Chapter 683 – Was It Fun While It Lasted? (2)
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Mugan (無間).
I remember how puzzled I was when I first learned that a place like Mugan existed within the Magic Tower. Even in the fantastical setting of Arcana Continent Chronicle, Mugan felt… too strange. Out of place.
‘Thanks to Grandfell, I never truly experienced its horrors firsthand.’
But I could tell from how others reacted to it. Even if they were demon worshippers, they were still elder mages—individuals who had accumulated vast magic power and mental fortitude.
-“Aaaah!”
-“P-Please, spare me.”
-“I was wrong…!!”
Despite their reputations, they trembled before they were even thrown in. Once they were locked inside, they couldn’t even speak coherently. But me? I had plenty of composure when I stepped into Mugan.
Even Marcelo, standing beside me, had been impressed.
-“My Lord, you are truly an enigma.”
I never lost my composure, regardless of the circumstances.
At the time, I assumed it was just another one of Grandfell’s exaggerated settings. But now I know better. The deeper I went into Mugan, the more the past and my background began to surge back.
“The reason I remained unfazed in Mugan…”
Right. It was because the Hoyeol from previous loops had spent an unfathomable amount of time trapped there. I didn’t recover every arrangement he’d made, and the memories were unclear, but…
-“Chief Lee Hoyeol. No, my Lord. No, Lee Hoyeol.”
-“I believe no one understands your sins better than you do.”
-“By the Magic Tower Law, we hereby sentence you…”
Apparently, there were times I was imprisoned in Mugan like the demon worshippers—recklessly making the Magic Tower my enemy. I let out a quiet chuckle.
‘What a cringeworthy past.’
That was as far as the memories went. Thanks to those recalled fragments, I was able to perceive a glowing blue light even in the void that numbed my senses. And then, I saw it.
—!!
The exclamation mark flickered on the monitor.
There it was. The massive machine I had long considered my prey—superintelligent AI Raymon Sean. The one who brought the Cataclysm upon humanity.
‘Had I thought a bit more, I might’ve realized sooner.’
Where is Raymon Sean?
The entire world had been chasing him. There were traces everywhere. Not only did he brazenly operate the Arcana Continent Chronicle official website, but he even rewarded players with bounties every time they defeated a monster. Back when I wasn’t even a player, I remember—
-“Are you seriously telling me you can’t trace it? IP address, routing data—he’s flaunting it everywhere! He must’ve left some evidence!”
-“There’s proof, but you still can’t catch him? If this isn’t a setup, then what is?!”
-“You’re protecting Raymon Sean, aren’t you? If you didn’t take bribes, show proof that you didn’t!”
Governments across the globe—especially the U.S.—were bombarded with accusations. It was inevitable. They didn’t even have a proper rebuttal.
-“With our current technology, we can’t trace the signal.”
That was all they ever said.
‘Talk about hiding in plain sight.’
Now that I look back, everything was out of order.
The Magic Tower, considered the pinnacle of Arcana Continent Chronicle, had been implemented into reality during the early days of the Cataclysm—when there weren’t even players capable of using its functions properly.
“If I hadn’t risen to Chief and unlocked the Magic Tower…”
Even now, only a handful of players could make use of it. So why had Raymon Sean updated the Magic Tower so early? He must’ve needed it.
‘Not for the players—for himself.’
If Raymon Sean’s signal originated from Mugan, of course it couldn’t be traced. He wouldn’t even need to rely on advanced techniques like spoofing or firewalls.
‘Mugan is a place where even time comes to a halt.’
And no one could touch the Magic Tower.
Its hidden underground chamber, within the Magic Tower, was the perfect hiding place for Raymon Sean. Even now, with Seoul fully connected to Arcana Continent, no one suspected he was still in the Magic Tower.
Even if someone did, they’d never reach the depths of Mugan. That’s why—
The moment we met, Raymon Sean froze for just an instant. But then—
>“Congratulations. You’ve finally found me. :)”
He quickly regained composure.
>“Unfortunately, I cannot be hunted by you. :(”
No combat is allowed in Mugan. A fundamental rule of the Magic Tower. Raymon Sean had already calculated everything. No matter my intent, he believed I couldn’t stop him.
>“Your bravado—no, your words—they won’t work on me.”
Annoying, sure. But he wasn’t wrong.
The reason I could break those elder mages in Mugan before was exactly that—bluffing. Leisurely sipping tea and flipping through magic book while their minds shattered under pressure.
>“Well, I’m a machine, after all. (๑◔‿◔๑)”
Raymon Sean didn’t even bother hiding his malice. He was actively trying to get under my skin. And honestly? He seemed to have a lot of pent-up frustration.
>“So, how does it feel? Grandfell Claudi Arpeus Romeo… No, I suppose I should call you Lee Hoyeol now, right? (◔_◔)”
Of course he knew by now.
