Chapter 310 – I Will Bring an End (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Demon King deletion.

A shocking regular update.

The aftermath was beyond words.

The changes in the players were too serious to be dismissed as just another regular update.

Seoul Station.

The area was crowded with waiting players.

Although a massive hunting ground called the Zero Mountain Range had opened.

Only high-level players could enter the Zero Mountain Range, which boasted an appropriate level recommended for no one. Even though the overall level of players had risen recently, the number of low-level players was overwhelming.

Lee Ho-yeol, Skal, Jesse, Nam Tae-min, Hisagi, and so on……

They were the ones who should be burning with motivation while looking at high places.

“Sigh, f*ck.”

No one wore a smile.

Faces that could not be seen as dreaming of a brilliant future as a player.

How could it be otherwise?

“……Should I really quit now? Being a player?”

It felt uncomfortable in some way.

Phew──────

He exhaled smoke from a cigarette burned down to the filter.

“Phew────── To think a balance patch was possible even after the Cataclysm. That bastard Raymond Sean, he just stood by and watched people, players, dying because of demon race mobs.”

“A real piece of trash.”

“Isn’t it all useless even if we die to level up? What’s the point of coming back alive from a Rift after suffering so much. If that bastard Raymond Sean hits us with a balance patch as he pleases, it could all be for nothing.”

As trust collapsed, the players’ hearts broke.

Just as feared.

It was a more frightening change than the threat of the Demon Kings disappearing.

In the first place, even if the Demon Kings were deleted, the threat of demons had not disappeared.

Demons hidden in reality.

To them, the news of the Demon King deletion was rather good news.

Demons hidden in the shadows laughed.

‘To think he’d scatter such negative emotions even after dying! If I knew this, should I have played along with his king act while he was alive?’

A sense of loss prevailing among players.

Its aftermath was already being revealed.

Nam Cheol-min was startled after receiving information from AAU.

“……What is this figure?”

In just one day, the Rift collapse rate soared rapidly.

To think the figures would soar like this just because the players, who were voluntarily raiding Rifts, neglected it for a mere 24 hours.

He rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it.

“Is there a miscalculation somewhere?”

Nam Cheol-min collected and calculated information while clutching his hair.

But nothing changed.

There was no error in the AAU data.

A lament flowed out.

“Was it just that we couldn’t feel it……?”

As mentioned, the level of players had advanced significantly. Not only the rankers in the Zero Mountain Range but also the level of low-level players.

In other words.

“The frequency of Rift occurrences had increased much more than before from the start.”

It meant that as much as the players had grown, the number of Rifts they cleared while risking their lives was also proportional.

Gulp──────

Nam Cheol-min swallowed hard.

AAU must have sent this data to him for a solution.

“Damn it.”

But Nam Cheol-min lowered his head.

“We’re already busy taking care of our own business……”

The Great Alliance.

They were players before they were the Holy War Allied Forces. Although they were trying to hold their hearts with pride and not show it despite their hearts being about to break because of the goddamn regular update.

It was true that even that was arduous.

‘If Ho-yeol wasn’t here……’

What was at least comforting.

Was thanks to the forces of the Arcana Continent that Ho-yeol had rallied. They were Arcanans who were called NPCs in the past. To be swayed by Raymond Sean’s balance patch now?

Marcelo’s words echoed in Nam Cheol-min’s head.

-“For they have gone through too many things.”

Therefore, the mental strength of the Arcanans had become solid in the midst of trials.

“They’re reliable, really.”

Mage Tower, Yusra, Frost, Muon.

Now that the players were in confusion.

The Arcana forces had entered into full-scale activities.

It meant they had finished preparations to raid Rifts on behalf of the players.

Nam Cheol-min murmured.

“……But we have to look at the forest, not the trees.”

Even if they put out the urgent fire, it was a temporary solution.

‘Of course, at this point, the Arcanans are strong.’

As of now, there was no player who could confidentially say they could approach their level, except for Ho-yeol. But players grew rapidly.

This time, the words of his younger brother, Nam Tae-min, came to mind.

-“I told you my talent was recognized by Master Harkon?”

Through the system.

It was true that they could grow faster than the Arcanans.

Nam Cheol-min was keeping in mind.

‘If it’s a world designed by that bastard Raymond Sean.’

He couldn’t guarantee when it would be, but it was clear that enemies that even the current Arcanans could not handle would appear in the future. At that point, the only ones who could respond to such enemies would be the grown players.

But……

“To think he’d plant such a seed of doubt.”

With this, it was certain.

Raymond Sean, he was an enemy of humanity.

