Welcome (3)
The great evil, the Seven Deadly Sins born on the Arcana Continent, never once doubted itself.
Not even for a single moment.
Because it had never failed. Because it had never bowed to anyone.
It even believed it had surpassed the great Claudy.
Yet the great evil, the Sin of Lust, Rust—its confidence crumbled pathetically in this instant.
To think that I, revived by Claudy, would writhe so ridiculously.
To think I would judge myself and sacrifice my life to summon the king of mongrels.
Kuwooooong—…!
"Haha."
Gazing at the splitting sky, Rust let out a hollow laugh.
Still, it might not be a bad deal.
The sight of that arrogant man's face crumbling before absolute power would surely be quite thrilling.
It was then, as Rust licked its lower lip.
That it sensed something off.
"…?"
The sky had clearly split open.
Yet the Demon King of the Tenth Throne, Buer, who should manifest, was nowhere to be seen.
The blood flowing even more fiercely, far from stopping, showed the ritual was proceeding without issue.
A horrific thought crossed its mind.
…No way, is it insufficient?
I am a great evil.
Pureblood born from primordial evil.
One of the Seven Deadly Sins of the Arcana Continent.
I resolved to offer myself fully as sacrifice.
Yet the sacrifice is insufficient?
Rust felt an indescribable helplessness staring at the unresponsive sky.
…What manner of beings are you, exactly?
Perhaps it was inevitable.
They originated from the Demon Realm.
A world brimming with demons.
Did that mean their very nature was different? Was that a phrase meant for them?
Despair settled upon Rust as it gazed at the sky.
"Damn it."
A matter of knowing one's place, perhaps.
To the very end.
My failure in grasping that bastard's place.
Its eyelids grew heavy.
Demon hunter.
Its body, shredded by its natural enemy, burned away in hellfire.
It was then.
□□□□. □□ □□□ □□.
"…!!!"
A voice echoed from the split sky.
It was unmistakably Buer's voice.
Rust swallowed its sneer.
So it only manifested a voice, is that it?
What a comfort.
The moment of death felt utterly hollow in more ways than one.
Yet in this instant, facing the Demon King's voice directly—
Rust encountered an unexpected shock.
□□.
…What nonsense is it spouting?
If this continues, the self-proclaimed Demon Kings' words will prove true.
The Demon Kings of the Ten Thrones.
Beings of ignorance who can't even speak properly.
'Entities wielding immense power without consciousness.'
Thus, foolish kings.
In the moment it deemed itself pathetic for placing hopes in such fools—
Rust finally saw it.
Claudy, who had long lost interest in it.
Gazing intently at the split sky.
No way…?
Rust's pupils dilated.
For it had realized.
'You can hear it? You can understand that voice?'
Indeed.
"As expected… impressive, Claudy."
It was an expression impossible without comprehension.
Lust smacked its lips one final time.
And then, amid the hellfire engulfing its vision, it murmured.
"A mere human, exciting me to the very end."
*
Demon hunter.
I thought I had pierced the demons' innards as their natural enemy.
But I hadn't honestly considered it.
'That a great evil would offer itself as sacrifice to summon a Demon King.'
The great evil Seven Deadly Sins and the Demon Realm's Demon Kings differ from the start.
Moreover, the Sins scorned the Demon Kings as mongrels.
'Overlooking the demons' malice—my mistake, Lee Hoyeol.'
But now I understood.
When hunting demons, to the very end—
One must anticipate the worst.
I gazed at the splitting sky, recalling memories.
The Demon Kings of the Ten Thrones, or upper Demon Kings.
As mentioned, I had encountered the 1st and 4th in rank: Baal and Gamigin.
To be precise, Baal was in the special circumstance of [Curse], just its forearm, so excluding that—
I had definitely faced Gamigin, king of the fourth throne.
Would that experience help?
'Who knows.'
I don't underestimate Grandfell's talent, which imbues even trivial acts like watching NetTube with grand meaning and yields some gain.
However, toppling Gamigin was pure luck.
The Demon King Struggle opened the gates of hell, and the hellfire allowed the Akkshan seniors to leap out and aid immensely in hunting Gamigin.
Of course, my level and skills had grown incomparably since then…
Even accounting for the rank gap between Gamigin and Buer, I couldn't assume an easy win.
Nevertheless.
"Two birds with one stone."
For Grandfell's pride soared ever higher the stronger the demons grew.
I readjusted my grip on the ear irons and crossbow.
Not satisfied, I gathered my magic to full power.
From the split sky.
I couldn't predict when or how Buer's demonic hand might strike.
It meant no complacency whatsoever.
But somehow…
It's too quiet?
Unlike Gamigin, whose mere appearance devastated the area.
Moreover, Buer should have revealed itself long ago, yet—no sign of the bastard.
Instead.
Who are you.
The one who summoned me.
A voice alone echoed.
'…Wait, a voice?'
I flinched.
Recalling my encounter with Gamigin, realization struck immediately.
Back then, I couldn't understand Gamigin's words.
□□□. □□□□.
I thought its mumbling no different from baby talk.
