The player community was in an uproar.
─ Is this update for real? The balance is completely wrecked
─ It’s not just the balance, feels like we’re about to get wrecked too??
─ LMAO how the hell are we supposed to kill Count Ascula? Is Raymon insane or whatㅋㅋ
There was no need to even check the community.
The news was also filled nonstop with talk about the new update.
“AAU has revealed that Count Ascula is a vampire—that is, a demon-type monster.”
“Large guilds are also expressing reluctance. Their stance is that they cannot recklessly enter a rift with such obvious danger.”
I checked the update belatedly.
And I was horrified.
“…What, level 430?!”
Level 430 was higher than the current rank 1 player, wasn’t it?
I almost wanted to retract my remark about inferior species.
And as if that weren’t enough, it was a demon-type.
Among players, demon-types were monsters that were notoriously difficult to deal with.
To safely clear a demon-type—
It was common sense that you needed to be at least ten levels higher.
Which meant—
“Did they update this expecting us to clear it?”
Of course people would react like this.
Only now did I understand why the world had gone crazy.
Since losses were obvious, it was only natural that large guilds were responding cautiously.
But if everyone hesitated like that and the rift collapsed—
Then the gates of hell would truly open.
Of course, I was fully aware.
Natural Enemy: Combat power increased drastically when fighting demon-types.
Natural enemy.
I realized that the effect of the Demon Hunter’s class skill was far more overwhelming than I had thought.
But hadn’t the imp only been level 200?
Hunting Count Ascula, whose level was more than double that, was unimaginable.
But that was merely the conclusion reached by my brain—Lee Hoyeol’s brain.
At this moment, my heart was beating just as it always had.
Yes, it was a heartbeat that said it didn’t matter what kind of demon it was.
『No temptation, deception, or trial of any demon can leave even a scratch on Granfel’s noble pride.』
Imp or vampire.
Even before a Demon King.
This arrogant pride would never break.
Truly a “style over life,” a setting that rushed toward death.
Of course, I had not even the slightest intention of dying dramatically in pursuit of style.
Long and thin.
That was the life I desired.
“No, wait.”
But at this moment alone, even my mind was saying it could be done.
A sparkling quest window.
Hunt the Vampire. (In Progress)
Announce the start of the hunt. (In Progress)
As I looked at the quest objectives, memories of the past surfaced.
I recalled once again—
The Demon Hunter’s method of hunting demons.
Thanks to that, I became certain.
“If I follow the quest like back then…”
That I might truly be able to hunt a vampire.
That certainty.
In an instant, a flower garden bloomed in my mind.
How much experience would I gain from defeating Count Ascula?
What if it dropped a good item?
Ah—there was also the class quest reward not to forget.
Yet the corners of my mouth did not move even slightly.
The splendid flower garden I imagined was inferior even to the family garden that Granfel merely glanced at in passing.
Simply put, all of it was only natural.
It meant it was something that should rightfully be claimed.
─ New rift location just dropped!!! It’s Russia?!!
I spoke in a cold voice.
“I’ll increase the punishment, considering that you even went through the trouble of hiding.”
***
The Mage Tower.
Its interior was so mystical it was hard to describe.
“This is insane. It’s completely different from the outside?!”
The interior was vast, as if governed by entirely different physical laws.
Countless books adorned the space.
Among them all, the most spectacular sight was the ‘portal’ glowing at the center.
“Russia… If it weren’t for the Mage Tower, just imagining it is horrifying.”
“See? I told you the master’s judgment was right. We were lucky to settle in Korea early. Look at the Japanese and Chinese guilds—being stubborn got them flying all the way to Russia.”
“And even after landing, it’s a problem. They say it takes five hours by car from the airport.”
Portal.
A large-scale instantaneous teleportation spell.
As its effects showed, it belonged to high-tier magic.
Among players, those who could use portals were few enough to count on one hand.