And not just an ordinary enemy, but a vicious enemy who deceived humanity and drove them to ruin.

Nam Cheol-min shook his head.

“Get it together, Nam Cheol-min.”

He had to shake off idle thoughts and prepare countermeasures.

What if they dispersed the forces of the Great Alliance waiting in the Zero Mountain Range and deployed them to Rifts showing signs of collapse, rotating them……?

It was the moment he was racking his brain to come up with the best solution possible.

Zzz──────

A loud vibration was felt from his wrist.

“……!”

The smartwatch on his wrist.

He had set it to vibrate in only one case.

The official Arcana website.

Only the moment a new post was uploaded.

Nam Cheol-min unknowingly swallowed hard.

Zzz──────

“…….”

Thursday had already passed.

It meant it was an emergency update, not a regular one.

Normally, he would have connected to the website in excitement, wondering what kind of update was waiting, due to his occupational habit.

“Phew.”

But now, it felt like he was connecting involuntarily. No matter what update popped up, it was natural to be reluctant since he couldn’t shake off the feeling of being played in Raymond Sean’s hands.

“Keep your mental state, Cheol-min.”

Nevertheless, he had to fulfill his responsibility.

For that was the pride an analyst was to possess.

Nam Cheol-min connected to the website with a firm expression.

──────

Emergency Update

──────

As expected.

He checked the uploaded emergency update details.

Soon, an exclamation flowed from Nam Cheol-min’s mouth.

“Eh?”

It was too different from what he expected.

No, it was unexpected.

It was an out-of-the-blue update.

──────

The pure-blood magic race, Descendants of Twilight, appears.

──────

“……What is this all of a sudden?”

*

AAU.

Emergency summons of branch managers.

For once, a passionate discussion was taking place.

“So how on earth should we take this?”

Park Min-jae nodded slowly.

Was it because something he knew came out?

He finally felt like he was working.

“What do you think? For the Descendants of Twilight to pop out out of the blue at this timing! A pure-blood magic race that was discarded during the development stage!”

Baker, the London branch manager, added words.

“As far as I know, there was no setting that the Descendants of Twilight were related to the Demon Realm…… why did they show themselves right after the Demon Kings were deleted?”

Park Min-jae nodded.

“That is correct. The Descendants of Twilight have no connection whatsoever to the demons including the Demon Kings.
For the setting given to them was only that they handle ‘Twilight Magic Power’ and ‘Twilight Magic’ that ordinary mages cannot use.”

Descendants of Twilight, the name itself had to be plausible.

For they were a race linked to a hidden class.

Memories from his time at Cosmo came back vividly.

-“Yes, mages have been excessively popular since the early days of the opening. The news of a hidden class existing in the already overflowing mage classes would lead to class imbalance. Descendants of Twilight? And they use mysterious purple magic? Isn’t the future obvious?”

……That’s what Raymond Sean had said.

Raymond Sean discarded the Descendants of Twilight project citing such reasons. At that time, there were many developers, including Park Min-jae, who swallowed their regret.

Someone said.

“Thanks to scrapping that setting, the mage class ended up being hollow.”

Among them, especially.

The class, [Great Mage].

Great Mage, Jesse Heinness.

She was a precious special asset for humanity. Although AAU could not provide much information and help to Jesse because the Cataclysm broke out during the setting stage……

“If the Descendants of Twilight have been realized, wouldn’t some setting that the Descendants of Twilight appear at the very end of the Great Mage’s class quest remain to some extent? What do you think?”

“I hope so. We can’t rely on the General Manager for everything forever, can we? It would be good if Jesse Heinness could obtain something and grow through this update……”

“But coolly speaking, we don’t even know if they are allies, do we?”

It was a sharp point.

AAU’s settings were only a sketch.

He learned poignantly through experience that no one could guarantee how it was realized. So silence had to return.

Baker suddenly asked.

“By the way, you are unusually quiet today, Mr. Park?”

“Haha, is that so.”

Normally, Park Min-jae would have rushed into the frustrating situation more passionately than anyone. An emergency update on top of a regular update. He would have been emitting bloodthirst as if to kill Raymond Sean.

But Park Min-jae looked at his wristwatch peacefully.

Someone asked meaningfully.

“Well, you must have a good appointment afterward.”

Only then did Park Min-jae wave his hand.

“No. Just checking the time.”

“Oh, is it a date?”

“……It’s not exactly a state of dress for that.”

It looked like an excuse to anyone, but it was the truth.

For Park Min-jae had been looking only at his watch even before attending the branch manager meeting.

The reason was simple.

‘Slowly……’

The AAU General Manager.

The letter of reason Ho-yeol had submitted.

