novelraw Chapter 165: Reverse (4)
Chapter 165: Reverse (4)
Translator: Dreamscribe
A week had passed since LA was added to the Dimension Gate. The Great Rift hadn’t opened yet, so the Reverse World hadn’t been created, but as expected from the largest city on the western side of the United States, there were countless things to see.
Just sightseeing alone was enjoyable. Of course, the quests created through negotiations with LA were also quite entertaining.
“Oh, there’s so much to buy.”
“Kuhuh!”
“Considering the cost of the flight, this is basically free.”
“I have to buy everything.”
The purchasing power of the Heroes was truly tremendous!
Smile!
The shop owners couldn’t help but beam every time the Heroes appeared. FS Games mostly supported small business owners rather than large corporations.
Of course, preparations for the Great Rift were underway in their own way. An outpost had been set up in advance, and the surrounding warped space affected by the Great Rift was being checked as they completed the map.
Not just the United States, but broadcasters from around the world also created special feature programs to cover it.
[With Arsilans arriving, the entire city feels as if it’s been reborn, overflowing with vitality. We understand that LA is reviewing a policy to rent out vacant houses created by the Gate of Souls to the Heroes. The resulting profits are....]
[Roble Pictures has announced plans to turn the upcoming Great Rift Invasion into a holographic film from start to finish. If the LA Field is added, they plan to continue filming to complete the full movie....]
In order to capture even one more great scene, broadcasting stations, film companies, and various media outlets rushed to LA with their equipment fully loaded.
The Kingdom of Sillion's army had arrived, and the Heroes who had leveled up massively in the Seoul Field were now beginning to settle in LA in earnest. NorthernGrandDuke was still ranked number one and had broken through the level 100 wall to reach level 108.
Now, the time had come!
The Great Rift in the skies above LA was growing darker and thicker, and the sky turned a murky hue. Tourists wearing Soul Glasses looked up at the Great Rift. Everyone was dumbfounded by the scene that defied all common sense.
[The Great Rift has opened!]
As the Great Rift opened, the Reverse World emerged. Though the Great Rift was even larger than Seoul’s, the contents of the public Main Quest weren’t all that different.
“Tower of Erosion?”
“Oh, so we defeat the Tower of Erosion again and the boss comes out?”
“Easy.”
“Well, if you can reuse something, you should.”
“Still, the scale has definitely grown. The Tower of Erosion looks different too.”
As Towers of Erosion were erected all across LA, the Heroes took it lightly. The format was exactly the same as the Seoul Field, but they didn’t see that as a bad thing. After all, it was filled with a variety of quests that couldn’t be experienced in the Seoul Field.
Jinwoo watched those Heroes with a smile.
‘They’re letting their guard down.’
Because the direction was exactly the same as with the Seoul Great Rift, the focus was again placed on destroying the Towers of Erosion. However, Jinwoo had already scattered various clues.
When analyzing the Erosion plans, he had left room for the possibility of a further interpretation. If more information was gathered, hints about the hidden true purpose could have been found.
‘That’s the setting, anyway.’
Of course, it was just a setting.
He had also thrown out clues through various monsters. The monsters tried to defend the underground tunnels more than the Towers of Erosion, and there were suspicious rituals drawn inside the subway stations. In anticipation of Heroes of who dug deeper, he had taken measures to narrowly prevent them from obtaining key clues.
Tia’s help was crucial.
‘I designed it so they’d just barely miss it right in front of them!’
‘Oh....’
‘They’ll suffer, recalling the day they missed the clue right before their eyes.’
Helby also used her powers to cast cognitive interference magic.
‘A trial..., I feel like I’ve returned to being a Magic Dragon after so long.’
Perhaps feeling a sense of rivalry toward Helby’s competence(?), Ella helped with overwhelming power. A display worthy of the former owners of the Staffs.
Having completed all the preparations, Jinwoo looked at Haebyul’s broadcast from the command post. Haebyul, the Romance Heroes, and the Arsilanians were having an immensely good time. Tiris, in Comfortable’s appearance, was leading various large-scale effects on-site.
[Oh, oh! The monsters from the movies are here!]
[Crazy...! Isn’t that the serial killer?]
