novelraw Chapter 161: Dimension Gate (6)
Chapter 161: Dimension Gate (6)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The sunset-tinged sky was brightly illuminated as the Legion of Light descended. The sight of them drawing arcs across the sky looked like a meteor shower.
The Embodiment of Despair no longer had the luxury to pay attention to the ground.
It had to stop the thousands of meteor-like projectiles streaking toward its head.
Srrrk!
The Embodiment of Despair shifted all of its eyes, which had been gazing at the ground, to the sky. It tried to quickly gather Erosion energy to fire a beam. But there was no time to charge.
The Embodiment of Despair gave up power in exchange for speed and volume.
Grrrk!
The hundreds of eyes on its body split into thousands, and then began to scatter energy bullets composed of Erosion toward the sky. The bullets poured out without rest, forming a net.
The sight was so overwhelming that it caused the advancing Legion of Light on the ground to momentarily halt.
"Ugh!"
"I got hit!"
"I, I'm falling!"
The wyverns struck by the energy bullets disintegrated and crashed to the ground.
-Wow....
-That looks fun....
-Ah... If only I had 20 more points!
-Please offer this again! I want to do it!
The eyes of the Heroes watching from below grew wistful.
They were filled with envy. Still, holding onto the hope that the Creator God would do something, they once again charged toward the Embodiment of Despair.
Kwagaga! Kwaaang!
Those in the air were barely hanging on.
They kept advancing while dodging the torrent of energy bullets.
[Hold on tight!]
Helby twisted her body, narrowly dodging an energy bullet. She could have deployed a shield, but she didn’t. She was enjoying the thrill she hadn’t felt in a long time. An energy bullet aiming for Helby’s body transformed into a spear and approached rapidly.
It looked unavoidable.
At that moment, Helby quickly thrust Ella, who she was holding, forward.
[Goddess Shield.]
“Uwek?!”
Ella hastily deployed a barrier and blocked the energy bullet.
Furious, Ella began pounding Helby’s hand, which was holding her, with her fists. But as Helby spun wildly through the air, dodging bullets at a terrifying speed, she had no choice but to stop.
Jinwoo protected the wyverns following Helby by batting away the energy bullets with the Holy Sword.
"Leon-nim! Thank you!"
"Kya! Let’s go all the way!"
"Increase speed!"
They continued pushing forward through the barrage of energy bullets. The distance kept narrowing until they were finally close enough to enter attack range.
The large eye that served as the head looked fragile.
The Heroes on wyverns fired offensive spells and skills, but a grayish shield appeared in front of the eye.
Fweeee!
A red glow began to gather in the large pupil.
Its cooldowns had all ended. They were too close to dodge. Just as Jinwoo prepared to swing the Holy Sword according to the planned scene,
A magic circle floated from Helby’s hand. The starry magic circle embedded itself into Ella’s body. Ella looked up at Helby.
Helby’s eyes gently curved.
[Goddess Bombardment.]
Bombardment?
What did that mean?
Ella quickly understood.
Kwoooooom!
Helby hurled Ella, whom she had been holding, with all her might toward the shield.
"Hey, you...!"
Ella's final words turned vulgar, but were quickly filtered.
Clang!
The radiant golden light coiled around Ella's body transformed into an arrow and pierced through the gray shield. To those unaware of the context, it looked as though the goddess Ella had used her holy power to open a path.
Jinwoo stood on Helby’s back and raised the Holy Sword horizontally. The golden light from the sword erupted powerfully, forming a long spear.
[Accelerating with the power of the Holy Sword.]
Particles of light bursting from the Holy Sword embedded themselves into all the wyverns. The wyverns’ wings began to glow golden.
Kwoooooom!
Helby and the wyverns accelerated to the point of leaving afterimages as they poured toward the giant eye. Everyone riding the wyverns gritted their teeth and locked eyes on the pupil.
This is the end!
The light descending from the sky struck the giant eye.
Crunch! Pababababak!
Helby and Jinwoo pierced straight through the cornea of the eye and entered inside. At the same time, the wyverns followed behind and plunged into the eye.
The Embodiment of Despair, which had been firing energy bullets, froze as if it had turned to stone. The Legion of Light attacking from the ground raised their heads to look at the giant eye.
Crrrk, crraaack!
Cracks appeared on the surface of the massive eye, and golden and starlight energy poured out. The countless eyes on its body began to spin wildly, as if in pain.
Puff!
The moment Helby and the wyverns burst out through the opposite side of the eyeball, the entire eye collapsed and exploded.
The Embodiment of Despair swayed and then fell to the ground. As its massive body crashed down, a cloud of dust soared high into the sky. It was the moment the long Invasion of Erosion came to an end.
“W-We won!”
“Ooooh!”
“Yeahhh!”
