Things Hidden in Harmony (1) and Things Hidden in Harmony (2), City of Chaga in the North (1) and City of Chaga in the North (2)
Blowing wind from the edge of the train, Karen thought.
Most of the passengers on the train are weak citizens.
With the cliff in front and the Holy Kingdom behind, all they can do is pray.
Those who cannot use fly magic will never be able to survive if they fall from this steep cliff.
‘It’s no use… .’
It was helpless.
No matter how much wind blows, the train does not budge.
Although it is natural that human power cannot move this massive body… Karen only thought that her strength was not enough.
please harmonize
If only I had a little more magical talent… No, could this situation have been changed if I had just practiced magic a little more?
‘… !’
Karen looked around and took a breath.
Katherine’s eyes were tightly closed with her hands clasped together, reflected in her pupils.
Are you still praying for me?
Suddenly, a vain longing welled up in Karen’s heart.
If I were an angel… No, it doesn’t matter if it’s a demon, so if the power of a transcendental person arises… Then I would have been able to grant the lady’s wish.
When Karen was in despair like that.
‘huh… ? Margie… ?’
Karen blinked in surprise at the unexpected phenomenon.
I thought I might be looking in vain.
But it was not in vain. It was clear that demonic wind was emanating from his staff.
I’ve never learned the skill to use magic… how?
It was just as Karen looked back that someone’s voice was heard.
“Stay still.”
Behind Karen, a silver-haired woman was holding out a spear in the same direction as Karen’s cane.
His true identity is Hyun in the form of Louise.
“Because I need to set the direction.”
For a moment, Karen felt the illusion that the world was becoming quiet.
It is nonsense.
On the terrace of a train running at full speed, you can feel the silence while blowing the wind as hard as you can.
But that feeling was not an illusion.
The greatest typhoon begins with calm.
Karen felt a premonition right before something huge was about to happen.
“Hyeon, you must have already been caught up in a commotion.”
A little while ago, when I had removed most of the strings that bound the train.
Hyun could hear the voice flowing as the necklace vibrated once more.
“Louise… ?”
“Huh, I’m watching you right now. Through the ‘eyes’ of someone in the Empire!”
The voices of Hyeon and Louise, who used the spirit god, were almost identical, so it sounded as if one person was talking to himself.
“Looking at that voice, it seems that he is borrowing my image now. These are the skills prepared for you, so use them to your heart’s content! Ah, haven’t you tried using the effect of the pattern… ?”
“pattern? The symbol of harmony?”
“Yeah, you could do something fun with that.”
Louise Law then briefly explained what the ‘fun thing’ was.
skills previously possessed.
However, it was about how to activate skills that could not be used because the conditions were not met and their effects.
[Ascension Strike Lv.0]
Qualifications: Complete Trust in Darkness
<The reason the wind rises from the ground is to head for the sky!>
– Creates a whirlwind of madness that lasts for 5 seconds at the designated location!
-Skill range increases according to consumed magic! (10 to 100 meters in radius)
-Details – <Expand +>
-If you use the maximum amount of magic, something special will happen!
(Magi Consumption: 500,000 ~ 10,000,000)
(Restriction on use: 1 time during the strength)
Whoa!
At the same time, the pattern on the back of the hand glowed white.
Hyun felt a feeling of unknown power overflowing.
Just as Louise had told her, the near-infinite demonic energy began to flow into her body.
[Cannot infuse any more demonic energy!]
[The direction of Ascension has been specified!]
[After a while, all powers will be released at once! Watch out for recoil!]
After a moment of silence pierced the air.
The earth burst into tears.
The magi’s whirlwind erupted from Hyun’s spear and dyed the whole world black.
Quaaaaaaaaa!
And everything that came into that range was shattered.
Mountain road, land map. In particular, a hole in the size of 100 meters was forming in the cliff on the other side of the canyon where the whirlwind hit the front.
——————
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It is clearly the power of a transcendental being that cannot be reproduced by any human magic.
“Kyaaaagh!”
“Hold on tight!”
And a tremendous shock was delivered to the source of the whirlwind.
The recoil generated by releasing an unexpected force began to push the entire train off the cliff.
Eventually, the gradient of the train, which had been gradually inclining, gradually returned to flat.
[The power engine has been halved!]
[Suspension of Levitation operation!]
Wow! Quadd Deuk!
The floor of the train rubbed against the ground, creating a thick layer of dust.
The whirlwind lasted for 5 seconds.
When the roar that seemed to continue forever stopped, a huge crater was created between the train and the cliff.
“Whoa… .”
Hyun lowered the window slowly and let out a sigh of relief.
In the aftermath of using Ascension Strike, a momentary sense of exhaustion came.
But at that moment.
“Hyung, look at your back… !”
“what… ?」
“Hyun, behind your back… Wings!」
Hyeon looked back at Ain’s sudden cry and held his breath.
It was because wings sprouted from both of his shoulder blades.
White is an angel.
If it’s black, then the devil.
However, Hyun’s wings were of different colors on the left and right, so they did not belong to either.
“ah… .”
Catherine’s eyes widened.
“Harmony… Sir… .”
Her gaze was fixed on the wings behind the silver-haired woman.
No, not just Catherine, but Karen, as well as the wizards who came to their senses, the railings upstairs, or the passengers poking their heads out of the window sills… Everyone was just watching one spot, holding their breath.
“It’s Advent… .”
“Harmony protected us… !”
