War in the Sky (1), War in the Sky (2), War in the Sky (3) and War in the Sky (4)
[Letty’s test has begun!]
<You will go back to the past from now on.>
The hour hand on the floor began to rotate slowly in the reverse direction.
Pachichichichi!
slow at first. However, it turned faster and faster, and after a while, only afterimages were visible.
“Laugh, what!”
“Has the test begun?
The Celestial didn’t even show his face, but as the quest progressed, the surroundings started to become noisy.
“Hyun, do you know what it is?!”
“I’m thinking about it.”
Hyun looked up at the sparkling sky.
The sun was racing through the sky hundreds, no, thousands of times.
The scene of the sun shining, the darkness covering, and the light rising again repeated itself faster and faster.
The message said to go back to the past.
So how far back in time is it?
‘ah… .’
When the hour hand finally stopped spinning on the floor, Hyun could see the scenery unfolding before his eyes.
‘here is.’
Kurrrrr!
The whole huge land was rising into the sky.
Black paint trickled down from the edge of the floating land mass.
The moment he realized that it was the fog that had been gathering in the dark land, Hyun was able to accurately grasp the time period he had returned to.
5 years and a few days ago.
It was the day the user briefly disappeared from Asrian, and the day darkness regained a part of his self.
“Wow!”
“The ground is shaking!”
Kurr. Kurur.
As the ground for several kilometers was ripped off, users with low agility struggled to keep their balance.
Pod!
The vibration soon stopped.
This was because the torn off part was completely separated from the ground.
On an island that slowly floats. While dozens of users who looked around were at a loss for words.
Tring!
A new message came to everyone.
[Letty’s Test]
– Participated in the Battlefield of Memory!
= Five years ago, the sky and the abyss risked their lives and collided in the sky. What if you were together?
– Show your potential here. Letty will be watching over you.
(※You can respawn indefinitely in this place!)
[Resurrection penalty] – <Expand +>
After all the quest messages had passed, the timer came to mind.
<Until the nightmare ends: 180 minutes>
The total duration of the test seemed to be 3 hours.
“Wait, I know where I am.”
A user who was looking at the quest message and the surrounding scenery flashed a flash.
“It’s the place from the history quest!”
A huge altar located in the middle of the island.
The mist of darkness gurgles there.
One of the history quest episodes, <A sacrifice to the dark> It was perfectly similar to the background!
“Really, come to think of it, it’s the map of the last episode!”
“Even the black pyramid located on top of the mountain in the middle is the same!”
Most users have experienced the episode and knew the story to some extent.
Everyone remembered that the episode ended when the black sun in the sky changed into the real sun after clearing the episode.
But now floating in the sky is the shining sun.
The meaning is to disprove that this place is a different time zone in the same place.
“The next part of the history quest!”
The girl named Darkness, who appeared in the episode, recited these last lines with a sad expression.
“This is my destiny from here on out… . Your role ends here. Fufu, you can be proud of being my subordinate.”
Hearing the cheeky girl’s trembling voice, everyone who was doing the history quest felt sorry for them.
“That’s right, it ended with the atmosphere that something big would happen later.”
“Now we are heavenly.”
“Should I fight that girl on the other side?
They felt a strange feeling of fighting with a colleague who had been with them all along, but soon shook their heads and made up their minds.
This is the testing ground of a thousand people. Because I realized that this is not the time to be immersed in such sentiments.
‘They said that the war broke out after the ancestral rites.’
And Louise’s words passed through Hyun’s mind.
Unlike the others, Hyun knew a little more about the history behind the scenes.
‘That day passed through several deaths… .’
He also recalled the twin golems that had fallen asleep in the ruined castle of Bahimir.
Shatin and Shatina said they were terribly destroyed while protecting Louise.
Since the darkness rose to the ground, it would have been natural for them to receive a concentrated offensive from the sky.
‘It’s a war at that time!’
A war in which not only human forces but also celestials are assumed to have participated.
It will definitely be a virtual battle.
The word ‘Memory Battlefield’ is stated in the quest, and a battle where you can freely resurrect can’t be real.
However, even though he knew it was fake, Hyun’s heart began to beat more and more violently.
Hyun looked in the direction of the altar where the mist had stopped blowing.
Will Louise become a target in the sky for the rest of her time?
And I like Louise… .
“hyeon.”
The sudden voice of Ain awakened Hyun’s spirit.
“It’s amazing, at times like this, I’ll know who Hyun is thinking right away.”
“huh… ?」
“Is it Louise? If Hyun can’t do it, can I scold him? Even so, he had an irritating side.”
The moment Ain’s mischievous laugh blended into a fairy tale, Hyeon’s heart quickly calmed down.
Thanks to you, I got out of unnecessary thoughts.
Yes, everything you see in front of you is a virtual world. You don’t have to be immersed in illusions.
“… So what are you going to do?”
「Huh, well?」
“I’m telling you just in case you don’t know, but don’t push yourself too hard.”
“why?”
Hyun sighed and added an explanation.
“I can’t use magic here.”
Even if he has the title of deceiver, he cannot use demonic-related skills in the Celestial Trial.
Since all of the Shadow Linker’s core skills were sealed, Ain had to be cautious.
“Aren’t you worried about Louise again?”
“… no.”
“Hmm, that was a lie… .」
Ain opened his eyes, which had been closed for a moment, and said.
“No… !”
“Don’t do anything stupid, let’s move quickly.”
