Did You Think We'd Overlook It? Not Just Park Minjae
It wasn't just Park Minjae.
Branch heads from every AAU division froze solid, along with their staff—anyone who remembered the Arcana beta test.
The branch heads' faces went slack with shock.
"Mr. Baker, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, lad."
"Glad to hear it. And look, it's the Chief Coordinator again!"
The AAU London branch head, Baker, nodded silently.
'Of course, it's astonishing.'
[Prototype Model: D]
A relic from the beta test era. A fake dragon, sure—but a dragon nonetheless. Its breath alone would surpass imagination.
'Neutralizing a dragon's breath with a sword.'
The moment sword met breath, the breath scattered into powder on the wind.
A sight that would make anyone doubt their eyes—even watching live. And yet, there it was, bold as brass on the official Arcana homepage.
But it made sense.
'Because it's none other than Chief Coordinator Lee Hoyeol.'
That explained the slack-jawed stares.
But there was another reason entirely.
The very existence of prototype monsters.
At the AAU Korea branch, Park Minjae muttered under his breath.
"……He definitely said that."
A conversation with Raymon Sean echoed in his mind.
—"No need to interfere with something already complete."
Back when Arcana was just a game, he'd taken it to mean they couldn't touch a live service.
But knowledge reveals more. After the cataclysm, when half-baked dev settings started spilling out as rifts...
Park Minjae finally grasped the hidden meaning.
"It was already a complete world……."
Cosmo hadn't developed the Arcana continent.
It already existed—fully formed.
But he couldn't believe it. Beta test memories refuted it outright. Everyone, including him, had seen the incomplete continent back then.
He couldn't just swallow Raymon Sean's words whole.
"Why would prototypes suddenly...?"
Yet here they were, prototypes erupting from rifts—living proof.
'No way……?'
Park Minjae's pupils trembled.
'Was the entire beta test a sham?'
Fake meant illusion. If Arcana truly predated everything, the beta was just theater to fool them.
Cosmo—and the AAU—had danced in Raymon Sean's palm all this time.
"That son of a bitch."
Grind!
Park Minjae gnashed his teeth.
He'd thought the guy inscrutable, but this? Utter defeat.
"……Branch Head?"
"Give me a sec. Settling my guts."
"Y-yes, sir!"
His hot-blooded rebel streak couldn't stomach a backstab like this.
That's why he was rattled in front of his staff.
But Park Minjae forced his face to harden.
"Whew. Alright."
Social savvy? Hardly. He'd bulldozed through life, never accepting what he couldn't swallow. Hell, he had less polish than Seong Hyunjun.
So how'd he tamp down the rage?
If asked, he'd point at the monitor.
"……Thanks again for saving my ass, Chief Coordinator Lee Hoyeol."
Yeah. Lee Hoyeol was about to repay that backstab in full.
Someone shouted.
"Last floor—this is the control room!"
Park Minjae smirked.
"Let's see how it feels to get smacked, you bastard."
*
Friendly rivalry. The match came down to a hair's breadth.
After endurance training, no way he'd tolerate a losing streak. Shegwin sliced the giant prototype to ribbons with swift strikes.
But glancing my way? Fatal mistake.
'Can't blame him.'
Hearing Illusion Breaker?
Who could ignore that?
Rumble—!
The giant prototype collapsed with a thunderous roar. Messages popped up.
So many it made my head spin.
I'd entered this dungeon just to meet Raymon Sean. No expectations for levels or loot...
Humans gonna human. Unexpected windfalls hit different.
'Would've been salty without the EXP.'
Prototypes skipped loot for massive EXP instead.
Even before the giant one, I'd jumped 9 levels.
So I checked my status, half-expecting...
Exceeded hopes.
……Level 680?
One kill, 50 levels?!
System cap on EXP absorbed. Luxurious haul—surpassing Quirnburk Mechanical Tower stockpiles.
Naturally, questions arose.
'What the hell even is that machine pile...?'
Good's good—no need to question.
No loot, but this? More than satisfied.
Levels aside, bigger gains.
Unlocked second Transcendent achievement.
Path of Pride.
'……Fittingly grandiose, as expected.'
A Grandfell-worthy name.
But its effect? Pure Lee Hoyeol.
Countless stab wounds earned this.
Superiority over any foe, matchup be damned.
'Follow my path.'
Companion Gwiseol would rename accordingly.
……No, not the name.
Form and effects would evolve.
'Endless potential.'
Only Path 1: Illusion Breaker unlocked.
Others would follow with struggle—as always.
