Ark

ACT 8 Legend Quest

“What’s wrong?”

Ho Myung-hwan asked as he quickly approached him. Hyun-woo who was sitting in a chair and drinking coffee got up.

“I found out new information and I wanted to give it to you.”

“Information?”

“Yes……”

Hyun-woo nodded and lowered his voice.

“Before you came here, I actually met with one of the users involved in this event.”

“One of the Avenger members assisting the demons? You met them in New World?”

“No, we met in real life.”

Ho Myung-hwan’s eyes widened at Hyun-woo’s words. Global Exos had been trying to secure the Avenger members involved in this incident. Of course, all their investigations focused on Alan and the Red Man but they were also interested in the Avenger members. In Hong Kong it was possible to backtrack the New World connection circuits but that was impossible in Korea where there were millions of circuits. Therefore this was the first time Global Exos got any information on the Avenger members. Ho Myung-hwan looked around restlessly after hearing Hyun-woo’s words. And he took Hyun-woo to a meeting room.

“Who was the person that Ark-nim met?”

“The user with the ID Timosi.”

“Timosi? Her real name?”

“She didn’t tell me her real name. I didn’t learn that much about her, but in New World it is clear that she has a close relationship with Alan.”

“Alan…..?”

Ho Myung-hwan trembled after hearing the name Alan. Then he considered something and asked in an anxious voice.

“Timosi was the one who contacted Ark-nim first?”

“She visited me in New World and set a place to meet.”

“Why did she want to meet Ark-nim?”

“That……”

Hyun-woo recalled what had happened in New World a few hours ago.

“Ark!”

Hyun-woo heard the sharp cry in his ear. Then he saw Timosi and 5 bloodied Avenger members coming from an alley in Selebrid. Hyun-woo reflexively pulled out his sword when he saw them. But before he could do anything, the guards flocked towards the chaotic Timosi and Avenger members. Timosi just pulled out a scroll and continued to shout.

“Ark, I have something to say!” Today at 4 p.m. in Yeouido……”

Timosi said before warping somewhere with the Avenger members. Timosi and the Avengers who had suddenly appeared then disappeared. Thanks to that, Hyun-woo was completely confused. Why on earth did Timosi suddenly want to meet him in reality?

‘Are they planning to PK me in real life?’

He had those doubts at first. But it was strange that they would deliberately risk discovery. Furthermore, the meeting point was in the middle of Yeouido square…….

If there was an ulterior motive then they wouldn’t want to meet in a place like that. After thinking about it, Hyun-woo ended up going to the arranged meeting place.

“Ark? I can recognize you with one look.”

He heard the voice of a woman after reaching the meeting place. He turned around and saw a high school student.

“I am Timosi.”

He felt annoyed that he had been so anxious about meeting Timosi.

The Timosi in New World and in reality seemed completely different. Her looks were the same but her personality was completely different. While the Timosi in New World was always noisy, the one he met in reality was surprisingly quiet.

“Why did you want to see me?”

“That is…..a request. Please listen to what I have to say.”

“I don’t know what is going on but why should I accept your request?”

“Decide after listening to me.”

Timosi murmured in a testy tone. And Hyun-woo never imagined the words he was about to hear.

The Red Man and Maseutyu had betrayed and killed Alan. Fortunately, Alan who was on the verge of death sent one of his eyeballs in a desperate move. The information stored in the memory crystal allowed Timosi and the Avenger members to escape. However, Timosi and the Avengers were soon pushed into a corner. They had barely escaped the temple but now they had nowhere to go. Timosi and the Avenger members had slaughtered millions of users and NPCs with the demons. Therefore their chaotic value was astronomical and it was difficult for them to even approach a village or city. Now with the Red Man and Maseutyu’s betrayal, they were also the enemy of the demons.

“It isn’t possible……”

Timosi and the Avenger members realized the reality of their situation. They had risked standing on the side of the demons because of the compensation. If everything had progressed as planned then New World would become the world of the demons. If it was the demons’ world then it would be easy for the Avenger members to gain territories. Alan had also promised a significant amount of compensation in real life. The Avenger members didn’t doubt that and joined. However, that was all ruined with the Red Man’s betrayal.

“…….We’re finished now!”

“Dammit, there is no place for us to go in New World.”

“But that’s not all. We participated in the plan to conquer New World so we will certainly receive some punishment from the game publishers. The whole of New World was rattled so…….”