Perhaps because they were users close to rankers, everyone nearby was quickly getting ready.
Hyun had no intention of standing out too much, but he had no plans to act passively.
‘Hopefully…’ Could we take advantage of this situation?’
Hyun paid attention to a special fact.
The Thousand’s Quest is very similar to the Duke’s Tournament in that it elects a deputy (knight) from the users.
In addition, it was also the point that those who were not elected could get rewards according to their performance.
But one big difference.
In the Thousand’s Quest, it was true that the user could acquire experience points.
‘It would be crazy to level up in a battlefield in general, but… .’
Of course, it’s not an easy way.
Hyun checked the resurrection penalty again in the previous message.
[Resurrection penalty]
-Every time you die, Letty’s ‘evaluation’ decreases.
– When you die, you lose all the experience points you have gained.
– Respawns in a safe place after 10 seconds.
This is a particularly dangerous battlefield among battlefields.
The opponent is not a ragtag army of darkness.
He didn’t know if he would have to face the Shatin and Shatina of the past, or maybe he would have to fight the dukes, including Scotanatos.
Is it possible to gain experience from such opponents without dying?
There is no chance of surviving if you face enemies in the late 300s or over 400 levels.
No, even if you exclude such names, the moment you are surrounded by the group of Abyss, you will die immediately.
However, if you die even once, all your experience points will be gone, so even if you hunt for days and days in a place like this, it will be impossible to even raise one level.
‘If that method works… .’
But on the other hand, what if you could capture high-ranking monsters and bosses to your heart’s content and be guaranteed safety?
If you don’t die, the battlefield will turn into a hunting ground with the highest efficiency.
Hyun thought that the method he just came up with had a high chance of working.
‘Maybe I can take level 200 right here!’
<Until the nightmare ends: 179 minutes>
And that in just three hours!
“Ain, how tired are you right now?”
“It’s a single digit number, why?”
“Today, I’m going to hold you unconditionally.”
“huh… ?」
“You can’t run away until you’re exhausted, so know that.”
“… !”
An opportunity to level up at the speed of light that happened to be fortunate enough.
Since Hyeon planned to hunt non-stop, it was necessary to tell Ain in advance.
“If it’s still difficult, tell me.”
“Hyun… ?」
“I’m not tired like this!”
Hyun glanced at the fatigue level on the status window.
21. If I didn’t spend my concentration on unnecessary things, I could concentrate for five hours.
Pod! Pod!
After a while, as if a full-scale test was about to begin, priests walked out of portals all over the island.
The flying dragons on which the knights rode covered the sky.
A small island several kilometers long.
The allied forces in the sky to counter the army of darkness were preparing their ranks.
<Evaluation score: 0>
T-ring! A message rang in the atmosphere of an impulsive moment.
Score is Letty’s evaluation. Criteria for selecting a surrogate.
‘It’s a start.’
Hyun knew that the celestials looked at users in a much stricter way than dukes.
Same with Letty. She does not simply hold trials to test her powers.
The keyword is ‘devotion’.
It was clear that Letty would give higher scores to users who collaborated with colleagues and those who harmonized with the heavenly army.
“Do you remember all the roles in our party?”
“Of course, let’s just do what we prepared!”
Hyun listened closely to the conversation around him.
It seemed that he wasn’t the only one who grasped Letty’s intentions.
Did everyone party before the exam? Then you will definitely get extra points for Letty.
However, that was only the circumstances of other users, and his own goal was elsewhere.
‘I can’t afford to care about anything other than experience.’
Hyun decided to forget about the score for a while.
If your score is too low, you may not get the ‘unicorn horn’.
But that’s something you can get later. An opportunity that would not come easily now was right in front of me.
“Hey, is that Ain?”
Just as the string was about to move, someone called from behind.
“There is one melee dealer vacant at our party, would you like to join us?”
“It’s a party… ?”
“Here are these people. There are five of us now, including me.”
Hyun was able to grasp their situation with a quick glance.
‘Did the Solple players gather together?’
At first glance, it was a clumsy combination.
They came without any plan, and only after confirming that the subject of the test was war, they hurriedly banded together.
For users, war is an opportunity for rapid growth, but on the other hand, it was also a place full of danger.
Users without companions often die suddenly without being able to do anything.
Particularly on the battlefield, forming a party is more stable.
“If you participated alone, join us… .”
“hyeon! If you’re going to party with them, I’ll tell you a fairy tale?!”
“what? Wait, no! Stay still!」
Ain’s voice suddenly came.
In an instant, Hyun felt his heart drop.
“I told you many times. If you solve a fairy tale in this city, it will be really big!”
“Fufu, of course it’s a joke.”
Was it really a joke?
Hyun, whose heart was still pounding, couldn’t tell the truth of Ain’s words.
“… I will decline the party.”
“So, do you have any other colleagues who have agreed to be with you?”
“No, I don’t have it, I don’t need it.”
Hyun once expressed his intention of refusal.
As I walked away, I heard muttering voices behind me.
Are you complaining? Is it sarcastic? Or are you kicking your tongue at the recklessness of jumping into the battlefield alone?
Either way it doesn’t matter. The important thing is not the gaze of others.
Hyun only trusts his own judgment this time.
“Ain… Just do a few favors.”
“huh?”
“You have a lot of work to do.”
Now the land has completely entered the realm of heavenly beings.
The rise of the ground stopped before I knew it, and even the fog that gurgled over the altar stopped.
‘This is the war of the day… .’
