novelraw Chapter 123: What is Happiness (1)
Chapter 123: What is Happiness (1)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The 1st Leon-nim Happiness Wishing Contest!
It was the first large-scale event held by the Heroes themselves without any intervention from FS Games. The message from the Temple of Miracles began to spread among the Heroes, and the topic was seriously discussed within the Arsilan Worlds.
A hero called Leku, short for 'I want to receive Leon-nim's scolding', created a 'Happiness Promotion Committee', and many heroes joined to plan a large-scale event.
After preparing in secret for some time, once the plan became concrete, they sought cooperation from the Arsilanians. Leku first went to find Helby. Since arrangements had already been made with the Hellhound, he was able to meet Helby quickly. Upon hearing Leku’s story, Helby showed interest.
“I do want to see his surprised face.”
“Right? Such a delicious expression... ahem! Just thinking about His Highness Leon being moved makes me even happier.”
Surprisingly, Helby actively cooperated. She gathered the Arsilanians herself and explained the event, and the Arsilanians gladly offered their help. Heina was deeply moved and pledged to make this operation a success.
With a flood of civil complaints from the Heroes, they were able to keep Leon in his office for a while, and with the Arsilanians' cooperation, they managed to stall for more time.
Not all Heroes participated in the “1st Leon-nim Happiness Wishing Contest!” but a considerable number did. Millions of Heroes gathered in Solis, and many of them joined the contest.
Those unfamiliar with Arsilan Saga might have asked why people would go to such lengths for a “character”. However, saying that in front of the Heroes would earn them a harsh scolding.
To the Heroes, Arsilan Saga was a second reality. No, perhaps it was their first reality.
Love and romance that could not be felt in real life existed here.
That alone made Arsilan no different from a new hometown for the Heroes.
“Leon-nim! This way, please!”
Leku and the committee staff, composed of Heroes, guided Jinwoo to his seat. There was a lavish golden throne placed at the best spot to view the stage. As Jinwoo walked up to the golden throne, Tia and Tiris presented him with bouquets in his arms.
Jinwoo still had a blank expression until he heard the roaring cheers from the Heroes and realized what was going on.
“Haha...”
Jinwoo smiled and looked at the Heroes.
He couldn’t believe they had all gathered for Leon’s happiness. There was no greater gift for a game developer. For the Archmage who had poured himself into Arsilan for so long, it was an immense comfort.
As Jinwoo sat on the golden throne, Heina, Tia, and many Arsilanians joined the Heroes in the audience. Helby sat in the front row with the Helby Lovers Group.
“To commemorate 'The 1st Leon-nim Happiness Wishing Contest!', many Heroes made donations. In just one week, 8.2 billion won was raised, and it will be donated under Leon-nim’s name for a happier society.”
Many Heroes gladly participated in the donation.
FS Games established the Leon Foundation, and the amount raised by the Heroes was combined with a donation from Ohsung Electronics. It was planned to be used for medical support programs for vulnerable groups around the world.
It would help the blind regain their sight and allow children who lost their limbs in unfortunate accidents to play without discrimination. Wasn’t this also a miracle created by the Heroes?
The radiant light of Arsilan reached beyond dimensions, all the way to Earth.
“Many skilled Heroes participated. All of them have been verified.”
The contest was prepared solely for Leon’s happiness.
Anyone who participated with other motives was thoroughly excluded. Jinwoo looked toward the stage. Clerics came up and began singing embarrassing songs of praise for Leon.
“As Prince Leon descends, blessings fill Arsilan~”
“As radiant light settles upon the land~”
Jinwoo, unaccustomed to such things, felt his face heat up.
The broadcasting station aired the contest. Thanks to that, Heroes in other regions and even in reality could watch together. His flushed face was broadcasted to everyone.
-Is this a contest to embarrass Leon-nim?
-ㅋㅋㅋ He's adorable.
-Let us handle everything, Leon-nim, you just be happy!
-But the song is actually good. If this becomes a trend...
Though the praise song was embarrassing, the song itself was good. As soon as it was released, it was registered on music sites and received positive feedback!
Next was a musical depicting Leon’s journey from Early Access to the present. It was said that a famous foreign director directed the stage himself, and perhaps because of that, even Jinwoo was surprised at the high level of completion. It was good enough to go straight to Broadway.