The Avengers sighed and murmured with each other. Their biggest worry was the action of Global Exos. If they won the war as planned then Global Exos wouldn’t even dare to touch them. If they conquered New World with the demons then the legal sanctions wouldn’t matter. Now that they were kicked out by the demons, they were just mere users causing problems. Global Exos would have no problems prosecuting them even if the demons conquered New World. They wouldn’t be able to play the game properly. Now they could only choose one way.

“Should we delete the character information before that happens?”

“But the characters we raised for 2 years…….”

‘Ugh, there is no other way.”

The Avengers’ opinions were that they would rather commit suicide.

“No, there’s still a way.”

Timosi broken the silence and continued.

“Originally we were going against the publisher. If the plan succeeded then we were confident that we could handle the game company. Even though we’ve been betrayed, the Red Man and Maseutyu are still continuing with the plan. From the publisher’s perspective, it will be more important to stop the plan then to catch some minor fish like us. And we possess information that the game publisher doesn’t know. It allows us room to negotiate.”

That’s right. Although they looked shabby now, Timosi and the Avengers played a central role in the Demonic War.

In other words, they knew quite a lot of information about the side of the demons. Global Exos would definitely want to know the information. If Timosi used that information, she could guarantee safety (character isn’t deleted and no charges) from Global Exos. It was similar to an immunity deal!

“However, we would have to visit the game company directly.”

“If we go then there is no guarantee that they would negotiate with us.”

“If we use a powerful candidate as an intermediary…….”

Hyun-woo instantly appeared in Timosi’s head. Whether he intended it or not, Hyun-woo was one of the core people in this event. Hyun-woo knew better than general users and NPCs how big this incident was. How many times did they fail because of Hyun-woo? Furthermore, Hyun-woo’s fame rose like a storm after his victory in the Nagaran battle. Global Exos wouldn’t be able to ignore Hyun-woo’s opinion. But that wasn’t the only reason why Timosi thought of Hyun-woo.

“That Red Man……!”

Timosi had joined the Avenger guild because of Alan. Yet the Red Man had betrayed Alan. Normally the death of a character wasn’t worth getting that angry about. However, this time was different. The Avenger members who were killed while wearing the Token of Darkness had their characters deleted. And Alan was also wearing the Token of Darkness when he died. That’s right. In New World, Alan was now ‘dead.’

“For Alan, I will never forgive them!”

Timosi had no intention of hiding in fear. Even if her character ended up deleted, she would smash the Red Man who betrayed Alan. And Timosi knew that Hyun-woo was the closest person to that goal among all the users. She would contact Hyun-woo who was in the centre of a storm in order to get the chance to smash the Red Man! That’s why she risked danger to enter Selebrid and contact Hyun-woo. The problem was whether Hyun-woo would accept Timosi’s offer. But that problem was settled surprisingly easily.

‘……I can’t waste a chance like this.’

Hyun-woo was inwardly delighted after hearing Timosi’s words. Anyway, Hyun-woo would benefit from conveying that information to Global Exos. Furthermore, if he took the intermediary role between the Avengers and Global Exos then he would obtain a lot of information he wouldn’t know. Hyun-woo could use that information to play a more active role in the Demonic War. And he might be able to get his hands on a black code item. The prize for the 1st ranking in achievements was 500 million won! Recovering the black code item was 1 billion won! He could obtain a cash prize of 1.5 billion won. That’s right. Hyun-woo could easily forget a trivial grudge for the chance to earn 1.5 billion won. So he immediately visited Global Exos.

“……So that’s what happened.”

Hyun-woo explained it to Ho Myung-hwan who nodded. His reaction was more lukewarm than expected. Hyun-woo looked at Ho Myung-hwan strangely before continuing.

“I realized it after hearing Timosi’s words. The true person behind this event if the Red Man. The Red Man used Alan and the Avengers. It seems like he knows all the secrets in New World……”

“I know.”

Ho Myung-hwan interrupted Hyun-woo’s words while rubbing his cigarette into an ashtray. And he sighed before speaking.

“I also know what the Red Man wants.”

“Huh?”

“To resurrect the Dark Lord. Isn’t that right?”

“How do you know that?”

Hyun-woo asked with a dumbfounded look. That’s right. Hyun-woo heard from Timosi that the Red Man’s goal was to resurrect the Dark Lord. Of course, Alan controlled the demons so he knew this incident was related to the Dark Lord.