Of course, comparing player portals to the Mage Tower’s portal was impossible.
“When will I ever get to use magic like that?”
“Probably impossible even if you hit max level.”
“…Max level? Does Arcana even have a max level?”
“Nope. Which means it’s impossible forever.”
“Hey, listen to how you’re talking.”
Player portals were not transportation tools, but merely emergency escape methods.
The mana consumption required to maintain them was absurd.
“Still, how often do we get to ride portals like this?”
Normally, even the portals provided by the Mage Tower were not free to use.
But just as the world had changed, so had the Mage Tower.
A large crowd had gathered around the portal.
Above all else, the one receiving the most attention was clearly ‘Gaon’.
“Has Gaon discovered a strategy for clearing Count Ascula?”
“What was the reason Gaon decided on an expedition before other guilds?”
“There’s an opinion that if Gaon fails, the information gained should be shared with other guilds. What do you think?”
World Rank 5.
Korea’s greatest guild, Gaon.
Guild Master Nam Tae-min answered the barrage of questions.
“Unfortunately, there is no strategy. Since when did we challenge rifts by following guides anyway? As for why we decided on an expedition before others—naturally, it was to get ahead in the competition.”
His words brimmed with confidence befitting the moment.
“And what? Share information with other guilds if we fail? Sorry, but that won’t happen. People will ramble about humanity’s peace and whatnot. If you’re that upset, I’d tell them to challenge the rift themselves like we did. That’s real peace, isn’t it?”
Even the gathered reporters flinched at his momentum.
But unlike his confident demeanor, Nam Tae-min’s insides were burning.
Gaon had staked a great deal on this expedition.
“We need results.”
Because of the Mage Tower, major guilds from around the world had flowed into Korea.
From the government’s or public’s perspective, it might be a good thing.
But not for Gaon.
Their standing within Korea was shrinking by the day.
Gaon’s movements also stimulated other guilds.
The reporters began murmuring.
“…Huh? Wait, isn’t that the Shining Guild?”
World Rank 1.
The undisputed strongest guild, Shining.
They had appeared at the Mage Tower leading an expedition force.
“Yeah. That’s how it should be.”
Shining had moved.
Other guilds would surely follow.
The reporters swarmed toward Shining instead.
Only then did Nam Cheol-min approach and pat his younger brother’s shoulder.
“No need to rush. This is going to be a long fight anyway.”
“I know. I just got a bit fired up.”
“Still, pretty dynamic for your first day at work. Even for me.”
“Hyung, just think of it as being cursed with good fortune.”
Nam Cheol-min was participating in this expedition as Gaon’s analyst.
He hadn’t expected to be involved in something this massive right from the start…
Still, he remained faithful to his duties as an analyst.
A parachute was fine.
But he couldn’t ignore the sound of one with holes in it.
“I finished the briefing with the guild members.”
“A briefing?”
“Yeah. This new rift has a very unusual layout.”
Nam Cheol-min took out a tablet PC.
On it were three overlapping circles.
He pointed to the outermost circle.
“This is the outer territorial rifts. I didn’t draw them as circles for convenience—they’re actually circular, with hundreds of rifts discovered.”
“…Hundreds? Then what about the inner circle?”
“That’s the Count’s domain rifts. Smaller, right? There are about thirty of them.”
“Then the innermost circle must be the Count’s fortress.”
Nam Cheol-min nodded.
“Right. Count Ascula is in the innermost fortress rift.”
“Wait, doesn’t it really look like an actual castle…?”
“Exactly. That’s why I had this thought.”
“?”
Swipe—
Nam Cheol-min touched the tablet.
The next screen showed a medieval castle.
“What if, when the rift collapses, Count Ascula’s castle actually gets summoned?”
“…Hyung, isn’t that going a bit too far?”
“Why not? The Mage Tower exists now.”
Nam Tae-min couldn’t respond.
There was nothing particularly wrong with his brother’s words.
