12. Arcana Online

12. Arcana Online12. Arcana Online

As I entered the City of Stars, the murmur of people was constant.

When I looked up, skyscrapers soared so high they seemed to touch the sky.

Flashy signs caught my eye.

The streets were intertwined like a maze; I would have gotten lost if I were alone.

As I walked around looking here and there like someone who had just moved from the countryside to the city, following the guard's guidance, he quietly warned me.

"When sightseeing, you must never enter the back alleys."

"Why not?"

"It's very dangerous."

Where there's light, there's darkness.

On one side of the city, dark shadows were lurking.

The stench of rotting garbage wafting from the back alleys stung my nose, and I felt someone's gaze.

After walking with the guard for a while, I saw a magnificent building that was incomparable to the others.

Entering the building, there was a grand chandelier on the ceiling and the hotel lobby was bustling with people.

"This is 'Luna', the best hotel in the City of Stars."

Passing by other people, the guard talked with an employee at the hotel desk, who then looked at me with a surprised expression.

I thanked the guard who said he would return now, and he left with a smile.

As I approached the desk employee, they immediately handed me a key.

"How much is the hotel fee?"

"For a VVIP customer like you, it's free of charge, of course. Please feel free to use everything."

"What? But still..."

"Please, I insist you use it!"

I thanked the employee who was almost on the verge of bowing down, and hastily moved away.

This is my first time experiencing something like this, so it's really burdensome.

To go up to room 1904 written on the hotel key, I used the magic device to reach the 19th floor. As soon as I put the room key to the door, it opened with a 'click' sound.

As I entered, a room I had never seen before in my life was waiting for me.

An interior even grander than a suite room.

Antique design and luxurious interior decorations.

The huge bed was big enough for me to roll around on, and as the window blinds automatically opened, I could see the entire city at a glance.

Looking down from the high floor, I could see a beautiful neighborhood.

They said the night sky was pretty, right?

More importantly, I'm hungry.

Rummaging through the drawers for something to eat, I found a familiar refrigerator, and it was full of food.

As I was eating a sandwich I took out and admiring the cityscape, I heard a cute sound from beside me.

"Kyuung."

"Oh right. Wait a moment."

I took out a magic stone and gave it to Yong-yong, who happily ate it deliciously.

That sight was so cute that I stared blankly, then checked the remaining magic stones in my inventory, but there weren't many left.

I need to get more magic stones soon.

To do that, I need to do quests, right?

Earlier, they said not to go to the back alleys, but something smells fishy.

I read in novels before that back alleys are full of event quests.

Plus, there's assassination guilds, information guilds, and even black markets.

With so many events, how can they expect me to resist? I absolutely can't resist.

I'm tired today, so I'll visit tomorrow.

I sat in a chair right in front of the window, blankly looking up at the sky.

The sky with the setting sun quickly changed to a dark night sky, and numerous stars began to appear.

As I was immersed in the emotions while looking at the beautiful night sky, I heard a cute sound.

"Kyuung."

"Did you finish already?"

I took out more magic stones from my inventory and gave them to Yong-yong, who ate them happily. I need to work hard, if only to feed our Yong-yong.

Starting tomorrow.

*

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*

Logging into the game early in the morning and getting up from the hotel bed, Yong-yong demanded breakfast with a cute voice.

As it ate the magic stones I took out from my inventory deliciously, we were really in trouble.

There were no magic stones left now.

"Yong-yong. Daddy will work hard and feed you plenty."

"Kyuung?"

"Huh? You're asking if I'm not mom? Well, there's a bit of a situation..."

"Kyuuung?"

"I'll tell you later. Let's go out for now."

To earn money for Yong-yong's food expenses, I left the hotel and headed to the back alleys.

As soon as I entered the back alley, I felt a terrible stench and gazes watching me.

Just as I was about to go deeper inside, someone spoke to me.

"Go back."

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw an old man crouching down and holding a sword, looking at me.

"Are you worried about me?"

"It's not too late. Hurry and go back."

With those words, he stood up and chased away a thug who was trying to approach me from behind.

At that moment, he coughed, and blood came out mixed in.

"Are you not feeling well!?"

"I've lived long enough. Don't worry about me, worry about yourself."