However, the situation being related was very different from actually resurrecting the Dark Lord. And the only way to prevent it was to stop the Red Man. But how did Ho Myung-hwan know the Red Man’s purpose?

“In fact, I also received the information not long ago. And I’ve been worrying about whether to consult with Ark-nim.”

“Consult with me? What is it?”

“That is…… It is hard to explain.”

Ho Myung-hwan sighed again before opening his mouth.

“Then I’ll tell you honestly. In fact, the chief of the Planning Department ordered absolute secrecy regarding this matter. However, Ark became aware of the issue after meeting with the Avenger members. No, we have to explain so that Ark-nim will keep it quiet.”

Ho Myung-hwan said.

“Actually, our security agents found the residences of Alan and the Red Man not long ago.”

“You found their homes?”

“Yes, I can’t explain how we found it.”

“So where is Alan now?”

“We’ll talk about Alan later but for now I’ll explain about the Red Man. The perpetrator of the Red Man and the one behind this incident is Park Woo-seong.

“Park Woo-seong?”

Hyun-woo frowned and tilted his head to one side. The name was familiar to him somehow. Ho Myung-hwan added in a heavy voice after seeing Hyun-woo’s confused expression.

“He is the one who created the main system of New World.”

“The creator…..that’s right, I heard that name in the TV commercial before New World was officially opened……!”

Hyun-woo finally remembered where he heard the name Park Woo-seong. Park Woo-seong had been called the best game designer of this century on the TV two years ago! New World wasn’t the only game that Park Woo-seong designed.

Even before New World, Park Woo-seong was known for other online games. Some of Hyun-woo’s questions regarding the Red Man would be solved if Park Woo-seong was behind it. The Red Man knew everything about New World and proceeded with his plan. And it was natural that he would be able to control the demons. It was why the Red Man’s gameplay transcended beyond that of an ordinary user. It was possible if Park Woo-seong the creator of New World was behind the Red Man.

“Then Park Woo-seong is the Red Man?”

“That’s not it.”

“Huh? But you said just now……”

“……He is the one who made it. The Red Man is a type of hacking program that Park Woo-seong made.”

“Hacking? The Red Man is a hacking program?”

“That’s the part I can’t explain in detail. Anyway, the important part is that the Red Man is a character that Park Woo-seong created and it is currently active in the game.”

“But why would he……?”

Hyun-woo asked in an expression that indicated he didn’t understand. That’s right. Why would he do this?

If the Red Man succeeded in resurrecting the Dark Lord then it was possible to shake Global Exos and gain enormous benefits. So Alan and the Avenger members thought they were betrayed so that the Red Man could monopolize the profit now that it was in the final stages. Timosi also thought like that. Yet the Red Man was the game creator? Then wouldn’t the Red Man have major stocks in New World? If New World fell into chaos then he would suffer a loss.

‘There must be some other circumstances……’

Anyway, Park Woo-seong was New World’s creator. If he made up his mind to throw New World into confusion then he didn’t need trial and error. He knew all the systems of New World. If he connected to the main server then everything would go as he planned. Hyun-woo was thinking that when Ho Myung-hwan muttered in a low voice.

“Originally the Dark Lord didn’t exist in New World.”

“Huh? What…… Timosi said the Red Man……”

“Yes. The goal of the Red Man is to resurrect the Dark Lord. But the Dark Lord just originally existed as a scenario in New World. The resurrection of the Dark Lord was never supposed to be possible in New World until Park Woo-seong. This means no one can predict what will happen to New World when the Dark Lord is resurrected.

“It can’t be predicted?”

“That’s correct.”

Ho Myung-hwan replied with a heavy look. In fact, Global Exos had browsed through various data that they obtained from the villa. But if the information leaked then it would cause chaos in New World. Therefore Ho Myung-hwan had to be careful about every word.

“Then Ark-nim, please connect the user Timosi to outside.”

“Connect? You will accept Timosi’s offer?”

“We honestly weren’t thinking about taking legal action against them. Even if we had such aims, that isn’t possible now. It is important to track the Red Man’s movements so we need information of every Avenger member.”

“You want information from the users involved in the Avenger guild?”

Hyun-woo tilted his head to one side.  Timosi said most of the Avengers had already died. Thanks to the Token of Darkness, their characters were completely deleted. Now those users were completely removed from this event.  So why was information needed from them.

“Are you considering laying charges against them?”

