novelraw Chapter 166: Reverse (5)
Chapter 166: Reverse (5)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The Legion of Light placed their trust in Leon and steeled their resolve. The situation had grown difficult, but it could be overcome. Had they not already defeated the Lord of Greed beyond the great war?
[The influence of Erosion seeps into the Reverse World.]
[The world is being reversed.]
The Tower of Erosion, reflected on the mirrored floor, slowly rose upward as if being projected into reality. The Erosion flowing from the Grand Rift connected with the Tower of Erosion, bridging sky and earth.
At that moment, every building in LA was completely reversed. The horrific and repulsive things reflected on the ground rose upward, and the buildings of the Reverse World disappeared below, as if submerged into a lake.
“This is insane.”
“What we saw in Seoul wasn’t even a preview.”
“The entire city is changing.”
The Heroes swallowed hard at the sight.
What kind of spectacle was this?
Was it because such a familiar landscape had changed?
Though it was an absurd scene, it strangely didn’t feel like a production. The sticky energy of the Erosion made it feel disturbingly real.
Ssss!
The sticky energy from the Tower of Erosion began gathering in one place.
-Is that a boss monster?
-Hmm? Doesn’t seem like a monster.
-That is...
It wasn’t a boss monster.
Not only the Heroes, but even the people of Arsilan knew it too well.
[The Dimension Gate is being reversed.]
The Dimension Gate once used by Arsilan revealed itself, now tainted by Erosion. A path had opened for the Erosion to reach Arsilan.
Every Hero and Arsilan citizen felt as if they'd been struck in the back of the head. Only those from Arsilan could use the Dimension Gate. But now it had been reversed into a Gate of Erosion.
“The Dimension Gate?”
“Don’t tell me... that was the target all along?”
“If Erosion can use the Dimension Gate...”
Had the Lord of Despair planned this from the beginning?
Everyone grew frantic.
“Attack!”
As Heina’s command rang out, the Legion of Light launched a full assault on the Gate of Erosion. However, thanks to the energy pouring from the Tower of Erosion, it kept regenerating.
At this rate, the Gate of Erosion would open and Erosion would flood even the inside of the Magic Barrier.
Leon sent forth a beam of light from the Holy Sword, causing the Gate of Erosion to ripple violently from the blow.
“The Holy Sword worked!”
“As expected of Leon nim!”
“That’s it!”
Though it slowly began to regenerate, the Holy Sword’s light had clearly been effective.
Strangely enough, only the light of the Holy Sword had an effect. As if it had been waiting for it, the Gate even showed an impressive reaction.
“I will seal the Gate with the Holy Sword. In the meantime, destroy the Tower of Erosion!”
“Leave it to us!”
“Understood!”
The Tower of Erosion gave off a feeling that it could unleash monsters at any moment. Yet oddly, it remained silent.
Leon raised the Holy Sword and stared at the Gate of Erosion.
As if sensing danger, the Gate formed a barrier. The attacks of the Heroes’ magic and skills left not a scratch, but cracks formed under the Holy Sword’s light.
Leon took a deep breath and aimed the Holy Sword.
The light of hope and courage.
The unyielding golden light shared by the Heroes revealed itself.
Kwagagagaga!
Brilliant golden light surged from the Holy Sword, purifying the thick presence of Erosion that hung in the air. Everyone who witnessed it felt certain of victory upon seeing that light.
What enemy could possibly withstand such radiant light?
The Gate continued to form rapidly.
The shape of a door was forming, and it looked ready to open at any moment.
“Haa!”
Leon shot forward toward the nearly complete Gate of Erosion. In an instant, he drew a streak of light and thrust the Holy Sword into the Gate.
Kuguguguk! Kwaaa!
As the Holy Sword pierced the Gate, its surface cracked and light burst forth. The light of the Holy Sword formed chains, binding the Gate. For the time being, the Gate of Erosion would not open.
