Chapter 83 – Is It Finally Moving (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The official meeting of the AAU.

The branch managers of each branch logged into the video chat one by one.

The faces that popped up were so wretched you’d wonder if you should call them a sorry sight.

It was even unreasonable to blame the poor camera angles.

Because without a single exception, not a single person had a good complexion.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard.”

The reason for it was simple.

Because they had spent a week that was literally like a storm.

However, they couldn’t make a fuss.

“Hard work? The person who truly worked hard is someone else.”

A person who suffered more than them.

No, because there was a Player.

Although the weight of the hardship couldn’t be measured, they could guarantee it.

Even if you combine all the efforts of the AAU employees in each region.

They wouldn’t be able to match the weight that one person carried.

“It was a really terrible week, right?”

“It still makes me dizzy. Simply dizzy.”

“How my heart sank when I first heard the news.”

A senior mage of the Mage Tower went missing.

That was truly a super emergency situation.

As has been emphasized several times.

Because the mages of the Mage Tower were so excessively powerful.

They were existences who had no choice but to be tied to the Mage Tower.

A senior mage, who belongs to the strong even in such a Mage Tower, went missing.

If by chance he showed a hostile attitude towards the Players…….

“It would have been a disaster. A great disaster.”

“Our Korean Branch Manager, we can tell just by looking at your expression.”

“……Maybe because it’s in the past. Now at least a sigh comes out.”

The Republic of Korea, Seoul, where such a Mage Tower is located.

The Republic of Korea that brought about a brilliant economic growth with the Mage Tower effect.

But at the same time, the place with the highest probability that the senior mage would be was also the Republic of Korea.

“To think Seoul might disappear from the face of the Earth!!”

Thinking about it again made him dizzy, really.

If, like that dizzying imagination, Seoul had become a battlefield.

The damage caused by it would have been difficult to measure.

However.

“In the end, we owe Player Lee Ho-yeol a debt again this time.”

That’s right.

At the same time, in the Republic of Korea. In Seoul. In the Mage Tower.

A Player who worked much harder than them.

Lee Ho-yeol was there.

An outstanding performance, itself.

Beyond an Arcana expert, even the AAU executives who had contributed considerably to the Arcana worldview couldn’t even comprehend Ho-yeol’s performance.

“Honestly, I had doubts at first. He is amazing, but a position equal to the Chief Mage? No matter how much it’s Player Lee Ho-yeol, is the Chief Mage of the Mage Tower an ordinary position?”

“But, it turned out to be a useless doubt.”

“You are right. In such a ridiculous rift…….”

The [Crack of Broken Dimension] rift.

Recommended level 900~1,000.

Ho-yeol, who cleared the rift that couldn’t be seen as anything but a bug for all to see.

“To think he’d return safely as if truly nothing happened!”

“I’m telling you, even now I’m dying to know what happened inside? I feel like grabbing his trouser legs and asking.”

“Eyy, it won’t be of any use anyway, right?”

Difficult to interview.

Internal matters.

Even if they pleaded.

Would the resolute attitude Ho-yeol showed budge?

But one unchanging fact was.

“What does it matter if he doesn’t do such a trivial interview a few times? What does it matter if he says everything he can and cannot say? It’s none other than Lee Ho-yeol. Even just this time, how many times has it been already.”

Right, that Ho-yeol had enough qualifications to do so.

He was fundamentally different from other Players who caught the star disease and couldn’t be careful with their words and actions.

Why, wasn’t Ho-yeol the one who showed a consistent attitude all along from his first appearance until now?

“Beyond popularity, it’s almost at the level of religious faith. The public’s reaction is.”

It meant everyone wasn’t pointlessly muttering Ho-men for no reason.

The branch managers being able to laugh with faces lacking any complexion must also be thanks to Ho-yeol. However, the AAU knew. No, they had to be concerned.

“But if we exclude Player Lee Ho-yeol…….”

If Ho-yeol hadn’t been there.

Would humanity, would the Players have been able to resolve this incident?

The answer to that was naturally ‘NO’.

“Honestly, the gap is too severe.”

“Who would be able to clear a level 900~1,000 rift? They say the Chief Mage accompanied him, but the one who moved that Chief Mage is also Player Lee Ho-yeol’s capability. And personal capability at that.”

“The conclusion is that the other Players have no choice but to try harder.”

The Players must have also felt it through this incident.

Their own powerlessness.

In that sense, the new update was good news.

What can overcome powerlessness is level.

And what is needed to raise that level is experience points.

In this newly updated rift.

At least it seemed like they could properly raise experience points.

“It has been a while since we had [Predator] content.”

“This, the war of nerves among the top-tier Players will be no joke, wouldn’t it?”

