Preparing for the Future (1), Preparing for the Future (2), Preparing for the Future (3) and Preparing for the Future (4)
In the end, Hyun decided to follow Caidrial’s will.
It’s not just out of sympathy.
It wasn’t like Louise, but Caidrial was like a colleague who helped her from behind the scenes.
Looking back now, he and Gi-ki always walked the same path. It wouldn’t be strange if camaraderie developed over that long period of time.
If there’s only one thing that sticks out, it’s just one thing.
The fact that Caidrial intentionally pulled himself into the abyss.
But even now, I’m rather grateful for it.
If he hadn’t chosen the forces of the Abyss, he wouldn’t have been able to make such pleasant memories, and he wouldn’t have been able to be with Louise.
‘But what am I supposed to do now?’
It was only after Hyun made up his mind that he faced a new problem.
It was good to receive the main quest, but it was because the goal was too abstract.
To dye the world into an abyss, what the hell are you supposed to do… ?
However, there was no need to wrap my head around interpreting the quest.
It was because Hyun, who had left the temple for a while to cool off and wandered around the streets of the Nation of Darkness, was enveloped in fog and another visitor came.
“You are here.”
A woman’s voice came from the fog and sang the strings.
“Oh, you… ?”
“Long time no see. You too.”
Mystia.
She, who once introduced herself as the ‘Apostle of Harmony’, guided herself and Louise on the sky bridge, and was a celestial being who fought against the forces of light on Carinta Island.
but… Hyun knows now.
Mystia from another world appeared to help Louise in the land of darkness.
Considering that she had been following deception even before the idea of harmony spread, Mystia must have been following deception for a long time.
As a celestial being, she was a faithful servant of the Great Devil.
“No, should I call you master now?”
“master… say?”
Hyeon was startled by her name and looked around.
“Your master wasn’t me, it wasn’t him… ?!”
I hurriedly pointed at the person next to me.
According to the sentence written in the main quest, the one who inherited the meaning of deception must be Ain with the title of ‘Deceiver’.
In response to Hyun’s reaction, Mistia continued her explanation without a change in expression.
“I just called him that because he was the owner of the owner.”
Mystia seemed to already know a lot.
The link between deception and Ain, maybe even the relationship between Chaos and its attendants.
“If it’s awkward, I don’t mind any other title. How can I call you?”
“… Just call me like before.”
“great. I will.”
Then Mistia looked around and said.
“Hyeon, I have a very important story to pass on to you.”
“What story?”
“It’s a little too much to say here.”
The capital of the Nation of Darkness is crowded with people everywhere.
Even in this relatively secluded park, I could hear people talking sparsely.
“You know how to get to the basement?”
“huh. maybe… ?”
“Then let’s talk over there.”
After saying those words, Mystia’s new model dispersed like fog.
“Hyun, me too… !”
“okay.”
Pod! Hyeon, who assimilated Ain, also disappeared.
In an instant, the three of them were walking under the sky of a symmetrical world dyed in dark red light.
A place like an abandoned temple.
Hyun suddenly remembered the first time he entered the symmetrical world.
This was also the background when the world suddenly changed right after learning how to pray from Lutia.
‘I miss it a little bit.’
The scenery of the symmetrical world, which seemed ominous at first sight, is now familiar.
Rather, it felt a bit cozy.
Because Lutia always used this world to guide herself and Louise to safety.
I could always get where I wanted to go just by following her.
The three of them walked aimlessly for a while.
It’s been a while since Mistia’s mouth opened again.
“You have put all the pieces together.”
“huh? what?”
“You don’t have to hide it. My intuition is the most accurate among the celestials.”
Having said that, Mystia paused for a moment and closed her eyes.
She could feel the subtle energy radiating from the strings.
It is still like a calm wave, but it has the power to turn into a raging storm in an instant.
It was incomparable to the celestial powers he possessed.
“You can feel a little bit of the power of chaos.”
“I see… .”
Hyun did not deny that.
Judging from her previous experiences, Mystia was not someone to be suspicious of and wary of.
Rather, it was Hyun who wanted to ask her.
Hyun decided to ask her about the things he had planned to ask when he met Cadrial one day.
“Am I also the Great Devil?”
“Similar, but technically different.”
“What is it?”
“There are different types and sizes of power. The Great Devil means a being that can no longer become stronger.”
“Um… .”
Hyungwon nodded quietly.
I could barely understand what Mystia was saying.
The level of archangels and demons in the Assrian worldview is fixed at 500, and there are no levels higher than that.
In other words, Mystia may be saying that she needs to reach level 500 to unleash the power of true chaos.
But is it possible for a user to hit level 500?
Being able to reach level 450 after playing Asura Online for 8 years was close to a miracle.
After reaching level 400, it took a tremendous amount of time to raise one level, and if you take into account the experience point drop penalty you get if you die, the time increases exponentially.
In other words, level 500 is literally a theoretical number.
It would be a state that users could not reach even if they played Assrian for the rest of their lives.
Hyun had other conversations with Mistia.
A story from the past to the present, and to the future.
“You were the only one who saved me. When my family and even my family abandoned me, only he reached out to me.”
“… .”
“From then on, I decided to swear allegiance.”
The fact that the deception was gone made even Mistia, who always had a blunt expression, emotional.