As the old man finished speaking and was about to move, I grabbed his sleeve, and he turned his head to look at me.

I took out a potion I received as a quest reward from my inventory.

«Elixir»

Has the effect of curing various diseases and abnormal states.

"Drink this. It's good for you."

"Th-this is..."

"It's a thank you for saving me! Take care!"

I put the potion in his hand, bowed my head, and then moved on.

*

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*

The red potion that the young girl put in my hand. Searᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

It's the elixir I've been searching for so long.

It was said to be made from dragon's blood, but that wasn't true.

I had given up, frustrated, but...

'It seems the goddess of fate still needs me.'

As soon as I opened the elixir cap and drank it, changes appeared in my body.

The core that had been hardened due to the curse began to move.

As the core moved, magic power spread throughout my body, and a new world unfolded.

The wall that had been blocking me at the master level crumbled, and I could feel numerous things I couldn't feel before.

At that moment, one of the gangs that had been dominating the back alleys appeared.

Trash who mainly deal in human trafficking.

"Hey, old geezer. I heard you interfered with our business?"

As they threatened me by pointing their swords at me, I drew my sword that I hadn't been able to draw for a long time.

«Durandal»

A sword that judges evil ones with light.

The trash around me turned to dust and scattered.

"I've received a favor that I can't repay even if I spend my whole life."

I took out a crystal from my bosom and crushed it.

In the back alley where there was no one except for the scattering trash, numerous knights appeared, fluttering black cloaks symbolizing the Black Knight Order.

A knight order with one of the most formidable military powers in the Avalon Empire.

The knights knelt on one knee and pledged loyalty to their master.

"The Black Knight Order greets Duke Adonis Ether!"

As I put Durandal back in its scabbard, I looked in the direction where the girl had disappeared and opened my mouth.

"Let's return."

"Yes, sir!"

Called the First Sword of the Avalon Empire and one of the ten masters.

It's the moment Duke Adonis Ether, the owner of the holy sword, returns to the empire.

*

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*

[You have bestowed a great favor upon Duke Adonis Ether!]

You can receive a reward when visiting the Ether Duchy located in the capital of the Avalon Empire.

[The Ether Duchy will be a strong supporter of the traveler forever.]

"What's this now?"

A message that popped up while I was wandering in the back alleys.

It was a message I couldn't understand, but it's not important right now.

No matter how much I looked, I couldn't find a red door or a blue door.

Although I may not look like it, I have some experience reading novels, and in most of them, red doors or blue doors are the hideouts of information guilds.

After wandering for a long time, I finally found a red door and knocked.

'Knock knock. Knock knock.'

I knocked twice quickly twice, and the door opened.

"What's your business?"

"Information."

With a gaze scanning me and after I said the password, the door opened, and a man with a fierce look told me to come in.

As I entered through the door, he guided me to stairs going down.

While going down the stairs, I thought.

How is this working...?

The novel I read.

I just followed exactly what I saw in 'The Youngest Daughter of an Assassination Family', but why...?

Following the stairs down, there was another door.

The man struggled to open the door made of thick iron.

As the door opened and I went inside, I saw a pretty older sister with a voluptuous chest and a seductive aura.

"What business does our little miss have?"

"I need work."

"Why don't you sit down first?"

As I sat in the seat across from her, warm tea and delicious-looking cookies were served.

I took a sip of the tea, and it had a good aroma.

[Due to the effect of the unique characteristic: Protective Instinct (保護本能), poison is neutralized.]

A message suddenly popped up.

It appeared as soon as I drank the tea.

Which means...

"Was there something in the tea?"

"Oh my, how did you know? It should be colorless and odorless?"

The pretty older sister looked at me with a bright smile.

Appearance is plausibility...

"Ahem, I'll forgive you this once. I'm a customer, you know, despite how I look."

"Our customers don't enter using the method for executives, you know?"

"......"

It seems I've made a big mistake.

But this is how they did it in the novel!?

"I'll ask you directly. Who told you?"

The face that was smiling brightly until just now was gone, and she was looking at me with a cold gaze.

It feels like something big will happen if I say the wrong thing.

I'm sorry, grandpa!

"I heard it from the old man in the alley."

"Well, that makes sense."

Huh? It makes sense?