Chapter 53 – Misunderstanding is Freedom (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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[Quest : Recapture of Frost]

Frost, which has fallen into the grasps of demons.

Recapture Frost.

Rewards shall follow that valor.

─Current Contribution : 0p

……It’s a quest!

The recapture of Frost starting with Ho-yeol’s magic manifestation.

And simultaneously.

A quest popped up for the Players gathered in Frost.

That was enough to awaken the Players who had fallen into a panic.

“How long has it been since we had a quest?”

“Rewards will be distributed according to contribution, right?”

“Let’s ram into it for now.”

“Everyone get ready. We’ll attack right away.”

The guilds entering siege warfare right away, of course.

“Hyung-nims. It seems we can’t just stand by and watch this?”

Even the Nettuber Players who visited Frost for the purpose of broadcasting.

Because this quest was a quest that those who once enjoyed Arcana couldn’t just pass by.

“I was trying hard to hold back but I can’t hold back at this, me too!”

Wasn’t Frost an entity whose influence was considerable?

Marlon, who was no different from a mascot of such Frost.

A situation where the heads of the residents of Frost, including him, were hung on the walls.

The quest properly poured oil on the emotions they had barely suppressed.

Posts also flooded the Player community.

-I can’t restrain myself from a quest lol I’m a low level but I’m going too

-What’s important in siege warfare is originally numbers ㅎㅎ

-Level doesn’t matter so just gather up for now

-Do we get something to brag about if we recapture it? Going right away lol

Right, although their reasons were all different.

The atmosphere changed in an instant.

“Deeply impudent.”

Without a single moment of hesitation.

Thanks to Ho-yeol who manifested magic towards the gate!

But what could be the reason.

The Players who were actually around Ho-yeol were in a state of questioning.

It couldn’t be helped.

Because the magic that stretched out from Ho-yeol’s hands…….

“……Wh-What is that?”

Was a form they hadn’t expected at all.

The gate of Frost is thick steel.

To tear it down.

It’s a situation where even pouring high-grade magic with considerable destructive power wouldn’t be enough.

But the magic Ho-yeol manifested, no matter how they looked at it…….

Float

“……Hey, isn’t that [Light]?”

The most basic of basic skills.

Its effect is merely lighting up the darkness.

Wasn’t it [Light], which is nothing but a simple magic power sphere?

“……What, did he press the wrong hotkey?”

“You crazy bastard. Where are there hotkeys in reality.”

“No, it’s a joke. It’s strange enough to joke about, isn’t it. Suddenly.”

Floating

There wasn’t even just one or two either.

The magic power spheres flying towards the gate and walls, Light.

“……Just how high is his magic power, really.”

The number of them easily looked to be one hundred().

To think he has magic power to waste like that in this situation?

The moment the Players were about to fall into bewilderment.

Light, the magic power spheres stuck onto the gate and walls.

“……?”

And it was from then on.

Whoosh!

“……Wh-What?!”

Crackle!

“The f-form is changing?!”

Swoosh!

“W-Wait a minute, what is it?! What’s that skill?!”

The Chief Mage of the Mage Tower, Marcelo.

Ho-yeol’s magic commanding ability, which was high to the point of being ‘bizarre’, making even him marvel, began to reveal its true value.

To the point where even the eyes couldn’t follow.

A continuation of processes of agile Search, Interference, and Manifestation.

Of course, everything is only seen as much as one knows.

“Just what level is he, Lee Ho-yeol……!”

Search, Interference, manifestation.

Weren’t they Players who didn’t even know the basics of magic?

All the Players could do was blankly marvel.

“Indeed, Sir Ho-yeol……!”

It was no different for the Lionheart Knights including Harkon.

Setting aside their discernment, they were knights until the end anyway.

Even if they recognized it was an outstanding level, it was natural they couldn’t give an evaluation beyond that.

“……This crazy.”

But in the position of knowing.

It meant there wasn’t a crazy sight as this one……!

The Shadow Mercenaries.

The 7th Seat, Akari.

He flared his nostrils.

“……!”

The magic power traces drifting from the blowing wind.

It was to the point of making Akari’s bent spine flinch.

Akari chuckled.

The Last Seat by his side, Rakheed, picked a fight.

“Why the fuck are you laughing creepily. Old man?”

“Hehe. Because I think I know why the Commander tagged along.”

“What? You figured out that bothersome reason? What is it, that?”

Akari looked at the Commander, Kitch.

My, Kitch had an expression full of thoughts.

Akari answered on his own.

“Well. At least it’d be better not to step forward in this request. No, it wouldn’t be just this mission. At least as long as that nobleman is glaring with his eyes wide open. It’d be good for your personal safety to kill that eccentric personality a bit, Rakheed.”

