Arcana Online
The monsters attacked the barrier, but it didn’t even suffer a scratch.
Just as everyone had finally relaxed, reassured by the strength of the barrier, the impossible happened.
Some kind of strike flew in from among the attacking monsters and shattered the barrier to pieces.
Seizing the opening, monsters began scrambling up the city wall.
The countless players on top of the wall moved to protect their allies and started clashing with the monsters trying to climb over.
As the battlefield descended into chaos under the weight of so many monsters, the magic circle began to tremble.
The magic circle that inflicted debuffs on monsters and buffs on players.
The cause was the black magic of the many liches visible in the distance.
“Why are there so many liches!?”
“Kill the liches first!”
But to eliminate the liches, they would have to push through the monsters and get close—and that was impossible.
Cracks began spreading through the magic circle, and the worst possible situation unfolded.
With the broken magic circle gone, the monsters started running wild.
The players were struggling to hold them back.
So many powerful players had gathered here, and yet there was no fighting sheer numbers, was there?
The players’ side had gathered roughly the same number, but they had overlooked one thing.
The undead monsters were being generated continuously.
With undead monsters born from the corpses of slain players and monsters, the defenders were being forced into a desperate numbers disadvantage. It was a moment of absolute crisis.
The moon eclipsed the sun, and darkness fell over the land.
For an instant, players and monsters alike looked up at the sky—just as a deafening roar shook heaven and earth.
“Found you, my darling.”
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On the road back to the city from the fox village, I did the math and realized I’d arrive right on time.
So I’d been taking my sweet time, looking at the sky and the ground as I traveled, when I finally saw the city in the distance.
But something was different.
[Main quest is causing the channel to merge.]
[CHAPTER 2: Protect the Commercial City of Talisa.]
The invasion had begun.
When the message appeared, I realized I was a little late and tried to hurry closer, but I couldn’t get near.
There were already countless monsters invading the city, and a massive magic circle hung in the sky, with Lynn telling me that no closer approach was possible.
“Benefactor. It’s dangerous to go any closer.”
“What do I do? I still need to protect the city…”
I’d said I’d help the monsters, but monsters attacking the city were the exception.
If you wanted to take a life, you had to be willing to put your own on the line too.
While I was worrying over it, I spotted the Ring of Sealing on my finger.
If I removed it, the mark of the Demon Dragon King Ernia would activate and pinpoint my location.
An idea flashed through my head.
What if I asked her to wipe out those monsters?
“Kkyu-ung!”
“No, no. Don’t worry.”
Even now, Yongyong was worrying about me and telling me to leave it to him.
My Yongyong was far too fearless for his own good.
After I patted his head and told him I’d be fine, I asked Lynn to set me down on a hill.
From the hill overlooking the city, I removed the Ring of Sealing with a tense heart.
[You have removed the Ring of Sealing and can now use mana.]
So I could use mana now. Might as well give it a try, right?
“Skill: Moon Shadow activated.”
The moon completely swallowed the sun, and darkness descended in an instant.
├─ Tier 1:Base ability ✓
├─ Tier 2:Enhanced ability ✓
└─ Tier 3:New ability — UNLOCKED ★
I didn’t even know what the effect was, but the impact alone was enough to satisfy me.
And then I heard that voice.
“Found you, my darling.”
Ernia appeared—black hair as beautiful as midnight, white skin, ruby-red eyes, and a luxurious dress that gave off an irresistibly seductive air.
She began walking slowly toward me, but Lynn stepped in front of her.
Watching Ernia’s expression harden, I told Lynn to step back, assuring her it was okay, and then I moved closer myself.
“It’s been a while! Thanks to your help back then, I was able to hatch Yongyong safely.”
“It was for my darling, of course I had to help.”
She smiled brightly and patted my head, and somehow that only made me feel more uneasy.
“Then, my darling. Shall we go now?”
“Before that, I have a favor to ask.”
I pointed toward the monsters, and she glanced over with a single sweep of her eyes. The next instant, she waved her hand.