Hyun was stunned by the sight in front of him.
A group of undead that could not see the end covering the field of view!
The undead are probably the troops of Scotanatos.
Shatin and Shatina… The servants who served the darkness must have woken up by now.
Near the altar, unidentified monsters were constantly springing up from the ground or coming through the portal.
‘The perforation side is also amazing.’
Hyun looked back.
On that side, the heavenly army was densely formed.
There were even occasional Celestials mixed in, but most of them were large armies made up of a coalition of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
‘Is that a ritual to summon an angel?’
For a moment, Hyeon’s eyes lit up.
Because I found a solemn sight in the rear where hundreds of priests gathered and prayed.
The descent of the transcendent is not easy.
Even if you look at history, the number of times a Transcendentalist has exercised power other than an oracle can be counted on one hand.
It was because an enormous amount of empathy was required to summon beings with overwhelming power.
‘If there are priestesses among them, at least a bishop, and hopefully even a royal angel will be summoned.’
Of course, the ceremony takes quite a bit of time.
The more powerful the angel, the longer the time.
Perhaps the time limit of 180 minutes is the time needed to summon a transcendent.
If the Transcendentalist came out in earnest, humans and celestials, including users, would not even dare to intervene in the fight.
‘I’ll have to fight before that happens!’
<Until the nightmare ends: 140 minutes>
It’s been quite a while since the exam started.
Hyeon and Ain did not kill even a single monster even while countless lives were lost.
A situation in which neither experience points nor Letty’s points were obtained.
Even so, a gentle smile appeared on Ain’s lips.
It was Hyun’s smile that successfully completed the plan.
Just a moment ago, I was about to use the effect of the title to deceive the great army of the empire.
“Hyun, keep telling me what to say next!”
Right next to the commander of the Imperial Army, Ain urged.
The reason Hyun can’t make his own voice is simple.
It was because the fact that the success rate of lying varies depending on the subject who speaks has been verified through experiments.
“sorry. I was thinking about something else for a while. Even now, an oracle is ringing in my head.”
“Even now, an oracle is ringing in my head.”
‘It’s a bit different… Does it matter?’
As soon as the test began, Hyun went up the heavenly command system and soon met the highest-ranking NPC.
The seat right next to the commander!
Every time Ain’s lips opened, the imperial commander’s eyes deepened.
“Are you sure about the new trust?”
“that’s right.”
“uh.”
The girl I am talking about was a priestess who appeared out of nowhere.
No one knows where they come from.
Of course, I doubted her identity at first, but after witnessing the runes engraved on the back of her hand and the shining holy fire, I completely dispelled my doubts and set the example for a priestess.
“I have seen the future, so please follow my instructions.”
“therefore… Follow my orders.”
“Of course, I will follow the oracle!”
Besides, the priestess has already made several prophecies right.
To see the future! What is it but proof of an oracle!
‘I really don’t have any doubts.’
In fact, Hyun was just telling the story he had heard from Louise.
This is from 5 years ago. From the NPC’s point of view, he was no different from a time traveler, so it was very easy to predict the future.
[Someone is taking a little interest in you!]
<Evaluation score: 1>
The only being caught is Letty, a celestial being watching from somewhere.
‘Let’s not worry about it now.’
Fortunately, she was a celestial being generous to users.
Although a believer of the truth… A few lies would be fine, though.
The chance to use some of the sky’s troops at will, Hyun decided to take a little risk.
“From now on, the elite golems of the abyss will awaken.”
“Soon an elite mob will appear. Golem.”
At the same time as Ain’s mouth fell.
Suddenly, countless dolls rose from the ground.
Once again, the prophecy hits.
“Oh oh… ! Really!”
“Kuh, a doll that exudes evil demonic energy!”
Whoa! Just in time, Hyun lit the torch, and the whole area was dyed with light.
Ain holding a long sword of brilliance in his hand is like a saint.
He looked like an apostle of light who came down to subdue the darkness.
“Please leave the finishing to me. Otherwise, they will continue to live.”
“Hand over the last hit to me unconditionally.”
“Makta… Say?”
「Hey, that was shortened too much! Will he understand?”
Suddenly Hyun shouted.
Summarizing sentences is fine, but isn’t it something you should at least say so the NPCs understand?
“Hyeon told me to speak quickly, so there’s nothing I can do about it!”
“okay. Don’t just use weird terms.”
At the name of the prefecture, Ain cleared his throat and delivered the oracle to the commander again.
“Those must be dealt with only with the power of the priestess. So buff me… No, cast some strengthening magic.”
“I will do my best. Support leader!”
“yes!”
Ugh. Whoops.
As soon as he finished speaking, countless effects wrapped around Ain’s body.
Buffs that increase mostly fixed damage.
This made it easy to hit the last hit.
‘It is perfect!’
Hyeon straightened his holy sword, which was a mixture of lightning and holy power.
Suddenly, memories of the past came back.
‘It feels like I’ve returned to Asura for some reason.’
I looked around the battlefield.
The sky moves under his beckoning.
I was used to commanding an army. If he wanted to, he could be the commander himself.
‘I don’t have to command everything.’
Hyungwon smiled and shook his head.
It’s enough to play war later. Raising experience was more important now.
‘I’ll just have to move about two knights.’
Having dealt with tens of thousands of troops, it was not a task for him to operate one or two knights like hands and feet.
The knights of the empire must have come here with the determination to destroy the darkness at the cost of their lives.
