novelraw Chapter 170: The Path of Light (3)
Chapter 170: The Path of Light (3)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The Romance - Northern Party waited in hiding until the sun had completely set. During the wait, Haebyul briefly checked the chat window.
-Oh, I came to the past.
-I came too, but I got expelled. Actually, around this time I met my wife and got married. So I met my past self....
-Did you try to stop yourself from getting married?
-Yeah. Then I gave myself the lottery numbers and got expelled right away.
-Wow.... But you're not exactly happy, are you?
-The me in another timeline will be happy.^^
-You’re a real Hero.
Various conversations came through the chat. Heroes who had tried all sorts of things were busy expressing admiration. It was hard to believe how any of this was possible, but surprisingly easy to accept.
‘All hail the Creator God!’
That phrase ended all questions.
Creating virtual reality and solving numerous global problems, it was possible because it was the Creator God.
Each party entered Episode 2 at a different point. Newbie parties who had not experienced Episode 2 were transported to the time when the Great War of Episode 2 broke out.
Title: I’m a newbie who started in Episode 4.
Went through the Dimension Gate and it was right in the middle of the Great War.
(Attached photo: Great War)
I was frantically hauling shells in Marogo and fighting, then got one-shotted by a siege weapon. After dying ten times, I got expelled.
How did you guys clear that?
You’re seriously amazing.
There probably weren’t even many Heroes back then, right?
Anonymous1 (FR): It was hell.
MintSeaweedSoup: We really almost lost. That was the biggest crisis.
Anonymous2 (KR): The advance party really went crazy during that time.
I_Lick_Newbies: Wow, they let us experience it this way.
MagicMark: To even take care of newbies.... I really grew a lot back then. I learned how to fight properly.
Anonymous3 (JP): All hail the Creator God!
Anonymous4 (KR): I hope this gets added as regular content.
└Anonymous5 (KR): For real. But if that happens, the Creator God might die of overwork.
Newbies who hadn't experienced the Great War were transported to that time. Although they couldn’t meet Leon, the more positively they impacted the timeline, the more rewards they could earn, and if they won the Great War, they could meet Leon and obtain the Light, so for now they were focused on the war.
Since they could participate in the Great War without much burden regarding preparation or results, it was receiving huge praise! The Creator God was taking care not only of the advance party but also of the newbies.
During the wait, the restraint on SockThief was lifted. When the Mage Hero cast a powerful binding spell learned after their second job change, SockThief couldn’t move a single finger.
“I’m sorry! I, I was just curious about the royal palace....”
She thought the people who captured her were knights or soldiers. Once her mouth was also sealed, she went quiet. When they checked her negative influence, it had gone up just slightly.
-Wow, she was really useless at this time.
-Still is, kind of.
-The hero I least want to know about the red pill. Just stay in Arsilan Saga....
SockThief had risen to a unique position with just one concept. Once the sun had fully set, UruBear picked up SockThief and looked at Haebyul.
“Then let’s move according to the plan.”
Haebyul nodded at UruBear’s words, and together with NorthernGrandDuke and Mia, they moved covertly and crossed the royal palace walls. Due to the Great War, the palace was heavily guarded. However, more effort was being put into building the defense line than patrolling the palace itself. Thanks to Ella’s blessing, getting inside the palace went more smoothly than expected.
They were already very familiar with the interior of the royal palace.
Haebyul had worked several times in the palace as a maid. It was for broadcast content. For female Heroes, maid outfits were considered almost essential, so royal palace part-time jobs remained popular.
The royal palace was being completely renovated.
Everything was being poured in to withstand Erosion even a little longer. Many people were putting in desperate effort. That’s how victory was possible.
When they reached the central corridor, they saw Heina and the knights. Haebyul, NorthernGrandDuke, and Mia quickly hid themselves.
“Move everything to the forge.”
“Understood.”
“His Highness’s personal belongings are also in the storage, so take those too.”
At Heina’s command, the knights led the soldiers and dismantled everything inside the royal palace.
Haebyul let out a bitter smile.
The decorative armors in the palace, which were at least pleasant to look at, were all moved to the forge. Everything was being used as material for the Great War.
