Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 174 - Who do you think we are (2)

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Akhshan’s Perseverance: Summon Akhshan’s demon hunters from the flame of Hell.

 

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Akshan.

 

Seriously, even thinking about it again, it sounded ridiculous.

 

Unable to retire even after death.

 

Were there any other classes like this?

 

But it made sense.

 

The gate to hell was wide open.

 

The reason demons couldn’t escape from Hell.

 

Twang–!

 

It was because their natural enemy was guarding the Gate of Hell.

 

The flame of hell gradually turned into a human figure.

 

Due to the blazing flame, I couldn’t make out the specific facial features, but it was certain.

 

A sword and crossbow held in both hands.

 

It was clearly the symbol of the demon hunter.

 

Soon, a message came up before my eyes.

 

[The relationship and influence with Akshan are also applied to the effect.]

 

It was the reward that appeared the moment I completed the quest [Request from the Simuard family].

 

Relationship with Akshan, increased influence.

 

As expected, it wasn’t a bug or anything like that.

 

It was all useful.

 

Back then, no matter how hard I tried to think about it, I couldn’t understand.

 

Akshan had been exterminated, what was the message talking about?

 

I even complained about it.

 

‘I never thought that Akshan would be in hell….’

 

Without AAU’s information, I wouldn’t have thought of it.

 

[Akshan’s demon hunter answers your call.]

 

Regarding my influence on Akshan.

 

When Akshan existed on the Arcana Continent, I was obviously a low-level player.

 

Maybe I should be thankful that at least one person responded.

 

However.

 

The demon hunters had their own way of doing things.

 

Because of a certain someone, I knew that better than anyone else.

 

[Akshan’s demon hunter answers your call.]

 

[Akshan’s demon hunter answers your call.]

 

[Akshan’s demon hunter answers your call.]…

 

You guys really do as you please.

 

Now that the gate to hell was open.

 

Hell’s demon hunters would also be watching the rupture.

 

Any demon hunters I knew.

 

Regardless of relationship or influence.

 

They could never ignore the demons in front of them.

 

Twang–!

 

Twang–!

 

Twang–!

 

The sound of reloading never stopped.

 

Before I knew it, there were dozens of demon hunters standing next to me.

 

“!!!”

 

The momentum of the snake, who had been acting arrogant this whole time, subsided.

 

And the dog and the bird calmed down as well.

 

That was how it should be.

 

They probably know better than anyone else why a natural enemy was called a natural enemy.

 

I opened my mouth.

 

“I know your hard work.”

 

I had guessed it, but I hadn’t been sure.

 

That was until the message came up.

 

As expected, you are shameless, Grandfel.

 

But this time, I wouldn’t hold back.

 

Demon hunter.

 

I didn’t know what story each person had.

 

But I could guess.

 

To endure Akshan’s ridiculous training.

 

Each person must have had a story and background.

 

『The only survivor of the family, Grandfel Claudie Arpheus Romeo, hereinafter referred to as Grandfel, walked the path of a demon hunter to take revenge on the demons.』

 

Just like Grandfel.

 

So I had no choice but to be serious.

 

Even if they became a demon while hunting the demons.

 

Even if they died at the hands of their colleague and fell to hell.

 

The pride in their hearts was not broken.

 

Just like the unknown young man in Dredsen Village.

 

“I also know your loneliness.”

 

And their pride was preserved and passed on to me, the last survivor of Akshan. Their perseverance was definitely not something to be taken lightly. But my pride had always been heavy.

 

In order not to sink in.

 

I had been steadily struggling.

 

Twang–

 

Among the demon hunters of hell.

 

I also took out a sword and a crossbow.

 

Well, hadn’t I said it clearly with my own mouth?

 

– “The Battle for the Demon King is just nourishment for us.”

 

I knew well that the level of players was too lacking to participate in the Holy War.

 

I also knew very well that if I didn’t have [Natural Enemy Relationship] or [Blessing of the First World Tree], I would be no different from them.

 

However, if we realized that we were lacking, we could move on.

 

Not just in the Battle for the Demon King.

 

They could use everything in the Holy War as a nourishment to grow.

 

No, they had to.

 

– “We will be the shield for adventurers.”

 

At least to repay the sacrifice of the Arcanains.

 

So from now on, I would have to focus too.

 

It was my first time witnessing a real demon hunter fight.

 

I shouldn’t miss anything.

 

‘How did they fight in the Holy War?’

 

I must witness the secret of the demon hunters, Akshan.

 

Because I was confident I could watch and imitate it.

 

Indeed, I did well in concentrating.

 

They weren’t called demon hunters for nothing.

 

They were demon hunters because they couldn’t stand the sight of demons.

 

Swoosh–!

 

A crossbow bolt reached out in an instant.