'Hmm.'
Jinwoo looked embarrassed whenever the Hero playing Leon performed. When Helby’s part appeared on stage, the broadcast camera showed Helby, who nodded in satisfaction with a smile. Then she quickly composed her expression.
“Oh, this is good.”
“The musical is worth watching.”
“How much did they even practice?”
-They're seriously into this.
-How did they prepare everything from costumes to songs?
-A Hero must be perfect. That’s what makes a Hero.
The genres weren’t limited to just songs or plays.
Anything that could make Leon happy was allowed. HandGenius and the Heroes of the Workshop came up onto the stage. WingGenius was also with HandGenius.
“We’ve finally developed a new bomb. The Magic Tower of Solis also collaborated on it.”
A Magic Tower for wizard-type Heroes had been established in Solis. It was said that Tiris occasionally visited to teach magic.
HandGenius cleared his throat and looked at Jinwoo.
“This new bomb will bring peace to Arsilan! And despair to the enemy! We've named it ‘The Great Light for Leon-nim’. Abbreviated as Le.Jeon.Light!”
“Lejeonlight!”
WingGenius followed up with a solemn expression.
HandGenius was the best bomb-maker in Arsilan. His skills had continued to evolve through countless real battles, from the Great War, to the Domain War, and the Final Battlefield. He was the first among the Production Class to undergo a second job change and was granted a large laboratory in Solis. It was equivalent to earning a PhD back on Earth.
A waiting staff member brought sunglasses to Jinwoo. As Jinwoo put on the sunglasses, HandGenius pointed to a field in the distance. There was a small hill there.
The staff carefully handed Jinwoo a switch with a button. Seeing that, Kim Seok-jun immediately took over the proceedings.
“Then let’s begin the countdown! After the countdown, we ask Leon-nim to press the launch button!”
The countdown began.
The Heroes gathered in Solis shouted the numbers loudly. The Arsilanians watched with interest.
‘A new bomb, huh…’
Jinwoo wasn’t expecting much.
“3! 2! 1!”
As the countdown ended, Jinwoo looked at the hill and firmly pressed the button.
Dudududu!
A brilliant light exploded from the hill, and the ground shook violently. A massive column of flame soared into the sky, and the shockwave rolled all the way to where the Heroes were gathered.
“Wahhh!”
“Crazy!”
“Kyah!”
Hot air swept over their bodies. A mushroom cloud rose as the hill evaporated and became flat ground. Jinwoo lowered his sunglasses and stared at the scene.
-What the hell did they make?
-Seriously…
-Is this guy obsessed with firepower?
HandGenius and WingGenius raised both arms and cheered loudly. Even the Heroes who were momentarily stunned by the overwhelming firepower burst into cheers.
“Incredible firepower! A new bomb to defend Arsilan and burn our enemies has exploded successfully!”
Kim Seok-jun’s voice was full of excitement.
Jinwoo blinked and raised his hand.
“May I ask one question?”
“Yes, of course!”
HandGenius quickly responded to Jinwoo’s words.
“It seems rare materials were used. How much does one of those bombs cost?”
“Kh, ahem! That is…”
Jinwoo checked HandGenius’s financial status. His Arsilan Gold balance was 0. Fortunately, he had no debt.
“Roughly... about 2 million gold…”
“I see.”
Just the material cost was 2 million gold.
It took a long time to produce, and setting the right detonation conditions was difficult. With 2 million gold, one could summon multiple low-grade summoned creatures and still have money left. The cost-effectiveness was quite low, but the power was enough to surprise even Jinwoo. If ranked, it would be about B+ rank.
In any case, having a new weapon was a good thing.
“HandGenius-nim, thank you for working for Arsilan.”
When Jinwoo clapped and smiled, HandGenius also smiled brightly.
It wasn’t just the bomb’s power, he could feel how much effort had been put in for his sake, and that warmed his heart. Seeing WingGenius smiling happily beside HandGenius, it made Jinwoo once again realize just how precious this peace was.
-Leon-nim has smiled.
-As expected, overwhelming firepower makes Leon-nim smile!
-It’s a laughter bomb.
