The Player Hides His Past

The ethereal iron changed its form depending on who the opponent was.

‘It’s great, but…’

Thanks to digging countless holes.

I could gain the upper hand in most situations.

You could say the ethereal iron’s ability was similar to mine.

Thus far, I couldn’t help but see it as an alter ego of mine.

Everything depended on how you framed it.

[Transcendent: Your transcendent state is enough for you to be called a transcendent. – Current achievements reached: Circle (1,000% increase in all magic manifestations) / Swordpath of Pride (Currently Liberated Path: 1st Path) / None / None…]

Thanks to this, it even got a grand name, ‘Swordpath of Pride.’

The problem was also the flashiness of the frame.

The prototypes that guarded Raymond’s hideout.

The ethereal iron cut them like tofus.

[Sword that Cuts Through Illusions: Illusion Breaker]

‘I really can’t raise my face.’

Well, it might sound plausible if you listened to it separately.

But that was not the case right now!

Starting with the Dark Dragon, Tempest, and Illusion Breaker… When I put them all together. Anyone would tilt their head if they heard these names.

For Argentress to ask the ethereal iron’s name in such a condition.

It was a very difficult situation.

The ethereal opened its mouth on my behalf.

– Name? Don’t try to limit me to just one name.

…Really, so that’s your answer, ethereal iron.

But good job.

I’d rather not tell people than give out that weird name.

The saying ‘Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass a sage’ didn’t exist for no reason.

And above all.

Crack–

The byproduct of the primordial evil.

I couldn’t just let it wander around forever.

Following the message that the area was transformed.

The flesh of the byproduct gradually began to cover the area.

I opened my mouth.

“It’s ugly.”

It was an appearance that would make anyone feel intimidated just by witnessing it.

But how could I be intimidated?

I continue to spit out harsh words without even twitching my eyebrows.

“It is extremely demonic both externally and internally.”

It was a sight that my aesthetic sense couldn’t tolerate.

So I didn’t hesitate.

Tempest and Argentress.

Now that I had confirmed that the attacks from those two couldn’t inflict damage.

First of all, I should explore.

Let’s see if my attack worked just like I had guessed!

Ethereal iron’s sword body dyed black, and silver energy flowed out.

It was so light that it didn’t even make a sound.

I cut through the air with the ethereal iron.

Clang!

Blood then splattered from the flesh of the byproduct.

Whether it was a byproduct or a remnant of the primordial evil, a demon was a demon.

It couldn’t avoid the [Natural Enemy Relationship].

In addition, I also had the [Blessing of the First World Tree].

This time, I raised my sword and cut to see its reaction.

Whoop!

The flesh in the same area was dug deeper and deeper.

From the deeply exposed flesh, I was certain.

That shot just now was definitely a fatal blow.

Indeed, my guess was correct.

[Fatal blow occurs to the Demon, the Byproduct of Primordial Evil.]

The ethereal iron spoke coldly.

– Did you think you could block Master’s sword with a piece of flesh?

…You are full of confidence, ethereal iron.

The ‘Swordpath of Pride’ wasn’t even activated.

I only swung the ethereal iron lightly twice.

If I had to compare its destructive power objectively… Tempest and Argentress’ magic arrows, which had rushed at it fiercely, must have been even more powerful in terms of absolute power.

Therefore.

‘There are reasons and circumstances for everything here.’

It was pure buff.

Ethereal iron, you stepped forward and framed me with gold.

This way, I won’t be able to walk around the continent with my head held high.

However, with this, it was certain.

The primordial evil.

Since it was an evil that originated from the World Tree.

Only me, who had the [Blessing of the First World Tree], could defeat it.

As expected, the message appeared.

[The blessing of the First World Tree rejects the ‘rebirth’ of the Byproducts of Primordial Evil.]

Argentress seemed to have noticed it too.

“As expected, you were right.”

“Did you see it, too?”

“I did.”

The system and Argentress acknowledged it.

