novelraw Chapter 153: Further Progress (3)
Chapter 153: Further Progress (3)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The world was still ablaze with talk of Arsilan Saga. And for good reason, over 40 million Heroes were enjoying Arsilan, and the average login rate exceeded 90%.
Broadcast media dedicated solely to Arsilan Saga had increased, and some outlets had even begun publishing professional articles in cooperation with FS Games.
'Soul Link Production Expanded!'
'Supply to Continue Without Shortage!'
'Breaking Records One After Another! Heading Toward 100 Million!'
The day after the showcase, Jinwoo held a new product launch event for Soul Link. It was conducted only via live online broadcast rather than offline, and he unveiled the new Soul Link.
There were upgraded versions of the existing Soul Link models, but the most attention-grabbing product was the newly developed 'Soul Link Dive'. It was a fully capsule-shaped product that allowed users to remain connected for up to a full week without logging out. Moreover, with a built-in Gate of Souls, it would support various cutting-edge features through future updates.
'This would be great for severely ill patients.'
'Automatically administers nutrition, handles excretion and hygiene management…'
'Thanks to the Creator God, many have found a new life.'
It was a perfect product for patients with severe immobility. It monitored their physical condition in such detail that it could almost be considered a medical device. FS Games even announced that they would donate Soul Link Dive units to several hospitals.
New products always caused a stir when released, but this time, it was unfortunately overshadowed by Episode 4. The revelations in Episode 4 were nothing short of a series of shocks.
Perhaps feeling threatened by the disappearance of the Lord of Greed, now they were targeting the world of the Heroes! Thankfully, with the authority of the Creator God and Ella, the invading Erosion could be isolated into the hidden world of reality.
That was the setting.
Arsilan Worlds app was not just heated, it was blazing.
Title: All Regions Have Been Unlocked!
Now we can go outside the Eastern Region again.
The scenery is insane
It’s really Arsilan!
It’s on a whole different level from when it was the Empire of Evil.
(Photo Attached: Village)
I kept heading west and found a village, they were preparing to settle down. I helped them out and earned some Contribution Points. It seems like an Elf Village, but there are lots of other races too.
Looks like there are a ton of Quests here?
Apparently multiple cities have been settled, but it seems you need to go to a city to get info on the Dimension Gate.
Anonymous1 (KR): Still no major clues. Let’s find a city first.
Anonymous2 (UK): Even monsters are building villages? I found a place full of just Ogres.
ToeWiggler: Now this is real fantasy!
Saurus: This is bad! If you have Soul Glass, look over Seoul’s sky!
└Anonymous3 (KR): Whoa… there’s a crack in the sky?
└DeliciousLunch: It really looks like they’re invading. The direction is insane.
If you looked at the sky over Seoul with Soul Glass, you could see a disturbing crack. For now, it was only in Seoul, but it would gradually expand. Already, many countries where Arsilan Saga was being serviced were flooding in with proposals for cooperation.
Installing a large Gate of Souls was simple; just placing it in the right location would allow immediate activation. Moreover, there were plans to completely cover areas with holograms, allowing people to see them even without wearing Soul Glass.
Places like parks such as Central Park, historical landmarks, and museums were already on the list.
'Most of it is Magic, after all.'
They praised the astonishing technology, but behind the praise was a strong desire to somehow steal it. This was why many countries were so eager to cooperate. However, even if they disassembled it and studied it for hundreds of years, they would never figure out how it worked.
Jinwoo smirked and looked at Luceren standing beside him.
“It suits you well.”
Luceren was wearing a crown that signified her position as a city representative. True to her Elven nature, it was a wooden crown with jewel-like flowers blooming from it, which suited Luceren quite well.
“Something like this… would suit Tia-nim or Tiris-nim more than me.”
“Those two would hate it.”
“I think so too.”
Luceren felt the weight of her responsibility. And it wasn’t just her, those who had become representatives of each race felt the same. The population had grown from millions to tens of millions. Thanks to Jinwoo’s help, they had settled quickly, but there was still a long road ahead.
