6.
The Disappearance of the Demon King of Rapid
Five days had passed since the Demon King of Rapid had vanished, and many players were vocal with complaints. While it wasn’t entirely reasonable to throw insults simply because high-quality content had dwindled, the dissatisfaction only highlighted how hungry the community was for fresh gameplay.
Of course, those searching for the Demon King of Rapid weren’t the majority. After all, Seong was still a rookie compared to the single-ranking giants, and his fanbase was far from threatening the established fan followings of top-tier players. Unless another event as groundbreaking as the “Fortress of the Past” occurred, it was unlikely that people would become as obsessed with him again.
Yet discussions persisted:
[Title: "Isn’t the Demon King of Rapid Past His Prime?"]
[Author: SamdoryuTryout]
“Honestly, the Fortress of the Past?
Yeah, it was impressive—no one had cleared it before him.
But that was only because the game’s meta had shifted dramatically.
Back then, Yuna, now a single-ranked player, was number one in that event.
And was that during her Almighty-tier days?
Nope. Absolutely not.
The Demon King of Rapid is impressive, sure, but is he that special?
Given that he’s confirmed to have an Almighty-tier class now, let’s be real—any other single-ranking player could’ve cleared it if they’d had the chance.
So, will the Demon King of Rapid pull off another Fortress of the Past-level feat?
Doubt it. But feel free to prove me wrong.”
[ThatMightBeRight: Hmm, makes sense, kinda?]
[PoopSommelier: But he did crush it in the last big event, didn’t he? Totally dominated.]
└ [SamdoryuTryout (Author): He’s Almighty-tier, though. A large-scale combat-focused class should dominate events like that.]
└ [PoopSommelier: Fair point, I guess?]
Few believed Seong could recreate the impact of the Fortress of the Past. Despite his impressive showing in the recent large-scale event, it was, after all, an event limited to players under level 120. Given his class tier and abilities, his performance wasn’t seen as surprising.
Discussions naturally turned to hypothetical battles: could Seong hold his own against other Almighty-tier players in one-on-one duels?
[NoToxicityPlease: But think about him taking down Echo Willow. Doesn’t that show he’s got serious skills?]
└ [SafetyFirstFirst: True, that’s valid.]
└ [NoArgumentsHere: LOL, do you think Almighty-tier classes are handed out for free? His skill’s obviously above average. Sure, Echo Willow had strong members, but they also had plenty of weaklings. Compare apples to apples, folks.]
[1234BubbleBubble: Honestly, it feels like a lot of hype. Maybe it’s just good showmanship? The Fortress of the Past would’ve naturally favored large-scale combat-focused classes.]
The chatter about Seong’s skills being overhyped began to gain traction. From the community’s perspective, it wasn’t entirely unfounded. Most of Seong’s notable achievements had been in large-scale battles. While his solo raid against Anemore had drawn attention, it was only a level 60 raid, and many dismissed it as insignificant.
In the absence of fresh content, the community indulged in its usual pastime—tearing down rising stars and prominent figures. While some genuinely reveled in criticizing others, others got swept up in the negativity, and the tide of public opinion began to shift rapidly against Seong.
To make matters worse, the Rapid Guild remained silent, offering no countermeasures. The detractors were having a field day, their voices growing louder.
Then, an announcement appeared across Eternal World, visible to every player.
[Global Announcement]
[East Asia Server - Korean Player "Seong" has cleared the Hidden Field, "Hall of Knights," and has been granted the title of "Knight."]
[His renown has spread across the entire continent.]
The announcement of Seong’s accomplishment—clearing the "Hall of Knights" and earning the title of Knight—caught the entire player base by surprise.
At first, many thought they had misread it.
"Hall of Knights"?
A previously unknown location. A new name. It was a mystery to everyone. But global announcements weren’t issued lightly.
[NewPlayerHere: If it’s worthy of a global announcement, doesn’t that mean it’s an insane achievement?]
└ [MerryBerry: Yup, definitely. This is probably on par with the Fortress of the Past, if not close. Even single-ranking players only get global announcements a handful of times.]
└ [BarbarianFanatic: WTF; does that mean the Demon King of Rapid is almost on their level?]
└ [MageOverWarrior: Well, technically, the Demon King is still low-level, but getting two global announcements is a big deal no matter how you spin it.]
Global announcements were rare, even for the top-ranked players. For Seong to earn two within ten days was extraordinary. Ignoring such achievements would only reveal someone as a troublemaker rather than a serious player.
The impact of the announcement was undeniable, reversing the tide of public opinion almost instantly.
