novelraw Chapter 96: Offline? (2)
Chapter 96: Offline? (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Jinwoo was doing a lot for Earth. It was because Earth needed to be healthy for the Heroes to enjoy Arsilan Saga without worry. He made many donations through FS Games and created several foundations to help protect Earth.
For the parts that couldn’t be solved with money, he stepped in secretly. He removed things that could become a threat to Earth in advance and prevented natural disasters that could cause significant damage. Since the natural disasters disappeared so abruptly right before hitting, many scholars began studying them.
‘Heroes should be happy.’
Jinwoo always thought that way.
Children were future Heroes, youths were spirited Heroes, and middle-aged adults were seasoned Heroes. Elderly people in their twilight years were Heroes with abundant experience and wisdom.
Jinwoo used Soul Link to heal those who used it or breathe vitality into them, and even secretly cured incurable diseases. Sometimes, he cast powerful luck-enhancing magic to help them avoid accidents.
That’s how precious Heroes were to him.
When he saw posts saying that people became happy after becoming Heroes in Arsilan Worlds, he felt proud.
Even someone like Jinwoo, however, completely excluded certain people from the list of those to protect.
They were the ones who, despite becoming Heroes through Soul Link, committed all sorts of atrocities and were eventually ‘banned’. As the number of Heroes surpassed five million and approached ten million, the number of banned users also steadily increased.
They tried every method possible to reconnect to Arsilan Saga, but not once did they succeed. The brand marked on their souls could never be erased, and they could never become Heroes again.
‘If they had kept quiet, I would have left them alone.’
They began gathering through specific social media platforms and started spreading all sorts of conspiracy theories about Arsilan Saga. They even slandered famous Heroes. Their posts were filled with the confidence that no one could ever catch them.
When the Comfortable Expedition Team became popular this time, it was also them who spread all kinds of slander and baseless rumors. Because of their organized activities, quite a few others ended up getting swept up by them.
‘Looks like it’s time for some management.’
Naturally, he had already identified every one of them. He would take legal measures and also punish them personally. He could tolerate people bad-mouthing him to some extent, but harming Arsilan Saga and its Heroes was something he could never forgive.
The reason Arsilan Worlds remained clean and free of chaos wasn’t just because FS Games managed it well, it was also thanks to Jinwoo’s intervention. It was time to clean up those causing trouble outside of Arsilan Worlds as well.
“Well then....”
Deep within the lab, Jinwoo began crafting a physical body to use for this mission. He didn’t need to build everything from scratch and instead modified the body that Tiris had given him to suit Korea.
As he worked, he started enjoying it and added various things.
“Hmm.”
Jinwoo nodded as he looked at the body standing before him. Since it was modified based on Tiris’s body, it was naturally an unusually handsome face for Earth.
He added muscles that could easily crush tanks and upgraded the skeleton to match. He even engraved a magic circle that radiated pressure and charisma.
“Excellent.”
It was completely different from the gentle appearance of Comfortable.
Standing in front of him was a manly figure exuding an aura like he could beat monsters to death right now. The mixed-race impression made it even more striking. He looked like someone born between an Arsilan and a Korean.
Creating a new identity wasn’t difficult.
While protecting Earth, he had already prepared various means, and he only needed to use them slightly.
His name was Lee Pyeon-an, and he was 28 years old.
‘Feels kind of like Earth Online.’
Jinwoo let out a small laugh.
For Jinwoo, Arsilan was offline, and Earth was essentially online. After placing his original body safely on the bed in the lab, Jinwoo inhabited the new one.
He put on the prepared clothes and looked into the mirror.
Just by standing still, he radiated overwhelming presence. He gave off the energy of someone who could survive in a apocalypse with just his two fists. As he nodded and slightly flexed his body.
“Ah.”
Riiip!
His muscles twitched, and the clothes tore apart instantly.
It seemed some adjustments were still necessary.
* * *
Haebyul, after a long time, got ready to go out and stepped outside.
