Chapter 205 – A Lucky Day (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The imposing triumphal arch manifested by Aesthetics.

At the end of the connecting path lay the heart of the dungeon.

And the dungeon’s boss monster, the siren, was there.

Up until then, I genuinely admired it.

It wasn’t a [High] rank additional effect for nothing.

‘Is it a navigation service or what.’

A hundred thousand caves.

This was only the first cave yet.

It was like drifting in a sea of magma right from the start.

In desolation and self-reproach.

It was like a sweet rain during a drought when ‘sage time’ almost came.

‘If I do well, it means I can play solo from now on, right?’

In the end, do I need to receive help from Fabien or other explorers.

I had been seriously contemplating it.

It wasn’t that I had any particular reason to avoid Fabien, but.

From Sir Hoyeol to Commander-in-Chief Hoyeol.

The titles Fabien used to call me were quite bothersome.

‘Hiel, The End, and Ghost Iron aren’t enough, so Fabien too?’

If I were to listen to their chatter…

I felt like I might faint from dizziness first before even clearing it. It was a moment when I was stepping forward with a much lighter step, thankful for Aesthetics.

[Quest: The Siren of Magma]

The quest popped up, and then it was this moment.

♪♩♬

The clear voice of the siren echoed out.

The End finally shut up.

And Hiel gently closed his eyes and poured out an evaluation.

“It is a song that brings happiness even to the listener.”

As expected from Hiel.

True to Grandfell’s alter ego, he wasn’t lacking in any aspect when it came to culture. Of course, it was sweet to the ears of me, Lee Hoyeol, who had built a wall against classical music.

‘By the way.’

I furtively checked my magic power level.

I had instantly used up half of it.

That was to be expected.

‘Because delicate control is inherently difficult.’

Freezing it recklessly wasn’t the solution.

Since my goal was to make the magma as coldly chilled as the sea.

Because of that, I had no choice but to manifest general freezing magic instead of Absolute Zero.

Anyway, listening to Grandfell’s stubbornness is truly exhausting.

─ Kill the Siren of Magma. (Failure)

─ Fulfill the Siren of Magma’s wish. (Success)

Even so, picking the option below out of the choices seemed like the right thing to do.

It might be different when you don’t know the story.

But killing the siren even after knowing it would be a very reluctant act to do.

A level 800 dungeon boss monster, no less.

It is a waste of experience points, but.

It’s not like the siren is the only monster.

Still, was it because I had accumulated experience and seniority?

It wasn’t too difficult to figure out what was going on.

Back when Arcana was just a game.

It was perfectly natural for monsters to exist in dungeons.

It was also natural for backgrounds and settings to follow.

However, now that Arcana had become a reality.

Arcana was outside the jurisdiction of Cosmo and AAU.

As the information provided by AAU showed.

Things that were merely concepts in the development stage now felt as if they had existed all along.

They were living and breathing on the Arcana continent. They merely appeared in reality through the rifts.

‘Each carrying their own backgrounds and settings.’

Yes, that was what AAU.

Arcana is no longer a game.

The reason they officially announced it.

‘The siren had her own story too.’

Instead of killing such a siren.

I resolved the quest intertwined with her story.

‘It’s exhausting. Exhausting.’

I had felt it in Tetterun as well, but.

Somehow, that so-called story is never told easily.

While I was grumbling, I heard a sniffling sound.

“…It is a song that touches the heartstrings, my Lord.”

Is it the mutual sympathy of those with a story?

The End, holding moisture like a dark cloud.

As expected of Grandfell’s alter ego.

You take just as much effort to care for, you do.

‘If not me, who else would comfort you again.’

But before that.

Let’s check the quest reward first.

[You have cleared the Dungeon: The Siren of Magma.]

Even though I didn’t kill the siren, the boss of the dungeon.

The clear message popped up clearly.

Which meant.

The siren and I were no longer hostile. I didn’t know about other players, but to me, the siren was not treated as a monster by the system.

Well, was there even a need to add an explanation?

♪♩♬♩♪

Paying no mind to my gaze.

Just looking at her swimming in the cold magma was enough to know.

Furthermore, messages popped up in succession.

[Hidden Location: You have entered the Sea of Magma.]

A hidden location.

The name of the dungeon itself had changed.

Just like regions such as Yusra, Frost, and Muon.

[Your relationship with the Siren of Magma significantly increases.]

[Your influence in the Sea of Magma increases.]

[Your affinity with the Siren of Magma has reached its maximum.]

