novelraw Chapter 74: The Dragon of Light and Darkness (2)
Chapter 74: The Dragon of Light and Darkness (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Jinwoo handed Helby a snack.
“Want some chips?”
“Hmph...”
They were potato chips brought from Earth. Helby ate the chips while looking at the floating window in front of her.
Jinwoo and Helby were sitting side by side in the center of the Grand Temple at the summit. He had brought a soft sofa, making it extremely comfortable.
Like watching TV, the floating window in front of them showed the situation inside the Stage 1 Temple. The temple was an instance dungeon, and it created an identical body by reading the information of the Hero entering.
[Aaaargh! Why is it so strong!]
[Ugh! Isn't that bastard me? I can’t beat it!]
[That guild master is going on a rampage! Why is our side....]
Even by using only the skills recorded in the Hero’s data, it was overwhelming the Hero. It was showing directly how to fight.
Stage 1 Temple required the participation of many Heroes.
As many Heroes defeated their own doppelgangers, branches from the tree in Stage 1 Temple would fall or cracks would appear on its surface. When the tree completely disappeared, the temple would collapse and they could move on to the next stage.
The other two temples worked the same way. All three temple stages had to be cleared before the final event could begin at the temple on the mountain summit.
Jinwoo looked at the focused Helby and chuckled.
“How is it? Isn’t it fun?”
“Not really.”
Despite saying that, she looked quite amused.
To Helby’s eyes, the Heroes looked like shining jewels. Massive raw stones were being beautifully refined.
The Helby Lovers Group was engaged in a desperate fight with their own doppelgangers. At her level, it was of course a petty fight, but she couldn’t take her eyes off it.
[...Helby-nim..., I’ll massage your shoulders....]
[...Helby-nim..., coffee..., coffee..., top-grade coffee....]
The doppelganger said such things.
It was set to randomly say the most frequently used phrases. Helby knew that, too.
Swoosh!
When Jinwoo looked at Helby, she pretended not to notice. Her ears turned slightly red.
"If you look so closely, your eyes will get bad."
“Hmph, nonsense.”
Anyway, Helby was also experiencing the path of hardship through the Heroes.
Jinwoo chuckled and fell into brief thought.
The Great War was near.
This time’s “Dragon of Light and Darkness” was a story of Helby ascending as a guardian dragon, but it was also designed to help the Heroes grow. He was investing all available resources to boost their growth. He was pushing it a bit by holding an experience event, and he had organized and disclosed many books he had kept.
He was providing both rich knowledge and experience that would help in the Great War. All of it in the form of an immersive and touching quest.
Jinwoo brought up a graph of the average level in the information window. The graph, which had been trending upward, was now climbing steeply.
By the time Dragon of Light and Darkness ended, the Heroes would be completely different from before.
“It’s nice to relax for once.”
A short break was granted to Jinwoo, who had prepared many things until now.
During the progression of this story, there was no need to visit the royal palace. The King Leon praying at the Grand Temple was a fake made with illusion magic. The entrance to the Grand Temple was left slightly open on purpose so that the Heroes could see.
This might be the last break before the Great War.
“Wizard, what will you do after the Great War?”
“I’ll have to prepare for the invasion.”
“And then?”
At Helby’s words, Jinwoo fell into thought for a moment.
“Maybe it’d be nice to hold a festival. A festival that everyone in Arsilan can join.”
There had been times when the Heroes themselves held festivals in places like Evanth Village, but there had never been an official one. It wouldn’t be bad to run a festival using the format of a game event. After all, a similar wish existed under the subcategory of wishes.
After the Great War, he could regain some leisure, so it didn’t matter what he did.
“An invention contest, or maybe a fishing competition, or even a full-scale duel tournament wouldn’t be bad. Or perhaps something like a sports day reflecting the unique traits of each city or village could be fun.”
There were a lot of possible events.
Even just the ideas that came to mind right away were already this many. Jinwoo pictured the scene in his head. He was itching to get started with the planning.
“That sounds fun.”
At Helby’s words, Jinwoo turned his head and looked at her profile. The corner of her lips was slightly raised. Jinwoo wanted to tease her for the change in her expression, but he didn’t. He had changed just as much as she had, so he had no right to tease her.
Just as Arsilan was changing, everyone was changing.
He was very curious to see what they would all look like at the end of this journey.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Helby reached her hand out toward Jinwoo.
As Jinwoo moved to shake her hand, she slapped his hand with a smack.