Cheers erupted.
We protected the Heroes’ world!
The people of Arsilan felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment for a victory achieved with their own hands.
Even the citizens of Seoul watching, and the reporters who had been recording the scene, all forgot their own situations and cheered loudly. Because the scenario had no predetermined ending, everyone in Seoul had stayed up all night watching.
-That was amazing.
-I haven’t slept in a week.
-Just bought Soul Link.
-Please come to our country too!
It was a series of perfectly orchestrated scenes that you couldn’t take your eyes off from beginning to end.
The wyverns that had flown in the sky landed on the ground and then faded into particles of light. Helby climbed up on top of a collapsed building and looked at the fallen Embodiment of Despair.
Jinwoo had a smile on his lips.
It wasn’t over yet.
The numerous eyes embedded in the body of the Embodiment of Despair popped out and rolled onto the ground. The large eyeballs split into smaller parts, and insect-like legs sprouted from them. They began to scatter in all directions, trying to flee.
[Arsilan’s influence on the Reverse World has surpassed the Embodiment of Despair.]
[Arsilan’s wish is being fulfilled.]
Perhaps because its influence had diminished?
The Embodiment of Despair had turned into a pitiful eyeball insect. The body, now emptied of eyes, melted away into ash and scattered.
Kwajik!
A Hero, seeing the fleeing eyeballs, slammed one with a hammer.
“Huh?”
The experience points went up, and when the eyeball burst, something appeared inside.
[C] Reverse World Box
A box containing the wish of Arsilan.
Opening it grants a random item. The higher the rank, the greater the chance of acquiring a rare item.
A small box fell to the ground.
“Huh?”
“It drops items?”
“Ooooh!”
“Get them!”
The Embodiment of Despair itself became the reward!
Everyone joyfully hunted down the fleeing eyeballs. Experience points were shared with all, and since the insects could be caught by anyone, no one was at a disadvantage.
Helby returned to her human form.
Ella, who had escaped from the building she’d been stuck in, glared at Helby, but Helby just smirked and shrugged.
Jinwoo looked at the Legion of Light joyfully hunting the eyeball insects.
Heroes and Arsilan residents laughed and showed off the rewards they had obtained. The eyes of the Arsilan people were filled with joy, excitement, and confidence.
It was an incredibly precious victory.
Having overcome the Embodiment of Despair, which once seemed undefeatable, the Erosion that had felt like a god now looked like nothing more than a repulsive bug.
If we are together, we can overcome any despair. That powerful conviction was engraved into the souls of the Arsilan people.
Despair receded, and courage began to bloom.
Through the Soul Gate, Jinwoo could feel everyone’s determination.
“Well done.”
Ella patted Jinwoo on the back.
“That wasn’t bad.”
Helby crossed her arms and gave a slight smirk.
Ella and Helby, too, could feel Arsilan’s growth.
Jinwoo (Leon): What’s the status of the Magic Tower?
Tiris (Director): It’s fine. But I think we’ll need to build more Magic Towers for our future plans.
Overlaying effects over the entire city of Seoul had been a massive undertaking. Still, thanks to the accumulated know-how, they were able to pull it off smoothly.
Now, it was time to wrap things up.
[The Reverse World is disappearing.]
The world tainted by Erosion began to crumble.
The night sky of Seoul, where the sunset had fully faded, was now revealed, and a magnificent nightscape spread out before their eyes. The previously hidden scenery of the city and the figures of Seoul’s citizens appeared in front of the Legion of Light.
Citizens wearing Soul Glasses waved at them.
“Are we being returned now?”
“That’s a shame....”
“Hm.”
“Can’t we earn more Contribution Points?”
Since the Reverse World had disappeared, wouldn’t they be returning soon? Would the Dimension Gate open again on a regular basis?
The Heroes weren’t sure what would happen next. Everyone waited for the Quest to complete with questions in their minds.
[The Quest has been completed!]
The rift still lingered faintly.
[You have successfully defended Seoul’s Reverse World! However, the traces left by the Erosion have not been erased!]
[With the divine powers of Ella and the Guardian Dragon, the Seoul Field has been added to the Dimension Gate.]
[Seoul Field Unlocked!]
*You may freely explore Seoul, which has been protected by Arsilan. You can return to Arsilan at any time through the Hero’s Flowers located throughout Seoul.
*Rifts of Erosion now dwell within the shadows of Seoul. Rifts may appear in subways, underground roads, tourist sites, and inside buildings.
*New Seoul Quests have been added! Existing quests have been newly updated!
*You may freely use buildings, shops, and public transport equipped with Gate of Souls.
*A currency exchange center has been created in Seoul. You can exchange Arsilan Gold and Platinum Coins.
