Chapter 76

The continent of Arclux, where Rase's main stage is set, was a world that one could easily imagine when thinking of a 'fantasy world.'

A world where swords and magic, elves and dwarves, and various races such as merfolk and elementals lived together with humans.

However, the continent of Arclux was not the entirety of the Rase world.

There was the Heaven and the Hell.

Arclux, the stage for users, was merely one of the three giant worlds commonly referred to as the 'Human World' or the 'Middle World.'

'Wow. This is really the kind of setting you see in fantasy novels. There's no place where the Heaven and Hell don't appear.'

-Isn't human imagination all the same?

'Have you been there? Heaven and Hell.'

-Of course, I've been there. By the way, there are also places like the Illusionary World (幻界) and the Netherworld (冥界), but they are minor worlds, so they are treated as side stories.

'Really, everything you might have heard of is here. The scale is just... incredible.'

And, of course, demons are residents of Hell.

Originally, they were beings that could only be encountered after completing a special quest around level 200.

-They are definitely not something you'd encounter at level 39. Well, in this case, it will be adjusted to fit the situation.

'That's right. You said earlier that the demons would appear weakened if the quest succeeded.'

However, there was one question when the quest failed.

The text that demons would invade the Human World with full power and that Luana would be contaminated by 'malignant energy.'

Luana is the first place Rase users arrive at after leaving the beginner village, and it is also the largest trading city of the 'Lundaria Federation' in the game setting.

'If such a place gets contaminated, wouldn't it be a major disaster?'

-It would be a major disaster. But that's how the actual game story goes.

'What do you mean?'

-Six months from now, that is, on the first anniversary of Rase's release, a major event will occur.

It was the demon 'Human World Invasion' event.

This was the incident where demons were first revealed to the players, and its impact was truly shocking.

The demon army would invade Luana!

-When the event starts, a quest will be issued to all players to cooperate with NPCs to drive away the demons.

During the event, the contribution of players in defeating demons would be measured, and rewards would be given on a differential basis. It was a grand-scale event.

Since the level restriction in Luana was not applied during this time, ultra-high-level players, led by the top 10 guilds, were at the forefront of the battle.

-By the way, I was the one who topped the leaderboard in the previous round. Phew. It brings back memories. The entire community was in an uproar trying to figure out my identity...

'That's interesting... Anyway, how does the story progress?'

-It's nothing special. On the last day of the event, the 'Hero' NPC will defeat the demon commander, and the demons will retreat, ending the event.

But even if the demon invasion was stopped, it didn't mean that there were no lingering scars.

The coastal city of Luana, which had become a battlefield, was reduced to ruins and simultaneously contaminated by malignant energy, turning into a region where life could hardly exist.

-It was chaos. Since Luana was a major city, quite a few guilds had established their bases there. These guilds, who lost their bases in an instant, threatened to sue Rase.

However, since most Rase users praised the event as groundbreaking, such minor complaints were quickly buried.

Besides, since Luana was a low-level area, only small guilds were present, so the damage wasn't significant.

-After that, the first city that new players would step into was changed to somewhere other than Luana. And about a year later, a Luana reconstruction event would take place, which was also quite interesting.

'Wow, Rase really goes all out.'

To consume a super-large city, which is a major foundation of the game economy, just for one event.

It was a crazy move that no other game would dare to attempt.

-Now I understand. Actually, there were many stories about how the demon invasion event was quite out of the blue.

The event itself was shocking and interesting, but there were also quite a few opinions that it appeared too abruptly without any foreshadowing.

-But in fact, the groundwork for that event was being laid in such a place. Rase, you crazy bastards. What are you thinking by hiding it here!

'Hmm. So, if I complete this hidden quest, will the demon invasion event be canceled?'

-Hmm. I can't be sure. They might invade through another place.

'I really like this quest.'

A hero blocking a terrifying future before it happens!

It was a role he had always wanted to play.

"I understand. I will help with the purification."

[Thank you so much!]

As Carphe accepted the quest, Shiphiruane cheered.

Then she began to lead Carphe to a certain place.

[Actually, I can purify the children affected by the malignant energy with my own power.]

But it was useless to purify them.

Even if a lower-level elemental was purified, it would only return to its original state temporarily. If the root cause wasn't eliminated, they would be affected by the malignant energy again.

[Eventually, due to continuous exposure, I lost my sanity to the malignant energy. Although I have regained my senses now, I will lose them again over time.]

"That's a big problem. What should we do?"

[We must eliminate the root cause of the malignant energy.]

Shiphiruane, who had been leading Carphe, stopped in front of a cave wall and began to chant in an unknown language.

"Oh?"

-Hmm. There's a hidden space here.

The cave wall disappeared, revealing a new passage.

[This is a temporary measure to block the malignant energy as much as possible.]

