Chapter 324 – It Is a Natural Flow (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Demon Hunter’s iron rule.

‘Let’s see, maybe I can slip it in around the hundredth time.’

The Akshan seniors or Granfel would think nothing of it. But I, Lee Ho-yeol, who was faithful to material greed, did not forget. That when hunting a demon possessing something, loot was not dropped……!

I let out a scream internally.

[1/7]

An item dropped by a whopping Seven Deadly Sins.

A set item where seven became one.

First of all, it was good.

I couldn’t know the effect of completing the set yet, but I knew the power of set effects through the Hexagram Brooch and the Dawn Set, so I had some expectations.

But when I thought about it again……

‘……Even if I collect these, 6 is the end, isn’t it?’

The spot for the Seven Deadly Sins Greed was empty!

It wasn’t a problem because he was a newly born Great Evil. The problem was that he had fallen into hell while possessing Hakuna. Even in the past, after hunting a Great Evil with difficulty, I had lamented my lot that there wasn’t a single piece of loot.

‘……To think it would return like this.’

The effects of a completed set item and an incomplete one were also confirmed through the Dawn Set. It left a bitter taste. But I had no choice but to shake it off.

‘Being sad doesn’t change anything, Ho-yeol.’

Besides, it wasn’t an entirely unusable item either, was it?

Even just the Hexagram Brooch, I had only collected two out of six, yet it had quite a bit of set effect.

[Hexagram Brooch 2/6]

[Set item effect is applied.]

[Currently applied set effect: 2/6]

[1. All basic stats increase by 2 points.]

[2. When attacking a boss monster, all damage increases by 10%.]

Looking at the information window brought some comfort. Thanks to that, I shook off even my remaining lingering attachments and shifted my gaze. A demon’s item. I checked the information of the new item that popped out of the cocoon.

[Neutral Parasitic Organism Envy 1/7]

[Grade: Legend]

[Restriction: Unknown]

[Effect: Envy exists in three forms: Good, Neutral, and Evil, and grants different effects to the user depending on each form. Current state: Neutral – Provides the ‘Absorption’ skill to the user.]

[Description: A small organism of unknown identity.]

It was so small I wondered what it was.

It was alive?

It lived up to the item that popped out of a cocoon.

Anyway……

I stared blankly at the item. If it were Granfel’s always consistent attitude, his gaze should have been the same as always. Perhaps my gaze right now was colder than ever.

‘Because it’s not an item his personality would welcome.’

Even with just a cat, Granfel was reluctant because of the flying fur.

But what about the name?

Parasitic organism?!

Legendary grade item or whatever, considering his high aesthetic eye, it wouldn’t be strange to be reluctant even to touch it.

However.

‘It can exist as Good, Evil, and Neutral……’

At the same time, it was an effect that couldn’t help but stimulate Granfel’s temper.

Who was Granfel?

To put it nicely, a human praiser; to put it badly, a flower garden head full of flowers. Additionally, the owner of a persistence that managed to realize such a mental world of his.

I, suffering from such Granfel, opened my mouth.

“You have left behind a keepsake befitting a demon.”

I snapped toward the Seven Deadly Sins Jealousy that had fallen to hell.

“Did you fail to know your place until the very end?”

Good and Evil.

The effects of the two states could not be known right now in the neutral state.

But couldn’t I guess just by looking?

Especially when the state changed to Evil, the item would manifest an effect with a foul aftertaste.

“If so, I will deny even your final legacy.”

That was right.

His noble pride, Granfel, could not tolerate even such a trick. I reached out my hand toward the small, crouched Envy. Its appearance was exactly like a small clump of snowflakes, so it was cute in its own way.

‘This was really my lot in life.’

Actually, if it had been me, Lee Ho-yeol, I would have feigned ignorance about such an item just out of discomfort. But Granfel was not. Isn’t he the composure that never wavers in any situation?

‘I’m not confident about Good, but still, I can maintain Neutral.’

So there was no hesitation in my action.

Perhaps because it was an item that changed depending on the user, a message popped up immediately.

[Through the effect of Aesthetic, the appearance of the ‘Neutral Parasitic Organism Envy’ changes.]

I didn’t even manifest Aesthetic, but its appearance changed.

It was certainly ever-changing befitting a legendary grade item.

Envy’s appearance had somehow changed like a transparently sparkling jewel.

The two people and one cat watching said:

“This is quite the unique item.”