……Is this old geezer senile?

Rakheed made a questionable expression.

However, Kitch’s thoughts were also not much different from Akari’s.

No, if anything, they would be worse.

Because since Kitch watched, she knew.

‘……I said let’s not meet again in case this happens. But why of all things!’

Manifesting such highly advanced magic isn’t enough.

The fact that he even handles Sword Energy.

And adding an extra spoonful to that, even his terrifying growth speed.

So Kitch’s face had no choice but to be complicated.

‘I can’t even take back that talk now……!’

Lastly, even that personality that wasn’t easy to deal with.

Her intuition was telling her.

That no matter how she thinks about it, it seems she messed with the wrong person.

*

[Quest : Recapture of Frost]

A quest I have no reason to refuse.

Well, this felt like a bonus quest.

Like something that naturally follows when carrying out a class quest, perhaps.

‘A contribution system, huh.’

─Current Contribution : 0p

Rewards follow valor.

It must mean rewards are distributed according to contribution.

Naturally, aiming for 1st place in contribution or something.

I didn’t set such unrealistic goals.

‘Just killing two birds with one stone.’

Look at the headcount of the Players gathered here.

Moreover, aren’t they from guilds.

It was natural they were proficient in many-to-many fights like right now.

Of course, I also had the Lionheart Knights and the Shadow Mercenaries but.

Because their active participation wasn’t assessed as my contribution.

‘If it was, I wouldn’t have even brought it up.’

So the conclusion I made after realizing my place was simple.

‘Let’s do at least one thing properly.’

In that sense, the top priority objective was the ‘investigation of Frost’.

I thought as I interfered and manifested the magic power spheres.

‘Good thing I practiced it beforehand.’

Although I almost set fire to the laboratory of the Mage Tower, anyway.

It was worthwhile to have its application possibilities in mind.

Fire, wind, electricity, water…….

The basic magic of Pure Magic Studies, Light.

Magic of various attributes manifesting from that magic power sphere.

Is it because I was manifesting magic of various attributes simultaneously.

‘I can feel the magic power consumption.’

The newly unlocked stat.

Although I suppressed the activation of [Aesthetics] as much as possible.

Because this wasn’t a situation where its effect was needed right now.

But it was worth consuming precious magic power for.

The scene of manifestation where magic of various attributes intertwine.

‘……Found it.’

Because I was able to find the combination of attributes most effective for assaulting the gate among them.

Even thinking about it again, there is no greater recklessness than this, really……!

‘It can’t be helped. This is my best.’

A desperate struggle.

Things I have, things I don’t have.

My own way where I have no choice but to bring and use everything……!

Fire(), Ice().

The gate of Frost was vulnerable to the combination of those two attribute magics.

The principle or reason?

I don’t know such things. If I had known, see.

There wouldn’t have been a need to consume magic power like right now.

But there is no need to know anymore either.

‘Whether you get it right by knowing. Or get it right by guessing.’

It’s the same thing as long as you get the correct answer.

What was left was only the matter of concentrating firepower.

I immediately manifested fire and ice.

Going through a series of processes.

Magic pouring onto the gate.

Indeed, it was worth hitting the mark even if by guessing.

Crack! Cr-cr-crack!

Because the firmly closed gate had begun to crumble.

Exclamations burst out from here and there.

For some reason, the Players were unable to hold back their astonishment.

“……To think he breached the gate this fast?”

“I’m asking what in the world it is. That skill? The destructive power is no joke!”

“……Is this real life?”

If it went my way, see.

I wanted to correct those evaluations.

‘When I’m already living in poverty, see…….’

Just how much did I struggle to assault the gate.

To just simply misunderstand that as thanks to the skill’s power……!

However, this lofty pride.

There’s no way it would budge an inch at such trivial circumstances.

“As long as you are with us, Sir. I did not even worry.”

Of course, there wasn’t even time for that.

The crumbling wall.

The vicious momentum flowing out from beyond it.

Clank!

Harkon, who spoke to me, adjusted and wore his helmet properly.

“Sir Ho-yeol. We shall open the path from now on.”

Schwing!

The moment Harkon and the Lionheart Knights drew their swords.

Rumble!

The completely crumbled wall.

At that moment, the quest window blinked.

──────

─Current Contribution : 5,000p

──────

Did the contribution increase because I tore down the gate?

‘5,000 points, huh.’

Because there was no subject of comparison, I couldn’t know whether it was high or low. But it wasn’t what’s important right now. Putting aside the bonus quest or whatever…….

