Great Hall of Harmony (1) and Great Hall of Harmony (2)
The fifth basement floor of the temple was like a palace made of ice.
Of course, it wasn’t ice, it just felt cool because of the blue magic lanterns that glowed everywhere.
another angle, another angle.
In addition, Hyun could hear another footstep that echoed slowly as he slowly crossed the huge towering pillars on either side.
‘There is someone… !’
Before long, Hyun was able to find a single human figure standing alone.
As expected to some degree, that guy wasn’t Louise.
A man wearing a white uniform.
As Hyeon approached, he slowly opened his mouth.
“You are Hyun.”
“… .”
Hyun’s eyebrows twitched.
A voice that is a bit thin for a man.
It was the same voice that had been conversing with the voice magic tool a while ago.
Hyun stopped at an appropriate distance and asked.
“Where is Louise?”
“well… ?”
“I don’t think there is a bathtub in a place like this.”
“I leave that up to your imagination.”
shit. The man’s mouth drew an arc.
As a result, Hyeon realized that the other party had no intention of answering.
“Hyun, do you know who that guy is?”
“No, I can’t see your face.”
Because he was wearing a white robe, only the silhouette of his face was visible.
However, having played Asura Online for a long time, Hyun had a rough idea of the uniform styles of each country.
His pure white striped robe… It was closer to the style of the Holy Kingdom than the Empire.
“Somehow… Looks like we’ll have to fight.”
Hyun’s eyes narrowed when he realized that fact.
No matter how favorably I tried, I couldn’t interpret this guy’s true identity favorably.
Suddenly, a memory from the past passed through my head.
Karma, the heretic inquisitor of the Holy Kingdom, hid her true identity and infiltrated the labyrinth.
If this time is similar to that time, then Louise… He might be in a bit of a dangerous situation.
That’s when Hyun thought of many possibilities.
Kaaang! A loud noise resounded in the cold space.
‘Sheesh… ! It seemed like this.’
Hyun clicked his tongue.
In an instant, the distance was reduced and the sword shot flew by.
Fortunately, from the moment I entered the 5th basement floor, I was able to react to the attack thanks to the constant tension.
‘Was it a melee type!’
Hwaaak!
The black of the man who was still smiling eerily was shining white.
I thought that the probability of being a wizard or a priest was high because I was wearing a robe, but it didn’t seem like it was actually the case.
After belatedly widening the distance, Ain asked me through a spirit conversation.
“Wasn’t that a movement skill just now?”
“huh! There was no skill effect. It just moves fast!”
“Shh, what is it, it’s flying all of a sudden!”
“It’s worth doing anyway. Because the power seems weak.」
Yes, the opponent is probably agile.
The proof was that the attack from earlier had no weight.
At the same time as finding out the opponent’s main stats, Hyun was relieved on the other hand.
The reason why named NPCs are difficult is that they launch unreasonable attacks that the user cannot respond to.
Like Massianne’s greatsword, which cannot be stopped even if you know it, or the magic of the celestials, whose power and speed are impossible to defend.
“You can avoid it if you concentrate well.”
Assassin and other agile professions must perform psychological warfare to show their true value.
However, unlike users, NPCs rarely attempt psychological warfare. No, you can’t!
So since the days of Asura, there was only one way to deal with agile bosses.
To drag the fight into a long game and figure out the pattern.
No matter how fast the attack was, if you could figure out the rules, you could respond sufficiently, so if you weren’t pressed for time, you could win someday.
however.
‘what… ?’
The moment the sword strike passed in front of his eyes, Hyun felt an unknown sense of incongruity.
Why does the tip of the opponent’s sword look unusually wobbly?
It was the next moment that I realized the reason.
‘fake… !’
At the same time as the wind generated by the flash passed before his eyes, Hyun felt a chill.
This is because the attack direction and timing changed at the exquisite moment.
When I reflexively used Shadow Run, the sword body pierced the afterimage of the shadow before long.