“Snack.”
No matter how much she changed, Helby was still Helby.
Jinwoo blinked, then chuckled and placed the bag of chips in her hand.
* * *
Arsilan Saga was impossible not to become deeply immersed in. Even Heroes who used to say, “It’s just a game” and insisted they would never get immersed, ended up deeply immersed once they came to Arsilan.
It was a world hard to distinguish from reality, and in this vast world of Arsilan, precious things naturally began to form one by one.
Friends and connections made in Arsilan Saga.
Emotions that bloomed while fighting great enemies together were sincere in a way one couldn’t even feel in real life.
This episode, “The Dragon of Light and Darkness,” was the pinnacle of such deep immersion. The response was just as explosive as when Leon created the Holy Sword and vanished. Joy and excitement evaporate quickly, but sorrow and emotion tend to linger deep in the heart.
Heroes shared the path of hardship with Helby's phantom.
The false temple that emerged from the place where Helby left behind her past.
The doppelganger came at them using all the techniques heroes could use in an ideal way. It was constructed based on the physical data of the Hero at the time they first entered the temple, so they either had to overwhelm it with their grown power or counter it with skill and movement just as refined as the doppelganger’s.
Title: Completely like a teacher.
I use a two-handed sword, but something always felt awkward?
But after copying the doppelganger’s movements, it started feeling natural. I beat it by overpowering with levels, but I keep trying again and again. It feels great to grow through practice, not just leveling up.
Damn! That feel in the hands is insane.
This is what a game should be!
Anonymous1 (KR): Helby-nim... even while going through that kind of pain, she created an opportunity for us to grow...
└TwoHandedSwordInvincible (Original Poster): Crazy bastard! I'm trying to act bright, why are you doing this....
Anonymous2 (KR): Try challenging it with a party or guild. The coordinated movements are seriously insane. Learned so much.
└Anonymous3 (KR): It seems super textbook, but that’s what makes it incredibly strong.
Anonymous4 (US): I will surpass myself and become a great Hero.
EarthDestruction: After I beat it... I got choked up. It felt like I really overcame something.
└Anonymous5 (JP): Same here. I’ve been playing since Early Access, and I got past that old version of myself in just a few days. I feel proud of myself.
LookingForBoyfriendToWhisperToMe: The way the doppelganger smiles when it disappears is such a weird feeling.
Facing a version of yourself that’s stronger than you was clearly a trial. It sometimes felt like more of a wall than fighting an overwhelmingly powerful enemy. But once you overcame it, somehow, you felt an immense sense of accomplishment.
Some even got choked up.
The first time a doppelganger was killed, it would turn into particles and disappeared while looking at the hero and smiling. Then it would raise a finger and point upward.
'Keep killing your past self and move forward.'
That smile and gesture seemed to say just that.
A self that had become stronger and grown beyond the past.
By fighting and eliminating their past selves, they physically realized that truth. It was an incredibly precious experience, something absolutely impossible to have in the real world.
[You have faced your past self and walked the tribulation of the Magic Dragon together. With great courage, you defeated your past self and gained the strength to move forward.]
[The Temple of the Past has collapsed. The Magic Dragon is freed from the past.]
As many Heroes defeated their own doppelgangers, the tree in the temple withered and completely vanished. At the same time, the Temple of the Past crumbled.
In the clearing where the temple disappeared, the Flower of the Heroes bloomed beautifully, and the sharp, thorny stone path was transformed into a well-maintained, pure white road.
With Helby’s illusion, they moved forward toward the summit, walking the Path of Penance together. The Heroes who followed behind her, wearing crowns of thorns, looked like pilgrims heading toward sacred suffering.
[You who seek to move forward, what do you desire?]
At the clearing they arrived at again, Helby knelt and parted her lips.
[I seek courage for the Heroes.]
[Then, along with a thousand years of fear, cast away your terror.]
Helby endured every kind of fear one could feel over a thousand years and cast away her terror. From that place, the Temple of Terror burst forth. It was a demonic realm from which the insects and bugs most hated by the Heroes poured out endlessly.
“I think I could eat pupae now.”
"It's nothing special. Ugh!"
“The larvae look kind of tasty, don’t they? Should I try making kimchi with them?”
It gave a substantial amount of experience, so if one could endure it, there was hardly a better easy task then this.
When the Temple of Terror was cleared, “Hard Mode” was unlocked. Hard Mode was a personalized temple implemented based on the Heroes’ deep consciousness. With the addition of curse magic and Helby’s trial, it made the Heroes face the fear they had not yet overcome.
