novelraw Chapter 152: Further Progress (2)
Chapter 152: Further Progress (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
As Jinwoo stepped onto the stage, applause and cheers erupted in the Hologram Center. In contrast, the atmosphere in the Celestial Realm's Grand Temple grew subdued.
Why is the Creator God over there?
Then what about us?
-He went offline.
-Might be the first time people are disappointed?
-Ah..., today was my first time here....
-What about us?
Only an information window appeared above the stage where Jinwoo was supposed to show up in the Grand Temple, and the video feed of the offline stage was being broadcast instead.
The over 30 million heroes currently in the Grand Temple couldn’t help but envy the 30,000 people who had won the offline event. To make matters worse, they were only shown an information window, which made them feel somewhat abandoned.
Jinwoo was also monitoring the situation in the Grand Temple in real time through the Magic Tower.
Everything was going exactly as he had planned.
“Hello. I’m Lee Jinwoo from FS Games. It’s refreshing to see you all again offline after such a long time.”
The 30,000 people present on site cheered, though some wondered if this was really okay. When they checked Arsilan Worlds, voices of discontent could be heard.
Come to think of it, there was no real reason to go all the way to the Grand Temple in the Celestial Realm just to watch the offline broadcast. You could just open an information window in Arsilan and watch from there.
Jinwoo deliberately did not mention the Grand Temple at all. It was to the point where it seemed like he was ignoring it.
“A lot has happened up to now. Arsilan has reclaimed vast lands, and the Arsilan people have been resurrected to live happy lives.”
At his gesture, countless branching storylines appeared.
Among them, not many ended in a happy ending. The worst was a sad ending where the reclaimed land of Arsilan was lost again and they were confined within the Magic Barrier. Ella eventually vanished, and Arsilan lost its golden light.
But we overcame countless trials and achieved a happy ending!
“These are all accomplishments made by you heroes. I’m truly happy to be able to announce the next episode today.”
The audience nodded with smiles on their faces.
Even the heroes watching from the Grand Temple began to ease up at Jinwoo’s sincere words.
-Well, I guess we need days like this too.
-I’m not disappointed.
-We’ve just been too spoiled until now.
-No, do you know how hard it is to prepare an offline event... And all we did was complain. These heroes guys are seriously the worst.
-Long live the Creator God!
The heroes in the Grand Temple began to watch the offline event’s broadcast with relaxed minds. Jinwoo had hoped they’d show a bit more discontent, but as expected, the heroes were kind.
“Did you enjoy Episode 3?”
Jinwoo asked in a cheerful voice to change the mood.
“Yes!”
“It was the best!”
“What about the newbies? They’ve lost most of their lives!”
The 30,000 people on site all responded at once.
Smiling warmly, Jinwoo looked at the heroes and then opened his mouth again.
“Then, I’ll now begin the official announcement for Episode 4!”
Wooooaah!
A thunderous cheer erupted.
The Grand Temple also responded with cheers and applause.
Jinwoo, striking a pose as if he were about to do something cool, snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. Looking puzzled, he snapped his fingers several more times.
Snap snap!
Still, nothing changed, so he even clapped his hands. The heroes tilted their heads, watching Jinwoo.
“I’m sorry. It seems there’s been some kind of error. I’ll resolve it quickly, so please wait just a moment.”
FS Games staff members came up onto the stage and whispered to Jinwoo with serious expressions. Jinwoo’s face gradually stiffened as well. He even turned off the mic and began to show anger.
The heroes, seeing this side of Jinwoo for the first time, were taken aback.
“Is it because the building is new?”
"It looks pretty serious?"
-There must be a problem.
-He should’ve just done it in Arsilan, this was too much.
-Even the Creator God is human.
-Mistakes happen, it is what it is.
The heroes began to murmur among themselves.
After the staff left the stage, Jinwoo let out a small sigh.
“I’m sorry. It seems there was an overload on the equipment due to the massive amount of data to be processed. Fortunately, someone is on their way to help, so please wait just a little longer.”
Tiiing! Tiuung!
Suddenly, sparks flew, and the lights began to turn off one by one. Watching the staff busily communicating via radio, the heroes sensed that something serious was happening.
