Demon King's Castle (2): Path to Certain Victory

A certain victory report. For that, I needed thorough preparation. No, I had to prepare meticulously.

The Lion Heart Knight Order under Harcon Kingsguard. The Shadow Mercenary. The Goddess Church. The Mage Tower. Regardless of the reason, to keep my allies who followed me from seeing my true capabilities.

In that sense, I made my first visit to the Mage Tower's Garnet Hall in a while.

Finally level 390. Still woefully inadequate compared to the excessive praise I received, but...

Compared to a few months ago, I've grown.

As I looked around the magical artifacts in Garnet Hall, memories of my first visit surfaced. Back then, drooling over them due to level restrictions, I'd only managed to snag one with a level 100 limit: this [Hexagram Brooch].

Yes, thinking back to that time, my options had multiplied now.

"Chief Lee Hoyeol is the last, I see."

The skilled mage managing Garnet Hall bowed politely in greeting. Then he added,

"I hope an artifact worthy of the chief's discerning eye remains."

Garnet Hall's artifacts. Most were still pie-in-the-sky for me. But I immediately grasped his meaning.

The goal is to crush the demon king.

I'd relayed that plan to Marcelo and the Mage Tower's senior mages. It had clearly gotten through.

Afterward, lines about [Artifact Loan] kept popping up on the parchment nonstop.

They all borrowed some monstrous artifacts.

[Illusion's Golden Statue]. [Miniature Mana Sun]. Even the [Great Sage's Staff]...

A quick scan showed the heavy hitters were gone. Borrowed by the seniors, no doubt.

They must have met the requirements to borrow them.

I vaguely recalled the twenty invisible artifacts.

The lowest level restriction among them was 800.

So the senior mages were at least level 800. Another stark reminder of the gap.

I'd thought I'd grown, but...

It's like heaven and earth.

Moreover, I was accounting for Karimjeva and Senior, and even the upper demon kings beyond them.

Heaven and earth. And beings from beyond even that heaven—a celestial realm above the skies.

...Still a long way to go.

An overly grand goal, too grand even.

A normal person might lose morale. But was I, Grandfell, some ordinary soul?

"Not bad."

A towering pride that could pierce even the heavens beyond the heavens! Thanks to it, I calmly selected artifacts to borrow.

The seniors' picks were items I couldn't even equip at a mere level 390 anyway.

"This will do."

I rented three artifacts—items fitting my level, the highest I could manage.

Ring, garment, and wand. Items that matched even Grandfell's aesthetic sense, and those were about the only ones within my level limit.

The skilled mage seemed startled by my choices.

"...Are these artifacts truly sufficient, Chief?"

I had no choice; my level didn't allow anything else. Of course, admitting my own shortcomings?

With pride burning in my chest, that was impossible.

I brazenly replied,

"These suffice."

"...!"

Suddenly, gazes filled with admiration poured my way. Clearly a misunderstanding, yet...

I simply accepted them as a matter of course.

How embarrassing...

....

But separate from that shame, Grandfell's eye was extraordinary.

Proof appeared in my status window.

The [Aesthetics] stat had risen. Probably thanks to adding two more [Luxury] items.

It was nice seeing it climb from [下], unchanging for so long, but...

I wouldn't feel it until I properly manifested magic.

No need to rush, though.

Just as expected. The update had revealed demon kings, three of them no less.

Even this worst-case scenario was anticipated, so no surprise.

I sprang into action, quill in hand, scrawling across the parchment.

Scratch-scratch—

....

The [Demon King's Castle] rift. Its collapse rate was skyrocketing in real time.

While ordinary rifts crept up by a mere 0.1%, this one surged by 1%—ten times faster.

"...I've never seen collapse this fast."

"How much chaos are they causing in there?"

"Power even the rift can barely contain...?"

Amid mounting concerns, additional update details emerged, specifying the rift's appropriate level.

"...!!!"

Was the info wrong? Or were their eyes deceiving them? Numbers that bred needless doubt.

"An 800-level rift? How the hell do we even...?"

Different from the [Shattered Dimension's Gap] rift. Emergency vs. regular update meant no bug.

But shock didn't end there. Next came the owners of the Demon King's Castles—the demon kings' levels.

"This is insane."

True to their name—demon kings. Their mere descent would plunge the world into terror.

Even the lowest, Amdusias, appearing alone would leave humanity without a solution.