Mistia had been telling the story of deception, and Hyun quietly listened to the story.
The events that sounded like far-away stories were all happening close to him.
And finally, when the long story was over, Mistia began to tell the real reason she came to Hyun.
“Hyeon-nim won’t have to move first.”
“why… ?”
“Because it will be faster for the sky to invade the ground.”
Mystia knew the situation in the sky.
Unlike on the ground, it was said that in the sky, harmony is oppressed by forces other than the truth, which maintains neutrality.
This is because the heavenly beings want to maintain the existing system rather than accept new changes.
“I came to you. It is to inform you of the plan of the celestials to overthrow the earth.”
“what… .”
“Soon, forces of light will invade the earth. They think that the cause of this phenomenon of ‘harmony’ is all over the earth.”
Hyun could not hide his astonishment at Mistia’s explanation.
The celestials say they intend to create a new world with the humans in the sky after eliminating all humans on the ground.
The Empire, the Nation of Darkness, as well as the Holy Kingdom, where there are quite a few followers of light, will be erased from history.
“That could happen…” ?”
“It is quite possible. Strictly speaking, it is not the celestials who want to wage war between heaven and earth, but ‘light’.”
“… !”
“Since harmony has disappeared, the oracle of harmony has stopped in the sky. If the oracle of light came down in this situation, no one would be able to stop it.”
The celestials move according to the oracles.
In heaven, an oracle is like a justification, and forces without a justification lose their power.
That’s right, from the time Caidrial disappeared, it was predestined that the earth and sky would break.
Hyun held his breath.
Did Cadrial know that the future would go like this?
Because he knows, he must have asked Mystia to find him.
“How long until the invasion begins?”
“It will take at least a year to prepare.”
‘It’s been a year… .’
Still, there was plenty of time.
It was a time to prepare quite a lot in about a year.
What should I do to prepare for the future? Hyeon’s eyes narrowed in thought.
***
before Mistia leaves.
Hyun asked her if she could visit him in the future.
It was because getting her help was the most effective way to get information from heavenly beings.
“You don’t have to ask me. You are my master.”
Mystia gladly agreed.
“Then, I will visit the temple every week.”
Even after she left, Hyun thought a lot.
An invasion under the leadership of ‘Light’.
The scale was so large that it was hard to realize it.
Are you saying that the heavens, as well as angels and Valkyries, will cover the whole earth?
Maybe even the ‘Goliaths’ we saw then will appear.
This is because Goliath is a very good tool that dilutes the restrictions of heavenly beings on earth.
‘I can’t do everything alone.’
Hyeon realized right away.
This is not an event that can be done with the power of one user.
Even with all the strength of the Shade Guild, it was not enough to stand up to the sky.
Yes, this quest is a war between the earth and the sky!
If the people of the sky had the intention of destroying the earth, it would be necessary to mobilize everything to stop it on this side as well.
‘We have to borrow the power of all the forces on earth. Users are natural, even NPCs… !’
Fortunately, he had the means to move half of the world.
The name of harmony received from Ki-gi, and the power of chaos completed after a long journey.
Besides that, you should use all available cards!
‘First of all, I need a cause.’
People have no idea that the sky will invade the earth one year later.
Rather, they are serving the heavenly celestials and angels.
If you don’t harbor animosity towards the enemy, nothing will happen.
It was necessary to dilute any respect for them before the war broke out.
Hyun, who organized his thoughts, hurriedly found Seseri.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
Hyun entrusted her with an important mission.
“I will change what is written in the Bible of Harmony.”
“yes… ? The Bible?!”
“I’m not going to completely rewrite it, I’m just changing or adding a few things.”
“Something like that… Can I… ?”
“you can do it.”
Upon hearing the plan, Ceseri asked with trembling hands.
“Why do something so important to someone like me… .”
“You have a lot of knowledge, and above all, you can understand human emotions to the depths, don’t you?”
Ceseri experienced the viciousness of the forces of light firsthand.
Only those who know their true nature will be able to truly move people’s hearts.
“Release all the things piled up in the light in the Bible.”
At those words, Ceseri nodded with determination and clenched her fists.
“I still don’t feel it, but… I will definitely try my best… !”
“Please take care of me.”
On earth, the idea of harmony has already penetrated deep into people’s lives.
As long as the contents of the changed Bible are not radical enough to exceed the limit, there will be no one to fault the contents.
In this way, people on earth will change their values little by little without even realizing it.
Just as the undead are no longer considered objectionable, angels and celestials will not be blindly regarded as holy.
It would be best if ‘light’ could be equated with ‘evil’, but it wouldn’t be possible to change people’s values that much in just one year.
‘It will take quite a while to change the Bible, right?’
Hyun decided to visit Seseri in a week and moved on to the next plan.
In war, strength is just as important as justification.
The prefecture divided the priorities and listed the things to be equipped for a year.
For example, things like when to reach level 400, the growth of the Shade Guild, and how to unite users and NPC forces.
‘It’s level 400… Maybe someday?’
Achieving level 400 itself is not a problem.
Currently, the current level is 382. It is enough to reach level 400 in two months.
The former quest was not a quest that took a long time, so the problem with the low level would be solved by itself over time.
‘Let’s try raising it to level 420 for now.’
Hyun decided to set the goal high.