“Didn’t I already say we aren’t planning to do that?”

“But why do you want their information if you don’t want to sue them?”

“That……”

Ho Myung-hwan struggled for a while before replying.

“Actually, a problem occurred while searching for Alan.”

“A problem? There’s another problem?”

“…… Currently Alan is in an unconscious state.”

“Huh? U-unconscious?”

Hyun-woo asked with a dumbfounded look. Ho Myung-hwan rubbed his forehead like he had a headache.

“We’ve recovered Alan’s unit but it is possible that he might have used an illegal program to join this event. The Token of Darkness that deleted their characters is a type of hacking item. The Token of Darkness clashed with the illegal program stored in Alan’s unit and caused the current problem. This is our opinion after some investigation. Then there is a possibility that other Avenger members have experienced the same thing.”

Therefore Global Exos entered an emergency state. Of course, Global Exos’ biggest problem was to stop Park Woo-seong and the Red Man.  But if more users fell unconscious like Alan then it would be a huge problem. Although they were unconscious, they could die from the slightest slip and then Global Exos would become responsible. A user dying from the game. The backlash from that would be enough to close down New World.

‘What the hell is going on?’

It was a problem Hyun-woo never realized would happen. The Red Man’s identity was the game creator Park Woo-seong.

Alan who worked with Park Woo-seong was in an unconscious state. Why did he feel like he had suddenly become entangled in a huge conspiracy?

“People’s lives are at stake. The Avengers are a secret society so wouldn’t they contact each other offline? Currently their characters are deleted so the fastest way is for Timosi to get in contact with them.”

“I understand. We decided to meet in New World after speaking with Global Exos so I will connect to the game and let you know the situation.”

Hyun-woo answered immediately. This problem concerned other people’s lives. But while Hyun-woo was standing up from his seat, he suddenly flinched and stopped. Too much had happened in a short period of time and there was still a question that hadn’t been answered.

“Why is Park Woo-seong doing this? Do you know?”

Ho Myung-hwan worried over the question for a while before extending an object that was hanging on a string. It was a nail-sized flash drive. Ho Myung-hwan pressed the flash drive into Ark’s hand and spoke in a heavy voice.

“This is a copy of the data obtained from Park Woo-seong’s villa. Like I said a while ago, the chief of the Planning Department ordered the information to be locked down tightly. I’ve been continuously worried so I copied the files. But……Ark-nim knows about this incident and has experienced more than any other user. If this information will help you stop the Red Man then it is better than you not knowing.”

It was like an information window floated in front of Ark.

—————————————————————————————————————————

“I-is that true?”

The Schudenberg King asked in a quivering voice. And the Dark Elf surrounded by 10 guardsmen nodded.

“That’s right.”

The King seemed to deflate like a balloon the moment he heard those words. At the same time, the dozens of nobles packed into the King’s Hall fell into a state of panic.

“Oh my god, our concerns were true after all…….”

“We thought the demons have been driven from the Sinius Principality and now……”

“What are we going to do now?”

“Everyone please stay quiet!”

A heroic voice was heard from among the nobles. The voice had come from Marquis Daltin. Daltin turned his eyes to the man standing next to the Dark Elf.

“Lord Ark, can we believe the Dark Elf?”

“Timosi is a mole I planted on the side of the Red Man shortly after the Demonic War started. Until her true identity was revealed, she managed to stay next to the Red Man and see all his plans.”

Ark surveyed the nobles gathered inside the King’s Hall and replied. This was the best thing Ark could do. Ark’s thoughts had been complicated after returning from Global Exos. The Red Man’s identity, Alan falling unconscious…… His work inside the game was gradually growing. Ark found it difficult to grasp how he should feel about the situation.

‘Let’s put it in order step by step.’

Ark whispered to Timosi as soon as he connected to the game. And he told Timosi who was hiding near Selebrid what Ho Myung-hwan told him. Global Exos promised not to legally punish them if Timosi handed over all their information. That information was the Red Man’s plan.

-The Red Man occupied the Sinius Principality because of the preparations required to revive the Dark Lord. After obtaining the heart filled with the magic of the devil, the Red Man’s plan is now in the final stages. That’s why they withdrew from the Sinius Principality.

-Then the preparations for resurrecting the Dark Lord have already ended?

-Yes. When the ceremony starts then the Dark Lord will be resurrected after a few days.

