The Creator Lord's Illusion
A man draped in a pure white robe, his long golden hair cascading perfectly around him, was strikingly handsome.
He stroked his chin slowly, pondering what to draw.
Arthur watched him intently.
Arthur took a few steps forward.
But he heard no sound from his footsteps.
Arthur realized he hadn't taken physical form.
When he reached out toward the golden-haired man, his arm passed right through.
Clang!
"Lord Akan, Brek is leading 50,000 orcs straight for us. They'll reach the territory any moment now."
"Calm yourself, Laudel. What do we have to fear from a bunch of orcs?"
Akan.
Arthur somehow knew the golden-haired beauty was Akan.
With a gentle smile, he picked up his brush.
Akan swiped his hand across the transparent hologram floating before him.
The hologram displayed the advancing orc horde.
"Waiting for them are hundreds of wyverns."
Akan smiled slyly and began drawing in the sky of the hologram at blinding speed.
Hundreds of wyverns took shape with astonishing speed and precision.
Soon the drawing was complete, and a faint light emanated from Akan's hand.
The image transformed.
Hundreds of wyverns now assaulted the orcs!
Arthur felt his body enveloped in light.
When he opened his eyes, he saw wyverns locked in fierce combat with the orcs.
'What he draws... gains power...'
An unbelievable ability.
Creator Lord.
He manifested his drawings into reality.
And then Akan's voice echoed in Arthur's ear.
-They're cutting down the wyverns with overwhelming power. The fools revel in their arrogance. We lack the strength to fight them head-on. But these stupid orcs won't be able to attack us—they'll flee.
Arthur's vision shifted.
Countless catapults materialized on the empty plain, drawn into existence.
The hand creating them was mountain-sized.
Thousands of catapults.
And behind them... what was being drawn...
'Dra... dragons...'
-Dragons are mere illusions. But who wouldn't tremble at the sight? They'll fall for our deception, quaking in terror. And we slip one real one in among them.
Kuhaaaaa!
Ten illusory dragons.
One among them was real.
It unleashed a massive breath attack.
Over a hundred orcs melted away in an instant.
"Chweeek! L-Lord Brek! Look! A-Akan has ten dragons!"
"...Chweek. Impossible. H-How could he have ten dragons...?"
Whoooom!
Kabooom!
Whoooom!
Kabooom!
The catapults fired, massive boulders crashing into the orc ranks.
Dozens died in a heartbeat.
'Akan's forces couldn't possibly defeat the orcs. But he's showing them illusions. That they can't beat him. Mixing in one real one avoids their suspicion.'
Arthur trembled at the astonishing power.
He understood why he'd been shown this vision.
'Don't you want it? Desperately?'
It felt like Absolute Lord Akan was asking him directly.
A massive hand appeared in the air, drawing something new.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers!
"Waaaaah!"
"Waaaaah!"
Their cheers shook the heavens.
"Chweeek! L-Lord Brek! Look! Akan's been hiding an army that massive. With dragons and those catapults... it's unwinnable!"
"Chweek... R-Retreat."
Lord Brek now believed Akan hadn't moved because they weren't worth the effort—not because he couldn't.
Why else would he watch them provoke him with ten dragons, vast armies, and endless catapults?
He simply deemed them unworthy.
But the truth was the opposite.
Akan's territory had no real power to fight Brek's orcs, so he'd waited.
Until the illusions made them too terrified to touch him again!
The orcs retreated.
And all the drawings faded away.
Arthur was once more wrapped in light.
Akan watched the fleeing orcs via hologram, smiling faintly.
"To draw is to wield power. Don't you want it?"
His gaze fixed directly on Arthur.
"Power belongs to those worthy of it."
It seemed to imply Carman was unworthy of such strength.
"You seem the right one."
Bright light flooded Arthur's vision.
* * *
"Hah!"
Arthur gasped, eyes snapping open.
Ten soldiers stared at him with worried faces.
"Are you alright, sir?"
"Was I asleep?"
"Yes, sir. You collapsed suddenly—we were shocked. Did you push yourself too hard?"
Arthur shook his head and rose as the soldier spoke.
He checked the hologram before him.
(Absolute Lord Akan's Trial)
📍 Rank:S
📍 Cash Reward:30,000
📍 Reward:Royal Class Creator Job Change + Job Duplication Allowed
📍 Failure Penalty:Unable to Hold Multiple Jobs
📍 Description:Absolute Lord Akan's job. A trial to claim Creator. Kill Dungeon Master Carman and achieve 150% contribution. Akan may grant Carman advantages at every moment to test you. Overcome them, and you may unlock an even stronger Creator.