I’m sorry, but I intend to deceive their fate today.
The life of the knights will disappear for the purpose of increasing their experience.
‘No, do I need to feel sorry for the illusion of the past?’
Then Hyun ordered.
“Charge!”
‘Oops… !’
After speaking, I realized my mistake.
The fact that I didn’t go through Ain’s voice because I was absorbed in the atmosphere.
Are you okay… ?! If that’s the case, the effect of ‘Deceiver’ wouldn’t activate properly.
“I think Hyun can talk from now on.”
When Hyun was nervous, he heard Ain’s voice.
“There’s no more lies to tell!”
“… That’s right.」
Hyungwon laughed and rubbed his chest.
A voice that resonated throughout the empire following the stream of divinity. The knights were moving according to that order.
***
<Until the nightmare ends: 115 minutes>
About an hour after the test started.
Users were realizing the horrors of war as the sky and the abyss intertwined without rest.
“Kuh… ! What’s going on with our line?!”
“Are you pushing? No, I’m being pushed!”
Among the users, there were those who had experience of participating in Illuna’s war in the past, but they were also swept away by the chaos of the battlefield and were killed twice.
The number of users who hadn’t died yet was really small.
The most dead is 52 times!
It was a combo-type rogue, so it was because he insisted on solo play.
If only by the number of monsters he hunted, he would be in the top ranks, but his performance in Letty’s test had no meaning.
<Evaluation score: -100>
Letty hates recklessness.
To be precise, he looked pathetically at those who harmed the balance of the whole because of their own recklessness.
It was only natural that Letty, who values harmony, would not give good marks to those who insisted on solo play.
“Damn it! This exam is already over!”
Shall I level up the ruined thing anyway?
I have given up even thinking about it now.
In the beginning, he was able to romp among the undead and get a decent amount of experience, but as time passed, more and more powerful monsters appeared.
And now that the war had intensified, he could only die within seconds of leaving the front.
[died!]
[Lost 33800 EXP!]
[Someone is looking at you with pitiful eyes!]
[Your score is too low, so it won’t drop anymore!]
[Revival in a safe place after 10 seconds!]
53rd death.
Even though he was hiding in the rear row, he was melted by the wide-area magic of the flame that suddenly flew in.
‘damn!’
When he learned that the exam was a battlefield, he smiled expectantly.
Because I thought it was advantageous to combo thieves.
This is because Salon, who was active in Iluna, instilled in him the romance of war.
But now, he could feel keenly how wrong his thinking was.
‘If it’s a test like this, I’ll fail!’
[You can’t take Letty’s test for the next 6 months! Would you still give up? Y/N]
[Accepted. Exit from the Hall of Deputies.]
The first elimination came out in an hour.
However, the rest of the users did not even have time to confirm that one competitor had decreased.
If I lose sight of it even for a moment, I will die in the chaos of war.
“Keuuh, among the quests I’ve been through so far, it belongs to the most difficult axis.”
At least someone with the most leeway let out a groan.
Crimson Guild.
It was a long-established guild that proudly placed its feet in the top 10 of the rankings even now, even after the regressors’ guild and new professional gaming teams had risen up.
“Me too, isn’t this perhaps the largest scale test ever known?”
“Maybe. If this is a war… Maybe we too will appear in the history quest.”
The leader of party 2, Xium, muttered with a sigh.
How can I take a moment to relax when everyone is fighting like crazy?
It was because Exium made the choice to entrust all party members to the Empire.
[Are you merging the party into the 3rd Support Corps? Y/N]
A whopping 16 members of the Crimson Guild participated in this test!
They understood Letty’s personality better than anyone else and participated in the test.
I was able to make this judgment because I thoroughly analyzed Letty’s personality that values harmony.
[The ‘Crimson 2nd Division’ will now follow the command of the ‘Louis Support Captain’!]
Two pool parties, all 16 members of the Crimson Guild joined a certain army of the Empire.
At that moment, Axium was once again convinced that his judgment was correct.
[Someone is pleased with your choice!]
[You get 30 bonus points!]
<Evaluation score: 67>
Scores doubled in an instant.
But more important factor than score.
As the Crimson Guild followed the command of the Empire, it gained an incomparable sense of stability.
“It’s hard for us too, but it will be harder for other people.”
Exium looked around and stuck out his tongue.
The battlefield was full of deafening explosions, clamor of shouts and screams.
In a place like that, even Latis and Ain wouldn’t be able to survive even for a minute.
The only correct answer is to harmonize with the heavenly army. Isn’t that also the intention of the test writers?
“Because we are protected by NPCs, so we can afford more than others.”
The moment he witnessed the expression of the imperial soldier right next to him, Axium was seized with a strange feeling.
‘Somehow these guys feel like real humans today?’
The spleen expression of a person who was prepared to give his life.
For a moment, I got goosebumps.
Can NPCs make faces like that? It doesn’t look like an NPC.
The feeling of Xium was not to blame.
All beings on the battlefield follow the standards of the Celestial, even the artificial intelligence created by Letty, a Celestial, infusing her power.
It was natural for those who had only encountered first-generation artificial intelligence to be shaken by the sophisticated emotions of the 1.5th generation.
‘I feel like a real imperial soldier.’
The members of the Crimson Guild, including Axium, began to be infected by the spleen atmosphere of the battlefield.
‘Sense of unity, this must be the virtue necessary to become a real representative.’
‘I think I can follow any instructions with my life!’
