[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 410

New World.

Arandis. For original chapters go to novel⦿fire.net

After receiving the recorded footage, Jang Dae-hwi sat with his mouth agape and watched.

“He really hunted 700-level monsters…”

The video showed Hajin starting from a level-535 Mutant Giant Bear and going all the way to slaying Arangurt at level 712.

Even Dae-hwi, whose level was low, knew what Arandis was: an unknown city only a handful had broken into, with almost no information available. A city so brutally difficult that even top-ranker James Marcus had only made it to the entrance.

But in the footage, Hajin strode forward without hesitation and even managed to take down the field mid-boss, Arangurt.

“This video is going to blow up.”

It would be strange if it didn’t. Arandis had almost no publicly available info, and Hajin was revealing it first on KkulTube. Given how many people enjoy the New World, won’t that get at least a hundred million views?

After finishing the recording, Dae-hwi called Hajin. Since Hajin had said he’d rest after sending the footage, it probably wasn’t during gameplay. As expected, the ringtone answered quickly.

[Yeah… what’s up?]

His voice sounded hoarse, as if he’d just woken up. Feeling a little guilty, Dae-hwi rushed into his question.

“Sorry to wake you. By the way—what level are you?”

[Me…? 855.]

That impossible number made Dae-hwi’s jaw drop.

“…what?”

[Didn’t I say?]

“You did say you’d clear Arandis, but you didn’t say a single thing about your level!”

It was absurd. How on earth did he level to 855 in such a short time? Dae-hwi couldn’t make sense of it. Was it some kind of bug? Maybe EarthCorp collapsed and the servers weren’t maintained properly?

All sorts of speculative thoughts ran through his head.

[I know what you’re thinking, but I leveled up legitimately.]

“…do you think people will believe that?”

[Who cares if they do or don’t?]

At Hajin’s nonchalant reply, Dae-hwi’s head throbbed.

“No, you need to convince people—”

[If it were Junghoon, he’d just say to post it. Honestly, we’re basically the only ones who can upload Arandis raid footage—do we need to worry about public opinion?]

“Hm…”

[Don’t worry too much. Even if some idiots rage, there’s zero chance it’ll tank the channel.]

Hajin was right. Far more people would be curious about Arandis than there would be troublemakers nitpicking.

“So how exactly did you raise that level?”

[“I just followed Junghoon’s advice closely, and my level shot up fast.”]

“…what…”

[“Anyway, make sure you edit it well.”]

“Haah, fine.”

* * *

‘James! Check out this YouTube video!’

‘You’re noisy. Can you shut up?’

I told my friend off when he started making a fuss.

‘Hey! KkulTube just uploaded an Arandis raid video!’

But the moment Arandis was mentioned, James’s eyes sharpened. He hurriedly pulled up YouTube.

[EP1. Arandis Raid? Field Boss Level 712 Arangurt Defeated!]

[Views: 12,135,882]

The video had only been up for two hours.

The views had already passed 12 million.

“Ha… Arandis?”

Even James, a top-ranker at level 543, hadn’t dared attempt it.

That was because once monsters passed level 500, they traveled in groups.

As a Paladin, he knew he’d need to form a party, so he put off raiding them.

That was also why he hadn’t revealed any information about Arandis.

And now there was actual raid footage?

“This is impossible…”

Nearly a hundred level-535 Mutant Giant Bears collapsed as if they were low-level mobs.

“They didn’t fake this, right?”

The performance was so unbelievable it made him doubt.

The raid pressed on like an unstoppable tide.

* No way… how are monsters over level 500 being mowed down like that?

* This isn’t Arandis, right?

* Looks like Arandis, lol. See that ‘535’ above the monster?

* A one-shot kill on a level-600… sir, am I dreaming?

* Look at the numbers, lol. Is that a Necromancer? A Warrior?

* They’re all swinging swords and shields, so I guess Warrior…

That was definitely a Warrior class.

But not just any class—

a hidden class.

The ultimate blend of Warrior and Necromancer.

James closed the video and clenched his eyes shut.

How was such dazzling growth even possible?

“I wish someone would tell me that method too…”

* * *

Meanwhile, Jeong-hoon moved from the 8th Demonic Realm to the 13th.

He deliberately chose the 13th because it belonged to a God under Psyche’s command.

As expected, even after entering the 13th Demonic Realm, no Named intervened.

Instead, the demons resisted fiercely, and the so-called lord even fought him using a divine artifact that had not been permitted.

Of course, none of them could stand against Jeong-hoon, who had ascended to the level of a demigod.

[Relic of the Malicious God: Pinwheel]

The divine artifact he seized after slaying the lord—

it was the Relic of the Malicious God: Pinwheel.

[You have acquired Dark Energy.]

As he quickly absorbed the Dark Energy contained within the relic, his gauge surged past 100% and climbed all the way to 571%.

Jeong-hoon’s eyes widened at the sight.

He had thought the gauge would cap at 100% and refuse to rise any further.

‘Did Psyche plan for this?’

Otherwise, how could a mere lord be in possession of a divine artifact?

If that were the case, then it was highly likely that other lords across the demonic realms also carried relics.

