◈ Episode 83. Finally Moving (2)

The official meeting of the AAU.

One by one, the chapter leaders of each chapter logged into the video chat.

The faces that came to mind were ugly, to say the least.

I couldn’t even blame the camera.

Every single one of them had bad blood.

“You guys did a great job.”

The reason was simple.

It had been a stormy week, literally.

But I couldn’t be stern.

“Hard work,” I said, “I know someone who’s had a really hard time.”

Someone who had it worse than they did.

No, because there was one player.

They couldn’t measure it, but they could guarantee it.

If you put the efforts of all the local AAU staff together.

They couldn’t match the weight that one guy carried.

“It’s been a horrible week, hasn’t it?”

“I’m still dizzy. Just.”

“My heart sank when I first heard the news.”

The senior wizard of Matap is missing.

A super emergency.

We’ve said it many times.

The mages of the Tower were too powerful.

They were bound to the tower.

A senior mage, one of the most powerful in the tower, has gone missing.

If he were to take a hostile attitude towards the players, it would have been a disaster…….

“It could have been a disaster. A catastrophe.”

“You can tell by the look on his face.”

“Maybe it’s because …… is in the past, but now I can at least sigh.”

This was Seoul, South Korea, the home of one such martop.

South Korea, a country where the martop effect has led to spectacular economic growth.

But it was also the country most likely to have a senior wizard.

“Seoul could be wiped off the face of the earth!”

I was giddy, really.

What if Seoul had become a battlefield, as I had imagined?

The damage would have been hard to measure.

But.

“So, in the end, you’re still indebted to player Lee Ho-yeol.”

It was.

At the same time, in Korea, in Seoul. In Matap.

A player who suffered more than they did.

Because there was Lee Ho-yeol.

A force to be reckoned with.

Even the AAU executives, who were more than just Arcana experts and had made modest contributions to the Arcana universe, couldn’t understand what Ho-yeol was doing.

“To be honest, I had my doubts at first. It’s great, but a position like Chief Mage, even if you’re Lee Ho-yeol, is a normal position for a Chief Mage in any martial tower?”

“Well, it turns out that my suspicions were futile.”

“That’s right, in such a ridiculous rift…….”

[Broken Dimensional Rift] Rift.

Level 900 to 1,000 in the right place.

A row of players who cleared a rift that could only be considered a bug.

“I didn’t expect you to come back as if nothing happened!”

“I’m still dying to know what happened back there. I feel like grabbing him by the pants and asking him.”

“Eh, it wouldn’t do any good, would it?”

Interview difficulties.

Internal affairs.

No matter how much he begged.

Ho-yeol’s resolute demeanor would not budge.

But one thing remains constant.

“Why don’t you just do a few more interviews? Why don’t you say all you can say? It’s not anyone else, it’s Ho-yeol, and this is the second time you’ve done this.”

Yes, Ho-Yeol deserves it.

He was fundamentally different from the other players who couldn’t watch their language when they had star disease.

Why, from his first appearance until now. Wasn’t that the same attitude he’d always had?

“It’s more than popular, it’s almost religious, the way the public reacts to him.”

Everyone wasn’t muttering Homen for nothing.

It’s probably because of Ho Yeol that the chapter leaders can smile with bloodless faces. But the AAU knew. No, it had to be concerned.

“But if you take out Lee Ho-yeol…….”

If it weren’t for Ho-yeol.

Would humanity, the players, have been able to resolve this situation?

The answer was, unsurprisingly, no.

“Honestly, the disparity is too great.”

“Who could clear a level 900 to 1,000 rift? They say that the chief mage was with them, but it was Lee Ho-yeol who moved the chief mage, and that’s a personal ability.”

“The bottom line is that other players have no choice but to step up.”

The players must have felt it too.

Their powerlessness.

In that sense, the new update was good news.

Powerlessness can be overcome by leveling up.

What you need to level up is experience.

With this new updated crack.

It looked like I’d be able to get at least one experience level right.

“Finally, some [predator] content.”

“This is going to be a nerve-wracking experience for top-tier players, isn’t it?”

“Well, nerves are a good thing in the predator zone.”

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Adds a new rift, “Predator’s Swamp”.

