Chapter 147 – To Protect Our Pride (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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[Pentagram of Pure Knowledge].

[Map that Connects to All Things].

And lastly, even the [Demonic Eye’s Telescope].

When it comes to the spoils of a Demon King, it seems their effects are not bound to a single place like reality or the Arcana continent. It means there is a reason the Epic rank is the Epic rank.

‘Of course, as much as the effects are fraudulent, the conditions are strict too.’

Unlike the Map that Connects to All Things, it wasn’t a one-time use, but the telescope also had a condition attached.

Because a reuse waiting time, that is, a cooldown time existed.

There was no need to add further explanation.

Crystal Hall.

The pupil that was reflecting the sight of the Arcana continent in the air closed its eye.

To think the effect duration time is barely a little over 10 minutes while the cooldown time is 6 hours…….

For some reason, it felt like the math wasn’t adding up but.

‘Still, what is this?’

Having witnessed the continent with these two eyes.

I couldn’t use Hiel as an informant forever.

Putting it bluntly, it might be a different story if Hiel was as strong as a Spirit King.

Because I knew that taking after someone, she only had an extremely perfectly fine outward appearance.

Retrieving the telescope, I spoke.

“This is the current sight of the Arcana continent.”

Indeed, the demons’ words that even millions were merely an extremely small fraction were the truth.

Wherever you look, demons, and more demons.

If we had really died together, it would have been an unfair death, wouldn’t it?

If there was something seen as commonly as those demons.

It was the trampled cities and residents of Arcana.

“……”

Silence flowed.

It is completely understandable.

They must have guessed it, but it must be a shock.

In the midst of the silence, the sounds of murmuring gradually grew louder.

“……This makes no sense.”

“With things like that, is there even a city left perfectly fine?”

“I definitely saw it. Smoke coming from the direction of the Imperial Capital too……!”

The moment one enters the Mage Tower.

Ties with the secular world are severed.

There’s no need to look far, one can tell just by looking at Marcelo.

It is a rule that the mages of the Mage Tower cannot deeply involve themselves in affairs outside the Mage Tower.

Even if it’s a matter related to their own family.

However.

“……Damn it.”

Senior Mage, Vangrit ground his teeth.

There’s probably nothing one can do about the naturally arising worry.

Furthermore, Vangrit was the scion of an ordinary family.

It’s natural he’s more anxious than the others.

However, I know.

“That wretched sight is the Arcana continent that has begun its counterattack.”

“……!!!”

It was so.

Even now, it was a sight where not a single blade of hope could be seen.

Even at this moment, there were Arcana people fighting against those demons.

There was Akshan’s legacy, the Quernberg Mechanical Tower.

There were the airships of the dwarves.

“The reason I showed the sight of the continent without exaggeration is simple.”

It wasn’t simply because it was hard to explain with words.

“Arcana is protecting its pride until the very, very end.”

As I have continuously said, the system does not lie.

From the days when Arcana was merely a game to even after the Cataclysm.

The Mage Tower, the self-proclaimed and publicly recognized strongest armed group of Arcana, had never moved for any incident.

However, I know. Even if I didn’t know, I learned through experience.

Even if the system remains the same, the NPCs are not the NPCs of the past.

That they are Arcana people who are no longer NPCs bound by the system.

So I had confidence.

Activation of the jurisdiction function in the Mage Tower?

No, there is no need to even bring that up.

Because Arcana people will have pride as Arcana people.

Step

At that moment, someone’s presence was felt.

The sole Elder Mage of the Mage Tower at the present time, Yugweed Lupin.

She had stood up from her seat.

*

[Quest: Unfinished Holy War]

From the Arcana continent to reality.

The holy war with demons has not yet ended.

At the end of this war, there are no rewards or spoils.

The only thing that remains is pride.

Prove your own pride.

─Prove your worth in the corresponding region. (In Progress)

Yusra Kingdom, Frost, Holy Land Muon.

Discussions among the players did not cease.

The reason was simple.

“So do we participate in this or not?”

It is an Unfinished Holy War with a grandiose name.

As if that wasn’t enough, even a specific enemy called demons stated in the quest description.

Now that the appearances of demon monsters have decreased.

Ironically, players were once again feeling the danger of demon monsters.

“You know it hits you harder because you can’t see them, right?”

“Of course I know what you mean.”

“I seriously never wanted to see even the sight of them again.”