I couldn’t help but worry.

‘Can you do it, Hoyeol…?’

As if my life flashed before my eyes, I thought of my actions so far.

Our great Grandfel-nim wouldn’t admit it.

But I, Lee Hoyeol, was good at knowing my place.

If I were alone, I could never have come this far.

Well, you could tell just by looking at the allies I recruited with shamelessness and pride, right?

Of course, they were powers that were said to be the top guilds in the Arcana Continent, excluding the Union.

All the ranker players were part of the Holy War Allied Force.

‘Whether I was aware of it or not, I received a lot of help.’

In that regard…

For me to be the only one who could defeat it.

I felt like I had an enemy in front of me that I had to defeat alone.

There was no way I could be happy about it.

Just look at me.

I had never been able to fit my arms into the level 700 jacket.

All I could do was hang it on my shoulder like this.

However.

“Is this arrangement included in the cumbersome blessing?”

This was in front of a demon, not just anyone else.

How could Grandfel admit his shortcomings?

I looked at Argentress.

“You guys weren’t the only ones who needed to talk.”

“…!”

Argentress’ pupils widened.

What I said just now meant that the arrangement of the World Tree was wrong.

It might sound disrespectful, but I meant what I said.

You’ve been mistaken, the World Tree..!

‘How can you pass on such a big task to me?’

With great power comes great responsibility.

At this moment, those words really hit me deep.

But the World Tree no longer existed in this world.

“However, since the situation is not favorable, I will skip the talk.”

“…?”

“I’ll watch instead.”

My expression of resentment toward the World Tree ended there.

That was how my mouth concluded it.

The original evil that only I could defeat.

Now that the fact had been revealed.

I closed my mouth tightly.

Silence.

This meant that I would no longer talk to the prey.

What I learned while hunting so many demons.

Just like the battle of the demon hunter.

There was no effective combat in the battle against demons.

I finally realized the meaning of the laborious quest.

“Tempest.”

“Wuff?”

“Stay there.”

“Wuff!”

Demon hunter.

The class skills were simple.

Excluding the unique skills I acquired additionally after awakening as a player.

The skill list in my skill window was…

《Skill》

Natural Enemy Relationship

Exorcism

Silver Mastery (Master)

Shooting Mastery (Master)

Simultaneous Fire (Master)

Only five in total.

That was the list of skills for a typical demon hunter.

Even from the first time I saw it until not long ago.

No matter how many times I looked at it, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Just by looking at it.

Even when compared to other classes.

It was so simple.

If anything, the demon hunter class had fewer combat skills than non-combat classes, didn’t it?

But that simplicity was the spirit of the demon hunter.

“Merely a demon.”

Yeah.

For a demon hunter.

Hunting the demons was not anything grand.

“There is no need to be agitated by prey.”

Yeah.

To a demon hunter, what was demon hunting?

It was like a daily routine.

What they needed was not some grand hunting skills.

All they needed was the physical strength to continue hunting demons.

And in the process of training that physical strength.

Just a stronger mentality.

There was nothing more important than that in demon hunting.

As expected, someone might say.

Aren’t you just spewing empty words, this time too?

If so, I would show it as always.

I would make it happen.

I made my way into the area of the by-product, the fields covered in flesh.

Had the transformation of the area already been completed?

A message appeared.

[The Blessing of the First World Tree rejects ‘bleeding.’]

[The Blessing of the First World Tree rejects ‘burning’.]

[The Blessing of the First World Tree rejects the ‘infection’]…

One step at a time.

Just by entering the area.

It constantly warned me of the tricky status abnormalities.

Among them, the highest status abnormality, ‘fear’, must also exist.

However, the message of rejecting fear didn’t appear.

The reason was simple.

Tap tap–

Even without the Blessing of the First World Tree.

I, Grandfel, had no reason to be afraid in front of a demon.

Slide–

In this way, it would be different than before.

The exploration had ended.

