Chapter 193 – Can You Keep Up? (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The Zero Mountain Range had existed even when Arcana was nothing but a game.

There was no way a message would surface simply from discovering it.

[Achievement: Illuminating the Shadow of the Zero Mountain Range.]

[Effect: Item acquisition rate in the Zero Mountain Range slightly increases.]

[Duration: 23 hours 59 minutes]

First achievement unlocked.

A message from before the Cataclysm.

It could not be otherwise.

Because the Zero Mountain Range is the first properly geographic region to be updated into reality.

‘Was it that Rifts didn’t get one because they are strange spaces?’

Well, in any case, a welcome sight, achievement.

The effect and duration were modest.

But what can you do.

The Circle unlocked.

Greatly increased magic manifestation.

Thanks to that, even manifesting a basic magic spell like Light without care does not make a dent in my magic power reserves.

Brightly illuminating the entrance of the vast Zero Mountain Range. It is not a difficult task.

Whoooosh

‘Just from saying one wrong thing, it has come to this, truly.’

Even if it is not a difficult task.

Was it really necessary to do it this specifically.

At least the achievement effect soothes my heart somewhat.

Of course, Granfel, as always, dampened the moment.

“Riches and glory are nothing but illusions.”

How very diligent you are with that incorruptible integrity of yours!

Even if Granfel says that much.

But you too must sharpen your eyes and keep your wits about you, Ho-yeol.

Because there were quite a number of things to take care of in the Zero Mountain Range.

When [All-knowing’s Sight] was still effective.

In order to get my money’s worth, I had asked All-knowing’s Sight everything I knew about without hesitation. Among those, the core was information about elixir herbs and the [Hexagram Brooch].

That was right.

Somewhere in this vast Zero Mountain Range.

The [Hexagram Brooch] and elixir herbs existed.

And it was no ordinary elixir herb.

From the ancient kingdom era.

Precious elixirs that had already vanished from the Arcana continent.

‘Thanks to the dragons.’

No matter how tempting the elixirs, who among the continent’s history would have climbed the Zero Mountain Range with its sleeping dragons. The Explorer Alliance adventurers themselves gave up on the midway point said to be impossible to reach.

I softly opened my mouth.

“A diligent guardian.”

Do not refer to the mightiest creature, the dragon, like a dog guarding someone’s house, Granfel.

I was startled fearing it might wake up hearing that.

Even while flinching, I traced the information in my mind.

‘Nothing can be obtained right away.’

The elixirs resided above the midway point of the Zero Mountain Range.

Because that would be about where places untouched by human hands would start.

Well, that much was as expected.

But the Hexagram Brooch was a problem.

“A cave where light does not enter.”

At the time, I thought I just needed to find a cave in the Zero Mountain Range.

But having come to know about Hundred Thousand Caves.

I could not have felt more at a loss.

‘No wait, not having light enter is normal for a cave, right?’

I cannot possibly search through a hundred thousand caves alone.

Alright, fine.

Let’s look at the forest. I am not alone, am I?

Any player is fine.

If anyone at all discovers a ‘cave where light does not enter’ and enters and acquires the [Hexagram Brooch], I can pay a fair price and purchase that brooch from them.

‘It’s not that I don’t have greed. It’s that I don’t have money.’

But I blurted out once again.

“To me, darkness is all too familiar.”

Please refrain from words rife with room for misunderstanding, Granfel.

I swallowed a sigh as always and climbed the Zero Mountain Range.

Float

At each step I took, a sphere of light.

Light rose.

A Zero Mountain Range where you do not know where or what monsters will appear.

‘Could this possibly be advertising my presence here?’

Such a worry arose, but it is fine.

Because the Light is like a lump of magic power.

Wherever any monster were to spring up, immediately interfere with the Light.

It means that magic can be manifested and dealt with on the spot.

“A midnight stroll is not so bad.”

Even if Granfel appears nonchalant.

I am spinning my head without pause to keep from sinking.

Right now too…

*

China, the only country on Earth not party to the AAU agreement.

The appearance of the Zero Mountain Range.

China immediately launched independent activities.

That movement was not difficult to detect.

“China’s fleet is sailing toward the Zero Mountain Range!”

“They’ve never shown such aggressive movement before.”

“…what on earth are they planning?”