The fact that it popped up as a quest means that no matter when, those bastards will appear again.

Because they are humans before they are players.

They had no choice but to agonize over it.

“Putting it bluntly, if it was back during the days of Arcana Continent Chronicle, who knows.”

Isn’t this reality, not a game, where your life is on the line?

Leaving aside the rewards and spoils, it was difficult to easily make a decision.

It was their honest feeling that they wanted to avoid it if they could.

“But, we can’t avoid it, right? It’s a predetermined reality that demons will cross over to reality through rifts……. And the only ones who can enter those rifts are us players.”

“No, we aren’t the only players…….”

“What gets solved if we push it onto each other like that? What else will happen besides rift collapses? What else will happen besides demons and Demon Kings being unleashed into reality!”

“No, why are you getting angry at me?”

“I’m doing this because I’m frustrated too! Because I’m frustrated!”

No matter what decision they made, their minds were not at ease.

“They are the bastards who collapsed the Iron Wall of the North, Frost. When even the players uniting together wouldn’t be enough, if opinions are already divided like this…….”

“Can we really stop the demons’ invasion that even Arcana couldn’t stop, just by ourselves?”

“Frost isn’t the Frost of the old days either…….”

However, as if there was no need to even worry about such things.

There were those who moved.

It was none other than the Giant Coalition.

“……Aren’t those guys crazy?!”

Gaon, Inazuma, Berserker.

Looking at it from a certain perspective, it could be understood.

Since those three guilds were guilds that had exercised considerable influence since the early days of the Yusra Kingdom’s establishment.

Nevertheless, it was unexpected.

“They have too much to lose, don’t they?”

The more you have, the more you have to lose.

It might be a different story if there was something to gain like during the Yusra Kingdom, but it was clearly stated in this quest that there were no rewards or spoils.

“Because they have received things all this time. Might it not be repaying the favor?”

Yusra Kingdom, King Hakuna.

The player who possessed an equal [Jurisdiction] as him, Lee Ho-yeol.

It is certain they moved to repay the debt they owed to Ho-yeol.

The players deduced.

-“It is to protect the pride in our hearts.”

Thump thump

Until Nam Tae-min pounded his chest.

“……Pride? What is that dog-eating-grass sound?”

However, the Giant Coalition was merely the beginning.

Another movement captured in Frost.

“Because I thought it would be a stimulant. There is no other reason.”

Along with Unification of the World, the only two super-giant guilds, Shining.

They too had decided to participate in the holy war.

No, it wasn’t just them.

Holy Land of the Goddess Church, Muon.

The strongest guild of the European Union, Bohemian.

The Guild Master, Guyver, acted cheeky in front of the camera.

“Well, honestly, the place where I got hit by the arrow and the back of my head still stings but. It makes no sense for Holy Knights to be excluded from a holy war. Besides, we can just pay the debt back to the demon bastards, right?”

Starting with the participation of the Giant Coalition, the air currents changed.

Not only guilds, but even players operating individually.

Yusra Kingdom, Frost, Muon.

They began heading to each region.

Because of this, crowds flocked to the Mage Tower where the movements of those players could be grasped at once.

“Currently, the Mage Tower portal is swarming with players!”

To achieve the quest objective.

Players entering the portal.

That sight rode the airwaves and spread throughout the whole world.

To the onlookers, it was definitely an unfamiliar picture.

“Unbelievable. This is the first time seeing players act like that too.”

What are players to ordinary people?

The days when they were revered as heroes just for being players had long passed. In the first place, players themselves often operated for their own profits rather than as heroes.

However, the situation was different this time.

“So they’re risking their lives when there’s nothing to gain? Really?”

“What kind of wind blew into everyone?”

“I don’t know what pride is but……. It somehow looks a bit romantic?”

Above all, there was Lee Ho-yeol.

“Putting it bluntly, imagine if Liu Ojun-chun was involved in the quest.”

The reason there are no rewards and spoils in the quest?

Pride and all that aside, isn’t it some bullshit trick so he could intercept the rewards and spoils for himself? Because it was natural to have doubts. It was the same even if it wasn’t necessarily Liu Ojun-chun.

Excluding only one person, Lee Ho-yeol.

Because he did not pursue wealth and honor.

All this time, Ho-yeol had shown it through his actions.

Yusra Kingdom.

Even in front of the temptation of the Great Evil thrusting the Golden Palace.