Ever-changing scenarios.
Arthur pondered briefly.
'He'll give Carman advantages based on the situation? And if I overcome them, I unlock more skills than a standard Creator class? Hmm.'
Understanding dawned, and Arthur nodded.
The penalty for failure—no multiple jobs—was undesirable, but he considered it.
'I could draw every blade of grass into tactical advantage. An opportunity like this won't come again.'
Arthur had been mulling secret classes.
It explicitly allowed other job duplication.
Normal and secret classes didn't allow multiples.
A Royal Class perk, perhaps?
No reason to refuse a Royal Class like Creator Lord when he could still gain others.
Draw something, and it takes form.
What a staggering power!
And what Arthur had just witnessed was likely just the tip of Akan's iceberg.
Current Dungeon Master Carman hadn't risen far; little was known.
Boundless hidden potential!
That was the might of Creator Lord.
'Accept.'
Without hesitation, Arthur accepted the trial.
"Let's move."
"No rest, sir?"
"I rested while lying there meditating."
The soldiers fell silent.
'Our squad leader's sense of humor is a total miss.'
* * *
As Arthur advanced, slaying goblins along the way, his destination came into view.
"You've all seen the snakes that heal your wounds."
The soldiers nodded.
Snakes had begun appearing in their sight.
The serpents entered their bodies, mended injuries, then slipped back into Arthur's bracelet.
A miraculous ability.
"Not a single one of you will die here. Trust me and follow."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers nodded vigorously.
Arthur's power was proven. Their bodies were spotless, no wounds remaining.
Thanks to his ability to heal any injury.
Plus, the passive skill Command had deepened their ironclad faith. It had hit 100% proficiency after the goblin fight, reaching level 2.
'The boss inside is a Troll Wolf.'
Troll Wolves had troll-level regeneration, massive lupine beasts.
Their white-furred wolf minions were agile and fierce, with pups too.
And they were clever.
The moment intruders entered, dozens of pups targeted the prisoners. Unless you took out the Troll Wolf and white-furred wolves first, you couldn't attack the pups.
Save more prisoners, get bigger rewards.
"No one attacks the leader Troll Wolf except me."
"Yes, sir."
With their confirmation, Arthur stepped forward.
Beyond the dense foliage, dozens of bound prisoners appeared.
Five white-furred wolves prowled around them.
Atop a small hill sat an enormous Troll Wolf.
Kraaaaa!
The Troll Wolf roared.
"H-Humans!"
"P-Please, save us!"
The bound men screamed for help.
At the roar's cue, the white-furred wolves lunged at the lead Arthur.
"These bastards dare at our squad leader?!"
"Attack!"
Deputy leader Ran swung at the wolves leaping for Arthur.
The soldiers blocked them.
Thud!
The Troll Wolf leaped from the hill, baring huge fangs at Arthur with a roar.
"Shut your trap."
Arthur scowled.
The Troll Wolf sneered mockingly and launched itself.
Troll Wolves were 2-star monsters.
Stars rose with strength, up to 9.
But even at 2-star, bosses existed.
This was one.
They dropped generous rewards.
Artifacts, often.
Kuwaaaaa!
Arthur spun aside from the reckless charge and thrust his spear into its flank with all his might.
Squelch!
Kuhaa!
The beast roared and gaped its massive jaws at Arthur.
He released the shaft and leaped back swiftly.
Grrr...
Yip yip!
Pups emerged from hiding.
You cannot attack Wolf Pups unless you hunt both the leader Troll Wolf and all White-Furred Wolves. Attacking will incur a penalty.
Rip!
"Gaaah!"
A prisoner screamed as a pup bit his nape.
At least twenty needed saving.
To do that, eliminate the Troll Wolf fast.
Grrr...
The Troll Wolf grinned wickedly.
Your spear's stuck in my side. But my healing closed the wound around it.
Its flesh gripped the spear tip tight.
Not easy to pull free. What now without your weapon?
Arthur grinned crookedly.
"Caught you good."
Gr?
"Never planned to pull it out."
In that instant.
The Troll Wolf felt searing heat in its gut.
Grrraaah!
Pain like molten lava poured inside!
"Goblin blood melts iron. Slowly, over time."
Goblin blood corroded metal.
Temperature spiked on contact.
Inside the Troll Wolf, the goblin-blood-coated iron was melting—hot, slow, relentless.