*A Contribution Exchange Center has been created in Seoul. You can exchange the Contribution Points earned from quests for various rewards.
Through negotiations with the Korean government, it became possible to exchange Arsilan Gold into Platinum Coins and cash.
Although many issues were raised, the tide had grown too great to stop. Several institutional measures related to this were already being launched.
Who could refuse this new era and new market?
The national profits to be gained from now on would be tremendous.
“Huh?”
“So we can stay in Seoul?”
“Oooooh! They just added a whole new field!”
“Gasp!”
"Long live the Creator God!"
Because we protected Seoul, the Seoul Field was added!
That was how everyone understood it.
But what if it hadn’t been protected?
Overseas reporters who received the information felt a chill. It was undeniable that the number of players accessing Arsilan Saga would soon exceed hundreds of millions.
‘Seoul Field Added!’
‘It is assumed that a field won’t be added if the Reverse World isn’t protected.’
‘Emergency! If we don’t protect New York, we’ll lose out on the gold falling into our lap!’
‘Why Heroes need to work hard for the sake of their own country.’
Though FS Games did not officially confirm it, once many Heroes began speculating this, articles quickly followed. Jinwoo appeared before everyone.
“This is a royal decree.”
Jinwoo reached out his hand with a gentle smile.
“Enjoy today’s victory! We have earned it!”
[King Leon opens the royal treasury and distributes reward money.]
A large amount of reward money was granted to everyone. And the rewards from completing the quest poured down as well.
A massive cheer echoed throughout Seoul as an enormous number of Arsilan’s beings poured into the streets of the city.
Korea was the first to face the great upheaval.
***
A week passed since the Grand Rift closed and the Seoul Field was revealed. Heroes actively moved between Seoul and Arsilan. Through the rifts scattered across Seoul, one could enter the Reverse World.
[Breaking News!]
*A C-rank rift has appeared at Gyeongbokgung Palace!
A B-rank rift has appeared at Seoul Station!
When entering the Reverse World through a rift, a barrier would form around it, and monsters or various abnormal phenomena would occur. The goal was to close the rift. Because levels were widely distributed, not only high-level Heroes but also low-level Heroes came to the Seoul Field. The same went for the people of Arsilan.
Heroes from various countries roamed around Seoul, and there were also many Arsilan residents who came to sightsee.
By wearing Soul Glasses, one could see their figures.
Elves strolled through parks, Dwarves wandered through shopping districts, and mermaids began appearing around the Han River. Fairies flitted around playgrounds, following children.
Within just a week, Arsilan Saga had seeped into every corner of Seoul.
Kim Bok-ja, who ran a restaurant selling gukbap, had many worries because of her son. Though he had graduated from a good university, he had struggled for years due to the tough job market.
He had finally landed a job, but then got into a traffic accident and was seriously injured.
Her world collapsed.
Her son was left paralyzed from the waist down and had to rely on a wheelchair. Watching him cry in his room, Kim Bok-ja had to hold back her own tears.
After coming into contact with Arsilan Saga, the world changed! The moment she installed a Gate of Souls in her restaurant at her son’s suggestion, Kim Bok-ja froze in place.
“Hyun-seok?”
Her son, Hyun-seok, was standing there with not a single scar on him. His face looked a bit more handsome, but he was definitely her son. When she tried to touch him, her hand passed right through as if he were an illusion.
Kim Bok-ja realized it was a hologram.
“I registered in Arsilan Saga. I can work here in my game form. I used to sell gukbap in the game too.”
“R-Really? I did see it on the news. It’s been causing such a stir....”
“Yes, I was there too.”
Kim Bok-ja and Hyun-seok had a joyful conversation for the first time in a long while. Seeing him as he was before he got sick made Kim Bok-ja emotional.
They began preparing for business together.
Working simultaneously in reality and in virtual space was a unique sight.
For items like meat or vegetables, they were replaced with those from Arsilan's, and essential goods or ingredients could be purchased in Arsilan Worlds through support from FS Games. There was a condition that business had to be done in the Seoul Field, not in Arsilan.
One could also link their workshop or store in Arsilan through the Dimension Gate, and use Hero abilities inside the shop to do all the work.
As long as an application was submitted, business could start quickly, so the number of these kinds of shops in Seoul was exploding! It was only natural, given that half of Korea’s population was enjoying Arsilan Saga.
“Hello? I came after seeing your location on the map. Do you sell gukbap?”
“Yes, please come in.”
Arsilan residents entered the shop.
Since it was Gate of Souls level 3, Kim Bok-ja could see their appearances clearly. They were Beastkin and Orcs. She had heard through the news that it was causing a sensation in Seoul, but seeing it in person made it all the more fascinating.
“Ahhh!”
“The meat is generous!”
“It’s different from eating in Arsilan. Is this the authentic taste?"
