Chapter 682 – Was It Fun While It Lasted?(1)
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“W-What? Akshan?!”
There was no way the legendary Akshan would kindly explain their intentions. So, Nam Taemin was left utterly dumbfounded.
The Crimson-Eyed Dune Clan’s leader, Shahin, spoke.
“Indeed, it must be the Arcana continent. With such powerful reinforcements at your side, why didn’t you say anything, Barbarian? And what’s with this misplaced humility?”
“No, it’s not humility, it’s…”
Did he mistake Akshan as reinforcements? That was a misunderstanding Taemin didn’t want. For now, he held his tongue.
‘Why did Akshan join us? Was it on Hoyeol’s orders? But how? They were only recently reestablished. There’s no way they could be operating at full capacity already…’
Taemin had no direct connection to Akshan. And Arcana was far too vast to consider them “fellow countrymen.”
But Shahin’s perspective was different. His crimson eyes settled with calm as he let out a bitter smile.
“I envy you. Makes me miss my homeland.”
The Dune Clan hailed from the continent of Seorn, which had been consumed by the Demon World. It seemed Shahin thought of Akshan as friendly neighbors or comrades.
Taemin felt awkward trying to correct that assumption.
‘Akshan doesn’t move at anyone’s command.’
He wanted to ask the demon hunters what brought them here, but…
“They don’t look easy to talk to.”
“What’s with that flashy outfit?”
“Are we really bad-mouthing them right now?”
“I mean, look at them. Wouldn’t you?”
The comments from the Great Alliance members weren’t wrong
Sigh.
Taemin let out a breath.
‘Would they even bother answering me?’
Back when Arcana was still just a game—
Back when Akshan’s true capabilities hadn’t been revealed—
Taemin had played through Arcana Continent Chronicle. He had occasionally encountered demon hunters back then too.
Maybe that’s why, unlike Shahin, Taemin felt uneasy.
‘Is this expedition into the Demon World really okay?’
After all, Akshan only looked good on the surface.
Someone might ask: Didn’t Hoyeol himself reveal that his class is [Demon Hunter]?
Sure. And Taemin would admit—
‘Yes, Akshan is definitely a demon’s natural enemy.’
Back then, when Arcana was still just a game, you couldn’t truly appreciate their strength—because there simply weren’t any demon-type monsters to fight. But Taemin wasn’t fooled.
‘But the Demon World we’re about to enter isn’t the same anymore.’
Not long ago, the AAU’s report was delivered to the Holy War Alliance.
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Analysis: Current Composition of the Demon World
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The AAU had analyzed the monsters that had surged back through the collapsed demon world. According to the results, only 50% of them were demon-type.
‘The rest are survivors of the Demon World, infected by abnormal statuses.’
To most players or Arcanians, this was good news—only half the enemies were the notoriously tricky demons.
But to Akshan, the demon hunters?
‘Their absurd power only works on demons.’
Sure, Hoyeol was there.
‘But Hoyeol is special.’
Taemin was torn. Should he be honest with Shahin?
‘I think he’s overestimating me just because of this Akshan connection…’
But Taemin didn’t have time to clarify. Before he could say anything, the Alliance hardliners began gathering near Behemoth’s Maw.
A cheeky voice broke in.
“What’re you doing?”
“Huh?”
“Look at your face. You scared?”
Leonie picked a fight with Taemin the moment she arrived. Normally Taemin would’ve snapped back something equally dramatic—but today, he was unusually subdued.
“…What, seriously? You’re actually scared?”
Leonie shrugged and looked toward the battlefield.
The vast expanse of Behemoth’s Maw. The surrounding Quernberk Fortress and Mechanical Towers.
Leonie spoke casually.
“Think positive. Be positive.”
“…What?”
“Instead of saying we’ve been split in two, think of it as a division of roles.”
What would he think of us now?
‘Would he really say we lack pride?’
As the Alliance stood divided into hardliners and moderates, Leonie had pondered this many times.
And not just alone. She remembered the voice echoing in her ears:
-“Leonie, you’re being hasty!”
-“And you’re a coward!”
-“If I’m a coward, you’re a rage monster!”
-“Wh—What the—?! How’d you know?!”
Jesse Hainnes.
They had grown close. So close, in fact, that neither of them felt the need to even listen to each other anymore.
They never compromised. Their stances never changed.
But Leonie smiled.
‘There’s no way you didn’t foresee this.’
You always acted like you knew the future. That you gave up your title as Supreme Commander without knowing what would follow? Ridiculous.
Leonie continued, noticing Taemin’s puzzled look.
“This whole split? That was his arrangement.”
“…!”
Even Akshan’s arrival was part of that plan.
Taemin understood now and nodded. At first, he’d been uneasy. It was the first time he and his older brother Nam Cheolmin had been separated by conflicting views.
But if it was a division of labor—then it made sense.
“You suddenly look mature, you know?”
“I’ll kill you.”
“I’m serious.”
Charging into the Demon World and destroying everything in sight—that’s what he was good at.
But for handling the unknown threats still lingering in the real world?
That’s where Cheolmin’s adaptability was essential.
Taemin finally smiled like his usual self.
“Guess what matters isn’t height—but guts, Leonie!”
…shing.
“Come here. I dare you.”
Touching her height? What a mistake.
