23. Arcana Online

23. Arcana Online23. Arcana Online

As I looked up at Yuna floating in the air and then at the woman beside her, my body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Against my will, the shaking wouldn't stop.

[The Demon King has descended upon the mortal realm!]

The notification about the Demon King was enough to shock us greatly.

Even a demon with a title would have to be defeated through a raid, but the Demon King...

At that moment, another message appeared.

[The heavens are watching the middle world.]

"How dare you gaze upon me without permission."

As the Demon King waved her hand, demonic energy spread in all directions.

[Due to demonic energy, all stats are decreased by 50%.]

My body suddenly became powerless.

Just from waving her hand once, all stats decreased by 50%!?

In this absurd situation, someone shouted loudly.

"You crazy bastards! How the hell are we supposed to defeat that!?"

The moment the Demon King looked toward the loud shout, everyone froze.

"Mind your tone."

[Due to demonic energy, all stats are decreased by 80%.]

"Do not raise your voice like that, human."

[Due to demonic energy, you enter an immobilized state.]

Countless players became unable to move even a finger.

As the Demon King looked around at this unbelievable situation, she whispered something to Yuna beside her.

When their conversation ended, with a wave of the Demon King's hand, space tore open and she crossed over to the other side.

The torn space returned to normal, and the Demon King disappeared. Yuna, left alone in that spot, took out a scroll from her inventory, tore it, and vanished in a bright light.

In this situation where no one could move, a golden alert window appeared.

[You have successfully protected the World Tree.]

Rankings based on contribution are being measured.

Please wait a moment.

No.1: Yuna

No.2: Undecided

No.3: Undecided

No.4: Undecided

No.5: Undecided

Rewards will be given based on contribution.

[Channels will normalize in 1 minute after the quest ends.]

For 1 minute, no one could move. When the channels normalized, all players disappeared to their original channels.

It took about 30 minutes for the abnormal status to be lifted.

Even the ability of Aria, the hidden class Saint, couldn't do anything about it.

I don't know exactly what happened, but Yuna must know.

The moment I tried to use a messenger bird item that can send messages:

[Failed due to interference from ???.]

After seeing that alert, I clutched my throbbing head.

There are only a limited number of beings or groups in the Arcana continent that can block a messenger bird that can send messages to people within a certain distance.

Among them, the group that Yuna is most likely to have contacted...

It means the information guild is controlling the information.

I'll have to contact her in the real world.

Sasha beside me looked at me and said:

"What on earth is going on!?"

"I'm curious too. More importantly, Yuna's identity has been exposed."

"Huh? Yuna?"

*

*

*

It had been a week since I started living in the demon realm.

I was living comfortably, but there was one thing the Demon King hadn't told me.

To return to the middle world, I had to wait until a gate opened.

I could return to the middle world through the main quest.

In the meantime, I helped rebuild villages and raised newly born children.

A race born from the World Tree's fruit.

Elves.

Perhaps because of the influence of the demon realm...

Unlike the white-skinned Forest Clan, they were born with tanned skin.

The World Tree called them dark elves.

The children born from the fruit grew to adult size in just a week.

Children who were about my size at birth grew taller than me in a week, which made me feel a bit sad.

I'm not growing at all...

But there was an even bigger problem.

"Mom!"

They call me mom.

"What are you saying, ugly one! She's our mom!"

"You skinny twig, how dare you talk back!?"

Not only do they call me mom, they even fight among themselves over me.

Numerous children. No, they all look like adults, but they're children not even a month old. Was it wrong of me to raise them with so much affection?

The day I was leaving the demon realm.

It turned into a sea of tears.

The dark elves clung to me, begging me not to go, to live together.

I wanted to do that too, but I couldn't.

I am a traveler. An outsider.

The World Tree stepped in to explain to the children. Only then did they let go, and after promising to come visit later, they finally saw me off.

"If you don't come, we'll come find you!"

"That's right! We'll bring the whole clan to find you! Got it!?"

"Alright, kids."

As if the time had come, a gate appeared before me.

Just as I was about to step forward, the Demon King appeared in front of me.

"I'd like to see the middle world too."

"Can you go to the middle world?"

"Due to restrictions I can't stay long, but a short while is fine."

She gestured at the gate and space split open.

The moment we crossed over together, holding my hand...

Floating in the air, I could see the enormous World Tree.

Not the World Tree I raised, but the one existing in the middle world.

And I could see countless players, when I heard my name called from somewhere.

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw Rea unni in the distance and waved happily, but her expression...?

[The Demon King has descended upon the mortal realm!]

[The heavens are watching the middle world.]

Messages appearing one after another.

Someone among the players shouted, and after the Demon King told them to be quiet, she said goodbye to me.

"It was an enjoyable outing. Let's meet again next time."

"See you next time!"

The Demon King disappeared beyond the space, and feeling awkward being left alone, I used the scroll I received before.

«Teleport Scroll»

Can teleport to any place you've been to before. (Some areas excluded)

As I tore the scroll, my vision changed and I arrived in Cradle Village.

The village I returned to after a long time hadn't changed at all.

I greeted the villagers, met Uncle Charles, went to the Moonlight Inn to chat with Bell unni, and then left the village.

On the way to the City of Stars along the path, when I encountered the rabbits who had turned muscular, my feelings were...

"You've grown a lot?"

"Kyuu kyuu!"

They showed off their muscles while acting cute towards me, but those muscles...

"Amazing! The best! How did you get such muscles!?"

"Kyuu kyuu!"

They said they would show me their training method and pulled out a giant carrot that had been buried in the ground.

Then with a loud shout, they started muscle training.

"Kyuu kyuu!"

"It's delicious, you say?"

After finishing their workout, they chewed on the carrot and told me that eating is part of the training too.

After saying goodbye to the rabbits and following the path, I saw a slime in the distance.

Not a round slime, but one in human form.

"Hello!"

"......"

It waved at me as it looked at me, and I could feel its emotions.

There was no change in its face, but it was happy.

"Have you been well? Your appearance has changed a lot!"

"......"

It said it's been well, and thanked me for giving it the power to protect its kin.

I can't leave without giving something to such a kind child.

"I'll give you one more!"

I took out a high-rank magic stone from the new pouch I received and handed it over. It happily accepted.

After saying goodbye to the slime, I went to greet the goblin village next, but the atmosphere had changed a lot.

"For Valhalla!!!!!"

The goblins were performing a suspicious ritual while shouting strange things.

Gone was their small stature, replaced by towering height and muscular physiques.

For a moment I thought I had entered an orc village by mistake, when a goblin recognized me and approached.

"Kuruk! Brother! Welcome!"

"It's been a while! Your appearance has changed a lot?"

"Kuruk! It's all thanks to you, brother!"

They thanked me for showing them a new world as we greeted each other. As I followed the path towards the City of Stars, I saw the orc warrior in the distance.

His skin used to be green, but now it had turned red.

"It's been a while, young one."

"It has been a while! Have you been well!? Your body seems smaller than before?"

"Thanks to you, I was able to refine my body. Thank you, young girl."

Hmm, is that a good thing?

I'm not sure, but if he's satisfied, I guess it's fine.

After parting with the orc and walking along the path, I saw the bear taxi running from afar.

How does it know to come when I didn't even call?

"Groooan!"

"You were worried because you hadn't seen me lately?"

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"Groooan!"

"You can't eat magic stones without me!? Give me back my feeling of being moved!"

I grumbled as I negotiated the taxi fare, then climbed on its back and it ran at high speed.

It's comfortable, but the bear taxi fare is too expensive...