It was then that a new order came from the superiors.
Exium thought it was a mistake for a moment.
The content of the order was completely incomprehensible.
The voice of the 3rd Support Captain rode the wave of divinity and resonated in the ears of all the soldiers under his command and the members of the Crimson Guild.
<The leader of the 3rd support corps… Charge towards the monsters in the abyss ahead!>
For some reason, there was a hint of embarrassment mixed into the voice giving the order.
“Assault? Wasn’t it our support team?”
“If you charge in there, it’s only natural that you will be annihilated… .”
“Wait a minute. There must have been a mistake in the order.”
While the Crimson Guild members were questioning themselves, another order was heard.
This time, it was a determined voice, as if he had finished his resolution.
<Our graves have been set. Though you will die, you will win the war, Glory to the Empire!>
Doo doo doo.
At the same time, the surrounding soldiers charged all at once.
“It is not a mistake!”
‘Is this war… ?’
Exium swallowed a saliva.
Looking around the soldiers, I could see a lot of different expressions.
There were those who were crying, those who were screaming loudly, and even the soldiers who were barely acting expressionless.
The same command would have fallen in their ears.
The keywords I checked before Letty’s test flashed my eyes.
harmony and commitment.
‘Qualifications of Deputy.’
This will also be Letty’s test.
Can you sacrifice yourself for the flock?
If it wasn’t for that, there wouldn’t be a ridiculous order to charge as support.
“Yes, you are here to sacrifice your life for the sky.”
The party members were taken aback by Exium’s muttering after he had finished his resolution.
“Wait, Exium, are you saying that we will rush as per that order?”
“So far, none of our parties have died! I also gained a lot of experience… Besides, if you die, your score will drop a lot!”
“That hesitation is the test.”
Exium grinned and told everyone what he thought.
By using the guild chat so that Letty doesn’t notice.
“We’ll see if we can choose the option of sacrifice.”
“Ah, was it like that?”
“Then you almost fell into a trap as a group?”
“maybe.”
When you die, you lose a certain amount of points and an additional large amount of experience.
But can you sacrifice for the perforation?
There was no doubt that Letty had a hand in how such a ridiculous order came down.
Laughter appeared on the lips of the Crimson Guild members who grasped the whole situation.
“Okay, it’s time to set fire to the sky.”
“If only I could create a momentary gap with this life… .”
“It’s okay to give my soul… !”
Everyone spat out meaningful words one by one and mingled with the leading soldiers.
It was to appeal as much as possible to Letty, who was watching from somewhere.
The end of the support corps was solemn.
The leading soldiers, made up of dozens, were oxidized one by one while enduring the Dark Army’s concentrated offensive.
Doo doo doo!
On the verge of death, Axium, who witnessed the knights rushing from the other side, clenched his fists.
He was able to die laughing because the death of those he included opened the way to reach the darkness.
[died!]
[2726343 EXP lost!]
[Someone hurriedly turns to you!]
[I’m guessing at a situation that I haven’t witnessed yet… .]
[I’m guessing the situation… … .]
After my vision went dark, messages began to emerge.
‘for a moment.’
Anxiety crept over the Exium.
‘It’s something I’ve never seen before… Could it be that you weren’t looking this way?’
[Situation assessment complete!]
[Someone can’t help but feel sorry for your sudden action!]
[30 bonus points will be collected!]
[An additional 3 points drop due to the resurrection penalty!]
[Revival in a safe place after 10 seconds!]
‘You really weren’t watching?!’
Countless question marks popped up in Axium’s head.
Wasn’t the absurd charge order not caused by Letty’s intervention?
But I still have a hard time understanding the situation!
Harmony, dedication.
It’s clear that no user fulfilled Letty’s intentions as well as they did… !
‘Because what the hell did you pay attention to… ?’
Was there a party or guild that could get Letty’s attention more than the Crimson Guild?
However, there was no party that stood out in particular right before the exam.
While I was so embarrassed, my perspective changed.
“… … sorry.”
Exium had to avoid the gaze of his colleagues who charged with limbs for a long time.
***
Hyeon boldly threw some of his troops as bait.
It was to offset the firepower once and approach the magic soldiers.
Because those guys, who are vulnerable in melee combat, are the most valuable material for EXP!
‘now!’
The moment the road to the enemy’s rear was cleared, Hyun gave an order to the Knights.
“Charge! Full speed!”
Whoa!
A huge light illuminated the path ahead of the Knights.
That is the path the oracle points to.
Numerous Imperial Knights started charging towards the hordes of terrifying liches.
“iced coffee… .”
“Light, guide!”
The appearance of the priestess running together was boosting the morale of the knights to the fullest.
Which priestess would take the sword and lead the vanguard?
Such a thing has happened only once in history.
‘Saint… !’
‘He is the apostle of light!’
Destroying darkness is the destiny of light.
So Ain, who received an oracle ahead of the army of darkness, was in a perfect situation to be misunderstood as an apostle of light.
“Everyone knows?! I have to finish it!”
“I haven’t forgotten!”
“Be sure to kill the enemy with the sword of the priestess!”
In order to break through the group of magic soldiers, the empire sent the most elite knights.
In other words, Hyun and Ain were in a situation where NPCs in the late 300’s and early 400’s level were in a situation where they were being attacked.
Kaaa! Liches screaming in pain as they were cut by the two-handed swords filled with the light of the holy fire.
But he didn’t die.