Of course, it would be almost impossible to raise 20 more levels within a year after the 4th job change, but unlike the previous work, this time there is the ‘Power of Chaos’, so it may be possible somehow.
‘What should I do with the guild?’
Hyun also looked at the situation of the guild.
Now, the number of members of the Shade Guild is not just five.
It was because some time ago, VIP users started accepting new guild members.
Now, with the same system as Darkness, the existing guild members became executives and were in charge of various organizations one by one.
‘The guild… I think it would be better not to change it.’
We decided not to make any major changes to the guild system.
It was because there was no major change in the guild’s power, even though the conditions for joining were relaxed or the number of members was greatly increased.
In a war where you have to fight against celestials and angels, users below level 400 aren’t much help anyway.
This is because there is such a drastic difference at the borderline of level 400.
However, most rankers already have their own guild.
In this situation, rather than stealing the power of other guilds, it would be more effective to move the guild as a whole through requests or transactions.
‘I should meet the guild leaders in advance.’
The names of numerous prestigious guilds flashed through Hyun’s mind.
The first guild that comes to mind is Darkness, which boasts an undisputed number one ranking!
As there is a statistic that 1/4 of the rankers up to the 1000th place in the Hall of Fame belong to Darkness, they were candidates who must hold hands.
Other guilds can move in the form of quests or mercenaries, but Darkness won’t move as easily.
How can I convince Darkness?
After all, it would be better to ask Ginny about this, right?
“hmm… There are good ways.”
“Oh, really?!”
“Yes, with this, I should be able to convince Darkness.”
Ginny, who heard the circumstances, said so.
Hyun decided to entrust everything to Genie without a doubt.
It was a prefecture that already knew how excellent her bargaining skills were.
“It would be better for everyone to visit Darkness together.”
“Together… Is it necessary?”
“We have to be as sincere as possible on this side as well. They must be proud of themselves as they are number one in the rankings, and above all, they are the only guild that regards the Shade Guild as a competitor.”
“Um… .”
Hyun was lost in thought.
Hearing Ginny’s story seemed like the same thing.
“When is everyone free?”
Hyun is an existing guild member through guild chat.
In other words, all guild members currently in executive positions were called.
Not only Ain, but also Salon and Tartar.
In a guild chat after a long time, Salon expressed his doubts.
“What’s going on? Are there any other quests?」
“It’s not a quest, there’s a place we all go together for a while.”
“Where?”
Salon asked again, and Hyun answered without thinking.
「Darkness Guild. I have something to negotiate.”
“Eh? Can I go too?」
“Why, Tartar, are you busy these days?”
“No, it’s not like that… I thought I might be needed in a place like that.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, just come if you’re free.”
As Jini advised, Hyun decided to bring all of the existing guild members with him.
Yeah, come to think of it, the people who come to see me never visit alone.
Maybe it’s not polite to decide only one business by yourself.
From Darkness’ point of view, they could have thought they were looking down.
“What, where is everyone going except for me!”
“Louise, are you going too?”
“Of course!”
“what… I don’t think it matters.”
While talking with Louise, Ain asked.
“Are you leaving right now?”
“Yeah, it’s a bit sudden, but Ginny says she only has time today.”
“Um… . Is it like this?”
“what?”
“No, it’s nothing. let’s go!”
So Hyun decided to visit the Darkness Guild with everyone.
Without thinking about how they will feel when they suddenly have to greet the party.
***
The base of the Darkness Guild located in a city in the Nation of Darkness.
The reason why the whole huge building was used was because the size of the guild was too large for a private room to handle.
Deputy guild leader Reina, who was working at the Darkness Headquarters, looked out the window and tilted her head.
‘What kind of guys are cosplaying again?’
Users often imitated the outfits of the Shade Guild members.
Thanks to the small number of people and strong individual characteristics, it was easy to find Shade Guild cosplay at places like festivals.
‘Wow, the quality is not a joke… .’
Reina looked out the window.
I only saw group photos of Shade Guild members on TV or on the Internet, but I never had a chance to see them in person.
Unless it’s an incident that appears in a history quest, they probably won’t all get together… ?
Tring! The whisper arrived when Reina was leisurely looking out the window.
「Phew, good luck! Raina is online! X-Large is offline, so I contacted you instead!”
“Mayday? What’s going on?」
“Whoa, this is so sudden.”
While Rayna held her breath, Mayday’s urgent voice continued.
“I just got a call from Hyun through a whisper! They want to visit the Darkness Guild!」
“hyeon? Wait, Hyun… ?!”
Reina turned her head away from the window.
Reina gasped and swallowed at the ominous possibility that suddenly surfaced.
In Reina’s mind, the incident that drove the regressor’s guild to ruin along with Hyun and the others flashed through her mind.
At that time, I was probably that member… ?
“Everyone who is currently online, gather at the headquarters! right now!”
It was only natural that there was a commotion in Darkness’ executive chat.
Those who were suddenly summoned had to prepare for battle without grasping the whole situation.
“what’s the matter? Did the headquarters get attacked?”
“The current group? Where are you?”
“Mayday is killing time in the reception room! No, that’s not important right now, think about what to do next!”
Reina briefly summarized the situation for everyone.
He even explained that Hyun had suddenly visited Darkness headquarters under the pretext of ‘negotiations’ and that he had accompanied all of the existing guild members.