Still, one question remained unanswered.
[WyvernSoda: What’s a Knight title? Does anyone know?]
[CasualSwordsman: Yeah, what’s a Knight title? Like minor nobility or something?]
[ShieldlessMage: Wait, there’s a title system?]
While the Hall of Knights was presumed to be a Hidden Field, the title of Knight baffled most players. When someone finally stepped up to provide details, their post quickly became one of the most popular threads, thanks to its accuracy and clarity.
[Title: Explaining the Knight Rank]
[Author: SwordMage]
『So, the few people who knew about the rank system must’ve been floored when this news dropped.
It’s always been part of the game, but it’s one of those top-tier hidden systems that’s kept under wraps. Let’s just say it’s part of the high-level content—think level 200 and up.
And trust me, it’s ridiculously tough.
I’ll focus on the Knight rank since I don’t know much about the others.
So, what is the Knight rank?
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.
Among single-ranking players, no one else has it. Why? Because it’s not just about being strong.
Here’s how you can get it:
My guess is that the Demon King of Rapid completed those conditions in the Hall of Knights. Being a Hidden Field, it was probably even tougher than usual.
Anyway, that’s as much as I know.』
This post quickly became the most upvoted and viewed thread, helping the community realize just how incredible Seong’s achievement was.
As more eyes turned toward the Knight rank, some players began actively pursuing it. Wealthy ones sought out knights to become squires, while others visited NPC knights to learn the conditions for earning recognition.
And so, the "Seong Syndrome" started to resurface.
0.
In the dangerous Dune Wild Trail, known for its high villain encounter rates, roaming alone was considered a death wish. Encountering villains twice during three hunting trips was practically a guarantee, making solo adventuring nearly impossible.
Most players traveled in parties of at least six, leaving no room for recklessness. This reality was why the Oboro Family, a notorious villain group of five, was so frustrated.
“Why is there no one worth catching around here?”
“Ugh, all we see are strong parties. What happened to the weaklings?”
Oboro, the leader, and Qing Yagui, his second-in-command, grumbled while their subordinates nervously stayed silent. A scout had already been sent out to search for targets, leaving the rest to endure Oboro’s rising irritation.
Then, the scout returned, shouting excitedly, “Boss! Boss! There’s a party of four wandering near Zone 439!”
“Four?” Qing Yagui’s interest piqued.
Oboro squinted suspiciously. “Are they legit?”
“Y-Yeah, boss! I swear! Two of them aren’t even wearing proper gear—they look like merchants!”
“Oh-ho?”
“Merchants, huh? Sounds like easy pickings,” someone muttered, and the group eagerly nodded.
The Oboro Family had one goal: to pull off one last heist, lie low until their Karma levels dropped, and use the loot to buy their way into a respectable guild. They’d recently acquired a treasure map—though they weren’t sure if it was genuine, it was definitely a Hidden Piece.
With a plan in mind, Oboro smirked and commanded, “Alright, let’s hit them hard and fast. If the haul is good, we’ll head straight to that location.”
The villains set off toward Zone 439, quickly closing the distance. When they spotted their target, however, something seemed off.
“What’s with the blurry figures? Are they using some kind of concealment item? That must be expensive,” Oboro muttered, intrigued.
The villains charged forward, ready to attack, when a young man at the front of the group grinned.
“Perfect timing. I’ve been meaning to test something,” he said calmly.
With that, his sword erupted into flames, leaving a trail of ash and embers as he swung it. In a single motion, he cut down three of the charging villains, their bodies disintegrating before they hit the ground.
The sheer power of the attack left Oboro and Qing Yagui pale with terror.
Meanwhile, the swordsman tilted his head, disappointed. “Huh? That’s it? I was hoping for more of a challenge.”
As the man turned his attention to the two remaining villains, Oboro quickly realized the danger and shouted, “Run! He’s a swordsman! If we—”
Before he could finish, the swordsman snapped his fingers.
A violent storm of crimson energy erupted around them, consuming everything in its path.
“Damn it!”
“Aaaaagh!”
In less than a minute, the Oboro Family was completely wiped out.
Seong, the young swordsman, scratched his cheek and sighed. “Too easy. Guess I overdid it,” he muttered, glancing at the notification that appeared before him.
[You have gained experience points.]
[You have defeated a group with significant notoriety.]
[You have acquired the item, 『Treasure Goblin’s Vault Map.』]
“Huh? What’s this doing here?”
Seong examined the familiar-looking map, his curiosity piqued.