Chapter 298 – It Is A Living Hell……! (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Spirits are basically very playful.

You can tell just by looking at the words floating around the Arcana continent.

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Since the voices of spirits do not reach most humans, spirits often play pranks to substitute for words. Traveler, do not be angered even if your hat is blown away by the wind. The spirits of the wind merely wish to converse with you…….

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She was a spirit of the forest in the past, but Hiel who was reborn as a {Unique Spirit} now.

Just as a position makes a person, it also makes a spirit. Therefore, although nobility could be found in recent Hiel, playfulness could not be found.

On top of that, there’s also Ho-yeol’s influence.

Hiel swallowed her words inwardly.

‘What should I do, my liege.’

If it were up to her feelings, she wanted to play a trick on those five adventurers.

World Unification.

When recalling how they tried to slander her liege constantly, answering her honest feelings……. She wanted to tie their limbs up with plants. However, Hiel did not forget.

“……Oh my, I apologize, my liege.”

The formality that Ho-yeol emphasized.

Hiel did not forget her position.

She kept in mind that her actions could soon tarnish the high honor of her liege. She looked at them from Ho-yeol’s perspective this time as well. Then the answer came out.

“What should we do about this…….”

Chainwalker was wavering.

Dwarves are fundamentally indifferent to others.

The current situation where dwarves were helping the Empire was purely due to the influence of Akshan and Ho-yeol.

Chainwalker looked at Hiel anew.

“Are you not more knowledgeable about adventurers than we are?”

Who does she take after.

Despite the utmost respectful tone and treatment, Hiel nods her head confidently.

As expected, taking after someone, she opens her mouth in a stern voice.

“Do you know, Chainwalker.”

“What do you mean?”

“About the liege’s homeland, the world of adventurers.”

“Hmm, well.”

Chainwalker stroked his beard.

Come to think of it, he really didn’t know anything specific about the world of adventurers. He was already busy enough paying attention to the Arcana continent. Furthermore, it wasn’t anyone else’s homeland but Ho-yeol’s homeland.

Chainwalker scratches his head.

“I do not know what kind of place it is, but wouldn’t it be better than the current Arcana continent? Since Sir Ho-yeol is staying in that world.”

Hiel shook her head.

“The demons that crossed over from the Arcana continent to the world of adventurers have something in common. They are more satisfied with the world of adventurers than the Arcana continent. Even though the liege exists there.”

“Is that true?”

Chainwalker flinched at the unexpected words.

Then he looked at the adventurers on the ground once again.

Chainwalker’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“……Is it perhaps because of the adventurers?”

Chainwalker did not forget.

This is a Holy War.

They are backed by Akshan. So he made a resolution. If adventurers are existences that are helpful to demons. They might have to show a cold-hearted attitude towards them.

“It is a more primal problem than that.”

“If you say a primal problem……?”

“Because negative emotions do not cease in that land.”

Chainwalker got chills.

‘Are you saying such a world truly exists?’

Even just the Arcana continent is boundlessly terrible.

Sometimes he gets chills from the desolate scenery.

Chainwalker couldn’t help but admire Ho-yeol once again.

‘Are you saying Sir Ho-yeol remains upright even in such a world?’

Of course, that emotion did not last long.

So.

Chainwalker confirms again.

“What should we do with those adventurers?”

“Do you know what the opposite word of mercy is, Chainwalker.”

“Well……. Is it disposition?”

“No.”

Hiel’s eyes sank coldly.

“It is indifference and disregarding.”

Dawn.

Red insignia, World Unification.

They are the liege’s enemies.

Naturally, there is no way the liege’s warmth will shine upon them.

Although she didn’t even want to give them a glance.

Hiel took a step further and thought for Ho-yeol.

‘There is definitely a reason.’

Ignoring the rules established by the liege.

The reason they set foot on the Arcana continent.

Hiel intended to capture their every move without missing anything and report to Ho-yeol. The nature existing on the Arcana continent and the spirits managing it.

Hiel is the one who was reborn as a {Unique Spirit} with the [Blessing of the First World Tree].

Because Hiel had the authority to command them.

Which means.

There was no reason to deliberately watch them with her own two eyes.