Today was Wednesday, the day of regular maintenance. On the last Wednesday of every month, a full-day maintenance took place, and the Heroes of Arsilan called it 'Seal Day'. It was because they couldn’t access Arsilan and felt as if they were sealed off in reality.
Like true Arsilan heroes, they scheduled the offline gathering on Seal Day. As soon as Haebyul came out, she grabbed her camera and turned on the stream.
It was a product released by Ohsung Electronics, and it was dominating the market with overwhelming technology. It looked like an action cam, but it could even produce hologram footage.
“Ugh! My body feels heavy.”
-In Arsilan, you were flying around...
-Reality is so cold.
-Seal Day is painful!
-Please let us log in, please, please...
Haebyul felt a sense of helplessness, as if all her power had been sealed. In Arsilan, she could run around all day and still feel refreshed, but reality was merciless. As soon as she stepped outside, her body drooped as though a debuff had been cast on her.
To exaggerate a bit, it felt like she had been hit directly by RomanticBard’s debuff.
“I want to eat IceTycoon-nim’s sherbet from Marogo.”
It was a sherbet supplied to the royal family. Though expensive, it came with an F-rank buff. Maybe because the weather had gotten hotter, the colorful ice cream from International City Marogo kept coming to mind.
All Heroes were in the same situation as Haebyul. Office workers who lived only to log into Arsilan Saga after work also slumped with gloom.
Seal Day was a day even bosses with terrible personalities behaved more gently. Since all the Heroes were on edge, a major incident could break out.
“He’s here!”
After waiting outside for a moment, UruBear arrived driving a car to pick her up. They agreed to stream all the way to the meetup location in an offline collaboration format.
UruBear saw Haebyul and smirked.
“Maybe it’s because I see you every day in Arsilan, but your real-life appearance feels awkward.”
“To me, this world is the online one.”
“Since you’re in Arsilan all day, I guess that’s true. Hahaha!”
At Haebyul’s serious expression, UruBear burst into loud laughter. The two drove off in the car.
“If this were Arsilan, we could teleport right away with Hero's Flower...."
-No romance here.
-So boring.
-We must endure. We’re Heroes.
Haebyul sighed as she looked out the window. The scenery of the city had no sense of romance.
"Argh! I need to manage my domain!"
The Romance Domain was steadily growing. Because it was right in front of the stairs leading down to the underground labyrinth, it attracted many Heroes, and trade was active. They could receive Points in tax form.
Occasionally, people from the Empire of Evil snooped around, but for now, they were being left alone.
“I heard the European Domains are mass-producing spices and fruit. I saw in a video that they’ve completely cleared the surrounding land.”
“I saw it too. I’m thinking of starting that in our Romance Domain as well.”
-Kya! Nice.
-As expected of Junior Baron Haebyul, you’ve got initiative.
-By the way, is the Priest coming to today’s meetup? There’s been a lot of talk on the community board.
-Maybe not? But if we see him in person, it’ll probably be disappointing.
-For real. Red pills usually disappoint. (TL Note: Reference from 'The Matrix' movie)
Outside Arsilan Worlds, the online community was still in chaos. Influenced by that, viewers kept asking about the Priest, Comfortable.
“Guys, don’t believe what the trolls are saying and just have fun today. He said he’s coming because you all kept making a fuss.”
UruBear said that after reading the chat.
If someone openly insulted others, not only could they get banned from the stream, but also from Arsilan Worlds itself, so he worded it carefully. That kind of sneaky attitude actually annoyed UruBear even more.
Haebyul glared into the camera.
“When Comfortable-nim shows up, we’re going to welcome him with all we’ve got! Got it? If anyone starts making noise again or gets swept up by weird talk, you’re all getting banned.”
Haebyul was a woman who did what she said.
-Are we getting the Haebyul bunny dance today?
-Did you prepare?
-Let’s go!
“Not doing it!”
And just like that, they arrived at the meetup location while streaming.
UruBear had rented out a villa for the offline meetup. Staff from FS Games personally assisted with today’s gathering. It was said that a special directive had come from upper management.
