Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 54 - Delusion is free (2)

Guild, the analyst of Gaon.

 

Nam Cheolmin checked further updates.

 

『New monsters are added.

 

‘Demon King’s Foot Soldiers’: Lv.350

 

‘Demon King’s Cavalry’: Lv.400

 

‘Demon King’s Centurion’: Lv.420

 

‘Demon King’s Champion’: Lv.420….』

 

“Huff.”

 

To think he was alternately looking between the monitor and the update history.

 

He sighed.

 

The panoramic view of Frost in the video was sent by the filming drone.

 

It was only natural that despair prevailed.

 

“Isn’t it over the moment you attack the gate?”

 

Yeah, just getting to the gates was already a struggle.

 

The real thing began after the gate collapsed.

 

Well, look at the number of demon soldiers waiting behind the gates.

 

Level 350 monsters.

 

Even if they were unskilled, it seemed there were a thousand of them.

 

A scale that couldn’t be compared to that of Count Ascura.

 

But on the other hand, it made sense.

 

Nam Cheolmin looked at the update history again.

 

“…It’s called the demon army.”

 

Demon king.

 

If the boss monster was the king of demons.

 

Yeah, it made sense that Frost fell.

 

Nam Cheolmin shook his head.

 

He put on his in-ear.

 

Then he told Gaon’s executives, including Nam Taemin.

 

“There are monsters waiting behind the gates. There’s no time to rest. You better make sure you manage your vitality and mana. Don’t dwell on the contribution quest.”

 

Spark–

 

The monitor screen got cut off at that moment.

 

Nam Cheolmin’s sigh deepened.

 

“Okay. We’re down to the last drone.”

 

Befitting the name demon army.

 

They were clever.

 

As if they wouldn’t give away their information.

 

The filming drone was destroyed as soon as it appeared.

 

“But I think it was a good deal. It could have been worse. Their long-range attack doesn’t seem that good.”

 

Now Nam Cheolmin only had one view left.

 

It was the video sent by his younger brother Nam Taemin.

 

However.

 

“He’s quiet.”

 

Nam Taemin was different from usual.

 

As his hyung.

 

Nam Cheolmin could understand why.

 

‘He was so excited, so he must be very shocked as well.’

 

Frost was a very meaningful city for Nam Taemin.

 

Frost could be called his hometown in Arcana.

 

Such Frost was trampled on.

 

That too, in real life, vividly.

 

The decapitated heads seen through Nam Taemin’s eyes.

 

Nam Cheolmin could notice.

 

That his silence was a silent rage.

 

So he added.

 

“Taemin, don’t get too excited. You understand?”

 

Well, he didn’t know if it was possible.

 

Actually, even when he was watching through the monitor, his fingers were shaking.

 

Tension, anger, worry, expectation…

 

Because of a variety of complex emotions.

 

‘Someone who can probably still be fine in this situation…’

 

…Wouldn’t Hoyeol be the only one?

 

At that moment, he thought about what Hoyeol had shown so far.

 

Cheolmin couldn’t even imagine him being nervous.

 

Thinking like that made him wonder.

 

“…Is he making any progress?”

 

Frost had a total of 10 gates.

 

Gaon was quite far away from Hoyeol’s side.

 

Nam Cheolmin was shocked when he accessed the Internet.

 

“…I-Is this a siege I knew?”

 

His common sense of Arcana that was second to none.

 

His common sense as an analyst was falling apart.

 

*

Bang–

 

It was a signal that the gate had collapsed.

 

Tap tap tap–!

 

Led by Harkon, Yesica, and Enoch.

 

The Knights of Lionheart run out in a flash.

 

The Shadow Mercenary Corps followed suit.

 

I watched that scene for a moment.

 

‘They’re strong.’

 

I could feel the gap for a moment.

 

No matter how disciplined the demon army was.

 

The difference in weight class couldn’t be ignored.

 

Goo-!

 

Harkon’s sword glowed with aura.

 

As Harkon wielded his sword, the ranks collapsed immediately.

 

An instantaneous death.

 

Even their shields were cut like tofu.

 

“Attack!”

 

Tap tap tap–!

 

The enemy’s ranks were disorganized.

 

The Knights of the Lionheart didn’t hesitate at all.

 

Penetrating through the demon army.

 

The number of the demon army was reduced in an instant.

 

Whack–

 

There was no hesitation in their actions.

 

Swish–

 

Like a lion that caught its prey.