It didn’t take long for the silence to turn into a great commotion again.
Some closed their eyes again and continued to pray.
Tears flowed down each of their cheeks.
The wings, whether angelic or demonic, lasted for a while and then disappeared, but the uproar did not stop.
Doo doo doo.
In the meantime, the sound of horse hooves came from afar.
As those who recognized the flag of the Imperial Knights shouted, the cheers of joy echoing in the train grew louder.
‘Kangsin, release.’
Amidst the turmoil, Hyun quietly released the skill.
Louise seemed to be doing something important for the Empire.
Rather than pretending to be Louise’s twin, it would be better to return to her original self and build a reputation.
Besides, since the knights of the empire had arrived, there was no need to maintain spirituality.
Perhaps the Paladins started pulling their backs a long time ago.
“How did it end well?”
“is it?”
“Hyun, you wanted to build up the Empire’s public value!”
Hyun laughed at Ain’s words.
Yes, this would have accumulated a lot of merit, but another problem arose instead.
After disabling assimilation, Hyun slightly turned his head.
Looking at Catherine and Karen’s bright eyes, I thought that there must be a lot of work to be done in the future.
***
After that, things went smoothly.
The Marquis of Lutonwell, who was informed of the situation, wanted to come to Catherine right away, but he couldn’t use teleport, so he had to be content with communication.
Since it took nearly half a day to repair the train’s engine magic circle and power it up, Hyun had to meet various people during that time.
In particular, the knight commander asked several times.
“… So are you not harmony, or an angel serving him?”
“Yes, because it is not.”
He had to break into a cold sweat to make Hyun understand that he was not a transcendentalist.
“I am an ordinary user named Hyun.”
“hyeon… ! What if? You mean the head of the temple of harmony that is famous in that Nation of Darkness?”
“Yes, that string would be right?”
Still, it was easier to explain myself than I thought.
It was because Hyun’s name was known among NPCs after he was ranked in the Hall of Fame.
“Right… It means that that power was a power that could be handled as an apostle.”
“hmm… Similar.”
“Thanks to you, the citizens of the empire were able to stay safe. I will definitely report this achievement directly to His Majesty.”
“Haha, if you do, I’ll be grateful.”
Every time he met a new NPC, Hyun explained the same thing over and over again.
Meeting the knight commander, meeting other high-ranking people, and voice communication with the Marquis of Lutonwell.
While meeting many people, I learned one thing I didn’t know.
In other words, ‘harmony’ was rooted deeper than expected in the Empire.
After introducing himself as the Apostle of Harmony, the NPCs such as the Knight Commander and the Marquis of Lutonwell were polite.
It was a part that could roughly guess what position harmony had in the empire.
Either the war really changed the empire a lot, or someone intentionally spread the idea of harmony throughout the empire.
‘after… Are all the annoying things finally over?’
It wasn’t until two more hours passed that Hyun was able to have some personal time.
When I returned to the room, I saw Ain lying on the bed.
Unable to endure the boring conversation, she dozed off and entered the room first.
After sitting on the edge of the bed, Hyun looked at the back of his hand again.
pattern of harmony.
Suddenly, a scene from a few hours ago flashed through my memory.
At the same time the pattern glowed, demonic energy flowed in, and wings formed on the back.
Louise’s gift, which she considered to be a trivial decoration, was not that simple.
For what purpose did he hand over these patterns to me?
What other features are hidden in this pattern?
‘I’ll have to ask later.’
Hyun set aside the questions that popped up in his head.
You can ask again when you talk to Louise later.
That’s when Hyun was organizing his thoughts.
Sigh.
The door of the room opened.
Cautiously poking her head out was Catherine with red hair.
‘What’s going on?’
Seeing her small gesture, Hyun looked back for a moment.
Ain is still whispering on the bed.
Is there anything else you can do now?
Hyun followed Catherine out of the room.
“There is something I haven’t told you yet… called.”
“What do you mean?”
“that… Thanks for your help.”
The voice of Catherine, who opened her mouth softly, was so different compared to the first time we met.
Hyeon, embarrassed for nothing, muttered to himself as he stroked his hair.
“You must be quite busy… Is it okay to stay here?”
“Karen is doing my job for me, so it’s okay for a while… . She thought it was more important than that that she should thank you.”
“Um… what.”
Hyeon was a little bit pricked by his conscience.
It wasn’t a good thing, but it was quite a strange feeling to be praised.
“Where are you going when the train starts running again?”
Catherine’s sudden question.
There was no reason to hide it, so Hyun answered without hesitation.
“Well, I think I’ll go straight to Lookingham.”
“Lookingham… ! Our territory is very far away… .”
“Because it’s a city at the end of the north.”
As the silence continued, Katherine’s mouth opened again.
“This incident made me realize how narrow my views are.”
“… .”
“I want to follow you around for a while… Can I?”
“what? me?!”
“I’m kidding. You’ll be in trouble too… Even my father won’t allow it.”
Katherine then smiled lightly.
“Sorry for wasting your time. The hero of the day must have had the hardest time, so rest in peace.”
Before leaving, I added a word.
“By the way, I designed the special cabin on this train together, so you should be able to sleep soundly.”
The repair of the power magic circle was completed several hours later.
The train, which landed on the rails, began to move forward with a rattle again.
In the meantime, Hyeon and Ain chatted in the cabin and took a walk inside the train, spending time alone.
“huh?”