The monsters all at once stopped attacking and began retreating.
And then the message floated up.
[You have successfully protected the commercial city of Talisa.]
Ranking based on contribution is being calculated.
Please wait a moment.
No. 1: Yuna
No. 2: Kathlea
No. 3: Zeus
No. 4: Hecate
No. 5: Blinka
Rewards will be distributed according to contribution.
[The quest has ended. The channel will return to normal in 1 minute.]
“My darling, you’re far too kind-hearted. Mother worries about you.”
“Huh? Mother?”
With a radiant smile, a door appeared in front of me.
The door slowly opened, inviting me to come inside, and the moment I stepped through it, space shifted.
A strange place.
Then another message appeared.
[You have visited the lair of the Demon Dragon King Ernia.]
As I marveled at the massive scale of the place and looked around, Ernia wrapped me in a soft embrace.
“My darling. Shall we look around together with Mother?”
At that moment, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
“Why do you keep calling yourself Mother?”
She looked as though she’d been struck by a blow and began to tear up, so I panicked, pulled a handkerchief from my inventory, and handed it to her. This time, she looked at me with a touched expression.
“It’s all right, my darling. In time, you’ll remember everything.”
She whispered it in such a warm voice that I still couldn’t make sense of any of it.
Following Ernia around, I looked here and there, and the only way I could summarize it was this: insane.
Every room was piled high with gold and jewels, and Supreme Magic Stones were rolling around on the floor.
Seeing that, Yongyong was practically drooling.
Anyone would think I’d starved him for three days straight.
I took a Magic Stone from my inventory and offered it to him, but he compared the Supreme Magic Stones lying on the floor with the High Magic Stone I was holding out.
He put the High Magic Stone away and only then accepted the Supreme one. After that, he wouldn’t even eat High Magic Stones anymore. What was I supposed to do about that?
“That child has grown a great deal.”
She was looking at Yongyong when her expression suddenly stiffened.
“Something vile has latched onto him.”
Hearing that, Yongyong turned those sharp eyes on her too.
I got a bad feeling that something terrible was about to happen, so I quickly said I wanted to keep sightseeing, and only then did she smile again and lead the way.
What was that just now?
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A snake—no, a dragon—was looking at me as I gently patted our darling’s sleeping head.
“It seems you’ve been guarding my darling by her side all this time, so I won’t say anything. But you’re no longer needed, so disappear from my darling’s side.”
At that instant, the gaze fixed on me was carrying terrifying power.
To think he had this much strength without even having ascended.
“You were making such a cute voice just a moment ago. Are you putting on an act now?”
[Cut the nonsense. I know who you are projecting onto our contract holder. A child who died after being caught in the war between the Black Dragon tribe and the Red Dragon tribe, isn’t it?]
“She didn’t die. She’s right here in front of you.”
[How pitifully foolish.]
I wanted nothing more than to tear the dragon in front of me apart, but if I did that, our darling would be frightened.
What was I supposed to do?
Then the dragon proposed a bargain.
[Let us make a deal.]
“What a joke. A deal can only be made between equals, on equal terms.”
[I will bring your child back from the Underworld. How about that?]
“……”
I had no idea what this thing was talking about.
I didn’t understand it, but tears were streaming from my eyes.
What was this…?
[The terms of the deal are simple. Keep it a secret from the contract holder…]
“As long as I can see only my darling… our darling… then anything… anything at all…”
[The deal has been made.]
With those words, the dragon vanished from before my eyes.
I had no idea how a dragon that hadn’t even ascended could accomplish something like that, but the tears running down my face wouldn’t stop.
In truth, I knew.
I knew that the darling sleeping in front of me—no, Yuna—was not my darling.
I had simply been running away because I couldn’t accept reality.
How long had it been?
Someone wiped the tears from my eyes.
The moment I turned my head, I saw her face.
A girl with long black hair, white skin, and red eyes that shone like rubies.
A face I had longed for in my dreams.
My one and only daughter.
“My darling.”
“I’m home, Mother.”