No matter how low their physical strength was, even if they were attacked with various buffs, they were not easily defeated by the sword wielded by the wizard.
“Leave it to me.”
The sword of the knight who was closely escorting Ain flashed.
His feast of over 400 levels took exactly enough life to put the lich in a dying state.
“thank you.”
When Ain’s sword cut through the air again, the demon was swallowed up by the brilliance of the sacred fire and disappeared.
At the same time, the experience level goes up as far as the eye can see!
Of course, since the experience distribution is proportional to the contribution, it will not be 100% experience.
However, the prey just now was an elite monster close to level 400!
Even just hitting the last blow, I was able to earn experience points that I couldn’t even imagine normally.
“Priestess, here too!”
“I’m holding this one too!”
“Give the enemy rest with that divine sword.”
A similar situation was repeated around the Templars.
Hyun had to use ‘biorhythm acceleration’ to simultaneously supply all the experience points here and there.
[Level up!]
The effect that exploded soon!
Thanks to the equal level of experience, Hyun and Ain were able to level up at the same time.
‘Is this okay… ?’
Suddenly Hyun became scared.
It’s nice to level up fast, but it’s too fast… You won’t be sanctioned for using the system for abuse or something like that, right?
Hyun flinched whenever the next message came to mind because that thought continued to linger.
[Someone is watching you!]
[Someone is watching you!]
… …
<Evaluation Score: 10>
The same message was repeated from the moment experience points were started in earnest.
Someone must be Letty, the organizer of the exam.
But on the other hand, why is it considered to be a warning from the development team monitoring?
Even if you think about it yourself, it must be because you are playing too carelessly!
‘It might be dangerous if I eat too much here.’
According to what I heard one day, the development team did not interfere with the user’s play.
But it’s not that you can’t, it’s just that you don’t.
In fact, stat and skill points were also included among the rewards of the history quest, and it was an event that the development team indirectly affected Asrian’s balance.
‘Let’s just take level 200… Opportunities like this aren’t common. I’ll take a look at it just once.’
Such prefectural concerns were, in fact, unnecessary.
No, to be precise, Hyun had to be more conscious of Letty’s gaze than the development team.
A virtual space created by the power of a celestial being.
The experience gained here was related to the source of the power of the Celestials, so whenever the string level rose, Letty’s power was also drained.
[Someone is watching you!]
The reason why the same message kept popping up was because Letty looked at the place where her power was being leaked.
Of course, Hyun, who did not know such a principle, only looked at the development team.
‘Yes, if I say anything later, I’ll have to say I didn’t know anything! It’s standard practice to allow even abuse of the system at least once!’
Hyun, who decided to make the most of it when the opportunity came, increased the speed of the hunt.
“Priestess, the purification of this side is complete.”
“Ah, when it’s all over, go over there.”
After clearing one place, Hyun pointed in the direction of the altar.
“Over there… .”
“It is a place of darkness.”
“darkness!”
There were more terrifying enemies on the way to reach the darkness.
Elite lich corps, balrogs, vampires, as well as a glimpse of the silhouette of a god of death… Huge monsters of unpredictable size, giants, and even dukes!
Even in a short while, new monsters spring up from the ground.
Unidentified monsters were also crossing the red portal.
Even the Imperial Knights could not deal with them.
According to history, the elite of that abyss are the opponents of the heavenly people who have not yet stepped forward in earnest… Or, it is an enemy that the angels who will be summoned after a while have to deal with.
Hyeon proudly pointed at the nightmare-like beings and said.
“An oracle led the empire there.”
“That means… Does that mean the Light has chosen us as the vanguard?”
“maybe… .”
Just as he was about to nod, Hyun swallowed the answer.
It was because of the message that came to me the moment I opened my mouth.
[Someone is watching you!]
[She will be very disappointed if you lie with your next answer. (-500 points)]
(※Caution: If your score goes below -100, you will be hated by Letty!)
‘If you tell a lie, 500 points will be deducted?’
Oops, Hyun realized his mistake.
The word light was mixed with the knight commander’s question just now.
There are some words that symbolize archangels and devils that no one can playfully mention.
‘Somehow, if I answer wrong here, it seems like a big problem.’
Suddenly, a sharp feeling of foreboding arose.
Hyun thought of an assumption.
What if Letty is closely intertwined with the angels of the forces of light?
In that case, mentioning the name of the light was too risky.
The title of deceiver only makes it easier to deceive the other person, but it does not turn the whole truth into a lie.
‘Except for the light… No, if you exclude all the angels related to the light, only the forces of the truth remain.’
I don’t know what he was thinking.
Was it fearful of the truth’s ability to reveal minds, or was it considering the possibility that Letty knew something.
For a moment, Hyeon’s unconscious mind came up with a name.
‘Order is… ?’
A name that flashed through my mind for a moment.
I thought it was only in my mind.
But for some reason, the name came out of Ain’s mouth without even stopping.
“It’s not the Light, it’s an order from the Order.”
‘what?’
Hyun’s heart sank.
“Hey, what are you saying all of a sudden!”
Why did Ain arbitrarily bring up that name?
Hyun asked her intentions, but the answer she got back was even more incomprehensible.
“Isn’t Hyun muttering something like that just now?”
“I? Did you mumble?」
“Yeah, so I thought you were going to say it as it is.”
“I didn’t say anything!”
“But I’m sure you heard a voice?!”
‘What are you talking about… !’
There was no time to argue with Ain.