Ark felt his heart drop at the Timosi’s words. Originally the Dark Lord didn’t exist in New World! If Park Woo-seong tried to resurrect the Dark Lord then he would now exist. Park Woo-seong’s plan of resurrection the Dark Lord wasn’t a joke anymore. He must have a goal. And whatever his goal was, it wouldn’t have a good effect on New World. Park Woo-seong dared to take on Global Exos for that purpose.

‘There is no guarantee what will happen to New World once the Dark Lord resurrects!’

It was a tremendous threat to Ark. Lancel village, Silvana and the proceeds from the territories in the Sinius Principality…..all the time Ark had invested over the 2 years in his achievements in New World.

‘I have to do whatever it takes to stop him!’

However, Ark couldn’t stop the Red Man by himself. The Red Man was leading millions of demons. Furthermore, he was moving into the final stages of his plan so he would concentrate all his power and forces in one place. The only way to stop the Red Man was to gather the strength of all the NPCs and users in New World.

‘If the Red Man restores the Dark Lord then it will be too late. I have to quickly collect the users and NPCs to stop the Red Man. But the Avengers are the only ones that know about the Red Man’s plan. The users and NPCs are already confused because they thought they won the Demonic War already.  Even if I try to raise a fuss, it will be useless.’

That’s why Ark called in Timosi. If he listened to Timosi’s testimony who was on the side of the demons then the King would have to believe. Ark insisted that Timosi was someone from his intelligence network to account for her chaotic status and to make her claim more convincing. But the method he chose seemed a bit too extreme.

“If all the preparations have been finished……The Dark Lord will really resurrect?”

Ark had hoped to take measures to prompt the nobles into action. However, the nobles were just caught by their fear and everything was a mess.

“Will making such noise stop the Dark Lord from resurrecting?”

Daltin frowned and yelled at the nobles. Then he turned back to Timosi and said.

“How many days remain until the Red Man resurrects the Dark Lord?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where is the place that the Red Man will start the resurrection?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know anything?”

“Damn, how am I supposed to know? The Red Man was planning to betray us so of course he wouldn’t tell us all of his plans. I thought the resurrection was taking place at the dark temple until a while ago.

Timosi shouted angrily.

“The dark temple?”

“I’ve already checked that place. But they have already left.”

Ark replied to Daltin’s question. In fact, this was his biggest problem. After hearing Timosi’s information, Ark had instantly contacted Haverstein. In this current situation, finding the location of the Dark Lord’s resurrection was the top priority. The temple Timosi escaped from was located in the centre of a mountain range in the Sinius Principality. So he asked the expedition to quickly check the temple while returning from the Sinius Principality. But the search party Haverstein sent determined that the temple was empty. This meant the resurrection ceremony wasn’t taking place at the temple. Daltin muttered with a disappointed voice.

“So we don’t know the place where the Dark Lord is going to be resurrected?”

“There is a way to find out.”

“A way to find out? How?”

“……It will arrive soon.”

Ark murmured in a low voice. Then something happened outside the King’s Hall and 10 people poured in. They were wearing white hoods and accompanying a woman wearing white armour. They struggled against a barrier of guards and shouted.

“Ark-nim!”

“Your Majesty, tell the guards to stand down!”

“Yes, all guards withdraw!”

The King waved his hand and shouted, causing the guards to salute and withdraw. That’s right. This was the method Ark used to figure out the whereabouts of the Red Man. Lariette and the prophet clan. After Ark requested the temple search from Haverstein, he asked Lariette and the prophet clan to find information about the resurrection ritual in the History Crystal. The History Crystal contained all the information about New World so some remnants of the resurrection ritual might still remain from the Dark Century. Since the temple was empty, he had no choice but to rely on the History Crystal.

“Lariette-nim, did you check it?”

“The History Crystal doesn’t contain any information about the Dark Lord.”

Lariette answered while gasping.

“But we can guess where the resurrection will take place.”

“You can guess the location?”

“When we arrived at Shangri-La, the Truth Crystal was violently unstable.”

One of the prophet clan members came to the front and explained. The Truth Crystal revealed the will of the Creator. Using this, the prophets could see the past, present and future of New World. But when Lariette and the prophet clan arrived at Shangri-La, something rose in the Truth Crystal.

“It was an island emitting unimaginable amounts of dark energy. It is clearly a revelation that the Dark Lord will appear on this island in the foreseeable future.”

“Do you know where that island is?”

