Chapter 104. It Stinks
Karim Jeba wasn't a monster. Naturally, that meant no experience points from him. Which meant I'd leveled up a whopping 44 levels solely from hunting down the demon army...!
...Insane.
The higher your level, the exponentially more experience required for the next one in the Arcana system. I'd felt that brutal reality firsthand in the Predator's Swamp. Yet 44 levels? Astonishing.
But no surprise here. I intoned calmly.
"A most natural outcome."
Of course it is, sure you are. Yeah, I'd hunted a ton of demons. And not just any demons—they were the army of a demon king, subordinates of an upper demon king, no less.
Legion commanders were definitely mixed in there.
I couldn't recall every single message that had flashed by. Besides, I'd been distracted by the clash between Senior and Karim Jeba.
Someone might flinch and ask how I'd taken down that many demons while distracted. Did I really have that much leeway?
Of course not, but there were circumstances.
Very pathetic circumstances, at that.
Senior's ice magic. Karim Jeba's flame magic. The clashing extreme affinities had converted into pure mana.
Possible only because of their polar opposition. Thanks to that, I'd freely tapped into the pure mana surging across the rift zone.
Just like how I interfered with Banggrit's mana.
It was mana from two elder archmages, half-gods. The sheer volume let me cast spells like water.
Sure, since it wasn't my mana, there was some loss in experience gained, but complaining would prick my conscience.
And that wasn't all.
A battle on another plane.
If it had been Lee Hoyeol, he'd have been too awestruck to do anything but watch. But in that clash of half-gods, I'd witnessed something.
Thanks to Grandfell's talent, I'd noticed it. In words...
Enlightenment.
Like opening eyes that had been shut. Gazing upon a higher realm of magic.
Innate magical talent lets him mimic most spells just by seeing them.
And unconsciously mimicking that realm let me terrify the demon legion commanders. And ultimately judge Karim Jeba with [The Bizarre].
I was certain. That realm truly existed.
Why? I'd experienced it before. Even when ignorant of magic, I'd grasped its structure—scrying, interference, manifestation.
Grandfell's talent had served me well then. Realizing realms exist was no stretch.
Of course.
"Regrettably, that vista remains hazy."
The realm was that of half-gods. I'd unconsciously immersed and mimicked it briefly.
In simple terms, Senior and Karim Jeba had forcibly pried my eyes open for a moment.
No matter how much I love freebies...
At just level 377, eyeing a half-god's realm would prick the conscience.
But I thought something even more conscience-pricking.
"Yet the Bizarre is a realm no less."
Yeah, not wrong if you think about it. I'd toppled Karim Jeba at that realm's peak via [The Bizarre].
Knowing that gave me a goal. This time, mere mimicry. But...
If I open my eyes on my own and manifest [The Bizarre]...
Then even I wouldn't feel pathetic. Whenever that might be.
But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Allocating stat points was part of it.
Strength and agility are fine from class quest rewards.
As always, I went to dump everything into magic but paused.
...Why 44 points, of all things?
44 levels up. Two deaths in the number. But I'd spoken the words.
I'd declared no faith in gods or superstitions. Swayed by mere superstition? Pathetic.
Magic:331
As vowed, I invested all points into magic and shifted my gaze. Immediate goal: check the quest window.
Grasp the factions participating in the Holy War. (In Progress)
Encounter the Goddess Church's saint. (In Progress)
First, identify the Goddess Church's saint. No need to stand, naturally.
I declared shamelessly.
"This too is the Bizarre."
Don't glorify web surfing from the Mage Tower, Grandfell.
Soon you'll call dawn delivery the Bizarre too.
I searched for Goddess Church info.
...What?
And regretted not putting even one point into luck.
Why? The demon hunter's nose was telling me.
There are saints, but no saint?!
Something off about the Goddess Church!
*
The emergence of the Goddess Church holy site, Muon. No one was more excited than Gaiber, Bohemian guild master.
Gaiber recalled the humiliation from the last rift, Predator's Swamp.
A disgrace I'd rather forget.
The Predator's Swamp rift in Europe. With full EU support, Bohemian entered.
But the raid failed. His goal of shining brightest? Dead the moment Lee Hoyeol appeared.
No regrets there.
Even excluding Hoyeol, it was a disaster. His misjudgment: greed for two named monsters at once. Losses too great.
No face to show the guild.
Even guild deaths mid-battle. No excuses like "tricked by patterns." Hoyeol knew everything, after all.
Forced Gaon, Inazuma, Berserker to unite.
And succeeded in sprouting the World Tree seed. Gap between him and Hoyeol too vast for inferiority.
But now, a chance to wash away the shame.
Goddess Church holy site, Muon!
Gaiber's class: holy knight. On class quest, chosen one. Not Goddess Church, but churches share bonds.
And we're friendly with the Goddess Church.
His own affinity with their NPCs was high. Considering that...
Gaiber calculated. No matter how, better than rifts.
Quest odds high. Even without, Muon in chaos post-teleport.
Build affinity explaining.
