The legend of Akshan, hero of the new era.
When the message popped into my head, I felt a chill run down my spine. No, I'm fine with you guys becoming legends, but when it materializes, what will happen to me who was crying while looking at the southern sea?!
If it had at least become a legend with a time difference, I wouldn't have complained. Even if the time on the Arcana Continent is four times faster than in reality, that's true.
It's like becoming a legend is a drop in the bucket.
What I'm saying is that you came back too quickly.
Our Akshan seniors...!
Of course, we all know that the legends that have materialized aren't real.
I know they're in the belly of the Bad Omen, and I know they're in hell.
I'm not going to change my mind about reuniting with them.
I'm just saying....
'You're still unruly, you guys.'
It's just that the materialized demon hunters of Akshan are really no different.
It's like having twice as many seniors to worry about.
Isn't that the way it is now?
I hadn't even considered materializing the Akshan legend.
But then.
There it is.
Anyway, Akshan's tempered head..., which doesn't discriminate between water and fire when it comes to demons, materialized when it saw the bloodstains that smelled like demons, and jumped out of its own feet.
He crinkles his brow and says.
"Smells like garbage."
Unlike their counterparts in hell, they are not bound by rules.
They can say whatever they want.
Of course, the greatest Akshan of them all.
In the days of Continental Electricity, when Arcana was just a game.
The cold-hearted ones who never gave a player a word of praise, even when they were NPCs who were supposed to be friendly. As such, the Akshans were not pleased or impressed to see me, the last of the Demon Hunters.
Their first words upon meeting me.
-"You are what you are, the Last Demon Hunter."
...just like that.
I thought they were immature.
It was nothing to get excited about.
The second year of middle school, it's the same as it was during the dark history days.
Of course, Grandfell is as much a man of action as Akshan is of words, so there was no need for much conversation between us.
-"I was not concerned."
-"Neither was I."
-"I'll ask Akshan."
-"No worries."
-"Hmm, good."
...What are you guys doing?
'I was so embarrassed, seriously.'
That's seriously my taste?
It was a sight that made me question my past.
Anyway, it's in the past now.
And from now on, as the last survivor of the legendary Akshan.
I've got my work cut out for me.
My eyes glitter.
[Class Quest: Rebuilding Akshan].
The lost Akshans have been resurrected to become the legends of the new era.
But what the Arcana continent needs are living legends, not tales. The last demon hunter. Rebuild Akshan for a new era alongside the legends of the past.
Yes.
In other words, I'm burdened again.
In fact, it's a bit of a bummer now, isn't it?
'What did I do to deserve this in the first place?'
This time, I decided to be positive from the start.
Then my perspective changed.
Why, the rebuilding of Akshan.
I saw the value in this tedious quest.
'The demon will rise one day.'
10th in the hierarchy.
Deletion of all except the top demons.
I didn't neglect my quest for anomaly (surfing the internet) after returning to the real world. It seemed that some in the various communities were hailing the patch as good news.
Well, one might think so.
But if the world is fooled, I'm not fooled.
I've witnessed it, haven't I?
The process of the Battle for the Demon King.
No one is born to be a Demon King. Those who occupy the vacant throne in a war of attrition become new kings and gain greater power. So, systematically speaking.
'Promoted to Boss Monster.'
This is accomplished through an item called the [Demon Throne]. So the patch to remove demons was just a pun and a trick by Raymond Sean.
In other words.
To send demons to hell.
The only way to do that is to hunt them down with the hands of a Demon Hunter.
The truth is, the number of demons doesn't matter.
'If it has to be done, it will be done, this nature.'
Pride in the face of demons.
Grandfell would do anything, but the question was how long it would take. It's true that I can't do it alone, given the burdens I'm carrying.
From that perspective, the resurrection of Akshan was a welcome relief. I will suffer during the rebuilding process, but let's look to the future. You know what they say about buying your youth?
In fact, the rebuilding process was nothing new to me.
A gaze toward the quest objective.
-Hunt demons. (repeat)
Yes, the damned repetitive quest that players were getting sick of...!
It's been a long time since I've seen it.
I cluck my tongue to myself.
Our senior Akshan speaks.
"It's time for the hunt"
And then he goes straight to Akshan communication.
-Hunt the demon. (Repeat)
●Follow the blood trail to track the half-breed demon. (in progress)
A half-breed demon.
Judging by the name, at least a demon with a true name.
A named monster.
A strange demon, to say the least.
But the great Akshan is not likely to offer a friendly explanation, and the pride of Grandfell would not allow ignorance to prevail. Actions speak louder than words, after all.
'We'll have to track it down as soon as we're done with the 100 Rifts.'
By the way, you say you're following the blood trail....
I shifted my gaze to the bloodstain.
And then I had a question.
'What does he want me to chase?'
As I said, the blood was dried and stagnant.
It didn't lead anywhere.
Only if I summoned Tempest, Akshan's guardian spirit.
It shouldn't be too hard to track him.
'You want me to summon it?'
No, you're asking me to chant its name...?
You're asking me to summon Tempest Over the Horizon.
As I pondered, the Akshan Demon Hunter spoke up.
"You don't follow with your eyes."
He spoke to himself, not to me.
But the words helped me, too.
I knew who Grandfell was.
A man of extraordinary talent who can follow what he sees.
He can do anything with an explanation.
"A view from a consciousness that transcends the five senses."
A ritual?
A ritual involving demons.
There is only one.
The demon hunter utters the words I predicted.
"As if you're looking at the demon in a Exorcism Ritual."
