Chapter 456: Descending Darkness (5)
Status ailment, [Corruption].
The AAU and the Ma-Tap.
Even the Goddess Sect, which refrains from external activities to the extreme.
Now they were heading towards the collapsing rift to find a way to suppress the corruption.
In the middle of the sea, far from the influence of corruption.
Even if it was called the Youthra Kingdom.
They couldn’t just sit still.
A group of around a hundred explorers.
Led by the romantic explorer Lorenzk, who led a mixed alliance of players and Arcanains. The explorer and net YouTuber, Park Hwi-kang, couldn’t believe it. It didn’t feel real.
“I never thought I’d be on a ghost ship.”
Swoosh.
The ghost ship literally carried the alliance explorers and flew through the sky.
Lorenzk chuckled.
“Compared to the Dwarven Kingdom, Iron Castle Hold, it’s nothing, but… well, the effort put in makes a difference. I’ll be satisfied with this.”
How could he not be satisfied?
“Of course.”
The leader of the exploration alliance, Fabian Durlong.
He was a living legend and an object of admiration.
Park Hwi-kang wiped his sweat nervously in front of Lorenzk.
It was truly a scale that surpassed imagination.
“I can’t believe the legend of the Sabers’ Ho was true.”
To bring the legendary Sabers’ Ho from the myths to reality.
In this case, didn’t his influence go beyond that of an ordinary explorer?
For a moment, Fabian swallowed a sigh of relief.
“I’m grateful for your help, Lorenzk. Although we received King Hakuna’s orders, we weren’t sure if we had the ability to realize it.”
Hakuna, the King of Youthra, had ordered the Exploration Alliance. To grasp the clues of corruption, they needed the urgent help of the Exploration Alliance. They couldn’t refuse. The Youthra Kingdom had accommodated the Exploration Alliance more than once.
Of course, even without such a relationship, they would have taken action.
Lorenzk shrugged.
“Let’s skip the pleasantries. I didn’t move to help the alliance, you know? If you must categorize it, I suppose I’m part of the Holy Alliance. It’s only natural to pursue and research corruption.”
“Is there something concerning you?”
“Of course, it’s ominous.”
Suddenly, Lorenzk’s gaze turned toward the sky.
“Even I can’t imagine how strange it is. I, who have been to hell and back. But when it comes to the Demon Realm, I know next to nothing.”
Lorenzk, whose pure desire for exploration was stronger than any other explorer.
To think of the Demon Realm, which he couldn’t conquer as an explorer, ignited his enthusiasm.
However, Lorenzk quickly regained his composure.
“So, you don’t have to expect much help from me. The best I can do is drop you near the appropriate collapsing rift.”
“That alone is much appreciated.”
“Thank you after each sentence. No wonder I prefer exploring alone; it’s burdensome.”
“We’ll try to fix that.”
“That answer is also burdensome.”
The ghost ship crossed the city.
At that moment, when they were dropping off the adventurers near the collapsing rift.
Park Hwi-kang and the players stopped.
[Abyssal Devil, ‘Devil of Confinement,’ appears.]
“There’s a devil nearby!”
“…The Devil of Confinement, what’s that?”
“Even though I don’t know much about it, the name alone is dreadful, right?”
Park Hwi-kang urgently shouted and pointed his camera.
Even though he was a net YouTuber, he knew how to use his common sense. The thermal camera was not for broadcasting; it was to detect heat.
A bizarre combination of completely different concepts.
“But even if it’s bizarre, anyway…!”
He muttered to himself, but his conscience pricked at him. However, according to the criteria of the ‘person’ who found the internet search bizarre, Park Hwi-kang’s behavior was bizarre. And he knew how to make the bizarre shine.
“G-getting inside the building!”
When that happened.
The devil revealed itself.
Sneaky….
No.
Twisted.
“…!”
The building was writhing as if it were alive.
He rubbed his eyes and looked carefully.
The outer walls were completely covered with something that furrowed his brow.
Lorenzk and Fabian spoke.
“Red blood vessels…?”
“Do you have any suspicions?”
“How could I? I’m not the person who knows everything.”
“Well… it looks similar!”
Park Hwi-kang butted in on their conversation.
“Blood vessels! I mean, in conventional science, those things that look like blood vessels are called blood vessels. That means… that building is a living being… No, then does that mean it’s a demon?!”
Park Hwi-kang’s speculation was sharp.
Kukukung.
This was also the effect of corruption.
The demon had swallowed the entire building.
The blood vessels began to wriggle and move.
The players who were watching the situation clicked their tongues.
“If there are people inside the building, is it the Devil of Confinement?”
“We can’t do anything until we defeat it. Ready to go home?”
“Insane! Well, do we have to deal with such a dreadful thing?”
“I told you. It’s all because of that floating mana over there, right?”
At that moment, a player nervously rubbed his eyes.
“Huh?”
A scene that made him doubt his eyes unfolded before him. Just a moment ago, the mana, with sharp pupils, had disappeared without a trace.
“Well, where did it go?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Oh, no. It’s just that…”
“Concentrate on what’s in front of you!”
But it was too late to look closely at the scene in front of him.
Because Park Hwi-kang had been urgently shouting.
A voice filled with agitation.
“Then if that’s a demon, the people inside the building are eaten by the demon’s stomach, right? Then what do we do about it? What should we do, how…!”
Blaze.
No one said who would go first.
Laurence and Fabian.
Both of them held torches.
Flames of hell burning emerald green.
