novelraw Chapter 121: The Miracle That Came (5)
Chapter 121: The Miracle That Came (5)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Jinwoo tried to send the Heroes back quickly, but missed the timing because of Hanu. Since the pre-prepared return magic circle had disappeared, it had to be reconstructed.
"Is there anything like a hidden item?"
"I feel like the Creator God must have hidden something."
"Let's search for it!"
It was impossible to control nearly twenty million Heroes all at once.
"Leon nim!"
"So what happened?"
"Hehe...."
Jinwoo had no choice but to explain the situation with Hanu to the Heroes for a while. After the story ended, the Heroes spread out, taking pictures, approaching the people of past Arsilan to talk to them, and even searching for hidden items.
Tiris, Magic Developers, and the staff worked their hardest to cover up any loose ends quickly. If it were discovered that this was not actually the past, it could cause chaos.
‘Well..., I could brush it off as a bug.’
But doing that hurt his pride as a game developer. Jinwoo adjusted the awkward elements and completed the return magic circle as quickly as possible.
"Huh?"
"Ah!"
Particles of light began to spill from the bodies of the Heroes, gradually becoming faint. It was a bit of added visual effect to the return magic. Jinwoo nodded and looked at the Heroes.
"It’s time to go back."
Jinwoo split the united Holy Sword into two, then approached the past Leon, who was standing with support. He subtly layered illusion magic over the past Leon to make it look convincing. When Jinwoo returned the Holy Sword, Leon received it with both hands and bowed his head.
The light emitted from the lanterns the Heroes possessed imbued the Holy Sword with power.
[The Light of Ella is imbued into the Holy Sword of the past, granting it the power to generate a Magic Barrier.]
The past Leon raised the Holy Sword toward the Heroes in a ceremonial manner, and the people of past Arsilan bowed their heads deeply. The Heroes felt proud and fulfilled as they watched the scene.
We are the ones who saved the past Arsilan!
Fwoooosh! Flash!
Light burst forth from all the Heroes' bodies, transforming into pillars of light, returning to Arsilan and the Giant Realm. As the Heroes completely vanished, Jinwoo removed the gate that had connected this space.
Jinwoo let out a long breath as he looked over the now-empty battlefield. Sank and the Giants smiled at each other, and the people of Arsilan who had helped with this story presentation encouraged one another.
"It’s over."
Jinwoo sat down on the spot and looked up at the sky. The Soul Gate that stood in Arsilan’s sky poured out a brilliant light, as if welcoming the return of the great souls.
Goodbyes were always sad, but it didn’t feel painful. The great warrior Hanu, who had suffered for so long, had found rest, and Arsilan would warmly embrace her soul.
Jinwoo deliberately put on a big smile.
If he looked gloomy, she might tease him. Jinwoo stood up and looked at the people of Arsilan who remained on the stage.
"Good work, everyone."
Jinwoo gave everyone Platinum Coins and Arsilan Gold as a token of his gratitude.
Sank came up beside Jinwoo.
"So, what happens now?"
"I have to create another story. A more fun story, a bigger event."
"Haha, running a game really isn’t easy."
Jinwoo chuckled.
Episode 3 was still in progress. There were still many stories left to be made together.
"So help me out. The Giant Realm is a veteran player area, so it’s going to stay busy."
"Of course. While I’m at it, I’d like to become a popular character too."
"Hmm? Well..., give it a try."
As a Giant, Sank harbored a grand ambition. It seemed Tia and Tiris had bragged to him. The era when mere survival was all that mattered had passed. Gaining a new dream beyond survival was a very good thing.
"Let’s head back too."
After this space was erased, it would be reused for another story or event. Jinwoo returned to Arsilan with everyone.
***
This main story received an incredibly positive response. The Heroes, addicted to the intense rush provided by the massive battlefield, suffered withdrawal symptoms for a while and headed to the Giant Realm to conclude the story.
What had been killed in the past was the Dark Priest of that timeline, but a Dark Priest still remained in the Giant Realm. He was scheming to escape from the Giant Realm.
‘Should we start by smashing the black crystal?’
