Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 167 - You left behind something precious (3)

Ransha couldn’t close her mouth.

 

“…What?”

 

The darkness swallowed up the demons.

 

Without making a noise or a commotion.

 

“Gardner, what’s going on?”

 

Those who woke up couldn’t even understand what just happened.

 

“It’s nothing, old man.”

 

There was no need to tell them the situation.

 

It was shocking that the demons appeared.

 

But then an unknown darkness swallowed up those demons.

 

“What…?”

 

Gardner looked at the darkness again.

 

In the past, he had wandered the continent as a mercenary.

 

Gardner had witnessed sorcery and magic.

 

But this black ‘something’ that spoke like a human.

 

He’d never seen anything like that.

 

Suddenly, Ransha murmured.

 

“…Diend Chrysiad Eternal Darkness.”

 

“Huh? What did you just say, Ransha?”

 

“I think he just said his name!”

 

“N-Name?”

 

Wasn’t it too long for a name?

 

It was like the name of a noble from a great family.

 

Ransha continued.

 

“And he’s following the will of his master, Infinitely Deep Darkness…”

 

Deepest darkness?

 

Gardner frowned and desperately revived his memory.

 

However, it had been decades since he retired from mercenaries. He had taken too many wines to remember the distinct aliases floating around the continent.

 

But what did name or affiliation matter?

 

“He definitely said he would save Dredsen!”

 

As had been stated, Dredsen was a very small town.

 

That too, at the border of the imperial territory.

 

The Dresden was a place that even high-ranking people who liked great hospitality would turn a blind eye to. Even if they got interested, no matter how hard they tried, it would result in nothing.

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

Gardner’s eyes narrowed.

 

He didn’t want to say this, but…

 

“Why does such a great man you call master care about people like us?”

 

He didn’t understand it at all.

 

Dredsen was not the only one in crisis.

 

All nearby villages, cities, and even the Imperial Capital.

 

Everything in Arcana was falling apart at the hands of the demons.

 

Among them, why did the master save Dresdsen that didn’t have anything?

 

But his doubt didn’t last long.

 

Darkness, Diend, opened his mouth again.

 

“Because you haven’t lost the pride in your hearts.”

 

“…Pride?”

 

“Like the man who didn’t give in to the demons until the end.”

 

“…!!!”

 

Everyone could tell.

 

He was definitely referring to Matte.

 

Grip–

 

At that moment, Ransha’s grip on the sword tightened.

 

What pride was he talking about?

 

It would be strange if they could understand it right away.

 

Ransha opened her mouth.

 

“…How do you know Matte’s end?”

 

Up until that point, they still had doubts.

 

Dredsen was a mountain town.

 

No one would have known what happened in the village unless they literally looked down from the sky… But at that moment, a loud noise came from the sky.

 

Whir–

 

“?!”

 

Ransha, Gardner, and others looked up at the sky and were shocked.

 

The night sky that was brightened with evil eyes.

 

A gigantic figure appeared from there, uncaring of the gaze of the evil eyes.

 

It was definitely a ‘boat’.

 

“What is that?!”

 

“M-Mr. Gardner?!”

 

“R-Ransha! I don’t know even if you ask me. A boat is flying!”

 

Diend spoke to the shocked people.

 

“Though the world has turned away from you”

 

“…?”

 

“My master won’t.”

 

For some reason, his voice was extremely kind.

 

“Just like how I was also saved by my master.”

 

*

 

Mage Tower.

 

As I climbed the stairs, I repeated endlessly in my head.

 

…I wanted to ignore it, but this day finally came.

 

‘This mouth finally did it.’

 

It was a ‘dark’ spirit.

 

I had guessed that my damned naming sense would manifest itself in this way. Just like with Haiel…! I could be generous with the first name.

 

‘Diend.’

 

But, as expected, the last name was the problem.

 

[Diend Chrysiad Eternal Darkness].

 

Everything should be done in moderation, seriously!

 

Eternal darkness.

 

Darkness that lasted forever.

 

Really, every time I remembered it, I felt so ashamed that I wanted to close my eyes and bury myself in eternal darkness… But this was also a weight I had to bear.

 

Yes, since the number of spirits had doubled, it was only natural that it felt heavy.

 

‘Even before, I was already grateful.’

 

Senior mage of spirit school, Peiyan, had been delivering letters through parchment.

 

{Unique Spirit} was a being that transcended class and even spirit contracts. Therefore, the existing contract was terminated.

 

‘Even if Haiel uses her nature abilities.’

 

There was no change in my mana.

