Sulking (2)
AAU. Branch chiefs around the world were moving busily. Their faces appeared on the screens one by one. Someone who had been scanning them spoke up.
"The UK branch chief and the Korea branch chief still aren't here?"
The moment the question was asked.
Pop─ Park Minjae's face popped up in a hurry.
Park Minjae hurriedly greeted them.
"Whew, sorry I'm late."
"No problem. We have to cut Mr. Park some slack."
"You're so busy these days."
There was only one reason Park Minjae was busy. It was all because of Lee Hoyeol, whether he liked it or not. Up until moments ago, he'd been rushing around the AAU Korea branch headquarters like a madman.
Park Minjae caught his breath and spoke.
"These past few days, I've been repeating the same lines like a broken record. Once the Korean media gets hold of you, they won't let go. The existence of classes? We want to know too. Even when I make that pitiful face and say it...!"
"Whoa, branch chief. Your face is too close."
"Is that why you haven't even washed up? You look a mess!"
"...Pardon? I went to the sauna this morning and came back all fresh and clean."
...That's it? The words nearly rose to everyone's throats, but they had to set it aside for now.
"Anyway, thank you for understanding."
"Ahem. Speaking of which, the UK side is late."
"They've been absent a lot lately."
"...Hasn't the UK had few rift outbreaks for a while?"
"Who knows. No choice. We can't wait any longer—let's start."
An unscheduled emergency meeting. The reason the AAU branch chiefs had gathered was simple.
A new rift, 'Teppern Labyrinth', has been added.
A new monster has been added.
'Teppern Black Contractor': Lv.450
A new boss monster has been added.
'The Being That Should Not Be Awakened'….
"So, what do you think that thing's identity is?"
Teppern Labyrinth depths. A massive pupil embedded in the wall.
It wasn't hard to speak up.
"From the pupil size and skin texture details, it's definitely a dragonkin monster. But you all know, right? On the Arcana Continent, dragons…."
It was common knowledge even for Arcana developers.
"Only stay near the Zero Mountains."
"Maybe that setting changed?"
"True, the possibility is high. Currently—post-demon emergence—the Arcana Continent isn't what we knew. But…."
The follow-up was also common sense.
"This is different. A dragon buried deep underground! Dragons that should be ruling the Arcana world from the skies?"
So there was only one possibility.
Park Minjae spoke.
"If it's something like a dragon…."
"Pardon? Something like? Do you have a guess?"
"Yes. In the East, you know? Mr. Okazaki."
...Nod.
AAU Tokyo branch chief Okazaki reacted to Park Minjae's question.
"Imoogi. A being that yearns to become a dragon."
"...Imoogi?"
"According to Eastern legend, it endures eons to become a dragon. I had a hunch. A massive reptile found underground—nothing else fits."
Park Minjae chimed in.
"The only question was whether it exists in Arcana."
Silence flowed.
Back when Arcana was just a game, it would've been dismissible. A monster neither planned nor updated appearing?
But Arcana was now another world, no longer a game.
"Well, even Grand Evils were unknowns."
And they'd experienced this before.
So they couldn't ignore it. Questions poured toward Park Minjae and Okazaki.
"Is the Imoogi strong? Like a dragon?"
I get the sentiment, but they're impatient.
Park Minjae shrugged.
"Nothing confirmed, so no specifics. Even if it's an Imoogi, we don't know its Arcana portrayal. But one thing's sure…."
Imoogi or not, dragon-like. That alone was worrisome.
AAU ran cold calculations.
"Assume a downgraded dragon. Can Lee Hoyeol and the players in Teppern Labyrinth take it down?"
No easy answer.
"Everything hinges on Lee Hoyeol's performance."
Unlike [Crack in Shattered Dimensions] or [Demon King's Castle] rifts, where he allied with top forces like the Mage Tower.
Knowing that, a small tongue-click sounded.
"Even legendary explorer Fabien is just an explorer. Class limits mean little combat help…."
As negative worries surfaced.
Click─ Someone spoke urgently.
"Wait, new update details just dropped!"
"Always with the piecemeal announcements, Raymond!"
"Can you share the details?"
"Yes, one sec!"
Click─ Update details shared with all.
'The Being That Should Not Be Awakened': Lv.900
The Being That Should Not Be Awakened…!
Everyone's eyes widened at the name.
An Imoogi endures eons, coiled, to become a dragon?
"Looks like the Korea-Japan branch chiefs were right."
No better name fit.
But shock wasn't just that.
"Its level…?!"
900. Highest monster level yet. 50 higher than Demon King Phlaurus.
Arcana developers knew level gaps widen dramatically at high ends.
"And it's a boss dragonkin?"
They could assert: stronger than Phlaurus.
As worry clouded faces.
"...Wait. Everyone seeing this?"
Urgent voice again.
"Seeing what?"
"Park Huigang. The netuber streaming from the labyrinth!"
"Streaming?"
"Share the link? Screen share better."
...Something big happened.
Tension rose as the stream appeared.
Teppern Labyrinth scenery.
Unbelievable sight unfolded.
"Wait, that black shape…? Teppern Black Contractor."
[Teppern Black Contractor]. Per update, common monster in Teppern Labyrinth rift. Subordinate to boss 'The Being That Should Not Be Awakened'.
Why were they…?
Park Minjae muttered.
"...Why are they charging the Imoogi?"
Common monsters free from boss control? Unthinkable for developers.
But accepting the impossible wasn't hard.
They could guess from experience.
'...Lee Hoyeol.'
Some trick. His class? Quest? No specifics, but certain: him again.
"Haha…."
