Chapter 31

◈ Chapter 31. You Chose the Wrong Opponent (2)

I was never anything but confident.

I won't bother to deny it.

I am more resolute now than ever...!

[Harcon Kingsguard: Level 600]

With the Empire's strongest knight order as my party members.

When will I ever get a chance to team up with such a big shot again?

So, I steeled my resolve.

'I have to make the most of this opportunity.'

Perhaps it's thanks to the points I invested in luck.

In any case, it must be a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck.

They say our connection ends in the Yusra Islands.

If that's the case, I'll do everything I can here!

That was my plan.

The first step was, of course, securing the island's treasure.

Of course, the crown, the island's treasure, was in my inventory.

There wasn't even a speck of greed left in me.

Thanks to Granfel's setting, the collapse progress hadn't increased.

So,

'I've managed to prevent the great evil from awakening.'

─Halt the revival of the Seven Deadly Sins: Greed (In Progress) ▲

●Prevent the island's treasure from being tainted by greed (In Progress)

Perhaps it's because the island's treasure still exists.

The quest was still in progress.

'Now, it's a bonus stage!'

Securing the island's treasure.

Hunting monsters and obtaining loot.

Everything depended on me.

I can't act pitiful just because I don't have a companion anymore.

'I can't even make excuses.'

The Ryan Heart Knights.

They were following behind me.

While I was thinking this,

Harcon, who was walking beside me, spoke.

"Indeed, a landscape as beautiful as the legends. Except for one thing, that is."

...One thing?

But his words were quite meaningful.

When I looked at him silently, Harcon asked,

"Sir Ho Yeol. What do you think of the rat in the tree?"

...Wait, what?

'...Sir, Sir Ho Yeol?'

What is this embarrassing title!

From adventurer Ho Yeol to Sir Ho Yeol.

I can guess why the title changed.

Even if I don't know the reason, Harcon is mistaken about me.

He has a very good misconception about me.

'I can play along with the misunderstanding.'

Judging by his actions and tone,

I might as well look like a noble.

Sometimes I even fool myself?

Cheap green tea can feel really sweet and all that.

But,

'Just hearing it makes me want to die...'

I feel like I'll die of embarrassment.

Sir Ho Yeol.

Most of all, my sisters, especially Number 3.

Just thinking of her face makes me shudder.

If she ever found out, I'd be a laughingstock for life.

I already have enough black history.

'It's a good thing our connection ends in the Yusra Islands.'

Please, let's not run into each other outside.

That's what I wanted to say,

But I calmly replied,

"Sir Harcon. What do you think?"

"It's troublesome, but it's better to take care of it."

"I respect your decision."

As I suppressed my shame, the conversation came back to me.

He mentioned a rat in the tree.

He must be talking about a squirrel.

'Do squirrels have high levels here?'

Even if it's troublesome, it's better to take care of it.

Let's see a max-level squirrel.

As I looked up at the tree,

A message appeared.

[Yusra Islands are beginning to be tainted by greed.]

[Decay Progress: 8/10]

...Wait, only one left?

I need to exclude the crown I obtained.

Looking again, it was true that one island treasure remained.

That means all the players in the Yusra Islands will flock here.

This isn't the time to hunt squirrels.

I added,

"But can you follow me now?"

Click─

Without a word,

Harcon, who was about to draw his sword, sheathed it and nodded.

"Of course. Sir Ho Yeol. We promised to be your sword and shield on this island."

Harcon's cold gaze turned to the tree.

"The squirrel won't be lingering around here for a while."

Was there really a squirrel?

I almost tilted my head but stopped.

Excessively looking around is also undignified.

I swallowed my sigh.

I was annoyed with myself for adapting to this tiring personality.

*

Robbery, blackmail, murder.

He committed all sorts of evil deeds, but there was no judgment.

Instead, he even got a grand title like "Supernova."

"Is there a god in this world? If there was, I would have died long ago."

There was nothing to fear for Kinber.

Players with higher levels than him?

No matter how high their levels were,

They would beg for their lives when infected with his poison.

Countless players who attacked him, relying on their higher levels, ended up dead.

There was no need to mention the weaker ones.

But the vicious Kinber was trembling.

[Harcon Kingsguard is watching you.]

[Your body and mind are paralyzed by the killing intent.]

[Abnormal Status: Fear has occurred.]

I'm sorry.

Please, save me.

He wanted to scream, but couldn't even make a sound.

'That, that's Harcon Kingsguard...!!'

The Ryan Heart Knights, the Empire's strongest knight order.

Their leader, the lion, the knight commander.

Just making eye contact with him,

Kinber couldn't move a finger.

'Please...!'

Click─

The sound of a sword being drawn.

At the same time, a cold voice.

"Sir Harcon. What do you think?"

"It's troublesome, but it's better to take care of it."

Because he had never experienced it,

Kinber was even more vulnerable to fear.

'Ah, no, nooo!'

If he could,

He wanted to prostrate himself and beg.

But,

"I respect your decision."

A thunderbolt-like voice echoed.

At that moment, Kinber's legs gave out.

"......!"

He felt his pants getting wet.

But he couldn't feel ashamed.

At this moment, the fear of death was too overwhelming.

-You're wrong.

Is this the voice of a companion?

Or the hallucination that has been stimulating his nerves?

He couldn't distinguish.

"But can you follow me now?"

...Huh?

"Of course. Sir Ho Yeol. We promised to be your sword and shield on this island."

Click─

Harcon sheathed his sword in response to Ho Yeol's words.

Then he really passed by him.

Only after they were far away did Kinber come to his senses.

"......I'm alive?"

...How did I survive?

Kinber muttered.

"Did he spare me?"

Ho Yeol, that guy?

Because he felt sorry for me peeing my pants?

Or because I'm just a rat not worth his attention?