[When I watched that movie I almost lost it out of frustration, let’s kill it!]
-Wow... it looked the same as Seoul, so I was wondering what was up, but so this is what was hidden.
-Guys! NorthernGrandDuke has dinosaurs on their side ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Now THIS is a game!
-No, Creator-nim..., what have you made this time?
The idea of the American branch director was actively implemented. It was originally intended to divert the attention of the Heroes, but it turned out better than expected and ended up playing the role of the core quest of the LA Great Rift.
Jinwoo also quite enjoyed creating it.
[God-tier game....]
[This content is insane.]
[We can actually go into movies?]
[Let’s quickly destroy the Towers of Erosion and unlock the LA Field!]
-This content is truly insane.
-All the monsters from the movies are appearing?
-But their heads got smashed, right? They died instantly, right? ㅋㅋ
-In front of Heroes, they’re just weaklings.
-It feels so satisfying now that that annoying supporting character is gone.
As they progressed through the quest, they could actually enter the movie and even alter the flow of the story. For example, there was a film based on the fairy tale Snow White. It was made by the largest general media company in the U.S., in collaboration with FS Games.
UruBear and the Romance Heroes gathered in front of the dwarfs' house.
Just then, the disguised queen holding a poisoned apple was knocking on the door. Erosion energy was heavily infused in the queen's body, and she was trying to drag the story into a more horrific direction.
Thwack!
UruBear ran straight at her and struck the queen’s head with his shield. The queen’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the floor as her disguise was undone.
“Huh...?”
Snow White’s expression, as she belatedly stepped outside and looked at the evil queen with her head caved in, was priceless.
"You should be happy!"
“This is what a happy ending looks like!”
Haebyul and UruBear gave her a thumbs-up.
Whoosh!
Wrapped in a halo of light, they exited the movie.
“Oh, guys, I got the poisoned apple.”
-...Are we allowed to do that?
-Well, removing the villain does lead to a happy ending.
-Yeah, guess she’ll live a good life now.
-Live well! You must become a powerful queen!
Haebyul placed the poisoned apple into her inventory.
The farming was sweet!
It looked like it could be sold for a pretty high price.
[The story has been reversed. The reversed story is now affecting the Reverse World.]
‘If words won’t work, then... use force!’
‘Once the head gets dented, everyone listens!’
*Inspired by the Heroes, Snow White became a powerful queen and conquered the neighboring countries! Ah! Oh great White Conqueror! Smite those who refuse to follow you!
*The prince became a slave, and the dwarfs who had hidden her became excellent workers. The White Conqueror ruled a powerful empire for a long time and lived happily ever after.
Achievement Evaluation: Disastrous
Contribution Points Earned: 0
Reward: Title ([D] Villain Maker)
The Romance Heroes were very pleased with the result.
These types of LA-exclusive content brought tremendous joy. Soaked in catharsis, the Heroes entered the movies and eliminated the villains from the very start.
As a result, most of the stories ended up reversed!
With this clear distinction from the Seoul Field, the Heroes didn’t hesitate to shout praises to the Creator God.
Jinwoo prepared thoroughly so there would be no room for disappointment. All of this was a smokescreen meant to lead into despair, a buildup. And so, intoxicated by all the fun, they failed to notice the plan set in motion by the Lord of Erosion!
Time passed, and just like in Seoul, the path to the Towers of Erosion was opened.
Heina observed the situation and nodded.
“The Towers of Erosion have almost all collapsed.”
“We should start preparing soon.”
“Yes. Up until now, we’ve relied too heavily on His Highness. This scenario will be a great lesson for Arsilan.”
Until now, whenever things got tough during the episodes, Leon always managed to handle it somehow. The Heroes fully trusted Leon, and whenever he appeared, they believed he would resolve everything.
The Arsilanians also depended on Leon.
Furthermore, they relied on the power of Ella and Helby.
But when fighting a higher existence of Erosion, Jinwoo might not be able to protect Arsilan. This would be a good experience for that moment.
The light of Arsilan is something everyone creates together.
Jinwoo knew very well that he himself was only a part of it.
So endure the trial and grow stronger!
And in return for preparing all of this, I’ll enjoy it just a little.