‘Kuh… Is it a coincidence?’
Hyeon, who had escaped from the crisis, groaned.
If he hadn’t escaped with a mobile device, what would have been pierced by the sword would have been the body rather than an afterimage.
‘No, it’s not a coincidence!’
Eventually, Hyun’s suspicions were confirmed when he saw the opponent charging in a zigzag direction.
It is unmistakably moving!
It is a skill unique to the user, not used by any NPC.
In an instant, Hyeon’s mind became confused.
As far as he knows, the only NPC that uses moving is Ruiz, a second-generation artificial intelligence.
She was also able to use basic moving freely after being taught for a long time.
But how could this guy… .
Are you sure you’re a user and not an NPC?
No, there’s no way a guy with this level of agility could be a user.
‘The armor of darkness, Bantan!’
Hyun instinctively used the skill.
I don’t know why, but I thought that I would no longer think of my opponent as an NPC.
“what… !”
But the next time, Hyun raised his voice by voice.
It was because the trajectory of the sword the opponent was wielding was abnormally twisted at the same time as the anti-tank effect exploded.
A scythe of vigilance that cuts through the empty air.
Since the weapon did not collide, the effect of the half shot did not activate.
After that, the man, who had spread his distance, uttered admiration.
“Awesome. It was perfect timing. If I had been even a little slower, I would have been pinned down.”
“… !”
Hyun stopped moving for a moment to understand the situation and looked at the opponent.
The opponent knew the name Hyun, and seemed to know the effect of Bantan.
No, I can understand what I know.
Now that his reputation has increased, and his face has been revealed on Carinta Island and Radix Island, it is quite possible that his skills will be analyzed.
but… It was hard to believe that the NPC responded in this way to Bantan.
… After a moment of silence, Hyun shook his head.
Anyway, it’s not a problem that can be solved by thinking about it now.
「Ah, did you see her move just now? How do you look?」
Even before Hyun asked, Ain’s eyes were shining.
Ain also understood the meaning of his movements just now.
“I want to fight once.”
“I was just about to say that anyway.”
“I’m fighting?!”
“Yes, I will assist you!”
“okay… !”
Ain used reversal to change his body into his own.
In order to face the duel with a more familiar body.
and one more.
Pod! I put in the scythe of vigilance and took out the level 250 unique gloves that Hyun had saved me a while ago.
It was because a weapon that was too large would be cumbersome when engaging in speed battles in earnest.
Roaring! Ain raises Ifrit’s claws on both hands.
The man didn’t look too embarrassed when he saw her suddenly transforming into a girl.
Rather, he was shaking his head as if he had expected it.
‘If it’s an NPC that uses psychological warfare, it means that it can use psychological warfare on the contrary, doesn’t it?’
And Hyun intentionally canceled the effect of certain titles.
[Shadow of Darkness]
– Dark type resistance increases by 20%.
-Now, the color of the skill will not be lost even while possessing Magi. (On/Off possible)
Ain’s toenails, which had been burning red, soon turned black.
The reason for erasing the color of the effect is to confuse the opponent more easily by permeating into the darkness.
Hwareuk! Hwareuk! Then Ain, wielding jet-black flames, looked as if two girls were moving.
Welcome run. The skill that only copied the effect of the last skill left an afterimage on the back of Ain.
From then on, a fierce battle began.
‘As expected, psychological warfare works!’
As time passed, Hyun was able to grasp one more characteristic.
The opponent only fought as if imitating the user, but compared to the actual ranker, there was a feeling that his skills were lacking.
It is proof that Ain is not easily pushed back even in a situation where he does not have the upper hand in speed.
‘Will this method work?’
Hyun decided to openly dig for that weakness.
After unlocking the assimilation and settling behind Ain.
Taang! Taang!
It fired a bullet containing shock amplification.
Seeing the opponent shake slightly, Hyeon clenched his fists.
That’s right, the opponent’s strength stat isn’t that high.
