Episode 92
092. I Don’t Think So
Moreover, this outsider who had just moments ago been looking down at him from above. It felt as if this mere outsider, who should just follow orders, was now looking down on him and sneering.
“How dare you outsiders gather in a mob and disrespect a wizard of Airtos? And on top of that, impersonating the Successor of the Stars… You shall pay for your crimes dearly.”
Magic began gathering around him. Not just any magic, but a sinister power started converging right in the heart of the city of Airtos. A madman attempting to use lethal magic within the city. No, a mad NPC.
“Battle stations! Deploy defensive formations! Protect the citizens!”
While Geumson was bewildered, Kang Moo-jin shouted. An immediate response faster than golden hands. As expected of Kang Moo-jin. But.
“Your knees seem stiff, Talis.”
A calm voice. The moment that voice was heard, the magic was forcibly dispersed. No, to be precise, the magic Talis, the head of the wizard corps, had gathered was being sucked away to one place.
“T-Tower Master! That impostor is claiming to be the Successor of the Stars!”
A man who had appeared without any prior presence. The man wore white robes and held a staff in one hand. His attire vaguely resembled Astrid’s. But the person revealed by the message was entirely different.
[Master of the Magic Tower, Roentes Lv. 399]
The towering wizard’s tower at the center of Airtos. The one standing at its peak. The Tower Matapju, Roentes. Players were astonished by his appearance.
“The Tower Master? The real Tower Master has appeared? What on earth is happening!”
“No one has ever seen him until now… Wow, this is insane. Look at that level, the level.”
“I’ve lived in Airtos from the start until now, and this is my first time seeing him too.”
“Is this a forced story progression mode? This is like a movie.”
The Tower Master, who had never once revealed himself to players. He had stepped forward. His appearance seemed to have surprised even Kang Moo-jin.
“I greet the Tower Master. I am Kang Moo-jin, master of Yeokcheon.”
Even Kang Moo-jin approached carefully, showing proper respect. But the gaze of Tower Matapju Roentes, who seemed to be suppressing simmering anger, was still directed at Talis.
“Impersonation? Talis, your arrogance knows no bounds. How dare you doubt the mark of that revered one.”
The brooch pinned to golden hand chest. In Airtos, no one was ignorant of its meaning. Even a three-year-old child learns the meaning of that brooch before learning magic.
The brooch Astrid had given held greater significance than Golden Hands had imagined. It was the very symbol of Grand Archmage Astrid’s authority, a holy relic proving one was her sole successor inheriting her will. Talis had aimed his magic at that relic.
“Your knees are still stiff, I see.”
Roentes magic manifested in an instant. Unlike Talis’s magic, it did not threaten the surroundings. No, there wasn’t even a sign of magic being cast.
“Kneel.”
Krrrrrk—
Thump—
At that moment, Talis’s knees buckled. It wasn’t Talis willingly kneeling. The atmosphere pressed down on him, forcing him to his knees.
“T-Tower Master…!”
Talis, unable to even speak properly as if crushed by gravity, now had his back bent, unable to even lift his head.
‘Such exquisite magic manipulation…’
golden hand couldn’t help but be amazed by Roentes’s magic. Other players might not have been particularly impressed. It likely just looked like using a skill, as players do. But to golden hand, who had learned magic directly from Astrid, it looked completely different.
From Roentes’s magic manipulation to the manifestation of magic—it was flawless, without a single flaw.
“The position of corps commander is still premature for you. Withdraw immediately and reflect on your actions. Take him away.”
At his words, Talis could only stare at the ground, unable to lift his head. Simultaneously, magic restraints clamped onto his wrists. Talis, who had plummeted from the head of the mage corps to the abyss in an instant, was dragged away like a criminal.
Silence descended as Talis was taken away. Within that silence, Roentes’s gaze turned toward the players. Roentes, who overwhelmed even the players. Such a Roentes bowed his head.
“Hmm, my apologies for showing you such an unsightly spectacle, heroes who have come to save the city.”
With the situation resolved, Roentes bowed and apologized. Unlike Talis, he didn’t seem to harbor any particular ill will towards outsiders. On the contrary.
“Hear me, all outsiders.”
He spoke plainly, but his voice could be heard by every player in Airtos. As clearly as if he were speaking right beside them.
“Show me your strength! Airtos will not forget your devotion!”
As soon as Roentes finished speaking, a new quest window appeared before every player.
