Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 235 - Did you think I could get over it?

Park Minjae was not the only one.

 

At each branch, those who remembered Arcana’s beta test, including the branch heads.

 

They all froze.

 

The branch heads suddenly looked like they lost their spirits.

 

“Branch Manager Baker, are you all right?”

 

“Um, it’s nothing.”

 

“If you’re alright, then that’s fine. By the way, it’s the General Manager again!”

 

Head of AAU’s London branch.

 

Baker nodded silently.

 

‘Of course, it’s surprising.’

 

[Prototype model: D].

 

Prototypes from the beta testing.

 

Even though it was fake, it was definitely a dragon.

 

The power of its breath alone must be beyond imagination.

 

‘He neutralized the dragon’s breath with a sword.’

 

The moment when the sword and breath meet.

 

The breath turned into powder and flew into the air.

 

A sight that would have made him doubt his eyes even if he had seen it in person was proudly posted on the Arcana official website.

 

But it made sense.

 

‘It’s not just anyone else, it’s General Manager Lee Hoyeol.’

 

So, why was he so entranced?

 

It was because of another reason.

 

That was the very existence of the prototype monster itself.

 

AAU’s South Korea Branch.

 

Park Minjae murmured in a low voice.

 

“…He definitely said that.”

 

He recalled a conversation with Raymond.

 

– “There is no need to interfere with something that has already been completed.”

 

Back when Arcana was just a game.

 

At that time, he understood that it meant he could not touch Arcana that was already in service.

 

But you had to know to truly be able to see. After the Cataclysm, the settings that were only in the development stage were realized and came out through the ruptures.

 

Park Minjae finally noticed the hidden meaning.

 

“It was a world that was already complete…”

 

Cosmo didn’t develop the Arcana Continent.

 

In other words, the Arcana Continent had already been completed.

 

But it was hard to believe.

 

His experience during the beta test refuted that speculation. During the beta test, everyone, including him, had watched the incomplete Arcana Continent.

 

He just couldn’t believe Raymond’s words.

 

“Why is the prototype suddenly…?”

 

However, the prototypes that became the evidence now came out from the ruptures.

 

‘Don’t tell me…?’

 

Park Minjae’s pupils shook.

 

‘Are you saying the beta test was all fake?’

 

Fake, in other words, an illusion.

 

If the Arcana Continent really existed from the beginning. That the beta test was just a trick to deceive them. That meant Cosmo, AAU, had been playing in Raymond Sean’s palm until now.

 

“You bastard.”

 

Grind–

 

Park Minjae gritted his teeth to the point that his teeth were grinding.

 

He knew he couldn’t understand his true intention, but he never thought it would be like this.

 

He really felt completely defeated.

 

“…Branch Manager?”

 

“Wait a minute. I’m trying to put my thoughts together.”

 

“Oh, yes!”

 

He already had a damn rebellious temperament.

 

He felt like he was stabbed in the back by the man who he couldn’t tolerate with his temperament.

 

He must be so agitated in front of his subordinates.

 

However, Park Minjae changed his expression.

 

“Huft.”

 

Was this also due to years of social life?

 

No way.

 

He had been living his life taking hits. To put it bluntly, he was less confident in social life than Sung Hyunjoon. Then, how did he suppress his anger?

 

If anyone asked, Park Minjae would point to the monitor.

 

“…Thanks to you, I survived this time too, General Manager Lee Hoyeol.”

 

Indeed.

 

The pain in the back of his head from being hit by Raymond Shen.

 

Hoyeol, not anyone else, would pay it back.

 

Someone shouted.

 

“This is the last floor. So it’s the control room!”

 

Park Minjae raised the corner of his mouth.

 

“Feel what it feels like to get hit, you bastard.”

 

*

 

Friendly competition.

 

The difference in victory was narrow.

 

Unable to tolerate the consecutive loss after training his body, Shegwin was chopping up the giant prototype with his quick sword.

 

‘But I understand.’

 

I heard the sound of the Illusion Breaker.

 

How could he endure it without looking back?

 

Crash–!

 

As the giant prototype collapsed with a loud noise, a message appeared.

 

[Your level has gone up.]

 

[Your level has gone up.]

 

[Your level has gone up.]…

 

There were so many that it was dizzying.

 

In the first place, I entered the dungeon to meet Raymond Sean. I didn’t expect anything like leveling up or battle loot… But the human heart thought differently.

 

‘I would have been disappointed if it didn’t give me experience points.’

 

Instead of dropping loot, the prototype spat out a significant amount of experience points.