Park Minjae let out a hollow laugh.
Proves himself through any adversity. Time to blindly trust?
"No wonder everyone calls him Ho-men, Ho-yeol-nim."
You have acquired command over the Teppern Black Contractors.
[Teppern 10,890 Black Contractors]
[Current Status: Awaiting Orders]
Not unfamiliar. I've got experience leading Goddess Church holy knights, you know.
'Truth is, if I could….'
I wanted to order an immediate attack.
'Terror' occurs on The Being That Should Not Be Awakened.
『Black Gaze』 stripped its senses. With added fitting mana, it inflicted [Terror]—top-tier status ailment.
Then emergency update news.
"Lv.900?!"
900? No wonder the scale felt huge…!
Beyond whining—real life-or-death.
Especially after my recent bluster.
'Sulking? Indulge that, and I'll sleep forever.'
So I wanted quick resolution.
[Terror] is top-tier.
Terror: Crushes target physically and mentally.
Why players feared demons; why powerless me stood tall before them.
'Terror makes even Demon Kings scream.'
Now's the chance to fell it.
But damn pride…!
In urgency, I calmly said,
"You have already paid sufficient sacrifice."
Gazing at the Black Contractors, Teppern's people.
"Yet you seek to right your wrongs?"
Yes. I held command over [Teppern Black Contractors], yet never controlled Teppern's people.
My chest's heavy, complex pride wouldn't allow it.
No need to rush.
"!!!"
Terror's effect showed instantly. Massive pupil trembled visibly.
Thrashing its bulk?
Rumble─!
The labyrinth shook harder.
"Damn, shouldn't we attack now?"
"You mad? Charge that?!"
"No reaction no matter the donation. For real."
Overwhelming presence. None dared move rashly.
Even legendary explorer Fabien, seasoned in all.
"Whew."
Tensed, steadying breath.
But those righting wrongs had no hesitation.
Swish─ No order given.
Black Contractors charged the twitching foe.
Bound by Black Contract, only grudges remain. No complex actions.
"?!"
Just cling to The Being That Should Not Be Awakened.
"...Allies good, but."
"Does that even help?"
"It's a hug? What damage?"
Laughable, feeble to some.
Not to me.
Others might not see, but I know.
The meaning in that act.
Swish─ Black Contractors clinging turned denser dark.
Emitting fitting mana, vanishing into air.
Pure fitting mana incarnate.
Teppern's grudge remnants can only oxidize, harm it.
From black magic and…
"I see. I understand your pride."
My specialty: pride theory.
So I can't stand idle.
Flutter─ White outer wing billowed.
I drew mana.
Breath-like interference, manifestation.
As if feathers shed from wing.
Attribute magics stored in outer wing emerged one by one.
Players murmured nearby.
"...What’s that?"
"S-skill?"
"Skill? Where’s the skill start? The wing?"
I ignored their buzz. No mind for it.
Teppern's people burned final pride.
Couldn't tear eyes from final blaze.
Yes, this weight I bear.
100 attribute magics from outer wing.
First: [Absolute Zero].
[Strange], mimicking senior realm.
Power: overwhelming among my magics.
Mana cost: beyond Lv.400 me.
Effect: Stores attribute magics cast by user. Number proportional to wing color; manifesting stored magic reduces mana cost by 30%.
- Currently stored attribute magics: 100
Stored, cost reduced.
Mana regeneration slightly increases for 6 hours.
Elixir boosts too.
Still unmanageable.
But no mana exhaustion now.
Skill, 'Natural Enemy', activates.
[Natural Enemy] activated.
No need to probe; peak demon hunter senses told me.
Labyrinth depths: demon among players.
'Normally.'
Grandfell's temper wouldn't ignore a demon.
Might've hunted it first.
But Teppern's people present.
"Presumptuous inferiors have no place here."
All per procedure.
Priorities exist.
Demon hunt after this foe.
...Lucky for me.
[Natural Enemy] let me slam [Absolute Zero] from start.
No stagger; pulled stored magics.
'Frostbite' occurs on The Being That Should Not Be Awakened.
'Bleeding' occurs on The Being That Should Not Be Awakened.
'Paralysis' occurs on The Being That Should Not Be Awakened.
...Lv.900 boss.
But abnormal. Stacked debuffs: winnable.
No, must win.
I'm not alone.
[Teppern 10,890 Black Contractors]
[Teppern 9,754 Black Contractors]
[Teppern 7,551 Black Contractors]
….
Teppern's people sacrificing to the end.
High El, shadow spirit.
Fabien's group.
"S-Sir, we'll join too. Combat power negligible, but… you said prepare fully, so we brought magic tools."
Even players.
"Just watching?"
"You wanted to fight with Ho-yeol-nim."
"F-Fine, gotta do something. Embarrassing just watching!"
Assaults poured on The Being That Should Not Be Awakened.
Rumble─!!
Pain snapped some sense?
"!!!"
It thrashed wildly.
Boom─!!
Labyrinth walls collapsed fully; body revealed.
Pupil just a fraction.
Sharp teeth, claws emerged.
"Crazy, a dragon?!"
"Looks exactly like!"
"Little late and those claws…."
Players recoiled.
But I stood firm.
Didn't I say? Must fell it.
Pride demands.
So you too.
Don't expect escape.
◈ Restriction: None
◈ Effect: Acquire knowledge of all minerals and plants on Arcana Continent.
◈ Description: Magic tool containing immeasurable knowledge.
Underground. Rock walls. Minerals exist.
You can't move a single scale.
"I deem needle-pricking no sulking."
"...?"
"Mind decorum."
"...!"
Crunch─!