If the center of gravity is shaken, no matter how fast the speed is, it is difficult to make a big gain… !
‘Okay, let’s do everything we can.’
Hyun tried one more thing.
Thanks to repeated duels with Ain on the train to Lookingham, his sense of battle was at its peak.
「Ain, that!」
[The party has been canceled!]
“huh!”
Ain gave a short answer to Hyun’s cry.
There was no detailed explanation, but Hyun’s intentions were accurately conveyed to Ain.
Taang! It was the next moment when gunshots rang out.
[2041 damage done!]
‘Hmm?’
At the first grappling attack, the man touched his chin.
How did the flame just fly in a b-shaped trajectory ignoring inertia?
He had no idea that the shock amplification on the string bullet hit Ain’s Ifrit’s claws and deflected the direction of the attack.
Taang! Taang!
The gunfire didn’t stop with one shot, it continued.
Hyun continued to pull the trigger while maintaining a distance of more than 50 meters from the battlefield.
It shoots the opponent’s weapon to block his movement, and sometimes shoots Ain to get her out of a predicament.
This is the most basic way shadow shooters fight.
Of course, there were times when Hyeon himself was targeted, but it was no problem.
Taang!
At that time, if you use the bullet of salvation and assimilate into Ain, you can escape the threat safely.
‘Cut the giant!’
It wasn’t just Hyun who used guns.
Tuong! A heavier gunshot exploded near Ain.
The shotgun function attached to the scythe of vigilance creates a large recoil for the user.
Ain instantly changed his weapon and struck with a scythe of frost instead of claws of flame.
cooong!
Just in time, the string shook the center of gravity, so the man had no choice but to receive the giant slicing intact.
His body could not withstand the impact of the giant’s slicing and was mercilessly slammed into a pillar.
kuh… The smile disappeared from the man’s face for the first time with a moan.
“good!”
It was at that moment that Hyeon’s eyes twinkled.
“Finally, I had a proper meal!”
Taang! Taang!
Hyeon used Ain’s transparency and biorhythm acceleration, and Ain didn’t miss the timing.
Charged at the man in white, she even activated ‘Afterimage Slash’ to maximize damage.
Just like that, Prosia’s ice knife was about to hack the man to pieces.
‘what?’
Huung-. Hyun felt the illusion that the sound of the wind was coming from somewhere.
what? What is this familiar sound?
No, this wasn’t just an illusion.
That sound is actually a sound that Hyun has heard once.
It was a precursor to the whirlwind that rang out from the roof of a train running across the border.
That moment,
Wheein! A whirlwind like a flash cut through the empty space between the man and the man, and soon turned into a huge typhoon and swept through the cavity.
Wow!
‘… no way!’
Hyun realized the identity of the wind belatedly.
Black Island… . And the connecting machine Nanseompo!
It was Louise’s skill that she used in her spirit state.
“what’s this!”
Ain, swept away by the blast of wind, shouted.
Why am I flying all of a sudden?
Even she, who had been thrown near the ceiling, had no idea what was going on.
[The 3rd Job Change Quest has been completed!]
T-ring! The alarm sounded just in time, but Hyun was distracted and did not hear it.
The place where the typhoon stopped.
A woman with a spear stood there with an embarrassed expression.
Louise looked at Hyeon and opened her mouth after a while.
“hyeon… I’m sorry for confusing you. Hmm, first of all, you don’t have to fight this guy anymore. They are not our enemies.”
looking at the man again.
“How is it? Will you believe the words of this body now?”
“Certainly, at this level, I can agree with the priestess. I don’t think there’s any need for a separate test.”
“So, how many times have I not told you!”
The conversation between Louise and the man in white made Hyun even more confused.
The conversation between the two seemed friendly, as if they had known each other for a long time.
“But if the priestess intervenes at this timing, don’t you think I’ve lost? To be honest, it didn’t do much damage even if I just hit the technique.”
“Well, let’s put it like that. It doesn’t matter now.”
