That Elusive Peak (1)
One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million...
You have met the conditions.
Rewards will be distributed based on contribution.
Your relationship with Frost has reached its maximum.
Your influence in Frost has reached its maximum.
The 'Authority' function has been activated in Frost.
...Luckily, it seems I won't have to bother asking anyone.
Roughly nine hundred thousand contribution points. That was apparently enough to max out both relationship and influence. And with that came the activation of the Authority function.
Whoa. Hold up.
A hundred words of explanation couldn't compare to experiencing it once. I'd already gotten a taste of the Authority function's power back in the Yusra Kingdom. Thanks to that, I knew exactly what it could do—and its limits.
Or rather, the fact that it had no limits was the limit!
The moment Authority activated, I essentially had the same privileges as the lord of that territory.
For example, in the Yusra Kingdom, the only one who could overrule my decisions was King Hakuna.
But.
Hakuna defying me?
That was unimaginable. Which meant I'd activated this immense Authority function in Frost as well.
The value of Frost I'd seen hyped up on TV, internet news, and communities came flooding back. It might not be on the level of Korea's Mage Tower, but it was sure to bring massive economic prosperity.
Everyone thought so.
Not right away, though.
It couldn't be helped.
"This is gonna take forever to rebuild."
"Just the collapsed buildings alone... it's insane."
"...And we've got to worry about the residents too."
Frost right now was like a hellscape that had miraculously been revived. But I wasn't too worried. Yusra Kingdom had been in far worse shape.
Not even residents—just the lone king.
Look at Yusra now. Of course, that was possible because of Yusra's inherent value. But Frost's value was just as hyped, so it should be on par.
"Production-class players are gonna have a field day again."
"They deserve it after all their hard work."
"Yeah, well. We got some solid EXP out of it too."
I'd check the Authority function later. For now... EXP.
I opened my status window and flinched.
Demon King Decarabia. Just taking him down had bumped me up 30 levels.
Whoa, that's more than I expected. But wait—this guy descended right into the plaza, didn't he? He got swarmed by players from all sides.
In other words, I'd shared the kill contribution—and the EXP—with them.
And I still gained 30 levels?
Truly worthy of a Demon King. Of course, it also meant I'd contributed a ton to the kill.
Enough to auto-loot the spoils, even.
High kill contribution: Spoils automatically acquired.
I opened my inventory and checked the Demon King's loot.
◈ Restriction: None
◈ Effect: Sealed
◈ Description: Cursed by a demon, its effects are sealed. Must be purified to reveal true effects.
I didn't panic. I was the incarnation of incorruptible purity, beyond material desires. My temperament didn't waver with joy or sorrow. Grandfell's personality was paying off big time.
Stay calm.
I carefully reread the details. Impure Pentagram of Knowledge. Epic grade, one step above Unique—the highest grade currently in Arcana. No level or equip restrictions.
If it had a Lv. 700 restriction, I'd have died of frustration.
What did that mean? Lift the demon's curse, and I could immediately access an Epic-grade item's effects...!
Purifying a demon's curse? Not hard for me at all. Just look at my inventory.
Decarabia. The three items I'd used as offerings to summon him into my consciousness: Possessed Fine Sword, Lady's Jewel Box, Strangling Necktie. All purified and neatly stored.
...Thank goodness. Really.
I didn't let the jackpot high sway me. Excitement leads to mistakes. That let me think coolly.
My personality is so gr—
I was about to brazenly pat myself on the back when.
"?"
What now? Another flash.
My eyes went to the blinking quest window. It was a class quest I hadn't expected.
Subjugate the Demon King Decarabia (Success)
Class Quest: Demon King Subjugation
...Wait a sec. Come to think of it.
I reflexively glanced at where the Demon King had been.
Count Ascura and the Seven Deadly Sin of Greed. After I took them down, thick smoke rose from the wreckage.
But Demon King Decarabia? Not even ashes left.
Yet... smoke was rising into the sky.
Smoke rising from all directions. No one else paid it much mind, but I saw it clearly.
Especially thick smoke. From the empty air where Decarabia had been.
I stared at the smoke, then tallied it up.
That's three now.
Past class quests I'd cleared mentioned "beacon fires."
So was that smoke a beacon?
But who the hell is this beacon for?
As I pondered nonchalantly.
"...!"
A new class quest appeared.
Akshan's Legacy
📍 The beacon of survival has been clearly delivered.
