Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 116 - Demon King's Castle (2)

A sure victory.

 

I needed steady preparation for that.

 

No, I had no choice but to prepare steadily.

 

Knight of Lionheart under Harkon.

 

Shadow Mercenary Corps.

 

Goddess Church.

 

Mage Tower.

 

Regardless of the reason, so as not to show my weak side to my allies.

 

I stopped by Garnet Hall of the Mage Tower for the first time in a while.

 

Finally, level 390.

 

Compared to the overestimation I got, it might still fall short.

 

‘I’ve grown compared to a few months ago.’

 

Looking around the magic tools at Garnet Hall.

 

It reminded me of the first time I stopped by Garnet Hall.

 

I had drooled over but it in the end, due to the level restriction, it was limited to level 100.

 

All I could take was [Hexagram Brooch].

 

Yes, looking back to that time, I had more options now.

 

“Chief Lee Hoyeol is the last one.”

 

The skilled mage who managed Garnet Hall.

 

He bowed politely to me.

 

Then he added.

 

“I hope there are some magic tools left that suit your taste.”

 

Garnet Hall’s magic tools.

 

To me, they were still things that I mostly couldn’t afford.

 

But I immediately understood what he meant.

 

‘The goal is to oppress the demon kings.’

 

I delivered the plan to the senior mages of the Mage Tower, including Marcelo.

 

Was my meaning conveyed accurately? Since then, lines about [rental of magic tools] had constantly appeared on the parchment.

 

‘Everyone borrowed incredible magic tools.’

 

[Illusionary Golden Statue].

 

[Small Mana Sun].

 

[Staff of the Great Sage]…

 

Even if I looked around, I couldn’t see great magic tools.

 

They were probably rented out by senior mages.

 

They must be renting it because they were able to use it.

 

I vaguely recalled twenty invisible magic tools.

 

‘The lowest level limit among them was level 800.’

 

The level of senior mages was 800 at minimum.

 

I realized the gap once again.

 

I thought I had grown up.

 

‘It’s the difference between heaven and earth.’

 

Furthermore, Karimjeva and Senios.

 

They even had guessed the existence of the high-ranking demon king that they couldn’t reach.

 

Heaven and earth. And the beings of heaven and earth that couldn’t even be compared to the sky.

 

‘…I still have a long way to go.’

 

Even if it was grand, it was too grand of a goal.

 

An ordinary person would have been discouraged.

 

But am I, Grandfel, just an ordinary person?

 

“Not bad.”

 

High pride that could pierce even the sky of heaven!

 

Thanks to this, I was able to calmly choose the magic tool to rent.

 

The magic tools rented by senior mages were items that I, who was only level 390, couldn’t even wear.

 

“Let’s do this.”

 

At my level.

 

Wearable at least.

 

A total of three magic tools and items were rented.

 

[Token of the Whirlwind]

 

[Grade: Unique]

 

[Restriction: Lv.350]…

 

[Luxury Item – White Elytra]

 

[Grade: Unique]

 

[Restriction: Lv.350]…

 

[Luxury Item – Lightning-Struck Tree Branch Wand]

 

[Grade: Unique]

 

[Restriction: Lv.380]…

 

A ring, clothes, and a wand.

 

There were about three level-restricted items that I could use that fit Grandfel’s aesthetic.

 

The skilled mage seemed surprised at the magic tools I chose.

 

“…Are you sure you’re okay with just these magic tools?”

 

Even if I wanted to choose something else, I couldn’t because my level was insufficient.

 

Of course, confessing my own shortcomings?

 

It was impossible as long as I had this pride in my heart.

 

I had no choice but to say it brazenly.

 

“This is enough.”

 

“…!”

 

Soon, a gaze full of respect poured down on me.

 

Somehow, he must have misunderstood me.

 

I just took gaze for granted.

 

It was so embarrassing…

 

.

 

.

 

.

But apart from that embarrassment.

 

Grandfel’s eye was great.

 

The status window proved it.

 

[Name: Grandfel Claudie Arpheus Romeo]

 

[Title: The Last Adventurer]

 

[Class: Demon Hunter]

 

[Level: 390]

 

[Stat]

 

Strength: 67 / Agility: 73 / Mana: 350 / Luck: 6 / Aesthetic: Medium

 

[Point: 0]

 

The stat went up.

 

It was probably thanks to wearing two extra [luxury] items. It’s good that the stat that rarely changed in [low] had increased, but…

 

It would be impossible to feel it until I used proper magic.

 

But there was no need to fret.

 

──────

 

A new rupture, ‘Demon King’s Castle’ is added.

 

A new rupture, ‘Demon King’s Castle’ is added.

 

A new rupture, ‘Demon King’s Castle’ is added.

 

──────

 

Just as expected.

 

The demon kings appeared in the update history.

 

Three at a time.