Meanwhile, Hyun, who was walking outside alone, found Karen drinking tea in the lobby of the special room.
Karen’s face looked very tired as she drank the tea.
Come to think of it, after using powerful magic, she took the lead in repairing organs without rest.
It’s natural that it’s hard.
After everything went back to normal, he seemed to have some free time.
“ah… Hyun!”
Karen, who noticed Hyeon approaching from afar, greeted him with a smiling smile that showed no signs of exhaustion.
“Did you get a good night’s sleep?”
“Yeah, a little… .”
“I don’t know how to thank you.”
Karen shuddered as if recalling a nightmare from hours ago.
“If it wasn’t for Hyun-nim… Most of the lives of the Imperial citizens would have been lost. Lady Catherine and I might have died together in the commotion.”
“Since you’re a wizard, isn’t it okay to use fly?”
“It is not! It was a situation where the enemies had invaded the inside of the train, and even if she was lucky enough to survive, she would have had to take responsibility as the train owner.”
Hyun did not bother to mention that he helped because of the quest and fame.
And even in the game, it was not a bad feeling to be thanked by many people.
“Well, I didn’t do anything alone…”
For a moment, Karen’s voice got a little louder.
“Oh, yes! Is that little co-worker a user too?”
“who? Ain?”
“Ain… It was called You should also thank him.”
“I don’t think he cares much, but I’ll tell you anyway.”
Hyun pulled out a chair from the table and sat down next to Karen.
“What about Catherine?”
“The lady is sleeping in the room. Since you’re still not good at magic, the aftermath of using mana beyond the limit must have come.”
Karen glanced in the direction of the room and answered.
“I heard from Mrs. You said you were going to Lookingham?”
“huh.”
“If you’re not rude, may I ask what’s going on?”
“What’s going on… .”
Hyun looked up at the sky for a moment.
I’m only going to meet Louise because Louise told me to come to Lookingham, but I still don’t know what I’ll be doing there.
“I do not know. You will know when you go.”
“… okay.”
Hyun muttered something meaningless, but Karen understood that the other person didn’t want to reveal it, so she kept quiet.
It was after taking a sip of tea that Karen’s mouth opened again.
“The lady seemed to want to go with me.”
“know. He told me too.”
“Huh, it’s impossible because there are various circumstances.”
Karen then handed Hyun a small marble.
“If you need help within the empire during your travels, feel free to tell me.”
“This… ?”
“It is a communication magic tool. Although Lookingham is the land of the far north, after all there is little in the Empire that the name of Luttenwell does not touch.”
“then… I will be grateful.”
Hyun did not decline the item.
In an empire where the title of ‘duke’ does not exist, a marquis has a position next to the emperor.
There was nothing wrong with having the support of the Luttenwell family on his back.
“Oh, and this too, because the lady asked me to deliver it.”
Hyun suddenly accepted something like a small badge.
“What is this?”
“It’s the coat of arms of the Lutenwell family.”
“sentence… ?”
“Hyeon-nim will save you the trouble of traveling. For example, even on this train, you can get tickets and tea and food served on the train for free.”
“aha… .”
At Karen’s explanation, Hyun gave a satisfied smile.
Even if money worries are gone thanks to the income from the border city, no one refuses free money.
Of course, it is more important that the Luttenwell family guarantees their status than such private gains.
‘At least I won’t be unable to get a train ticket because I don’t have a permit.’
Hyun put the items Karen gave him in his inventory.
If you have the coat of arms of an aristocratic family, you will be able to enjoy most of the rights of a nobleman without a title.
This is an unexpected harvest… In this case, wouldn’t it be better to return the favor, even if it’s personal?
Hyun thought he should buy Karen dinner at the train restaurant.
***
It’s been a full day since I crossed the border.
Until then, Hyeon and Ain hadn’t gotten off the train.
According to schedule, this train will arrive in the capital of the empire in four days.
And to go to Lookingham, I had to transfer in the capital and travel another two days.
“Since there is no teleport, it becomes very leisurely.”
Ain replied to Hyeon’s murmur.
“Isn’t it fun though? I can go out sometimes.”
“That’s right.”
The good news is that you are not stuck on a train 24 hours a day.
Each time the train stopped at a major city stop, passengers were given two to three hours to wander outside.
As the empire is the largest country in Assrian, each city had its own characteristics.
When I tasted local specialties or enjoyed new scenery, I felt like I was traveling with Ain.
“But I didn’t expect to be able to do anything for a week.”
The first day on the train was not so leisurely.
It was because in each cabin, in addition to Catherine and Karen, the knights of the Empire were on the same train.
Personal connections with major NPCs are also connected to quests.
He said he rowed when the water came in, and now that Hyun is receiving the most attention, he had to split the time he didn’t have in order to build relationships with NPCs.
But that’s only the first day.
On the second day, even if I talk to the NPCs, I don’t see any signs that my liking will increase any more. Right now, I was just killing time with Ain.
smart.
It was then that someone knocked on the door of the guest room.
“oh… !”
“Is that Catherine?”
Hyeon and Ain jumped up from the bed in surprise.
After witnessing something on the first day, Catherine always knocked before entering the room.
Contrary to Hyun’s expectations, however, the voice coming from beyond the door was not Catherine’s. But she was also a fairly familiar voice.
“may I come in?”
‘Who is it… ?’
Hyun tilted his head and opened the door.
“… !”
Soon, I couldn’t help but be shocked.