Jinwoo happily watched the performances prepared by the Heroes.
The Heroes were delighted to see Jinwoo covering his face in disbelief, laughing brightly, looking flustered, his various reactions. It was like how Jinwoo usually prepared content and observed the Heroes' reactions.
-Seeing Leon-nim smile makes me feel happy too.
-I feel like I’ve learned more about life from Arsilan Saga.
-I’m a total shut-in, but I have lots of friends here.
-It’s the rule that shut-in Heroes are strong.
The atmosphere grew warm.
The final turn belonged to the Helby Lovers Group. The Helby Lovers brought a massive object covered with a cloth onto the stage. HellHound, dressed in a butler uniform, bowed politely and began to speak.
He got straight to the point.
“We have finally completed it.”
The Heroes of the Helby Lovers Group pulled off the cloth. The item they brought onto the stage was an airship. A large magic engine was attached to a long balloon-like structure designed to float the airship into the sky, and the main body was attached beneath it. Foldable wings were also visible, designed to settle into the flow of magic.
Those wings resembled those of a Guardian Dragon.
“The name of this airship is ‘HelbyLeonLoveForever’!”
On the balloon-like device, named “the Float Unit”, were side-by-side photos of Leon and Helby.
“Hmph.”
Helby seemed pleased that her name and photo were placed before Jinwoo’s. Seeing that, Jinwoo couldn’t help but laugh.
“Do you think it’ll actually fly?”
“Hmm....”
“They keep failing, though.”
“Even the flying mounts from the Giant Realm can’t go up that high. They can’t fly for long either.”
If they could move through the sky, the Heroes’ mobility would increase dramatically. More than anything, there was romance in the sky.
However, the Heroes’ reactions were skeptical.
Many had tried, but no one had achieved any significant results yet. The massive flow of magic high in the sky was simply too unstable.
“Board!”
At HellHound’s command, the Heroes of the Helby Lovers Group saluted Jinwoo. When Jinwoo returned the salute, they boarded the airship.
Jinwoo watched closely.
Helby, uncharacteristically tense, bit her lip slightly. It was because she knew how much effort the Helby Lovers Group had poured into creating that airship.
When Jinwoo raised his hand to signal, the magic engine of “HelbyLeonLoveForever”, abbreviated as “HelLeon”, ignited. The HelLeon trembled violently, then slowly began to lift into the air. It rose higher than the walls of Solis and gradually began to ascend into the sky.
Up to this point, many had succeeded.
The problem came after that. Once it rose to a certain height, it collided with the flow of magic, and the HelLeon shook violently. The magical formula engraved on the Float Unit tried to pierce through the flow of magic, but it didn’t seem easy.
[Just a little more!]
[We just need to go up a little more!]
[The fuel line burst! Aaaah!]
[Uh-oh? We’re losing altitude!]
Jinwoo used magic to eavesdrop on the conversation inside the airship. Helby was also using the same magic as Jinwoo. Urgent chatter and the sounds of explosions were heard.
‘Is it still too soon?’
Failure was expected.
It had been less than two years since magic engineering and alchemy had taken root among the Heroes. Even with Earth’s technological know-how, flying through the sky in just two years was asking too much.
That thought crossed Jinwoo’s mind, but strangely, he didn’t feel like it was going to fail.
“U-Uaaah!”
“Go! Higher! Higher!”
“Kyah! There’s smoke coming out!”
-It’s starting to descend a bit...
-So close.
-You can do it! Use your grit!
The countless Heroes gathered in Solis looked up at the airship with desperate expressions. Helby was about to help with magic like she had in the Great War, but she stopped herself.
The first flight had to be done without anyone’s help. Only then could they be recognized as a true dragon. The Helby Lovers Group was just like a baby dragon that had left the nest.
Just as the airship was about to fall, the wind blew. It was a gentle breeze that wrapped around Arsilan.
It was as if the sky of Arsilan had granted permission for their flight.
It felt like the world was welcoming the Heroes not as mere visitors, but as true members of Arsilan.
[Waaah!]
[It’s rising!]
With the magic engine running at full capacity, the airship finally caught the flow of magic.
Swoooosh!
The wings of the HelLeon spread open, and it began flying stably.