That was when it happened.
A summoning circle appeared next to Jinwoo. Pretending not to notice, Jinwoo continued speaking seriously with the staff who had come back up on stage.“What’s that?”
“Huh?”
“A hologram?”
The summoning circle crackled as if there was an error, then began to emit an even more brilliant golden light.
The space around the summoning circle rippled. It looked as if it were forcibly tearing open space. At that moment, Ella’s emblem appeared, and the entire hologram theater was dyed in a bright light.
Only then did Jinwoo smile and look at the heroes.
“Someone who will help me has arrived. Now then, let me introduce her.”
Fwoosh!
As the summoning circle completed, a being everyone knew was summoned. She floated in the air, eyes closed, hands gently clasped together.
“This is the Goddess of Arsilan, Ella nim!”
Ella opened her eyes and landed gracefully on the stage. She looked at the heroes with a bright smile and waved. Every movement she made sent shimmering waves of light radiating out beautifully.
“Hello? So many heroes have gathered.”
No way, how is Ella nim here?
Am I dreaming?
The heroes in the theater were all stunned.
Who could have predicted that Ella would appear in reality? This wasn’t just a simple hologram. Ella was making eye contact with the heroes in the audience, confirming that she was physically present.
-E-Ella nim?!
-She’s descended into the real world...!
-What am I even looking at?
Even the heroes in the Grand Temple couldn’t hide their shock.
Ella exhaled softly and took control of the atmosphere.
“Heroes, I have come here today to assist the Creator God nim, and to inform you of something very important that will affect this world.”
When Ella raised her hand, light burst forth and the surrounding space began to ripple.
“Huh?”
“The stage is....”
The surroundings began to transform.
The area, which had only seats and a stage, was soon filled with bright light, transforming into the Grand Temple of the Celestial Realm. Then, a space opened up behind Jinwoo, revealing the heroes in the Grand Temple.
“Ugh?!”
“The Grand Temple of the Celestial Realm?”
-Huh? This is real?
-We’ve come into reality!
-What is this? It’s terrifying.
What kind of production is this?!
The heroes in reality and the heroes in Arsilan were now facing each other. Reality and Arsilan had become connected. The heroes now understood why the Creator God had split the event between reality and Arsilan.
“U, Uwaaah!”
“This is insane!”
“No, seriously, what is this production....”
-Who said they were disappointed?
-A new all-time high....
-Long live the Creator God! Long live the Creator God!
The cheers of the heroes filled the space. Even as time passed, there was no sign of the excitement dying down.
So this is why people develop games!
Ella, perhaps thrilled by the cheers, trembled slightly but managed to keep her expression under control.
“I have news to share with you, heroes.”
As Ella stepped forward and spoke in a worried voice, the cheers subsided.
Ella, who had descended into reality.
What news could she be bringing? Every hero began to focus intently on her words. When Ella extended her hand, an information window appeared and a video began to play.
The location was Seoul.
The Han River in Seoul appeared, followed by scenes of the bustling city and subway. Gyeongbokgung Palace, Namsan Tower, and other tourist spots in Seoul flashed across the screen.
The video continued showing various sights in Seoul until it finally panned to the tallest building in Korea: Ohsung Tower.
Not Arsilan, but Seoul?
What could this mean?
Just as the heroes were puzzled,
Crackle!
“Huh?”
“T-That is....”
Space cracked open, and a gray liquid began pouring down from Ohsung Tower.
The heroes were horrified.
They knew all too well the identity of that gray liquid.
Erosion.
Erosion had split the sky over Seoul and was pouring down on Ohsung Tower.
Kwagagagaga!
Glass windows shattered as monsters burst out. The monsters of Erosion landed on the roads and began destroying their surroundings indiscriminately.
And it wasn’t just Ohsung Tower.
The Han River began to bubble, and a massive monster swam through, breaking bridges and spewing out disgusting pollutants.
“This is the future I saw. Erosion has become aware of the heroes’ world. It seems they plan to destroy your world in order to sever the connection with Arsilan.”
The heroes stood with their mouths agape.