But if the rift collapsed—
And Count Ascula’s castle truly appeared…
“…Wouldn’t that turn into a siege battle?”
“Yeah. That’s what worries me too.”
“This is insane. It’s already barely manageable as it is?!”
In Arcana, siege battles overwhelmingly favored the defenders.
And in this case, the defender would obviously be Count Ascula.
Nam Tae-min was certain.
“That would make it literally impossible to clear.”
Nam Cheol-min merely shrugged in response.
The brothers fell silent for a moment.
Nam Tae-min spoke first.
“All we can do is give it our best.”
“Sounds good.”
“You should give it your all too, hyung.”
“It’s just that the workload is too heavy right from day one.”
Nam Cheol-min had his own complaints.
“I was planning to focus solely on recruiting rookies for now. Revising contracts, carefully drafting messages—and then suddenly the update drops…”
The rookie he was referring to was, of course, Ho-yeol.
Even at this very moment, Nam Cheol-min was thinking about Ho-yeol.
Nam Tae-min was the same.
“This raid values every single player.”
“That’s why I told you to increase the ratio!”
“Hyung, it was 9.5 to 0.5. We were the 0.5! Where are we supposed to raise it more? We’re buying him a house, a car, covering expenses. With that ratio, it’ll take over ten years to recover…”
“Ah, I don’t know. It’s your fault.”
Their bickering lasted only briefly.
“Anyway, let’s start preparing.”
It was finally time to enter the portal.
After saying that, Nam Tae-min tilted his head.
“…What? You’re already ready?”
“What does an analyst need to prepare?”
“No, I meant—aren’t you going to smoke first?”
“Oh, cigarettes?”
Nam Cheol-min smiled faintly.
“I quit. Once my worries disappeared, my hands just stopped reaching for them.”
I opened the wardrobe.
The new rift was located in Russia.
Russia’s current average temperature was around 2°C.
Choosing thick clothing would have been appropriate.
Yet I was dressed in a suit.
That too was probably thanks to the setting that lived and died by formality and dignity.
Adapt. I had no choice but to adapt.
Still, it was fortunate.
One of the few jackets I owned was fairly thick.
I inspected my reflection in the mirror.
As if I had been born with silver hair—
Not a trace of black remained.
My face had also changed.
My facial features hadn’t been rearranged like my hair, but perhaps because my eyes had changed—
I could feel that the atmosphere my face gave off was different from before.
My build had grown firmer through repeated training quests.
The previously loose suit now fit like it was tailored.
Thanks to a noble palate, I had followed a strict diet as well.
Noticeable muscle growth was only natural.
I looked at myself in the mirror and said,
“It’s me.”
Yes. I knew that this changed appearance was also me.
It wasn’t someone else’s face.
This was my dark history—Lee Ho-yeol’s.
Because I knew that fact, I had no hesitation in my actions.
Preparation was complete.
I was going to Russia.
To do so, I headed for the Mage Tower.
…Wait.
“I almost forgot.”
Just as I was about to put on my shoes and leave, I stopped.
I opened the cupboard and grabbed a handful of barley green tea bags.
I tucked them neatly into my jacket’s inner pocket.
…Yes, being obsessed with tea time was also me.
Of course, tea bags alone weren’t enough to brew tea.
But that didn’t matter.
I could 『Search』, 『Interfere』, and 『Manifest』.
Yes, it meant I had succeeded in manifesting 『Magic』.
I looked at the teacup on the table and said,
“A teacup is unnecessary as well.”
The stack of neatly piled papers beside it was proof.
***
I arrived at the Mage Tower.
I looked at the brilliantly shining portal.
“!”
Among players, only a handful could use high-tier magic like ‘Portal’.
And this was a portal manifested by the Mage Tower’s NPCs, comparable to archmages.
And yet—
“Why is that?”
To my eyes, that high-tier magic—
Looked simpler than the ‘ignition’ I had seen on NetTube.