[All Towers of Erosion have collapsed.]
[The concentration of Erosion is beginning to intensify.]
-Huh?
-What? Why is the Erosion getting thicker?
-The Great Rift just got bigger?
Although all the Towers of Erosion had collapsed, the Reverse World did not close. Only then did the Heroes begin to sense that something was wrong.
The stage was now set for the twisted debut of Leon.
Everyone was deeply curious about how the others would react. Heina, too, had a wide smile on her lips.
“I’m looking forward to this.”
“You’ve changed too, haven’t you?”
That reaction from Heina was unexpected.
“...A lot has happened. Heroes fundamentally don’t listen well. Lately, even the Arsilanians have started to resemble them, which is quite troublesome.”
Therefore, a bit of punishment is necessary.
It could be seen as an excellent preventative measure where no one actually gets hurt.
Heina’s gaze cooled. It seemed she had accumulated quite a bit of stress in her role as supreme commander.
She was eager to see everyone's delicious(?) reactions.
***
The many quests and content in Arsilan Saga had brought the Heroes much joy.
Ah! Glorious, shining Arsilan!
The world we were creating together was becoming even more beautiful. Surely the upcoming Fields would be just as full of delight.
Under the bright atmosphere, the attack on the Towers of Erosion that had risen across LA also concluded very smoothly. While the Erosion monsters had grown stronger, they weren’t threatening enough to prevent the players from clearing them.
Once all the Towers of Erosion had fallen, cheers rang out. Now, the Great Rift would close, and the boss monster would appear. What kind of boss monster would it be?
Let’s wipe it out quickly!
It was a moment where every being in Arsilan was filled with determination.
[All Towers of Erosion have collapsed.]
[The concentration of Erosion is beginning to intensify.]
Something was wrong.
Even though all the Towers of Erosion had collapsed, instead of the Great Rift closing, the concentration of Erosion grew denser, and the Rift began to widen.
Haebyul, standing in front of the collapsed Tower of Erosion, swallowed nervously and looked up at the sky. The Rift’s gap had grown so large it now obscured a portion of the sky.
KWAHHHH!
Erosion poured down endlessly, flooding the city as if a great deluge had been unleashed. The ground quickly began to fill with ashen water. The ashen water gave off a strange sheen, reflecting the surrounding objects.
“Uh? M-my feet- they’re stuck! Ugh, urgh?!”
“This is insane...!”
As soon as one Hero touched the water, the ashen liquid pulled the Hero’s body downward. Even when using attack skills, only the surface of the water trembled slightly.
“G-get to higher ground!”
Haebyul shouted as she rushed up to the rooftop of a nearby building. Many Heroes and Arsilanians had already gathered on the rooftop.
-The sky....
-Why is the Great Rift getting bigger?
-Did we miss something?
What on earth did we miss?
NorthernGrandDuke, who had been nearby, jumped down from a building and landed beside Haebyul. Her expression was serious.
“Our team found something underground.”
She opened an information window and showed a video.
It was a staircase discovered in the LA subway and underground tunnels. When they went down the stairs, a mirror maze was revealed.
“Oh! I know this place. I went there to gather materials for a linked quest....”
“Ah, that place? There wasn’t much there, though....”
The Mirror Room had also appeared in Arsilan Worlds. If you reached the end, you could obtain an item, and it was filled with promotional products. Most players considered it a simple advertising space provided by a sponsor who supported Episode 4, Chapter 2: Los Angeles Great Rift.
“That’s what I thought too. But as we cleared more Towers of Erosion, the reflections in the mirror began to change.”
The footage shifted to the ceiling.
It showed the cityscape. The Towers of Erosion appeared upside-down, hanging like icicles. The promotional products that had been displayed began to rot and decay.
“The moment the last tower fell, we lost contact.”
This footage quickly spread through Arsilan Worlds. Quite a few Heroes had been exploring the Mirror Room, but once the Tower of Erosion raids began, they had all rushed to the towers.
Because the Main Quest had to come first.
Haebyul got goosebumps.
A reversal.
Words that had been casually ignored while joyfully clearing quests now came back to her mind.
[The Great Rift has fully opened!]
