◈ Episode 472. The Great Monster (1)
I knew it was coming.
“Boring.”
Grandfell said to me in disgust.
“It doesn’t deviate even an inch from what I expected.”
The original storyline of the Shadow God becoming the Arcana continent’s greatest dark side has been twisted by me, Lee Hoyeol. All Raymon Sean can do is balance it out with an emergency update.
‘The Shadow God’s replacement is the Great Monster.’
The Great Monster is cataclysmic. It referred to the monsters of the Arcana continent that hadn’t succumbed to demons in the midst of the demonic invasion.
In other words, each one of them was at least as strong as the boss monsters of the Zero Mountains.
‘At least level 1,000.’
My assessment of the overwhelming level was simple and straightforward.
“It’s pitiful that there’s nothing to show off but numbers.”
What a pitiful piece of shit.
I feel even more sorry for those of us who have to fight something like that as soon as the high ranking Demon King Paimon retreats. The Arcana, the real world, and the players have already been bombarded with emergency updates.
ttogag.
At this moment, as I walked down the stairs of the Magic Tower, I could hear a constant chatter, and it wasn’t just players’ voices that were whispering.
“Speaking of great monsters, there was one in my hometown that was legendary! A large, colorful bird emitting light……. No, I’m not really bluffing this time, Miss Jibril?!”
Marcelo, it seems that even the more experienced mages have grown accustomed to Anomaly quest, following the teachings of ‘someone’. I suppose that’s to be expected.
There was a strange tension in the Magic Tower.
“I was waiting, Chief Lee.”
Right on time.
As I entered the Crystal Hall, I was greeted by Marcelo, the tower master.
Your face has opened up a lot compared to the past when your skin and bones touched each other, Marcelo.
Of course.
‘I’m going to be so busy that I’m going to be sick again.’
Crystal Hall.
I step up to the lectern and look out at the audience.
The senior, experienced wizards of the Matriarchy.
AAU branch leaders.
Even players from the Holy War Alliance.
The atmosphere in the room is heavy.
Isn’t it pointless to make a fuss when I have hunted Demon Kings and Great Evil that are even worse than Great Monsters? That’s right. To be honest, I was almost glad to see the Great Monster.
‘Loot, experience, whatever, it’ll be a valuable experience.’
Boss mobs are rare, and boss raid experience is hard to come by.
Not only would it directly benefit the Holy War Alliance, but it would also help the inexperienced mages of the Magic Tower and the AAU learn a lot from it.
But there’s a real problem.
A temperament that won’t say anything back.
I spoke bluntly.
“The reason you are here is simple.”
As expected, in true Grandfell style of speaking.
“You are here because you have encountered a question in your Anomaly quest.”
……As I’ve said many times, Anomaly quest is a grandiose expression of Internet surfing. Some adept mages who were not used to my speaking style hesitated.
I was also shocked.
“A quest for Anomaly? I don’t know what it is, but it sounds like a big deal, doesn’t it?”
Hmm, before they could get the full meaning, I continued.
“Oxidin, the Transcendent.”
Oxidin.
I hadn’t forgotten the name.
No, I couldn’t forget it.
‘How could I forget?’
Even excluding the fact that he planned an insidious plan called the Transcendental Alliance.
He was an arcanian who stole a player’s class.
Yes, the consequences had been revealed to the world.
Nam Cheolmin, analyst for the Great Alliance.
He hologrammed the materials he had prepared.
“If you look here……!”
A vast screen appeared out of thin air.
The official website of the Arcana continent’s electricity.
The screen switched, and the player rankings were updated.
‘Seriously, it’s a good thing I made it private earlier.’
To prevent my shameful full name from being revealed to the world.
I’d been making my rankings private since the early days of Awakening.
It took me a moment to breathe a sigh of relief.
Nam Cheolmin.
A blood relative who looked uncomfortable in the audience.
He looked at Nam Taemin and opened his mouth.
“…… As you can see, the official ranking of players has changed.”