“I know. It is an island called Kwarian.”

“Kwarian?”

The bishop standing next to the King burst out after hearing the prophet’s answer. He staggered like he received an impact and muttered.

“Oh my god, I should’ve known earlier……”

“What do you mean?”

“Kwarian…..it is an island from the Bible. After gathering the power of the universe together, this holy island was the first place that the Creator stepped foot on in order to create this world…… In the Bible, this island was called the beginning and end of the world. If an existence that wanted to destroy the world was revived……then the only possible location is Kwarian.”

“Your Majesty!”

Daltin kneeled down and shouted. The King’s Hall that was wrapped in silence suddenly seemed to awaken. Dozens of nobles kneeled down simultaneously and repeated.

“Your Majesty!”

It was clear what their behaviour meant. The King looked at the nobles and smacked the arm of the throne with his fist before getting up.

“Listen. Based on the reports just now, it is clear that the continent is on the brink of ruin. This doesn’t just apply to the residents of the Schudenberg Kingdom. This is an existence which threatens the whole world. I proclaim as the Schudenberg King. Summon all warriors who have stepped foot on this land! Also request for the total mobilization of warriors from the Bristania Kingdom!”

“As you will!”

The shout echoed like a bomb through the King’s Hall. At the same time, there was the beating of drums and the quest renewed.

Expedition Army’s Crusade= The Dark Lord (Legend Quest)

Despite the efforts of millions of people, the continent if facing its worst crisis. The Dark Lord who will drive this world to ruin is preparing for his resurrection. If the Dark Lord is resurrected then this world can only groan with despair and grief. The living and dead will become reversed and a hellish poison will emerge that will poison the earth.

The Schudenberg King has decreed a mobilization of all the troops on the continent. This is a message of salvation that transcends all the barriers of borders and species. It doesn’t matter whether you are brave warriors with hearts of steel or saints who preach the divine will! This is the last crusade to protect the world!

This crusade will become a legend!

<Difficulty: S++  Quest Restriction: Level 300 or more>

<All users over level 300 will be forced to accept this quest>

‘That’s it!’

Ark’s chest pounded after he confirmed the quest. Now the whole continent would move to prevent the Dark Lord’s resurrection.

‘But the person we need to stop if New World’s creator, Park Woo-seong!’

That’s right. The Legend Quest was just the beginning. The Red Man would use every method possible to resurrect the Dark Lord. Even if the whole continent was rallied, there was no guarantee that they could stop the creator of New World.

‘However, this is a war that can’t be avoided!’

It was the will of everybody who lived in New World.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The quest proceeded like a rapid stream.

“Find out the exact location of Kwarian!”

“Move the expedition armies that are returning towards the northeast coast!”

“Open all possible channels of communication and request the support of the 3 guilds!”

“Commandeer all merchant ships, passenger ship and war ships, arranging them at the coast!”

“Acquire all necessary munitions from each territory!”

Dozens of communications spread throughout the continent. It was determined that Kwarian was hundreds of kilometres off the northeast coast of the continent. So the king ordered all ships to move towards the east coast. The expeditions that were returning home would head to the northeast coast where they would board the boats to reach Kwarian. Meanwhile, all the regular soldiers and users who reached the requirements were summoned. However, most of the regular soldiers and high level users were already fighting in the expeditions. The amount of troops left didn’t really amount to anything. In addition, most of the general users didn’t know it was a life or death situation for New World. They just thought another quest was triggered. So they weren’t desperate like Ark.

“6,000 troops were gathered in 10 hours….. When joined with Dark Eden, there are only 10,000 soldiers.”

Ark sighed after hearing JusticeMan’s report. Another sigh naturally emerged after looking at the thousands of users gathered. Of course, the Schudenberg and Bristania expeditions had already left for Kwarian. 140,000 people had entered the combined armies and when considering the NPCs that died in battle, 100,000 were left. However, the number of demons that occupied the Sinius Principality was many times that. They had retreated so there was sure to be many more demons at Kwarian since it was the final battle. Furthermore, he wasn’t only concerned about the troops.

After the Legend Quest was triggered, Ark had visited the Magic Institute in Selebrid.  It was in order to contact the Grandmaster of the Magic Institute and ask for help. After the communication to the Grandmaster was connected.

-Well, the Magic Institute will have to cooperate if this is the situation. But will soldiers alone be enough?