[Erosion influence has risen to maximum.]
Influence.
The Heroes already knew, through experience, what "influence" meant. It was what had allowed wyverns and mounts to be created for all Heroes and Arsilanians alike, and it was what enabled them to defeat that massive monster.
Now, they found themselves on the opposite side.
A chilling laughter echoed from within the Great Rift.
The Rift expanded further, dyeing the sky as dark as night. Yet, everything was clearly visible. Though the sky was unmistakably dark, it was as bright as midday, with all surroundings clearly illuminated.
That sense of dissonance was enough to raise goosebumps.
Ssssss!
Haebyul looked down from the building. The rising ash-colored Erosion had solidified, turning smooth. The surfaces of the buildings that touched the Erosion were also all stained ash-gray.
The ground and buildings began to shine, transforming into mirrors. They reflected everything around them, but something was off.
“This is insane..., l-look at the ground.”
“This is...”
Haebyul looked closely at the ground.
The mirrored surface reflected a building, but its shape was utterly grotesque. It squirmed with countless eyeballs and tentacles, with repulsive monsters crawling all over it. The entire ground had become a mirror reflecting LA, and the reflection was nothing like the real LA.
“The Tower of Erosion...”
Haebyul was horrified.
The Tower of Erosion was still destroyed. But in the reflection, it appeared different. It had grown even larger and was grotesquely twisted, extending far toward the horizon at the base of the mirrored world.
What this meant, and what was happening, no one could say for sure at the moment.
What was clear was.
“Ah....”
“I think we’re screwed.”
“We’re fucked.”
-No idea what’s going on, but we’re completely screwed, huh?
-Breaking news is going wild right now.
-This isn’t an LA festival- it’s a funeral....
-LA’s mayor is probably crying right now.
It felt like a total loss.
A complete disaster.
“Leon-nim!”
“The Kingdom Army of Sillion has arrived!”
“Oh....”
Leon and the Sillion Kingdom Army arrived, stepping across the mirrored ground. They had come from the last collapsed Tower of Erosion.
Everyone descended from the building. The once swamp-like ash-colored floor had hardened like solid ice.
“Our reflections aren’t showing?”
“You’re right. Not even a shadow.”
Haebyul and UruBear looked at the ground.
Despite the grotesquely distorted scenery reflected like a mirror, their own images didn’t appear. If anything, that was a small relief.
Leon’s expression was grim.
“It appears the Towers of Erosion we destroyed were fakes. A higher existence of Erosion wouldn’t have reused a failed plan... We let our guard down.”
Leon’s voice trembled.
His face was filled with guilt. This was the first time the Heroes had ever seen Leon look like this. Clenching his fists tightly, he blamed himself.
“I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
At Leon’s words, the Heroes shook their heads vigorously.
There was no reason for Leon to apologize. He had always reviewed everything carefully, moved tirelessly, and fought at the forefront. He had even asked the named Heroes to thoroughly investigate.
But all of them had been swept up in the moderate tension, the thrill, and the fun atmosphere. No one had paid enough attention.
They don't die.
Even the Arsilanians didn’t die in the Heroes' world, which also led to lowered tension. They were constantly revived and returned to the battlefield, blessed and supported from behind by Ella, Helby, and Leon.
Leon let out a deep breath and quickly regained his composure.
“Ella-nim and Helby-nim are suppressing the influence of Erosion. Before this world becomes completely consumed, we must uncover what their plan is and stop it.”
At Leon’s words, the named Heroes nodded, and the Arsilanians gripped their weapons tightly, their tension rising.
“We just have to stop it now!”
“Let’s go!”
“For Arsilan!”
-There’s so many of them.
-The area’s completely packed?
-Kya! Now this is Arsilan.
This battlefield was filled with countless Arsilanians.
The Legion of Light was flooding the streets, all converging here. Even if the Lord of Erosion were to descend directly, they would be able to defeat him.
As always, Leon held the Holy Sword, radiating brilliant light. Our king, even in the face of despair, always led everyone forward with his light.
Yes, that figure was the unchanging light of Arsilan, Leon.
That light would never be extinguished.
That belief lived in the hearts of them all.
At least, for now.