Once UruBear shared the schedule, everything was swiftly prepared.
Haebyul turned off the stream and stepped out of the car.
This broadcast was scheduled to take place at a villa. Haebyul looked around the villa and its surroundings in admiration.
“Oh, you really put in a lot of effort for a bear-nim.”
“Hehe, this is all thanks to my power. You’ll be even more surprised once we go inside. Ah! Hello. Thank you so much for your help.”
UruBear was showing off, but the moment he saw the FS Games staff, he bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle.
In front of the villa, there was a banner hanging.
[Romance Heroes! Welcome!]
Heroes affiliated with the Romance Domain were called Romance Heroes.
The Romance Heroes participating in today’s gathering were those who didn’t mind showing their faces. That was because they either were currently streamers or planned to be.
Because of that, both Haebyul and UruBear couldn’t help but feel more sorry toward Comfortable. They had invited him to the expedition team out of their own ambition, yet now he was being criticized without reason.
Haebyul and UruBear went inside the villa.
Inside, even Haebyul saw several pieces of broadcasting equipment for the first time.
Once the staff signaled that everything was ready, UruBear stood in front of the camera.
"Hello! Strong tanker! Romance Hero! UruBear here."
“Waaa! You’re ugly!”
“Hahaha! Still better than you.”
Haebyul played along in response.
Next to UruBear was a sofa, and the only one sitting there was Haebyul. Though there was plenty of space, it felt rather empty with just the two of them there.
As soon as the broadcast began, the number of viewers skyrocketed.
“This event is being livestreamed in hologram through the sponsorship of FS Games and Ohsung Electronics. If you have a Soul Link exclusive HoloBox, please link it with Soul Link and tune in. For overseas Heroes, real-time translated subtitles are also being provided!”
-Oh, ohh! Cutting-edge tech!
-This is crazy, it’s like magic!
-Uh... I still think virtual reality is more impressive.
-Yeah, true.
Not long ago, the Soul Shop had released the HoloBox. When linked with Soul Link, they could watch hologram footage through the Soul Link display. For first-generation Soul Link models, display upgrades were needed, but if they bought the HoloBox, a compatible display that could be attached to Soul Link was included.
-Whoa, it really feels like they’re right in front of me.
-Kya! I can see Haebyul noona!
-The Creator God continues creating even on Earth!
It wasn’t virtual reality, but augmented reality. Still, the resolution was so high, it felt like they were actually inside the villa with them. If they didn’t have a HoloBox, they could still watch through regular video.
“This is possible too!”
Next to UruBear, his Hero form appeared. Beside Haebyul, who was sitting on the sofa, her Hero form also appeared.
-Their real forms are kinda shabby.
-In game he looks like a manly man, but in reality, just a middle-aged dude.
-World’s first live broadcast of red pill content ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Haebyul noona... You’re not a noona anymore... sob...
“FS Games’ technology is the best in the world! Ah! This is the HoloBox, and it's currently available for 499,000 won at the Soul Shop. Through today’s event, we’ll be giving one to 30 lucky viewers!”
“Kyaa! Give me one too!”
Haebyul played along with the mood.
After a signal from the staff, UruBear nodded.
"Other Romance Heroes have arrived. It’s my first time seeing them in real life too. Let’s welcome them one by one! Please give them a round of applause!”
A Romance Hero entered the villa.
She was a petite woman. UruBear, Haebyul, and the viewers couldn’t figure out who she was.
“Alright! Please introduce yourself.”
“Hello! Who do you think I am?”
Upon hearing her tone, Haebyul immediately raised her hand.
“Our Domain’s top magician, BlingMagicShot-nim?!”
“Kyaa! That’s right!”
“Hehe, I guess I’m that recognizable!”
-Oh.
-So that was her!
-Kya! I’m her fan from now on.
Her Hero form appeared next to her. The contrast was clear. Since this red pill reveal was becoming content in itself, viewers found it refreshing.
The Heroes entered one by one.
“Oh! It’s DaggerTongue-nim!”
"Uh..., I didn't even say anything, how did you know?"