‘The strategy has already been posted.’
‘Let’s form a subjugation squad?’
A subjugation squad was formed with named Heroes. This event was a special privilege only for the advance party who had arrived in the Giant Realm.
When Leon returned to the Giant Realm and handed over the Giant’s Flame to Sank, the Giant Realm regained its vitality. As the Dark Priest subjugation squad began their mission, Leon and the now-empowered Giants joined forces.
The Dark Priest appeared before the subjugation squad.
The Dark Priest was confident. Before him stood a sizable number of mummy soldiers, and even the corrupted Giants were lined up in formation.
“Hmm, not many.”
“Seems weaker than before?”
“Looks like it.”
Compared to the scale of the final battlefield they had experienced earlier, this looked pitifully small. The Heroes’ reactions flustered the Dark Priest, making him hesitate. But he soon regained his composure and unleashed a wave of dark energy.
[So the pathetic Giant race came to die!]
When Sank raised his hand, sacred flames flickered. The Giant’s Flame blazed brilliantly and imbued the lanterns hanging from the Heroes’ waists.
[The Giant’s Flame is imbued into the Hero’s Lantern. Together with the Light of Ella, it grants the power of the Giants.]
[A]Blazing Light of the Giant (Buff)
‘The power of the Giants joins the saviors of Arsilan.’
The Giant’s Flame blazed together with the Light of Ella, becoming a blessing for you. Skills, magic, and sacred techniques are magnified and their power significantly increased.
*Duration: 1 hour
“Oh! A buff?”
“My hands are literally on fire.”
“This is amazing.”
Bright light burst out from the lanterns, and flames blazed fiercely from the Heroes’ hands.
When Haebyul shot an arrow at the Dark Priest, something changed the moment it left the bowstring.
Fwoooosh!
The arrow enlarged mid-flight and flew toward the Dark Priest. After grazing past him and hitting the ground, it exploded in a burst of massive flames. It was one of her skills, Bomb Arrow.
Haebyul had a blank expression on her face.
“Wow....”
-What kind of damage is that?
-This buff is insane.
-Ah, only the advance party gets to do this fun stuff!
-Well, thanks to the advance party, we enjoyed it, so this much is a fair reward.
The subjugation squad advanced and crushed the mummy soldiers. Each time a Hero used a skill, it enlarged, sweeping away hundreds of mummy soldiers at once. The feel of it delivered an indescribable thrill.
[H-How can the Giant’s Flame be...!]
The Dark Priest stumbled, clearly flustered. When the Giants began to enlarge, the Dark Priest tried to use the black crystal. But the Heroes, having already studied the strategy, aimed for the moment the black crystal was about to descend toward the ground.
Crack!
The black crystal shattered with astonishing ease. At the same time, the Erosion forces vanished, and the proper boss raid against the Dark Priest began. Jinwoo, participating in the raid with the subjugation squad, swung the Holy Sword in moderation to control the boss raid’s tempo.
‘Hallon’s acting has improved too.’
Perhaps inspired by the Giants’ performance, the acting reached its peak. He convincingly took hits from the Heroes, showing a desperate struggle. Though he lacked uniqueness for a major villain, the classic vibe earned surprisingly good reviews.
[Kraaaagh! How dare you, you worthless vermin...! Behold the true power of darkness!]
The Dark Priest began to melt and transformed into a Reaper form. This was the carefully prepared Phase 3. With various patterns and terrifying dark magic, he entertained the subjugation squad.
Hallon (Dark Priest): I will end this now!
Jinwoo (Leon): Yeah, good job.
The Dark Priest’s final rampage began. As he scattered darkness and swung his scythe, LifeHunter’s Shadow Slash struck him, shattering his head.
A giant hand emerged from the ground and seized the Dark Priest’s body.
The Dark Priest screamed and thrashed about, but he couldn’t escape the grip. Just like being dragged into hell, he was caught by the hand and disappeared into the ground.
[K-Kuhk... I will... return again!]
It was Hallon’s ad-lib.
He must have felt it was a shame for the Dark Priest to disappear like this. As the Dark Priest completely vanished, the Heroes cheered with joy. A long-standing grudge that had persisted since the Early Access days had finally come to an end.