Yet he was the weakest of these three.

"...Senior, Branch Chief?"

Seong Hyunjun. Yoon Sugyeom. And AAU Korea Branch Chief, Park Minjae.

They too faced this despairing update.

Seong Hyunjun barely continued,

"Y-yeah! Say we nuke this Demon King's Castle ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠somehow. Then what? How ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do we handle the next ones?!"

Demon King Decarabia had revealed demon king intel. Motifs from the 72 demons, with hierarchies among them.

Decarabia ranked low. That applied here too.

Knowing that, the two had no retort.

Park Minjae said hollowly,

"These monsters are just ranks 67, 66, and 64."

67th, Amdusias. 66th, Kimaris. 64th, Flauros.

Yes. Broadly speaking, like Decarabia, they were weak among the 72 demon kings.

"Branch Chief..."

Just days ago, AAU had grasped their place. Couldn't predict all threats like before, but they'd pour everything into protecting humanity from Arcana.

Yet now...

"...What can we even do?"

Minimum 800, maximum 850. If these were the weaklings, what of the upper demon kings?

Unimaginable threats. Their hard-won grasp on reality shattered.

"Damn it all."

Park Minjae swallowed bitterly. Despair, plunged into utter darkness.

So perhaps that's why his mind turned to the sole lifeline he'd thought of days ago: Lee Hoyeol, his hope.

Lee Hoyeol's estimated level: around 900.

Players knew players best.综合 rankers' evaluations like Rocks' and his feats pointed there.

Park Minjae recalled Arcana-as-game common sense.

Against regular monsters, maybe possible with level advantage.

But named monsters exceeded levels with tricky patterns. Proven in the [Predator's Swamp] rift.

Opponent: demon king. Boss monster, as stated.

Even Hoyeol...

Even 50-100 levels ahead, soloing a boss was impossible. Reaching it first was the hurdle.

System-wise, a dozen named monsters guard it.

Crunch— Park Minjae bit his dry lips. Decarabia flashbacks.

Not just named demon legion commanders, but overwhelming demon king armies.

Pierce that encirclement to reach the demon king?

One, maybe. But three rifts.

And...

'Frost was different.

Frost hadn't fully become Decarabia's domain. The reclamation quest proved it.

This: storming demon kings' home bases. Difficulty on another level.

More he pondered, more sighs escaped.

"Branch Chief. Lee Hoyeol's on the move."

"...Yeah? Consistent as ever."

"Does Hoyeol even know fear?"

Even hearing he'd mobilized, joy was muted. Unlike hyped media, they'd simulated mentally.

"Damn."

Lee Hoyeol marching to slaughter. He'd stop him if possible.

But unease faded fast. Intel flooded in.

"B-Branch Chief?!"

Frost, Lion Heart Knight Order. Yusra Kingdom, Shadow Mercenary. Holy city Muon, Holy Knights. And Mage Tower.

All mobilized simultaneously, as if awaiting his step.

Park Minjae let out a hollow laugh.

What am I seeing...?

"This ain't some game with cheat keys."

Forces impossible for players to move.

"Four at once?!"

Fine, Shadow Mercenary made sense—Arcana mercenaries bet lives on aligned interests.

"No way..."

But the rest? No explanation.

Even max affinity/influence, they prioritized beliefs.

"What the hell did he do...?"

Did Hoyeol sway even their convictions? The suspicion grew.

Seong Hyunjun ventured cautiously,

"Possible, right? Clearing the Demon King's Castle rifts."

Park Minjae and Yoon Sugyeom fell silent.

Lion Heart and Muon's holy knights—estimable power. Major assets for Hoyeol.

But maybe not enough.

One demon king, sure. But three.

Success hinged on Shadow Mercenary and Mage Tower.

Whose strengths even ex-Arcana devs like him couldn't gauge.

One shrouded in darkness. One the continent's top force.

Pray they lived up to titles. All they could do was watch desperately.

Of course, like unease, the prayer didn't last.

....

Observers couldn't know full details. Known info on Mage Tower and Shadow Mercenary was scant.

But one thing certain: unimaginable results unfolded.

"...!"

Rift vanishing into thin air. Cleared.

Unbelievable: the time.

"Th-this a dream, senior?"

Less than 10 minutes after entry.

Watching monitors, Park Minjae muttered,

"...Beyond guesswork, beyond imagination."

Literally. The Demon King's Castle crushed.