 

[Nine-Headed Hellhound: Lv.900]

 

[Anaconda who swallowed the Great Demon: Lv.920]

 

[Demon World Legendary Species, Screaming Bird: Lv.900]

 

‘Is it starting with a long-distance constraint?’

 

The moment I was about to fire a crossbow after the demon hunters.

 

Plop!

 

I heard a sound.

 

Plop! Plop!

 

Three times.

 

Wait a minute… What am I looking at right now?

 

“I see.”

 

How are you so calm, Grandfel.

 

The level-900 demons of the true name just got defeated by crossbows.

 

They didn’t just stagger.

 

They collapsed as if they had been fatally wounded!

 

“…I finally got closer to the throne.”

 

Then they closed their eyes and said their last words.

 

Wait a minute.

 

How would I compare the Battle for the Demon King?

 

For me to be able to copy it, they had to show something.

 

They took down those monsters with just a few crossbow shots?

 

“Akshan’s pride has not been dulled one bit.”

 

Contrary to my calm words, I thought hard about it.

 

They knocked down the level-900 monsters with a few crossbow bolts.

 

I was able to recognize it because I had Grandfel’s eyes.

 

‘They simply pulled the trigger.’

 

No skills or special techniques were used in the process.

 

Just now it was just a normal shot.

 

It was commonly called a ‘normal attack’.

 

They had hunted level-900 named monsters with a normal attack.

 

‘…That means it was purely based on stats.’

 

Was that possible?

 

That didn’t make any sense…

 

As I thought so.

 

A word passed by in my head.

 

Class quest.

 

– Train your weak body. (Repeat)

 

It might be possible if I literally repeated the physical fitness quest infinitely. No, wait. Don’t fall for it, Lee Hoyeol…! Think about your immediate routine.

 

‘Even right now, I can’t handle the amount of training!’

 

The more you repeat.

 

The higher the stat, the higher it gets.

 

It was clear that quest goals would increase.

 

This damn demon hunter class!

 

But despite my screams.

 

I opened my mouth.

 

“Indeed, you are still Akshan.”

 

…I thought absorbing Akshan’s secret would make things easier.

 

In the end, I was still going to suffer.

 

Soon, a message appeared.

 

[You’ve cleared 20th Throne]

 

Crumble–!!

 

At the same time, the rupture began to shake.

 

If it were like usual, I would have felt relieved that I didn’t sink today.

 

But not now.

 

I wasn’t done with the ‘plan’ yet.

 

In the collapsing rupture.

 

I straightened my back.

 

This was the beginning.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

[You’ve cleared 45th Throne]

 

[You’ve cleared 57th Throne]

 

[You’ve cleared 24th Throne.]…

 

Clear messages appeared.

 

The players couldn’t help but feel amazed.

 

Was this the power of the Arcanains?

 

Amidst their admiration, Harkon opened his mouth.

 

“Did you see it, adventurers? Whether you believe it or not. We kept our promise.”

 

They wouldn’t let a single casualty occur.

 

To the demons, who had devastated their hometown, Arcana Continent.

 

They wouldn’t have anything taken away from them anymore.

 

The Arcanains held their pride and kept their promise.

 

Harkon continued.

 

“So, will you believe it, adventurers? You have infinite possibilities. You can become stronger than us.”

 

Player, stats, skills.

 

These concepts were incomprehensible to Harkon.

 

However, he didn’t just say empty words to boost morale.

 

Hadn’t he watched the adventurers before the Cataclysm?

 

Harkon smiled.

 

“Don’t forget the past.”

 

“…?”

 

“Your existence in Arcana was a miracle in itself.”

 

“!!!”

 

The days when Arcana was just a game.

 

Players were, of course, able to revive.

 

There was a death penalty, but the Arcanains couldn’t understand the system. For the Arcanains, their existence itself was nothing short of a miracle.

 

Harkon continued.

 

“Of course, I still believe in miracles.”

 

Crumble–!!

 

The rupture collapsed.

 

Harkon repeated to himself.

 

‘…No, even if I don’t believe it, I have no choice but to believe it.’

 

He recalled the meeting at the Golden Palace.

 

– “Even if we don’t fight, millions of demons will rush to us.”

 

– “Have you guys thought about it?”

 

– “What do you mean, Sir Hoyeol?”

 

– “Out of millions of demons, only a few dozen will ascend to the throne. This means that all those who do not ascend to the throne will be killed in the process.”

 

Hoyeol asked a question he had never thought about.

 

-“Then what happens to the bodies of millions of demons?”

 

– “…The bodies?”

 

– “Do you remember, Harkon? And the Great Alliance.”

 

Great Alliance.

 

Nam Taemin, Leonie, Hisagi.

 

The moment those three were mentioned.

 

Harkon was able to remember it.

 

Memories of Frost.