Now, all that remained was to attack the Tower of Erosion. Everyone thought so and began to relax for a moment.
Then, laughter echoed once again from the Grand Rift.
An ominous presence settled over the battlefield. The Lord of Despair was mocking Arsilan.
Sssuk!
From the sealed gate, tentacles shot up and wrapped around both the Holy Sword and Leon.
Chiiiiik!
The light of the Holy Sword burned away the Erosion, but the Tower of Erosion began to writhe, and a massive stream of ashen energy burst out, pouring down toward the sealed gate.
The sealed gate began to open.
Unlike the Dimension Gate, the inside of this gate did not ripple with spatial distortion. In the first place, the gate didn’t truly exist. It was a fake, mimicking the appearance of a gate. The Heroes realized this, but it was already too late.
“Urgh!”
Kwaaaang!
Leon’s body was swept up by the current of Erosion and slammed into the ground. The floor cracked open, forming a deep crater.
“Leon nim!”
“No...!”
Heina and the Legion of Light tried to rush to Leon’s side, but the violent swirl of Erosion pushed them all back. Leon staggered but managed to rise to his feet.
The Holy Sword was still embedded in the gate.
But what was reflected on the mirror-like ground was different. It wasn’t a gate, it was a gigantic, grotesquely twisted mouth. Its true hidden form was now revealed through the mirror.
As if it had been waiting for this very moment, the enormous mouth swallowed the Holy Sword. Like it was overcome with joy, the corners of its mouth stretched upward in a sickening grin.
Golden light gushed out between the cracks of the gaping maw as if it were struggling, but gradually it began to fade.
Gulp!
The gigantic mouth swallowed the Holy Sword.
It looked like it was being forced to swallow a burning coal, but the immense energy pouring from the Tower of Erosion continuously restored the massive mouth.
A writhing passageway connected to the mouth touched the ground.
It looked like an esophagus. The light of the Holy Sword pierced through the walls of the passage and faintly shone through. The Legion of Light could see the Holy Sword descending through the passage.
The Holy Sword fully descended and disappeared into the ground.
“The, the Holy Sword... it got... eaten!”
"How...."
That Holy Sword had been created when Leon offered his soul, gathering the hearts of the Heroes into the Light of Miracle. Together with the Holy Sword, the Heroes had achieved countless miracles up to Episode 3.
And now, that very sword which had accompanied the Heroes all this time had been devoured. The shock was indescribable.
“Urgh...!”
Leon was the incarnation of the Holy Sword.
The shock of the sword being devoured flowed into him completely. Leon wavered, then dropped to his knees.
Now, there was no golden light left to resist the Erosion. The Goddess and Guardian Dragon who had been blocking the Grand Rift also fell, overcome by the Erosion.
The bodies of the Arsilan people, who had formed the core of the Legion of Light along with Heina, floated into the air. Claws of Erosion that had risen from the ground grabbed hold of them.
“Urk!?”
“Gah!”
Even named Heroes with levels over 90 were no exception.
As if it had already analyzed all their combat capabilities, the Erosion instantly dismantled the Legion of Light.
[Insignificant light.]
For the first time, the Lord of Despair revealed its will.
[Despair.]
True despair had arrived.
“Ugh!”
“T-This is bad...!”
Those who had been captured began rising into the sky. Haebyul struggled, but she couldn’t escape. Sticky protrusions clung to their bodies like leeches and began to drain their strength.
Leon watched the scene and, straining himself, reached out his hand and squeezed out what little light he had left. Leon’s light erased the hands of Erosion pulling them skyward.
Ella, the Guardian Dragon, Heina, the Arsilans, and the named Heroes all fell back to the ground. Ella urgently unfolded a protective shield of light, and the Guardian Dragon released magic power to push back the Erosion.
Leon’s figure became faint.
Leon continued to pour out light for Arsilan until the very end, ignoring the state of his body. Then, as if sensing the end, he turned to look toward the Heroes.