“I can just tell by the look.”
The Romance Heroes began sitting on the sofa one by one, taking their “red pill” turn. Since the staff had arranged their movements not to overlap, none of them encountered each other directly.
A total of eight Romance Heroes, including Haebyul and UruBear, were scheduled to attend this offline meetup.
“Now only the last person remains. Everyone knows who’s coming, right?”
-Finally.
-I’m actually curious.
-Cringe guy entering in 1 second.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋ the pig bastard actually crawled out. Get ready to get roasted.
-Let’s go, permanent archive!
-So many trolls here. Just shut up and watch.
-Seriously, how have you held back until now?
Being the last to appear naturally indicated that it was time for Priest Comfortable to show up. The trolls, who had been holding their breath until now, began to go wild.
Not only UruBear but also Haebyul and the other Romance Heroes were immensely curious about Comfortable’s true appearance.
‘I feel like he’s probably just an ordinary guy.’
‘Maybe a middle-aged man?’
‘The rumors can’t all be true, right?’
With such thoughts, the Romance Heroes stared at the door that Priest Comfortable would walk through.
“Now, please welcome the leader of the Comfortable Expedition Team, and the greatest Priest in Arsilan, Comfortable-nim!”
UruBear and all the Heroes held their breath and fixed their eyes on the door.
BANG!
The door swung open wide, and at last, he appeared. He strode in confidently toward UruBear.
The moment UruBear and the other Heroes saw him, they froze. They were completely overwhelmed by the aura and presence he exuded.
It felt like watching a warrior from the North boldly marching into the battlefield. The atmosphere around him suggested he would rip apart anything that dared block his path.
A lion? A tiger?
No, it was as if some mythical being beyond such wild beasts was walking toward them.
Step back-
UruBear involuntarily backed away.
Until he reached UruBear’s side, none of the Heroes could utter a word. Not even the staff who had come to assist.
The chat had also gone completely silent.
He looked at UruBear.
Due to the height difference, UruBear had to tilt his head up to look at him. Swallowing hard, UruBear barely managed to open his mouth.
“P-Pr-Priest Comfortable-nim?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
Even his voice was deep.
It had a husky tone.
“Hello. I’m Priest Comfortable. Thank you for inviting me.”
Comfortable spoke politely, but to the Heroes and viewers, it sounded like a declaration of war.
-He’s so handsome, but so terrifying.
-Ah... I took off my Soul Link for a moment.
-His presence is insane.
-Look at UruBear flinch. But honestly, I would too.
-A real Hero has appeared. Why does he look even stronger in real life?
Next to Comfortable, his Hero form appeared.
It felt as though the Hero form was the real-life one, and the man standing now was the character. No, he truly looked that way.
“W-W-Welcome! Comfortable-nim!”
UruBear stammered as he finally managed to say it.
Clap..., clap clap!
As he gave a subtle signal, Haebyul and the Romance Heroes clapped. The sound of the clapping felt extremely awkward. And as even that faded away, silence fell once more.
“Then..., Comfortable-nim, could you briefly introduce yourself?”
At UruBear’s request, Comfortable nodded.
“As you all know, I’m a Priest in Arsilan, and in real life, I run a small business.”
“H-Haha! It’s a legal business, right?”
UruBear cracked a joke to lighten the mood. Comfortable didn’t respond. He simply looked at UruBear. That alone made UruBear’s body tremble slightly.
Siiick!
Comfortable smiled.
"It's a business that makes everyone happy."
With that vague reply, the entire villa froze.
The trolls who had been raging in UruBear’s chat window were nowhere to be found now.
-Business... scary...
-So he chose Priest in Arsilan to grant people rest in peace...
-This guy’s the real deal. I’ve got a good eye for people, and he’s the real thing. Never cross paths with him on the street.
Viewers watching Comfortable through Soul Link and HoloBox unknowingly brought their hands together in front of them. The atmosphere in the chat turned extremely respectful.
‘Great strength really does bring peace.’
Haebyul had an epiphany.
*****
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