Chapter 35: Innocence (1)
Episode 35. Innocence (1)
Harkon remembered his last days in the Empire.
He still couldnt forget his Lords bitter voice.
The trials never end, Harkon.
Your Majesty.
What is it that the gods want from me? Even as Emperor, I cant fathom it. I feel like Ive been thrown into a deep darkness where there is no light.
Demons have appeared and adventurers have disappeared.
As if that werent enough, the empires territory and people have evaporated without a trace.
Even the towers.
Harkon was sure of it.
Demons were responsible for all of this.
But even if he knew the cause, there was nothing he could do about it.
Fighting a demon beyond its power was hopeless.
His lord knew that.
They say a demon legionnaire has emerged from the northwest, a legionnaire. Thousands of men will die in this expedition, and I will drive them to their deaths.
Your Majesty, such words are not.
Harkon. Every night I ask the gods, the goddesses. What have we done so wrong, and if you have any pity for us, tell me what choice I must make.
The Emperor laughed bitterly.
But not once has he answered.
Harkon said nothing.
He merely fulfilled his duty as his masters sword.
I will return after slaying the demon legion leader, Your Majesty.
That was the last thing he remembered.
When he woke up in the middle of the expedition.
!
Harkon opened his eyes to an unfamiliar world.
For the first time, he could fathom his masters mind.
That feeling of being abandoned by a god.
Why! Why us! Why us! We must not let the Demon Legionnaire!!!
This strange world is the home of adventurers.
The adventurers who disappeared are here.
Buildings, people, and towers that evaporated exist here.
When I learned of this, I was hopeful.
But that hope was quickly destroyed.
And you cant figure out why?
The adventurers hometown was in turmoil as well.
The demonic forces had reached this far.
What am I supposed to do here?
The first thing that came to mind was the tower.
If its the Magic Tower.
Their wisdom.
They might have a way out of this.
But werent the wizards of the Magic Tower something even the Emperor took for granted?
I couldnt realistically hope for their help.
Then the rumor came.
The Yusra Islands?
A legendary treasure island.
The story that the Yusra Islands had appeared in this world.
A glimmer of hope?
I honestly didnt expect it.
Legends are just that, legends.
Even if the treasure of the Yusra Islands did exist.
What good would it do in this situation?
Still, Harkon and the Knights of Ryan Hart had come to Yusra for a simple reason.
If they stayed put, they would go insane.
I cant lose.
When the devil is the cause of everything.
And I wanted to resist it until the end.
Then I met a man, an adventurer.
That bracelet, he said, It must be from the Magic Tower!
At first, I thought it was a golden opportunity.
I didnt realize there was an adventurer with such close ties to Magic Tower.
I thought that if I went through him, I would be able to contact him.
Thats what I was hoping for.
But the further I traveled, the more I thought differently.
saw through my impure intentions.
He didnt question me.
I moved on.
That generosity showed in battle.
Despite their magical abilities.
He simply cleared the way for them to operate.
Harkon was no stranger to arrogant mages.
He couldnt help but admire them.
Thats the attitude of a true noble!
That was it.
Lord Ho-Yeol.
The title changed for the adventurer.
But it didnt end with admiration.
The island shook and a golden palace appeared.
Harkon was well aware of the creepy aura.
Theres a demon here, too.
It was a powerful one, too.
Harkon swallowed a sigh.
Does this mean weve been playing into their hands again?
But the sigh quickly turned into a sigh of relief.
Ive been waiting for you.
?
You despicable fiend of great wickedness.
!!!
That, too, was thanks to Ho Yeol.
Harkon couldnt believe his eyes.
A demon.
How could a human being be so confident in the presence of such a great evil?
What is this unshakable grace?
It was an attitude he had never seen in himself, or even in the Emperor.
Harkon could only blame himself.
I am sorry, Your Majesty. If only I had known sooner.
If only he had known of Lord Ho-Yeols existence.
Before the demons stretched across the Empire.
I could have destroyed them.
A moment of regret.
Then Harkons eyes flashed.
Yes, yes. This is my chance to correct my mistake.
No more excuses were needed.
Demons existed here, in the world of adventurers.
It didnt matter if this was a test from the gods or a punishment from heaven.
I will fight back.
How could he say he would protect the Empire and the Emperor if he couldnt even defeat the demons of this world?
As if to support Harkons resolve, Ho Yeol spoke up.
I dont believe in gods.
Indeed, a declaration worthy of Lord Ho-Yeol.
Perhaps we are of the same mind.
Harkon smiled.
Throb.
The sleeping lions heart began to beat again.
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*.Read first on
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The Knights of the Lionheart.
Theyre called the mightiest knights of Arcana.
I can see why.
Crack!
The skeletons approached with bone-crunching sounds.
Those bastards were level 500.
When I checked, I was horrified.
I heard Leonies ridiculous voice.
This is so f*cking tough. Seriously.
Of course, theres a difference in the level of expression.
I agree.
No matter how evil it is, its not that difficult.
[Sleepless Soldier : Lv.500]
[Sleepless Soldier: Lv.500]
[Sleepless Soldier: Lv.500].
If it was just one or two of them, I wouldnt be talking.
Theres a lot of them, even from a distance.
Even if the undead were a race with a clear weakness.
With such an extreme difference in level, even their weaknesses would be blunted.
I guess its impossible to conserve magic power.