“Certainly, negotiations are only for superficial reasons.”
“Could that silver-haired woman be that NPC?”
“that’s right. Looking at the fact that even NPCs estimated to be over level 400 were brought… If you make a mistake, you’re going to stick together.”
“Okay… .”
Hyun’s intentions seem so blatant.
However, in fact, there was no intention hidden in that action.
Ain and Louise just followed the party without thinking, and Hyun had forcibly brought Salon and Tartar.
However, Genie kept quiet even though he knew that Darkness would misunderstand.
Even this is a strategy.
Thanks to this misunderstanding, the Shade Guild will take the upper hand in the negotiations!
In other words, this uproar was also a big picture for Ginny as a result.
In any case, it was a very embarrassing situation for Darkness, who had to greet Hyun’s party who suddenly came.
“The guild leader doesn’t even answer the phone?”
“huh… You must be sleeping.”
“This pig is at a time like this… !”
Reina looked around with a sense of urgency.
There are not many people who can properly negotiate with the prefecture under such pressure.
First of all, the deputy guild leader himself was unreasonable.
Anyone in the guild who knows how to roll their brains… .
“Huh, I guess I have no choice but to take part in this case.”
Cage shrugs and sighs.
All the executives, including Reina, looked at him.
However, there was no one who wanted to step forward, just looking at them with eyes full of words they wanted to say.
***
Genie quickly finished negotiations with Darkness.
It was all done in 30 minutes without Hyun intervening.
After a while.
After looking through the contents of the contract full of magic circles, Hyun looked at Genie with a surprised look.
“How did you do it?”
“This is my specialty.”
“Um… .”
Hyun admired inwardly.
Genie’s ability feels great every time I see it.
Wasn’t it really lucky that she came to visit him?
Even if I give her tips, she probably won’t be able to follow her method.
Just like how others can’t copy their hunting methods.
In that way, Hyun was able to safely receive the Darkness Guild’s ‘promise to support’.
The moment I was about to turn my steps so lightly,
“Are you leaving now?”
“Oh, Cage, it was nice to see you after a long time.”
Hyun raised his hand toward Keiji, who came out to meet him.
Eventually, facing the strings, Cage smiled wryly and began muttering something incomprehensible.
“hyeon. I like it here quite a bit. Both the guild and the people.”
“huh… ?”
“The users here are all people who work hard to get closer to their own goals. like me… It shines so bright that even being together is embarrassing.”
While Hyun looked at him with puzzled eyes, Keiji continued to speak.
“We will not stand in your way. The guild members don’t know, but we’re coordinating the quest lines so they don’t overlap.”
“… … ?”
“If there is something that bothers you, you can say it. Because I can match anything.”
Keiji mumbles something he doesn’t understand and leaves.
Hyun tilted his head and asked the genie next to him.
“You see what I mean?”
“No, I don’t know either.”
“It’s strange, I wasn’t originally that kind of guy.”
“How was it in the previous work?”
“Um… .”
Hyun looked at his memory for a moment.
Cage was a user who always stood on the opposite side of himself, but I remember that he hadn’t connected well to the game since sometime.
That’s why I was a little surprised when I heard that he was working as an executive at Darkness.
“He was a fun guy with a bullying response.”
In response to Hyun’s answer, Ginny nodded quietly.
Thinking that the negotiations were comfortable thanks to that.
***
Even after visiting the Darkness Guild, Hyun continued his plan.
What happened next was something that could never be left to Ginny.
Because only he, the chief of harmony, would be able to meet the emperor of the Empire or the chairman of the Nation of Darkness.
‘This is the empire.’
Hyun hung out his tongue as he walked down the road decorated with endless red carpets.
The imperial palace was splendid and full of dignity, and the soldiers lined up on both sides felt like statues because they were motionless.
After walking for a long time, Hyeon finally reached the emperor and tried to bow.
“I know that you are a user. It’s okay to omit the trivial examples, so I’m allowed to tell you about my business.”
The emperor waved his hand toward the string, his eyes shining.
“I’ve heard the story stuck in my ears, but it’s the first time I’ve seen you face to face like this.”
Hyun, who faced that gaze with mixed emotions, slowly brought out the words he had prepared.
“I have something to tell you, Your Majesty.”
“hmm?”
Hyeon spoke again to the emperor, who showed curiosity.
“Please do not be angry and listen to me.”
“… I will.”
In response, Hyun did not hesitate to get to the point.
And at those words, the atmosphere in Daejeon froze coldly.
“If the empire perishes in a year, what will your Majesty do?”
***
It was the stillness of the day.
In that atmosphere, Hyun met the emperor’s gaze, staring at him with intense eyes that made his skin tingle.
“… … .”
It was as if time had stopped.
The reason why none of the knights of the empire, and even more ministers, could shout ‘Awful!’ was because the status of the prefecture in the empire was as high as that of the emperor.
‘Has there been no response yet?’
Hyun looked at the situation.
Judging by the atmosphere, the emperor was probably trying to figure out the intention of my breath.
If there is no answer, you can go one step further.
sereung. Hyeon quietly took out the sword from his inventory.
No one could carry a weapon when meeting the king, but the user with an inventory was free from that rule.
The emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
Sreung!
