Chapter 331 – Disaster Level Claudi (4)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat
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Suitable Magic Power that had covered the entire Arcana Continent.

Infinitely Deep Darkness.

Those who knew about it immediately intuited its source.

Claudi’s territory.

“My Lord……?”

The Spirit of Darkness.

Diend Crisiad Eternal Darkness.

Diend could not continue his words.

“For what reason did you release such energy……?”

Diend was the one who had served Ho-yeol since their first meeting, considering him the infinitely deep darkness. However, it was a radiation—a darkness—on a different dimension from the Suitable Magic Power Ho-yeol had revealed so far.

Worry preceded all other thoughts.

Naturally, it wasn’t worry directed at Ho-yeol.

Diend was a spirit with infinite loyalty to his lord.
For there was no such thing as doubt toward his lord.

The current emotion was solely concern for the continent.

Swish─

It wouldn’t be strange to call Diend, the Spirit of Darkness, a mass of Suitable Magic Power. Because of that, Diend knew the danger of Suitable Magic Power very well.

Wasn’t that why he himself had stayed in the Tepheran Labyrinth, one of Arcana’s Ten Great Mysteries that no one visited? Because Suitable Magic Power could affect its surroundings just by existing.

‘That is the reason I served My Lord.’

Ho-yeol had extended a hand to such a Diend.

Diend had resolved to serve such a Ho-yeol as his lord.

His firm trust did not waver.

“I cannot fathom it.”

He just thought.

That his lord wouldn’t be failing to consider a fact even he himself knew.

There must definitely be a corresponding reason for radiating such darkness.

It wasn’t just Diend’s thought.

Tudududu─

The Iron Castle flying in the sky.

The darkness had covered not only the continent but even the heavens.

Chainwalker, who was watching, opened his mouth.

“It seems they faced him.”

The dwarves were practically surveying the entire continent while flying in the sky.

Thanks to that, they had acquired and grasped information about the Four Families to some extent.

Of course.

“With the Dark Dragon observing everything.”

The fact that they had faced Ho-yeol.

However, they hadn’t expected a change of this scale to come to the continent in the process.

Wallsweil, who was looking out at the continent beside him, opened his mouth.

“Chainwalker, do you remember that day?”

“That day? What day are you talking about?”

“I mean the day the Legend of the Dark Dragon echoed.”

“Why, how could I forget that?”

He still remembered it vividly.

The day when dragons, considered vague legends—a dozen of them at that—flew over the continent and scattered thunderstorms across the Arcana Continent. Wallsweil swallowed hard.

“……I assure you, this is a greater influence than that.”

He was not wrong.

Even if they were dragons who could control the weather and pour out lightning and rain, they wouldn’t be able to make such thick darkness settle on the Arcana Continent.

Chainwalker nodded his head.

“If it is Sir Ho-yeol’s ability, it is not a strange thing.”

Even if it were an ability surpassing even dragons, there was nothing surprising. In the first place, even the kings of all creation—the dragons—revered and looked up to Ho-yeol as the Dark Dragon.

However, Wallsweil bit his lip nervously.

“That is why I am afraid, Chainwalker.”

“Afraid? What does that mean?”

“With great power comes great responsibility……”

“……!”

“Can you feel the weight of it?”

The eyes of Wallsweil, looking at the continent, grew moist.

“I cannot even dare to guess just how much responsibility he must be shouldering to handle such power…… I wonder if we, who are insignificant, could possibly share that heavy burden.”

Of course it was possible.

Even if it wasn’t possible, they had to try.

Like tempering cast iron.

They had to have patience and not give up.

“……”

The usual Chainwalker would have said so as the leader of the dwarves. But Chainwalker could only keep silent. It was because he was watching the same thing.

“……It is truly an infinitely deep darkness.”

The darkness that had settled on the continent.

It was a depth that made even allies fall into deep thought.

So, for such darkness.

The feelings of those who had to face it directly would be beyond words.

The Four Families.

Excluding the unconscious Ignite.

The family heads of Yugrick, Cansel, and Akamond realized it.

The Four Families could not defy Claudi. No matter how much they expanded their power, racked their brains, and played ugly tricks, the monarch-subject relationship with Claudi could not be denied.

‘I understand belatedly, Father.’

Not even daring to approach.

The overwhelming gap made them even forget the emotion of despair.

It was enough to make them truly look up to their owner.