 

Thud–

 

Like the heart of a lion.

 

Even with the momentum of the demon army, they were more than twice as strong.

 

They didn’t even look intimidated.

 

I was amazed all over again.

 

‘Wow.’

 

Indeed, it was the might of the strongest knights in the empire.

 

Even the demon army couldn’t keep up with them in many-vs-many battles.

 

Yeah, I should feel amazed again.

 

“The Knights of Lionheart, they’ve always been amazing.”

 

In that sense, the Shadow Mercenary Corps were unexpected.

 

Their total number was only ten, including the head of the group.

 

But I could tell just by looking at them.

 

‘Each person is not normal.’

 

Systematic movement?

 

As Kitch said, there was nothing like that.

 

However, each person was playing with the demon army on their own way.

 

And the players who joined in.

 

“We will support you too!”

 

“Thank you, Adventurers.”

 

“Healers, catch up right away! Guilds, don’t argue about the party and treat the injured first!”

 

Of course, the reason why the players joined was because of the contribution points.

 

It was because they were allies in this siege.

 

The act of helping allies also seemed to affect their contribution.

 

There was no favor without reason in this harsh society.

 

Yes, they were cooperating with each other because there was a give-and-take.

 

I understood social life.

 

‘I can save my mana.’

 

Anyway, I was benefiting from it.

 

I could take a step back and watch the siege.

 

Thanks to this, the mana I consumed to knock down the gate was being regenerated.

 

In that moment of break, I coolly finished grasping the situation.

 

‘…I don’t have to step up, do I?’

 

Above all, I had strong backers…

 

No, the level of my allies was too high.

 

It was supposedly the Emperor’s last order.

 

That alone would fill them with motivation.

 

The Knights of Lionheart’s goal was to rescue survivors and recapture Frost, wasn’t it?

 

No wonder their morale was incomparably higher than usual.

 

In addition, the fighting power of the Shadow Mercenary Corps exceeded my expectations.

 

However.

 

‘Just because I am figuring out the situation.’

 

That didn’t mean I was keeping my hands still.

 

The demon king’s cattle.

 

They were a waste of experience and contribution to me.

 

Of course, I also needed to store up mana as much as possible.

 

‘When I think about that time with the great evil, Greed of the Seven Deadly Sins…’

 

Didn’t I pour all my power into knocking down a helpless guy?

 

Even if I had grown since then, my opponent was the demon king.

 

The more I prepared thoroughly, the better.

 

Therefore.

 

“Knowing when to step in and when to back off.”

 

While storing up as much mana as possible.

 

I had to earn a considerable amount of contribution points.

 

At the same time, I had to act in a way that didn’t go against Grandfel’s pride.

 

I continued brazenly.

 

“Doing things in moderation is also part of formality.”

 

…I am getting more and more brazen. Seriously!

 

Yeah, let’s gloss over the lines that made my hands and feet shrivel.

 

The important thing was, what action I should take?

 

There was no greater riddle than this to the listener.

 

But not to me.

 

Yeah, I’d already done it a couple of times already.

 

This kind of behavior.

 

The confirmation process was already finished, so I didn’t hesitate.

 

Naturally, the series of processes was also extremely rapid.

 

A familiar object exploration.

 

And skillful interference.

 

I thought as I looked at the manifested magic.

 

‘Doing things well without effort, I am good at that.’

 

Crash–!

 

*

 

Frost was full of spectacles.

 

There were about 10 gates where the siege was underway.

 

Top guilds each attacked the gate.

 

On top of that, star players, who were as popular as celebrities.

 

Their appearance alone was already being broadcasted on dozens of channels.

 

Then, among those spectacles.

 

Who was getting the most attention?

 

The answer was inside the laptop monitor.

 

It was shown as a real-time audience rating graph.

 

“…Director! It’s number one at all times!”

 

The news broke out in silence.

 

VBC channel’s ratings exceeded 20 percent.

 

Considering it wasn’t a terrestrial broadcast.

 

Its ripple effect was more than twice as strong as it should be considered.

 

But no one made a fuss.

 

Even the president, Nam Jinman, who was obsessed with ratings.

 

“You’re noisy. First, let’s watch that.”

 

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry….”

 

He didn’t even look at the ratings graph.

 

It was because he was so immersed in the studio situation.

 

Compared to terrestrial broadcasting, VBC was more flexible in their programs.