──────
1. Oxidin: Lv.1,280
2. Nam Taemin: Lv.706
3. Kazuma Hisagi: Lv.692
4. Leonie Bellucci: Lv.665
5. Skal: Lv.664
6. Jesse Heinness: Lv.642…….
──────
Under normal circumstances, the world would have been set on fire.
It is said that a reclusive person who has kept ranking information private has appeared.
Perhaps the world would have gone wild with the announcement of my rival.
But the name of the Transcendent, Oxidin, had already been mentioned on the homepage.
Not elsewhere.
In this emergency update.
AAU branch leader.
On their behalf, Joshua, the head of the United States branch, raised his hand and asked for my understanding. I nodded and started reading the material he had prepared.
“Both before and after the cataclysm, official rankings were like proof for players. This means there is no reason to disable ranking information that allows players to prove their abilities.”
……I wonder if that’s true?
Joshua.
That’s because you don’t know my situation……!
I looked at Joshua with that meaning.
No wonder he doesn’t know what I’m going through.
Joshua nodded and continued.
“That’s right, I mean, there’s no reason to disable player rankings unless you’re at a level that doesn’t even require proof, like Yusra General Manager Lee Hoyeol. In that sense…….”
……Anyway, it’s really nice of you to think so.
I’ll take a moment to thank you in private.
Joshua gave the AAU conclusion.
“Oxidin, he’s definitely an arcanian, that’s the AAU’s conclusion, and if there’s any other evidence, it’s Oxidin’s name in the emergency update history.”
Other than the AAU, everyone else’s thoughts didn’t seem to differ.
Of course, I’m inclined to agree.
As I said, I was familiar with who Oxidin was.
I opened my mouth.
“You’re right.”
Once again, Grandfell was straightforward and gave the right answer.
“Oxidin, he’s the Arcanian who stole a player’s class.”
“?!!”
They look at me like, How can he steal a class?
I don’t know the details.
But one thing is clear.
“The class he robbed was Monarch.”
“……Monarch, no way?”
A voice from the side of Nam Cheolmin and the Holy War Alliance.
“Yes, he robbed Liu Zunqun of his crown.”
At that, AAU’s doubts were completely resolved.
“……The ‘Lord’ of the Great Monster! Now that I see it, his identity has been stated from the beginning. In our Arcana continent biographies, the modifier ‘Lord’ doesn’t follow without reason, does it?”
He turned to me on the lectern.
I get a lot of stares, like how do you even know that?
Despite the pressure, Grandfell remains steadfast.
I, Lee Hoyeol, couldn’t do that.
‘Oxidin, level 1,280.’
I checked the status window.
[Name: Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo]
[Title: The Last Adventurer, Sublime, Transcendent, Dark Dragon, Heavenly Realm, Master of the Ten Thrones, Great Master of Anomaly, Savior of the Black Curtain]
[Class: Demon Hunter]
[Level: 1,061]
[Stats]
Strength: 230 / Agility: 236 / Magic: 960 / Luck: 16 / Aesthetics: High / Tenacity: 25 / Charm: exist
[Points held: 10]
Although I don’t think levels are just a number like ‘someone’ does.
I’ve learned through experience that levels aren’t everything.
However.
‘Oxidin, what if he has entered the realm of the anomaly?’
As a Transcendent, Oxidin was technically an Arcane.
However, now that he had stolen Liu Zunqun’s class, his name had risen in the player rankings. It was safe to say that Oxidin had entered the anomaly realm.
‘Honestly, I don’t have an estimate.’
Why are players able to play on the Arcana continent?
It was safe to say that it was all thanks to the [system]. It’s a system that even Raymon Sean can’t interfere with, and it nurtures the player through status windows, quests, and all kinds of warnings.
So in that sense, I think everyone is concerned.
Of course they are.
I’m concerned, too, because I know the whole story.
‘Emergency update to replace the Shadow God who went into obscurity.’
Then Oxidin is the new Black Curtain of the Arcana continent.
Even if all players rush in.
It’s like an enemy that won’t be easily defeated.
‘……Really.’
How dare you bully me even after you’re dead, Liu Zunqun?
In that sense, this time, Grandfell.
I should at least thank you.
‘If I were alone, my body would have suffered.’