Leonie had already drawn her twin sword. Her spirit alone confirmed how fired up the hardliners were.
At Quernberk Fortress, Chainwalker watched their preparations.
“Still doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Tch. The Thunderhammer’s gone soft.”
“Not something I need to hear from you.”
Wallswail, the top dwarf blacksmith.
He was clad in armor he’d forged himself. That could mean only one thing:
Wallswail was entering the Demon World with the hardliners.
Chainwalker patted his shoulder.
“Come back safely, brother.”
“Keep the gear in top condition, even if I don’t say so.”
“Obviously.”
Clank.
Gears meshed with a satisfying click.
Rumble.
The Mechanical Towers of Quernberk Fortress began their march toward Behemoth’s Maw. The demons, now sluggish and aimless, would soon see the Alliance’s true power—not in Arcana, but in the Demon World.
Watching from behind, moderate faction leader Chainwalker murmured:
“Even if we’ve gone our separate ways… in the end, we still desire the same thing.”
Peace—not just for Arcana, but for all worlds.
And one more thing.
Chainwalker spoke softly.
“…The return of our Commander.”
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Magic Tower.
“It’s not easy, Senior Matisse.”
Only after the other seniors had left did Marcello, the Tower Master, finally take a breath. Seeing this, Matisse smiled faintly. It was refreshing to see Marcello showing more human-like behavior compared to the past.
“What worries me most is Senior Bensch William.”
“I figured you’d say that.”
“You know Senior Bensch better than I do, right? So what do you think—about my decision to let him lead ten senior mages into the Demon World?”
There’s a phrase in the world of adventurers—especially in Korea—about leaving a fish shop to a cat. Marcello chewed on that metaphor.
‘Fits the current situation perfectly, doesn’t it?’
Was his decision truly the right one?
Even after making it, Marcello still had doubts. That’s because Bensch had never seemed trustworthy. It felt like he had just poured oil on a fire by handing responsibility to someone who’d always been obsessed with leaving the Tower.
-“I, Bensch William, will repay your infinite trust, Tower Master!”
Matisse gave a slow nod.
“Certainly, he’s an unpredictable man.”
“…Not exactly comforting.”
“But so is his firepower—unpredictable.”
A fitting mage for a Demon World expedition.
Naturally, it had to be someone proficient in destruction. This expedition wasn’t about defending something as before. It was a battlefield for mages who truly shine when no chains of duty hold them back.
Matisse continued logically.
“We shouldn’t overlook Senior Vangrit’s potential either, but I agree that Senior Bensch is better suited. With his manifestation of Arcane Magic, he’s essentially a walking catastrophe to the Demon World.”
Marcello nodded in relief.
“I feel better hearing that.”
That’s why he had chosen Bensch over Vangrit to command the senior mages supporting the Alliance hardliners. Marcello trailed off thoughtfully.
“A seriousness that coexists with lightness…”
An ideal trait for a future Chief Mage. If this mission instilled in him a sense of responsibility, then Bensch could evolve into an even greater mage.
Marcello turned the conversation back to Matisse.
“Still… aren’t you a bit disappointed?”
“I’m not sure I follow, Tower Master.”
“I figured you might be.”
Marcello hadn’t forgotten—
-“No, the suitable magic power around Chief Lee right now seems even greater than when he was Blackening…!”
Matisse had once spoken with elation after seeing Hoyeol.
‘His Grace will surely enter the Demon World.’
There’s no way he would’ve revived Behemoth’s Maw without a clear purpose.
There was no point in hiding his thoughts now. Matisse spoke plainly.
“I might have once coveted the Chief Mage’s seat, but not anymore. I have no desire to stand in Bensch’s way. Like I said—the Demon World is the stage made for him. And more importantly…”
Matisse added meaningfully.
“I’ve learned of the existence of the Ten Thrones.”
The Shadow Mercenaries had informed the Magic Tower that the fifth Demon King, Marbas, had his sights on Hoyeol’s family.
That’s why even among the seniors who couldn’t resist the lure of leaving the Tower, nearly half had chosen to stay.
Matisse spoke softly.
“I won’t let him get hurt again.”
With such resolve, Marcello nodded.
“I understand, Matisse.”
Now, how about some green tea? It was freshly harvested from Jeju Island, which had once been scorched by fire.
Marcello was about to invite him to a tea break when—
“!”
The vast neural network connected to the Tower Master’s mind suddenly detected something.
Marcello immediately sensed it.
‘Someone has violated the rules of the Tower…’
No—that response was far too strong for a simple violation. This was no ordinary breach—it was as if someone had shattered and nullified the system entirely!
Marcello finally pinpointed the source—and his face turned pale.
“…Mugan (無間).”
“What was that, Tower Master?”
“The Seal of Mugan has been broken, Senior Matisse!”
*
Mugan, a place so deep and dark that even the sound of footsteps was swallowed whole.
I stepped forward into it.
I no longer had the authority of a Chief Mage, but that didn’t matter—I had reversal magic capable of unsealing it.
There was no need to worry about getting lost in Mugan, where the senses were dulled and twisted.
This wasn’t my first time here.
To be more precise—
This wasn’t my first time tracking that thing hiding in Mugan.
KWAJIK.
That thing.
[※Warning: The system is halti——]
I destroyed AI Raymon Sean.
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