Following the passage, they soon reached a dead-end wall.

A large black crack was present on the wall, from which the malignant energy was flowing.

[We must enter... and eliminate the source of the malignant energy...]

The closer they got to the crack, the denser the malignant energy became, making it difficult for Shiphiruane to speak.

"What is the source of the malignant energy?"

[The Demon Core... you'll see it immediately...]

"I understand. Let's get out of here quickly. You might get contaminated again."

Leading Shiphiruane out of the passage, she regained her senses.

[Sorry. As elementals are essentially manifestations of natural energy, they are easily influenced by other energies...]

"Ah, I see."

Shiphiruane's explanation made sense. He had been wondering why she was particularly vulnerable, even though he himself felt nothing despite being right in front of the crack.

"So, it's impossible for us to enter the crack together."

[That's right. If I enter, I will immediately lose my senses.]

"Hmm."

And she would probably attack him. It was better to leave her here.

"Then I'll enter the crack. I need to find and destroy the Demon Core, right?"

[That's right. It's a very noticeable item, so it shouldn't be hard to find.]

Of course, it's not an easy task for humans to cross over from the Heaven or Hell to the Human World.

Since the laws of each world are different, strict conditions are required to cross over. If one tries to cross over recklessly, they will receive a severe penalty due to the world's resistance.

-Of course, players can cross over immediately by completing the quest. After all, they are outsiders and not bound by the world's laws.

'Hmm. Even such a straightforward part has its own setting.'

Anyway, what was important now was not those minor settings but the Demon Core.

[The Demon Core is a rare item, with only a hundred existing in the vast Hell. It creates an environment similar to the Hell around it.]

According to Shiphiruane's explanation, the Demon Core was an item used by demons when invading other worlds.

Summarizing her words, it went something like this:

1. First, throw the Demon Core into the world to be invaded.

2. Wait for the surrounding environment to become similar to the Hell. The time required varies depending on the situation.

3. Once the world invasion by the Demon Core is complete, the invasion can proceed without any hindrance.

[That's why the Demon Core is usually placed in the most secret location. There are also cases where guardians are present around it.]

"Guardians. I see. I understand the gist of it."

So, this quest was, in short, to enter the crack, defeat the guardian, and destroy the Demon Core.

'A simple quest. I like it.'

-The difficulty will vary greatly depending on what kind of guardian it is.

'Well, in the worst case, I can just destroy the Demon Core.'

He didn't know how powerful the guardian would be, but with his current strength, he could at least destroy the Demon Core.

[Then I will purify the children here. Please be careful.]

Shiphiruane said this and left for another place, while Carphe called his subordinates and explained the situation.

"...So, I'll enter the crack now."

"Understood, my lord."

"Chirp!"

"Neigh. Demons...?"

"Alright, let's go..."

"My lord."

"Hmm?"

"There's something I want to give you before we leave."

Tina approached Carphe and handed him a small rectangular item.

[Beginner's Radiant Skill Pack]

"Huh? Oh!"

What she handed him was none other than a skill pack. Moreover, it was a special skill pack with her title attached.

Carphe looked at her in surprise, and Tina replied calmly.

"My level increased while fighting the Wind Elemental. I obtained this as a reward for reaching level 15."

"Oh! That's right. Subordinates can also get skill packs. I had forgotten about that."

-Hmm. Usually, subordinates get skill packs at level 10, so this is unusual. Is it because it's a dedicated skill pack?

"Is that so?"

-I don't know. You're the only one who has the Puppet of the Demon King.

"Still, it's ridiculous. I've had Tina for so long, and she's only at level 15 now?"

-I told you. It's extremely difficult for subordinates to level up. You're actually quite fast.

Carphe grumbled that it was too slow, but in fact, this was a gross misunderstanding of the reality.

In most cases, a pet would only reach level 30 by the time the player reached level 100.

"Anyway, it's a good omen. A chance to boost my power before facing the guardian."

-Hurry up and open it. I've never seen one, so I'm curious what will come out.

"My lord, please. I believe you will surely learn a good skill with your hands."

"Alright. I'll do it."

Carphe took a deep breath and tore open the skill pack.

Poof!

Five cards floated up in the air with a short flash.

"This is it!"

And at the moment he picked up the first card,

Pew!

A bright effect burst from the card.

"...Huh?"

-Holy shit.

The effect was not a brilliant silver or a dazzling gold.

It was a rainbow.

A rainbow-colored effect that changed colors in real-time.

Carphe tilted his head in confusion.

"Rainbow? Is there a rainbow effect? What tier is a rainbow?"

-...Tier.

"What? I didn't hear you clearly."

-It's Tier 8, you idiot! Damn it. This damn game is just messing with people! Is this a game?!

"Damn it. Tier 8?! This is a game!"

A player who became stronger through a Tier 10 draw.