It was because the visitor in front of me was someone I hadn’t even thought of.
Priest’s uniform made of black leather with a pure white cloak… There’s even the red hair that stands out.
As far as Hyun knew, there was only one priest who looked like this.
‘Ruthia… !’
Lutia greeted Hyun and Ain happily.
“It’s been a while? No, isn’t it a long time for you?”
“Did you know we were on the train?”
“I was watching you too. Yes, beyond my imagination… It was awesome!”
“what… ? I was watching… ?!”
Ain, who was sitting on the bed, shook his shoulders.
with a very red face.
Seeing that, Lutia smiled and murmured.
“Whoops, I never peeped when we were alone, so there’s no need to be too surprised.”
“… !”
‘How did this guy get here?’
Hyun immediately shook his head.
If you think about it, it won’t make any sense.
She always appears in unexpected places.
It may have boarded on one of the Imperial Stations, or it may have crossed over from the Symmetry World!
Anyway, the fact that he met Lutia was more important now.
<Class change quest progress: 50%>
Hyun looked at the quest window.
There are two requirements for the 3rd job advancement.
The first is to meet Louise, and the second is to meet Lutia.
Considering that half of them were achieved, the order in which they met seemed to have little to do with it.
‘Yeah, it worked out rather well.’
Hyun decided to think positively.
You should be able to meet Louise as soon as you go to Lookingham, but where do you go to find Lutia?
Because there was no need to worry about that.
‘I still wanted to meet you.’
Besides, there were many things to ask of Lutia.
Work at the Temple of Light.
Something about harmony.
Only Lutia would know how Ain’s job is related to chaos.
When Hyun tried to bring out all those questions one by one.
Lutia’s mouth opened first.
“I was sorry before. I didn’t know things could go so wrong.”
‘I didn’t know… ?’
Hyun’s eyebrows twitched.
If you make any mistakes… If I hadn’t met Ceseri on the way… Or if a miracle didn’t happen… that day. Both Louise and Poppy would be dead.
It’s not a mistake that can be easily overlooked by saying I didn’t know.
Hyun felt a surge in his heart for a moment, but he did not show it outwardly.
The opponent is the devil.
Nothing good would happen if I tried to upset her by saying that I was annoyed.
“I am really grateful to you.”
“… .”
“But because of my mistake, you will no longer believe me at all.”
Lutia’s eyes looked a little sad as she continued to speak.
Like someone who already knows that no excuse works.
Is that acting too?
The identity of the opponent is the great devil of deception.
It is impossible to determine the authenticity of words because they will be able to express emotions at the same level as real humans.
“The reason I came to you today is to apologize for what happened that day and at the same time to give you the reward you promised.”
“compensation… ?”
“Because thanks to you, I was able to color a significant part of the world with harmony.”
At Lutia’s words, Hyun recalled his previous memories.
A quest named ‘The Devil’s Deal’ that exists in Ain’s quest window.
The reward for the quest to spread the idea of harmony in the world was as follows.
‘As long as my strength permits, I’ll listen to anything.’
And now.
Words with the same meaning came out from Lutia’s mouth.
“As long as my strength permits, I will grant you any wish.”
“… !”
Hyeon’s mind became complicated.
Really? The Great Devil grants wishes.
Even during Asura’s days, I’d never heard anything so unconventional.
In an instant, something came to mind and Hyun asked in a cautious voice.
“but… Wasn’t that the reward from Ain’s quest?”
“huh… ? me… ?”
Ain, whose name was called, quickly shouted.
“I-I don’t care! Hyun’s wish is my wish!”
“I see… The servant’s things are ultimately the master’s. That would not be wrong.”
‘valet… !’
At Lutia’s words, Hyun narrowed his eyes.
It’s a servant… Even before, she used the word master when referring to Ain.
From then on, it was clear that Lutia knew information about Ain’s occupation.
“job… .”
“… ?”
“Can you tell me about Ain’s job?”
Hyun first decided to find out how Ain’s job was related to chaos.
It was at that moment that Lutia smiled strangely.
“I guess I forgot to tell you earlier.”
“… ?”
“There is only one favor I can grant you.”
“one?”
“Yes, it is a fact that you will find out soon anyway, but isn’t it too much of a waste to use the long-awaited opportunity?”
“… !”
In an instant, a flash of light passed through Hyun’s head.
‘Anyway, you’ll find out soon… ?’
Why did you say that?
Hyun guessed the other person’s intentions.
Maybe it’s because of my own circumstances that I can’t do more than one request… .
But even so, if you’re trying to do more than one favor, there’s a chance you’ll say it this way.
After a brief moment of worry, Hyun’s eyes became serious.
“Then, I’ll do something else.”
“Whoops, say anything.”
Hyun opened his mouth after thinking carefully.
If I had to say the most enticing reward, that was the only one.
“I want to have empathy skills.”
That moment. Ruthia’s eyes twinkled.
In the midst of silence in the room, complicated eyes crossed.
Hyung swallowed his saliva.
Also, can’t this be?
She said she would grant any wish ‘as long as her strength permits’.
On the other hand, empathy is a skill not allowed to humans.
It might be an unreasonable request to have such a skill.
So some silence flows,
“I just told you… .”
Another unexpected answer flowed from Lutia’s mouth.
“It would be a pity to ask me for the ability that you will acquire anyway.”
“what… ?”
“Okay, can’t decide what favor to ask… Let me recommend one.”
