AAU, Do You Not Regret It?
The AAU branch meeting proceeded via video conference. But no matter how much they racked their brains, they couldn't find a clear path forward. And the starting point of it all was, as always, Hoyeol.
"It starts with Player Lee Hoyeol and just spirals into chaos. Pure chaos."
The emergency update. Right after that, eleven [Cracked Dimensional Rifts] had appeared simultaneously. How on earth had Hoyeol cleared those rifts in such a short time? Tracking his movements alone was overwhelming.
"How is Muon still in the same state?"
The very next day, a bomb exploded in the regular update. Arcana natives showing hostility toward humanity. The AAU had no choice but to tense up.
"From external observations, there don't seem to be any major changes. But inside Muon, hostility toward humanity has only grown, not lessened. Just seeing those drones hovering overhead would make anyone lose their minds."
The holy city of the Goddess Church, Muon. With Muon showing hostility, it was only natural for the world to regard it warily. But the biggest problem was something else entirely: the existence of the Goddess Church's saintess, Freyja.
"Freyja. What the hell is that NPC's true nature...?"
Freyja had existed since the days when Arcana was just a game. Which naturally raised questions. As the saintess of the Goddess Church, she had to be an NPC with significant weight. Not some randomly generated villager AI...
Even after circulating memos to every AAU employee, no one knew anything about Freyja.
"In the end, it's one of two answers."
"Raymon Sean. Unless he was involved..."
"She's a truly unknown entity we don't even know about. Like that colossal evil that appeared in the Yusra Kingdom."
"Whatever it is, our heads are still splitting. Truly."
The world was changing rapidly.
"Jessie Haynes left Shining. And with Cheonha Tongil's aggressive rift clears, the guild rankings have shifted. For the first time since the tally began, Cheonha Tongil has claimed the number one spot."
The order of power was shaking accordingly.
"Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker haven't made any official announcements, but it's safe to say they've formed a massive alliance. Their combined force should rival Cheonha Tongil and Shining."
There was cause for concern on every front.
"A massive alliance is one thing, but of all guilds, Cheonha Tongil...?"
That was right. Behind Cheonha Tongil stood China. The one nation with zero交流 with the AAU, the only one in the world pursuing an independent path. With Cheonha Tongil's influence growing stronger, the China variable loomed larger than ever.
"Maybe we've reached our limit."
After the cataclysm. The AAU had tried to predict countless variables and respond to Arcana's erosion. But recent update trends were utterly unpredictable. They had no choice but to admit their limitations. If only one of these tangled threads would unravel...
Silence— In that heavy atmosphere, someone finally spoke.
"...But it's awfully coincidental, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't every tangled thread pointing to one thing?"
"...Pardon?"
"The [Cracked Dimensional Rifts] from the emergency update. Jessie Haynes's final actions before leaving Shining. Even the massive alliance of Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker. Player Lee Hoyeol is connected to all of them, isn't he?"
"...!"
"Perhaps... Player Lee Hoyeol knows something about Muon—something we can't even grasp—and Freyja too. What do you think?"
One person reacted particularly vehemently to the question.
"...Hold on, what's with those looks, everyone?"
It was Park Minjae, head of the AAU Korea branch. He shook his head vigorously in protest.
"If you're expecting something from me, put those thoughts away right now. You all talk like you have no connection to Player Lee Hoyeol, but didn't you see the interview? Even those persistent reporters and netubers grovel before him. How dare I...!"
*
The guild rankings were in turmoil. Gaiber, guild master of Bohemian at number four, trembled with rage.
"How can it be this ridiculously twisted...?"
He'd thought Muon would allow a grand reversal. But Muon, which he'd seen as a jackpot, hadn't even let them scratch the lottery ticket. They'd just wasted time yesterday and today. Meanwhile, Cheonha Tongil cleared new rifts and finally claimed the top spot.
"Damn it."
Of course, Cheonha Tongil wasn't the only one clearing new rifts. There was Lee Hoyeol. According to player testimonies, the time Cheonha Tongil cleared [Mantra Mine - Sector 2] matched when Lee Hoyeol cleared [Mantra Mine - Sector 1].
Speculation swirled wherever Lee Hoyeol appeared—it wasn't new. Gaiber felt no jealousy or anger. Just one thing.
'Of all guilds, Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker!'
Guild ranking 3rd, Gaon. 5th, Inazuma. With his 4th place already precarious, his upper and lower rivals had allied. And Berserker from the same EU bloc to boot...!
'Not just guild rankings, but the title of EU's strongest too.'
This wouldn't do. Anxious, Gaiber couldn't sit still. He wanted to rush to a new rift right away, but... As mentioned, both [Mantra Mine] rifts were already cleared by Hoyeol and Cheonha Tongil. The remaining rifts had fierce competitors too.
What was left for Gaiber?
'I need to make a decision.'
Muon was his only option. Knowing that, he'd set up their base camp not near a rift, but right in front of Muon.
Muon's gates remained firmly shut. Gaiber racked his brain.
'They can't ignore their own rules, no matter what.'
No matter the stern warnings. They were holy knights devoted to the Goddess. Though he followed a different faith, Gaiber was a holy knight too. He knew their strict code.
"Holy knights can't attack civilians first."
"So you're really going to approach Muon?"
"Watching changes nothing."