 

Unique spirits had something special, I had guessed that too.

 

But I didn’t expect a new spirit and a new contract to be possible.

 

Naturally, I didn’t hesitate.

 

Dark spirit.

 

Just by appearing, his momentum was enough to shake Peiyan’s contract spirit and high-level spirit, Fire Drake.

 

Moreover, I had confirmed the abilities of the dark spirit in the Thefern Labyrinth.

 

[The Spirit King of Darkness blesses the arcane contract.]

 

I signed a contract and even gave him a name.

 

The problem was that the name was so weird…

 

But I didn’t regret it.

 

‘Haiel and Diend are different.’

 

Awakened as a unique spirit.

 

Although Haiel had grown further under the influence of [Noble], there was something called origin. Haiel was a forest spirit and was not a battle-specific spirit.

 

Well, I didn’t know if it was because she took after someone, but…

 

‘For a forest spirit, she’s good at fighting.’

 

She could deal with monsters skillfully by making stems sprout and then disappear.

 

But it was nothing compared to the dark spirit.

 

So I left Dreadsen to Diend.

 

[Quest: Request from the Awakened Decisive Weapon]

 

Akshan’s decisive weapon, the Qirnberg Machine Tower.

 

What it chose instead of the answer to its question was pride.

 

The memory of the machine wants to protect the survivors left behind.

 

– Save the survivors of Dredsen Village. (Succesful)

 

The results were displayed in the message.

 

Indeed, it was worth overcoming my embarrassment and calling him.

 

I knew you’d make it, Diend.

 

‘The mana consumption was pretty good.’

 

[Blessing of the first World Tree] was always activated.

 

I wasn’t the same person I used to be in the past who struggled with mana consumption.

 

Even if Diend faced a strong enemy and used my mana, I would be fine. Well, considering my mana was still intact, it seemed nothing like that happened.

 

Tap tap.

 

I reached the Crystal Hall.

 

Roundtable meeting.

 

Was this the first roundtable meeting since the players entered the Mage Tower?

 

Somehow, everyone looked nervous.

 

Naturally, there was nothing I could do about it.

 

Because I knew myself, and more precisely, I knew my mouth well.

 

‘It’s obvious that I will only say harsh words.’

 

I couldn’t even think of the days when I was just a tadpole ^[1] There’s an idiom in Korea ‘The frog can’t remember the days when he was just a tadpole’. This proverb can be used to indicate that someone once successful doesn’t even think about the struggles they faced during the initial stage. .

 

I hadn’t even known about the exploration, interference, or manifestation.

 

I could already see the future full of nitpicking.

 

So let’s keep my mouth shut today.

 

Let’s just attend the meeting as the chief in name only.

 

As I made up my mind, someone spoke to me.

 

“It’s been a while, Chief Lee.”

 

It was Belliere.

 

I nodded lightly at her greeting.

 

What was the formal act in this?

 

Respond sincerely to a polite greeting.

 

Perhaps because she didn’t have to worry about Marcelo anymore.

 

Her face looked much brighter than before.

 

The moment I was going to answer back.

 

“…What?”

 

All of a sudden, Belliere’s gaze turned to my chest.

 

To be exact, to the Hexagram Brooch.

 

Belliere’s eyes widened.

 

“You have one more brooch, Chief? But, it matches perfectly with the brooch you’ve always worn! No, all that aside, it’s beautiful.”

 

Of course, she had the keen eye to notice even the smallest changes.

 

She didn’t lack aesthetic perspectives.

 

You pass, Senior Belliere.

 

Naturally, Grandfel and I were a little flattered.

 

‘I am not upset that you recognized it.’

 

[Name: Grandfel Claudie Arpheus Romeo]

 

[Title: The Last Adventurer, Noble]

 

[Class: Demon hunter]

 

[Level: 544]

 

[Stat]

 

Strength: 90 / Agility: 100 / Mana: 423 / Luck: 10 / Aesthetic: Medium

 

[Points owned: 50]

 

The experience points accumulated in the Qirnberg Machine Tower was just as I had expected.

 

I raised 50 levels at once, the maximum.

 

Thanks to that, I easily exceeded level-500.

 

I was able to wear the second Hexagram Brooch.

 

[Hexagram Brooch 2/6]

 

[Grade: Unique]

 

[Restriction: Lv.500]

 

[Effect: All physical attack damage increases by 10%.]

 

[Description: It is part of a brooch where six come together to become one. The effect has been significantly reduced because it is only a small part.]

 

The [aesthetic] stat also rose to [Medium] without having to borrow the magic tools from the Mage Tower.