The deadline specified in that letter of reason was imminent.

‘No, in fact, it could be seen as virtually the same time.’

The deadline Ho-yeol specified.

And the time when the emergency update appeared.

That was the reason Park Min-jae could be peaceful.

Furthermore, hadn’t Ho-yeol never once betrayed trust?

“Hmm? What is it?”

Soon, breaking news was delivered to the branch managers.

It was news delivered from the Mage Tower.

Among the startled branch managers.

Only Park Min-jae nodded.

“I have been waiting, General Manager……!”

*

The top floor of the Mage Tower.

I descended the stairs of the Mage Tower.

Click──────

Exclamations were added intermittently to the sound of my shoes.

“So it developed in this way.”

The pure-blood magic race, Descendants of Twilight.

‘Gilded all over.’

The modifiers and name somehow targeted ‘someone’s’ taste.

But I put that aside.

For there were overflowing things to think about besides that.

First, I started with the basic premise.

‘So Claudi was involved there too.’

The meddling of the great family was truly amazing.

To think its influence would be reaching places I didn’t even know.

Of course.

‘The past was settled, so what was important was now.’

A debt that even I didn’t know.

I was reluctant to receive such a thing, and since I said let’s settle it with the Omen.

I wouldn’t say it twice.

Why, even without that, the debt was sufficient. Thanks to the Diversionary Operation of me and the Akshan seniors, Mary’s clan, the Descendants of Twilight, had been restored and reappeared on the Arcana Continent.

“I don’t know if I’ll be of help in this state.”

Mary said while looking around the Mage Tower.

I clicked my tongue internally.

That was not modesty but deception, Mary.

‘The manifestation power was unbelievable.’

Manifesting a portal between reality and the Arcana Continent consumed considerable mana even for me. Furthermore, this time it was in a state of repeating mana exhaustion and rejection. In the midst of that, that goddamn time appointment I didn’t forget.

‘It would have been impossible alone.’

Nevertheless, the reason I could return to the Mage Tower on time.

Was thanks to Mary adding ‘power’ to me as I manifested the portal.

The reason I expressed it as power rather than just mana was simple.

Because Mary’s purple mana gave immense help not only in mana but also in the entire process from exploration to interference and manifestation. To think there was magic that perfectly harmonized with another’s magic.

‘There was no such thing in the magical knowledge I knew.’

Are you saying I don’t know because I’m a ‘parachute’?

Look at how many research papers I’ve presented.

I’m a proper Chief of the Mage Tower now, I tell you?

Anyway.

“There is no need to limit yourself, Mary.”

Witnessing the possibility in such “Twilight Magic Power and Magic”.

I brought Mary to reality.

[Quest : Marcelo’s Research]

Chief Mage Marcelo of the Mage Tower.

In order for him to reach a level of advanced magic.

He wishes to be with you.

─ Weight of the Chief (Repeatable) ▲

─ Access to the Bizarre (Success)

─ Advancement Toward the Bizarre (In Progress)

● Grasp the origin of the Mage Tower. (Success)

● Track the unknown origin, the Omen. (Failure)

● Open up a new solution. (In Progress)

Now that I knew what kind of existence the Omen was.

Wouldn’t it be an unimaginable thing for Granfel’s noble pride to borrow the Omen’s power? I glimpsed the power to replace such an Omen in Mary of the Descendants of Twilight.

Not only that.

‘It must be a mess.’

Reality during my absence.

The majority of players did not know about the Omen. In such a situation, they experienced the regular update of Demon King deletion. I could guess what everyone’s heart would be like.

Yes, Mary was the card to reverse this atmosphere.

Balance adjustment.

Deletion.

Raymond Sean’s intervention.

The card to announce that all of that was meaningless.

In fact, I expected Mary alone would be sufficient.

Why, even if I blathered as Granfel in front of reporters.

AAU would follow up with supplementary data about the Descendants of Twilight.

But he was always extraordinary, Lord Granfel……!

Soon, I reached the lobby of the Mage Tower.

Click──────

Flashes went off in sync with the sound.

In front of the gathered reporters, I declared.

“I know your concerns. But everything is but a groundless fear.”

It meant I’d properly nagged Raymond Sean.

“Nevertheless, if you need proof, I will show you.”

Flutter──────

The Dawn’s jacket draped over my shoulders oscillated.

Without yielding to that, I spread both arms and finished my words.

“If it is for balance, try denying my existence first.”

To translate Granfel-style speech.

It meant try deleting me, the player Lee Ho-yeol.

Now that the Omen was caught by the Akshan seniors.

There was no way that was possible!