At the same time, the knights of the escort drew their swords in unison, but were stopped immediately by the gesture of the emperor.
“This empire will perish… ?”
The emperor looked down at Hyun with expressionless eyes and asked.
He knew how much influence the user Hyun had on the empire.
If anyone could rebel against the Empire, this man right in front of me would be the only one.
So, the emperor asked directly.
“If you drew the sword, does that mean you will destroy the empire with your own hands?”
“It can’t be.”
“If not… ?”
Flash! It was when the Emperor was waiting for the Hyun’s answer that a great radiance erupted.
The servants reflexively embraced the emperor at the sudden burst of light.
The knights blocked the front of the string, and the wizards covered several layers of protective shields.
but,
“Cheuk… !”
Someone groaned and collapsed.
What Hyeon was aiming for was not the emperor, but one of his subordinates far away.
“Sir Barchen!”
The audience was stunned by Hyun’s sudden action.
Several knights regretted not restraining Hyun beforehand.
Because they were wary of the emperor’s safety, they were unable to prevent an unexpected situation.
“Oh, wait.”
“Lord Barchen… .”
But soon, everyone’s mouth fell open.
It was because the blue light started to emanate from the corpse of the person named Barhen, and in an instant it turned into someone else’s face.
“That person is not Lord Barchen.”
“What the hell is this all about… ?”
“Wait, I think I’ve seen your face somewhere.”
“I can’t believe he’s sleeping… !”
It was at the moment when Hyun came out again that the situation was about to get messy.
Hyeon, who had cleared his voice, opened his mouth in a calm tone.
“As you can see, this man is not Lord Barchen. Unfortunately, the real Lord Barchen passed away a long time ago.”
“what… ?”
“Forgive me for the rudeness, I had to move quickly because I didn’t know what the person who changed the face would do if the numbers went wrong.”
In front of everyone who was still dumbfounded, Hyun began to recite the words he had prepared.
“This is a spy sent from heaven.”
“sky… ?”
“To be precise, they are the ‘celestials’.”
that word is false.
According to the information that Mystia gave, the person disguised as Barhen was a spy of the Holy Kingdom to observe the empire’s dynamics.
This means that it has nothing to do with the angels.
“Heaven intends to destroy all humans on earth. Not only the Empire, but also the Nation of Darkness, the Holy Kingdom, and even other small countries!”
but this is the truth.
The reason lies and truth were mixed together was because that side was effective in eliminating the Empire’s enmity towards the Holy Kingdom.
In order to deal with the celestials and angels, the earth must also unite as one.
“One year from now, the celestials will invade the earth to wipe out all humans. The reason I came is to inform Your Majesty of the fact in advance.”
“… … .”
The emperor was silent for a while.
The fact that the sky would invade the earth was a story that was hardly realistic to suddenly accept.
After looking at Hyun’s intentions, he opened his mouth after a while.
“How do you believe?
“yes… ?”
“How can I believe that?”
“that… .”
To the emperor’s question, Hyeon answered with joy in his heart.
“Because Harmony told me so.”
“Harmony… ?”
“That’s right.”
Hyeon had no intention of negotiating with the emperor.
In the first place, his specialty is not negotiating, but making the opponent move as he wants.
We already know what the emperor’s personality is like.
Heaven and earth, infants alone (天上天下唯我獨尊).
Even if he foresaw the fall of the empire, it was clear that he would doubt his words.
In the worst case, there was a possibility that the emperor would check the forces of ‘Harmony’.
So naturally, in order to break the emperor’s stubbornness, it was necessary for this side to have a level equal to that.
“You won’t believe it easily, so I’ll ask you again now.”
Having said that, Hyun quickly looked at the status window.
Thanks to Ain fighting somewhere, the level of transcendence was sufficient.
[Use transcendental power 1032 to strengthen ‘breathing’!]
[All humans will look up to the will in your breath!]
The moment the skill is activated.
Fire! Black and white wings sprouted from Hyeon’s back.
Even when stopping a train in the border area, saving NPCs’ lives on the battlefield, or consuming more than 1000 transcendental power at once, these ‘Wings of Harmony’ always appeared.
‘what… !’
‘It’s called Advent… ?’
‘Has the angel descended now?’
‘Lion of Harmony… . That rumor was true!’
Hyeon swallowed a laugh inwardly at the obvious reaction.
The audience was looking at themselves who had turned into angels with blank eyes.
In front of angels, human power and position are futile.
Hyeon raised his hand and stopped the emperor from rising from the throne.
“You don’t have to set an example. I am not here at your call.”
“Harmony!”
All but the emperor and two royal knights kneeled respectfully.
Through the long war, harmony was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of the Empire.
There were many people who served Hwahwa in this place as well, and they deeply reflected on their suspicion of Hwahwa’s words for a moment.
‘It would be better to say that sooner or later.’
In the meantime, harmony has looked at the heavenly and human beings the same.
However, in order for the earth to stand up to the sky, a more unconventional idea was needed.
The prefecture decided to inform everyone in advance of the content to be written in the soon-to-be-revised Bible.
“Don’t blindly believe in angels.”
It was also the first step to making people on the ground wary of ‘light’.
“The only difference between angels and demons is the type of power, so you only have to trust yourself.”
The moment he uttered those words, Hyun felt the illusion of someone putting a hand on his shoulder.