While Hyun, surprised, stopped talking, Lutia, who drew a meaningful smile again, continued.
“How would you like to be handed the name of harmony?”
“… !”
“Isn’t that a pretty tempting proposition?”
cold city in the north
Hyun doubted his ears.
It took some time to understand Lutia’s proposal to hand over the name of harmony.
While Hyeon held his breath and organized his thoughts, Lutia continued to speak in a low voice.
“Of course, I know it doesn’t mean much just yet. You now have neither the power nor the justification to bear the name of harmony… First of all, they don’t even have the ability to deal with empathy.”
“… … .”
“However, it won’t always be the same. You’ll be able to handle empathy someday, and you’ll get used to its power. After level 400, if you think about the future, don’t you think it would be okay to obtain the name of harmony?”
The more I thought about the meaning, the more I realized how unconventional her proposal was.
Hyun asked a question.
“What is your intention… ?”
Now, Hyundo knew the habits of the Transcendentalist to some extent.
Transcendentalists seldom use their ego.
Since they mostly use empathy when they exercise power in the world, all Transcendentalists are eager to increase their followers.
All humans who serve harmony are her followers. She would be no different from the source of power for Lutia.
Hyun could hardly believe that he would hand over such precious followers without hesitation.
“There is no particular intention.”
At the sudden question, Lutia’s eyes turned to the air.
“Yes, it is true that there was no original plan for this.”
“Then why… ?”
“I’ve changed my mind a bit now.”
Looking at Hyun again, he smiled meaningfully.
“What kind of human could create a variable that neither the Archangel nor the Archangel expected?”
“… !”
“If there is a human capable of such a thing, wouldn’t it be okay to entrust it to him?”
Those were the last words.
The door to the guest room closed, and without even the sound of footsteps walking down the hallway, Lutia disappeared as quickly as she appeared.
After a while.
Hyun lay down on the bed and began to organize his thoughts.
The words that came out of Lutia’s mouth were unconventional.
‘I will hand over the name of harmony… .’
Hyun, who manipulated the interface to open an Internet window in the air and searched for the word ‘harmony’ in the community, opened his eyes wide at the vast results pouring out.
[Search Results: Total 150391]
There are about 150,000 posts mentioning ‘harmony’ in one community.
Globally, the number of mentions will increase hundreds or thousands of times.
While he was busy looking for Louise, he felt the fact that he couldn’t grasp the flow of Assrian.
‘What is this… .’
The appearance of harmony was shaking the whole world.
At some point, harmony was deeply embedded in the ideology of most countries, including the Empire and the Nation of Darkness.
Among the three archangels supporting the heavens, Truth, Light, and Order, Harmony took the place of Order, and countless quests arose from it.
‘Harmony… archangel?’
What the hell happened to Assrian over the past 5 years?
In the past, the history of Asura and Assrian had some differences, but this time it was not a little bit.
It is safe to say that the whole worldview was shaken at this level.
The reason harmony was mentioned in the community was because users were trying to gather information about the newly appeared archangel and harmony.
Because those who adapt quickly to new environments have always been ahead of the curve.
In particular, the priest-type jobs were hotly contested because of the quests that could only be received by becoming a follower of harmony.
Hyeon, who grasped the situation, suddenly had a small smile on his lips.
I can’t predict what the history will be like in the future.
Since the entire worldview has changed over the past five years, much of Interloop’s knowledge must have become useless.
And yet… .
Even though I don’t know the future, why is my heart pounding with anticipation rather than anxiety?
“what? Anything interesting?”
Ain approaches and asks, as if curious.
Hyun opened his mouth while lying on the bed, staring at the empty space.
“Ain… You said before that my goal was to become a king.”
“It did.”
“It might change a bit. not the king… . What do you think about being a god?”
“god… ?”
Of course, that would be a story for a while.
Lutia said that she would need strength and justification to bear the name of harmony, and mentioned level 400 and beyond.
Perhaps even then, he may not be able to possess the power of a true transcendent. Because players and NPCs are different.
But even so, it was certain that there was a high probability of having a power comparable to that of a transcendent.
“Maybe it’s not an absurd story.”
Hyeon explained to Ain what he understood.
It was a moment later when Ain frowned and asked as if pondering.
“Hyun, what do you call God’s wife?”
“what… ?”
“The king’s wife is the queen. God’s wife has a similar title.”
“Um… goddess? No, it has a slightly different meaning. I don’t know.”
Hyeon couldn’t think of it even after thinking about it, so Hyun asked Ain.
“But why all of a sudden?”
“just… Do you think you won’t be able to do the role play you had in mind before?”
“… ?”
“Oh, no, nothing… !”
“What is it?”
“Isn’t it?! That’s what I meant to say later… !”
I hope I understood the meaning correctly… ?
For a moment, Hyun became curious about Ain’s thoughts.
After sharing their sincerity with each other, Hyun was able to understand Ain’s way of thinking a little better than before.
Hyun, who was going to check it out using fairy tales, soon gave up. There must be at least one fact that you want to hide from everyone.
“It’s okay, so tell me anytime.”
“Yes… ?”
“I’ve been your supporter ever since. Now, what can I do that I can’t do for you?”
“Me, really?”
“okay. It doesn’t matter.”
After that, in the midst of silence.
“but… I think this is a bit… It is, but… .”
Ain pursed his lips slightly before finally opening his mouth.
However, Hyun, who heard Ain’s whisper, had no choice but to immediately withdraw his words.