New monsters are added.

‘Maddened Iri’ : Lv.450

‘Berserker Blood Goblin’ : Lv.460

‘Skyblade’ : Lv.500

‘Ragged Fighter’ : Lv.520…….

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Thursday.

A real new update, not a bug.

This update caused an uproar in the community.

-Levels must be crazy, lol???

-Everyone except Lee Ho-yeol should be nervous???

-But isn’t something a little strange?? There’s no unity in the mobs;;;

From the time Arkana was a game until now.

There was consistency in the monsters that appeared.

[If it was a gnoll habitat, it was natural for gnolls to appear, and if it was a goblin habitat, it was only goblins.

In that sense, this rift was a bit odd.

[Predator Swamp].

With a name like Swamp, you’d expect to see crocodiles or lizardmen.

As some commenters have pointed out, there’s no unity to the monsters in the game.

If I had to find a similarity.

Levels, maybe?

But as with anything, you know what you see.

“This is the first time they’ve appeared in the Rift, right? Predator Zone.”

“Yes. If you had, you wouldn’t have gotten this kind of reaction.”

“You came at just the right time.”

The Nam siblings from Gaon chatting.

Naturally, they were acquaintances.

Nam Tae-min raised the corner of his mouth.

“We’ll be able to fight without circles in no time, won’t we, big brother?”

The predator zone.

It was simple to explain.

As the name implied, it was a predator zone.

That’s why there’s no uniformity in the monsters that appear.

It was a gathering place for predators from the surrounding area.

To give you a nice explanation of why they were gathering, here’s a link…….

“Predators battle each other for the loot that exists in the swamp.”

Hisagi told the guild.

Okay, that made sense.

Loot in the swamp.

A place where powerful monsters gathered to claim that loot.

That’s the Predator Zone.

The rift that appeared this time, the Predator’s Swamp.

But there was a question.

“Does that mean monsters fight each other too?”

“Hey, asshole, is this your first time in the Predator Zone?”

“Yes, it’s my first time……?”

“What, it’s your first time?!”

Apparently, the first time is a strange time.

He apologized for his earlier outburst.

The tight-haired man coughed, then spoke.

“Yes, monsters fight in the predator zone. They don’t just fight, they kill each other. I told you, they’re from different areas. There’s no such thing as kinship or delay.”

It was.

There’s never a dull moment in the Predator Zone.

Unsurprisingly, the monsters are level, and then some.

To show up in the Predator Zone meant you’d survived a series of such battles.

“Good catch. Predator assholes.”

“……Yes, good catch. But you know what, sis?”

“What?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Will you shut up? How many times have I told you I’m okay?”

No, I wasn’t okay.

I was fucking pissed.

Leonie’s pouting lips were a testament to that.

The reason was anyone’s guess.

“Sis, that’s why we usually get up so early…….”

Appropriate level 1,000.

Ho Yue had entered such a ridiculous crack?

‘Even if I knew, it wouldn’t have made a difference…….’

Joining would have been more of a burden than a help.

But the difference between knowing and not knowing is the difference between sleeping soundly and waking up and knowing……!

“I feel like such an asshole.

It’s hard to explain, but…….

Something like that.

It’s a different feeling than helplessness.

It’s a feeling of self-loathing that goes beyond helplessness.

But she realized exactly what she needed to do.

“Just shut up, because from now on, I’m going to sleep dead.”

Predator Swamp.

Leveling up as fast as I could in a new rift.

A predator zone with endless battles?

There was no better hunting ground for a berserker who grew stronger with each battle.

Of course, Leonie wasn’t the only one with such thoughts.

“No more primary objectives, just 10 levels.”

“Our first priority is the loot of the Swamp.”

“I’m sure there’s a lot of NetTubers here, too.”

Even if we all have different goals.

If you’re a predator.

If you’re a predator, you’re bound to gather in the [predator swamp].

Yeah, we know that.

Even though we all have different ideas.

Everyone had the same person in mind.

Ho-yeol.

“Even if we can’t catch up to him, we should try our best.”

“To repay Hokkaido’s debt.”