The voice had already leaked out, and the eyes of the Imperial Knight Commander who heard the answer fell into astonishment.
“law… is it?”
“… .”
Archangel of Order.
Even in the Interloop, which is said to contain all the information in the world, there was not even a speck of information about order.
Her true name, male or female identity, abilities, and number of angels under her command are completely unknown.
Neither the history of the descent nor the record of the giving of an oracle exist.
Since no one has ever witnessed it, it is said that the statue of order erected in each temple is the shape of a silhouette wearing a veil.
The proof of its existence is only one sentence recorded in the Bible.
<All souls on earth live under the protection of truth, light and order.>
So, if someone in the distant past accidentally wrote down the first line of the Bible by mistake, it may be that humans have lived serving an archangel that does not exist for eons of time.
‘If no one knows… Isn’t the story about him impossible to determine?’
In an instant, Hyeon recalled that thought.
words already spoken. I had no choice but to push through to the end.
This time, I ordered Ain to say it.
“Yes, it is the oracle of order.”
“It’s an oracle of order.”
“Then, does the priestess mean that you are an apostle of order?”
“I’m not an apostle, but… I can hear the voice of order.”
[…] … .]
<Evaluation Score: 10>
‘Aren’t they noticed?’
No one in the world knows about order.
It means that no one can conclude that Ain’s words are lies.
[someone… I am considering your will.]
[Still lost in thought.]
Hyun scanned the message window.
The score is the same, but I can’t be relieved.
I had no idea how big the aftermath of mentioning order would be.
Hyun asked Ain about his intentions again.
“What were you thinking when you said that?”
“You mean me?!”
Ain was very sorry.
“I’m sure Hyun said it first! I checked the recording just now, can you show me?!”
“I have a recording… ?」
「Fufu, wait, don’t talk nonsense later!」
Hyeon’s doubts rose.
Because I was sure it was Ain’s mistake.
It was after he had just rewinded the recording and confirmed that he hadn’t muttered anything.
And yet… .
Tring!
[A video has arrived from AIN! (total length: 5 seconds)]
‘Is my voice really recorded?’
I gulped, swallowed, and played a short video.
Immediately, I heard my own voice conveying to Ain through ‘Soul Conversation’.
“It is not light. It is an oracle of order.”
“It’s not light, it’s order.”
Then, Ain’s voice conveyed the same message.
In an instant, Hyeon had goose bumps all over his body as he felt possessed by a ghost.
“Did you see it? It wasn’t my mistake this time!”
‘really… as?’
I checked it again against my own recordings.
The same scenery, the same background sound, only his own voice was different.
There was no reason for Ain to manipulate the video, and there was no time for that.
Then how could this have happened?
‘ah… !’
“What, what, what’s so scary about that?!”
Ain shuddered at the sudden chill.
It was because lightning struck Hyun’s head and his emotions leaked out.
A possibility popped up in my mind.
The voice recorded in Ain’s recording.
Is it really your own?
That doubt was definitely resolved the moment I opened the status window.
It was because he had discovered a new sentence in the title list of Ain.
[Deceiver]
– Horsepower 15
– Be more undetected when fooling opponents.
-Sometimes you might hear advice from a lie in your ear? (※ New effect!)
<You have completely deceived Caidrial, the demon of deception! I commend you for your boldness!>
‘When did this come about?’
Roaring- One of the sentences in the middle was written in flames and was burning.
The additional effect of the deceiver that sometimes false advice is heard.
‘deception… say.’
Hyeon’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the title.
Did it just come into existence?
There was nothing like this when I checked Ain’s status window this morning.
‘It’s definitely my voice, but it’s not what I said.’
Hyun thought about each case where the user suddenly heard a sound.
Whispers, quest alarms, capsule conversations, soul conversations through fairy tales, etc… .
All of that is logged in the user’s history window.
For example, if you look at the detailed log after a whisper comes in, ‘A sent a message.’ text can be found.
However, there was really nothing in the log window of the recording sent by Ain.
Recorded sound is the only evidence.
‘Can this be done without manipulating the system window?’
After thinking for a while, Hyun shook his head.
The details were something to think about later.
Right now, the eyes of the NPCs are focused, and Letty is also watching this side.
[Someone is watching you!]
<Evaluation score: 12>
‘Anyway, I think the crisis has passed.’
Letty’s evaluation score finally exceeded 10 points.
‘Can I see this as a positive sign?’
It means that she started to have expectations from Ain.
It means that the lie in the name of order worked a little.
‘I can’t change my words now. I have no choice but to push this lie from now on.’
Hyun judged the overall situation.
What if rumors spread among NPCs that there is a user listening to the voice of order?
There will most likely be a tremendous uproar in the sky.
If the fact that the user is Ain is known, Ain will not be able to avoid the attention of NPCs in the sky.
‘I can’t handle it when the rumors grow.’
I don’t know how far the title of deceiver will go.
But apart from true deceit, Archangel, no one can lie in the face of truth.
If things went wrong, there was a possibility that Ain would be summoned by an archangel and forcibly read his thoughts.
‘Can you stop Letty’s mouth… ?’
But if Letty doesn’t tell anyone about today’s events, rumors won’t spread.
For Letty, whose title effect worked, even if she lied a little more, she wouldn’t be caught.
‘Utilizing the title.’
deceiver. In this situation, how did the real deception deceive the opponent?
As soon as he thought about it, a flash of light flashed in Hyun’s mind.
‘If it’s that way, it might be possible.’