“Certainly that… I’d better do as you said later.”
“therefore… ! I told you later!”
It was another story that there was a small commotion in the cabin of the rattling train in a subtle atmosphere.
***
About a week remains until the train arrives at Lookingham, the northern city of the Empire.
Hyun had absolutely no intention of wasting that time.
Mayday, who was ranked 3rd, had just reached level 300, and Latisse had finally passed level 300, as if she had completed her job transfer quest.
Since the users are steadily growing like this, the prefecture cannot be relaxed forever.
‘I can’t raise the level, but… That doesn’t mean there isn’t a way.’
Unfortunately, there is no way to increase experience while traveling by train.
It will be clear that the ranking, which was ranked second, will probably be overtaken in a week.
But Hyun was not impatient. This was because he knew better than anyone else that the growth of users was not limited to spec upgrades.
Stats and skills are only secondary, the essence of strength is the ability to utilize the user’s skills and skills!
After making up his mind, Hyeon quietly spoke to Ain.
“Ahin, do you want to have a duel after a long time?”
“huh? here?”
“It’s a bit small, but… They say there is a simple gymnasium on the first floor.”
The seven-story train as a whole was much larger than the real train.
Rather than a train, it is a structure consisting of several large cruise ships.
The gymnasium was located in the center of the first floor, which had the largest space among them.
As soon as he heard the word duel, Ain’s voice grew louder.
“There was such a thing… ! Why didn’t you tell me!”
“I didn’t know either. Originally, it seems that users can’t enter. But now it is possible.”
Hyun showed Ain the badge and smiled.
It is the coat of arms of the Lutonwell family given to Karen.
“and you… He said he liked being hurt by me.”
“… ?!”
“I’ll punish you as much as you want.”
Hyun deliberately provoked Ain.
It was because Ain needed to be sincere for his future plans.
As expected, the moment the story of the duel was brought up, the atmosphere reversed.
Ain seemed to emit flames from all over his body.
“Ha, didn’t I mention a duel?! One-on-one, I’ll knock the string out!”
“That’s right, I’m talking about when you’ve used all your skills. You don’t know what will happen if you fight on fair terms.”
“Whoa, whoa, aren’t you digging your own grave? Aside from being right… Heck, no… Anyway, if I’m sincere, what should I be prepared for?”
The gymnasium that I came to was a place with a width of about 50 meters.
Although it was conspicuously narrow compared to the gymnasium in the private room as well as in the City of Borders, it was probably due to the limitations of the space inside the train.
‘I can’t be stagnant either.’
Memories from long ago flashed through Hyun’s mind.
The appearance of Ain, who had the appearance of a werewolf.
At that time, one of the daily routines in Asura Online was to duel with her.
The odds of winning are about half.
When he was defeated by Ain, he devoted all his strength to prepare the law of destruction… The day after he barely won, Ain worked hard and found a way to win again.
Repeating the process of winning and losing each other like that, the two’s skills rose to a level incomparable to the rest of the users.
There were a lot of conflicts because each other was anxious to overpower the other, but later, I thought it was fortunate to meet Ain.
If he hadn’t met a talent like her, he would have been just a frog in the well forever.
Come to think of it, the time when I improved the most was when I was immersed in the duel with Ain.
‘I can still grow more.’
While spending nearly half of his life on Asura and Asrian, Hyun felt the same way several times.
Could this be my limit?
However, that feeling would naturally disappear after a duel with Ain.
Yes, I have seen tens of thousands of users, no, tens of millions of users, but no one has as much talent as her.
Ain is more genius than anyone else when it comes to dueling.
“It doesn’t matter if you move violently, but don’t use skills if you can.”
“why?”
“The train’s absorption magic circle is weak and might break.”
The two continued dueling for several days.
Occasionally he wandered around the train, but most of his time was spent at the gymnasium.
‘How long has it been since I’ve been in a duel without thinking about anything?’
Hyun compared his method with Ain’s.
While he pursues efficiency and moves rationally, Ain follows instinctive movements.
Sharp instincts are faster and more effective than precise calculations because they don’t require thinking.
Hyeon-do, who used to pursue the same way as her, now abandoned his lingering feelings.
It is Ainman’s talent that no one can imitate. Even if others imitate it, it is of no use.
Rather, it would be helpful to improve your skills if you think about what kind of strengths you need to maximize in order to defeat Ain.
“Huh, shall we end here today?”
“No, just a little more. Because I’m still fine.”
“What, is it because you lost the last game? You can win tomorrow.”
“It’s not like that!”
Ain’s sleeping time has decreased.
Ain’s eyes, which had been disconnected a long time ago, were burning more clearly than usual.
At least 10 hours a day, or more if long.
In the course of the duel between Hyeon and Ain, new theories and concepts about moving were created.
efficiency and instinct.
A new chemical reaction took place in the midst of meeting and harmonizing the talents that reached the peak of the opposite kind.
‘It’s different again.’
‘Chit, why doesn’t it work all of a sudden!’
Although neither of them realized their own growth, they could only see that the other’s skills had improved.
Two years in Assrian. It was because most of the time was spent on quests and hunting, so there was no time to focus on the duel recently.
No, I had never been so focused on one thing even in Asura Online.
Hyun and Ain were so immersed that they even skipped meals.
In a space where time seems to have stopped, the two continued their duel as if dancing an eternity.
Meanwhile… .
The scenery seen through the window of the train changed with each passing day.