Hiel’s gaze was withdrawn from the Five Stars of World Unification.

“Let us move according to the liege’s arrangements, Chainwalker.”

“I understand your intention.”

Tududu─!

Soon, the giant airship cut through the blue sky and advanced.

That sight was enough.

To implant despair into the Five Stars, the five players.

“N, Nonsense.”

“If they’re NPCs, they’re supposed to welcome players!!”

“You sons of bitches, come back right now?!”

However.

The one who actually responded to their cries was not the Iron Castle.

Wriggle─

It was a demon monster wandering the Arcana continent.

The system message popping up before the Five Stars’ eyes.

[Demon Realm Scavenger Centipede: Lv.700]

Demons are basically a race that fails to know their place.

There are far more demons who cannot even read the room than those who can.

However, even if it’s a terrible demon.

It’s a whopping level 700.

Even if they prepared thoroughly.

Can players hovering around level 450 deal with such a monster?

They themselves knew better than anyone else.

“N, No! This is a suicidal act!!”

The ambition they showed in front of the connectors was nowhere to be found.

Fleeing.

Everyone shouted without even establishing who was first.

“Log out!!”

……However, nothing happened.

Didn’t he tell them?

Ho-yeol had warned them from the beginning.

-“Because you cannot return to reality through the connectors.”

They just didn’t believe his words.

-“I’ll trust that you haven’t forgotten the goal either. We must accurately report to our liege what is happening on the Arcana continent.”

Only then did the Five Stars realize.

“……Don’t tell me?”

The reason our liege granted us the use of the connectors…….

Was it simply to grasp the true meaning of those words?

Someone shouted along with a scream.

“Uwaaaah! I’ll never forgive you, Liu Ouzhunchun!!”

.

.

.

What kind of existence is a Monarch?

A monarch must think ahead of his subjects.

If a subject can fathom the liege’s will.

That means one’s disqualified as a monarch.

Swoosh─

Liu Ouzhunchun’s cold gaze heads toward the connectors.

Everyone disappeared to the Arcana continent.

With this, it was the twentieth person.

“I will not forget your sacrifices for me.”

The guild members dropped onto the Arcana continent.

Whether they resent him or not.

Such things did not matter.

Because that’s what a [Monarch-Subject Relationship] is.

Messages pop up in Liu Ouzhunchun’s vision.

[Skill, ‘Monarch-Subject Relationship’ is activated.]

[Acquires the experience points accumulated by the subject.]

[Acquires the experience points accumulated by the subject.]

[Acquires the experience points accumulated by the subject.]…….

A cruel voice rings out.

“So die proudly.”

Liu Ouzhunchun’s quest window flickers.

[Class Quest: The Path of the Tyrant]

*

AAU.

“What dream job, seriously.”

Even before the Cataclysm, during the Cosmo era.

And even now after the Cataclysm, when Cosmo was converted to AAU. Sung Hyun-joon was known as a blessed guy among his friends. To speak conscientiously, honestly he did suck the honey quite a bit all this time.

Up until now.

Slurp─

Sung Hyun-joon with hollow eye sockets extends his lifespan with an Americano. He hadn’t gotten proper shut-eye for several days. Everything was because the Yusra Branch General Manager, Ho-yeol threw a bomb.

“Annihilating Great Evil wasn’t enough, simultaneous attacks on 100,000 caves, and even a legendary item, Excalibur? Just thinking about providing answers for the media makes my head throb, Sunbae.”

Yoon Soo-gyeom’s situation wasn’t much different.

The reason is simple.

Tight grip, grabbing his hair.

“Excalibur, that’s not something that should come out from there……?”

Excalibur.

As players and the media speculated, it was the top-tier ranked item existing in the Arcana system. Even if it wasn’t an item on the level of appearing when Arcana was merely a game. Its location and coordinates were clearly set.

Yoon Soo-gyeom murmurs with a complicated expression.

“Of course, it’s a relief that the General Manager acquired that but……. Why is that in the 100,000 caves of the Zero Mountain Range? Damn it. Just how devastated did the Arcana continent become……!”

“Sunbae, why aren’t you answering my words?”

