Chapter 29

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True Glory

Gracia, the strongest man on earth, was walking down a street in Eunpyeong District late in the evening. This was the place where several buildings had been destroyed by the Giant Mantis, and where Hydracon had also appeared.

- "I didn't know him."

When interviewed, journalist Kim Hana immediately responded that she didn't know Hydracon's owner.

In the end, there was no other way but for Gracia to visit the scene of the incident himself.

‘I have to find it.’

What he was looking for was not Phantom. He was searching for a player who, according to legend, once possessed Hydracon's soul in Pangea. More precisely, he was looking for Hydracon's soul.

‘I must find it and recover Hydracon's soul.’

Swoosh!

Soon, a golden light rose like mist.

His entire body, now descended, was enveloped in a pale fog and electricity. Soon, thousands of swords appeared in the air, neatly aligned. All of them were masterpieces that could be called treasures.

Whoosh!

With a wave of his hand, the thousands of swords spun in the air. Gracia gripped one of them.

‘Jin (進) Sword of the Abyss Tracker.’

If an extreme title is related to proficiency or a limit option, a title named Jin maximizes the special performance of the equipment.

The Sword of the Abyss Tracker was a sword taken from one of the rulers of the abyss after killing them, and it had been strengthened and elevated to its limit.

Therefore, this sword can pierce even a 'safe zone' and track any target.

Of course, a clue for tracking is necessary.

Like a strand of hair or a fingernail.

The more specific the clue, the farther and more accurately it can track.

‘Wish Orb.’

A single orange orb with a white star appeared in the air.

This, too, was taken by killing an Imugi just before it became a dragon. It is an orb that grants the user's wishes as specifically as possible.

While it can certainly grant simple and straightforward wishes, it has the drawback of not being able to specify complex or potentially complex wishes.

For example, instantly killing a target of level 10 or lower in front of you.

Such a simple 'wish' is a treasure that can certainly grant it.

It takes a month to recharge one wish, but this was not a time to be frugal.

"Find everything related to the man in the photo in this area."

Gracia took out a photo from his pocket, believed to be of Hydracon's owner.

He planned to use the Wish Orb to find evidence and then implant that evidence into the Jin Sword of the Abyss Tracker to track the target.

Soon, the Wish Orb turned red and burst.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The star that shot out from the Wish Orb began to spin around the area.

"Hmm..."

No matter how much time passed, the star found nothing.

However, this was the scene of the incident.

Even a small clue should appear. At the very least, footprints should be visible.

It was very unusual for the Wish Orb to find no evidence for such a simple wish.

‘He hasn’t transcended yet.’

When the target of a wish is a transcended being.

In that case, the Wish Orb cannot even touch a single strand of hair.

But Gracia could distinguish between transcended and non-transcended beings.

From the video, Hydracon's owner was clearly not transcended.

If he is not a transcended being and is not a target of the Wish Orb, it means he is avoiding it in some other way.

‘High-level skills to avoid tracking, or similar rights like a Guardian Wall.’

This is also highly unlikely.

No one would go to the trouble of mastering a tracking avoidance skill to the highest level.

Similarly, a right like a Guardian Wall, which grants 'immunity' from all things of a certain level or lower, is also unlikely.

However, a Guardian Wall can only protect up to level 10.

To avoid being a target of the Wish Orb, one must be in a transcended state. Since the level of a Guardian Wall is not 11, this is impossible.

Even using the precious Wish Orb, he found nothing.

‘... If I vaporize all of Eunpyeong, he will show up, won’t he?’

Gracia's eyes turned cold.

At that moment,

[The ranking of the Main Quest 4 Hall of Fame has been updated.]

Gracia frowned.

If the ranking doesn't change, this message doesn't appear.

And this was the fourth time Gracia had seen this message recently.

The culprit was only one person.

<1st, ??? points. Randolph>

<2nd, 200 points. Gracia>

<3rd, 191 points. Mintchocoismylove>

<4th, 180 points. Darkstar>

<5th, 170 points. Barmush>

...

<The list in the 'Golden Ratio Shop' has decreased by one due to the lower ranking.>

"... Phantom."

Randolph. He is definitely Phantom.

Otherwise, he couldn't have pulled me down so consistently.

‘Question marks?’

But the points are strange.

??? points. I've never seen points displayed like this before.

Are they so high that they can't even be confirmed?

How many points do you need to get question marks?

‘What are you up to?’

Ding! Ding!

At that moment,

The sound of a bell.

When Gracia turned his gaze, skeletons with scythes and black cloaks were approaching, ringing black bells.

"... Chasing me all the way to outside Pangea, it seems the 'Rift' is about to open."

Reapers.

Persistent beings that chase and kill 'players'.

They only appeared in Pangea, but now they have come to the real world.

It must be due to the 'Rift' that is about to occur.