A slightly chubby, strangely shaped dragon now flew freely through the skies of Arsilan.
“Woooaaah!”
“They did it!”
“Khuh! This is it!”
-No way, they actually succeeded.
-Helby Lovers Group… they're really insane.
-This is truly the power of love.
The Heroes embraced each other and shouted in celebration.
“Well done!”
Helby also clenched her fist and stood up from her seat. But when her eyes met Jinwoo’s, she cleared her throat and sat back down. Still, it seemed she couldn’t control the twitching corners of her mouth.
The Helby Lovers Group had become dragons in the sky of Arsilan.
Jinwoo, along with everyone else, looked at the HelLeon. After flying in the sky for a short while, the HelLeon wobbled and landed back on the stage. As HellHound and the Heroes of the Helby Lovers Group stepped out of the airship, Jinwoo gave them a thumbs-up.
“We did it!”
“We conquered the sky!”
“This is it!”
Helby let out a small laugh and, after some hesitation, raised her own thumb.
It was the “1st Leon-nim Happiness Wishing Contest!” but it was starting to feel slightly off track. Even so, seeing everyone filled with laughter and cheers, Jinwoo smiled more brightly than ever.
‘I see.’
Yes, the happiness of all the Heroes and Arsilanians was his own happiness. He could once again realize what he had built and what he should continue to do from here on.
“Ha ha! Well done!”
Jinwoo stood up and cheered with them. His excited and joyful expression didn’t quite match the image of Leon.
-Leon-nim’s going all out for the Heroes ㅋㅋ
-ㅋㅋ You can feel the consideration.
-But it’s heartwarming to see.
The Helby Lovers Group marked the end of the stage performances.
Just as Jinwoo stood to give his thanks.
“The first part of 'The 1st Leon-nim Happiness Wishing Contest! has ended!' After a short break, we’ll continue with Part 2!”
Jinwoo blinked and looked at the announcer.
“The next schedule includes ‘Cooking Competition for Leon-nim’, ‘Find Leon-nim’s Ideal Type’, ‘Leon-nim Quiz Show’, and the ‘Leon-nim Art Exhibition’. And tomorrow-”
Tomorrow too?
Seeing Jinwoo’s dazed expression, the Heroes burst into laughter. It felt less like a Happiness Wishing Contest and more like a Teasing Contest.
‘I’ll get them back on the second anniversary.’
Listening to the long list of scheduled events, Jinwoo made that vow.
* * *
As the second anniversary approached, FS Games was moving busily. Every time new content was added, the Heroes screamed that their stomachs would burst, so updates had been paused temporarily. During that pause, they planned and prepared the second-anniversary celebration.
The Heroes planned to put up second-anniversary congratulatory messages for FS Games on subway stations and various building billboards.
To express their gratitude to FS Games and Lee Jinwoo, who had given them such an enjoyable experience, the Heroes came together in support. But they weren’t able to display any congratulatory messages.
Title: FS Games Already Reserved Everything.
Tried to inquire about ad slots, everything’s fully booked.
Even the open times for New York’s Times Square ads are completely filled? Same goes for Ohsung Group buildings, hotels, and ad boards.
[Photo Attachment: Ad boards from various parts of the world]
Here’s a compilation of the photos currently uploaded.
Anonymous1 (KR): It’s plastered with thank-you messages.
Anonymous2 (UK): This is the Creator God, no doubt!
ToothThief: Wow! Just how much did they pour into this?
Anonymous3 (KR): Look at that scale.
Not only subway ad boards, but posters, photos, and videos prepared by FS Games were displayed in globally famous locations.
[Dear Heroes! Thank you for joining us on this great journey for 2 years! -FS Games-]
They didn’t run any commercial advertisements, only messages of gratitude to the Heroes. Coffee trucks also made rounds, giving out “Ella’s 2nd Anniversary Celebration Coffee” for free to those who verified as Heroes. Even trucks once used for protests now roamed the city displaying messages of thanks.
This event took place not only in Korea but in every region where Arsilan Saga was serviced. But this was only the beginning.
Too much content in Arsilan got you full?
Asking for some breathing room?
Then eat in real life!
With the second anniversary, the Creator God’s reinvestment had begun!
*****
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