Chapter 633. The Lion (1) #PART2
AAU Branch Manager Meeting
“Mr. Park, are you sure you don’t know anything?”
“Honestly, I’m just as confused as you are.”
“But Mr. Park, aren’t you at least close to Harkon?”
Close, huh.
“I suppose that’s one way to see it.”
The Branch Manager of AAU Korea.
Thinking about it, I was pretty lucky, wasn’t I?
Not only was the Magic Tower updated in Seoul, but the one-of-a-kind player, Lee Hoyeol, was also a Korean national.
Park Minjae responded.
“Well, I believe it’s all thanks to the General Manager’s influence.”
A general manager?
To be blunt, I’m practically no different from an ordinary civilian at this point.
It’s been quite some time since AAU lost its former role.
No, I’m even worse than a civilian, aren’t I?
“Just an ordinary guy with a bad temper.”
So, I need to know my place.
If it weren’t for the Supreme Commander, Lee Hoyeol, I wouldn’t have set foot in the Magic Tower, entered the Yusra Golden Palace, or even been considered close to Harkon.
Which means—
“I have no personal stake in this.”
Park Minjae opened the NPC database.
Harkon Kingsguard.
Estimated level: Around 600.
Notable trait: Swordsmanship proficiency [Master].
But that was information from when Arcana was still just a game.
“Arcanians possess something that surpasses mere levels. Harkon was no exception. Even if ordinary players couldn’t see it, there were testimonies from players claiming that Harkon wielded sword energy.”
“To be precise, wasn’t it the advanced form, Sword Aura?”
“That’s correct.”
Click.
As Park Minjae hit the play button, a video popped up for the branch managers in the virtual meeting.
A scene of Harkon single-handedly fighting a Level 1,000 Demon-class monster.
Park Minjae concluded.
“That’s the kind of man who has now claimed it.”
“……!”
“The Celestial Sword, Excalibur.”
The Celestial Sword, Excalibur.
An artifact embedded in Yusra’s territory,
A symbol of the Pantheon.
That was the Supreme Commander’s bait.
A lure to draw out [The God of War],
Who had ravaged the Pantheon and driven Bohemian Guild Master Guyver to destruction before vanishing.
It was a trap set for that being.
The U.S. Branch Manager, Joshua, tilted his head.
“How did Harkon manage to claim Excalibur?”
Just like in the legends,
The Supreme Commander had simply left Excalibur stuck in the ground in Yusra,
Causing massive crowds to gather around it daily.
– “It won’t budge!”
– “It’s not my lack of strength…!”
– “Look! Even Nam Taemin couldn’t pull it out! Guys, I swear this isn’t fair!”
But no one had been able to lift Excalibur.
Not even the top-ranked players like Nam Taemin,
Nor Rockid from the Shadow Mercenaries, known for his unparalleled strength.
Park Minjae shook his head.
“That’s the part I don’t understand either.”
Yet, as seen in the live footage,
Harkon effortlessly lifted Excalibur.
In terms of Arcana Chronicles’ mechanics, the meaning was simple.
“How did Harkon meet the [requirements] to wield it?”
Excalibur had to have extreme usage restrictions.
Since it was bait for the God of War,
It should have meant that only someone on that level could claim it.
Park Minjae stroked his chin.
“Are you telling me Harkon is on par with the God of War?”
Harkon Kingsguard had always been an important NPC,
Even back when Arcana was just a game.
But there was nothing in his original lore that could justify this development.
“They’re not giving me time to think.”
As Park Minjae fell silent, questions poured in.
“Could there be a specific reason Harkon claimed Excalibur at this moment?”
“Couldn’t it simply be an order from the Supreme Commander?”
“That can’t be right! We’re talking about the Supreme Commander here! He always follows through on his words. There’s no way he would repurpose the bait for something else…!”
The last remark.
Uncertain, but likely correct.
“This was probably Harkon’s decision.”
Right now, the Supreme Commander was away on an expedition to eliminate the Blessed Monsters in Arcana.
There was no reason for him to order Harkon to claim Excalibur under such circumstances.
“……Wait.”
A sudden memory flashed in Park Minjae’s mind.
[Title: Insane Breaking News! It’s About Lee Hoyeol ㄷㄷ]
[Content: My friend is in the Holy War Alliance expedition, and they got a World Quest. The situation is crazy;; Apparently, Lee Hoyeol is the enemy of the World Tree! They’re saying the only reason the World Tree is going berserk is because of him???]
The World Tree.
“The same World Tree that doubled the levels of monsters through its blessing.”
If it was the World Tree—
Perhaps there was a way.
A method for Harkon to rise to the same ‘realm’ as the God of War.
Right now, Park Minjae could only think of ‘the blessing of the World Tree’.
“Harkon… you’re not seriously thinking of doing something crazy, are you…?”
Park Minjae’s gaze settled on Harkon’s character profile.
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Karma.
Harkon felt the weight of karma rising through the Celestial Sword.
I see. This is the karma felt by those who oppose the Lord. In other words…… Has the Lord always lived with this kind of karma?
Harkon tightened his grip on Excalibur.
“My lord.”
His eyes shone as they always had.
“I will end everything myself.”
.
.
.
[Harkon Kingsguard]
[Level Cap: Lv.600]
[Traits: Loyalty, Bravery, Sacrifice] …