Chapter 62

◈ Chapter 62. That Difficult Thing (1)

Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million….

─Current Contribution: 897,340p

Is this high, or is it low?

Without a point of comparison, I can't really guess.

And with my personality, I can't just go around asking people.

I was thinking this when—

[Conditions met.]

[Compensation is granted based on contribution.]

[Relationship with Frost has reached its maximum.]

[Influence in Frost has reached its maximum.]

[The 'Authority' function in Frost has been activated.]

...Fortunately, it seems I don't have to ask.

Roughly 900,000 contribution points.

With that level of contribution, it seems I was able to max out the relationship and influence.

And as a result, the [Authority] function was activated.

'Wow. Hold on a second.'

Experience is better than a hundred words.

I had already tasted the power of the authority function in the Kingdom of Yusra.

Thanks to that, I had a precise understanding of the authority's capabilities and its limits.

The limit is that there is no limit!

The moment the authority function was activated.

In effect, I had the same level of authority as a lord in that region.

To explain with an example.

In the Kingdom of Yusra, only the King of Yusra, Hakuna, could overrule my decisions.

But.

'Would Hakuna ever go against my word?'

That was something I couldn't even imagine.

I had such immense authority.

And I had activated it in Frost as well.

The value of Frost, which I had seen on TV, in internet news, and in communities, came to mind.

Even if it wasn't on the level of the Tower of Magic in South Korea, it was expected to have a significant economic revitalization effect.

'Not immediately, though.'

It was inevitable.

"This will take a while to restore."

"The collapsed buildings are no joke."

"......Most importantly, we need to worry about the residents."

Frost was in a state of having fallen into a living hell and miraculously come back to life.

But I wasn't overly concerned.

Why? Because the Kingdom of Yusra had been much worse than Frost.

'Not even the residents, just the King alone.'

Look at the current state of the Kingdom of Yusra, which started with just the King.

Of course, it was possible because the Kingdom of Yusra had that much value.

Frost's value was also significant, comparable to Yusra.

"The production players will be thrilled."

"Considering their hard work, they deserve it."

"Yeah, well. We got a good amount of experience, too."

I decided to observe the authority function gradually.

Yeah, experience.

I checked my status window and was taken aback.

[Name: Grangfell Claudius Arpeus Romeo]

[Class: Demon Hunter]

[Level: 295]

[Attributes]

Strength: 38 / Agility: 42 / Magic: 213 / Luck: 5 / Aesthetics: 下

[Available Points: 30]

The Demon King, Decarabia.

Just by defeating him, I gained 30 levels.

Wow, it went up more than I thought.

He descended in the square, didn't he?

He was surrounded and attacked by players from all directions.

In short, I shared the contribution and experience with them.

'But still, 30 levels?'

Indeed, the Demon King provided a worthy amount of experience.

Of course, it also means I contributed significantly to the defeat.

Enough to automatically obtain the loot.

[High contribution leads to automatic loot acquisition.]

Inventory open.

I checked the loot from the Demon King.

[Impure Knowledge Pentagram]

[Grade: Epic]

[Restrictions: None]

[Effect: Sealed]

[Description: Cursed by a demon, its effect is sealed. To understand its true effect, it must be purified.]

First, I remained calm.

A paragon of integrity, transcending material desires.

Not to mention, a temperament that doesn't waver easily.

Thanks to Grangfell's personality.

'Be calm.'

I reread the information that came to mind.

[Impure Knowledge Pentagram].

First, its grade was [Epic].

Above [Unique].

The highest grade of items currently in Arcana.

Moreover, the most important thing is that there are no restrictions, including level.

'If it had a 700-level restriction, I would have been really upset.'

What does this information mean?

Once the demon's curse is removed, I can immediately check the effects of the Epic-grade item...!

Removing the demon's curse.

For me, it's not a difficult task.

Look at the items in my inventory.

Decarabia.

The three items I used as offerings to summon him.

[Haunted Sword], [Lady's Jewel Box], [Strangling Necktie].

These three items are stored in my inventory in a purified state.

So.

'...What a stroke of luck. Really.'

I didn't let the excitement of this big catch overwhelm me.

Emotions often lead to mistakes.

Thanks to this, I could think clearly.

My personality is so good...

Just as I was about to praise myself shamelessly.

"?"

What's this, flashing again?

My gaze turned to the flashing quest window.

Upon checking, it was an unexpected class quest.

─Defeat the Demon King Decarabia. (Success)

[Class Quest: Demon King (魔王) Elimination].

...Wait a moment, now that I think about it.

I instinctively looked at where the Demon King, Decarabia, had been.

The Duke of Ascura and the Seven Deadly Sins of Greed.

After defeating them.

The thick smoke rising from the remains.

Unlike then, Decarabia, the Demon King, had burned away without leaving a trace. But... the smoke was rising into the sky.

Due to the smoke rising from all directions.

Others didn't think much of it.

But I could clearly see it.

Especially thick smoke.

It was rising from the air where Decarabia had been.

I looked at the smoke and counted.

'This makes three, right?'

Past class quests I had completed.

There was definitely a mention of 'beacon fire.'

So, is this smoke a beacon fire?

'And for whom is this beacon fire lit?'

While I was thinking this casually.

"......!"

A new class quest appeared.

[Class Quest: Legacy of Akshan]

The beacon fire of survival was clearly delivered.

O last Demon Hunter.

Retrieve your legacy, lost to evil.

─Strengthen your weakened body. (Repeat)

...Wait a moment. What?!

Akshan?!

The Akshan I know?!

And even a similar name?!

*

Decarabia.

