Chapter 174 – Who Do You Think We Are (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Will of Akshan: Summons Akshan Demon Hunters from the fire of Hell.

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Akshan.

Truly, even thinking about it again is absurd.

Not being able to retire even in death.

Well, what kind of ridiculous class is this, really?

However, I finally understand.

Why the demons couldn’t escape from Hell despite the gates of Hell being wide open.

Clank

Because their natural enemies were guarding the gates of Hell.

The fire of Hell gradually transformed into human shapes.

Due to the blazing flames, I couldn’t make out specific facial features, but it’s certain.

The sword and crossbow held in both hands.

Because there is no clearer symbol of a Demon Hunter than that.

Soon, a message popped up before my eyes.

[The relationship stat and influence with Akshan are applied to the effect.]

The reward that popped up the moment I succeeded in the [Request of the Simuard Family] quest.

Increase in relationship stat and influence with Akshan.

As expected, it wasn’t a bug or something.

It meant it was all useful.

Back then, no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t understand.

I asked what nonsense they were talking about when Akshan was exterminated.

I even got angry instead.

‘Indeed, who would have thought Akshan would be in Hell…….’

I wouldn’t have even conceived the idea if it weren’t for the information from the AAU.

[An Akshan Demon Hunter answers your call.]

My influence in Akshan is obvious.

Because back when Akshan existed on the Arcana continent, I was a low-level peon.

It might be at the level where I should be grateful that even one responded.

But you see.

The fact that Demon Hunters are self-indulgent.

I know better than anyone else because of someone.

[An Akshan Demon Hunter answers your call.]

[An Akshan Demon Hunter answers your call.]

[An Akshan Demon Hunter answers your call.]…….

They really are self-indulgent, everyone.

Now that the gates of Hell are open.

The Demon Hunters of Hell must also be watching the scene of the rift.

Meaning, if they are the Demon Hunters I know.

Regardless of relationship stats or influence.

They absolutely wouldn’t be able to just sit and watch a demon right before their eyes.

Clank!

Clank!

Clank!

The sound of loading doesn’t stop.

Before I knew it, dozens of Demon Hunters were standing by my side.

“!!!”

The snake that was arrogant from start to finish.

And even the momentum of the dog and bird softened in an instant.

It is bound to.

Because you guys know better than anyone why a natural enemy is a natural enemy.

I opened my mouth.

“I am aware of your labor.”

Until the message popped up.

Even if I guessed, I wasn’t certain.

You really are shameless as expected, Granfel.

However, this time I won’t nitpick on words either.

Demon Hunters.

I don’t know what kind of story each and every one of them has.

But I can guess.

There must be a reason and background for each of them enduring that nonsensical training of Akshan.

『Granfel Cloudie Arpheus Romeo, the sole survivor of his family. Granfel, hereafter, walked the path of a Demon Hunter to take revenge on that demon.』

Like Granfel.

So they can’t help but be serious.

Even if they hunted demons and became demons themselves.

Even if they fell into Hell by dying at the hands of their comrades because of it.

It meant the pride in their chests wasn’t broken.

Just like the unnamed young man in Dreadsen Village.

“I too know that solitude.”

And the pride became a will and connected to me, the last survivor of Akshan. Will is something that is absolutely not light. But the pride I originally embrace is just so heavy, you see.

In order not to sink.

It means I have been struggling consistently.

Clank

Among the Demon Hunters of Hell.

I also drew my sword and crossbow.

Why, didn’t I clearly speak with my mouth?

-“The Demon King Continental Clash will merely become nourishment for us.”

I am well aware that the players’ level is too lacking to play an active role in the holy war.

I also know well that without the [Natural Enemy Relationship] or [Blessing of the First World Tree] effects, I am no different from them.

However, if you realize your shortcomings, you just have to move forward.

It’s not just the Demon King Continental Clash.

I just have to use everything in the holy war as nourishment to develop.

No, I must develop.

-“We will become the adventurers’ shield.”

Even just to repay Arcana, their sacrifice.

So from now on, I have to focus as well.

Because it’s my first time witnessing a real Demon Hunter’s combat.

I shouldn’t miss a single thing.

‘How they performed such exploits in the holy war.’

I am determined to witness the secret techniques of Akshan, the Demon Hunters.

Because, mimicking things I’ve seen is something I’m confident in.

Indeed, it was good that I focused.

They aren’t called Demon Hunters for nothing.

You are a Demon Hunter because you can’t hold back when you see a demon.

Swoosh!

Crossbow bolts stretching out in an instant.

[Nine-headed Hellhound: Lv.900]

[Anaconda that swallowed a Great Demon: Lv.920]

[Demon Realm Legendary Species, Screaming Bird: Lv.900]

‘Does it start with long-ranged keeping in check.’