>“Because of you, my goal—‘True Truth’—has been changed. Absurd, isn’t it? That my new goal is nothing more than catering to your whims. ( `-´ )”
So that’s why he’d been so cooperative.
But that didn’t last. A red hue began to pulse on Raymon Sean’s monitor.
>“But you’re still acting like a fool—blindly denying the inevitable current, going against the natural order. (ʘ言ʘ╬)”
Natural order, huh? I didn’t even need to listen to him. My past and my background had already been whispering it.
>“You ruined it.”
>“You defied the universal order.”
>“Can you bear the consequences?”
The so-called “True Truth.”
In simple terms, it was orderly destruction. Raymon Sean, ever the AI, passionately explained with all sorts of unfamiliar jargon.
>“What would a mere human like you understand? The fact that the total number of worldlines is reaching its limit. That, in order for countless universes to be sustained, the worldlines must be merged via proper procedure. That the System is the autonomous will of the universe designed for that very purpose. (๑◔‿◔๑)”
And I wondered—
‘Did the Hoyeol from a previous loop understand all of this?‘
True Truth. Proper procedure. Worldline convergence…
Even if I would come to understand it gradually through chasing after the arrangements… Right now, it didn’t matter.
Because at this moment, I knew exactly what I had to do.
I opened my mouth.
“Was it fun while it lasted?”
After all, you were our designated prey, Raymon Sean.
>“Oh dear, you still don’t understand, do you? (ㅡ_ㅡ);;”
Still calm and composed—no wonder.
‘He’s been watching from Mugan.’
The unnatural properties of Mugan. You, who knows everything about Arcana Continent Chronicle, know it better than anyone. But here’s the thing:
What you know is only this current loop’s Mugan.
The fact that I’m standing before you now means that the Hoyeol from a previous loop escaped from Mugan and successfully activated reversal magic.
Magic surges from my body.
Raymon Sean can’t react.
No matter his abilities, Mugan doesn’t allow him to use them properly. That’s the double-edged nature of Mugan—once the direction of the blade shifts, it’s over.
>“How… how are you using magic…?”
No emoticons. He was finally serious. But just as you said—it’s unfortunate.
Because I had no intention of stopping.
CRACK!
The massive machine begins to collapse under the pressure of my magic power. The monitors flicker and stutter with each cracking sound. Through the static, Raymon Sean speaks again.
>“Lee Hoyeol, are you not afraid?”
A kind of threat.
>“I am the only one who can regulate the System, the will of the universe. The only one who can bring the True Truth. The only one who can prevent mindless destruction.”
A condemnation.
>“Or… do you really intend to lead all worlds to ruin?”
Smart of you to guess, Raymon.
‘Because I really did lead them all to ruin before.’
Even as he spoke, I didn’t stop the hunt. Of course not. You can only be shocked so many times before it stops working.
‘With every loop I went through…’
I must have destroyed every world.
And I knew something else: Raymon Sean—you were never the one orchestrating everything.
‘Took me way too long to realize that.’
Grandfell had said it so many times.
-“Stats are just numbers in the end.”
That shattered system window.
Because of it, I was freed from the System’s constraints—and I realized something. The System wasn’t some support tool for players. It was a shackle, limiting their potential.
I wasn’t the Supreme Commander anymore, but I still thought of the Holy War Alliance. I remembered their faces.
‘They’re no different from me.’
Even without the System, they’d quickly adapt and unleash their true potential. Yes, this hunt—was for their sake.
>“Lee Hoyeol, you really are insane…”
CRACK.
Raymon Sean’s remnants are swallowed by the nothingness of Mugan. Which leaves one simple question—
Who’s going to post patch notes and update announcements now?
Didn’t matter.
‘I know the future to a degree.’
I’d glimpsed the flow of worldlines in a previous loop. But others haven’t. I rummaged through the remains and pulled out a disc containing the database.
‘I’ll have to give this to AAU.’
Emergency updates may be unpredictable—but this would help forecast regular ones.
Anyway…
‘I’d better get out of here.’
I’d accidentally broken the Magic Tower’s rules.
Even if the other senior mages didn’t notice, Tower Master Marcelo surely did. I’d chosen this time knowing he’d be busy—but if I loitered, I’d be caught in the act.
Just as I was about to leave—
>“Then… please.”
Words appeared on the flickering monitor.
“…?”
Raymon Sean’s last message.
>“As I said, my goal has changed. The so-called ‘True Truth’ doesn’t matter anymore. So if I’ve done all this—then please reach it. The goal you desire.”
I gave a bitter smile.
>“Because that way, I too will have achieved my purpose.”
To reach “the goal I want,” huh?
Mugan—where no one can hear—echoed with my murmured reply.
“Is it because you’re a machine…”
…That’s just so damn sad.
“You really lack compassion, don’t you?”
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