 

You could tell just by looking at the fact that I rose up 9 levels even before defeating the giant prototype. So I checked the status window with high expectations…

 

It was more than I expected.

 

[Level: 680]

 

…Level 680?

 

[Points owned: 59]

 

Wait a minute, 50 levels at once?!

 

It meant I had gained experience up to the system limit.

 

50 at once.

 

That was more than the experience accumulated in the Qirnberg Machine Tower.

 

Naturally, I had questions.

 

‘What on earth is that lump of machinery…?’

 

Of course, it was still a good thing, I didn’t have to doubt it.

 

It didn’t spit out the loot, but this was truly satisfactory.

 

The level was good, but there was a harvest that was more important than that.

 

The second Transcendent achievement had been unlocked.

 

[Transcendent: Your transcendent state is enough for you to be called a transcendent. – Current achievements reached: Circle (1,000% increase in all magic manifestations) / [Swordpath of Pride (Currently Liberated Path: 1st Path)] / None / None / None…]

 

It was called the Swordpath of Pride.

 

‘…Seriously, It’s grandiose just like someone.’

 

From the very name itself, it was an achievement that suited Grandfel.

 

But the effect was truly like me, Lee Hoyeol.

 

Thanks to the countless holes I built.

 

I could gain an advantage over any enemy.

 

‘Following my sword path.’

 

My companion, the ethereal iron, also changed its name.

 

…No, the name was not important.

 

It would change form and effect.

 

‘The potential is endless.’

 

Currently, the only path that had been liberated was ‘First Path, Illusion Breaker’.

 

However, if I struggled to find another path, I would naturally find my way there.

 

Just like how I had always been.

 

The moment I put my thoughts together.

 

Illusion Breaker said.

 

– Atlas says he’ll admit defeat.

 

Yeah?

 

When I looked at Shegwin, I saw that he was still surprised.

 

He looked like he had a lot to say but it seemed there had been multiple misunderstandings.

 

However, the desperate circumstance behind the swordpath of pride.

 

Grandfel didn’t explain things like that in detail.

 

I said calmly.

 

“At last, the obstacles are gone.”

 

[B5 – Deep Laboratory]

 

“Proceed, Shegwin.”

 

Before that, the deep laboratory was waiting, but when I looked down the stairs, I couldn’t see a prototype. As the name lab suggested, there were just countless monitors lined up.

 

If I just passed it by and went down, I would find [B6 – Control Room] at the end of the deep section.

 

You must have been watching everything there on CCTV, Raymond Sean.

 

What, do you want to talk to me?

 

‘That can be done.’

 

There were a lot of things I wanted to ask.

 

But before that, let’s just make the calculation clear.

 

Both me and Shegwin.

 

We have some debt to collect, right?

 

I regained my motivation and went down the stairs.

 

Jiing–

 

Suddenly a noise penetrated my eardrums.

 

“!”

 

Clink!

 

Shegwin raised Atlas reflexively.

 

Dungeon, a space where no one could guarantee what situation would occur.

 

But I recited in the same voice as always.

 

“There is no need to be on guard.”

 

Because that crackling sound was very familiar to me.

 

It was noise.

 

It was correct to say that it was the white noise that appeared if the frequency was set incorrectly.

 

“?”

 

But Shegwin didn’t immediately let down his guard.

 

It was understandable.

 

To an Arcanain, this sound was very unfamiliar.

 

By the way, I was wondering about it too.

 

‘Did he suddenly turn on the radio?’

 

While complaining to Raymond Sean, I looked at the source of the sound.

 

[B5 – Deep Laboratory].

 

…Wait, a lot of monitors began to crackle.

 

I was used to the cat tricks of the Tower Master.

 

Thanks to that, I noticed.

 

Another transformation had started.

 

‘Do you think I’ll care?’

 

I easily ignored quests that would have fascinated any players.

 

This crackling monitor.

 

It couldn’t stop my steps….

 

‘…What?’

 

But regardless of what I was thinking, I stopped in my tracks.

 

This was because the crackling screen on the monitor caught my attention.

 

It was a familiar screen.

 

Even if not every day.

 

Since I accessed it at least once a week, I couldn’t help but get used to it.

 

That thing that popped up on the screen was definitely the official website of Arcana.

 

I wouldn’t have stopped if just the homepage came up.

 

However, a video was being played on the website.

 

Reflected from an observer’s point of view.

 

Silver hair.

 

An over-glamorous jacket and outfit.