” ……You don’t think he’s going to show up, do you? I mean, he’s cleared a level 1,000 rift, isn’t it too immoral to go through a rift like this?!”

• https://pindangscans.com

Wow.

That’s a tight one, this rift.

I can’t believe the monsters are at least level 450.

On top of that, it’s a predator zone.

In other words, it’s a coliseum for battle mad monsters.

I sipped my teacup and opened my mouth.

“It’s going to be rowdy.”

No, beyond rowdy, it’s too harsh for me……!

I was only level 296.

To top it all off, it was a continuous battle rift.

“I don’t think I have enough magic left.”

The effects of the Sixth Sight Brooch and the Duke of Swalin’s Favorite have improved my magic regeneration quite a bit……. His low level meant that his absolute magic output was low.

“I am not a predator.”

The interrogation of the demon worshippers hadn’t even ended.

To be honest.

I would have preferred to ignore the ugly rift.

Approach to Anomaly (Ongoing) ▲.

Attack the Rift. (Repeat)

Witness the continent of Arcana. (Success)

As if the recurring quest to capture the Rift wasn’t enough.

Wasn’t I the one who discovered that the Rift is connected to the Arcana Continent?

Furthermore, I’ve learned that demons are rampaging on the Arcana Continent.

His pride cannot be contained.

“Perhaps you need some training.”

……Yes, even a tired personality who can’t live and die by formality can’t stand still.

In that sense, it’s a good thing you’ve dug so many wells, even if you’re running low on energy in the midst of the ongoing battle.

I’ve got a few things I could use.

For one thing, there’s black magic.

I’d never had the chance to wield it, but I had trained in swordsmanship.

Though my training was brief, I was blessed with the talents of Grandfell and a master teacher in the person of Lionheart, Knight Commander Harkon.

“Bitter but fragrant.”

And the tea made from the herb he’s been sipping.

“Tasteless.”

I’m glad I’ve been reading up on herbal medicines in preparation for this conference, because even just drinking them as tea has had some pretty significant effects.

[A slight increase in health regeneration for three hours].

And finally.

I still had one more thing to check.

I opened my inventory.

What I pulled out was a small pentagonal fragment.

It was the [pentagon of impure knowledge] that was purified through the exorcism ceremony.

Yes, it was time to test my hypothesis.

I didn’t hesitate.

I immediately checked the item’s information.

[The pentagram of pure knowledge]

[Rating: Epic]

[Restrictions: None]

[Effect : When equipped, the user gains knowledge of all minerals and all plants on the continent of Arcana].

[Description : A magical tool that contains an immeasurable amount of knowledge].

……Yes, I had a feeling, didn’t I?

Indeed, an epic ranked item!

Its effects are immense.

It grants knowledge of all the minerals and plants of the Arcana continent!

I was expecting it, but I didn’t expect to be so disappointed.

‘This is more than I expected, isn’t it?

I don’t know about the other players.

For me, I can’t think of a better use for it.

Knowledge of all minerals?

Increases the effectiveness of spells that use minerals as search targets.

Knowledge of all plants?

All plants, of course, including the knowledge of elixirs.

Yeah, so what if it’s a predator zone with endless battles?

I’ve got the The pentagram of pure knowledge……!

I feel so confident that I wouldn’t mind running to the rift right now.

But there was a procedure for everything.

I stood up from my seat.

Yes.

Even if you enter the rift when you enter it.

You have to complete it.

Weight of the Chief (Repeat)

Proceed with the verification in Topaz Hall. (Success)

Successfully organize a regular conference. (in progress)…….

I smoothed out my messy clothes.

This is the pride of the organizer of a regular conference.

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The two elder mages.

And the chief mage, Marcelo.

They looked down at the Crystal Hall.

Or, more accurately, the rows of people listening to Vanguard’s presentation.

Marcelo opened his mouth.

“We need a decision. This is our chance to make everything right. The Akshans and the Demon Hunters, the unredeemable sins of the Tower committed by them. And the first step toward repaying the debt we owe to Lord Lee Ho-yeol.”

The elder mage, who had been listening in silence, cleared his throat.

“I’m sure the Tower Lord is thinking the same thing as you.”

He nodded.

“I will allow your request. Marcelo.”

“……!”