Messages popping up consecutively.

It was the moment my assumption became a certainty.

The affinity with the corresponding region reaching its maximum meant, in other words.

That I could activate the ‘Authority Function’ in the corresponding region.

‘Wait a second.’

…This wasn’t something to regret the experience points over.

Didn’t I just succeed in securing a foothold in the Zero Mountain Range?

Let alone clearing the Hundred Thousand Caves.

To reach the peak of the mountain range.

I had set up an outpost.

“Everything begins with the first step.”

I’ll admit you striking an arrogant pose for this one time, Grandfell.

Let’s think about the distant future.

The reward from this option seemed much better than the experience points.

‘While it was true that right now they couldn’t grasp the situation due to my bubble… a very abundant bubble at that.’

In the Holy War.

Humanity and the Arcana continent were constantly at a disadvantage.

Under such circumstances, I had enlisted what could be called a third force.

By making a monster an ally.

‘Of course, the siren might just be a special case.’

To be frank, there would be plenty of monsters tightly bound by ill fate with humans.

However, there was no fear of me mistaking that.

Yes, because I had [Aesthetics].

I just have to follow.

When the path opens.

When the quest pops up.

But as I said, it was not an easy path.

‘No, frankly speaking, just looking at the siren from earlier.’

Even if you discovered that story, actualizing it was virtually impossible. Because even I couldn’t have done it without the fraudulent buff known as [The Blessing of the First World Tree].

Normally, one would have no choice but to fail.

In that sense, could it be that I accomplished something incredible…?

“Sometimes, the scenery of an unfamiliar path is not bad.”

However, because the highly proud Grandfell never took credit for his own hardships to others. The only thing that understands my unfairness is the system as expected.

[The siren’s song blesses you.]

[Luck significantly increases.]

[Remaining Time: 23 hours 59 minutes]

‘!’

I thought the tone was quite sweet even to my musically ignorant ears, but it turned out to be a buff.

It was an [Luck] stat increase buff that I was seeing for the first time in my life.

‘Significantly increases?!’

Back when Arcana was just a game.

The role of the [Luck] stat was not specific.

Literally luck.

On a small scale, it allowed you to land or avoid critical hits.

On a large scale, it enabled equipment enhancement successes.

It was limited to at best those things.

But as expected, I knew through experience.

What happened every time I tossed 1 point.

As if giving alms to [Luck]!

And what happened when I ignored that [Luck] as a superstition?

‘A Demon King suddenly pours out.’

Anyway, all hell broke loose.

In that sense, this was.

A message I absolutely couldn’t just brush past.

The buff duration was only for today.

A reason had emerged to spend the remaining day more fully than ever.

I opened my mouth.

“Hiel, I will leave this place to you.”

Between us, telepathy is much more efficient than a hundred words.

Since the dungeon had turned into a region. It would need a foundation worthy of being called a region.

Right now, making a space to step on was the priority.

“I, Hiel, will uphold my Lord’s will.”

The one to play that role would be the exact opposite while being similar to the ‘Aquariu Oak Tree’, which fed on massive amounts of water to grow. The ‘Bloodiah Ornamental Tree’, which feeds on massive heat to grow.

Gooooo

Hiel immediately manifested his {Nature} ability.

Then, the sea of magma.

Bloodiah ornamental trees surged from its bottom.

As an ornamental tree, it’s extravagant.

Can a cat just pass by a fish market?

Grandfellese poured out of my mouth.

“A pure interior fitting of a pure land.”

To translate, it meant the tree’s stems were transparent.

That was the reason why, despite being a tree, it possessed a name related to blood. The sight of magma spreading to the roots, stems, and leaves looked just like blood flowing through blood vessels.

─?

Suddenly, the song stopped.

The siren was popping her head out halfway from the magma, observing the growing ornamental trees. It was natural for her to be surprised. Since their growth speed was fast enough to visibly become flush in real time.

Well, I was used to it.

‘A blessing that raised panaceas using elixirs.’

Something like Bloodiah ornamental trees.

It’s only natural for them to grow rapidly.

The branches that had quickly thickened seemed capable of serving as stepping stones.

‘Then, I can safely.’

Now, the time had come to properly exploit the effects of the significantly increased luck.

The first thing that came to mind was hunting, as expected.

As I mentioned before, while I shouldn’t be obsessed with my level.

I was stuck in a contradiction where I had to raise my level.

When I turned around, my jacket fluttered cluelessly

‘Setting aside the distant level limit.’