The moment the Demon King descended.

The world fell into despair.

Overwhelming presence!

A massive pentagram made of blood and flesh.

The form of Decarabia floating in the Frost Square was nauseating even from a distance.

Viewers and studio guests alike were taken aback.

"To be facing such a Demon King, it's truly remarkable, players."

Instinctive fear.

Before the fear subsided.

Breaking news arrived.

"According to the latest news, a demon believed to be the Demon King was disguised as the lord of Frost! And the one who uncovered this fact...?"

"Could it be, this time, player Lee Ho-yul?"

"Yes, that's correct!"

Breaking news from players on the scene.

Yeah, we had Lee Ho-yul.

Just as everyone was united in reducing their fear.

Slick—

The script flipped to a statement from AAU.

"Wait a moment. According to AAU, the Demon King's identity is Decarabia...!"

At the same time, a screen with information about Decarabia appeared.

There, it contained information that shocked everyone.

──────

Possesses knowledge of all minerals.

Expected to be immune to earth attribute attacks.

──────

"Earth attribute attacks...?"

The first thing that came to mind was Lee Ho-yul.

Earth attribute attacks.

They were one of Lee Ho-yul's main attack methods.

At the same time, the screen changed.

The distance between Lee Ho-yul and Decarabia was noticeably closing.

"Expert, what do you think?"

"It's a very dangerous situation... That's how it looks to me."

"I agree. Each skill has a level of proficiency, right? To increase that proficiency, effort is necessary. The fact that player Lee Ho-yul can freely use earth attribute skills? It's because of the effort and time invested!"

Yeah, skills are like stats.

It's hard to specialize in one thing.

As the skill proficiency increases.

The time and effort invested to increase proficiency are not trivial.

No matter how skilled Lee Ho-yul is.

He can't freely use skills of other attributes, like summoning stone pillars or stone stairs...

Whoosh—!

"What, what is that!"

...It's a common sense to expect!

What is that living, moving flame storm?

Intense heat.

The helicopter pilot quickly increased the altitude.

The camera quickly zoomed out to capture the overall view of the flame storm.

"What am I seeing...?"

The camera director muttered to himself.

"......It looks like a person?"

No, it wasn't an illusion.

Live broadcast.

Similarly, the studio watching the same screen.

"Is it not just a flame storm, but a person?"

"Face, long hair, and that looks like a hand?!"

"It's not an illusion. It's clearly the form of a woman!"

"Expert, what kind of skill is this?"

"How would a lowly person like me know! Just watch."

The form was like a woman embracing Frost, as if to prevent it from falling into hell.

Whoosh—!

The flame storm served as a sturdy shield for the players and an inescapable prison for Decarabia. There was no further twist.

"It's over, everyone. The Demon King has fallen...!"

A truly overwhelming victory.

But it couldn't be celebrated without reservation.

Victims existed.

"The victory is full of scars."

The camera focused on the Frost residents who had fallen to the ground.

Is the sky trying to comfort those in sorrow?

Soon, heavy snow began to fall from the sky.

'Yeah, if this were a movie or drama.'

This would be the perfect time to end.

The hero who defeated evil would appear.

Peace would return.

A clean ending to announce the next season.

But this is reality.

'There are still messy issues to resolve.'

PD Hyun Yong-seok, watching the angle, spoke solemnly.

"Let's get one more shot."

Hyun Yong-seok's target was none other than Inazuma.

If he had any sense, he could predict what would happen next.

'It's a common occurrence.'

Frost, which appeared in the new update.

Why did the governments of various countries pay close attention to the news?

Because of the enormous economic value of Frost.

'The Japanese government is probably dancing with joy right now.'

When Frost appeared in Hokkaido, Northern Japan.

Their true intentions were quickly revealed.

They tried their best to hold back other guilds, except for their own guild, Inazuma. It was a clear violation of international agreements, but they judged that Frost was worth the violation.

'Thanks to the Demon King, they withdrew quickly.'

Going to the bathroom and coming out, the mind is different.

With the Demon King gone.

The Japanese government would likely start claiming rights to Frost, citing territorial claims.

Who would be the biggest obstacle to the Japanese government?

Naturally.

'The person with the highest contribution in the reclamation quest.'

It would be Lee Ho-yul.

"......I knew you would come out like this!"

Yeah, the flow went as Hyun Yong-seok expected.

The entire Inazuma guild, led by Hisagi.

They started approaching Lee Ho-yul's side.

Hyun Yong-seok ordered.

"Can you get the sound?"

-That might be a bit difficult.

"Okay. We'll have to be satisfied with the visuals. Pull in a close-up."

-Primarily focusing on expressions and mouth movements? I know that without being told.

"Good."

Even if it's just expressions and mouth movements, it's not bad to infer the situation.

No, it's not just a matter of inferring.

We need to get that one shot.

Korean-Japanese conflict.

Even if nothing else, the ratings are guaranteed.

Soon, Lee Ho-yul and Hisagi Kazuma faced each other.

"......Huh?"

But no matter how much we zoomed in.

We couldn't capture Hisagi's expression or mouth movements.

That was to be expected.

Hyun Yong-seok couldn't believe his eyes at the screen.

"......Hey, Jong-jin. What am I seeing right now?"

How can we see the faces of those who are bowing!

But this is reality.

Hyun Yong-seok, realizing the situation, spoke urgently.

"Quick, put up subtitles!"

At the bottom of the live broadcast screen, breaking news appeared.

──────

Hisagi Kazuma and the entire Inazuma guild.

They seem to be bowing to Lee Ho-yul, expressing gratitude...!

──────