“Inside the demon’s belly, huh? I’ve been inside the belly of a beast before, but I’ve never been inside a demon’s belly. Good thing. Knowing what the belly looks like might help us in hunting demons, don’t you think?”
“That’s right.”
“You’re still tough even in a situation like this.”
The boy prodded at the grizzled middle-aged man with white hair.
Yet, despite the snark, Fabian couldn’t retort. He never imagined he would end up receiving the flames of hell from Laurence.
“The Union’s hellfire was given to Ho-yeol, after all.”
The reason was simple. They believed Ho-yeol could use the hellfire more appropriately. But they never imagined they would encounter the flames again through Laurence.
So there was no hesitation.
“Are you really okay with this?”
Common sense for players.
Combat and non-combat roles.
The limits of a class couldn’t be overcome.
An explorer couldn’t excel in combat, no matter how high they flew or crawled.
Though Bak Hwi-kang asked worriedly, the two disembarked from the ghost ship.
Then, they gave orders to the anxious explorers.
“Please take care of the survivors. That’s a request.”
“Yes, of course! Absolutely!”
“Shall we go then?”
Swoosh.
The two explorers set the demon’s veins ablaze with the hellish torch.
In the moment they opened and entered the closed door, they found themselves inside the building and inside the demon.
Suddenly, the surrounding air grew chilly.
“…?”
A chill down the spine.
It wasn’t just Bak Hwi-kang’s delusion.
Other explorers felt it too.
“Why does my mood suddenly feel strange?”
“What is it? Can’t you see anything in front of you?”
“A system message? Well, it’s silent.”
The silent system.
Just knowing it wasn’t an appearance message was enough to put them at ease; it meant there was no immediate threat.
But not for long.
Soon, a sound reached their ears.
Thud.
The sound that echoed in their minds belonged to a man.
For some reason, even though he had elongated his short silver hair, there was no doubt it was Ho-yeol.
“Ch-Commander!”
The moment of his appearance felt like a meeting with a savior.
Kwack.
And at the same time, something warm and tepid.
Sprayed on their faces, arms, and clothes.
“Ugh, ahhhhh!!”
Flesh and blood splattered everywhere.
The building and the demon fused as one, and then exploded.
It was neither magic, nor a skill, nor any kind of phenomenon.
He simply annihilated the demon with his gaze alone.
Even among the adventurers with quick judgment, Park Hwi-kang’s head turned unusually fast.
“?!”
Yes, he had captured the survivors inside the building with his heat-detecting camera.
The two explorers entered to rescue them.
Laurence and Fabian, the Union’s leaders.
A gaze that shifted urgently.
“Out of nowhere, I feel strange….”
“What’s that? You don’t see anything in front of you?”
“A system message? Well, it’s quiet.”
The silent system.
That alone made Park Hwi-kang and the other players breathe a sigh of relief. The absence of an appearance message meant there was no threat.
But it didn’t last long.
Soon, a sound reached their ears.
Thud.
From where the sound rang, there were survivors.
But for some reason…
“Surely, there must have been some reason. Otherwise, if he thought we were inside the demon, he must have believed we would protect the citizens.”
“Oh, I see. Making that judgment in such a short time?”
“Yes. If it’s General Ho-yeol, whom I’ve been observing closely… I believe he would make a calculated decision and act accordingly.”
Laurence nodded.
“If you say so, it’s possible.”
He didn’t genuinely empathize with Fabian’s words.
Laurence kept his eyes fixed on Ho-yeol.
‘Has he seen even the existence and effect of my magic?’
If not, then…
“Just maybe, we were just lucky.”
Laurence couldn’t be sure.
He, who had returned from adversity in the Illusion Realm, didn’t know much about Ho-yeol. So he felt he should look at it from a more objective perspective.
“Do you know exactly who you are?”
*
In front of the TV.
Lee Ye-rim muttered abruptly.
“This guy never shows his face.”
“He must be busy. He was just on the news, right? He’s busy hunting demons, blowing them up in the sky, and blowing them up in the west.”
Talking with her younger sister, Lee Ji-yoon…
“I heard it too!”
Her niece, Ara, covered the screen.
Lee Ye-rim pulled Ara into a hug, tickling her.
“When you want to find your uncle, you only find your aunt, huh?”
“Heehee. Itchy, auntie.”
“Oh, you only find your aunt when you want to see your uncle, huh?”
Lee Ji-yoon snickered.
“Only when he shows up, you seek him, huh?”
Whenever possible, you should appear on camera or in the news. After all, our one and only little brother, Ho-yeol, has become a player, and his way of speaking has become quite unique.
In Lee Eun-hye’s voice, there was concern.
“Is he really that busy, without a moment’s rest?”
“I suppose so. He hasn’t been in touch for a few days.”
“Didn’t I tell you? He’s going through adolescence, you know?”
Well, I mean, he brought it upon himself…!
Lee Ye-rim tried to explain earnestly.
But the two of them only had their ears open towards the sound of the TV.
Could it be that their desperate wish reached him?
– …Just as we speak, the first images of Ho-yeol, the player, have been captured. This is an exclusive report by VBC Today’s Arcana team!
“Hey, hey! Lee Ye-rim, be quiet!”
No, this is serious!!
“Sigh.”
It was the moment when Lee Ye-rim closed her mouth under the nagging of her siblings.
Ho-yeol’s image really appeared on the TV.
At the same time, Lee Ye-rim’s dead eyes twitched.
“?”
They saw his long silver hair.
“What’s up with him…?”