Jinwoo looked out toward Elvens.
Elvens, which had once been trapped behind a Magic Barrier, had now emerged into the wider world and become a vast city. Over ten million elves came to live in Elvens and its surrounding satellite cities and villages.
The city, built of white stone, was filled with trees and plants of all sizes. At the heart of Elvens stood a new World Tree, imbued with the authority of Ella. Once the World Tree took root, trees rapidly grew around the city, forming a massive forest.
Occasionally, flames would rise from the forest.
Elves, who looked like they would live only on fruit, had been influenced by the Heroes and grilled meat to eat. Moreover, younger elves often said the forest felt stifling and frequently traveled out to Solis and Marogo.
“Everyone has arrived.”
At Luceren’s words, Jinwoo nodded.
There was a general meeting related to Episode 4. Those who had led Arsilan Saga so far had gathered in Elvens. Next to the World Tree stood the official meeting hall of the Arsilan Golden Alliance, and it had been decided that regular meetings would be held there.
As Jinwoo entered, everyone stood up from their seats. Ella waved with a bright smile, while Helby turned her head with a frown.
Helby’s face was flushed red.
“Helby.”
“......”
“Are you ignoring your unnie? Hmm?”
“...Kk... Yes..., unnie.”
Even Helby’s horns had turned red.
Helby, styled according to Ella’s tastes, looked adorable. She wore a flowing princess dress, her twin tails were tied with pink ribbons, and even light makeup had been applied.
Ella stood beside her, stroking her hair and enjoying the texture.
Click, click!
Tia and Tiris were capturing the moment in photos and video.
“Smile, won’t you?”
“......”
G-grin!
Helby’s fists trembled, but she barely endured it and raised the corners of her mouth. She was demonstrating extreme patience while looking forward to next week.
“Well done. So, so cute!”
Ella rubbed Helby’s cheeks with both hands. At that moment, Jinwoo’s eyes met Helby’s. The light in her eyes was already gone. Fortunately, Arsilan Worlds was so consumed by the story of Episode 4 that not all of Bestran had been occupied.
“The Heroes have arrived in the village. They’re moving around to find clues.”
At Garsha’s words, everyone nodded.
The Heroes had quickly left the Eastern Region and were heading north, south, and west. Along the way, World Boss-level monsters had been placed, as well as monster settlements and villages, but the Heroes broke through them rapidly.
“It’s about time.”
There was no need to explain everything to all 100 million Arsilan players. That was because the plan was to make them genuinely believe that Erosion was invading the Heroes’ world.
Only by doing so could they truly be sincere.
Only Arsilans who knew the truth were those gathered in today’s meeting room.
“The Light of the World Tree, the Heart of the Wild, the Will of Steel, and the Blood of the Brave Warrior, are they all ready?”
“Yes, they’ve all been placed.”
At Jinwoo’s words, Tiris replied.
These were things obtained by completing the core quests of the major cities established in Arsilan. When all of them were gathered, a Dimension Gate could be created, allowing Arsilans to cross dimensions.
“When giving out the quests, explain it naturally to the Arsilans. Build-up is important with things like this. The sense of crisis needs to rise gradually.”
The plan was to slowly inform them that the Heroes’ world was at risk of being invaded by Erosion and naturally guide them toward participation. Most Arsilans shuddered at the thought of Erosion and were willing to risk their lives to eliminate it.
“If I explain that I can create an avatar with my authority to cross over, it should be convincing.”
“Hmm, if I help, it’ll feel more realistic. If I overlay it with my Trial, it will be perfect.”
Ella and Helby nodded as they spoke.
“Your tone isn’t cute.”
“...I-I’ll help.”
What was Ella planning for next week?
The severity of the punishments seemed to be escalating.
In any case, Arsilans would soon be put in the same situation as the Heroes enjoying Arsilan Saga. The point was to draw out sincerity without death or pain.
[Let me explain the Dimension Gate to the Heroes. After all, I am Haroron, the butler of the Archmage.]