“With the Creator God nim’s and my authority, we will isolate Erosion into an alternate world the moment it invades.”
Seoul being invaded by Erosion?
The heroes couldn’t quite grasp the sudden revelation.
“Just as you heroes saved Arsilan, Arsilan will now give everything it has to protect your world.”
Ella extended her hand.
Then, the tone of the video began to change. Heroes appeared beneath Ohsung Tower, and the people of Arsilan began to reveal themselves.
[So this is the city called Seoul?]
[What do you think? Nice neighborhood, right?]
[Impressive. If not for the Erosion, I’d love to stay and tour for a while.]
At the hero’s question, Heina smiled slightly as she responded. But when a monster of Erosion appeared, she erased her smile and drew her sword.
[For the world of the heroes!]
[Charge!]
Heina, the knights of the Kingdom of Sillion, and the heroes charged toward the monsters of Erosion pouring out of Ohsung Tower.
The screen went black.
[Arsilan Saga Episode 4 - Dimension Gate]
The title of Episode 4 was revealed!
“U-Woaaaahhh!”
“Fuck! Now this is Arsilan Saga!”
“Damn! This is crazy!”
“Is this real?!”
-Kraaaahhh!
-We’re fighting in real life?
-Those fucking bastards from Erosion! Invading Seoul? Thank you so much for this!
-So Arsilan people can come here too. Is that even possible?
The reaction was hotter than ever. There was no sign of things calming down.
To truly understand the heroes, there was probably no better method for the Arsilan people than to witness Earth’s scenery firsthand.
Just as the heroes had saved Arsilan, now it was Arsilan’s turn to save Earth.
It was an excellent narrative.
Of course, it wasn’t actual Erosion invading, but an illusion created by using the Soul Gate, Ella’s authority, and all the powers absorbed so far.
They had used illusion magic to reproduce Earth’s appearance in Arsilan, and through the Magic Tower’s complex calculations, they projected it onto Earth. The spatial projection ability once used by the Lord of Greed to cover the Empire of Evil had been a tremendous help.
Many locations had already been secured through collaboration with the Seoul city government. Even the Korean government gave unconditional support to FS Games.
They couldn’t keep relying on the heroes forever.
The people of Arsilan also had to stand up to protect their homeland. In order to fight the higher beings of Erosion still filling Arsilan, they needed to unite their strength.
Jinwoo hoped that one hundred million Arsilan citizens would understand the heroes and move forward together. This Episode 4 would be a great practice for everyone.
“Now then, let me introduce her properly. Ella nim filters out our words appropriately, so it’s fine.”
This was a narrative device to preserve immersion.
Ella, though she wanted to look around immediately, suppressed the urge and stood calmly. Maybe it was because she had been tormented by Helby, but her patience seemed to have grown.
Thanks to that, she now truly looked the part of a goddess.
“Ella nim has seen the future. Erosion is now rushing toward Earth. For now, it’s only Seoul, but with time, it will come to devour many cities around the world.”
When Jinwoo snapped his fingers, the peaceful daily life of Seoul appeared once again.
“When you wear Soul Glass in the real world....”
The scene changed to the start of the Invasion of Erosion.
“You’ll be able to see the alternate world in reality like this. Of course, protecting Earth will require the power of the heroes. After logging into Arsilan Saga, you must open the Dimension Gate.”
If the alternate world in reality created through the power of the Creator God and Ella falls, then the alternate world would become reality. That was the setting.
The expressions of the heroes were filled with awe and astonishment.
When Jinwoo looked at Ella, she nodded and began to speak again.
“To cross dimensions requires great power and authority. Fortunately, the land we reclaimed is recovering smoothly. We will be able to draw strength from our land.”
“As Ella nim said, the hope to protect our world lies in Arsilan. For the detailed story, please go and uncover it through your own adventures.”
With that, Jinwoo concluded his explanation.
The heroes were left speechless.
Could this really surpass the excitement of Episode 3?
They had been skeptical before Jinwoo took the stage, but not anymore.
It could surpass it.
No, it had already surpassed Episode 3.
Everyone’s eyes sparkled, and their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation.