“In the Predator Zone, a war of nerves is considered mild. Well.”

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A new rift, ‘Swampland of Predators’ is added.

New monsters are added.

‘Frenzied Wolf’ : Lv.450

‘Berserker Blood Goblin’ : Lv.460

‘Sky Blade’ : Lv.500

‘Ragged Fighter’ : Lv.520…….

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Thursday.

A real new update, not a bug.

At those update details, a commotion arose in the community.

-The recommended level is crazy, seriously???

-Except for Lee Ho-yeol, everyone else probably needs to tense up a bit? lol

-But isn’t something a bit weird?? There’s no uniformity among the mobs;;;

From the time Arcana was a game until now.

There was consistency in the monsters that appeared.

If it was a [Gnoll Habitat], it was natural for gnolls to appear, and if it was a [Goblin Habitat], only average-looking goblins appeared.

In that sense, this rift was a bit strange.

[Swampland of Predators].

Looking at the name swampland, crocodiles or lizardmen should have appeared.

Not only the race, but even the habitat environment. Like some comments pointed out, no uniformity could be felt from the monsters that appeared.

If one had to find a similarity.

Maybe the level?

But one only sees as much as they know.

“It’s the first time it appeared as a rift, right? A Predator Zone.”

“Right. If it had appeared before, the comments’ reaction wouldn’t be like this.”

“It appeared at exactly the right time.”

The Nam brothers of Gaon having a conversation.

Naturally, the two belonged to those who knew.

Nam Tae-min raised the corners of his mouth.

“We can fight to our hearts’ content for the first time in a while. Right, Hyung?”

Predator Zone.

To explain, it was simple.

As the name implies, it meant a zone where predators flock.

That was also the reason why there was no uniformity among the appearing monsters.

Because it was a place where guys called predators from nearby areas gathered.

So, to add a kind explanation as to why they flocked there…….

“It means predators fight each other over the loot that exists in the swampland.”

Hisagi told his guild members.

Right, up to that point was understandable.

Loot that exists in the swampland.

A place where strong monsters flocked to take that loot.

That is precisely the Predator Zone.

The rift that appeared this time, called [Swampland of Predators].

But there was one question.

“Does that mean the monsters fight each other too?”

“Y-Y-You bastard! Is this your first time in a Predator Zone?”

“Yes, it’s my first time though……?”

“What, it’s really your first time?!”

Ahem, if it’s his first time it’s understandable he’s unfamiliar.

Perhaps feeling sorry for getting angry out of nowhere.

The bald man cleared his throat and continued his words.

“Right, in the Predator Zone, monsters also fight each other. Beyond fighting, they even kill each other. I told you, right? They’re bastards who gathered from different areas to begin with. It means there are no blood ties or regional ties to look out for.”

That’s right.

The Predator Zone was a place where battles never ceased for a single moment.

Naturally, the level of the appearing monsters was also above their actual level stat.

Because appearing in the Predator Zone meant they survived such a continuation of death struggles.

“I caught you nicely. You predator bastards.”

“……Yeah, we caught them nicely. But you know, Unni.”

“What?”

“Is it really okay?”

“Will you not shut up? How many times do I have to tell you it’s okay, really.”

No, it wasn’t okay.

Because she was in an incredibly pissed-off state.

Leonie’s protruding lips represented her inner thoughts.

Anyone could guess the reason.

“Unni. That’s why I told us to always go to sleep early normally…….”

Recommended level 1,000.

Ho-yeol entered such a ridiculous rift?

‘Even if I knew, nothing would have changed…….’

Because even if she joined, she would only have been a burden instead of help.

But knowing that fact and finding out after waking up from a deep sleep in ignorance is the difference between heaven and earth……!

‘I’m really like an idiot.’

It was hard to explain but…….

What to say.

An emotion different from feeling powerless.

Should I say it’s a sense of shame that surpasses feeling powerless.

However, she accurately realized what she had to do.

“Just shut up, all of you. From now on, I plan to sleep when I’m dead.”

Swampland of Predators.

That she would raise her level randomly in the new rift.

The Predator Zone where battles never cease?

There was no better hunting ground for a Berserker who gets stronger as battles repeat.

Of course, Leonie wasn’t the only one harboring such thoughts.

“The 1st goal is no more, no less, exactly raising 10 levels.”

“The first priority of our Unification of the World is the loot of the swampland.”

“There’ll be an insane amount of NetTube material coming out here too, won’t there?”

Even if their respective purposes are different.

If they are predators.

If they are strong, they have no choice but to gather at the [Swampland of Predators].

Right, because they know that fact.

Even if the thoughts they harbor are different.

Everyone had no choice but to naturally think of the same person.

Right, Ho-yeol.