Even as a non-AAU member, China had not done anything outside of common sense until now.

The reason China did not join the AAU? Not out of ambition, but simply to solidify their own power structure.

‘But to send a fleet to a Zero Mountain Range that could harbor who knows what danger. And that too, with the entirety of Tianxiatong guild members aboard.’

AAU Branch Directors’ Conference.

Republic of Korea Branch Director, Park Min-jae.

He frowned looking over the related documents.

“The departure time here is quite early?”

“Just as you say. Precisely…they seem to have departed the moment the regular update details appeared? This means considerable risk was taken.”

“The movement is certainly strange.”

The time China’s fleet departed was when humanity was talking about whether they would survive or perish because of the Zero Mountain Range.

In plain terms, there was a situation where if the Mage Tower and Ho-yeol had not stepped forward, the Earth might have ended.

‘In a situation where being swept away by the waves would not be strange. Loading up all of Tianxiatong’s guild members and heading for the Zero Mountain Range…? Without considering the possibility of a coup or internal conflict?’

Looking at it one way, it could be seen as a gamble.

Non-AAU member, China.

Simultaneously, Tianxiatong who had not participated in the Holy War.

The only choice available for them to solidify their position was one.

It had to be the Zero Mountain Range.

‘But the China I know would not have done that.’

Looking at their actions since the Cataclysm, it was clear.

They were satisfied with dominating China.

They did not reveal ambitions to dominate the world.

But at this moment, the tide had changed.

“It seems a change has occurred within China.”

What kind of change it was, could not be known precisely.

But it could be guessed.

Being the AAU, former creators of Arcana.

“……!!!”

Branch Directors.

Not a single one opened their mouth, yet everyone was thinking of one person. Right. The owner of the [Sovereign] class who could not help but rule, Tianxiatong’s Guild Master.

Park Min-jae opened his mouth.

“Liu Ojunchun. From now on, it seems we must keep a close eye on his every move.”

*

Mage Tower’s portal.

Players had also received news of Tianxiatong.

“Wow, these guys are really something. Their guts are hanging out.”

“Dmitri, it looks like your belly is hanging out though…? Being built was at least something to look at. What happened? Binge-eating from the pain of a breakup?”

“…how did you know that again?”

“You posted a tearful selfie yesterday~”

How can they choose only the things women dislike?

Squabble-squabble

While Kamilla and Dmitri were bickering for a bit.

“Should I call it impressive footwork?”

Rocks murmured.

Shining and Tianxiatong.

Rocks and Liu Ojunchun.

Being rivals, they could be confident that they understood each other’s way of thinking better than anyone.

On top of that, weren’t these two men who had never descended from the very top or its vicinity since Arcana was nothing but a game?

“Tianxiatong threw a gamble.”

“A gamble? Why do you think so?”

“They probably judged that the effect of being the first to achieve something in the Zero Mountain Range mattered more than its danger. Because Liu Ojunchun’s [Sovereign] class can maximize achievement effects.”

[Sovereign].

Not quite a legendary class, but it was an extraordinarily rare class. No, among ranker players, the only player with the [Sovereign] class was Liu Ojunchun.

It might be fair to call it a legendary class.

Dmitri nodded.

“Certainly if it’s the Sovereign class effect……”

[Sovereign] partially absorbed the experience acquired by those taken as subordinates.

That experience naturally included experience points.

But also various achievement effects including buffs.

Looking at it from that angle alone, Sovereign was an absurdly overpowered class.

However.

“Props to him for raising it that far too~”

Sovereign was at the same time a class evaluated as absolutely impossible to raise in modern society. Because players who swore loyalty to the Sovereign were at a one-sided disadvantage.

Dmitri pouted his lips.

“That guy was just born in the right country.”

“So you’re jealous?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a free spirit.”

“So that’s why you keep getting freely rejected~?”

Squabble-squabble again

Though it was noisy, Rocks agreed with that opinion too.

Without national-level support.

Liu Ojunchun absolutely could not have broken through the level 500 wall.

‘But there has been no movement this openly brazen.’

Leading a fleet to find the Zero Mountain Range.

It was a move one could not help but be concerned about on many fronts.

Rocks looked around.

Two men’s heads standing tall in the crowd.

And though not visible, one more person who would be nearby.

“That side must be thinking the same, right?”

.

.

.