 

Well, I had expected even the worst situation, so I wasn’t surprised.

 

I went straight into action.

 

I picked up a feather pen and scribbled it on parchment paper.

 

Sksk–

 

──────

 

From now on, we will follow the procedures and oppress the demon kings.

 

──────

 

*

[Demon King’s Castle] rupture.

 

The progress of the collapse was rising in real time.

 

It was due to the fact that the Demon King’s Castle rupture was increasing by 1 percent, which was 10 times higher than the average rupture that was increasing by 0.1 percent at most.

 

“…I have never seen this rate of collapse.”

 

“How much is going on in there?”

 

“Does it mean that their force is so strong that even ruptures can’t handle it?”

 

In the midst of numerous concerns.

 

Additional updates appeared.

 

There, the recommended level of Demon King’s Castle rupture was stated.

 

[Demon King’s Castle of Rhyme]

 

[Recommended level: Lv.800]

 

[ Demon King’s Castle of Indulgence]

 

[Recommended level: Lv.800]

 

[Demon King’s Castle of Hunting]

 

[Recommended level: Lv.850]

 

“…!!!”

 

Maybe the details were wrong.

 

Or maybe their eyes were seeing something wrong.

 

It was a number that raised unnecessary doubts.

 

“A level 800 rupture? How on earth can something like that…?”

 

The situation was different from the [Cracked Dimension Gap] rupture.

 

The difference between emergency and regular updates.

 

It was definitely not a bug.

 

But the shock didn’t stop there.

 

Following the recommended level, the masters of the Demon King’s Castle.

 

The demon kings’ level had risen.

 

[Demon King, Amdusias: Lv.800]

 

[Demon King, Kimaris: Lv.820]

 

[Demon King, Flauros: Lv.850]

 

“This is crazy.”

 

Demon kings.

 

Beings whose presence alone plunged the world into fear.

 

Even if Amdusias, the lowest level of the three, appeared alone, humanity wouldn’t be able to come up with a suitable solution.

 

But, that guy was only the weakest of the three demon kings.

 

“…Sunbae, Branch Manager?”

 

Sung Hyunjoon.

 

Yoon Sookyum.

 

And Park Minjae, the head of AAU’s Korean branch.

 

They also faced the despairing update.

 

Sung Hyunjoon managed to continue.

 

“Y-Yes! Well, let’s say that we can stop the Demon King’s Castle this time somehow by dropping a nuclear bomb. What next? What should we do with the next demon king?”

 

Demon king, Decarabia.

 

Through him, they found out about the information of the demon kings.

 

The motif of the demon king was the 72 demons.

 

There was also a pecking order among the demon kings.

 

According to the ranking, Decarabia was at the bottom of the list.

 

That information was also valid for the new three demon kings that appeared this time.

 

Knowing that fact.

 

The two couldn’t answer Sung Hyunjoon’s words.

 

Park Minjae said in a defeated voice.

 

“That means those monsters are only the 67th, 66th, and 64th.”

 

67th, Amducias.

 

66th, Kimaris.

 

64th, Flauros.

 

Indeed.

 

If you looked at these guys broadly as well.

 

Like Decarabia, they were the weakest among the 72 demon kings.

 

“Manager…”

 

Just a few days ago, AAU finished figuring out their place.

 

They couldn’t predict all the threats as they had done in the past, but they would do their best to protect humanity from Arcana.

 

However.

 

“…What can we do now?”

 

Level 800 at minimum, level 850 at maximum.

 

If those demon kings were weak.

 

What was the level of the high-ranking demon kings?

 

That was a threat that they literally couldn’t even imagine.

 

It was a reality that even the situation they had barely finished figuring out was denied.

 

“Pray your ass out.”

 

Park Minjae swallowed.

 

Despair, the feeling of being trapped in darkness.

 

Perhaps this was why.

 

The only way out that he could think of a few days ago.

 

His thought came to Lee Hoyeol, the hope.

 

‘Lee Hoyeol’s level is expected to be 900.’

 

Players recognized fellow players better.

 

Lee Hoyeol’s level was predicted by combining the evaluations of rankers including Rox and the actions he had shown so far. Park Minjae brought out the common sense from the time when Arcana was a game.

 

‘If it was a normal monster, he might be able to deal with it.’

 

By considering his level first.

 

However, even for named monsters, there were strong and tricky patterns that surpassed their level. Hadn’t they confirmed that fact in the [Predator’s Swamp] rupture as well?

 

But the opponent was the demon king.

 

As stated in the update history, it was the boss monster.

 

‘Even for Lee Hoyeol…’

 

Plus even if his level was 50 to 100 ahead.

 

It was impossible to hunt boss monsters alone.

 

No, it would be difficult just to reach the boss monster.

 

‘According to the system, there will be fifteen named monsters attached.’