“Even if it’s impossible to catch up to Ho-yeol-ssi, we have to try harder.”

“Even just to repay the debt of Hokkaido.”

“……Surely Lee Ho-yeol won’t appear, right? I mean, he even cleared a 1,000 level rift. Overly eyeing this kind of rift is having too little business ethics, isn’t it?!”

*

Wow, man.

It’s tough, this rift?

To think the appearing monsters are at least level 450.

Above all, it’s a Predator Zone.

To put it simply, it means it’s a colosseum where only monsters crazy about battles flock to.

I titled my teacup and opened my mouth.

“It will be severely noisy, I see.”

No, beyond being noisy, it’s too harsh for me……!

Because my level was merely level 296.

Above all, a rift where battles never cease.

‘My mana won’t last.’

I did raise my mana regeneration considerably with the effects of the Hexagram Brooch and Duke Swalin’s treasured item but……. It was a fact that my absolute mana amount was lacking due to my low level.

‘I am not a predator.’

In a situation where the interrogation of the demon worshipers wasn’t even over yet.

As for my honest feelings.

I wanted to ignore such a sinister rift but.

─Approach to Phenomenon (Ongoing) ▲

●Conquer the rift. (Repeat)

●Witness the Arcana continent. (Success)

As if the repeat quest to conquer the rift wasn’t enough.

Wasn’t I the one who even found out that the rift is connected to the Arcana continent?

Furthermore, I even found out the fact that demons are swaggering around on the Arcana continent.

It means this damn pride cannot stay still.

“Perhaps education is needed.”

……Right, my tiring personality that lives and dies for formalities wouldn’t be able to stay still either.

In that sense, it’s a relief I dug several wells. Even if my mana runs out during continuous battles.

‘Even if I look like this, there are quite a few things I can put to use.’

First of all, there was Black Magic.

Although I didn’t have a chance to swing it around, I have trained in swordsmanship.

Even if that training period was short. Added to Granfel’s talent, I am someone who received teachings from an excellent master, the Lion Heart Knight Commander, Harkon.

“It is bitter but fragrant.”

Also up to the tea made with elixir herb that I’ve been sipping on since earlier.

‘Even if it doesn’t taste good.’

I feel the worth of having pored over books related to elixir herbs while preparing for the regular academic conference. Because just by drinking it as tea, the elixir herb had a quite meaningful effect.

[Health regeneration slightly increases for 3 hours.]

And lastly.

There was still one thing left to check.

I opened my inventory.

What I took out was a small piece of a pentagram.

It was the [Pentagram of Impure Knowledge] that was purified through the Exorcism Ritual.

Right, it meant it was time to verify my hypothesis.

I did not hesitate.

I immediately checked the item’s information.

[Pentagram of Pure Knowledge]

[Rank : Epic]

[Limit : None]

[Effect : When equipped, acquire knowledge of all minerals and all plants of the Arcana continent.]

[Description : A magic tool containing unfathomably vast knowledge.]

……Right, didn’t I say I had a feeling?

Indeed, an Epic rank item!

Its effect itself is tremendous.

Acquiring knowledge of all minerals and plants of the Arcana continent!

I had expected it somewhat, but without getting my hopes up lest the disappointment be great.

‘Isn’t this beyond expectations?’

I don’t know about other Players.

But for me, there wouldn’t be an effect I could put to better use.

Acquisition of knowledge on all minerals?

It means the efficiency of magic targeting minerals for exploration increases.

Acquisition of knowledge on all plants?

All plants naturally include knowledge about elixir herbs.

Right, so what if it’s a Predator Zone where battles never cease?

I have the [Pentagram of Pure Knowledge]……!

Confidence that it wouldn’t be strange to run to the rift right now soared, but.

However, there is a procedure for everything.

I got up from my seat.

Right.

Even if I enter the rift.

I still have to wrap things up.

─Weight of the Chief (Repeat) ▲

●Proceed with the verification in the Topaz Hall. (Success)

●Successfully proceed with the regular academic conference. (Ongoing)…….

I tidied my disheveled attire.

This is what the pride of the host of the regular academic conference is.

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The two Elder Mages.

And the Chief Mage, Marcelo.

They looked down at the Crystal Hall.

To be exact, at Ho-yeol, who was attentively listening to Bangrit’s presentation.

Marcelo opened his mouth.

“A decision is needed. It is a chance to set everything right at the same time. Akshan and the Demon Hunters, the unerasable sin the Mage Tower has committed against them. Furthermore, taking the first step to repay the debt we owe to Sir Lee Ho-yeol.”

The Elder Mage who was listening quietly let out a groan.

“Surely the Tower Master will also be having the same thoughts as you.”

And then nodded his head.

“We will approve your agenda. Marcelo.”

“……!”