Hyun stared at Louise with dumbfounded eyes.
He needed a lot of explanation about who the man he had been fighting with just now was and what kind of relationship he had with Louise.
The man introduced himself with a pleasant smile.
There was no trace of the eerie grin on his face.
A fishy laugh, and even a uniform in the style of the Holy Kingdom.
Everything was props prepared for acting!
“nice to see you. It is called the Arcane Safe.”
The moment he took off the hood of the robe that covered his head, Hyun felt the sensation of being hit in the head.
‘Arcane… ? Was it really Arcane?’
Mist Knight Arcane!
Why didn’t I recognize him, who proudly puts his name on the list of only twelve high-ranking knights in the empire!
The reason was because Arcane was a famous knight for ‘secret art’ rather than ‘swordsmanship’.
A one-on-one head-to-head match is not suitable for him who takes care of secret matters.
Most of the members of the knights he led also used unusual weapons other than swords.
During the battle, he did not use any of his main skills, so his identity was unknown.
but… Why is Arcane, also known as the ‘Empire’s Blade’, with Louise?
From Louise’s explanation that followed, Hyun was able to grasp a little of the situation.
“He is helping me. He was very helpful in finding out the spies of the castle kingdom, and also in establishing a temple in Lookingham.”
“Haha, it’s embarrassing to hear the priestess praise you right in front of you. I am just one of the ordinary followers of harmony.”
It is said that Louise and Arcane met during the war with the Holy Kingdom.
From the past, Arcane has been interested in the weapon called ‘gun’ and the idea of harmony.
It was natural for her to be curious about the rumors about the bride of harmony.
The first meeting that started by chance and inevitability.
However, now that the war with the Holy Kingdom has been prolonged and ‘miracles’ have appeared all over the world, it is said that Arcane has become a true follower of harmony.
Their relationship lasted a little longer.
It seems that the emperor, who realized that the idea of harmony was useful in the war against the Holy Kingdom, ordered Arcane to support Louise.
In summary, Arcane is the number one contributor to Louise’s plan to increase the power of harmony.
“If you are on the same side… Why did you suddenly attack me?”
“Oops, I forgot that explanation!”
Hyun could also understand why Arcane attacked him.
“It was to appoint you as the chief magistrate. Of course I have no doubts about you, but I needed to convince others that you were worthy.”
“The Lord’s Office… ?”
“It’s a title I created myself. It is an honorable position given only to those who have all the power, fame, cause, and conviction!”
‘It’s a title created by Louise… ?’
For a moment, Hyeon looked at Louise with sullen eyes.
It reminded her of the day she first got her subordinates, giving the undead the title of star of the stars.
1st corps commander, assault captain, escort captain, etc… The way she talked about her titles, which she couldn’t even remember, was like a child playing house.
You must have aged a lot by now, but have you still not escaped from that time?
“No, you should have asked my opinion first. I don’t need a title like a magistrate or something!”
Things that just look annoying.
Hyun immediately refused.
It was at that moment that Louise’s smile deepened.
“Huh, hyeon, are you saying that you don’t need it even after you’ve already used the power of the lord?”
“what… ?”
“The pattern engraved on the back of your hand is the mark of the governor.”
At those words, Hyun opened his eyes wide.
While looking at the back of her hand, Louise’s explanation continued.
“The head priest is not just a position in name. A being who can borrow the power of a transcendental being with a human body and exercise it is the Lord God.”
“… … .”
“Didn’t you experience a special power on the way here?”
The moment Louise finished speaking, the events she had experienced a few days ago flashed before Hyun’s eyes.
When he used Ascension on a train.
The pattern of harmony glowed and demonic energy flowed into the body… Even black-and-white wings were attached to her own back.
Could it be that the ‘special power’ that Louise was referring to was exactly that?
It was that moment when I was rolling my head to understand the situation.
“You have open ears, so just listen.”
Even though he hadn’t written a fairy tale, Hyun’s pupils widened at the sudden sound of Louise’s voice in his head.