Hallon, who had arrived in the form of a golem, raised his hand and spoke. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his role as the Archmage’s butler. When Haroron ranked within the top 100 in popularity, Hallon was overjoyed.
“This will be a great real combat experience for the newly formed Sillion Knights and the Royal Army as well.”
After passing on her position as commander of the knight order, Heina became the commander-in-chief of the Sillion Kingdom’s army. Many Arsilans volunteered for the royal army.
The Kingdom of Sillion was also soon to declare itself an empire. Technically, they could have done so from the moment the kingdom was founded, but Jinwoo wanted to convey a sense of growth and development. It could also be used for dramatic effect.
“Well then, let’s have fun deceiving them again this time!”
Sounds fun!
It was the birth of the true Erosion Headquarters!
Everyone responded loudly to Jinwoo’s words and rejoiced. Then they looked at Jinwoo with sparkling eyes. That was because they were about to do a preliminary tour of Seoul. Their faces were filled with the same excitement as Heroes logging into the game for the first time.
Jinwoo smirked and teleported to FS Games.
On the rooftop of FS Games was a space prepared solely for Jinwoo. Protected by security magic, no one could enter, nor could it be observed from outside.
With a snap of Jinwoo’s fingers, a magic circle appeared and summoned everyone. They had been summoned not through the Gate of Souls but through the Gate of Souls’s counterpart, the Soul Gate of the real world. Though they were in soul form, thanks to the illusion magic laid across the entire rooftop, they could maintain a physical presence for quite some time.
“So this is the world of the Heroes...”
“What beautiful lights.”
Luceren and Garsha admired the night view of Seoul. Ella beamed and pointed at buildings with her finger.
“That’s the Ohsung Tower, and that’s the Han River.”
As a senior who had arrived earlier, she showed off a little.
Tiris and Tia couldn’t take their eyes off the city. Everything was completely different from Arsilan, from beginning to end. They could truly feel that this was another dimension.
Everyone was busy marveling at the night scenery.
But Jinwoo was not satisfied.
“You need to react more dramatically in front of the Heroes.”
In this sort of thing, reactions were crucial.
More exaggerated reactions were needed.
“Th-this is the world of the Heroes!?”
“It’s magnificent. To think there are so many tall towers! I feel like I might faint.”
At Jinwoo’s words, Tia and Tiris both nodded and began practicing their reactions. Jinwoo quietly walked over to Helby, who was silently looking out at the city.
“What do you think?”
“It’s passable.”
Helby seemed like she wanted to jump down right away and explore. But that would have to wait for later. Jinwoo smiled cheerfully and began explaining Seoul to everyone.
Airi, who had been listening attentively, approached Ella.
“Um…”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry. For someone like me to impersonate a Saintess...."
Airi bowed her head toward Ella.
Though it had been on Jinwoo’s orders, Airi still carried a sense of guilt. Ella looked at her for a moment, then smiled and shook her head.
“Impersonate? You’re already a splendid Saintess.”
“What?”
“Of course, you’re not my Saintess. Mine will live for another hundred years, so give up on that.”
Airi tilted her head in confusion.
“But I’m a Succubus. I’m a Demon.”
“Your race doesn’t matter at all. What matters is your faith.”
“Faith...”
Ella patted Airi’s head and pointed at Jinwoo, who was talking excitedly.
“Faith, happiness, and joy that come from relying on a god, all of those will become your strength.”
Airi’s face turned to one of sudden realization.
As Ella held her hand, light blossomed. It was a light completely different from gold, vibrant with happiness and joy.
Saintess.
She was the Saintess of the Archmage. A truth with not even a sliver of falsehood.
“Try praying. A Saintess’s first prayer is always answered.”
As if blessing the birth of a new Saintess, Ella placed her hand atop Airi’s head and spoke.
Airi closed her eyes and prayed.
‘May everyone be happy.’
Airi's light spread gently, as if seeping into both Earth and Arsilan. Jinwoo tilted his head slightly, sensing something, and looked toward Airi and Ella.