📍 Last Demon Hunter, reclaim your legacy lost to evil.
📍 ─ Train your weakened body. (Repeatable)
...Hold on. What?! Akshan?! The Akshan I know?! And legacy?!
*
Decarabia.
The moment the Demon King descended, the world despaired.
Overwhelming pressure! A massive pentagram forged from blood and flesh. Decarabia's form hovering over Frost Plaza was nauseating even from afar.
Viewers and studio panelists alike couldn't hide their shock.
"To stand against a Demon King like that... incredible, players."
Instinctual terror. Before it faded.
Breaking news poured in.
"A-A just-in report: A demon presumed to be the Demon King was disguised as Frost's lord! And the one who saw through it was..."
"No way, Player Lee Hoyeol again?"
"Yes, that's what it says!"
Breaking news from on-site players. Yes, we had Lee Hoyeol.
As everyone shook off their fear in unison.
A script was passed with AAU's official statement.
"One moment. AAU confirms the Demon King's identity as Decarabia...!"
Decarabia's data screen popped up. Shocking info for all.
Possesses knowledge of all minerals.
Expected immunity to earth-attribute attacks including minerals.
"Earth-attribute attacks...?"
The first thought: Lee Hoyeol, naturally. Earth attacks were one of his mainstays.
The screen switched. Lee Hoyeol closing in on Decarabia.
"Expert, your take?"
"Very dangerous situation... that's how it looks to me."
"Agreed. Skills have proficiency levels, right? Raising them takes effort. Lee Hoyeol wielding earth skills so freely? Must've poured in tons of time and work!"
Yes, skills were like stats. Even specializing in one was tough.
Higher proficiency meant insane time investment.
Even for Lee Hoyeol, freely summoning stone pillars or stairs with other attributes? Unlikely...
Whoosh—!
"Wh-What's that?!"
...Common sense said so! But what was that living flame storm?!
Intense heat. The helicopter pilot hurriedly gained altitude. Cameras zoomed out to capture the full blaze.
"What am I even seeing...?"
The camera director muttered unconsciously.
"...Looks like a person?"
No illusion. Live feed. The studio watching the same screen.
"Not just a flame storm—a person?!"
"Face, long hair, those look like hands?!"
"Not an optical illusion. Definitely a woman's form!"
"Expert, what skill is that?"
"How should a lowly expert like me know? Just watch."
It cradled Frost like a mother shielding it from hellfire.
Whoosh—!
To players, a sturdy shield. To Decarabia, an inescapable prison.
No further twists.
"It's over, everyone. The Demon King has fallen...!"
Overwhelming victory. But no pure joy. There were victims.
"A victory scarred with wounds."
Cameras close-upped on collapsed Frost residents. As if heaven comforted their grief, heavy snow began falling.
Yeah, if this were a movie or drama.
Perfect cliffhanger. Hero defeats evil, peace returns. Tease next season, end clean.
But this was reality.
A messy reality with nitpicky details left.
PD Hyun Yong-seok, watching angles, spoke gravely.
"One more shot."
He targeted Inazuma. Anyone with instincts could predict what came next.
It happens all the time.
Why did governments worldwide perk up at Frost's new update? Its economic value.
Japan's probably dancing right now.
When Frost appeared in Hokkaido. Their dark intentions showed fast. They grabbed every guild except their own, Inazuma.
International treaty violation? Worth it for Frost's value.
Demon King forced a quick retreat, but.
Plans change. With the Demon King gone, Japan would claim territorial rights again.
Biggest obstacle? Obviously.
Top contributor in the liberation quest.
Lee Hoyeol.
"...Knew you'd pull that!"
As predicted. Inazuma, led by Hisagi, approached Lee Hoyeol's side.
Hyun Yong-seok ordered.
"Sound check?"
-Tough from here.
"Fine. Visuals it is. Tighten close-up."
-Expressions and lip-reading? Got it.
"Good."
Lip-read the situation. No, salvage that one shot. Korea-Japan tension guaranteed ratings.
Finally, Lee Hoyeol and Hisagi Kazuma face-to-face.
"...Huh?"
No matter the zoom. Couldn't catch Hisagi's expression or lips.
Obviously. Hyun Yong-seok blinked at the screen.
"...Hey, Jong-jin. What... am I seeing?"
How catch faces bowed low!
Reality struck. Hyun Yong-seok urgently.
"Chyron, now!"
Breaking news ticker at screen bottom.