I glanced behind me, but of course there was no one behind me.
Looking back at the ceiling, Hyeon recalled someone’s face.
Cadrial. Maybe he did this too?
The image of the devil with a sinister smile in Hyeon’s head did not disappear for a while.
***
after all the fuss
“How is it?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Hyun immediately summoned Ain with a coupling and told him what had happened in the palace.
I’m sure he’ll get bored if I go into detail, so I’ve summarized the important points.
“I think I was pretty much persuaded.”
“Good!”
Even though Ain didn’t know it well, he was delighted with it as if it were his own work.
“Where are you now?”
“Um, let’s see… ..”
The three kingdoms on earth: the Empire, the Nation of Darkness, and the Holy Kingdom.
The Nation of Darkness wouldn’t need to be persuaded.
Because they depend on the Empire for many things, they have no choice but to follow the Empire’s moves.
“The Holy Kingdom remains.”
“The Holy Kingdom? You want to hold their hand?!”
“Even if you don’t hold hands, don’t get in the way.”
The behavior of the Holy Kingdom, which was full of fanatics, was hard to predict even for Hyun.
How will they react when they learn that the light is going to erase the ground?
Perhaps there will be fanatics who sympathize with Heaven’s plan while talking about purification.
If the heavens caused an uproar in time for the invasion, the ground would be in a situation where there was no answer.
“Huh, I don’t think you’ll listen to me when I told you not to disturb… .”
Ain muttered suspiciously.
As he said, he would not be able to convince the Holy Kingdom at all.
You won’t be able to use the methods used in the Empire… It is also too risky to use Spirituality in a place close to a sanctuary.
It’s because it could be caught by the light.
“I know the arrangement.”
Hyun looked at Ain and smiled.
If I hadn’t found a way, I wouldn’t have bothered to bring this up.
“I still found a way to use it.”
“really? how?!”
“You know, the first of the five great knights of the Holy Kingdom… .”
Ain’s eyes widened at the following Hyun’s words.
“That guy. It seems to be a follower of harmony.”
***
Hyun and Ain disguised themselves after a long time.
Everything from her face to her outfit.
Normally, there was no need to go through such trouble, but it was better to hide my identity when visiting the Holy Kingdom.
“really? You say here is the first article?”
Ain reacted as if he was absurd.
That would be the case, because Hyun had been walking only in narrow alleys for a long time.
“Most of the Holy Kingdom have not yet accepted the idea of harmony. If there are followers of harmony here, they will surely hide in a place that is not noticed by others.”
“Uhm. Hyun’s words are definitely correct, but… .”
Hyun and Ain wandered the slightly messy streets for a while.
I don’t usually walk around places like this, so I felt a little strange.
‘Is this here?’
After a while, Hyun found a shabby smithy.
According to the information I grasped, this place was certain.
“Ain, wait a little further away.”
“okay!”
Hyun left Ain behind and entered the shabby smithy alone.
As I headed towards the place where I heard the sound of earth, earth, hammer, I met a man.
Hyun, who had been watching him for a while, quietly opened his mouth.
“Magnus.”
“… .”
The man who finally turned his attention to the call, looked at Hyun’s appearance and asked.
“Who are you? I don’t think anyone would be in a place like this.”
“Isn’t that the same for you?”
“… … .”
After biting his lip for a moment, the man turned his head and started hammering again.
As if you haven’t heard anything from the beginning.
Hyun opened his mouth again about thirty minutes later.
It was when Ain, exhausted from boredom, was yawning.
“There is no heresy in this world.”
“… !”
As the hammering stopped again, Hyun’s words began.
The man’s voice sounded like a lullaby.
“There is nothing eternal in this world. The Holy Kingdom is also gradually changing. A world will come sooner or later where you won’t have to hide like this.”
“I don’t even know what you mean.”
“Magnus.”
The moment Hyun stretched out his hand, Magnus’ breath stopped.
Because the pattern of harmony was shining on the back of the stranger’s hand.
As Magnus, startled, looked away, Hyun started talking slowly.
“Are you curious how I found you?”
“… … !”
“Because your heart was most intensely conveyed to me.”
Magnus was speechless.
He slowly turned his head and looked closely at Hyun’s face.
After a while, his voice trembled a little as he opened his mouth in disbelief.
“you are… who are you?”
“I am not a resident of this world.”
“Then where… .”
Hyun did not answer the question.
He just looked at Magnus’ face and smiled.
“I believe you can change the Holy Kingdom.”
“… … .”
“Let’s go back. Because the Holy King will be waiting for you anxiously.”
Hyun grabbed Magnus’ hand and raised him up.
Even without much effort, the body of the giant moved easily.
A strange force majeure felt in existence itself. Sensing this, Magnus’ face was stained with astonishment.
“No way, harmony for you… !”
Pod! As Magnus was about to reach out, Hyun’s back disappeared.
It was because Ain, who received the signal from the whisper, summoned the string with a coupling, but Magnus couldn’t know it.
“Hyun, can you really feel the heart? Like a real angel?!”
Ain, who had been watching Hyun’s situation on the broadcast screen, asked belatedly.
“what? Of course you can’t.”
Hyeon smiled and told him the trick he had discovered.
“He was a high-ranking follower.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s a function that Louise secretly put in, but the magistrate can pinpoint the location of nearby high-ranking followers.”