“Now, for the next update content.”
The screen showed the scenery of an ordinary home.
A woman, who appeared to be an office worker, returned home from work and entered.
An empty house.
It was the sight many solo workers were greeted with after coming home. A space filled only with emptiness and bitterness felt overly cold. But she smiled brightly.
As she quickly turned on the lights, a pet that had traveled with her across many adventures in Arsilan stretched and ran up to her.
“You will now be able to meet your Arsilan pets in the real world. Through the upcoming release of ‘Gate of Souls’, the system will analyze furniture and appliances to allow interactions as if the pet were actually in your home. If you wear Soul Glass, you can even go on walks together.”
The woman in the video put on Soul Glass and stepped outside. When she reached out her hand, her inventory appeared, and an Arsilan pet item appeared in her grasp.
It was a large disc.
She threw the disc, and her pet, a large wolf, raced through the air and caught it.
“Wow....”
“I only imagined something like this....”
“This is amazing!”
-God-tier game
-This isn’t a game anymore. It’s real life now.
-Then... it’s a god-tier life...
And next came a story about small business owners.
By applying to FS Games, shop owners in real life could receive visits from heroes or Arsilan people. They could be projected into the store as holograms, and if that would disturb existing customers, it could be set so that only those wearing Soul Glass could see them.
Products made in Arsilan could also be sold to heroes or Arsilan visitors who came to these real-world locations. Just like how reality and the Celestial Realm’s Grand Temple overlapped, reality and Arsilan were beginning to do the same.
“Wow!”
“T-This is possible?”
“What is this tech level?!”
-So we can visit the real world in hero form...
-If this expands worldwide, doesn’t that mean free global tourism?
-This feels more amazing than virtual reality!
Seeing the overwhelming response from the heroes, Jinwoo smiled with satisfaction.
And this was only part of what they were revealing. As Episode 4 progressed, players would be pulled in so deeply they wouldn’t be able to escape. Even Arsilan people would be able to enjoy it together with the heroes.
Through understanding and unity, Arsilan would once again walk the path of prosperity.
“And now...”
There’s more?!
As the update content announcements continued, the heroes managed to calm their excitement and sat up straight. The next update was presented by Ella.
“Until now, when heroes died, you had to wait an hour.”
When a hero died, they either waited an hour at the spot or did other things using the Soul Link app. Some disconnected and took a break.
“Thanks to all of you heroes, the Lord of Greed has been eliminated, and we’ve now been able to properly connect Arsilan and the Afterlife. From now on, when you die, you’ll head to the Afterlife.”
When Ella extended her hand, the scenery of the Afterlife appeared in the information window.
Aren, wearing judge’s robes, was diligently working, and countless souls were receiving their punishments.
“If you assist with work in the Afterlife, you’ll be able to resurrect more quickly. And if a hero has committed a crime or has a bounty, their soul will either remain in the Afterlife until their sins are cleansed, or be sent to prison.”
A high Contribution Point score in Arsilan could also lead to faster resurrection. Now, even death had become content! The update announcements continued non-stop.
‘Arsilan Resource Exploration’, ‘Large Cities by Race’, ‘New Additional Classes’, an almost cataclysmic wave of updates kept pouring out.
“G-Krraaaagh!”
“M-My stomach’s going to burst!”
“I’ve become a newbie all over again.”
At last, all the update announcements concluded.
Ella smiled and reached out her hand. As light burst forth, it descended before every hero.
“This is a gift I’ve prepared. Please open it in Arsilan.”
Nothing wraps up an event like a good gift.
As generous gifts poured in, the heroes cheered and chanted the names of the Creator God and Ella.
“When will all of this be updated?”
At Jinwoo’s question, the heroes replied in unison, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Right now!”
“Yes, it’s happening right now! Then, I wish you a pleasant journey!”
All of the Episode 4 content that had just been announced was immediately updated!
“Let’s go!”
When Ella smiled brightly and cheered on the heroes, their faces lit up with joy.
Arsilan Saga underwent a great upheaval, Arsilan Worlds exploded with excitement as always, and this time, even Earth was swept up in the shock.