 

Holding a sword that seemed unusual from its appearance alone.

 

That was me.

 

“…!”

 

Since the angle showed my reflection from afar, Shegwin also appeared on the screen. As expected, live streaming would be an incomprehensible experience to Shegwin.

 

Turn!

 

Shegwin turned his head and looked around.

 

Shegwin’s image appeared on the screen live.

 

I spoke calmly.

 

“No need to be surprised.”

 

Of course, what I said and what I actually felt was different.

 

Don’t you know?

 

Right now, I was breaking out in a cold sweat inside!

 

I recalled a memory.

 

I encountered a CCTV as soon as I entered the rupture.

 

‘Is that from the CCTV?’

 

I tried to calmly sort out my situation.

 

Currently, my image captured on CCTV was being broadcast live on the Arcana official website. I had seen CCTV like that countless times since I entered the rupture.

 

‘…That means they’ve been watching everything.’

 

Bringing the prototype to its knees.

 

Raising the ethereal iron against the giant prototype.

 

And holding the Illusion Breaker….?!

 

When I thought about that, I recalled the words I had said.

 

– “Are you ready, Illusion Breaker.”

 

I-It was all present on the official website of Arcana?

 

What the fuck!!

 

Talking to the sword would make me look crazy. The name of the sword was Illusion Breaker, at that. I stared intently at the monitor.

 

Raymond Sean.

 

What on earth are you thinking?

 

I didn’t know if he was broadcasting all of my moves live, but.

 

I spoke quietly to Shegwin.

 

“This puts me in the same position as you.”

 

How dare you make me a spectacle?

 

I would take back what I said about his debt being ‘little’.

 

The crime of threatening my life through social death.

 

I would interrogate him even more seriously.

 

My field of view shifted from the monitor.

 

I headed towards the stairs that rise towards the basement.

 

There was no more hesitation.

 

Tap tap–

 

[You’ve entered B6 – Control Room]

 

Control Room.

 

I was in the heart of the dungeon.

 

I stepped into the place where Raymond Sean, who was watching everything, would be.

 

For a moment, the sound of my shoes echoed in the control room.

 

My vision flashed.

 

What, you’re not going to put in another quest, are you?

 

As I said, even if I was a materialistic person and would fall for his nonsense.

 

Grandfel wouldn’t waver.

 

“It’s not even funny.”

 

My mouth spoke coldly.

 

But, wait…

 

This was not a quest message.

 

[You’ve met the conditions.]

 

…Conditions?

 

The first thing that I thought of was the quest goal. However, I didn’t have a quest goal that could be met by entering [B6-Control Room]. Soon, messages appeared one after another.

 

That…

 

[You’ve been rewarded.]

 

A reward message came out of nowhere.

 

[You’ve cleared ‘Dungeon: CODE-009’.]

 

…I get it.

 

‘You’re going to send me away like this?’

 

I didn’t know what he was up to, but.

 

Me and Shegwin, both of us were highly offended.

 

He was gonna kick us out of the rupture?

 

But, I said it clearly.

 

‘You have a debt to pay back.’

 

I’ll make sure you pay for it.

 

So you can’t just close the rupture and push us out as you wish, Raymond Sean.

 

I raised my mana with all my might.

 

Gooooo!

 

The mana I raised was so vast that even [Blessing of the First World Tree] couldn’t easily regenerate it!

 

I used my mana on the odd space, the rupture.

 

I would reverse the clearing of the rupture at this moment.

 

Could I do it?

 

‘You never know until you try.’

 

And regardless of whether it was possible or not.

 

Raymond Sean.

 

Until I give you a good punch in the face.

 

I absolutely have no intention to go out of the rupture.

 

[Your mana is too low.]

 

In an instant, a message that warned me of the mana exhaustion appeared.

 

But I didn’t stop.

 

Crack–!

 

I looked at the sight of the cracking rupture.

 

It happened in my head.

 

A pedantic exploration, a process, a process of manifestation.

 

!-Crack.

 

The rupture that had collapsed was reversed again.

 

My vision flashed.

 

[You’ve entered B6 – Control Room.]

 

“Did you think you could get away by giving me a reward?”

 

My voice echoed in the quiet control room again.

 

“That’s a shame, then.”

 

Extremely cold.

 

“Your act of giving bribes will also be included in your disposition.”

 

So show your face, Raymond Sean.

 

– Come. Lord of Illusions.

 

My cherished sword, Illusion Breaker.

 

My fist soaked in shame.

 

The fist of pride is crying!