The Heroes’ eyes widened.
The expressions of the Arsilans were filled with despair, their eyes trembling.
Kwagagagaga!
All the energy of the Erosion began pouring down on Leon. Leon tried to resist by emitting light, but that light vanished far too easily. The Erosion pouring from the Grand Rift and the Tower of Erosion all descended onto Leon. Like a candle sinking into a swamp, Leon’s light disappeared.
Crack!
The thick Erosion that had poured onto Leon began to solidify. It turned ashen and developed a sheen, becoming a mirror. The Tower of Erosion and the Grand Rift also became mirrors, reflecting their surroundings.
The Holy Sword was reflected in the mirror-like floor.
As the light faded, the melted Holy Sword reversed and slowly began to rise. The sword that reappeared was no longer the Holy Sword.
Its once radiant blade was now blackened, and thick black liquid dripped from the hilt. At its center, a red eye emerged, glaring at the Heroes.
All traces of the Erosion had vanished.
No boss monster appeared.
Yet the appearance of that sword alone exerted a pressure the Legion of Light had never felt before.
What was this sight?
What on earth was this?
“A... cursed sword?”
One of the Heroes spoke.
Anyone could see it was a cursed sword. As if symbolizing the hearts of the Heroes turning to despair, the Holy Sword had collapsed, and in its place, a cursed sword had been born.
Everyone froze.
Haebyul looked down.
“H-Huh!”
She couldn’t help but gasp.
She saw her reflection on the mirror-like floor. A version of herself with white skin and ashen hair stared back at her.
“Wh-what is this?!”
“The floor...”
“It’s me, but something’s...”
The Heroes tried moving their bodies. Their reflections moved in sync. But the expressions were different. The reflections glared back at them with blank, emotionless faces.
Step, step, step.
Their reflections slowly turned and began walking toward the cursed sword. The sight was so overwhelming that none of them could move.
Clang!
The place where Leon had been swallowed and hardened began to crack. Like a window shattering, it broke apart, and Leon staggered out.
The expressions of the Heroes brightened. It looked as if Leon had overcome the power of the Erosion. But soon, everyone’s faces twisted in horror.
Leon let out a cry of agony and collapsed to the ground.
“R-run... Get out of here... I’ll handle this, somehow... cough!”
Leon tried desperately to hold on. He barely managed to form a bit of light in his hand and created a dagger. He tried to stab it into his chest to take his own life.
And then.
Crack!
A fracture appeared on Leon’s body, and ashen currents of energy began pouring out heavily.
The ground trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
The smooth, mirror-like floor shattered into fragments that shot into the sky. Gravity was ignored as an anomaly took over. The Erosion currents coiled around Leon’s body and turned him ashen.
Leon reached forward to escape, but the Erosion current transformed into a cocoon, enclosing him. Only his outstretched hand drooped helplessly downward.
“L-Leon nim!”
“Wh-what is this...?”
“This can't be...”
The Heroes screamed in horror.
The light had faded.
Leon’s light had now completely vanished within the Erosion.
[The light is being reversed.]
The cursed sword embedded in the ground trembled and began to rise into the air.
Twitch.
The hand of Leon, which was protruding from the cocoon, moved. As his hand slowly opened, the cursed sword floating in the air drifted toward it.
As Leon’s hand gripped the cursed sword.
Kwagagagaga!
The cocoon split apart, and a dark current surged out. From within the cocoon, someone walked out.
He looked like Leon.
“Leon... nim?”
“Ah...”
No. It wasn’t Leon.
It couldn’t be Leon.
Though the face was Leon’s, the presence was entirely different, as if he had become something else entirely.
His long hair fluttered in the currents of Erosion. The armor and cursed sword woven from darkness dripped with thick Erosion, defiling everything around them.
Ssss!
He lightly swung the cursed sword, and deep lines appeared across every building surrounding the Heroes.