Lay down his weapon and approach Muon. Talk to them. Gaiber didn't hesitate. His heart pounded with tension—and a touch of anticipation—as he advanced.
Currently, Muon was under massive scrutiny. If talks went well, Muon dropped its hostility, and the gates opened? Bohemian—and his own stock—would skyrocket.
But that didn't happen.
"!"
Holy knight Gaiber's common sense shattered. He was a top ranker player. His honed senses screamed a warning. A presence atop the walls.
Kkiiig—!
That was the sound of bowstrings drawing.
Shuuuk! Shushuuk!
Not only had he laid down his weapon and raised both hands, but as Gaiber approached defenseless, a rain of arrows poured down on him. Not a warning. A real preemptive strike aimed to kill.
Outrage surged.
"Those crazy bastards...!!"
Arrows pierced Gaiber's body in multiple places. If Bohemian guildmates hadn't swatted them away, he wouldn't be breathing now. Realizing that, Gaiber barely opened his mouth.
"...Muon, and the Goddess Church, aren't what I knew."
And this entire incident hit the airwaves.
The angriest was the EU. They issued an official statement immediately.
Other nations' reactions were similar. Some even said the powder keg had finally blown.
"If it were just a few NPCs, maybe. But with every city-scale update, this was a concern. Judging Arcana natives as friendly to humanity was a miscalculation from the start."
When it was just a game, fine. But why would they be friendly to humanity? Hard to name even one reason.
"Maybe Yusra Kingdom and Frost were the exceptions."
The breaking news ended, regular programming began, but the shocking footage looped. The hosts' somber faces persisted. And Muon's sealed gates seemed utterly indifferent.
"If Muon keeps up the hostility, it's a massive variable for humanity. In the worst case, we might have to wipe Muon off the map..."
What to do with Muon? No answers yet.
Until one man appeared before it.
"...That lunatic? Who the hell is that?!"
The camera filming Muon's panorama zoomed in frantically. A man approaching Muon without fear. First off... not Lee Hoyeol. If it were, his smartphone would've buzzed nonstop from HQ's orders not to miss a single move.
"Netubers crossing lines is one thing, but this far...?"
Some thought it was just a fame-hungry netuber. But something was off. No filming gear on the man. And his outfit: antique uniform, more fantasy than reality. Definitely a player.
"Anyone ring a bell?"
"That build looks super distinctive."
"...Not sure?"
True enough. Exceptionally tall. Long limbs. Gaunt frame. Unforgettable at a glance.
"...Was there a player like that?"
No one among players came to mind. But unlike the confused reporters, at Bohemian's base camp watching the same scene, some recognized him. Mages.
"Wh-what? Why?"
Precisely, mages qualified for the regular conference.
"Chief Mage Marcelo has appeared at Muon?!"
*
Muon's news had rocked the world for days. The Mage Tower hearing about it was inevitable. Marcelo let out a small smile.
"My lord. My turn has finally come."
From research on [『Strange』] to dealing with demon worshippers. He'd only incurred debts to Hoyeol.
"I remember that everything involves give and take."
Only receiving. Now, a chance to repay Hoyeol.
But.
"I know I can't act on my own."
With Muon involved, it wasn't simple. The Goddess Church, Akkshan, and the Mage Tower. A Holy War entangled them.
Resolved, Marcelo didn't hesitate. He sought Hoyeol and confessed everything.
Clack—
As expected, no agitation from Hoyeol. Same expression, same demeanor. Marcelo intuited.
'...As expected, my lord knew everything.'
Only explanation for the reaction. His resolve hardened.
Marcelo continued. "My lord, how about entrusting this to me?"
He knew. Even if Hoyeol knew. Even if he didn't show it. The past didn't vanish.
The Mage Tower's sins weren't erased just because elder mages—no, demon worshippers—were to blame. No excuses or absolution.
Besides, hadn't my lord said it?
"That the Mage Tower must uphold 'formality' with you and Akkshan."
.
.
.
Players often said it.
"The Mage Tower? Honestly, just hype?"
"No results to show."
"All talk, no action, with those grand titles."
From Arcana's game days to now. Arcana natives reacted most fiercely to such trash talk. Those who'd witnessed the Mage Tower's past.
"You haven't seen it, so."
"Mage Tower mages aren't human."
"Don't touch the Mage Tower. You don't want the fallout."
But now, no lengthy explanations needed. Chief Mage Marcelo had appeared at Muon. No better chance to prove.
"Watch and see if it's hype or not."
"Same rank as Lee Hoyeol, so probably similar?"
"Might even gauge Lee Hoyeol's power this way?"
The almighty Mage Tower. How would its chief mage fend off Muon's attacks? As he neared, watchers brimmed with anticipation.
But.
"...?"
That anticipation didn't become reality. No arrow rain like with Gaiber.
Just.
Ku-gu-gu-gung—!
The sealed gates opened as if never shut. A holy knight emerged.
"All is the saintess's design. We need no aid."
"Those who approach Muon."
"We shall judge in the Goddess's name."
Hostile words toward humanity. Shocking enough. Then, watchers realized why the Mage Tower was called Arcana's strongest force. Why even empire emperors paid tribute to avoid offending them.
"...!!!"
The holy knight, fearless as death itself. Now pale-faced, bowing to Marcelo.
Shock— Someone murmured lowly.
"So Lee Hoyeol is on the same level as that guy...?"