Not unfounded hope. He headed straight to Muon's coordinates.
But.
"...Gaiber, something's off?"
Muon wasn't as imagined. No flames like Frost, no demons.
Pure white fortress. Same as Arcana game's era.
"Gaiber, those holy knights on the walls... right?"
Yes. Except the hostile gazes from holy knights atop the walls.
Gathered press spotted him, questions flying.
"Holy knights mobilizing isn't common, right?"
"... ."
Nod— Gaiber nodded silently. He knew best what it meant.
But that scale of holy knights? First time.
Arcana's largest faith. Muon's fortress rivaled a metropolis. Walls packed solid with holy knights.
"...Seems like a misunderstanding."
Amid questions, he spoke. Only explanation.
No reason to be hostile to us?
Definite misunderstanding. But no.
Presence from Muon.
Bwoooo—!
Horn trumpet. Majestic sound drew eyes, then voice.
"We await Judgment Day in the Goddess's holy site, Muon."
"All is the Saintess's arrangement. We need no aid."
"Thus, those approaching Muon."
Declaration continued.
"We shall judge in the Goddess's name."
Open hostility to humanity.
Muon's attitude far from imagined. Recalling Goddess Church behavior in game Arcana, shock amplified.
"Understandable to some extent. Updated NPCs... Arcana natives summoned to reality acted out at first. Dropped into unfamiliar world."
Seong Hyunjun's words; Yoon Sugyeom nodded.
"But that's excessive? Senior, checked satellite photos?"
Muon showing hostility, AAU couldn't sit idle. Activated satellites, imaged Muon interior.
Click— Mouse click. Muon panorama on Seong Hyunjun's monitor.
"Holy knight numbers absurd. At least tens of thousands. Up to 100k. Gold to raise one knight—you know, senior?"
"Yeah. But Arcana's top faith, Goddess Church. Pass on that. Question is when."
"Yes, that's my doubt too."
"Raising that many takes immense time... Since when?"
All the Saintess's arrangement. No need for aid.
As declared, Muon self-sufficient. Food, shelter, all internal.
"Practically a small nation."
"Arrangement real?"
"Like prepared for this day..."
Sigh— Headache inevitable. Especially unwanted twists.
"Just yesterday we sighed relief thanks to Lee Hoyeol..."
Emergency and regular updates. Double trouble.
But action needed. Clack clack— Yoon Sugyeom typed.
"Some players moving."
"...Moving means approaching Muon?"
"Yeah, ex-Goddess Church players."
"Oh, that has potential?"
"Right. They're kin, sort of."
Dialogue possible? Low expectations. Misunderstanding seemed deep-rooted. Holy knights' sharp warnings said it.
Arrangement...?
Yoon Sugyeom mulled.
"Definitely 'awaiting Judgment Day.'"
What Judgment Day meant? Unknown. Trumpet revealed only 'Saintess.'
[Saintess, Freyja].
Iconic since game Arcana. Goddess Church symbol.
"Where to look."
To grasp Judgment Day and arrangement, check her lore.
Yoon Sugyeom accessed AAU database.
Some info remains.
Searched Saintess Freyja. No results.
Yoon Sugyeom startled.
"...Impossible."
Freyja existed since game days. Major NPC as saintess. No way.
Accessed internal messenger.
Even if records gone, memories linger.
Like Decarabia. Her designer knows something.
Others thought same. Already inquiring about Freyja.
Clack clack— Stop. Yoon Sugyeom murmured.
"...None."
"Pardon? What? Caffeine? I'll get one."
"No."
Dazed continuation.
"No one planned Saintess Freyja."
*
Freyja. Goddess Church saintess. Famous NPC since game Arcana...
Back then, just another Arcana native. Quest said 'saint' not saintess—typo? Might doubt quest.
But I know. Post-cataclysm, rifts mere years ago.
Demons already slyly infiltrated reality, society. Arcana, their home, obvious.
Even years back, when I played Arcana, quests hunted demons possessing humans.
So I suspected seriously.
Saintess Freyja a demon?
If Arcana continent, voicing that? Stoned by three. Blasphemy to Goddess Church.
Regrettably.
I'm over halfway convinced.
Class quest specified it. Saints exist, no saintess.
And now, Muon's attitude deepens suspicion.
"Awaiting Judgment Day in Muon..."
Yes. Even generously, sans quest bias.
Grandfell's pride couldn't fathom. Goddess Church, vast followers.
Raised tens of thousands elite holy knights.
Why twiddle thumbs in Muon till continent demon-ravaged?
Awaiting Judgment Day. Arrangement by Saintess Freyja egged that absurdity.
Noblesse oblige. Grandfell's pride wouldn't tolerate.
I intoned indifferently.
"That irresponsibility proves no gods exist."
Anyway, need truth. Track Goddess Church actions in Arcana.
Easy for me, unlike others.
Saintess's arrangement? I have one too.
Informant planted in Arcana: forest spirit, nymph.
To summon nymph, head to rift. This update created one.
Checked update details.