“Indeed, the only one who can handle such a magic tool would be you, Sir.”

“Turning into a jewel? That guy’s got sharp instincts.”

As if it were a jewel originally crafted as an ornament.

I looked at Envy, which harmoniously suited the Dawn’s jacket. Will the color of the jewel also change as the state changes between Good and Evil? Of course, as long as Granfel had his eyes wide open with a chilling blue glare.

“Consider it an honor.”

That wouldn’t happen.

[You have acquired the skill, ‘Absorption’.]

Whatever the reason, since I had acquired a new skill, I decided to forget the regret of the set effect and check what needed to be checked. A skill acquired through a whopping legendary grade item. Still, wouldn’t it be shameless to expect performance on par with Ghost Iron?

‘I hope it does average at least.’

Harboring a sliver of expectation, I checked the effect.

And immediately drew up mana.

The sun had set before I knew it.

Moreover, the location was conveniently the top floor of the Mage Tower.

According to the schedule, I manifested a portal heading to the Arcana Continent.

Baek I-seol was clearly startled by the fluctuating mana.

“So this was the cause of the phenomenon appearing above the Mage Tower!”

Well, not many players knew about it. There was no need to deliberately tell her to keep her mouth shut. Because Baek I-seol didn’t have a personality that would go somewhere and flap her lips lightly.

I only stated the main point.

“Glad to have returned in time.”

Marcelo bowed his head lightly, and Baek I-seol also hid her surprise and quickly bowed her waist. The Tower Master was, well, licking his fur with his tongue. And I, Lee Ho-yeol, was palpitating.

The inner feelings were not revealed outwardly.

I had been suffering from a curse, from Baal since dawn.

In the afternoon, I had been suffering from Gremory.

Time had been delayed due to unexpected incidents.

It might have looked like I hurried my steps to keep the procedure, but that wasn’t the whole reason.

‘……No wonder the size was excessively large even for a big guy.’

The effect of the acquired skill, [Absorption].

To the extent that I couldn’t stand the curiosity without checking it right away, it was giving off a strongly overpowered scent!

──────

A forgotten sense of crisis was revived for humanity.

-No, it was really a serious situation
-For real, I suddenly got chills;;
-I thought it was just a quest??

The cause was deviating from Arcana’s common sense.

A high-level monster invading a low-level zone?

It was an impossible occurrence both before and after the Cataclysm.

Of course, if it were just one or two monsters, it could have been brushed off.

-No;; can’t you just dodge after seeing the appearance message??

However.

-What are you talking about, I was there and you’re saying something that makes sense??
-Why
-Think about it, even one appearance message appearing in front of your eyes makes your guts twist and cold sweat break out on your spine, but the appearance messages wouldn’t stop??? Where would you run in that situation?

It wasn’t an exaggeration.

Not to mention the guilds active in the Zero Mountain Range. As long as a dragon resided at its peak, the Zero Mountain Range had never been out of the world’s attention and surveillance for a single moment since the update.

24 hours.

Drones and helicopters flying over the Zero Mountain Range.

Thanks to that, the panoramic view of the Zero Mountain Range was filmed from numerous angles.

An anchor watching the recording screen clicked his tongue.

“Viewers, can you see it too? Monsters are truly flooding toward a specific area like a tide. Measuring it, it’s a whopping 300-kilometer radius…… That means all monsters from Seoul to the Busan area fell into status ailments!”

Thanks to the vivid video, humanity came to realize it even more.

-Demon race really has no limits lol
-Monsters got charmed too? I thought I just needed to take care of my mental strength but that wasn’t the end
-By the way, wasn’t the Zero Mountain Range about to be closed for real?

The danger of demon race monsters.

-Where are all those guys who told the Holy War Alliance not to make a fuss?
-Those who fled pathetically are obviously demon worshippers lol
-For real, you shouldn’t let your guard down
-Those guys are probably all World Unification part-timers? If you check their IPs you’ll know lol

Needlessly creating a sense of crisis.

Growing their own power under the pretext of a great cause.

Wasn’t that action actually making the demons’ power stronger……

Thanks to that, the large and small criticisms directed at the Holy War Allied Forces subsided as if dead. However, there were those who were receiving a re-evaluation even more than such Holy War Allied Forces, and they were Akshan.

-Damn look at the style
-Only heard about it verbally but the inside is no joke lol
-For real lol look at the outfit, looks like she can catch a demon alone
-Is she filming an action movie alone? Wire action incoming lol

A woman with apricot hair presumed to be a demon.