 

So no matter how hard I tried not to show it, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.

 

I had only just broken one saving.

 

‘Let’s see, how many machine towers are there on the Arcana Continent?’

 

There had to be a hundred at least.

 

Numbers floated in my head.

 

I had been asking a lot of favors lately, so I felt shameless.

 

‘But I am begging you, Iron Castle.’

 

It didn’t matter if it was shattered.

 

Please find as many remnants of the machine tower as possible. Of course, my complex and worldly feelings were never revealed to the outside.

 

I answered succinctly.

 

“Thank you, Senior Belliere.”

 

Collide–

 

Suddenly, with a loud noise, a face came closer.

 

Senior mage of fire magic, Bensch William.

 

“I was going to tell you, too!”

 

What was he talking about?

 

Was this an objection regarding the tower exit’s application?

 

I stared at Bensch.

 

“As I thought, the new brooch looks good on you!”

 

He was talking about that?

 

There was no one in the world who hated compliments.

 

Moreover, the new Hexagram Brooch was like a medal that proved my efforts. I had no reason to feel bad. But I responded coldly.

 

“Please refrain from unnecessary conversation, Senior Bensch William.”

 

“…Yes? Yeees?”

 

Bensch looked back and forth between me and Belliere.

 

It seemed very unfair to him.

 

Actually, I felt resentful towards Bensch.

 

That damn application form!

 

If you’re going to write something like that and submit it, why write it every day? But such personal feelings didn’t exist for the fair Grandpel.

 

Indeed.

 

Everything was just according to the procedure.

 

Marcelo had just stepped up to the podium.

 

“Small talk is prohibited during the meeting.”

 

“…!!!”

 

Look at the Crystal Hall, Bensch.

 

Even the players, who didn’t know anything about the Mage Tower yet, were quiet. No one even nitpicked at me.

 

‘I didn’t want to say this, but…’

 

Bensch William.

 

You’re too tactless.

 

I started seeing it from when he wrote the tower exit’s application.

 

Seriously.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

“I thought I was going to suffocate to death because I was afraid he could even hear my breathing!”

 

“Bensch William… Isn’t he the senior mage of fire magic?”

 

“He said that to a senior? Lee Hoyeol is scary, seriously!”

 

“But don’t you understand?”

 

“…Huh? About what?”

 

“No, they said that not only did he enter the Arcana Continent, he came back after hunting millions of demons. As if that wasn’t enough, he didn’t get a single injury…!”

 

*

 

After the roundtable meeting, I entered the rupture.

 

[Griffin’s Cliff]

 

[Recommended level: Lv.500]

 

[Collapse progress: 14.7%]

 

Now that my level was above 500.

 

The rupture’s recommended level was meaningless to me.

 

That didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous, but that just meant it was impossible for me to level up in any rupture. As I said last time, it wasn’t very effective time-management-wise.

 

Why did I break into a rupture even though I knew that?

 

Well, I had a lot of reasons.

 

First and foremost, according to pride.

 

‘I should make sure that the residents of Dredsen are safe.’

 

In the process, I had to summon Diend despite my embarrassment, and I also had to learn about the situation of the Iron Castle through Haiel. By the way, l should also ask about the progress of the ego equipment.

 

But before that…

 

The scenery changed in an instant.

 

Before I knew it, an eagle’s head appeared on top of a telephone pole.

 

It was a griffin with the body of a wild beast.

 

[Shap-Clawed Griffin: Lv.500]

 

Did it notice my existence?

 

Kkeeeek–!

 

As it howled loudly, griffins flocked from all over the rupture.

 

There were approximately a dozen of them.

 

I opened my mouth.

 

“It’s an unnecessary distraction.”

 

But, well, it wasn’t bad.

 

‘Even if they didn’t come, I was curious about something.’

 

Applicants were welcome regardless of whether they were birds, animals, or anything else.

 

I adjusted my clothes.

 

“Even if you just wag your tail and act calmly, it won’t be good enough. But you spread your wings, raise your claws, and make a fuss. You resemble wild beasts and birds only in their negative aspects.”

 

In particular, I carefully aligned the direction of the Hexagram Brooch.

 

“But unfortunately, today’s discipline ended at the round table.”

 

Indeed.

 

Now was the time.

 

This was an opportunity to see the set effect of the Hexagram Brooch.

• 1. There’s an idiom in Korea ‘The frog can’t remember the days when he was just a tadpole’. This proverb can be used to indicate that someone once successful doesn’t even think about the struggles they faced during the initial stage.