 

It was thanks to Hyun Yongseok, PD of Today Arcana, who was in charge of directing this special program.

 

This was all thanks to his strong insistence.

 

“In short, it’s a Lee Hoyeol special.”

 

A few hours.

 

No, recapturing Frost might take a few days.

 

Hyun Yongseok pushed for a special program highlighting only Lee Hoyeol for a long time.

 

It was practically a gamble.

 

No matter how great Lee Hoyeol was, it could get tiring.

 

If you just switched the channel, a completely different picture unfolded, so how many viewers would continue to watch only Lee Hoyeol?

 

There were also many objections at the organization meeting.

 

However.

 

“I knew this would happen. I knew it…!”

 

It was nothing but a useless concern.

 

Lee Hoyeol.

 

His performance was so great that you wouldn’t even think about touching the remote control, let alone switching the channel.

 

It was no joke from the start.

 

Bam–!

 

In an instant, the gate fell.

 

The battle between the players and the demon army began.

 

The cast was amazed by that sight.

 

“…H-He managed to attack the gate by himself!”

 

“It is truly an unbelievable skill utilization.”

 

“As we speak, Harkon’s sword strikes!”

 

“That’s a level that players can’t keep up with.”

 

“It seems the Shadow Mercenary Corps are following them right away. Expert-nim, how do you see the level of the Shadow Mercenary Corps?”

 

“The evaluation of mercenaries in Arcana is simple. It’s their commission fee that judges their ability. The commission fee for the Shadow Mercenary Corp is astronomical…”

 

“Ah! As we speak now!”

 

They detected a move that made them have no choice but cut off the explanation.

 

Hoyeol, who had been quiet began to manifest magic again.

 

Crush–!

 

At the same time as that familiar sound echoed, they recalled a memory they had forgotten.

 

“Yes. When it comes to Lee Hoyeol, this is it!”

 

Stones rose from the ground.

 

In the past, when Hoyeol was first exposed to the media.

 

It was the skill that made them mistake Hoyeol as an alchemist.

 

“It’s the skill that saved Gaon and Inazuma from the crisis!”

 

The manifestation of stone pillars and stone walls.

 

Hoyeol’s figure in stopping the cavalry’s charge and assisting Gaon and Inazuma had become a hot topic. In that sense, Hoyeol’s behavior made sense.

 

“I will assist strong allies. That’s what he’s thinking, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. No matter how strong Lee Hoyeol is, it’s the truth that there is still a big gap between the players and the Arcanains…”

 

“No! At this moment!”

 

But the explanation was cut it off again this time.

 

Because this time as well, they had no choice but to cut it off.

 

The cast members who were watching the screen stammered.

 

“…What kind of skill is that? Expert-nim?”

 

“I-I don’t know. It’s my first time seeing it, too.”

 

“Viewers. Can you believe this?!”

 

Between the rising dust.

 

Something showed up.

 

“S-Stairs! Player Lee Hoyeol…!!”

 

Dozens of stone steps were connected to the wall.

 

And the players climbed those stairs.

 

Not only that.

 

Swoosh–

 

Long-range attacks by the demon army.

 

Crush–

 

Huge barriers rose in response.

 

Even if he stepped back from the frontline.

 

Such a good performance was too influential to be called simple assistance.

 

Yeah, if you had to ask, this wasn’t assistance…

 

“He’s perfectly ‘in command’ of the battlefield…!”

 

A commander who controlled and coordinated the situation perfectly.

 

The cast was again amazed.

 

“The players. Knights of Lionheart. And he’s even leading the Shadow Mercenary Corps. It’s unbelievable. Seriously!”

 

“Looking at it again, that outfit is a bit like a conductor’s clothes…”

 

“In the case, how much do you think is his contribution, Expert-nim?”

 

“Aren’t they basically putting spoons on the table prepared by Player Lee Hoyeol ^[1] Putting a spoon on the table prepared by someone else = Taking credit for someone else’s work. ? I can expect that he’s already made a huge contribution!”

 

They couldn’t help but question it again.

 

Lee Hoyeol, who had such ability.

 

How could he have remained silent until now?

 

They couldn’t even guess his class yet.

 

The host spoke sincerely.

 

“Really, at a moment like this, you can’t help but wonder about his past!”

 

*

 

The quest window constantly flashed.

 

I checked my current number of contribution points.

• 1. Putting a spoon on the table prepared by someone else = Taking credit for someone else’s work.