The blackened Giant Realm was purified and regained its original form.
‘Alright, time to hand out the rewards....’
Just as Jinwoo was thinking that and tried to pull up the info window through the Magic Tower.
“Huh?”
Haebyul, her face filled with shock, stared at a message and hurriedly opened her info window.
“C-Crap! Guys! We’ve got a big problem!”
“What is it?”
“Huh?”
As Haebyul urgently spoke, the Heroes tilted their heads and looked at her.
“Turn on the news broadcast!”
The Heroes immediately switched to the news broadcast. Then, just like Haebyul, their faces turned pale.
Jinwoo also received a message.
Heina (Captain of the Knights): Forces are advancing outside the Magic Barrier.
Outside the Magic Barrier.
That was now the port area. Jinwoo moved there with the Heroes. Already, countless Heroes were standing with weapons in hand, looking out over the desert.
“Whoa, there’s a shit ton of them.”
“What kind of huge event is this now?”
“Ahh! What about my ship?!”
“M-My passenger ship! I just got it yesterday!"
The army of Erosion was swarming in, pitch-black.
They had secretly approached from deep within the sand and revealed themselves as they neared the Magic Barrier. It looked like the Lord of Greed had prepared this with great care. While they wouldn’t be able to pass through the Magic Barrier, they could still inflict massive damage here.
[Kuhehe! All of you shall become mine!]
A noble seated on a lavish throne mounted on a siege weapon shouted. Greed’s Authority had taken root in that noble, and he was unable to contain the endlessly rising greed within him.
Gigantic monsters never seen before burst out from the sand. It was evident that this had been in the works for quite a while. They seemed to be aiming to completely occupy the area around the Magic Barrier and cut off supplies.
“Your Majesty!”
Heina ran toward Jinwoo, leading the knights. Tia, Tiris, and other Arsilan people arrived as well. Since this place was part of Arsilan’s territory, it was safe from Erosion, but the desert beyond wasn’t yet.
Jinwoo drew the Holy Sword and raised his magic power.
'There will be damage, but....'
There was no way to protect all the ships the Heroes had painstakingly built and all the goods piled up at the port. But what was even more fatal was the story getting derailed.
That army was like a sudden 'error' or 'bug'. It was a critical ambush that might force him to scrap the story they had prepared.
The army of Erosion, blackening everything in sight, reached near the port. Just as Jinwoo was about to raise the Holy Sword and give the command.
Ruuuumble!
The blackened desert shook violently.
Jinwoo’s eyes widened. From the Soul Gate, radiant light burst forth, and particles of light poured down toward the desert.
“Huh?”
“The light...”
“Wow!”
The Heroes could also see the particles of light raining down from the sky. Heina and the people of Arsilan slowly lowered their weapons. Jinwoo did the same.
Jinwoo immediately understood what these light particles were.
A soul with a clear and radiant light.
A powerful soul capable of ending a war alone.
The soul of Hanu, the chieftain of the Giants and a great warrior, was scattering from the Soul Gate and pouring down toward the desert.
Where the light particles landed, water appeared.
The desert sand decomposed, and clear water began to pool in its place.
The army of Erosion could not advance toward the port.
The sand churned violently, then began swirling as if a hole had opened in the ground.
[U-Ugh?!]
The noble imbued with Greed’s Authority fell from his throne.
Together with the vast desert, the army of Erosion began to be sucked down into the ground.
Even the most seasoned Heroes were left speechless at the grand scale of the spectacle.
Jinwoo was suddenly reminded of an old memory.
Of the time when he crossed the sea by ship.
Though the endlessly stretching sea might have seemed boring, Hanu continued to gaze out at it with a radiant smile. At that time, Jinwoo was casting a spell on Ella, who was suffering from seasickness.
Looking out over the sea, Hanu spoke.
‘They say when a great warrior of the Giant race dies, their soul is washed by rainwater, seeps into the earth, and flows into the sea to become a whale... Ella, is that true?’