Kugugugugu!
The buildings split effortlessly and collapsed. His red eye gleamed menacingly as he stared at the Legion of Light. The unfamiliar gaze sent chills down the Heroes’ spines.
The moment he slowly raised his hand, the light of Arsilan was reversed. The countless Heroes and Arsilans that had been below the mirror floor began to slowly surface.
“Th-that’s...”
“Insane...”
The Heroes were left speechless.
The Legion of Light had become the Legion of Erosion and appeared before everyone. Haebyul, UruBear, NorthernGrandDuke, and LifeHunter were all visible. Heina, Garsha, and Luceren also stood at the forefront. Thankfully, neither Ella nor Helby could be seen.
They were not mere puppets.
They mocked the Heroes as they drew their weapons. Even the high-enhancement weapons the Heroes had painstakingly crafted were now twisted forms in their hands. Leon slowly raised the cursed sword and pointed it at the Legion of Light.
“We who defile the light!”
Leon shouted.
The Legion of Erosion silently listened to his words.
“Kill everything that moves! Devour them, tear them apart, curse them!”
Leon’s command stabbed into the hearts of all the Heroes and Arsilans.
“For despair.”
The moment Leon’s twisted smile spread across his lips,
“For despair!”
“For despair!”
“Kill them all!”
Their morale surged.
The Legion of Erosion, wearing the faces of the Heroes and Arsilans, shouted in unison and charged toward the Legion of Light.
The sight was eerily identical to when the Legion of Light had once raised their morale with Leon’s speeches.
The Heroes were dumbfounded.
Even the Arsilans lost their will to fight.
And once again, the Arsilan Worlds exploded, and social media went into a frenzy.
***
The mayor of LA, along with various corporate figures and officials, were watching the broadcast at a hologram theater in Hollywood. When the final charge brought down the Tower of Erosion, applause erupted.
“Hoho, this is quite entertaining.”
“I understand now why people are so obsessed with this.”
Even those who had previously shown no interest were now filled with admiration. Some even vowed to get a Soul Link as soon as they returned home.
The mayor of LA was also enjoying Arsilan Saga. He wasn’t a hardcore user, but he wore the Soul Link and logged into Arsilan Saga before bed.
Soon, Arsilan Saga would surpass one hundred million users. Even if those users purchased only related goods from Hollywood, the profits would be immense. FS Games and the many film studios and distributors hadn’t collaborated for nothing.
The CEO of Dinix, America’s largest integrated media company, was also present. He wore an excited expression, constantly exclaiming in awe. He had been a pioneer, the first to approach FS Games when hologram technology entered the media market.
“The response is excellent. At this rate, we might even surpass the Seoul Field.”
The mayor’s secretary, after checking Arsilan Worlds, reported the update. The mayor nodded in deep satisfaction.
If the upcoming LA Field added to the Dimension Gate could establish itself as a main field, the impact would be enormous. While indulging in such hopeful fantasies.
“Huh?”
“Hmm?”
The atmosphere suddenly flipped.
As the Tower of Erosion rose and Leon was consumed by the Erosion, everyone’s faces twisted in horror. A cold silence took over the hologram theater. Leon raised the cursed sword and summoned the Legion of Erosion.
“Ah....”
“Hm....”
No one said it aloud, but it seemed things had failed.
“...He's kind of sexy.”
The secretary’s murmur pierced the silence and reached everyone's ears. As everyone turned to look at her, she flushed with embarrassment and adjusted her glasses. Some in the theater, seemingly agreeing with her, nodded slightly before hastily fixing their expressions and clearing their throats.
As the aide had said, LA had easily outshone the Seoul Field.
Because the most despair-inducing event had just taken place.
The mayor looked at the head of FS Games' U.S. branch.
‘Now what do we do?’
‘Well, I don’t know either.’
The branch manager simply avoided his gaze.