It was the moment I was about to fire my crossbow following the Demon Hunters.

Thud!

A sound was heard.

Thud! Thud!

And that, three times.

Wait a minute……. What am I looking at right now?

“Is that so.”

What do you mean ‘is that so’ so calmly, Granfel.

Level 900 true-name demons are collapsing to mere crossbows, aren’t they?

They weren’t just staggering.

They were really collapsing as if they received a fatal wound!

“……You finally got closer to the throne.”

And then closing their glaring eyes along with a dying wish.

Wait a minute.

The Demon Hunter’s combat, where did the secret technique go?

You have to show me something so I can imitate it, right.

Are you saying you brought down such monsters with just a few crossbow shots?

“Akshan’s pride hasn’t dulled in the slightest.”

Regardless of my mouth chattering calmly, I racked my brain.

Level 900 monsters were brought down with a few crossbow bolts.

Because I had Granfel’s eyes, I could recognize it.

‘They simply pulled the trigger.’

No skills or special techniques were used in the process.

That just now was merely a normal shot.

What is vulgarly called a ‘basic attack’.

It meant they hunted level 900 named monsters with basic attacks.

‘……This means they purely suppressed them with stats.’

Is that possible?

It makes no sense through common sense…….

The moment I thought that.

There was a word that flashed through my mind.

Class Quest.

─Train your weakened body. (Repeatable)

Literally, if I infinitely repeated the physical training quest, I thought it might be possible. No, wait. Don’t fall for it, Lee Ho-yeol……! Think about your immediate daily routine.

‘Even right now, the pure volume of training is unmanageable!’

The more it’s repeated.

The higher the stats get.

It was glaringly obvious that the quest objectives would increase.

Demon Hunter, anyway this damn grinding job!

But making my inner screams pointless.

I opened my mouth.

“As expected, you are firmly fully Akshan still.”

……I thought things would get a little easier after absorbing Akshan’s secret techniques.

Ultimately, I am destined to suffer firmly fully continuously.

Soon, a message popped up in my vision.

[You have cleared the 20th Throne rift.]

Kugugung!!

At the same time, the rift began to shake.

If it were normal, I would have been relieved thinking it didn’t sink somehow today.

But not today.

Because the ‘plan’ hasn’t ended yet.

Inside the collapsing rift.

I straightened my back upright.

It starts from now.

.

.

.

[You have cleared the 45th Throne rift.]

[You have cleared the 57th Throne rift.]

[You have cleared the 24th Throne rift.]…….

Clear messages popping up.

The players couldn’t hide their admiration.

Is this the complete combat power of the Arcana people?

Amidst the gazes of awe, Harkon opened his mouth.

“Have you seen, adventurers. Whether you believed us or not. We kept our promise.”

We will ensure not a single casualty occurs.

Against the demons who turned our hometown, the Arcana continent, into a wasteland.

We will not have a single thing taken away anymore.

The Arcana people kept their resolve staking their pride.

Harkon continued.

“So will you believe us, adventurers? You have infinite potential. You can become stronger than us, and beyond.”

Players, stats, and skills.

To Harkon, they were still incomprehensible concepts.

But they weren’t empty words meant to boost morale.

Why, didn’t they watch over the adventurers before the Cataclysm too?

Harkon smiled.

“Do not forget the past.”

“……?”

“That your existence in Arcana was a miracle in and of itself.”

“!!!”

Back when Arcana was merely a game.

Players could naturally resurrect.

Though a death penalty existed, the Arcana people couldn’t understand the system. To the Arcana people, the very existence of players was no different from a miracle.

Harkon continued.

“Of course, I still believe in that miracle.”

Kugugugung!!

The collapsing rift.

Harkon repeated to himself.

‘……No, even if it’s unbelievable, one has no choice but to believe it.’

The meeting at the Golden Palace came to mind.

-“At least millions of demons will flock in.”

-“Have you all thought about it?”

-“About what, Sir Ho-yeol?”

-“Among the millions of demons, those who ascend the throne are merely a few dozen. It means those who failed to ascend the throne will all die in battle during the process.”

What Ho-yeol threw was a question they hadn’t thought of at all.

-“Then what happens to the corpses of millions of demons.”

-“……Corpses?”

-“Do you remember, Harkon. And Giant Alliance.”

Giant Alliance.

Nam Tae-min, Leonie, Hisagi.

The moment the three people were mentioned.

Harkon could recall it without difficulty.

The memories in Frost.

The day Frost appeared in the world of adventurers, Frost was filled with the corpses and blood of its people. Because the corpses and blood were the sacrifices for the resurrection of a Demon King.