“I did it!”
“Waaah! I did it!”
Those who overcame the terror of Hard Mode received the title “[C]Courageous Hero”.
The Heroes who destroyed the Temple of Terror followed Helby’s illusion back toward the summit.
The once-dark footprints of Helby began to fade. Helby was still climbing with difficulty, but she smiled often. The Heroes, seeing her smile, could walk with slightly lighter steps.
[I seek the righteous strength for the Heroes.]
[Then, along with a thousand years of despair, cast away your nature of destruction.]
Helby overcame every despair imaginable over a thousand years and cast away the nature of destruction as she headed for the summit. Inside the Temple of Destruction was a wasteland, followed by an unending and dreadful monster wave.
The Heroes learned how to overcome overwhelming numbers and gained a proper experience of strategy and tactics.
“Whew!”
“This one was kind of tough.”
It took a fair bit of time, but the Heroes were able to destroy even the Temple of Destruction.
The Heroes who destroyed all three temples had grown tremendously strong. Even though the temples had collapsed, they could re-enter anytime, allowing latecomers to join as well.
Now, only the final temple at the summit remained.
The Heroes followed Helby’s illusion to the summit. There was no more darkness in Helby’s footsteps. They were now bathed in a radiant golden light.
Though staggering as if exhausted, Helby firmly continued upward.
At the summit of the mountain, she looked out briefly over Arsilan. Once her heavy breathing settled, she knelt on the ground.
[I seek hope for the Heroes.]
[Then, along with a thousand years of despair, face your own greed.]
From Helby’s body, which had endured a thousand years of despair, black currents surged, and the black Helby appeared. Helby screamed in pain for the first time ever. It sounded like her soul was being torn apart.
[Foolish. We can never move toward the light. Accept the instincts of destruction and greed.]
The black Helby declared this and grabbed Helby by the neck, lifting her up.
[I... am....]
Helby’s words couldn’t be clearly heard.
She clenched her fist and struck the black Helby’s cheek. But she was too weak, and the black Helby’s head didn’t even flinch. The black Helby then slammed Helby down onto the ground.
Bang!
At that moment, a tree sprang up from the ground and wrapped around Helby’s body, growing larger. When the tree fully matured, the illusion vanished. The Heroes could now understand what had happened in that place.
A great number of Heroes gathered in front of the massive temple. These were the Heroes who had overcome the tribulations by destroying all three temples. Unlike before, the temple was now inaccessible, as if something was blocking entry. The Heroes who arrived first waited for the others to join.
Hundreds of thousands of Heroes gathered at the summit of the mountain and all reached the temple. Though the area in front of the temple was too small to accommodate them all, space was divided per individual, allowing everyone to fit.
“Oh... so this is how it works.”
“Not bad.”
The Heroes in different spaces appeared as illusions. They emitted a blue glow and could overlap like ghosts since their bodies could pass through one another.
As the Flower of the Heroes bloomed, the information window appeared.
[Heroes who have overcome the past and conquered destruction and fear. The Greed Dragon is a calamity beyond your strength. Do you still wish to enter?]
Without hesitation, the Heroes entered the temple.
Inside the temple was still as beautiful as gazing into the cosmos. At the center of the temple, Helby was tied to a tree. Her condition was dire.
She exhaled weakly, barely clinging to life. The flower buds that bloomed on the tree had faded, and a fruit had formed. The black Helby took the fruit in hand and bit into it.
[The vermins have swarmed in again.]
The black Helby stretched out her hand toward the Heroes. A massive magic circle appeared, once again attempting to annihilate the Heroes.
“Ugh, uuugh!”
“Wh-what a massive magic power...!”
“Insane...”
Just seeing the magic circle froze the Heroes in place.
“Fuck! Just try to hold on!”
“Uwaaaagh!”
“Aaaargh!”
The Heroes screamed as they struggled to endure by any means.
It was then.
The tree shattered, and Helby fell to the ground. This was the result of the three temples collapsing.
Helby crawled with difficulty across the ground and grabbed the ankle of the black Helby.
The black Helby looked down.
“...Stop..., it...”
Helby forced out the words, and a cruel smile crept across the black Helby’s lips. She lowered her hand, dispelling the magic, and then snapped her fingers.
Sssssss!
A transparent wall rose in front of the Heroes. They tried attacking it, but it couldn’t be broken. The black Helby kicked Helby hard.