“Don’t tell me its original location got buried underground?”

“……What the, don’t tell me you can’t hear my voice?”

Flinch.

Sung Hyun-joon pinched his own cheek with an urgent hand. There’s pain, he can feel his flesh, and his hand doesn’t pass through the desk. It doesn’t seem like he collapsed from overwork and had an out-of-body experience…….

The two men make a fuss at the same time.

“Is the Goddess being there perhaps foreshadowing?”

“D, Don’t tell me. Is Sunbae dead?!”

“Damn it, goddamn Arcana!”

“Sunbae, look at my face!”

Literally a total mess.

The third day of not being able to leave work.

Perhaps it would be strange to maintain one’s sanity.

However, the true mess began from now.

“Emergency!!”

Tadada─

Busy footsteps.

Who else in the AAU South Korea Branch could shout at the top of their lungs? The Branch Manager, Park Min-jae is the only one. Park Min-jae looks for the two people with a white, thoroughly pale face.

“Yoon Soo-gyeom, Sung Hyun-joon. Emergency, it’s an emergency!”

Emergency?

Isn’t a true emergency when a superior comes running over hurriedly.

When you’re spacing out during working hours?

The sanity that had run away returns in an instant.

“What is the matter, Branch Manager?”

However, Park Min-jae wasn’t making a fuss.

Because an emergency situation worse than that existed.

The words flowing out from between his trembling lips.

“The Yusra Branch General Manager is visiting.”

“……R, Right now?! Here?!”

“Yes!”

Excalibur, Goddess, Great Evil, and now a visit!

Just what is going on, is the General Manager not even giving them a moment to catch their breath? Before asking the reason, they end up checking their attires first. They ask each other.

“What should I do, should I go wash my face at least now?”

“No, fix that tie properly first.”

“How is it, is my face condition okay?”

……It didn’t seem like Park Min-jae’s face would get better from checking though.

For now, they nod their heads.

The three people immediately hastened their steps to the Branch Manager’s office.

The appointment time drew near.

“By the way, for what matter is he visiting?”

“He says he has a setting he wants to check.”

“……A setting?”

They were doubtful.

Naturally so.

Starting from magic to demons, and recently even establishing interactions with Akshan, which was undeniably thought to be deleted. Wasn’t he the General Manager who possessed more profound knowledge about Arcana than themselves?

Park Min-jae smacked his lips, tsk.

“Do you now realize why I said it’s an emergency?”

It wasn’t just the three of them.

AAU South Korea Branch.

No, all branches knew Ho-yeol’s hard work well.

So they had only been waiting for an opportunity to repay him.

‘At that time, my mood wasn’t that bad.’

Since it was Park Min-jae who willingly built a bridge with the President at Ho-yeol’s request.

But this time, he wasn’t confident.

The ceaseless erosion of Arcana.

Wasn’t AAU the one that had already let go of its hands once in the midst of that?

Sung Hyun-joon opens his mouth with a gloomy voice.

“That’s right……. If anything, we are the ones with a mountain of things we want to ask. Would our AAU be able to answer the General Manager’s questions?”

As you know, the AAU database is not omnipotent.

If it’s not a setting confirmed from the days when Arcana was merely a game, it means they can’t even easily predict how it was manifested.

Park Min-jae shrugged his shoulders.

“Still, we have to do our best first.”

“Then we’ll be cheering you on from outside.”

“Huh? Outside, what do you mean, you have to come in with me.”

“……Pardon?”

Despite his efforts.

The boomer vibe he still couldn’t take off.

Park Min-jae says playfully.

“Why, shouldn’t you at least make some green tea next to me?”

Jokes being exchanged were fleeting.

Wooooosh─

“……!!!”

When the appointment time comes, a portal opens in the Branch Manager’s office.

Ho-yeol, who revealed his appearance without the slightest error, soon took a seat.

Sung Hyun-joon moistened his throat with the green tea he personally prepared and opened his mouth.

Then color returned to Park Min-jae’s face.

“If it’s the Mage Tower’s setting……!”

Because it seemed he could live up to Ho-yeol’s expectations.

“Please leave it to me!”

The time has finally come to earn his keep.