Ella smiled playfully and put her finger to her lips.
“It’s a secret for now.”
“Huh?”
“Because it’s more fun that way.”
Airi nodded with a bright smile.
It felt like the world had become just a little happier.
***
The Romance Heroes maintained full connection time, aside from meals and bathroom breaks, in order to search for clues. Every Hero who could cross the Magic Barrier had left the Eastern Region to explore the vast world.
“Wow! A lake!”
“Should we try fishing?”
“Let’s camp here.”
Haebyul checked the location on the map and looked around. It had taken a long time just to leave the Eastern Region where the Heroes' territories were clustered, due to the continuous release of content.
“There’s a lot of underground resources here too. Looks like there’s a Magic Stone vein?”
When HandGenius swept the ground with a detector, he got a reaction. WingGenius shook her head while resting in his pocket.
Now, players could expand their domain using Contribution Points, and if they received a title from Leon, they could acquire territory. For good territories, players reportedly had to clear special Quests or meet certain requirements, though those had not yet been revealed.
In Safe Zones like this, players could spend Contribution Points to bloom a Hero’s Flower and even leave short messages. When a Hero’s Flower was used, the Hero who bloomed it would gain Honor. Since it required a lot of Contribution Points, it wasn’t something players could do often unless they owned a domain.
Haebyul bloomed a Hero’s Flower in front of the lake.
"Is Bishop Comfortable busy...."
-Haebyul… are you back on your yandere mode again?
-Stop being obsessed!
-But to be fair, Great Comfortable-nim is worth obsessing over.
Comfortable had been absent for a few days due to business.
-I heard you can send messages to Arsilans?
-Was that part of an update?
-I heard your Affinity has to be over 70%. Then it shows up in the friend list.
-Tough condition.
“Huh?”
Looking at the chat, Haebyul opened the friend list.
*Mia
*Heina
*Garsha
.
..
...
Arsilans with over 70% Affinity were now visible in the friend list.
[You can send Friend requests. If accepted, you can exchange messages and share Hero’s Flowers.]
“What? That’s amazing!”
Haebyul immediately sent Friend requests to all of them. Mia accepted right away.
Haebyul: Hi! Thanks for accepting the Friend request!
Mia: I heard something terrible happened! (Emoticon: Shocked Cat)
Haebyul: Huh?
-Wow, she’s even using emoticons.
-It’s Mia!
-Wow, why am I getting emotional?
-Gotta raise that Affinity!
-HohoGamMan is the winner here.
Other Romance Heroes quickly checked their friend lists. If they hadn’t worked hard on building Affinity, it was hard to get past 70%. And since Arsilans like Garsha or Luceren were hard to encounter now, the players who spent huge amounts of Platinum Coins to build Affinity early on were the true winners.
Most had done it out of pure goodwill, so it felt like receiving an incredible gift.
Flash!
Through the Hero’s Flower Haebyul had placed by the lake, Mia appeared.
“Oh! Mia! Long time no see!”
“Hehe…”
When Haebyul hugged Mia and rubbed her face against her, Mia burst into laughter and twitched her ears.
“Ah! But more importantly, I heard something terrible happened!”
“Huh? Something terrible?”
“Yes! I heard the world of the Heroes is in danger! What should we do?!”
Mia’s eyes trembled violently.
She was genuinely worried about Haebyul and the Heroes.
“The showcase… I mean, Ella-nim gave us a prophecy. She said Erosion is invading.”
“I-Is it because of us?”
Mia’s eyes welled up with tears.
Even though filtering was in place, most Heroes were careful with their words and actions in front of the Arsilans.
“That’s probably not it.”
-How dare you make Mia cry! Erosion, you asshole!
-Now that I think about it, all the Erosion bastards are fucking scumbags!
-They got beat and now they’re targeting Earth...
The Romance Heroes checked Arsilan Worlds. A post titled “Current Situation in Seoul” had been uploaded.
“They say the crack over Seoul has widened?”
“Whoa... that’s seriously terrifying.”