After passing through the dry fields and crossing the snowy mountains, it was snowing outside the window before I knew it.
The train had arrived in Lookingham, a town that is blizzarded halfway through the year.
north of the empire.
To the city where Louise is waiting.
“This is our farewell.”
Surprisingly, Catherine followed the strings all the way to Lookingham.
After repeating a little more, I arrived at this place.
But that ends here.
Due to her father’s call, Catherine eventually had to return to the manor.
“Isn’t it cold? Your clothes look thin.”
Snowy night city.
Hyun looked at Catherine and Karen with a worried expression.
Because of the unscheduled visit, their attire was very out of touch with those around them.
It is said that Ain and himself do not get cold thanks to the title of heavenly man, but ordinary people would not.
In response to such concerns, Catherine responded by lighting a small flame.
“are you okay. The cold is somehow managed with magic.”
‘flame… ?’
For a moment, Hyun flinched and looked around.
The flame is a symbol of the abyss.
Previously, I remembered that some NPCs used to look at me strangely when I used flame magic in a town or city.
‘no… It doesn’t matter.’
There were quite a few people around, but no one looked at Catherine strangely.
It must mean that the values of NPCs have changed over the past five years.
“Come visit our estate later. Anyone with the coat of arms of Lutonwell is always welcome.”
“I don’t know when it will be. I will definitely stop by.”
“Huh, okay. Then see you again then.”
Catherine stood in place until the figures of the man and woman grew smaller.
After a while, after the figures of the two figures completely disappeared.
Whoa, she murmured with a heated sigh.
“Karen, I think I mistook admiration and love for a moment.”
A self-talk that smokes steam.
Karen replied a beat late.
“are you okay. At your age, everyone is like that. I know this because I had a similar experience before.”
“Will he remember me later?”
“well… Users are indifferent to the people around him, but he seemed different from other users.”
Then Karen looked back at Catherine and smiled.
“But if the lady becomes a great person, won’t I have no choice but to remember it?”
“I guess… ?”
“Now stop skipping my classes.”
“Huh, that should be it.”
After a brief conversation, the two women got on the train back to the manor.
As soon as she arrived at Lookingham, Catherine left immediately, and her expression looked much lighter than before.
***
-Lookingham is a small city located in the northernmost part of the Empire.
– The population is about 3,000 people. It is more like a village than a city.
– The resources you have are all copper mines.
-The age of the residents is usually over 40, but there are often young people among the priests.
-Most of the residents serve angels with a sincere heart, so be careful with your words and actions outside of the temple.
This is the information that Hyun found from Interloop.
However, when Hyun arrived at Lookingham and looked at the street, he couldn’t help but tilt his head.
It was because there was a huge gap between the researched information and the real thing unfolding in front of us.
“Awesome! First time seeing a place like this!”
As soon as he left the station, Ain’s mouth opened.
The magnificent buildings built in the imperial style along the rugged mountain range looked like a ‘air city’ that would appear in a fantasy movie.
Hyun estimated the population of the city from the appearance of people walking around the city.
Wouldn’t this be about 300,000 instead of 3,000?
It was so different from the information I had researched in advance, so I asked questions to nearby shopkeepers and city guards.
“A person? Two years ago, there are five times more than when I was appointed to the city.”
“I don’t know. I have only been doing business in Lookingham for a year.”
I learned a few things from him.
Most of the residents have also been in the city for a few years.
Lookingham means that it is like a new city.
But just because the city is growing, there’s no reason people flock to the northern end… Why has the city’s population increased so suddenly?
“May the blessing of harmony dwell upon you.”
It was after meeting a man dressed as a priest that Hyun understood the reason.
“It’s that simple. Lookingham is a sanctuary of harmony.”
“Is it holy?”
“Since the priestess governs the city by receiving the oracle of harmony, isn’t it natural for those who worship harmony to gather?”
‘If it’s a priestess… Are you talking about Louise?’
In conclusion, Louise was right.
From the words of the priest that followed, Hyun was able to guess what she had been doing for the past five years.
For some reason, people knew Louise as the ‘Princess of Harmony’ who had been exiled from the Holy Kingdom.
Also, it was said that he saved the lives of millions of people in the Empire by stopping a conspiracy in advance during the war against the Holy Kingdom.
Even after that, it seems that he continued to work for the empire and was recognized for his achievements even by the emperor.
In the end, the priest said that Louise was given a small town called Lookingham as her fiefdom, and that she built a temple there and transformed it into a sacred place of harmony.
“He is a wonderful person. Only the priestess can gather so many people in just a few years.”
‘That guy… really… ?’
It was a story that was hard to believe on the other hand.
There are already quite a few voices arguing that Louise should be called ‘Saint’.
Is that Louise I knew right?
The image of Louise from five years ago has hardly faded.
Hyeon, thinking that it might actually be someone else, shook his head.
‘No, Louise must be right.’
After arriving in Lookingham, Hyun realized one thing.
I felt familiar in the scenery of the city I had never seen before.
The reason is probably because the overall structure of the city has taken out the ‘City of Borders’.
Louise had watched the city being built from the sidelines before.
Since he is good at copying everything, he must have referred to many of his memories when transforming Lookingham into a floating city.
‘The goddess of harmony… .’
It was also possible to guess why Louise followed the deceit.
Couldn’t she have helped deception spread the name of harmony to the world?
As proof of that, the city was full of patterns of harmony.