The reason didn't matter.

Kinber wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Damn..."

Only one emotion.

Just the relief of being alive made Kinber cry.

Kinber realized again.

'...It's on a different level.'

Harcon Kingsguard.

He was a monster, more than a monster.

And Ho Yeol, who could use Harcon as his sword and shield.

Kinber reconnected the call he had dropped.

-Kinber, you idiot. Can you hear me now?

-You said you'd signal, so what the hell?

Frustrated by his companions, he said in a low voice,

"I'm out of the Yusra Islands."

-...What are you saying, you brat? Hey!!

"One last thing. If you don't want to die, don't mess with Ho Yeol."

-What?!

Click─

He heard a shout, but it didn't matter.

Kinber didn't want to set foot in the Yusra Islands for a moment.

Ho Yeol or Harcon.

If he ever met one of them again,

He felt like his head would really be on the line.

.

.

.

"Why is this idiot acting like this all of a sudden?"

Supernova, Park Hyun-jung, gritted his teeth.

Kinber's arbitrary behavior wasn't a one-time thing.

But today, he crossed the line.

"Damn this guy."

The amount he invested for today alone.

He would be in the red with mediocre prey.

He needed at least a decent haul, if not a big one.

Park Hyun-jung became increasingly anxious.

'...You know my situation, Kinber!'

Trusting another Supernova was a foolish judgment, regardless of skill.

You never know when they'll stab you in the back.

Park Hyun-jung clenched his teeth.

"I can't back down like this."

At that moment,

A voice echoed in his ear.

-You can do it.

-It's a simple job. Kill and take.

-We're almost there. Try your best.

"......What the hell."

Even though the call was disconnected,

The clear voice made Park Hyun-jung flinch.

But it was only for a moment.

"I'll get it done. I will!"

-If you don't want to die, don't mess with Ho Yeol.

"......I don't want to die, no matter what."

Except for Ho Yeol, that guy.

*

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud─

Dozens of helicopters flew over the Pacific Ocean.

Below, of course, was the Yusra Islands.

While the on-site atmosphere was lacking, filming from the helicopters was the best option.

There were living monsters roaming the Yusra Islands.

"Still, the angle is disappointing. Joonjin, can't you just do a bungee jump? You're wearing a parachute, after all."

VBC News.

A teasing response came from the reporter, Yoon Joon-jin.

-Ugh. I'm already dying from motion sickness. Really!

"You have to earn your keep. You're missing every opportunity."

-Ugh! Really, you're holding a grudge! About Ho Yeol...! Ugh!

Really, it's ruining my appetite.

Yeon Yong-seok briefly took off his headset and put it back on.

"Still, you did a great job. Thanks to you, the ratings are soaring."

Today's Arcana, live broadcast.

The current real-time rating is 15%.

Of course, it was Gaon who drove the ratings, not Yoon Joon-jin's fake nausea.

Whether it was Shining obtaining two island treasures or anything else,

Ultimately, the public's interest naturally turned to the Korean guild, Gaon.

-Did it come out well? The last part was intense.

"Maybe because the monsters are big. The angles taken from a distance were actually better. The audience's reaction was intense. It was worth making you motion sick."

-Lucky me. Thanks for noticing. Ugh!

Gaon, who defeated a named monster and obtained an island treasure.

Even without the ratings, Yeon Yong-seok couldn't help but be excited.

Moreover,

"Let's get a solid shot for the finale."

The players gathering on the final island.

With so many players,

Naturally, an exciting scene would unfold.

-Most importantly, I want to get a close-up of the Inazuma guys' faces. Just thinking about how they acted rudely only to us, it's just humiliating...! Ugh!!

"......You made me lose my appetite."

Yeah, as Yoon Joon-jin said.

Even capturing the facial expressions of Inazuma's leaders, Hisagi Kazuma and others, would be a big hit.

Unlike Gaon, the Japanese guild Inazuma failed to obtain any island treasures.

"Maybe the guild rankings will change."

The growing anticipation.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud─

As the helicopter followed Gaon to the final island,

-Wow, they're all moving incredibly fast.

"Why? Have they already arrived?"

-Let me zoom in and check.

The enlarged live feed.

Then, Yoon Joon-jin's excitement made sense.

"Wow, what a sight. This is."

Including Shining and Heaven Unification,

Guilds and players gathering in the center of the island.

-This is a rare scene, isn't it, senior?

"I've never seen anything like it. After all, they never gather like this? In the Rift, sticking together doesn't benefit anyone."

-Thanks to the Treasure Island, we get to see a good show. Really.

Indeed, what will unfold on the final island?

Watching it, I couldn't help but become a viewer.

But Yeon Yong-seok was a pro.

"First, let's get shots of Gaon and Inazuma."

-Okay. Just a moment.

"We need to watch it calmly after we're done."

Once the real battle starts, it will be hard to get good angles.

We need to secure a solid scene.

Even though I get complaints every day,

Yoon Joon-jin was also a pro.

"Okay. Our Taemin's mask is good."

The face of Gaon's guild master, Nam Taemin, appeared on the screen.

But wait.

For some reason,

Nam Taemin's face was filled with shock...

No, it was more than shock, it was a scream!

"What is he looking at...?"

I'm curious too!

Suddenly, Yoon Joon-jin's camera panned quickly.

And there,

"......What?! Senior! Ho Yeol, Ho Yeol!!"

Ho Yeol was there again.

But he wasn't alone.

Yeon Yong-seok, who was watching the monitor,

His face, like Yoon Joon-jin's, was filled with shock.

-Senior, a lion! Roar! A lion!! That lion emblem!!

The helicopters following VBC were shaking.

"......The Ryan Heart Knights?! What, what's happening? This!"

Soon, all the cameras began to capture the same angle.