“It looks like a pulsing blood vessel.”
What had once been a small crack was now large enough to be clearly visible in the sky. It looked like the Erosion might burst through before Episode 4 even officially started.
In any other game, it might have just progressed on its own, but this was Arsilan Saga. With countless branching paths, there was definitely an ending where it could all fail before it even began.
“That’s why we’re looking for clues. Do you know anything?”
“I’m sorry.”
At Haebyul’s question, Mia’s ears drooped.
Haebyul hugged Mia and tickled her without mercy. As Mia laughed and squirmed, Haebyul grinned and let her go.
“Thanks! That really cheered me up!”
“Hehe, I’m glad I could help!”
Look at her, such a sweet talker!
Haebyul didn’t let go of Mia for a while. Mia fell into thought briefly, then looked at Haebyul.
Though she had been acting until now, Mia truly liked the Heroes. When she heard the news that their world was under invasion, she had been so worried she couldn’t even sleep properly.
“Wouldn’t there be clues in a place like a library?”
“There wasn’t anything in the Solis Library. It’d probably have to be the Archmage’s Lab. But when I went there, it had disappeared.”
The place where the Archmage’s Lab had once stood had become an ordinary cliff.
“And besides, the Archmage is gone. Oh? What about Aren, who had merged with the Archmage...?”
Haebyul’s eyes widened as if she’d realized something. She made eye contact with Mia, then rubbed their faces together.
“Thank you! I think we’ve found a clue!”
“Huhhh?!”
Haebyul looked at the other Romance Heroes.
“If we ask Aren, who merged with the Archmage, maybe he’ll give us a clue?”
“Oh! That’s right. The Underworld was updated too.”
“That fits perfectly.”
“Then, do we need to access the Underworld via a Quest?”
Just as Haebyul and the Romance Heroes were thinking,
“Let’s go quickly.”
Ah!
At HandGenius’s words, all the Romance Heroes nodded at once, as if they had just realized something.
HandGenius carefully pulled WingGenius out of his pocket and handed her to Mia. Mia blinked and received WingGenius with both hands.
“Um, Heroes? What are you doing?”
Haebyul and the Romance Heroes removed their armor and weapons, changing into casual clothes.
“Mia, we’ll be back.”
“Huh? Where are you going...?”
“Step back.”
Mia tilted her head in confusion and stepped back as instructed.
HandGenius placed down a square box, and they all surrounded it.
“Let’s go!”
“To the Underworld!”
At the moment Haebyul and UruBear shouted, HandGenius pressed the red switch.
BOOOOOOM!
With a massive explosion, all the Romance Heroes were turned to ash and vanished.
-They're really doing it
-These lunatics ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Honestly, it is the fastest way to the Underworld.
“Uh....”
“U-um?”
Mia was left with a blank expression, and WingGenius rubbed her eyes as she got up and tilted her head.
“Where did everyone go?”
“I... I think they went to the Underworld.”
“What?”
WingGenius flailed in surprise and took off into the air.
***
“You self-destructed just to come see me?”
When Aren asked while looking at Haebyul and the Romance Heroes, they nodded proudly. At the same time, the mass death was classified as an anomaly. It was an event that could only occur if more than 40 Heroes died at exactly the same time, down to 0.01 seconds. It was also something included in the upcoming Quest content.
That’s why they had been summoned to Aren without any formal procedures.
“Have you lost your minds?”
Seeing Aren’s bewildered expression, Haebyul and the Romance Heroes beamed with wide smiles.
“The Underworld is not a playground.”
-Anyway, we got here fast!
-Feels like we skipped something?
-Who cares! Just give us the clue!
It didn’t seem like those Romance Heroes had planned this outcome intentionally.
I had prepared an elaborate sequence!
Aren clutched his head in frustration.
*****
For 15 or more extra chapters, you can check out my Patreon here --> patreon.com/dreamscribe
If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it at Novelupdates. Thanks! 😊
To receive the latest update notifications or report mistakes, join our Discord server linked below.