The uniforms of the guards, the clothes of the priests, and even the signboard of the grocery store had angels with unusually shaped wings engraved on them.
The same pattern of harmony as the one engraved on the back of her hand.
‘What have you been doing?’
Hyun activated the necklace magic tool.
Because it reminded me of Louise’s words that communication would be restored if the distance was close.
Whoops.
‘It’s triggered… !’
The necklace trembled softly, putting the worries of not receiving it this time as well.
After a while, someone’s voice started to flow from the necklace.
“Who are you?”
“… ?”
For a moment, Hyun tilted his head at the unfamiliar voice.
The voice was a man’s, not a woman’s.
For a moment, I had the illusion that I had dialed the wrong number, but that wouldn’t happen.
The voice magic tool is an object that can only be connected one-to-one.
Even while Hyun was bewildered, the unidentified man’s voice continued to flow.
“The priestess is washing up right now, so if you tell me the business, I will deliver it later.”
‘Are you washing? Did you take off the necklace for a while to get into the bath?’
Hyungwon nodded, saying that it could be.
Louise was out of the office, so someone like her subordinate might have responded instead.
I said it without embarrassment.
“I am the one who decided to meet Louise. She just arrived in Lookingham, where should she go?”
“Ah, that’s the one the priestess was talking about.”
“yes. maybe… .”
Then the man began to tell where Louise was.
“Please come to the 5th basement floor of the Great God Temple.”
“Where is the Daeshinjeon?”
“You can easily find out by asking people around you.”
After that conversation, the necklace stopped vibrating.
As the man said, it was easy to find out the location of the Great Temple.
The grandest building built on the middle of a mountain range is the Great Temple of Harmony.
“Isn’t it a bit suspicious?”
While looking for the Daeshinjeon, Ain muttered.
“I’ve been to the bathroom with him before.”
“You’re a user, what are you doing?”
“I just wanted to check one thing… anyway! Even then, Louise went into her bath with her necklace on.”
“Um… .”
“Have you ever seen Hyun take off his necklace?”
At Ain’s words, Hyun looked back at his past memories.
Louise always… She didn’t even take off her necklace when she slept.
I had never seen Louise take a bath, so I passed it without thinking… .
If you think about it, magic tools are not electronic products.
It won’t break if submerged in water.
Why would she leave her necklace with someone else when she was bathing when she knew she would be arriving in Lookingham soon?
Hyun tried to activate the magic tool again.
Whoops.
The necklace vibrated for a moment and then stopped.
No one’s voice came out again.
“How do you think I’m right?!”
“Yes… It’s definitely a bit suspicious.”
At Ain’s triumphant cry, Hyun fell into thought.
Why did a man he didn’t know answer for Louise?
And who is that man?
A number of possibilities popped up, cluttering my head.
“Are you going anyway?”
“for now. There is no choice but to do that.”
At Ain’s question, Hyun nodded quietly.
Are you really taking a bath, or is there something you can’t talk about… When we meet, everything will become clear.
‘A fairy tale, a twist.’
Pod! Before entering the Great Hall, Hyun assimilated into Ain’s body.
It was because it was easier to deal with if a situation were to occur, using fairy tales.
Daeshinjeon was as huge as its name.
Like the temple of the Nation of Darkness, the Great Temple of Lookingham was also full of monsters.
This sight is also a characteristic that only the temple of harmony has.
“Hey, I want to go to the 5th basement floor.”
Hyeon grabbed someone passing by and said,
“You mean the 5th floor? Haha, I can’t go in and out of that place, but outsiders will never… uh… !”
As he continued to speak, the priest’s gaze was fixed on the back of Hyun’s hand.
It was in the very next moment that his demeanor changed 180 degrees.
“… Excuse me. I will bring the high priest right now.”
“… … .”
While Hyun narrowed his eyes, the priest hurriedly ran somewhere.
After a while. A priest who appeared to be middle-aged approached and said with respect.
“Hasn’t the priest from before committed rudeness?”
“No, not really.”
“I’m glad… . Then I will guide you from now on.”
Hyun quietly followed behind him.
At some point, I went down the spiral staircase after passing through the dimly lit hallway.
Chunk! A rustle sounded somewhere.
The high priest explained that it was the sound of the elevator stopping.
“The only way to reach the 5th basement floor is to take this elevator down.”
Quadd deuk.
The high priest’s explanation continued while the wall that had been blocked with bricks gradually split left and right, revealing the space inside.
“And no one can enter there except those authorized by the priestess.”
“No one… ?”
“That’s right. I am the same, and that is all I can guide you.”
Hyun asked as he slowly moved his steps towards the inside of the wall.
“What’s on the 5th basement floor?”
“I don’t know about that. I have never been there either.”
Kurrrr, thump!
Right after the wall that had been wriggling closed while the high priest slightly lowered his head.
Hyun felt a floating feeling as if the ground was descending.
In the elevator going down to the basement, Hyun quietly closed his eyes.
It was to pray to Louise.
Prayer is a skill that conveys empathy to the transcendental person you serve and at the same time feels the other person’s feelings.
Using him, it wasn’t impossible to guess Louise’s condition through prayer.
‘… … .’
Soon after, Hyun opened his eyes and quietly said to Ain.
“I think you should be a bit careful.”
“what… ?」
“I feel worse than I thought.”
After a while.
Kurur-.
The wall that had been closed began to split left and right again.
It was the moment the elevator reached the 5th basement floor.