Seven Demon Hunters surrounding her.

That battle was recorded completely through the body cameras of players who had fallen into the status effect. Players who knew Akshan and those who didn’t were all unable to suppress their admiration.

-The Demon Hunters I knew only did quests every day
-No, I actually raised one myself? Demon hunting was nothing, they only made me do stamina training quests so I quit!! But if I’d known it would be like this I would have endured TT
-Even if it’s Natural Enemy Relationship skill spam, it’s no joke lol
-Aren’t they basically a royal return character at that level?

Finally.

The fact that the Demon Hunters had swung their swords at the players was actually part of the Exorcism Ritual. As the hidden truth became known through the players saved by Akshan, the interest toward Akshan became even hotter.

[Real-time Trending Video Rankings]

1. Akshan combat footage
2. Demon Hunter weapons
3. Zero Mountain Range player live feed
4. The whereabouts of the vanished Demon Hunter……

Akshan.

Their underestimated legend finally, as someone had boasted, was regaining its honor.

And there was a name echoing along with such Akshan.

-But how did the ruined Akshan come back??
-For real, they disappeared without a trace
-Didn’t you see the rumors going around? Lee Ho-yeol was the Akshan leader lol

The name of the man who pulled Akshan back out into the world.

-Was everything a grand plan after all……?
-So Akshan wasn’t destroyed or deleted, they were just waiting for the right time? Anticipating the demon race running rampant and aiming for the back?!
-If it’s anyone but Lee Ho-yeol, they’d be more than capable of that
-Shout Homen

Another legend.

For the person who had stepped onto the completely different world, the Arcana Continent, according to the procedure, for the time being, an unknown new legend swelled its size……

──────

Arcana Continent.

I thought as I headed beyond the portal.

It had been a while, but still, wouldn’t there be nothing to be greatly surprised about?

I had roughly grasped the news of the Arcana Continent through Hiel.

Numerous forces whose existence itself had disappeared after pouring out from the Omen.

Naturally, I didn’t expect everyone to get along well from the start.

‘Even in a small country, there are regional conflicts across a mountain, and a ten-year gap creates generational conflicts. Just comparing the ancient kingdom and Akshan, how many years apart are they?’

They were forces that had been deleted and swallowed by the Omen in different eras and for different reasons. Considering the language barrier and differences in appearance, it would actually have been stranger if they had gotten along well.

I had no intention of meddling there.

‘That’s what a world where people live is like in the first place.’

The Arcana Continent known to players was exactly that kind of world.

So, far from expectations, I stepped onto the Arcana Continent calmly.

Was it because of that?

My vision flickered incessantly.

[Experience point gain increases by 50 percent.]

[Item drop rate increases by 50 percent.]

[Magic manifestation power increases by 30 percent.]

[All weapon proficiency acquisition increases by 30 percent.]

[Romantic Explorer, Lorentzk, roams the continent spreading knowledge.]…….

I almost fainted seeing the popping up messages……!!

No, what on earth were these buffs?!

It wasn’t just the buff that popped up alone; there was specific background text attached.

There were so many I couldn’t even take them in.

Not only that, each and every one of them was a ridiculous effect!

In my heart, I wanted to utilize the buffs right away.

Wasn’t I the one who had dug the most escape holes?

Thanks to that, I would be able to properly utilize the effects of the buffs better than anyone.

But I couldn’t put my inner thoughts into practice.

‘!’

The last message that popped up.

Even back when Arcana was just a game, the world message I had witnessed several times caught my eye.

[The war for hegemony over the continent begins.]

It certainly felt affectionate, like the Arcana Continent of those days.

‘Yeah, it was territory grabbing every single day.’

As I had said, I had no intention of intervening in them fighting and beating each other up.
For that was the original state of the Arcana Continent.

But, this was a different case.

[Golden Maxima declares war on the Empire.]

[Forest Yugrick declares war on the Empire.]

[Valor Cansel declares war on the Empire.]

[Thrill Akamond declares war on the Empire.]

Maxima, Yugrick, Cansel, Akamond.

How could I forget those names?

The 4 Families.

The living witnesses of my dark history that I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to.

Soon, my lips spat out icy words.

“Freedom and indulgence are strictly different.”

This was strictly a declaration as the head of the Claudi family.

Absolutely.

“It seems there is a need to tighten the loosened leash.”

It wasn’t because I was afraid of my dark history running wild……!