“Hyun, you must have already noticed. In fact, the position of magistrate is just a facade.”
「The power of that day was my authority regardless of the position of the magistrate. The ability to exercise power without directly stepping out is the authority of darkness.”
“It is different from an apostle. You will easily understand the difference between accepting the power of the transcendent and using it yourself. Because I have used the power of empathy myself.”
「In other words, the position of magistrate was appropriately disguised in order to use my authority. Even the ‘harmony pattern’ that humans look up to is just imitating the design you made.”
While Arcane tilted her head, Louise’s voice continued to flow into Hyun’s head.
It was an amazing story.
An authority of darkness that Louise uses under the name of the Priestess.
It was because it was the same as the ability to turn an ordinary human into a semi-transcendent person.
“Of course, I am not yet a true darkness… Thanks to that, I was able to give you strength without any restrictions.”
The incident that occurred on the train was now fully understood.
According to common sense, an ordinary user cannot have more than 10 million demons.
Even so, the reason why the special condition of Ascension was triggered was probably because Louise’s demonic energy flowed into her body.
He borrowed Louise’s power and used it.
‘wait for a sec… So, isn’t it necessary to create a position called the chief priest?’
In an instant, Hyun thought of a question.
Wouldn’t it be unreasonable to use the authority without having to use it in a cumbersome way?
Louise’s answer cleared that question.
「Hyeon, do you remember when I said before that I would make you a king?」
‘… !’
“You are now able to use my magic as you please. It is a story that you are the only one who can cause a miracle in the world! If you repeat miracles, one day your reputation will surpass even the emperor of the empire, and all humans will serve you!」
‘Everyone serves me… .’
thud. thud. Hyun’s heart started to beat.
It wasn’t because he was excited about the fact that he might surpass the emperor’s reputation.
At the same time as Louise’s words ended, the voice of Lutia, whom she had just met, lingered in her ears.
“How would you like to be handed the name of harmony?”
A flash of light flashed in Hyun’s head.
Yes, now I know!
Confusing thoughts that I hadn’t been able to understand for a while were sorted out all at once.
Why Lutia came to Louise 5 years ago. Why did he come up with the proposal to hand over the name of harmony… !
From spreading the idea of harmony to the world, establishing a great temple in Lookingham, and even creating the position of a magistrate.
The series of plans wasn’t just a result of Louise’s whim.
It was a plan that someone had been carefully preparing for 5 years ago!
***
The group got on the elevator and went up to the ground.
Arcane said she had work to do and left, and Louise stayed with Hyeon and Ain for a little while longer.
Louise’s face was full of pride as she took the two of them around and introduced them to the Great Temple.
He must be proud of the fact that he created such a wonderful building under his own initiative.
A smile was drawn on Hyun’s lips as he talked about everyday life.
No matter if 5 years passed or 15 years passed, Louise was always the same.
“How can you not change?”
“Huh, it seems like you’re envious that this body doesn’t age. This is the power of the transcendent!”
“I’m so envious of that.”
True to Louise’s words, her appearance barely changed.
If you think about it, aren’t the truth and deception all the same as when you were young?
Angels and demons are all free from aging.
“After meeting you, I missed home a little. Is everything going on in the border city?”
“huh. It is the same as before.”
“I see… The last time I saw it, no one was there.”
“… Aren’t you going back?”
To Hyun’s question, Louise looked up into the air and answered.
“I want to go back. However, this body now is virtually no different from the lord of Lookingham. I don’t have much time in this situation.”
“Um… .”
“Still, since users are starting to appear again, I’ll have to spend a week or so and go play!”
Hyun was a little surprised.
Even though the outside is the same, is it that the inside has grown even more?
It was quite unfamiliar to see Louise, who had only followed her instincts, speak in a responsible way.
Hyun decided not to interfere with Louise’s decision.
It would not have been easy to establish a position in the empire as a priestess of harmony for five years.