[City Defense Alliance Quest: The Defense of Airtos]
Content: Airtos is in crisis. Answer the call of Tower Master Roentes and repel the monsters surging towards Airtos. Your deeds will be recorded in Airtos’s history.
Success Condition: Defend against the monster wave and protect the city.
Rewards:
Contribution Rank 1: 5,000,000 Gold, Airtos Honorary Citizenship, Scroll of the God’s Whistle (Ancient)
Contribution Ranks 2-10: 3,000,000 Gold, Airtos Citizenship, Random Legendary-grade Equipment Box
Contribution Ranks 11-100: Airtos Honorary Citizenship, 1,000,000 Gold, Random Legendary-grade Equipment Box
Participation Reward: 10,000 Gold, Random Equipment Box, Airtos Contribution Points
※Additional gold based on contribution.Failure Penalty:
Airtos’s Collapse
All Participants: 30-day Login Restriction
The quest message began popping up for every player in Airtos. And seeing it, players couldn’t help but be astounded.
“Rank 1 gets… 5 million gold? 500 million in cash? They’re giving away 500 million? And an Ancient-grade Scroll of the God’s Whistle? What even is that?”
“Rank 1 is obviously Kang Moo-jin, is that the point? Top 10 gets 300 million! Top 100 gets 100 million! This is insane, insane! And… even a random Legendary box!”
“Just participating gives 10k gold and a random equipment box… Man, this is huge.”
“Those who didn’t listen to golden hand and didn’t come to Airtos must be kicking themselves in regret, right? Sweet, so sweet! From now on, we follow golden hand’s words without question!”
There would be no additional participants. Because the monsters had already drawn a perfect concentric circle around Airtos, surrounding it from all sides. No player could break through that.
Therefore, the players who had made it to Airtos so far. All of them were offered a reward of just 10,000 gold and a random box for merely participating. 10,000 gold was 1 million won in cash, and the random box could yield up to Unique-grade items.
It was truly a historic event. Roentes had expressed his sincere apology not with empty words, but concretely through the quest.
So, the players’ eyes couldn’t help but glaze over with greed. The failure penalty of a 30-day Repion login restriction seemed completely invisible to them.
“What are you doing? Do we have time to stand around like this? We need to kill even one more monster!”
“Eh, can we even make it into the top 100? I’ll just settle for the participation reward…”
“‘We’? Since when were we a ‘we’? One less competitor for me. I’m going ahead!”
“What? W-wait! I’m coming too!”
“Let’s go! No sleep until the quest is over! No, I’ll bury my bones here if I have to!”
Even those live-streaming on Repinet began ending their broadcasts one by one. They, too, were pressed for time. Because the more monsters they killed, the higher their contribution would be.
The same went for Kang Moo-jin. A smile played on his lips as he shouted to his Yeokcheon guild members.
“Yeokcheon! Everyone, move out! Wipe out the monsters! Yeokcheon will dominate ranks 1 through 100!”
Kang Moo-jin confidently declared his ambition. He, too, seemed ready to dive into the contribution race. While doing so, he conveyed his confidence to Roentes.
“I shall see you at the award ceremony, Tower Master.”
Loentes watched as the players poured out like a receding tide. Seeing this, Loentes wore a pleased smile. The resources, and even items, to be consumed for this quest—it was undoubtedly excessive, even for the Master of the Magic Tower representing Airtos. Even if they successfully repelled the monster wave, the Tower might falter from financial strain for a while.
But Loentes didn’t seem concerned. In fact, it was a wise judgment. Because nothing would remain in the wake of the monsters’ sweep.
“A man of remarkable drive, indeed. It seems that man named ‘Kang Moo-jin’ will likely take first place. Wouldn’t you agree? golden hands.”
Roentes gaze turned to Geumson. Roentes, who even knew golden hand name. In truth, it seemed Roentes had been waiting for this very moment more than anything.
The Successor of the Stars. A conversation with Astrid’s sole disciple, golden hand. However, Loentes couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion. Because the expected answer didn’t come.
“Golden Hand, you… is something the matter?”
golden hand was holding his hammer. Not only that, but Iron Walker behind him and even Tia on his shoulder—they were all prepared for battle. golden hand met Roentes eyes and spoke.
“I don’t think so.”
Geumson couldn’t agree with Roentes statement. No, perhaps before seeing the quest rewards, Golden Hand might have nodded. Handing the top reward to Kang Moo-jin wasn’t a bad choice for the future either. But now, he couldn’t do that.
“First place… I will take it.”