Fwoosh!
She was sent flying and slammed into the transparent wall.
“Gah!”
As Helby fell to the floor, coughing up blood, the black Helby extended her hand. Helby’s tattered body was pulled toward her and lifted into her grasp.
The black Helby began attacking Helby right in front of the Heroes. She twisted her arm and slammed her body to the ground. She kicked her, sending her flying into the transparent wall again.
And then.
[This is no longer needed.]
Crack!
She grabbed Helby’s horn and crushed it on the spot. The shattered horn turned into particles of light and fell to the floor. As if tossing away garbage, she hurled Helby at the transparent wall again. Helby hit the wall and dropped to the ground.
The Heroes, enraged at the sight, relentlessly attacked the transparent wall in front of them, but it wouldn’t break.
[Give up. You cannot handle the coming Great War. Neither can these weak creatures.]
The black Helby looked up at the sky. Then, a path to the Abyss opened.
[I will abandon Arsilan and return to the Abyss. This land has lost its value. I will erase all the worthless things obtained here and return without hesitation.]
Helby, with great effort, pushed against the ground with both hands and stood up. Her horn was broken, and her body was battered, yet she smiled coolly as if it were nothing.
“I won’t run away like you.”
The black Helby frowned.
“Playing around with those idiots... was better than I thought.”
Helby raised her fist.
“So I will become-”
Blood dripped from her tightly clenched fist. Helby struck the transparent wall with that very fist.
It seemed like a powerless blow.
However, at the point where her fist landed.
Crack!
A fracture formed and spread across the entire transparent wall.
“Guardian Dragon.”
Helby’s smile deepened.
Even though she had lost her horn, and even though her entire body was battered as if it could collapse at any moment, she stood before the Heroes.
Guardian Dragon.
That unyielding, mighty being was our Guardian Dragon.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Helby-nim!”
“Break the wall! Quickly!”
The Heroes unleashed their full strength on the cracked transparent wall, pouring their attacks into it.
Crash!
The transparent wall shattered like breaking glass and disappeared.
“Fools.”
Helby turned her head and looked at the Heroes.
“Thanks for helping, but you were a bit late.”
Helby gave a bright smile.
Then she placed her hand on her chest.
“I, Hella Violani Urshig!”
Helby declared her name.
“Wish to become the Guardian Dragon who protects the Heroes with wisdom, courage, and righteous strength, guarding the Kingdom of Sillion and Arsilan! Heroes! Will you recognize me as the Guardian Dragon?”
At her proclamation, the Heroes trembled.
Goosebumps rose all over their bodies.
“Of course we will!”
“Uwaaaah! Helby-nim! We love you!”
“Please be our Guardian Dragon!”
“Kyaaaa!”
With a roar that shook the temple, the Heroes acknowledged Helby.
The black Helby raised her hand with a displeased expression. A far more powerful magic circle appeared than before.
[Be gone, all of you.]
A wave of starlight surged forward, advancing toward Helby and the Heroes. It was a spell strong enough to erase everything directly in its path with ease.
Fwoooosh!
However, the magic could not advance.
Helby slowly moved her arms and crossed them. In front of her, the magic distorted and disappeared into another space.
[Guardian Dragon Hella Violani Urshig has been born! The Guardian Dragon shall always be the hope of Arsilan!]
[All the tribulation and recognition of the Heroes is imbued into her horn!]
The Crown of Thorns worn by the Heroes scattered into particles of light and began gathering at Helby’s broken horn. Her horn began to grow, radiating a golden light.
The Crown of Thorns became the horn of the Guardian Dragon.
It looked as if she were being crowned.
The expression on the black Helby's face twisted viciously.
She opened her mouth, preparing to unleash a breath with the power to destroy everything.
“I told you...”
Helby’s form blurred and then appeared before the black Helby.
“To stop!”
KWAANG!
Helby’s fist landed squarely on the black Helby’s cheek.
Crashhhhhh!
The black Helby’s body tore through the floor of the temple, which looked like a view of the galaxy, and flew sideways. Helby appeared next to her midair, grabbed her, and hurled her upward.
Then she reached out her hand.
A radiant light burst forth, blowing apart the ceiling of the temple along with the airborne black Helby.
“Kyah!”
“That’s it!”
“Uwaaaaa!”
The Heroes shouted in triumph at Helby’s overwhelming display.
Helby stretched out her aching body and looked forward. The black Helby, who had fallen to the ground, began to rise.
*****
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