Ark couldn’t understand the Grandmaster’s question. However, he soon realized the meaning after the Grandmaster transmitted a video. The video showed a huge flying stingray in the sky. It was the aerial fortress Rwigenberg!

-This is a video taken by a hot air balloon that the Magic Institute dispatched to check the situation in the Sinius Principality. The hot air balloon was destroyed soon after it sent the video. It is probably because the demons were up to something.

The Grandmaster emphasized in a serious voice.

-As you know, Rwigenberg is just like the stomping ground of the demons. There is no doubt that Rwigenberg will also be there on the day of the Dark Lord’s resurrection. And Rwigenberg is the aerial fortress that countless allied forces couldn’t defeat during the Dark Century. There is no way we can take measures against the aerial fortress with just soldiers.

This was the reasoning behind the Grandmaster’s question.

-I’m also aware of that…….

Ark sighed and replied. In fact, Ark was the first person who knew about the existence of the Rwigenberg in New World (aside from the Red Man). Of course Ark would think about the Rwigenberg. Ark had started preparations as soon as he obtained the information about the Dark Lord’s resurrection.

‘The question is whether it will make it in time.’

That’s right. The countdown to the Dark Lord’s resurrection had already begun. Ark felt like he had started preparations too late But Ark had no other choice. Ark explained what he was thinking and the Grandmaster replied.

-That’s right. You’ve also thought about the general principles. Then let me help with the preparations. I will immediately dispatch the engineers from the closest branch of the Magic Institute.  And……

The Grandmaster smiled subtly before continuing.

-I will send you a gift in the near future.

-A gift?

-You don’t need to know now.

-Then the Magic Institute will support the troops?

-When you receive my gift then the answer will be obvious.

The Grandmaster said before he broke the communication. Anyway, the Grandmaster seemed to accept that the problem was serious. His answer didn’t seem definite but he seemed to be supporting the troops. However, Ark was worried because the Magic Institute didn’t contact him after that.

“Even if the Magic Institute sends magicians as support, it will be hard with these numbers.”

Ark sighed as he looked at the troops in front of the castle. Only 10,000 people gathered for a battle where the destruction of New World was at stake? Even if the ‘thing’ Ark prepared was ready in an hour, it wouldn’t work with these numbers of troops. If he had more time then he could gather more troops. If he revealed the information through the TV then it would gather more users. However, there was no time to even do that. There was no knowing when the resurrection ceremony would begin.

“If they move then……”

Ark had desperately contacted some potential troops but they hadn’t replied yet. Then one of the soldiers jumped and shouted.

“Viscount Ark-nim, tens of thousands of soldiers are looking for you!”

The soldier reported to Ark who hurriedly moved to them. There were a huge amount of soldiers in front of the Selebrid gates. When Ark appeared outside the gates, 11 users walked out from among the soldiers. He knew their faces. Aramis, Saruman, Pejito, etc. They were the leaders of the allied forces who participated with Ark in defending Nagaran. That’s right. Ark had requested help from Nagaran’s allied forces.

“Y-you came!”

Then the soldiers raised their fists to their chests and shouted.

“The 4,800 members of the Aramis alliance under Lord Aramis of Radon have gathered in honour of Ark, the leader of Nagaran’s allied forces!”

“The 5,200 members of the Golden Cross alliance under Lord Saruman of Beiku has gathered in honour of Ark, the leader of Nagaran’s allied forces!”

“The 4,900 members of the Union alliance under Lord Pejito of Gurana have gathered in honour of Ark, the leader of Nagaran’s allied forces…….!”

“The alliance leader?”

Aramis instantly smiled after seeing Ark’s stunned expression.

“To be honest, I have no interest in this crusade but it is the request of Ark-nim who protected Nagaran. So I consulted with the other lords and we decided to form a new alliance to enter the war. Isn’t it obvious that Ark-nim would be the leader since you are the reason we entered the war?”

“B-but…..”

“Arguing is useless.”

“The only person who can lead this alliance is Ark-nim who brought us to fighting during the Nagaran battle.”

“If you don’t agree to become the alliance leader then we will take back our investment in Silvana.”

Ark could only stare as he heard Saruman and Pejito’s words. Ark had never received the trust of so many users like this. But their kindness and trust were a huge burden. Now wasn’t the time to be flooded with sentiment.

“I understand. And…..thank you.”

“We’ve discussed it.”