On the back of Hyeon’s hand as he said that, the pattern of harmony that resonated until just now was shining brilliantly.
Before long, Hyun was able to confirm that Magnus had returned to the Knights of the Holy Kingdom.
‘good.’
Hyun nodded his head in satisfaction.
Currently, the Holy Kingdom is in the midst of a conflict of interests with various forces intertwined.
If you are the first knight to receive the absolute support of the Holy King, you might be able to light the fire of harmony.
With this, the work was completed for the users and the countries on the ground.
Now there is only one place left.
“Louise. Do you have a job for me?”
“Um… ? You mean me?”
Louise, who was playing with her fork at the table, looked around at the string while mumbling.
No matter how engrossed he ate, his mouth was full of chocolate cake powder.
‘… … .’
Hyun often thought about this.
Couldn’t Louise’s age have actually stopped at fifteen?
No matter how old she gets, the reason why the title ‘sister’ doesn’t come out is similar.
I am uneasy about having to entrust this important matter to Louise… . Even so, she has the achievements she has shown as a priestess of harmony, so she has no choice but to believe.
“Yeah, it’s something only you can do.”
***
The Dark Palace.
Dozens of people with enormous power gathered in the banquet hall, which most humans do not even know existed.
The Dukes of the Abyss!
“Oh, you’re still alive, Krobas. You said you suffered a crushing defeat at the last ranking ceremony? I thought he had committed suicide because he couldn’t be seen at all.”
“Kuh, a lowly bat or something… Do you want to stick together?”
“Cluck, cluck, you don’t have to pretend to be angry. Your men aren’t here either.”
“What? Damn you bastard… !”
As much as they pursue power, they are dukes with a stronger sense of victory than anyone else.
With dozens of such people gathered in one place, it was only natural that the atmosphere would become bloody.
Whoa!
Fierce demons bloomed everywhere, and the attendants and guide monsters were terrified even when they saw such a scene, but did not dare to intervene in the conversation.
“It’s noisy.”
It was at that moment that a girl’s muttering was heard.
“You big one, shut up and get out of the way.”
“what?”
It took Krovas some time to realize that it was a term referring to himself.
Who dares to call this body a pig?
Soon after, where Krobas turned his head, a silver-haired woman was staring at him.
Who is it?
Relatively young voice and appearance.
However, in this jet-black palace, it is common knowledge that one cannot judge one’s age by appearance.
Judging by their appearance, I don’t think they’re servants… Is it a new duke?
“What… ? This bitch… .”
Crovis murmured in absurdity.
It was at that moment that the breathless demon rose right next to him.
“Do you want to die?”
“Bar, Duke of Bahimir… ?!”
Krobath belatedly found an overwhelming presence behind the silver-haired woman.
While the turmoil within the intense magi stopped for a moment, Bahimir looked down at Krobas with cold eyes.
“The sins committed against the darkness deserve death.”
Hwaaak! Magi rose from Bahimir’s hand.
The scythe of the judge who executed countless criminals.
Bahimir, who has recently gained strength, has overwhelming power even among dukes.
I can’t resist… !
The moment Krobas closed his eyes, the silver-haired girl raised her hand and stopped Bahimir.
“It is done.”
“But this guy… .”
“Stop, I will judge you separately later, so go there.”
“I will follow your will.”
The air was enveloped in silence in an instant.
There was no one in the banquet hall who hadn’t heard Vahimir’s name calling the girl.
‘That girl.’
‘That person is dark… !’
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Louise.
Except for Bahimir and Scotanatos, the dukes still do not know Louise’s identity.
It was because deception considering the possibility of a spy within the abyss did not attract anyone other than the two dukes.
However, among them, there were those who understood the situation on the ground to some extent.
‘Isn’t that silver-haired woman a priestess of harmony?’
‘That’s right, that man with me is the head of harmony!’
‘Why are the forces of harmony here… .’
‘darkness… ? no way… !’
The faces of some of the dukes were tinged with astonishment.
Louise crossed the countless eyes that looked at her calmly.
As if this situation is familiar.
“Your introduction is late.”
Louise climbed the highest podium.
Hyeon and Ain, who were accompanying him, also moved along with Louise, and finally, Bahimir settled down beside him.
“This body is darkness.”
Louise intentionally scattered the subtle demonic energy.
Ordinary users can’t tell, but dukes can feel the great devil’s magic.
The surroundings were enveloped in silence.
Everyone is just bending one knee and bowing their heads. No one thought to open their mouth.
“The reason I couldn’t call you all this time was because I needed more confidence.”
“… .”
“So everyone here can be proud of themselves.”
take a break
Louise began to continue what she had prepared.
A script prepared by Hyun.
However, it was also a script that Louise herself rewrote.
“Everyone should know that Ki-gi passed away for a while.”
“… !”
At that moment, memories from the past flashed through the heads of the dukes.
The day many stars fell.
The dukes who served deceit felt that the huge pillar they depended on had disappeared.
“But it is not completely gone. Deception is… I left her will in this world.”
Louise looked at Ain for a moment.
“Still deception is by my side.”
He turned his head again and focused his gaze on Hyun.
“And, even chaos is with us!”
Everyone listened to Louise’s words.