I thought to myself.
Sacrifice your heart. So that Lord Ho Yeol can reach the Great Evil!
Suddenly, I hear Harkons shout.
Give your hearts!
At that, I could feel the morale of the Lionheart Knights boiling over.
It was no illusion.
The knights were on the front lines.
They began to literally smash through the skeletons.
One in particular stood out.
Three knights, including Harkon.
[Harkon Kingsguard : Lv.600]
[Yeshka Bright: Lv.430]
[Enoch Lauren: Lv.400]
Gao-oh
Harkons blade glows with a faint light.
Every time he swings it, skeletons fall helplessly to the ground.
This shouldnt be surprising, as Harkons level was far superior to the skeletons.
But Yeshka and Enoch.
How can I explain the performance of those two knights?
Theyre definitely outmatched in terms of level. But.
They were just as strong, if not stronger, than Harkon.
They were as strong, if not stronger, than him.
I could recognize the reason.
A glowing sword. Thats it.
Goh-oh-oh.
It wasnt a clear light like the harkon.
But Yeshka and Enoch.
Their swords also emitted a faint glow.
Thats a source of strength that offsets even their level.
I looked at that light with Grandfells gaze.
Just like when I first witnessed Magic.
Search, interference, manifestation.
Like when I saw words I didnt know scribbled on paper.
I could recognize the identity of that light.
Sword energy.
Does such a thing really exist?
Even I questioned.
But theres no point in overthinking it.
Like magic, youll find out when you experience it.
And more importantly, in this moment.
What are you doing anyway, giving your heart for me?
Harkons attitude was getting more and more extreme.
Im scared. Im scared.
Of course, I didnt seem to mind the declaration.
Even though I was feeling it.
My fellow players reacted violently.
How did you get to that level of intimacy?
Ew, monster. A monster.
Youre more than I imagined, Mr. Ho-yeol!
Nam Tae-min.
Not a common sight even for top ranked players.
This must be a chip on his shoulder, right?
I dont know what it is, but I might have felt a sense of pride.
But my shoulders were heavy.
Noblesse oblige.
Thanks to that tired setup.
Because I couldnt help but feel responsible for the sacrifice of the Knights of Lionheart.
So.
You found it.
A shadow sitting on the throne.
A message floats above its head.
[Incarnation of the Seven Deadly Sins Greed: Lv.650]
I did not tremble in its presence.
Another angle
A confident step forward.
The angle of my waist and neck.
A gaze unbowed by a high throne.
I opened my mouth to speak.
How long do you think youre going to sit there, you lowly devil?
As always.
You have no manners for an inferior race.
.
.
.
!
Nam Tae-min and Leonie.
Both of them shouted before anyone else.
Everyone back off!!!
Dont come any closer!!!
It wasnt another monster, it was a demon.
Stronger than the absolute level is basic.
Demons that were in a terrible state.
I cant fight them with my head!
He couldnt stand guildmates whose levels and equipment items were lower than his own.
It was an order based on that judgment.
Even so.
F*ck, really.
Leonie bit her lower lip hard.
It wasnt as if he could call himself unharmed.
His current level was 352.
That was a difference of 300 levels.
, I think Im in trouble, dont you?
Level 369.
Being a South Korean didnt make it any different.
Berserkers and Barbarians.
Their fighting spirit rose the more unfavorable the situation.
If anything, their superior sense of combat was telling.
They were f*cked.
But the two were quick to assess the situation.
Even if we cant do anything.
I cant be a burden.
A determined Nam Tae-min spoke up.
First, Ill hold out as long as I can, but if I can no longer resist the condition. I will withdraw from the battle as soon as I realize it.
Me too, because once were in the fight and it looks like its not going to work, Ill just cut my Achilles tendon.
Oh, that sounds good.
Ill cut my own Achilles.
Truly, a berserker and barbarian declaration.
Its a stupid way to go, but its the best way to go.
Theyd seen it all before.
A player whos out of shape and pointing a knife at an ally.
Hed rather crawl on the ground than be a threat to his allies.
It was an injury, one that could be healed if he survived.
?!
Thats what I thought.
The one sitting on the throne moved.
At the same time.
I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest.
[The incarnation of the seven deadly sins of greed is watching you].
What is this message?
Holy sh*t.
You cant resist for a single moment?
This is no ordinary demon.
Its literally a great evil.
At this rate, its only a matter of time before he goes insane.
It might point its sword at an ally, at Ho Yeol.
We need to step back quickly.
[Irresistible desire clouds judgment].
No, why bother?
If I just slash this stuffy chest.
Maybe itll all be over.
[Aberration: greed arises].
The two were about to pick up their swords with trembling hands.
Ho-Yeols voice came through.
Theres no need.
It was a generous voice.
I am here.
It was enough to suppress the greed in their hearts.
Bang.
Two swords falling to the floor.
What was I thinking?
The words brought the two men to their senses.
It wasnt an illusion.
Ho Yeol had managed to neutralize the evil spirit.
He was arrogantly sitting on the throne.
You, who are you, and how did you?
The uneasy trembling in his voice was proof of that.
[The Orb of the Vampire Count was chosen as the sacrifice].
[Skill, Ritual of the Exorcist is triggered].
[The incarnation of the Seven Deadly Sins of Greed is invited to the Ritual].
The demon hunt has begun.
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