Besides, she’s 25, no matter how low-estimated it is. I’m not in a position to say anything anymore.
After hanging out for a while like that.
Hyun asked Louise for some important information.
“What is the percentage of believers who serve harmony?”
“Among the imperials? Roughly three out of ten serve harmony.”
“no. By the standards of every country on earth.”
“Hmm, all countries… .”
To Hyeon’s question, Louise answered by recalling her memory.
“The Empire is 35%, the Nation of Darkness is 10%, and of course there is no one in the Holy Kingdom. I think the rest of the small and medium-sized countries were around 5 percent.”
“… Not as many as you think.”
“what? That’s plenty. There are quite a few humans who do not worship angels at all!”
Hyun quickly shut his mouth at Louise’s cry.
It was because he muttered without much thought, and did not intend to disparage Louise’s five years of hard work.
‘Anyway, it’s still a long way.’
However, for the name of harmony to replace truth and light, shouldn’t the percentage of believers exceed 50%?
Unless you secure more than half of the shares, you cannot say that the whole world has been colored with harmony.
Hyun realized that he still had a long way to go.
In order to harmonize the followers of truth and light, you will have to show more than what you showed in the border area several times.
Yes, only by borrowing the power of Louise with the pattern of the head priest and creating a ‘miracle’ will more humans be able to become followers of harmony.
“Oh, and one thing I didn’t tell you… .”
Louise, who was glancing around in an empty place, whispered in a small whisper.
“Hyun, I have no intention of lending my power to anyone other than you.”
“why? Could it be that I am the only one who received the mark of the magistrate?”
“That’s not right. There are already five of us, including Arcane.”
“But why… .”
“Signs are not everything! Even if I have the mark, I cannot use my power without permission!”
Saying that, Louise gave a mischievous smile.
“what? That’s a scam!”
Hyun jumped up.
Her words meant, in a word, that she created the position of magistrate for herself.
“That’s the fault of those fooled! In the first place, you were the one who said it was wrong to be caught by the hukou.”
“Did I?”
“okay! Every time I told the story of Poppy, I repeated the same story. Thanks to that, I was able to convince Papi as well.”
Seeing Louise proudly boasting of her bad deeds, Hyeon, the main beneficiary, felt complicated for no reason.
Numerous missionaries aiming for the head priest might fall by the back of their necks if they listened to Louise’s words.
I thought that maybe I had raised Louise the wrong way.
Once again, the prefecture realized the importance of early childhood education.
“Anyway, I understand your intentions. You mean to use your power to increase the followers of harmony?”
“no. It is to raise your reputation.”
Hyun nodded.
Remembering Lutia’s promise to hand over the name of harmony
Eventually, the two sentences will have the same meaning.
I thought about my future plans.
After all, would it be better to go to the battlefield?
To show a miracle, it would be effective to go to a place desperate enough to crave it.
This is because humans have a strong tendency to rely on faith at the boundary of life and death.
‘Well, I can think about the plan later.’
Hyun, who continued his thoughts, shook his head.
I can’t move right now anyway.
He and Ain had just completed the 3rd job change quest, so they needed maintenance for the next 2-3 days.
You’ll have to repair and purchase equipment, create new skill combinations, and even practice in preparation for the real battle.
“Louis, is there any inn nearby that you can recommend?”
“motel?”
Upon hearing that, Louise put on a puzzled expression, then spoke as if urging Hyun.
“Don’t forget that you are the Lord God. At Lookingham, he is the next person to me. To sleep at an inn!”
“Oh, then can you give me a place to rest?”
“Of course! The VIP room in Daeshinjeon is decorated just as well as the imperial palace, so you can look forward to it!”
“And it would be nice to have a gymnasium. A little wider.”
“hmm… Unfortunately, there is no such thing, but the 5th basement floor could be used instead of a gymnasium. It is very wide and even has a shock absorbing magic circle installed.”
Hyun and Ain followed Louise who proudly replied.