Without delay, Jeong-hoon moved into the 14th Demonic Realm and obtained another relic there.

[You have acquired Dark Energy.]

Once again, he absorbed the energy within the relic, and the Dark Energy surged to 998%.

If he could continue gaining Dark Energy through relics like this, then eradicating the Named wouldn’t take nearly as long as expected.

‘…Hey.’

Just as he was about to hurry toward the next realm, Harnion grabbed hold of him.

But something was off.

Harnion’s complexion was ghostly pale, his eyes bloodshot, and he clutched his head in pain as if suffering from a crushing migraine.

“What the—what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

‘It seems… something has happened in the Lower World.’

“The Lower World? You mean New World?”

Harnion weakly nodded.

‘When the Heavenly Realm seized control of New World, I was able to oversee a portion of it as well. But just now, something went wrong.’

“Yeah?”

‘A few NPCs have fallen into corruption. And because I was tied to that world, the curse even reached me.’

So that’s why he was suffering—because of a curse.

Jeong-hoon used Safeguard to strip away the curse that had bound Harnion.

Only then did color return to his face, his expression finally easing.

“Better now?”

‘Thank you. Without you, my sense of self would have been completely devoured.’

“…Which means other NPCs may be going through the same thing, right?”

‘Not all of them. Only a few, myself included.’

Harnion, after all, was one of the NPCs deployed after the Heavenly Realm seized control of New World.

If even someone like him had been cursed, then the situation was already quite serious.

“Why hasn’t the Heavenly Realm made any move?”

‘Most likely, they’re keeping quiet so that you can focus on the demonic realms.’

At that point, Tenebris cut in.

‘New World is a game world, after all. Some things are inevitable. Right now, cleansing the demonic realms takes priority.’

“No. I’m returning to New World first.”

But Jeong-hoon’s stance was different.

‘To New World?’

“That’s right.”

The newly granted free will given to NPCs bothered him.

---

At that moment.

Hajin woke up and logged into the New World.

He had cleared up to the level-712 Arangurt, but that only opened about one-third of the eastern area. Now he had to push forward again and break through more than half of the east.

But what on earth was happening…?

After killing Arangurt and trying to move to the next field, an NPC was blocking the portal and holding position.

===

[NPC Info]

* Nickname: Maint

* Level: 1,000

* Class: ???

===

A level-1,000 NPC with no class displayed.

Hajin frowned.

When he met the NPC’s eyes for a moment, there was something unusual in that gaze.

“Hyung, what should we do?” Bonggu asked in a small whisper.

“What do you mean—? We push through.”

A flickering red question mark hovered over the NPC’s head.

That meant this NPC would offer a hidden quest.

Hajin approached Maint and checked the quest.

[Hidden Quest: Resurrection]

* Restriction: @@^%#$#$

* Reward: &$%@%#$%#

* Description: If you do not betray, death.

W-what is this?

Hajin’s face filled with bewilderment and he slowly stepped back.

“Hyung?”

“This is weird.”

“Weird? Me?”

Maint’s mouth curled into a smirk.

Then he drew the mace from his back and revealed a hostile stance.

“…….”

Hajin’s expression hardened.

An NPC who gives quests was showing hostility?

And he hadn’t even accepted the quest?

Something about the situation was moving in a strange direction.

“You bastard! Are you not going to put that down?” Bonggu snarled, jabbing a finger at Maint’s mace.

“Choose whether you accept the quest—or die by my hand.”

At that warning, Maint’s level changed.

[Lv. 1,000 → Lv. 2,500]

In an instant, his level leapt from 1,000 to 2,500.

“Hyung, something’s going really wrong here…”

Only then did Bonggu sense how grave the situation was.

“Level 2,500… there’s no way we can handle that.”

They had thought the two of them alone might be able to conquer Arandis after tearing through so much. But who would have imagined an NPC like this lying in wait?

If they clashed head-on, they’d be crushed. Yet there was no way they could accept that ominous quest either.

“This is your last chance. Accept the quest.”

Maint stepped toward them with a warning. Above his head, the flickering question mark blinked faster and faster.

“Bonggu. I’ll buy time. You go ask Hun for help.”

“What?”

A monster like this could only be handled if Jeong-hoon himself came. The fact that his login indicator wasn’t lit meant he wasn’t currently in the game. Which meant Hajin wanted Bonggu to log out directly, track down Jeong-hoon, and bring him in.

“You can do that, right?”

“But… how are you planning to hold off a level 2,500?”

“You know, right? I’m a Dark Lord.”

Hajin smirked and summoned his knights.

A legion of black knights appeared, forming a wall in front of Maint.

“Your chance is over.”

Maint raised his mace to swing—

Fwishhh—

An arrow flew in from somewhere, piercing straight through Maint’s left thigh.

“Graaagh!”

Maint let out a howl of pain as his body faltered, losing balance.

And right then, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.

“Hoon!”

Hajin’s face lit up in recognition.

“I’m a bit late, huh?”

“No, your timing is perfect!”

“That’s good to hear.”

Jeong-hoon stepped toward the staggering, writhing Maint.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]