If only to confirm the efficiency of [Tenacity].

I needed to level up and acquire stat points.

So I manifested a portal right away.

The target coordinate was the Zero Mountain Range.

From now on.

Let monsters without stories tremble in fear.

“Follow me, The End.”

*

Another Space Ship.

Another space station orbiting the Earth.

After the Cataclysm.

It was a spaceship belonging to AAU that launched to respond to the rifts. It was exactly thanks to Another Space that they could grasp the locations of rifts being generated in real time.

No abnormal signs detected

The middle-aged man looking down at the instrument panel.

He let out a sigh after a long while.

It finally felt real.

“So they really aren’t releasing any regular updates.”

“You sure have a lot of doubts.”

“Doubts? If you float in the dark space looking down at Earth, wouldn’t you inevitably develop doubts you never had? I still get suspicious from time to time.”

The Zero Mountain Range, clearly visible even from space.

And it wasn’t just visible.

Its highest peak soared so high it felt intimately close even to space.

Thus, naturally, whatever existed at its peak.

Should have been clearly captured through Another Space’s observation lens.

“I keep wondering if this is a hidden camera trick. I keep thinking, isn’t the footage we’re seeing through the lens actually fabricated? Look, do you think this makes sense? Clouds in space.”

Fog in space.

And phenomena impossible to explain scientifically as a bonus.

It meant that such things were impossible unless it was magic.

The man jokingly grumbled in frustration.

“Damn it! If only I hadn’t seen magic with my own two eyes, I would’ve never admitted it. But goddammit, I ended up seeing it. A scientist who believes in magic.”

The woman shrugged at his lamentation.

“Still, it’s nice to see you looking lively after a while. Well, Raymond Sean might be a bastard, but he hasn’t lied so far, has he?”

If there was no update history, there was none.

Rifts that didn’t pop up in the history weren’t a problem.

At best, they were around recommended level 200 or lower.

Since most were quickly cleared by players feverish to level up.

“So let’s not worry too much on a good day like this.”

“Ugh. What’s this.”

“A hot pack.”

“Why are you covering my face with this hot thing?”

“I’ll be keeping an eye out instead of you. Get some shut-eye, even if it’s just for a bit.”

The man grumbled but still let out an ‘ugh’ groan.

It sure feels like the fatigue is washing away.

Like that…

It was when the man unwittingly fell into a short slumber.

“S-Senior?”

“Yeah?”

“Th, that…!”

“!”

Plop

His eyes shot wide open reflexively.

The hot pack fell on the floor.

He could intuitionally understand from her urgent voice.

It broke out.

There was one possibility that popped into his head at that moment.

An urgent update.

And the emergence of a rift due to it.

Even if it was just a moment, the role of the Another Space ship was.

To promptly detect the location of a rift and inform Earth.

“Fucking magic.”

However, it was impossible for the Another Space ship, launched into space based on science, to fully understand the concept of Arcana. Consequently, there could be no completely automated system.

Reality and the Arcana continent.

To overcome the gap between the two worlds.

They had to grind out their bodies; a scientist who had also witnessed magic.

“Where is it.”

As if asking when he had ever closed his eyes.

The man glared fiercely.

The man’s gaze headed for the instrument panel.

But.

“…What is this?”

Still no abnormal signs detected

The man thought.

…Is this really a hidden camera?

But he realized from her following words.

“Not there, over th-there…!”

The place her finger pointed at was none other than Earth.

It was true.

The peak of the Zero Mountain Range was distorting.

“A black hole…?!”

Fiercely enough that one couldn’t help but think that.

It was clearly different from a rift.

This was a scene as if space was being torn open by force, forcefully.

“…!!”

That’s right.

The two had witnessed something similar before.

At the emergence of the [Broken Dimensional Gap] rift.

“This is ridiculous.”

However, the situation was different from back then.

The space distorted like a black hole.

A massive figure gliding towards that space.

The man sent a radio transmission to Earth in a trembling voice.

“This is the AAU Another Space ship. Abnormal signs detected at the peak of the Zero Mountain Range. A dragon has torn space… No, it tore dimensions and began to glide!!”

.

.

.

[The Telescope of the Demonic Eye].

Looking at the scenery of the Arcana continent illuminated by the telescope.

I was swept by an unparalleled sense of betrayal.

No, didn’t you say luck significantly increased?

A dragon, elves, a transcendent, and even a Demon King.

It wasn’t just luck.

Was this a chain letter of luck?

What kind of sudden mess is this!