‘A great warrior of the Giants would have a great soul too, so if it flows into the sea, I suppose it could happen.’
Ella barely managed to reply, her face pale as she endured the nausea. Hanu grinned.
‘If I die, I feel like I’d become an enormous whale. Jinwoo would be... an anchovy? Haha! An anchovy suits you!’
Hanu said that as she poked Jinwoo’s shoulder with her finger. Ella staggered over to stand right beside Hanu.
‘Uuugh!’
‘Aagh! Go throw up somewhere else!’
‘Blaargh!’
‘Jinwoo! Do something... Hey! Hey! Don’t run away!’
‘Anchovies can’t do that kind of thing, so the whale can handle it.’
The conversation ended there thanks to Ella grabbing Hanu and starting to show her the contents of her breakfast.
Ruuuumble!
Jinwoo looked at the massive whirlpool. Those whirlpools began to appear across the entire desert, one after another, eventually covering every visible spot.
From beneath the whirlpools came a sound like a ship’s horn. That sound grew louder, piercing through the whirlpools and resounding toward all the Heroes and people of Arsilan.
Then it happened.
Kwoooooosh!
A massive pillar of water burst through the whirlpool and soared high into the sky. It was so large, it filled the entire field of view. From within that water column, a gigantic whale rose up with its mouth wide open.
It swallowed the army of Erosion and soared into the sky, then crashed back down to the ground.
Sploosh!
As the enormous whale’s body touched the sand, the sand turned into water, becoming a sea.
“Wow....”
“A whale?”
“A-A sea is forming!”
From the countless whirlpools that filled the desert, whales, sharks, and schools of fish soared upward, and the army of Erosion was buried in the sea, scattering like sand.
[U-Uugh! P-Please spare....]
Crunch!
As the noble flailed in the sea, a giant shark appeared and tore into him.
The waterways that burst through the sand spread even more violently, instantly forming a vast sea.
Jinwoo reached out toward the sea with a blank expression.
A refreshing sensation met his hand.
‘They said she’d become a whale... but she became the sea.’
Hanu had become the sea.
Her great soul, now the sea, would forever enrich Arsilan.
“What is this production value?”
"No..., to suddenly have this kind of event...."
"Long live the Creator God!"
The Heroes, having regained their senses, erupted in cheers. Heina and the people of Arsilan also laughed together with the Heroes as they looked out at the sea. Jinwoo, watching the beautifully rippling water, snapped his fingers.
[The Dark Priest has perished, and the Erosion that had filled the desert has disappeared. The great chieftain Hanu has melted her soul to gift a sea to Arsilan.]
[‘Hanu’s Sea’ has been born! From now on, Hanu’s Sea will forever remain with Arsilan!]
The information window appeared before all the Heroes.
“That was a perfect story arc!”
“Damn! Now this is a real reward!”
“Guys, there’s a ton of fish!”
“Ooh! Shall we go diving?”
The Heroes near the sea changed into swimsuits and jumped in. Haebyul wiggled her fingers and approached Heina.
“Hehe... unnie!”
Haebyul and the Romance Heroes lifted Heina and jumped into the sea with her. Heina, who had fallen into the shallow water, grimaced and began to stand up. But in an instant, she moved behind Haebyul and grabbed her by the head.
“G-Gah! Glub! I’m sorry...!”
“Can’t quite hear you.”
And with that, she dunked her into the sea.
-That was hilarious ㅋ
-She’s out cold...
-Whatever, she’s still alive, so it’s fine!
With Haebyul knocked out, it became another Romance Hero’s turn.
Jinwoo chuckled as he watched, but then sensed someone behind him. Turning his head, he looked back.
“Relax.”
“Master, let’s go in quietly.”
Tiris and Tia approached and grabbed his arms. Jinwoo tried to resist, but Helby had already appeared behind him and gave him a push forward.
“Wah! Leon nim!”
“Leon nim has entered the sea!”
Seeing Jinwoo fall into the sea, many Heroes rushed into the water.
The beautiful sea, the laughter of joyous Heroes, comrades smiling brightly as if all worries had vanished.
Another miracle had come to Arsilan.
*****
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