The retainers and soldiers who served the Four Families were the same.

They had skipped the stage of denying reality early on and, following the family heads, had long since bowed their heads toward the new owner who showed them mercy.

And in the midst of that……

‘……This is crazy.’

Tremble, tremble─

Yong Seong-rak was shivering from goosebumps. He didn’t know how Retel Akamond and other Arcanans felt about this situation, but Yong Seong-rak, a player, could be confident.

‘D-Does everyone properly understand the situation……?’

He felt like he was the only one who knew the seriousness of the situation.

It was because messages had popped up right before his eyes.

The moment the Arcana Continent was engulfed in infinitely deep darkness.

A shockingly uncountable number of messages……!

[The status effect ‘Vision Block’ occurs.]

[The status effect ‘Suffocation’ occurs.]

[The status effect ‘Confusion’ occurs.]……

After Jesse Heinness had left Shining.

World Unification had designated Lee Ho-yeol as their main enemy. Naturally, analysis of Lee Ho-yeol had been carried out at the guild level, so even Yong Seong-rak, who had been flustered at first, could recognize it.

‘It was definitely black magic.’

The darkness from a moment ago.

Was the Suitable Magic Power needed to manifest black magic.

That’s why he couldn’t help but fall into even more terror.

Lee Ho-yeol had not manifested black magic.

He had merely radiated Suitable Magic Power.

Status effects weren’t all.

[The infinitely deep darkness covers all blessings of the Arcana Continent. All currently active buffs are deactivated until the darkness clears.]

“……!”

To the extent that it could be said the Arcana Continent was temporarily turned off.
For it meant he had exerted a profound influence.

Of course, Lee Ho-yeol was Lee Ho-yeol.

Yong Seong-rak swallowed hard.

‘……Even though I don’t know what conversation they shared.’

Lee Ho-yeol seemed to have shown mercy to the Four Families, just as he had shown mercy to World Unification all this time. He could be sure of it at the point when the darkness covering the continent dissipated and even the deactivated buffs returned.

However, Yong Seong-rak could not raise his head even more.

‘If, by any chance, even a low-level black magic had been manifested……?’

He, they—perhaps the entire continent—might have fallen into a bottomless pit of deep darkness from which there was no return. While breathing heavily, Yong Seong-rak ended up remembering something.

“!”

The words that Lee Ho-yeol had directed to him.

-“You brave one. I have remembered your face.”

……He definitely said he remembered my face?

‘No, why my face of all people?!’

Yong Seong-rak had no choice but to tremble in fear even now that the situation was over. He couldn’t guess for what reason Lee Ho-yeol had said he would remember him, but……

Yong Seong-rak’s eyes flashed.

‘Anyway, I must prove my worth.’

If it was Lee Ho-yeol, he must have guessed that he belonged to World Unification. The smart Yong Seong-rak knew very well how to prove his worth.

By providing the secrets of World Unification, which was exceptionally closed off, to Lee Ho-yeol.

That was his only value.

‘Is it revenge, in a way?’

Yong Seong-rak touched the corner of his eye not covered by the eyepatch. In front of Lee Ho-yeol, he was not confident of hiding even a single small secret. So, he would have to tell the truth about the contract placed on this eye first.

‘More than that.’

The corners of Yong Seong-rak’s mouth went up.

‘……You watched everything, you son of a b*tch, too, right?’

Suddenly, he became curious.

What kind of expression was Liu Oujunchun making right now, having watched everything through his eye?

*

It was a series of sights that made one doubt their own two eyes.

[Chalice of the Harsh Contract].

Through its effect, the scenery surfaced on the water.

Liu Oujunchun opened his mouth.

“I am not seeing things, surely.”

He was the Guild Master of World Unification.

It was a super-massive guild that, along with Shining, had divided the Arcana Continent. Furthermore, with the rare class called [Monarch]. Because of that, he thought he was more knowledgeable about the hegemony of the Arcana Continent than anyone else.

“Unbelievable.”

The Four Families.

He never even imagined there would be as many as four forces equipped with military power capable of overwhelming the Empire in its prime. Liu Oujunchun praised the owner of the vision, who was now only one of seven left.

“I don’t know who you are, but you are earning your keep.”

The only sense shared through the chalice was vision. Because of that, he had no choice but to judge solely based on the scenes visible. Perhaps because he had stepped beyond being a monarch to walk the path of a tyrant.