Yet Buer's voice, as a fellow upper Demon King, rang crystal clear in my mind.
It felt as if gazes poured from between the split skies.
I see.
So that's the situation.
I said nothing.
Not because many eyes watched, not wanting to seem like muttering to myself.
You still haven't realized who is truly ignorant.
To think this paltry sacrifice could fully summon me.
There are limits to overestimating oneself.
Self-proclaimed great evil.
Even after the great evil Sin of Lust offered itself—
It only summoned Buer's voice.
Thanks to that realization, I let out a sigh of relief.
Looks like I dodged a gruesome death.
'I said not to assume victory.'
But that wasn't the full reason I stayed silent.
Soon, Buer's gaze fully upon me.
The bastard addressed me directly.
Yet thanks to that fool's ignorance, we meet, O King Slayer.
…King Slayer? What?
Me? By whose authority is that epithet!?
Speculating, I had sent Gamigin plummeting to hell, after all.
Such a title might fit.
Even as I pondered, Buer continued without pause.
Due to the woefully inadequate sacrifice, deep conversation is impossible.
But I await it.
The day we meet again soon.
Truly, an upper Demon King.
I felt anew what manner of beings they were.
To hear "meet again" from demon prey—
A first for me.
The sky slowly closed.
And welcome.
Welcome? Suddenly what—?
The question brief.
Words continued.
To the realm of Cheonoecheon.
…Cheonoecheon?
Then I realized.
Why I could understand Buer, unlike Gamigin.
Thanks to the endless struggles from facing Gamigin.
I had finally entered the realm equal to the upper Demon Kings.
The domain of anomalies.
The realm of Cheonoecheon.
With that, my vision flickered.
The skill, 'Spacetime Salon', has changed.
You can now access the top floor of the Spacetime Salon.
You can now undertake the highest spacetime quests.
To think I'd earn recognition from an upper Demon King of all things.
Lee Hoyeol, who had witnessed their might firsthand—
Honestly, it didn't feel bad.
After all, it meant I'd grown enough for an enemy to acknowledge me.
But what of our Grandfell?
The one who refuses words with demons absent special cause.
Possessor of lofty pride.
My mouth opened.
"Welcoming entry to the realm of Cheonoecheon."
Naturally, no one could stop this motormouth.
"As if thou art the master of Cheonoecheon itself, worm."
Blunt condemnation.
Still some leeway, it seems.
A sinister chuckle echoed.
Heh, a reaction befitting the slayer.
With those words, the sky fully closed.
The self-sacrificed Lust fully burned in hellfire.
A message appeared.
Yes, whether cringy soliloquy or entering Cheonoecheon—
Whatever.
High kill contribution: Spoils automatically acquired.
*
Internet communities, from NetTube onward, brimmed with news from China.
The opener was Blood Elf Elcidoir's rampage.
Elcidoir's feats sparked as much buzz as its interviews with Chinese players it spoke to directly.
That lord, Lee Hoyeol.
As most expected, but truly astonishing.
To reform Elcidoir to that extent.
But that was just the start.
Players entering the Arcana Continent.
As if awaiting that news alone—
The great evil Sin of Lust appeared in China.
And as if foreseeing Lust's moves entirely—
Hoyeol blocking its path.
The battle, witnessed by countless eyes, was broadcast live in vivid detail.
But an even greater shock lingered.
From news Chinese players relayed.
The sky split, message before their eyes.
Relayers' cries spread swiftly.
AAU branches worldwide issued emergencies.
"An upper Demon King has appeared."
As AAU provided intel to Hoyeol—
Hoyeol shared back with AAU.
One such was knowledge of upper Demon Kings.
Thus Park Minjae gritted his teeth.
"Damn, of all things…."
Utterly vicious.
With Holy War Alliance mostly in Arcana Continent, scheming great evil and upper Demon King.
Of course, Hoyeol, foreseeing even that, faced the splitting sky as final bastion…
'…Can he handle it alone?'
Of course, all worries unfounded.
□□□□ □□□ □□ □□ □□.
Buer's voice, incomprehensible despite processing.
Hoyeol's response-like murmur broadcast worldwide.
"Ch-Che-Cheonoecheon?! That's the one from wuxia novels, right?!"
Not just Park Minjae, Yoon Sugyeom, Seong Hyunjun.
The world learned.
Of Hoyeol's entry to Cheonoecheon.
Or precisely, not everyone.
At the same time, a wholly different world.
Internet signals don't reach Arcana Continent players.
But no injustice in late news.
They had their own special experiences.
While touring the vast Claudy Mansion.
"…!"
A presence from the stairs.
Clack—
Claudy's opulent grand mansion.
Even more splendid attire.
Hoyeol, Dawn Jacket over shoulders, spoke.
"As head of Claudy, I welcome thee."
"…H-Head of the house?!"
Meeting Claudy's head—rare honor indeed.
.
.
.
I ended up blabbing after all.
Before me.
Two choices lay.
So which is right…?
1. Grandfell Claudi Arpeus Romeo.
2. Lee Hoyeol Claudy.
Before those horrific options.
Which name to claim.
To minimally avert disgrace…!!