“It wouldn’t hurt for the royal palace to have at least one treasure....”
"Leon nim uses any treasure that appears for events."
UruBear responded to Haebyul’s words. Come to think of it, there was nothing in the Kingdom of Sillion that could be called a national treasure. The only things Leon owned were his crown, the Holy Sword, and armor for battle. Not even a single piece of jewelry.
As they continued their work, Heina and the knights began to move hurriedly after receiving a report. It was because SockThief had suddenly appeared inside the palace.
That created an opening.
The three of them crossed the corridor, searching for where Leon might be. He wasn’t in the conference room or the dining hall.
“Over there...?”
Haebyul found Leon’s office, a place she wasn’t allowed to enter. The office door was open, and light spilled out into the dark hallway. There was a barrier, but it didn’t react to Heroes or Arsilan natives.
They had only one day to stay here. A fair amount of time had already passed. The three of them stepped inside for now.
Leon’s desk was piled high with documents, all filled with details about operations. Leon had fallen asleep sitting in his chair, looking exhausted. A blanket had been draped over him, it seemed someone had been considerate for the sleeping Leon.
The three looked at one another and even quieted their breathing. Leon’s partially visible face looked extremely haggard. NorthernGrandDuke quietly closed the door.
Haebyul: Let’s talk via party message.
NorthernGrandDuke: Got it.
NorthernGrandDuke carefully took a lantern out of his inventory. Not knowing exactly how to obtain Leon’s Light, he fumbled a bit, but once the lantern was placed nearby, it began to charge with light little by little.
Mia: I think we just have to wait quietly like this! (Emoticon: Dancing cat)
Haebyul: How’s it going on your end?
UruBear: It’s chaos. SockThief is insanely fast. We’re pulling out and waiting at the workshop.-She'll get more penalties.
-Can’t be helped.
A chase between SockThief and the knights was happening in the royal palace, but fortunately, there was no noticeable impact on influence.
Haebyul quietly placed all the lanterns she had brought and waited. She was relieved that they hadn’t disturbed Leon’s rest.
As Haebyul looked around the office, she found a door. Unlike the others, it was quite luxurious. It was obvious that this door had been specially taken care of.
‘A treasure vault?’
It seemed like a place where something precious was stored. As Haebyul approached the door, NorthernGrandDuke and Mia quietly followed. They carefully opened the door and stepped inside.
Inside, a space magic had been cast, making the room extremely spacious, and long display cases were lined up.
Could there really be treasure?
“Huh?”
Haebyul was surprised when she checked the items in the display cases.
What had been carefully displayed like treasure were gifts received from Heroes over the years. Not a single one had been thrown away. Everything had been treasured and preserved. Even the white paper flowers left at the grave had been gently placed there.
Tears welled up in Haebyul’s eyes.
NorthernGrandDuke, seemingly feeling the same, turned her back.
-This is making me cry.
-A king who knows only the Heroes....
-Wow... that’s the gift I gave him when I was a newbie.....
Haebyul stared blankly at the gifts for a while.
That’s when it happened.
She sensed someone’s presence and looked toward the door, Leon was standing there. Haebyul and NorthernGrandDuke flinched in tension, and Mia hid in a corner.
-We’re screwed.
-We got caught.
-We totally look suspicious, right? Like thieves who came to rob the royal palace?
-We’re gonna get expelled...
Haebyul and NorthernGrandDuke were wearing masks and dressed in black, hiding their presence. To anyone, they looked like thieves.
What should they do?
Haebyul looked at Leon, cold sweat running down her face. When Leon waved his hand, the room lit up brightly. He looked at the three of them for a moment.
“Haebyul-nim?”
“Huh? Ah, no, I’m not.”
Haebyul responded instinctively without thinking. She quickly tried to cover it up, but it was already too late to take it back.
-Oh dear, Haebyul… You really shouldn't time travel.
-Just go around with your face revealed at this point.
“W-What gave it away?”
“It’s the most ‘Haebyul bunny-like’ look you could possibly have. I couldn’t not recognize you.”
As Leon spoke with a deep smile, Haebyul’s face turned red.
“Just kidding. As the embodiment of the Holy Sword, I could feel Haebyul-nim’s soul. NorthernGrandDuke-nim, and..., ah! You must be Mia-nim.”