Nam Taemin’s blood was boiling.

“No wait, how can they get ahead of everyone like this?”

Tianxiatong……!

Even before the AAU officially announced the Zero Mountain Range’s appearance, they had moved a step faster. Even if they were not part of the AAU, this was cheating, wasn’t it?!

“No, as fellow players this has no sense of honor.”

The one who calmed down the seething Nam Taemin was Hisagi.

“Tianxiatong must have taken on risks too.”

“Risks? What risks?”

“The Zero Mountain Range that appeared in reality would be different from the one on the Arcana continent.”

“……?”

The rival title.

The modifier ‘friendly’ was merely added in front.

Having Hisagi just explain something was something Nam Taemin’s pride could not allow.

But no matter how much he racked his brain, nothing surfaced.

‘…is it the dragons? No, Ho-yeol-ssi sealed those properly. There shouldn’t be much difference from when it was on the Arcana continent……’

In the end, Nam Taemin opened his mouth.

“Hang on, let me tie my shoelaces.”

“…where are the shoelaces on that armor?”

“No, it’s just a figure of speech.”

Even under Hisagi’s cold snake eyes, Nam Taemin squatted down stubbornly.

Then lifted his head.

He mouthed words at Leoni with a blank expression.

“…what, what is that supposed to mean?”

Leoni thought to herself, sincerely.

‘Should I kill him?’

Why does it feel even more aggravating because there’s no malicious intent?

Whenever looking at Nam Taemin and Hisagi, she always got that feeling.

Even without squatting like that.

‘I can see and hear you, you big idiots.’

Leoni sent a cold gaze containing that meaning.

Nam Taemin exhaled.

“Forget it. What does a Barbarian or Berserker do with thinking.”

“?!”

……should I really just hit him?

That impulse surged, but let’s hold back.

I promised, right?

Let me try to have at least some of that thing called decorum.

Leoni managed to open her mouth first.

“It rose from the sea. So the lower areas of the Zero Mountain Range with relatively low-level monsters would all be submerged, right?”

“…holy, are you a genius?”

“Why don’t you try using your brain a little too, instead of just your muscles?”

Someone looking on would say this was far from decorum, but Leoni was satisfied. She had not said any profanity, so by her standards this was tremendous progress.

Hisagi nodded.

“That’s right. All information about the Zero Mountain Range we knew before the Cataclysm has become useless. Because the low-level areas would all have sunk into the Pacific.”

…huh, you were listening to everything?

Nam Taemin pretended not to notice and stood up.

“Certainly makes sense.”

The Zero Mountain Range revealed above sea level.

Indeed, what level it was at would only become clear upon entering and colliding head-on.

In that sense Tianxiatong had thrown a gamble, that was correct.

“We need to be on edge too.”

Leveling up of course.

But even with the help of the Ryan Heart Knights and other Arcana continent people, getting stronger as one had, complacency was forbidden. It was still far from sufficient to fulfill one’s role in the Holy War.

Soon, players entering the portal.

When vision changed, what greeted them was a light of sorts.

“Wait, what is this?”

Whether it was a time difference or because of the Zero Mountain Range that had risen so high it blocked out even the sun. In the darkness, spheres of light, only the Light was visible more clearly.

“Is it Tianxiatong’s doing?”

No, what good would they do just for others.

There’s no way.

On top of that, the number of visible Lights was far too many.

To manifest this number of Lights.

Even if all the mages in Tianxiatong poured out their magic power, it would be insufficient.

Thanks to that, the flow of thought naturally went in one direction.

A powerhouse capable of entering the Zero Mountain Range.

A heart large enough to illuminate the darkness for others.

Enough magical ability to manifest Light on a large scale.

Possessing all of that.

Simultaneously.

Only one person came to mind.

Was it the same thought.

Nam Taemin, Hisagi, Leoni.

The gazes of the three met.

“…Ho-yeol-ssi?”

.

.

.

[Through the effect of Sublime, a small change occurs.]

…what?

Again, what kind of sublime thing did I do without knowing?

Tell me everything truthfully, Granfel.

But no matter how I pressed.

Granfel simply murmured at a leisurely pace.

“Are they following. My light.”

And simply moved forward.

“Then I too will advance without worry.”

[Skill, ‘Natural Enemy’ activates.]

Toward where the demon’s presence was felt.