As I sorted thoughts, Illusion Breaker spoke.
—Atlas concedes defeat.
Really?
Glancing at Shegwin, still wide-eyed. Plenty to say—misunderstood on multiple levels.
But Grandfell wouldn't drone on about Path of Pride's tragic backstory.
Calmly:
"At last, the interloper departs."
[B5-Deep Research Lab]
"Press on, Shegwin."
Deep Research Lab awaited—but no prototypes visible below stairs. Monitors galore, fitting the name.
Skirting past led to the depths' end: [B6-Control Room].
Raymon Sean watched via CCTV.
Want a chat?
'Why not.'
I had questions too.
But first—settle scores.
For me and Shegwin.
A little debt owed.
Descending with renewed vigor.
Static—
"!"
Click!
Shegwin reflexively raised Atlas.
Dungeons: unpredictable.
But I intoned steadily:
"No need for vigilance."
That static? Familiar as breathing.
White noise from mistuned frequencies.
"?"
Shegwin stayed alert. Fair—alien sound in Arcana.
Curious, even for me.
'Suddenly blasting radio?'
Grumbling at Raymon Sean, I eyed the source.
[B5-Deep Research Lab].
……Wait. Monitors flickered to life.
Tower Master's cat tricks? I knew the playbook.
Another ploy.
'Think I'll sprout eyes?'
I'd ignored tantalizing player quests.
No way some static monitors halt my stride...
'……Huh?'
Yet I froze anyway.
The screens seized my gaze.
Familiar display. Not daily, but weekly visits made it rote.
Official Arcana homepage, crystal clear.
Just the homepage? I'd walk.
But a video played.
Observer view: silver hair.
Overly flashy jacket and garb.
Uncommon sword in hand.
Me.
"……!"
Distant angle included Shegwin too.
Live stream—baffling for Arcana natives.
Crackle!
Shegwin whipped around, scanning.
His image appeared live.
Casually:
"No cause for alarm."
Of course, facade intact—inside, cold sweat poured.
Memory flashed: CCTV right at rift entry.
'CCTV feed?'
Sorting calmly: My current CCTV capture streams live on the homepage.
Such cameras everywhere since entry.
'……Watched the whole time?'
Me knee-capping prototypes.
Raising Gwiseol at the giant.
Gripping Illusion Breaker...
Then those words escaped:
—"Art thou prepared, Illusion Breaker?"
That—immortalized on the homepage?!
This goddamn world!!
Talking to a sword? Unhinged.
And the name Illusion Breaker?
I glared at the monitors.
Raymon Sean. Whatever your game, broadcasting my every twitch...
Quietly to Shegwin:
"Thus, I share thy predicament."
Dared make me spectacle?
"A little" debt? Retracted.
Threat to my life? Punish severely.
Gaze shifts from monitors.
Downward stairs.
No hesitation left.
Clack—
You have entered [B6-Control Room].
Control room. Dungeon's heart—where Raymon Sean lurked.
My heels echoed briefly.
Vision flickered.
What, another quest shove?
I'm crass enough to bite, but Grandfell? Unshaken.
"Absurd."
I spat coldly.
Wait...
Not a quest.
You have met the conditions.
……Conditions?
First thought: quest objectives.
But entering [B6-Control Room] fulfilled none.
Messages piled on.
Rewards have been distributed.
Out-of-nowhere reward.
You have cleared the rift, 'Dungeon: CODE-009'.
……Got it.
'Kicking us out like this?'
Whatever the scheme, evicting pissed-off me and Shegwin?
But I said it clear:
'You owe a debt.'
Time to collect—in full.
No unilateral rift closure and escape, Raymon Sean.
I surged mana full throttle.
Hummm!
Vast—even [First World Tree's Blessing] strained to regen.
Target: the rift's void space.
Reverse the clear this instant.
Possible?
'Won't know till I try.'
Possible or not—till I punch Raymon Sean's face proper,
no leaving this rift.
Mana too low.
Mana depletion warning flashed.
Undeterred.
Crack—!
Staring at fracturing riftscape.
Mind racing: arcane search, process, manifestation.
!—Crack!
Collapsing rift reversed.
Vision flickered.
You have entered [B6-Control Room].
"Did you think bribes would suffice?"
My voice echoed in the still control room.
"Regrettably..."
Ice-cold.
"Bribery joins the tally."
So show your mug, Raymon Sean.
—Come forth.
Illusion's master.
My cherished blade, Illusion Breaker.
My shame-soaked fist.
Pride Punch hungers!