“One soju, please!”
When she touched the fridge, a bottle of soju appeared. It was a product from a company partnered with FS Games.
The shop was overflowing with customers from Arsilan Saga! Because of that, regular customers who had been hesitating outside started to come in as well. Thanks to them, Kim Bok-ja was busy making gukbap for the first time in a long while.
She was happy.
Above all, she was glad to be working side by side with her son, happily, once again.Time passed like that.
“Welcome! Gasp? L-Lord Leon...?”
“I’m not Leon. I just get that a lot.”
A blond man wearing a pulled-down hood walked in. He also had sunglasses on, but his looks were too stunning to be hidden. Every customer in the shop was startled the moment they saw him.
“Y-Your Highness....”
“Shh, let’s just watch.”
“His Highness should enjoy himself too.”
The Arsilan residents whispered quietly among themselves.
Leon sat in a corner.
“One pork gukbap, please.”
“Yes!”
“I’ve heard that this dish from a place called Busan is famous. I’d like to taste the flavor of your homeland without the Arsilan twist.”
“Yes. Understood. I’ll try to replicate my mother’s gukbap as closely as possible.”
Hyun-seok cooked nervously. As more Arsilan residents and Heroes showed up, Kim Bok-ja, who had become relatively less busy, approached her son.
“Who is that person?”
“He’s His Majesty, the King of the Kingdom of Sillion.”
“T-The King?”
Kim Bok-ja looked at Leon.
Though he wore his hood deep over his head, he still exuded elegance and nobility.
Good heavens!
Serving gukbap to a king!
Kim Bok-ja began to feel nervous too!
“The ingredients are quite similar.”
“Yes, I gathered things that were as close as possible.”
Kim Bok-ja stood by Hyun-seok, giving him pointers. When the gukbap was finished, Hyun-seok carried it over to Leon. Kim Bok-ja followed right behind.
“Thank you for the meal.”
When Leon picked up his spoon, the two of them watched anxiously. After tasting the broth, Leon nodded and continued to eat with elegance.
“Does it suit your taste?”
Kim Bok-ja asked, and Leon smiled as he nodded.
“Yes, it is very delicious.”
“My son’s cooking isn’t bad, right?”
“Yes. It is an honor to meet such a talented chef.”
At Leon’s polite words, Kim Bok-ja’s mood lifted greatly. Hyun-seok was embarrassed, but seeing his mother proudly boasting about him made something stir in his chest. Leon saw this and smiled gently.
As Kim Bok-ja kept glancing at Leon, he chuckled and initiated a conversation with her.
“Madam, your soul is remarkably pure.”
“Hoho, does it seem that way?”
“Yes, it’s like looking into the lake of Evanth. I almost mistook you for a fairy.”
At Leon’s words, the corners of Kim Bok-ja’s mouth twitched.
“Son, give him some extra service. You’ve got lots of those fancy things.”
“H-Haha....”
Leon received an abundance of extras!
With elegant table manners, Leon finished the gukbap and the extra dishes cleanly.
After the meal, Leon stood from his seat.
He paid and opened his info window. He left a short comment along with a ‘recommended eatery’ marker.
[Adventurer Exploring Taste]
*A taste filled with warm affection. I recommend it.
└Anonymous1 (KR): I recommend this place too!
└Anonymous2 (US): Oh, gukbap!
Leon’s list of recommended restaurants, visible to all Heroes, had been updated!
“Thank you! Please come again.”
“Thank you!”
Kim Bok-ja and her son walked him to the door. Leon looked at the two, smiled brightly, and gave a respectful bow.
“I pray that all the light in the world may dwell with you.”
As Leon vanished with a shimmer of light, Kim Bok-ja’s expression turned to one of awe.
From that moment on, the restaurant began filling with customers!
Later that evening, when she returned home, she received a call saying they would be eligible for medical support from FS Games. Kim Bok-ja cried tears of joy on the spot, and Hyun-seok, who came out in his wheelchair, hugged her, crying together.
‘The world... is still worth living in.’
Hyun-seok smiled brightly.
It really felt like all the light in the world had found them.
Kim Bok-ja bought her son a new pair of sneakers for the first time in a long while.
After five years, she was able to walk down the streets imbued with Arsilan together with her son. It felt like hope had arrived with Arsilan.
“Son.”
“Yes?”
“I started Arsilan Saga yesterday. Can you boost me a little? I’m in Evanth now. Dong-won’s mom is already casting spells and all. I heard she’s level 98?”
“Yes, she must be a named Hero.”
Meeting his mother inside Arsilan, Hyun-seok was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Why are you... an Orc....”
“Hohoho, don’t I look dependable?”
Looking at his mother, now an Orc Warrior, a whole new set of worries began to form in Hyun-seok’s mind.