I held up the blackened ethereal iron.

– Master, what am I cutting today?

It might sound quite cool.

But what name will you shout out with that naming sense that closely resembles Grandfel’s?

I’m more afraid of you than the demon, ethereal iron…

However, this was still too early.

“It’s a byproduct.”

– A byproduct…?

“It means that it is a piece of waste that is not even worth giving meaning to.”

A complex yet high pride.

To translate Grandfel’s language.

It was not really the primordial evil.

Just dealing with the byproducts and such.

I had no reason to give the ethereal iron a grand name.

This is why you are unwaveringly noble.

But it was different than before.

Because this time it wasn’t groundless confidence.

Push–

Whether it was due to the noble pride.

Or whether it was because of Akshan’s basic skills.

No matter what.

I never missed training in any situation.

It was also a training that reached the limit every day.

My ‘tenacity’.

The system didn’t turn a blind eye to it.

[Tenacity: Converts mental strength into ability scores. Each time the tenacity increases, the converted ability value increases additionally.]

The effect of tenacity was proportional to my mental strength.

If it was a mental strength that wouldn’t break under any trials.

Even by system standards, it was bound to be highly evaluated.

In this way.

The field covered in flesh was like a halo to me.

[The Blessing of the First World Tree] rejected most status abnormalities.

Now that Grandfel’s pride belied fear.

What I looked like.

[Tenacity is converted into strength.]

[Tenacity is converted into agility.]

[With unwavering Tenacity, the ability level increases further.]

It would be enough to delude even the system.

[Tenacity: 5]

Each of the five points was converted into strength and agility.

The muscles of my entire body twitched.

It might be just a number to someone.

Still, I thought I had to see it with my own eyes to really understand it.

I sneakily checked the status window.

[Strength: 462]

[Agility: 358]

Although it might only work at this moment.

My stat points increased by a total of about 500 points.

This was a stat that wouldn’t lose to the stats of most ranked combat players. Not only that. [Natural Enemy Relationship] increased my combat power several times in front of demons.

Sk–

The sword strike I wielded was simple.

It wasn’t as flashy as usual.

As I said, the byproduct wasn’t even worth it.

But that was enough.

Strike–

The flesh was cut off.

At that moment, the expansion radius of the flesh slowed down for the first time.

I recited in a cold voice.

“Primordial evil.”

These words were not directed to the byproduct,

The primordial evil must be watching me somehow.

Whether through flesh or through the evil eyes in the sky.

So, I am speaking to you, the primordial evil.

“That’s a needlessly grandiose moniker.”

It was neither provocation nor deception but honesty.

“Don’t try to deny it.”

Yeah.

The light burned the darkness.

Like good overcame evil.

“Natural Enemy Relationship has been engraved since birth.”

Primordial evil.

As long as you were born a demon.

No matter what.

You can’t avoid a natural enemy relationship with a demon hunter.

Flutter–

This time, I swung the ethereal iron so hard that my jacket fluttered.

It was not an exciting battle.

It was not a combination of coincidences and overlapping luck.

Just.

It was mechanical, simple, efficient demon hunting by a demon hunter.

I recited to the byproduct that was split in half.

“Akshan.”

[Fear occurs in the demon, the Byproduct of Primordial Evil.]

Flinch!

.

.

.

Up until that point, it was just like a demon hunter.

It really was a plausible picture.

…Yes, up until Diend popped out of the air.

“Diend Chrysiad Eternal Darkness.”

What should I do with your name.

“Infinitely Deep Darkness. The Ray of Light. And…”

In just a few words.

How could the atmosphere change so dramatically?

How could the weight of Akshan, which I worked so hard to hold, scatter?

‘If it wasn’t for this damn darkness…’

My poor life.

…So what is your business, Diend?

Speak as quickly as possible before Argentress hears it.

“The savior of Dredsen, as well as the Empire. The Dark Dragon. And…”

Please, just use my titles in moderation!