Suddenly 4 nobles approached Ark. They were the Schudenberg King and Daltin, Halben and Sarkin, the head of the three factions. Ark immediately kneeled after receiving a glance from the King. The King pulled a shining sword from his waist and laid it on Ark’s shoulder before proclaiming.

“In the name of the Schudenberg King, I name Viscount Ark the commander of Schudenberg’s 2nd expedition army!”

Ark’s eyes widened as he heard the King’s words.

“Commander of the 2nd expedition? Me?”

“We decided with His Majesty after a consultation. You have numerous achievements in the Demonic War and you are also the one who brought us important information about the Dark Lord’s resurrection. You are the only person suitable to become the expedition’s commander.”

Ark made an embarrassed expression as Daltin patted his shoulder after saying those words. Then Halben also touched Ark’s shoulder and said.

“And 60,000 soldiers in the 2nd expedition already recognize you as the leader. Who else would be able to become the commander after that?”

However, Sarkin who Ark scammed (?) just turned his head away and didn’t say anything. How could he oppose the decision when the Kin, Daltin and Halben all agreed? Anyway, there might be 70,000 people in the expedition army but 64,000 of them already followed Ark. Ark was already the commander. There was no reason to refuse.

“I understand. I will do everything possible to stop the Dark Lord’s resurrection.”

“Waaaaahhhhh!”

“Cut down the demons!”

When Ark bowed and nodded, the shouts of 60,000 people rang out through Selebrid. At the same time an information window appeared.

As the commander, all the troops will be under your command and will obey your strategies. Whenever the expedition army gains some achievement, bonus fame and achievement points will be given to the commander.

However, if the battle ends in a loss then all fame and achievements gained will be destroyed.

“Let’s quickly head towards Reuben to depart on the boats.”

“Yes. There is no time to delay. Advance!”

The 70,000 troops began moving at Ark’s command. He didn’t know when the resurrection ceremony would begin so there was on time to waste on marching.  Ark divided the soldiers into units of 300 people and moved them to Reuben using the Letter Movement. Even when using Letter Movement, transferring 70,000 troops consumed a few hours. After he moved 50,000 troops to Reuben……

Ku ku ku ku, ku ku ku ku, ku ku ku ku!

Suddenly there was a huge roar and the whole earth shook. The sky turned black and a deep red warning message appeared.

Time remaining until the Dark Lord’s resurrection: 72 hours>

“U-unbelievable……!”

Ark’s face turned gloomy after seeing the warning. The expedition army hadn’t even all gathered at Reuben yet. Furthermore, Kwarian was 1,000 kilometres from Rueben. It would take several days to get there by boat. It would take even longer if the waves became rough from the resurrection ceremony. However, the remaining time was only 72 hours?

“Is it too late?”

Ark muttered desperately.

“O-over there!”

“Huk! what, what the? That is?”

A soldier who was looking at the sky muttered in a puzzled voice. Ark reflexively lifted his gaze and his eyes brightened.

A large shadow was approaching in the sky. A giant air balloon was approaching. And underneath the air balloon, dozens of ships of staggering proportions shone. Flying in the lead was a huge silver airship.

“The Silver Arrow!”

That’s right. It was the Magic Institute’s Silver Arrow! The air balloon approached and landed in Reuben. At the same time, the Silver Arrow’s deck opened and dozens of soldiers emerged and formed a line.  Someone wearing an admiral’s hat walked past the soldiers and arrived in front of Ark.

“Y-you…..”

Surprisingly, Ark knew the face of the man. He was the bosun from the Silver Arrow when it crashed in the war to defend Jackson, Jabel!

“I am Admiral Jabel from the Magic Institute. We have 30 airships like the Silver Arrow. And 500 hot air balloons. Under the name of the Grandmaster, I will now transfer command to Lord Ark. I am honoured to fight together in this crusade!”

Jabel saluted after handing him a document. Then he added.

“The Grandmaster wants to ask if you like his present.”

That’s right. This was the gift that the Grandmaster was referring to. The airships that the Magic Institute had invested huge funds and several years to create!

“…… Tell him that he is the best.”

“If I live and return then I will tell him.”

Jabel laughed pleasantly before turning and shouting.

“I have now transferred command of the airships to Ark-nim. Hurry and allow everyone in the expedition to board. The destination is Kwarian. The place where the Dark Lord is being resurrected!”

“Ohhhhhh!”

The crew of the airships simultaneously cheered.

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