 

On the day Frost emerged in the world of adventurers, Frost was full of the bodies and blood of the people. The bodies and blood were the sacrifice for the demon king’s resurrection.

 

– “…Sir Hoyeol, what do you mean?”

 

Hoyeol said this to Harkon, who finally realized the other side of the Battle for the Demon King.

 

– “The battle for the Demon King will not end with electing a new demon king. They will have to imprint the rules of hierarchy on the new demon kings who have become extremely arrogant when sitting on the throne.”

 

Yeah, in order to do that.

 

– “High-ranking demon king, they will have no choice but to show themselves.”

 

High-ranking demon king.

 

Due to having so much power.

 

They required enormous sacrifices just to appear.

 

However, for the battle of the demon king, they would have enough sacrifices.

 

Hisagi said as if to confirm it.

 

– “When the demon king’s summoning ritual was interrupted in Frost, Decarabia was resurrected by sacrificing his minions. The sacrifice doesn’t necessarily have to be human. That means…”

 

Hoyeol concluded.

 

– “Even if we hunt all the demons and prevent the accession of new demon kings. The fact that a high-ranking demon king will appear remains unchanged.”

 

He continued as always.

 

– “However, my purpose in hunting down the demons will not change.”

 

He would hunt down even the higher-ranking demon king who would appear late.

 

But contrary to that grand goal, his plan was simple and clear.

 

Hoyeol’s words explained it all.

 

– “Yes. I will hunt the high-ranking demon king.”

 

That was why Hoyeol entered the rupture alone.

 

– “…How are you going to hunt down a demon king, especially a high-ranking demon king, in a collapsing rupture? Sir Hoyeol, I still don’t understand.”

 

But Harkon just believed in it.

 

Adventurer, Lee Hoyeol.

 

He might accomplish a miracle as always.

 

It was the moment Harkon had longed for.

 

In the sky of a crumbling rupture.

 

A huge shadow was cast.

 

Players made a fuss.

 

“…What’s that?”

 

Clip-clop–!

 

Soon, an eerie loud sound of horses’ hooves echoed.

 

A message appeared in the players’ field of vision.

 

[The demon king, □□□ appears.]

 

…Wait, an appearance message?

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

When the rupture was cleared, the player returned to reality.

 

It was an Arcana system that couldn’t be broken.

 

But until the rupture completely collapsed, like it did now.

 

The players weren’t immediately thrown back to reality.

 

This meant that there was a little bit of time left.

 

So they could watch like they did now.

 

Countless bodies of demons floated in the air.

 

As the rupture collapsed, the distance between each rupture also collapsed.

 

Bodies begin to gather from all sides.

 

There were so many of them.

 

‘Isn’t that strange?’

 

They were nothing else but sacrifices for a high-ranking demon king.

 

Soon, a huge shadow hung over the rupture.

 

However, the shape of the shadow was familiar.

 

It was a horse.

 

[Cracked Dimension Gap] rupture that was summoned by Karimjeva.

 

The shape of the horse looked exactly like the arrangement of that rupture.

 

“Is it because you’re persistent? If not.”

 

You haven’t given up since then, have you?

 

“Is it because you’re a beast that you’re not good at learning?”

 

As if responding to my words.

 

Clip-clip–!

 

The sound of horses’ hooves echoed.

 

A message appeared before my eyes.

 

[The demon king, Gamigin, appears.]

 

Grandfel’s brain could memorize magic books.

 

Naturally, I could memorize the ranks of approximately seventy demon kings.

 

Gamigin, I remembered that name clearly.

 

He was 4th place in the demon king’s rank.

 

Gamigin was the highest-ranking demon king.

 

This was no joke, if it were a normal situation, I would have jumped back to reality right away.

 

‘An appearance message at a recommended level-1000 rupture…’

 

How strong was he?

 

I couldn’t even guess.

 

However.

 

Thanks to his miscalculation.

 

Thanks to him arrogantly opening the gates of hell.

 

I wasn’t alone.

 

Just like Grandfel.

 

Far from being intimidated in front of a high-ranking demon king.

 

Gooo–

 

Demon hunters of hell were nearby, burning with pride. The demon hunters who made Greed commit suicide in that disadvantageous Holy War and sent ten demon kings into hell were with me.

 

So everything was according to my plan.

 

I took out the demon’s item from my inventory.

 

Thanks to the rupture collapsing.

 

I only have very little time.

 

But the flow of time in ‘consciousness’ was under my authority.

 

[‘Baton Tainted by Evil’ has been chosen as a sacrifice.]

 

[Skill, ‘Exorcism’ is activated]

 

[Invite the Demon King, Gamigin, to your ‘consciousness’.]

 

“Be afraid.”

 

So come, Gamigin.

 

Demon King of the Fourth Throne.

 

I recited as confidently as always.

 

“Akshan is back.”