‘She was even better than me.’

Lust had seen the beginning and end of Gremory’s rampage in the Zero Mountains. It was bad enough that she had an adventurer in her clutches, but now she had the monsters of the mountains as servants.

Lust stifled a smile as he looked at the wound.

“That was enough pain for me.”

This gave him a plan.

If he could mix himself with the blood of a High Ranking Demon King, the Seven Deadly Sins……. Akshan’s last survivor. At the same time, he could gain power that would rival even the one and only Claudi.

Lust shuddered.

“Ah, maybe not the one and only.”

Well, enough of that pettiness.

He’d seen the beginning and the end of Gremory.

He’d seen the overwhelming power of Hoyeol’s slaying of Gremory.

Still, Lust can be arrogant for a simple reason. He knew the power of the High Ranking Demon Kings who were different from the hybrids of the demon world who called themselves kings.

Demon worshippers.

Among them, the three demigods.

Karimzeva had this to say about the High Ranking Demon Kings.

-“They are the realizers of truth.”

A gate to the Demon World.

Karimzeva’s eyes filled with ecstasy as he glimpsed the power of the High Ranking Demon Kings through the rift.

As if he had truly caught a glimpse of the Real Truth. The mages’ obsession with truth, then and now, was an incomprehensible lust.

But.

“That’s not important either.”

What matters is the Demon Worshippers, because of them.

The ritualized process of sacrifice for the manifestation of the High Ranking Demon Kings.

Lust had learned it.

‘I need a dimensional rift that I don’t mind being unstable.’

I don’t need to be able to travel back and forth.

It only needs to connect the Arcana Continent to this world. Such a dimensional rift had to be built into an altar that would suit the tastes of the High Ranking Demon King who wished to manifest it.

In that sense, their failure was helpful.

Gamigin, the 4th Throne Demon King.

To try to summon the King of the Fourth Throne on their first attempt.

It was an arrogant move.

Lust would not repeat that mistake.

‘Last seat, the Tenth Demon King is enough.’

Lust clenched his fist.

‘No, it must be a last seat.’

A half-blood ritual.

In other words, one must accept a High Ranking Demon King into one’s body in the process of mixing blood. Of course, Lust knew. The High Ranking Demon King, how they are treated by hybrids.

Clueless fathers or tools.

Among the half-breeds, the High Ranking Demon Kings wielded immense power, but no will. It was with this knowledge that Lust decided to mix blood with the High Ranking Demon Kings.

‘You can’t just trust the word of a half-breed.’

Helpfully, it was the nature of demons to distrust each other. So Lust prepared for the ritual. After the manifestation of the High Ranking Demon King, he would need to complete the half-breed ritual.

It would require an enormous amount of sacrifice.

Sourcing such offerings would be a challenge even on the Arcana Continent.

But Lust saw an opportunity.

In the chaos of China.

He laughed with satisfaction.

“Hahahaha.”

And the number of sacrifices was said to be one of the highest in the world, even though the one thing he didn’t want to face, the elves, were still alive and well in this land.

‘It doesn’t matter. Only the one that can feel me.’

The Demon Hunter.

He’s the only one.

Knowing that, Lust chose this moment.

Thanks to having once possessed a human body.

The knowledge of the adventurer’s world came naturally to him.

The news repeated over and over again on TVs and smartphones.

-Breaking news: you can now enter the Arcana continent!

That’s right.

At this moment, he’s leading the Adventurers to the Arcana Continent.

Two completely different worlds. Even if he has the sharpest hunter’s senses. It would be impossible to detect his presence from Arcana.

Lust wasted no time.

“No, I shouldn’t be overconfident.”

Equally informed.

“Time passes four times faster on Arcana.”

The ritual began immediately.

ttug─

A drop of blood at his feet.

At the same time, the foundation of the ritual.

Lust imagined his future.

Nothing would stand in his way, having wielded the power of a High Ranking Demon King and the power of an adventurer and a player. Not even Dragons, not even Pride, not even Bael, and finally.

‘Not even you, Claudi.’

The corner of Lust’s mouth twitched.

“You’re late for your appointment.”

A voice said.

The moment.

A stiffening limb.

“……!”

But Lust couldn’t turn his head. It wasn’t because he was conscious and couldn’t be distracted. Lust wanted to run away if he could.

He just couldn’t.

A cold voice spoke to him.

Why?

In a tone that Lust didn’t immediately understand.

“I told you.”

“……?”

“I will not allow you to breathe a single breath of air on this earth.”

He continues.

“You are no better than a bug in a flower garden.”