I would say he was reborn as the lord of great monsters. I don’t know how many great monsters he will bring, but there are plenty of monsters here that deserve to be called great monsters.
The senior msgs of the Magic Tower, led by the Tower Master, Marcelo.
Players who are about to enter the anomaly realm.
And the big names in the Arcana continent.
So I’m not bullshiting.
I am my own mouth.
I was able to say it with confidence.
“Wait.”
The problem was that the same was true for Grandfell.
“The King of All Things will come to you personally.”
A dragon is the king of all.
I am the Dark Dragon.
I’m not wrong this time.
Look at all these eyes on you, Grandfell.
Please……!!!
Let’s talk about the time and place……!!!
*
Yugweed, former Elder Mage.
The gentle giant wandered the Arcana continent, for her earth magic was one of the most needed in the ravaged Arcana continent.
“Hmm.”
She found a ruined village.
Again, she was not pleased.
Yugweed thought of a reversal magic that was almost divine.
Gooooo.
However, the search process failed.
“Too much for an old person’s hardened mind.”
Reversing the process of manifestation to recreate it. How could Chief Lee be able to manifest such a ridiculous magic so easily?
“It’s a good thing I’m not at the Magic Tower.”
I certainly wouldn’t have recognized Chief Lee talent, Marcelo. Of course, there were no popular pretenders around the already ruined town.
“I hope you rest in peace.”
Nevertheless, Yugweed cleared the ruins and covered the bodies of the victims with earth. Why? Now that she was no longer an elder mage, let me give a reasonable answer as an earth mage.
“Because now is the time to choose the land.”
All the old mage could do was pick and choose, for one day the seeds would take root again in the soil he had chosen, and the flowers would bloom.
And then she said.
“So, you’ve heard such news?”
Yugweed had a conversation with the earth spirit she met by chance.
No, not a natural spirit.
It was a contract spirit, or more precisely, one that had made a pact with a mage.
Yugweed’s eyes calmed.
“Well.”
Lieutenant Earth Spirit, Clay.
The cheerful spirit had brought rumors of the Shadow Mercenaries, and the news that they had disbanded and disappeared from the Arcana continent was enough to cause a stir.
Yugweed looked to the sky, where the Shadow Corridor had disappeared.
“We won’t know for sure until we meet them.”
Yugweed hadn’t settled her score with the Shadow Mercenaries.
She spoke meaningfully.
……kung.
Suddenly, a massive vibration shook the earth.
What’s more, it was only a day ago.
It was in the direction of the small village she had saved.
Gooooo.
Teleporting in an instant, Yugweed came face to face with the source of the vibration.
It was ‘something’ huge.
It was a monster that was too massive to even take in at first glance.
Kung……!
Yugweed’s blunted feet scraped the ground with an aesthetic precision.
The village, which had been painstakingly restored, was completely trampled.
In that moment, the gentle giant awoke from her slumber.
Her home in ruins.
News of the Shadow Mercenaries’ resurgence.
It caused an earthquake within Yugweed’s otherwise chaotic mind.
“Whoever it is, you’ve picked the wrong opponent.”
A spell was chanted in unison with the power radiating from her.
“Rise, Angry Earth.”
*
The Magic Tower.
The laboratory of the Spirit Mage.
The gluttonous Feiyan could be heard muttering to herself.
“Fe, Senior Feiyan!”
The adept mages of the Spirit School rushed in.
They had summoned a contract spirit from the Rift, a strange space.
Along the way, they had gotten wind of the situation in the Arcana continent.
After receiving the news from them, Feiyan’s face turned white.
“……I understand, everyone.”
With that, she flicked her feather pen across the parchment.
Scribbles.
Her handwriting didn’t end with a single line.
──────
Great Monsters appear on the Arcana continent.
The current count of the monsters is approximately 10.
A number of Orc warriors from the Oak Auction are killed in battle with the Great Monster.
Great Sage, Rise severely wounded in battle with the Great Monster.
──────
Feiyan bites her lip.
──────
Former Elder Mage, Yugweed Lupeng, killed in battle with the Great Monster.
──────