Chapter 665 – Longing (3) #PART 1
“Are you alright?”
When I came to my senses, I was in front of the third gate.
It seemed like everyone was quite flustered.
Elsidor’s expression was unusually dumbfounded.
‘Well, it’s understandable.’
After all, it wasn’t just anyone.
I was the one who lost consciousness.
And more than that, it was automatic reflex.
“Ah, you should rest…”
“I just got a little too caught up in the moment.”
I wanted to rest, but despite their efforts to stop me, my body stood up straight on its own.
I said it to ease their worries and then retraced my memories.
What had been waiting for me at the third gate was Shegwin.
‘Did he leave something unresolved with me…?’
In reality, it wasn’t Shegwin, but my karma that had caused me to lose consciousness.
Yes.
I had fainted because I couldn’t bear the crushing pressure.
‘I don’t get it.’
…Did I live that terribly?
I, Lee Hoyeol, looked back on my past life.
I was a little cold to people, sure.
But that was a defense mechanism that manifested without me even realizing it.
I didn’t necessarily do good deeds, but I didn’t do bad things either…
‘Why is the standard so harsh?’
In that sense, I guess I should be relieved.
‘If you were here, Grandfell…’
Wouldn’t something have gone terribly wrong?
Thinking that, I looked at Elsidor and Kinver, who were still worried about me…
‘Wait.’
Isn’t something off here?!
I’m sure that I’ve lived more decently than either Elsidor or Kinver. I’m not saying I’m great, but I had lived better because those two were so reckless.
“Glad you’re safe.”
“I honestly thought my heart was going to stop…”
“Are you alright now?”
Both of them let out a sigh of relief and answered immediately.
“It’s not perfect, but it’s not bad either.”
Kinver explained, true to his player nature.
“Well… as you saw, the ‘karma’ anomaly occurred, so my body became heavy too. Just looking at the numbers, it was a debuff on par with ‘fear’.”
A “karma” anomaly, huh…
‘Even if I can’t see it clearly, the system is still functional.’
Kinver’s words confirmed my guess. That means I had been so crushed by my own karma, not Grandfell’s, that I fainted…
That thought crossed my mind.
‘Did I unknowingly commit a sin?’
If that’s the case, there’s nothing more frustrating! To not be able to step into the third gate because of a sin I didn’t even know I committed—because of karma I wasn’t aware of?
‘Is this even a situation that makes sense?!’
I was swallowing my frustration when suddenly…
“Still, I’m relieved.”
Kinver, whether he knew my inner thoughts or not, gave a small smirk.
But with his next words, I couldn’t help but stop my complaints about him.
“Who would’ve thought that your ‘brother’ would help you there!”
My… brother?
What’s he talking about, all of a sudden?!
Before I could even be confused, Elsidor corrected him.
“We can’t be sure if he’s really a brother, Kinver. I’ll just relay what was told to me. The man in the cloak called himself an Akshan demon hunter.”
…Now I remember properly.
‘Right, that was Shegwin.’
I had fainted, so my memory was a little fuzzy.
But, it must have been Shegwin who helped.
I had to be careful not to forget again, Hoyeol.
‘I definitely had a conversation, but…’
I couldn’t quite remember exactly what we talked about.
It seemed like Shegwin had picked a fight with me, but I wasn’t sure about the specifics.
By the way…
‘Brother?’
Maybe because he was new to the Akshan culture, Shegwin didn’t seem to know much about it.
How detached and unfeeling the Akshan are.
Even I didn’t call someone like Grandfell a brother, so why would Shegwin call me his brother?
Of course, my rebellious thoughts didn’t last long.
“He asked me to pass this on when you regained consciousness.”
…Huh?
What Elsidor handed me was something that no Akshan demon hunter could miss. A silver ornament in the shape of a wolf’s head. To be more precise, it was a symbol of an Akshan demon hunter.
‘I wasn’t expecting this at all.’
Even though I couldn’t check the item details through the system, I could tell. It was probably a low-grade item. After all, this was an item that had existed since the Arcana continent chronicles when the world was just a game.
‘If I had to compare it to the Magic’s Tower…’
Maybe it was like a token given to apprentice mages who had graduated to adept ones? Anyway, I had never received this item, as I had already abandoned the Arcana continent chronicles.
‘It’s not bad.’
Anyway, this was a trace of Grandfell.
Without meaning to, I evaluated the symbol with my aesthetic sense and accepted it.
But the sensation I felt as I accepted it… What was that?
…Shivers.
It felt like chills running up my spine. I can’t really explain it well because I’ve never felt this way before, but if I had to compare it…
‘Was this how a demon feels?’
Yes, holding the wolf token in my hand, I felt like I was a demon in front of a demon hunter. It felt like the silver-wrought wolf’s eyes were piercing through me.
‘What’s the intention here, really?’
Shegwin.
Even if he was a junior, does that mean an Akshan is still an Akshan?
He suddenly appeared, shook up my mind, and then disappeared.
Elsidor added to what I was thinking.
“He said this would help you beyond the gate.”
So, it’s helpful, right?
Even without the wolf token, I was planning to enter the gate again. I pushed the ominous feelings aside, proudly putting the wolf token on my jacket.
And I entered the third gate again.
To cut to the chase, Shegwin didn’t deceive me.
The wolf token indeed helped.
Well, the wolf token didn’t help with passing through the gate.
It helped with shaking off the karma.
‘…Damn it.’
The wolf token showed me where my unknown karma came from through Akshan’s sharp vision and hearing. I faced the whispers ringing in my ears.
-
Aren’t you afraid? After committing such a great sin…!!
A great sin.
Yes.
My ominous prediction was right.
I, Lee Hoyeol.
Somewhere, at some time,
I had committed a great sin.
‘…I didn’t even know about this karma. This is so unfair!!’
.
.
.
[Akshan Demon Hunter’s Token]
[Grade: Rare]
[Restriction: Akshan Demon Hunter]
[Effect: When worn, it pierces through the source of sin.]
[Description: A token that allows Akshan demon hunters to face demons. No demon can overcome an absolute natural enemy relationship.]
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