 

Bite–

 

Park Minjae bit his dry lips.

 

He recalled the scene of Decarabia. Named monsters, demon corps commanders, of course. It was impossible to leave out the demon king’s army, which boasted an enormous amount of supplies.

 

‘Break through that siege and reach the demon kings.’

 

It might be different if there was just one.

 

But there were three Demon King’s Castle ruptures in total.

 

Furthermore.

 

‘The situation is different from Frost.’

 

At that time, Frost was not completely in the realm of Decabaria.

 

The recapture quest that appeared to the players was proof of it.

 

But this time, attacking the Demon King’s Castle was no different from attacking the demon kings’ main base.

 

Naturally, the difficulty of the siege would be different.

 

So the more he thought about it, the more he sighed.

 

“Branch Manager. It is said that player Lee Hoyeol has moved.”

 

“…Is that so? He’s really consistent.”

 

“Does Hoyeol-ssi have no fear?”

 

That’s why he couldn’t just be happy when he heard that Lee Hoyeol had moved.

 

Unlike the excited media, hadn’t they already run the simulation in their heads?

 

“Damn it.”

 

Lee Hoyeol.

 

He felt like he was sending that man to his grave.

 

He wanted to stop him if he could.

 

But the discomfort didn’t last long.

 

It was because of the information that came in one after another.

 

“B-Branch Manager Park?”

 

Frost, Knight of Lionheart.

 

Yusra Kingdom, Shadow Mercenary Corp.

 

Holy Land Muon, the paladins.

 

And the Mage Tower.

 

They began to move simultaneously as if they were waiting for Lee Hoyeol’s footsteps to drop. Park Minjae let out a lugh.

 

What was he looking at right now…?

 

“This isn’t a game where you can use cheats.”

 

A force that was impossible to move as a player.

 

“Four of them are moving at the same time?”

 

Yes, he could understand the Shadow Mercenary Corps by conceding a hundred times.

 

They were Arcana’s mercenaries who would risk their lives if their interests matched.

 

“That’s ridiculous…”

 

But the rest couldn’t be explained.

 

Even if relationships and influence had reached the maximum.

 

They were people who put their beliefs first.

 

“What the hell have you done…?”

 

Could it be that Lee Hoyeol even influenced their beliefs?

 

He was getting more and more doubtful.

 

Sung Hyunjoon opened his mouth carefully.

 

“Wouldn’t it be possible? Clearing the Demon King’s Castle rupture.”

 

When asked, Park Minjae and Yoon Sookyum remained silent.

 

The Knight of Lionheart and the Paladins of Muon.

 

Their level could be guessed.

 

They would definitely be a great help for Lee Hoyeol.

 

‘But that may not be enough.’

 

Perhaps it was possible if there was one demon king.

 

But there were three of them.

 

Therefore, the fate of the Demon King’s Castle depended on the Shadow Mercenary Corps and the Mage Tower.

 

However, even Arcana’s development team couldn’t guess their level.

 

“One is the black curtain. The other is the best armed group in the continent.’

 

He hoped they would show a performance worthy of their title.

 

All he could do was pray and watch.

 

Of course, just like the uncomfortable feelings.

 

The prayer didn’t last long either.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

[Demon King’s Castle of Ryhime.]

 

[Recommended level: Lv.800]

 

[Collapse progress: 17.9%]

 

[Boss Monster: Demon King, Amdusias]

 

▶ ▶ Lv.800

 

[Named monster: Commander of Demon Army, Blackhorn, and 28 monsters]

 

▶ ▶ Lv.650

 

[Monster: Approximately 100,000 under the command of the Commander of Demon Army]

 

▶ ▶ Lv.500

 

[List of entrants]

 

[Mage Tower: Senior Mage of Black Magic, Matis Dean Carl / Senior Mage of Fire Magic, Bensch William / Senior Mage of Illusion Magic, Nasrow]

 

[Shadow Mercenary Corps: 2nd seat, Wolf Saccharin / 6th seat, Isabel Marl/ 7th seat, Alkali]

 

[Goddess Church: Approximately 18,000 people under the leader of the paladins, Talim Ever]

 

Those watching couldn’t know the details.

 

There was only a small amount of information known about the Mage Tower and the Shadow Mercenary Corps.

 

But I could guarantee it.

 

What unfolded was a result that no one expected.

 

“…!”

 

A rupture disappeared into thin air.

 

This meant that the rupture had been cleared.

 

They couldn’t believe the time.

 

“T-This isn’t a dream. Sunbae?”

 

As they entered the Demon King’s Castle rupture.

 

Less than ten minutes later.

 

That scene happened.

 

Park Minjae, who was watching that scene on the monitor, murmured.

 

“…I couldn’t even imagine, let alone guess.”

 

Literally.

 

The Demon King’s castle had been trampled upon.