Exorcism Ritual, one of the Demon Hunter's short-lived unique skills.
I thought it was only for hunting possessed demons.
I didn't realize there were other uses for it.
It's you guys.
After a moment of admiration, I activate [Exorcism Ritual].
[Triggers the skill, "Exorcism Ritual"].
"...!"
And then I saw it clearly.
In my consciousness.
What had happened centered on the blood spilled on the floor. It happened in the rift. It's only natural that a player with access to the Rift would be involved.
I murmured coldly.
"Ugly."
PK.
It used to be called PK, Player Kill, but now it was an atrocity that was tantamount to murder. There was one clear thing to remember from the carnage.
A scream that pierced my consciousness.
-"You weren't just a supernova after all...!!"
The killer, a demon in the guise of a supernova.
-"Consider it an honor. You will be a historic sacrifice."
And for him to call it a historic sacrifice.
He's got big plans.
That it involves a half-breed demon.
Breaking the spell.
As the afterimage disperses, I see the figure of a demon hunter. I wonder if he's explaining things for me. It seems that he's been using the exorcism ritual like I have.
"It's been a while, and I needed a reminder."
Then he looks at me and says
"Last of the Demon Hunters, I may become indebted to you unintentionally. Not just me, but everyone in Akshan."
I nodded.
'I was guessing.'
A legend is only as strong as how widely it is told.
In that sense.
At this point, the Akshan legend could not be stronger than the body itself.
'I wonder how they treated Akshan in the first place.'
Akshan became a legend through the forgotten people of the Arcana continent. I know this better than anyone. The Akshans are much stronger than they are given credit for.
Their tenacity is beyond anything anyone can imagine.
So I replied.
"I told you, there's nothing to worry about."
To be honest, I, Lee Hoyeol, am not confident.
Akshan's tenacity and sacrifice are too much for me to follow. Rebuilding Akshan with the legendary Akshan seniors? I can't guarantee that I'll be any better than the Akshans of the past.
But.
"Akshan will be reclaimed."
"Reclaim...?"
Well, there's Grandfell.
The youngest patriarch of Claudi's family.
A talent that ranks among the greatest of all time. That talent also includes the ability to rebuild the Claudi family that was completely ruined. Wasn't this the same person I felt at Claudi's territory, mansion, and banquet?
So.
"The honor you deserve."
"Honor...."
He can be so arrogant.
'I like Akshan-style communication in times like this.'
As a senior, I'd call him out on his arrogance.
The demon hunter simply nodded wordlessly.
Then, with one last word, he dispersed into the legend.
"I will await your next trail, then."
Reassuring and exhausting words.
But I have no time to complain.
Now that Grandfell, a demon-hater who won't even allow himself to breathe in the same room as a demon, has seen through the demon's scheme. I can't afford to be lenient.
Sereung─
A landscape half of reality and half of the Arcana continent.
In the background of a collapsed reality.
I manifested the rebar in the concrete as a sword.
"This is why I despise you."
I unleashed my sword force and sped up my attack on the rift.
"Discipline is unrewarding because you don't always realize it."
I'm not even going to bother making small talk with the monsters.
It would only add fuel to my fire.
Suddenly, as I entered the next rift, I thought.
'Do I have two left?'
Let's see.
98 rifts cleared....
By now, the world should be going crazy.
*
Magic Tower.
Emerald Hall.
A place where copies of the magic texts that existed in the Magic Tower exist.
The players huddled in the vast space whisper in hushed tones.
They open their eyes wide.
"...cleared 100 rifts in an hour?!"
"Well, that's less than a minute per rift, right?"
"That's crazy, Lee Hoyeol..... No, really, Chief Lee!"
59 minutes and 40 seconds to be exact.
That's how long it took Hoyeol to clear a hundred rifts. It was spectacular. Immediately after Hoyeol's declaration that he had captured a hundred rifts, the scene was broadcast by the players on NetTube who had quickly entered the rifts.
"It's just a different level."
"It's still a boss mob, how could it die?"
"...What did you just say? Didn't you say something to the monster in a very serious voice? Ha, if you're going to take a shot, take it up close!"
As far as Hoyeol was concerned, capturing a rift?
It was easier than walking down the street. Even if you lined up a hundred rifts in a row and walked, it would still take more than an hour.
The players conclude.
"You've definitely proven yourself with this, haven't you? Raymond Sean, he can't learn without responding, and now it's his turn to prove it...!"
That's right.
Hoyeol has proven himself.
Now it's Raymond Sean's turn again.
Glup.
The sound of a dry spitting.
Now it was time to wait.
"Less than a week until the next regular update, right?"
"But does it have to be regular?"
"Well, the last patch was a regular update, and there's an analysis that says that the patch that Raymond Sean intended was a regular update. In any case, we'll know for sure by the next regular update."
Hoyeol and Raymond.
A battle of different scales, and one way or another, the outcome will be decided.
Normally, we'd be anxiously waiting for next Thursday.
But at least in Magic Tower, they didn't have to.
"Hey, it's time."
And with that, the players in the Emerald Hall rose to their feet.
They and the mages.
They all headed for the Crystal Hall.
A chorus of voices.
"Descendants of the Twilight, isn't that a grandiose name?"
Descendants of the Twilight, a race of pure-blooded mages.
It was almost time for the mage who claimed to be a Descendant of the Twilight to stand on the lectern to test her abilities in the Crystal Hall. This was too good to pass up.
Players were entering the Crystal Hall.
"...?"
All eyes were focused at once.
No, not just the players.
Even the gazes of the mages of the Magic Tower.
"...!!!"