Hyun rolled his head and matched the gears in his head.
The vague plan turned into something concrete in an instant.
Covering Letty’s mouth, of course… In addition to that, there are many ways to reap the benefits.
Maybe Ain could get a chance to solidify his position in heaven and grow rapidly.
‘Let’s go like this.’
But for all plans, you must first earn Letty’s trust in a test.
‘I have to do it properly.’
I can’t just think of raising ‘experience points’ like before.
harmony and dedication.
In order to earn Letty’s trust, he had to truly wage a war for the sky.
Hyun, who finished thinking, conveyed his voice through Ain.
「Ain, say it again. Order ordered. Drive out the darkness!”
“… drive it out!”
After giving the order, I asked.
Ain knew that Hyun had been checking for mistakes.
“You didn’t say it wrong again, did you?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong before.”
“Whoops, another lie… 」
In an instant, Ain’s eyes widened as he did not feel the trembling of emotions due to fairy tales.
“huh? How can this not be a lie… ?!”
“It’s a bit complicated. I’ll tell you while fighting.”
Hyeon gave a short explanation as he rushed along with the knights.
Ain, who confirmed his title again, murmured in surprise.
She was completely unaware of the ‘hearing voice’ effect until she just told me.
“When did this depend on the deceiver… ?」
“I don’t know either. But since I’ve been working, I have no choice but to become a true deceiver.”
Hyeon moved the army of the empire.
It was to stab the weakness of the army of darkness.
Louise and her attendants had roughly told how the war would develop, so it wasn’t difficult to figure out where they were vulnerable.
However, the reason why it has not been actively attacked so far.
‘Shall we meet?’
It was because it was burdensome to face a gritty face.
No matter how welcome it is.
“Be sure to catch the commander.”
“You mean the commander of these golems?”
“Yes, because there are two of them. Don’t miss any.”
Shatin and Shatina.
It’s a simple principle.
Louise’s life in the past was saved by these sisters.
Conversely, without them, the darkness will inevitably disappear from this place.
If you change the outcome of the war that happened in the past, you will be able to gain Letty’s trust at once.
“Those are them!”
“Those puppets must be killed!”
The Templars soon encountered a pair of similar-looking golems.
Quaaaaaa!
The giant demon’s blade scratched the ground.
The knight commander deflected the blade with all his might, but he didn’t expect it to fly back like a living creature.
“Kuh, priestess, be careful!”
In that gap, another blade flew from the other side.
Shatin and Shatina were aiming for Ain at the same time, as if they felt the danger from the existence that lit the torch.
‘Jet-black blade… !’
Hyun did not forget the skills of the sisters.
A blade that changes direction twice.
He also remembered how Shatina used the technique.
I made a ‘spinning blade’ by interlocking the two forces.
“Everyone protect the priestess!”
“Avoid… !”
Hyeon extended his sword forward, ignoring the shouts around him.
‘If only the axis of rotation is scattered… .’
A ten-meter long blade made of demonic energy and a one-meter long sword collided.
Even if Ain, who had almost no strength stats, collided with Shatina’s skill, it would not be safe.
A miracle that happened in that moment.
A small sword with brilliance stopped the giant’s blade.
After a while, as the jet-black blade withered, the intense demonic energy scattered in vain.
“Sarah… lost?”
For an instant, there was silence on the battlefield full of noise.
A user’s own fighting method born through years of judgment research and thousands of failures.
It is a technique that uses the blind spot of judgment.
Even among users, those with poor eyesight would not understand the principle of stopping the blade.
So, in the eyes of the NPCs who didn’t know the user well, it looked like magic from God.
“law… .”
“Order protects us!”
Joy bloomed in the sky.
The knights’ morale soared, but Hyun couldn’t smile.
It was because the images of the two golems looking at him from opposite sides passed by.
Suddenly my heart throbbed.
The sisters always feared their usefulness was exhausted.
How would you feel when you see your skills disappear meaninglessly?
“hyeon.”
Ain, noticing Hyun’s condition, suddenly jumped out.
“Do you think these are the guys I met a while ago?”
“… … .」
“Can I do it for you?”
Hyun picked his breath to hide his nervousness.
I didn’t think it meant much at the time, but it seems that hidden emotions remained in my unconscious.
“Sorry, I’m begging you.”
[Letty questions your hesitation.]
[I am carefully watching your next move.]
<Evaluation score: 17>
The opponent is a thousand.
The possibility that unconsciousness can be revealed through facial expressions cannot be ruled out.
“Can you act like a priestess? She is just like Louise did before.”
“Louise? Is it okay if I don’t have any thoughts?”
“hmm… That’s not bad either. Do as you will.”
Tring!
[The control priority has been temporarily changed!]
While calming down, I left everything to Ain.
To prevent useless facial expressions from leaking out.
The battle became more intense.
It was because Ain had summoned the Empire’s forces aside from the two knights.
Shatin and Shatina’s end was more devastating than what had been told in words.
A life for the dark.
The two sisters instantly possessed powers comparable to those of demons. He showed overwhelming inaction to the extent that his performance at the ranking ceremony seemed flat.
Even when all of his subordinates had fallen and only the two of them were left, the expression of despair did not appear on Shatin and Shatina’s faces.
Fight and fight, when your strength finally runs out.
Not even half of the imperial knights escorting Ain were left, but the remains of the two golems were also scattered on the floor.
<Evaluation score: 43>
[Letty is sure you know the past!]