Louise’s voice wasn’t very loud, but there was something in it that made the Dukes’ hearts boil.
“With deceit, darkness, and chaos all in place, everything is finally ready. Isn’t it?”
“… !”
Louise’s low words struck the heads of the dukes.
They were recalling a phrase from a ancestral rite that had been handed down from a long time ago.
The abyss will color the world when all the powers of the great devil are in place.
“I know all too well how painful it is to run away from the sun… You and your men will no longer have to dodge the Eye of the Sky.”
“… … .”
“Soon the promised day will come. follow me.”
Louise’s prepared speech ends there.
Even after being quiet, the dukes were silent for a while.
It wasn’t because he doubted the silver-haired girl’s words.
This demonic energy in the air, the energy that shakes the body thrillingly, must belong to the great devil!
A peacock is the closest thing to a devil. Louise didn’t have to prove herself.
Even without elaborate explanations, her words will reach all dukes.
clap clap clap A small applause was heard from somewhere.
I don’t know who started first.
However, the applause soon turned into cheers, and then thunderous shouts shook the air.
Wow!
The banquet hall was filled with shouts from dozens of dukes.
“Yes, you can enjoy the banquet today.”
The look of Louise looking down at the dukes with a satisfied smile is truly the mother of the abyss.
“It was a great speech.”
Bahimir murmured in a small whisper.
A benevolent smile appeared on his lips as if he was watching over his daughter who had grown up wonderfully, and a sense of awe also came to mind.
From the point of view of Bahimir, who had seen Louise since they met in the land of darkness, she couldn’t help but feel deeply moved by Louise’s appearance today.
‘It’s quite… .’
Hyun was also surprised by Louise’s appearance.
The thought I had a moment ago was to the point of regretting it.
Isn’t Louise’s age stopped at 15… did you think
Not at all. Her reputation as a priestess of harmony did not come about for nothing.
The dignity that Louise showed today will never be inferior to that of Caidrial.
That moment,
“hyeon… Is it okay to eat that?”
“hmm?”
Louise whispered softly.
Hyun soon noticed that her gaze was fixed on the black drink on the table.
Frenzy in pitch black.
alcohol… Even without alcohol, it was Louise’s favorite drink.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Uh… ? With your permission… .”
“That’s the food I left at the guild, so it should be all-you-can-eat here, so do you need to be aware?”
“Yeah, that’s right… ! unlimited refills… !”
The moment he saw Louise’s excited eyes. A laugh escaped from Hyeon’s mouth.
“At least take care of your facial expression. You can’t let the dignity you showed just now disappear.”
“Eh… ! I know that much!”
I canceled my thoughts a little while ago.
As expected, no matter how big Louise was, she seemed to only be seen as a younger sister.
***
Time flew by.
One year from the time Caidrial disappeared.
A year seems like a long time, but it wasn’t like that to Hyun.
The memories of those days were still fresh in my head, so I wondered if all of this was a long dream.
“After all, this day has come.”
“Whoops, that’s right.”
Hyun looked back at Ain, who smiled.
Even after a year had passed, Ain’s appearance hadn’t changed at all.
No, because we are together every day at home and in games, is it just an illusion that we are the same?
I think it will become clear when I compare it with Ain’s past photos.
“Hyun, are you nervous?”
“… a little bit.”
“really? What happened?!”
“You’ve never prepared for a quest for this long.”
“Well, the prefecture won’t be a problem anyway.”
Haha, Hyun laughed.
Isn’t Ain often thinking of me as something really divine?
However, her blind faith may have been the driving force that led him.
Looking back, if I had the greatest luck in my life, perhaps meeting Ain.
If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have come this far.
Hyeon closed his eyes for a moment and recalled the events that had passed over the past year one by one.
[You have reached level 400!]
<Congratulations, you have accomplished the legendary feat of reaching the limits of man!>
<However, the path of devotion still remains. Humans who try to go beyond legends and approach myths always face despair.>
<Now stand in front of a transcendent being and feel how insignificant human existence is… .>
[Permanently increases health and mana by 20%!]
[Stat Points +200]
[Skill Points +100]
[Awakening skill points +2]
[Experience is now reduced by a percentage each time you die!]
The most memorable are, of course, the moments of leveling up.
It was a very difficult job, so it was memorable.
[You have reached level 401!]
[The maximum amount of divine power increases by 20%!]
[You have reached level 402!]
[Damage received from the opposing faction is reduced by 10%!]
[You have reached level 403!]
[Increases the natural recovery rate of divine power by 80%!]
… … .
[You have reached level 410!]
[You are following the path of mythology… .”
[Stat Points +200]
[Skill Points +100]
[Awakening skill points +2]
… …
[You have reached level 417!]
[Your health is permanently increased by 20%!]
[You have reached level 418!]
[Damage of attacks using divine power increases by 15%!]
[You have reached level 419!]
[Main stats increase by 7%
After reaching level 400 and completing the promotion quest, the pleasure of leveling up was beyond imagination.
This is because every time the level rises, countless memories of hard work pass by.
I also felt a bit regretful.
The original goal was to hit level 420, but it seemed impossible to achieve that goal.
It could also be because I was busy with various things.
Besides simply hunting, I had to figure out the situation of each faction, expand the power of harmony, and at the same time, I had to take care of the SHA company’s business.