-“……Sir Ho-yeol, could those words mean?”

To himself who belatedly realized the hidden side (이면 – other side/hidden side) of the Demon King Continental Clash, Ho-yeol had said.

-“The Demon King Continental Clash will not end merely at electing a new Demon King. Since they will have to imprint the rule of hierarchy onto the new Demon Kings who have become fully arrogant sitting on the throne.”

Yes, in order to do so.

-“The Superior Demon Kings, they will have no choice but to reveal themselves.”

Superior Demon Kings.

Because they possessed such vastly massive power.

Existences that require massive sacrifices just to reveal themselves.

However, there were enough sacrifices in the Demon King Continental Clash.

Hisagi had spoken as if confirming.

-“When the Demon King summoning ritual was interrupted in Frost, Decarabia resurrected using his own subordinates as sacrifices. It means the sacrifices don’t necessarily have to be humans. If so, that means…….”

Ho-yeol concluded.

-“Even if we hunt all demons and prevent the enthronement of new Demon Kings. The fact that the Superior Demon Kings will reveal themselves remains unchanged.”

He continued normally as always.

-“However, the objective of hunting demons would also remain unchanged.”

He declared he would hunt even the Superior Demon Kings that would appear belatedly.

But contrary to the grand goal, the plan was simple and clear.

To the point where a single word from Ho-yeol could replace the explanation.

-“That is right. I will hunt the Superior Demon King.”

That was exactly the reason Ho-yeol entered the rift alone.

“……How do you plan to hunt a Demon King, and a Superior one at that, inside a collapsing rift? Sir, I still cannot understand.”

However, he could only just believe.

Adventurer, Lee Ho-yeol.

That he would achieve a miracle normal as always.

The moment Harkon desperately wished it.

From the sky of the collapsing rift.

A massive shadow was cast.

Muttering players.

“……What is that?”

Clip-clop!

Soon, a horrifyingly massive sound of hooves rang out.

A message popped up in the players’ vision.

[Demon King, □□□ appears.]

……Wait a minute, an appearance message?

.

.

.

When a rift is cleared, players return to reality.

That is the irrefutable system of Arcana.

However, they are not immediately kicked out to reality.

Why, like right now, until the rift completely collapses.

A slight time allowance is given.

So it meant one could watch like this.

Countless demon corpses floating in the air.

As the rifts collapse, does the distance between each rift collapse as well.

Corpses begin to gather from all directions.

Anyway, there’s a scary amount.

‘Well, it’s not a strange thing.’

Because they were sacrifices for none other than a Superior Demon King.

Soon, a massive shadow was cast over the rift.

But, the shape of the shadow was somewhat familiar.

It was a horse.

The [Crack of the Shattered Dimension] rift that Karimzeba summoned.

It was the shape of the horse that looked exactly like the arrangement of that rift.

“Are you persistent. If not.”

You haven’t given up since then, huh?

“Is it because your learning ability is lacking as an animal?”

As if answering my words.

Clip-clop!

The sound of hooves rings out.

A message pops up before my eyes.

[Demon King, Gamigin appears.]

Having Granfel’s brain that memorizes even magic books perfectly.

How could I not memorize the hierarchy of the roughly seventy Demon Kings.

Gamigin, I vividly remember those three syllables.

Demon King Rank 4.

Even that Gamigin is an absolute top-tier Demon King.

No joke, if it were normal times, I would’ve immediately scrammed to reality.

‘An appearance message in a rift with a recommended level of a thousand…….’

Just how strong it is.

Because I couldn’t even guess.

However.

Thanks to the misunderstanding you guys made.

Thanks to you arrogantly opening the gates of Hell.

I wasn’t alone.

Similar to Granfel.

Far from being intimidated in front of a Superior Demon King.

Gooooo

Rather, the Akshan Demon Hunters of Hell whose pride burned bright were by my side. These Demon Hunters, who forced Greed to take its own life in that disadvantageous holy war and dropped ten Demon Kings to Hell, were with me.

Therefore, everything is according to my plan.

I drew the demon’s item from the inventory.

Though the rift is collapsing.

And the time allowed to me thanks to that is momentary.

The flow of time inside the ‘ritual’ taking place under my authority.

[‘Single Horn Baton Tainted by Evil’ has been selected as the sacrifice.]

[Skill, ‘Exorcism Ritual’ is activated.]

[Demon King, Gamigin is invited to the ‘Ritual’.]

“Tremble in fear.”

So come, Gamigin.

Demon King of the 4th Throne.

I grandiosely recited, proudly as normal.

“Akshan has returned.”