From the crumbled gate.

Because the demons of Frost soon revealed their appearances.

Indeed, it was sufficient to call them the Demon King’s Legion.

The formation falling in line.

The standard of the equipped gear.

As if they even expected the walls to crumble.

Even their agile movements.

The Demon King’s Army.

Right, the bright red skin.

If not for the horns growing on their heads.

They had a strict military discipline to the point it’d be perfectly fine to view them as a human army.

At that appearance, the momentum of the Players couldn’t help but soften too.

“……This is unusual.”

“It’d be better not to approach hastily.”

“Maintain distance.”

They were distinctly different from the demons we had seen until now.

Those guys were systematic.

The resounding voice of a demon.

“Kill them all! You must never let them in!”

A portion in attack stance.

A portion in defense stance.

They even seemed to have a specific strategy.

But.

So what?

I smoothed out the attire ruffled by the wind.

Exceedingly indifferent.

“Laughable.”

To me, to Granfel.

It means even any demon is merely the same trash.

Even the appearance of such a Demon King’s Army is merely gathering similar ones and standing them up.

It meant they were merely trash that have been properly separated for recycling.

Moreover.

“Jesica, Enoch.”

“Yes, Grand Commander.”

“We will break down those bastards’ formation at the vanguard together with me.”

“Understood.”

If we are talking about being systematic, this side doesn’t lose out either.

‘Of course, not just the Lionheart Knights.’

I turned my head.

Meeting my eyes, Kitch immediately opened her mouth.

“……We will also mostly try to assist the Lionheart Knights. Just individually take care of yourselves well as we’ve done until now. Everyone understood, right? Now, let’s start.”

Even the Shadow Mercenaries bound by a thorough ‘Gap’ and ‘Eul’ relationship.

So this meant it was a confidence with reason.

I declared as I followed them.

“We have no time to waste.”

Step

Class quest.

Its final objective is the subjugation of the Demon King.

“Step aside. Trash.”

*

Frost has a total of 10 gates.

As it’s a large city, it was natural that the number of its gates was also high.

That was good news for the huge guilds for whom there was nothing good about competing with each other in the current situation where even a quest popped up.

Especially the Guild Rank 1st and 2nd.

Shining and Unification of the World.

Those two guilds alone had no choice but to distinctly part ways.

“We’re specialized in this kind of thing again. Isn’t that right, Rox?”

During the Arcana days.

The guild that possessed a territory, Shining.

Shining had numerous siege warfare experiences.

And the one holding experience matching that of Shining was precisely Unification of the World.

Furthermore, in siege warfare specifically, Unification of the World had a definite advantage over Shining.

“There couldn’t be a better opportunity than this for us.”

That was exactly Unification of the World’s overwhelming number of guild members.

The Master, Liu Zunchun’s Player ranking was merely 14th.

However, the true value of Unification of the World lay in the headcount of their guild members and their average level.

“Charge!”

Unification of the World unfolded a tactic putting that sheer volume at the forefront.

Their attacks pouring onto the gate.

Pouring all their mana at once and swapping with the rear line.

Swapping again after recovering magic power and stamina.

“Fufu.”

Liu Zunchun let out a smile.

Right, no matter how much it’s Shining.

They wouldn’t be able to keep up with them in this siege warfare.

Liu Zunchun’s quest window sparkled.

‘What relies on this contribution must be tremendous.’

Currently, Frost was not in a normal situation.

Whether its Lord was alive was also an unknown.

Liu Zunchun’s expectations gradually grew bigger.

‘……What if the Lord is in a dead state?’

It was entirely possible that he’d become standing as the new Lord of Frost according to that contribution.

Large city, Lord of Frost.

Even back when Arcana was merely a game.

It held a value that one wouldn’t dare to appraise.

‘We can rise to an overwhelming 1st place!’

Not just Unification of the World, but himself as well.

Liu Zunchun checked the contribution rising in real time.

‘Rox, it’s probably a contribution you wouldn’t even be able to dream of.’

Liu Zunchun, as a Guild Master, was solidly receiving Contribution for [Commanding].

But Shining wouldn’t be able to do that.

You can easily tell that just by looking at Jesse Heinness.

Because Rox didn’t possess leadership ability like himself.

Thinking so, motivation boiled up from within his chest.

“Fuhahaha!!”

──────

─Current Contribution : 120p

──────

At the same time.

Because there was no way Liu Zunchun could know the fact.

That Ho-yeol’s contribution had surpassed 5,000 points.

He burst into a fit of mad laughter.

“I will show you what an overwhelming contribution is, Rox!”

Right, there is a saying that sometimes ignorance is bliss…….