Reading the greed of the Four Families was not very difficult.

“Are they intending to swallow the Empire?”

He had vowed to bring down the Empire.

Liu Oujunchun had made his resolution, but he didn’t feel like his turn had been stolen by them. Wasn’t it good news? Since Liu Oujunchun was also a monarch pursuing hegemony like them, he could tell.

“I can see it clearly. Your futures.”

That shallow alliance would end the moment the Empire collapsed.

From that moment on, a real war would begin where four different forces would kill each other over the empty throne. Liu Oujunchun intended to leisurely appreciate that dogfight.

“Must we not prepare for the future?”

He was confident he would strike down one of those four and seize the Empire. Liu Oujunchun thought calmly. He hoped the last contractor, whoever it was, would hold out as long as possible.

However, hasty predictions were meant to be wrong.

“……!”

The plain of Antonium.

The center.

Ho-yeol revealed himself among the Four Families.

“This is unexpected, Lee Ho-yeol.”

And single-handedly, at that.

To Liu Oujunchun, it was good news.

He thought it would be profitable anyway.

If, by any chance, Lee Ho-yeol were to die on the battlefield……

Wouldn’t it be a situation where killing two birds with one stone might be possible?

Clench─

Liu Oujunchun clenched his fist.

In that case, it wouldn’t be just the hegemony of the Arcana Continent; the hegemony of reality, which had been completely handed over, would naturally return to him. It was the moment Liu Oujunchun adjusted his posture and stared intently at the chalice.

“?”

The rippling water surface began to be dyed black.

At first, he thought the foolish guy had been hit by an arrow in the eye or something.

But that, too, was a hasty prediction.

The identity of the darkness.

Was the Suitable Magic Power radiated by Ho-yeol.

Liu Oujunchun muttered unknowingly.

“……What is this?”

He seemed to be looking around in all directions.

The vision changed noisily.

However, even looking at the end of the horizon.

Or up at the high sky.

Or wherever he looked in all directions.

The darkness exuded from Lee Ho-yeol lay thick.

……Glance.

Liu Oujunchun reflexively checked his status window and system messages. He knew that only vision could be shared through the chalice, but it was a player’s instinct born out of frustration.

However, the frustration did not last long.

“!”

Instead, it turned into despair.

The Four Families, who were considered to surpass the Empire in its prime.

They knelt before Ho-yeol.

Without even being able to put up a proper counterattack.
For they were swearing loyalty while bowing their heads.

Liu Oujunchun’s face froze just like that.

‘Then, in order for me to seize the Empire……’

Not just the original Empire, but the Four Families.

And in the end, did he have to face Lee Ho-yeol?

Did he truly have to surpass that monster?

“Goddammiiiit……”

The tyrant’s shoulders slumped for the first time.

*

The infinitely deep darkness covering the Arcana Continent had also affected Liu Oujunchun in reality, a completely different world, so it was more than enough to affect those who had returned to the Arcana Continent after being swallowed by the Omen.

In the darkness laid upon the continent.

“Phew.”

Breathing in, a sorrow thick enough to make one shudder climbed up her body.

She didn’t want to face it.

To the point where she felt like feigning ignorance.

However, the woman lifted the veil covering her face.

Facing the darkness, she opened her mouth.

To be exact.

“O Goddess, I am afraid. I am not confident I can face a sorrow deep enough to swallow the Arcana Continent. But if this is your will…… I will willingly obey. If my flesh can hasten your second coming, I will willingly offer it.”

She offered a reverent prayer.

“Since you have returned my life that you took through Akshan. The Saintess, Freya, will offer her life to you once again. In the name of the Goddess, I will drive away this darkness.”

.
.
.

Blink─

Flickering vision.

[World Quest: Saintess of the Second Coming]

World Quest……?

I wondered if a quest with such an extraordinary name could pop up so suddenly. Perhaps this was also the aftermath of Blackening. I wanted to check its contents right away, but according to procedure, there was something I had to take care of first right now.

That was right.

I had to take care of the most important matter above all else.

“Nice to meet you. I am called Yong Seong-rak.”

A player who knew my embarrassing full name.

I had to interrogate this man called Yong Seong-rak or whatever.

So……

“Would you prefer I call you Lord Lee Ho-yeol? If not, Granfel Claudi Arpheus R……”

I really wish you’d just answer what I ask?!