Gracia clasped his hands together.

Whoosh!

Thousands of swords merged into a massive pillar of light.

*

Serengeti closed his eyes again.

The accursed curse of the demon king was reactivating.

Hudson held Serengeti's hand tightly. Next to him, Duke Wiser looked at the two with a complex expression.

"... Huh."

It was an indescribable feeling.

He had heard from Serengeti himself that they had even held a secret engagement ceremony. He almost collapsed, clutching his throat, but managed to hold on.

"Duke, to build and stabilize a new warp, we need at least 5 million gold."

Hudson's eyes lit up.

It was a dead end. There was no more room to back down.

"Are you selling Serengeti for 20 million gold?"

"Didn't you already plan to sell him to Duke Cyen?"

"It's a done deal. It can't be undone. If Duke Cyen finds out, you'll disappear without a trace."

He had already made a promise to Duke Cyen.

Duke Cyen, who owned three major cities, was the second most powerful after the king.

A wealthy merchant couldn't stand up to Duke Cyen.

Moreover, if the secret engagement ceremony was known, the peace of Duke Wiser and this city would be at risk.

"Is 'Maxim' under the Duke?"

I interjected in their argument.

A completely different topic.

Hudson replied.

"Maxim, one of the Eight Heroes?"

"Yes."

"He is now receiving successor training in one of Duke Cyen's territories."

Maxim?

‘He’s made it big.’

Called one of the Eight Heroes, he is receiving successor training under Duke Cyen. What could be a greater success than becoming the lord of a major city?

‘A mere mercenary is now the lord of a major city.’

And he was a mere mercenary.

Maxim was the leader of the mercenary group I hired during the Great Expedition. After paying a high price, he was the first to run away.

Such a person, now posing as one of the Eight Heroes and becoming the lord of a major city under Duke Cyen, was an absurd situation.

‘I don’t understand the criteria for the Eight Heroes.’

Could it be based on who ran away first?

But among the Eight Heroes, 'Gracia' is also included.

Gracia didn't even participate in the Great Expedition. If he had, I would have known. He was the top pick for the Great Expedition.

I want to cut off my wrist for sending him a love call, thinking he was a named NPC.

Still, Gracia openly calls himself one of the Eight Heroes.

Even in reality.

Is he trying to provoke me?

‘He might be hoping I show up.’

There's no way I would believe his ridiculous talk about 'cooperation'.

When playing as Wilhelm, Gracia and I never crossed paths. It means he was intentionally avoiding me.

And right after Wilhelm died, Gracia started making absurd claims.

While talking about cooperation, there is a high, even excessive, possibility that he is trying to suppress or kill me, a new player.

These people who tarnish Wilhelm's achievements and the glory to be shared with great knights.

Even the first to run away and those who didn't participate in the Great Expedition.

I would have understood if it were the 500 knights enshrined on the monument. I would have been fine without Wilhelm's name on that glorious list.

‘They are inevitably the ones I must crush.’

No matter how many times I think about it, no matter how many times I compromise, they are the ones I must crush.

‘Maxim is the easiest to deal with among the Eight Heroes.’

Maxim is the weakest of the Eight Heroes.

I slowly turned and headed for the door.

Then Hudson asked,

"Where are you going?"

"I will hold a proper memorial service."

"Huh?"

"Compensate 10,000 gold to the families of the 500 knights."

"Me?"

"The money of the bell is the money of the master."

"But... huh?"

Is that how it works?

Hudson was taken aback by my attitude, as if I had left some money behind.

But what could he do?

"..."

There was nothing more to say to someone who had already left.

Moreover, he had said his piece.

"..."

*

"... They fought bravely. Back to back, they did not retreat a single inch against the cruel demons."

In front of the monument.

The people of the city gathered for the memorial.

I lifted an old book.

"This book is the memoir left by the Knight King. It contains accounts of the Great Expedition. He left not a single word out about the greatness of the knights whose names are inscribed here."

The memoir left by the Knight King.

Of course, such a thing didn't exist.

"James, Noah, Lucas, Jacob... "

I recited the 500 names in order.

Without a single exception, I memorized and spoke each name.

"And Zion. Their glory must be passed down to future generations. The true heroes are not those called the Eight Heroes. They are the ones who quietly held their ground, even when no one recognized them."

"Zion...!"

An old woman clutched her chest and wept.

May. The woman I carried to the shelter.

I coldly told her the reality of her son's death, which she couldn't accept.

"As the successor of the Knight King, I pay my respects to their glorious deaths. To honor the heroes who will never return, I will enshrine them in my heart forever."

I bowed deeply to the monument.

But what is this pain in my chest?

‘James, Noah, Lucas, Jacob, Zion...’

I recited the 500 names again, one by one.

I deeply engraved them in my mind.

《