-“Are you not foolish? The moment you close your eyes, the only thing you can take with you is the pride in your heart.”

Entering Frost with an upright posture when no other guild even dared to attempt to enter.

Whether it was a regular update or an emergency update.

Because if it was a rift that became a threat to humanity, Ho-yeol had silently cleared it.

So there was no doubt.

Even if there were concerns.

“……Right, it’s all good. I can understand.”

“Man, what’s the problem this time?”

“So I’m asking if there’s a chance of winning in this holy war.”

That was an objective worry.

“Even assuming Lee Ho-yeol, the Yusra Kingdom, Frost, Holy Land Muon. And players like us all participate in the holy war. The opponents are the demons who turned the entire Arcana continent into a wasteland!”

However, such concerns were merely groundless fears as well.

The Mage Tower’s lobby.

A message popped up even for the players hesitating at the portal.

[Quest: Unfinished Holy War]

The quest popping up.

“……!!!”

The meaning behind that word was simple.

The self-proclaimed and publicly recognized strongest armed group of Arcana.

Because of that, not even once.

The Mage Tower, which had never shown any official movement.

It meant that they were participating in the holy war.

“……Wait, this changes the story completely, doesn’t it?!”

Possibilities, chances of winning, and hope began to become visible.

*

Elder Mage, Yugweed Lupin opened her mouth.

“We gained a painful lesson not long ago.”

She smiled.

“We cannot lose precious things again by being bound to insignificant rules, right?”

It was a benevolent smile, but to demons, there would be no smile more dreadful than that. Yugweed’s words meant that the Mage Tower, the strongest armed group of Arcana, was participating in the holy war……!

I will confess honestly.

‘I finally feel somewhat relieved.’

It was so.

Because the mages of the Mage Tower were at the very least a force matching one against a hundred.

Even including the Arcana continent, it would be hard to find an ally more outstanding than the Mage Tower.

Of course, there are the dragons who were the victors of the Dragon-Demon War but…….

‘I wish to not get involved with that side as much as possible.’

To get involved with end-game content where I don’t even know if they are allies or enemies.

My level is still endlessly lacking.

The Round Table conference ended.

Simultaneously, the quest [Quest: Unfinished Holy War] also popped up in my vision. Not only me, but it must have popped up for other players inside the Mage Tower too.

‘Everyone will find out.’

The fact that the Mage Tower has stepped into the holy war.

Wouldn’t there be quite a number of players who decide to participate trusting such a Mage Tower?

In that sense, I headed straight to the Yusra Kingdom.

Before the Mage Tower joined.

Because there were thankful people who expressed their intention to participate despite seeing a quest that seemed to have not even a rat’s tail of a chance of winning.

[Breaking News: Giant Coalition, “Decided to participate to protect our pride.”]

When I first checked the breaking news.

……I wondered what the hell was going on.

Could this too perhaps be thanks to investing points into [Luck], I even genuinely pondered such nonsensical worries. However, why does the reason matter?

‘I feel reassured.’

The Giant Coalition of Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker!

I didn’t know how Gaon and Inazuma, who were arch-enemies, came to cooperate through what opportunity, but wouldn’t there be no need to go out of my way to know.

Because I was simply thankful that they joined the holy war before anyone else.

“Indeed, they are those who know of pride.”

Above all, they say the reason is to protect their pride.

It wouldn’t be strange for Granfel to be more pleased than me.

So it means a grand welcome is necessary equal to how thankful I am.

Of course, clean and honest.

Even if it’s a hospitable reception by my standards, there wasn’t much but.

The symbol of the Golden Palace.

The Golden Round Table.

Soon, the doors opened and welcoming faces could be seen.

“H-Mr. Ho-yeol? You were here?!”

“It has been a while, Ho-yeol-san. I did not know you were here.”

“……Gasp.”

The wide eyes of the three people.

Is there really a need to be so surprised.

I opened my mouth calmly as always.

“Before we talk, would you care for a cup of tea first?”

Even if I say tea, it’s merely a 300 won green tea.

“……Yes, sir! Please give it to us! No, please give it to us?! Finally!”

At Leonie’s intense response, I thought.

‘Indeed, there are ranks to teabag green tea too.’

It wasn’t a five-star satisfaction green tea for nothing.

.

.

.

Clatter!

There was no saying who was first.

The three people holding teacups choked in sheer surprise.

……Just what did we hear right now?