It seemed like things would’ve been fine even if they had just come to find Leon without causing a fuss. Mia, who had been wearing a maid outfit, awkwardly smiled and stepped forward. Haebyul and NorthernGrandDuke removed their masks.
“Let’s talk outside for now.”
Once outside, the table had already been set, and chairs were prepared. The three of them sat down and watched as Leon prepared tea.
“S-Sorry for bothering you when you’re busy.”
“Not at all. I always have time for Heroes.”
Leon was still as kind as ever.
Haebyul checked their influence. There had been no increase in negative influence. Leon brought out tea and refreshments.
A brief silence fell.
“You’re not from our timeline’s heroes, are you?”
“You can tell that too?”
At NorthernGrandDuke’s question, Leon shook his head.
“Not exactly. I just inferred it after seeing the light of the Holy Sword disappear from Haebyul-nim’s soul. That light never disappears as long as the heroes and I exist.”
Leon had made a deduction with just a small clue.
“Also, you’re quite strong. You’ve truly grown into a true Hero. Impressive.”
Leon smiled brightly with genuine joy. Haebyul, who had been smiling shyly from the praise, quickly composed herself.
“Then, what can I do to help?”
“You’re not going to ask why?”
Leon nodded as if it were natural.
“Helping the heroes is my happiness. Have I ever asked for a reason before helping you?”
“That’s true...”
“Don’t worry. I’ll always be on the Heroes’ side.”
Haebyul and NorthernGrandDuke flinched at the word “always”. Leon noticed and immediately froze. His eyes, which had always been firm, trembled visibly for the first time.
“No way… It can’t be, but… don’t tell me I became the enemy?”
“Ah, n-no?”
“Ahem...”
At Haebyul and NorthernGrandDuke’s reactions, Leon froze in place.
As if struck by immense shock, he didn’t even twitch while holding the teacup. Slowly, the light in Leon’s eyes began to fade.
"Ah, that, that..., you did become an enemy, but, yo, you fought against Erosion! You even absorbed Erosion's power!"
“I absorbed Erosion? To do something so insane... The future me must be… out of his mind.”
“H-He definitely isn’t in his right mind, b-but, still, he’s kind of cool.”
Haebyul desperately tried to shield him, but it backfired. The more she spoke, the more Leon’s head dropped, until finally, it completely fell.
He fell into overwhelming despair!
[Negative influence is increasing!]
NorthernGrandDuke grabbed her shoulder and stopped her.
“Haebyul, you’re... cruel.”
“Huh?”
-Stop! Don’t hit him with facts!
-Cut it out... Leon-nim is gonna break...
-She really broke him.
-She’s not a longtime streamer for nothing.
Only then did Haebyul shut her mouth. Mia let out a small sigh.
Leon’s expression turned serious.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
“The great war will break out soon. Surely there will be many sacrifices. I want to minimize that sacrifice. Please lend me your wisdom.”
At Leon’s words, Haebyul nodded.
“Yes! I’ll tell you everything! Here’s what’s happened so far....”
Leon brought a notebook and wrote down everything Haebyul said. As he listened to the story of Episode 3, Leon was deeply moved. But when the part about his future self’s reversal came up, his expression hardened again.
“That I... caused such immense trouble to the Heroes’ world... W-What on earth was that Leon’s goal?”
“Well, he said he’d build a dark empire in Arsilan.”
When NorthernGrandDuke answered, Leon’s face flushed bright red. It was as if he were witnessing his own adolescent phase firsthand- no, it was even worse than that.
“H-Haha...”
Leon had a dazed expression. It took quite a while for him to recover from the shock. In any case, a complete guidebook covering from the Great War of Episode 2 to the core of Episode 3 had been born!
[You have caused a major impact strong enough to shake the timeline!]
*Positive influence increased by 50%!
*The chances of winning the Great War have increased significantly!
-They just gave him the full strategy guide.
-Wow... What’s the Lord of Greed gonna do now? Gonna cry, probably.
-This is what time travel should be like!
It was true that one could grow through hardship, but growth built on sacrifice held no meaning. If they could just live, if they could survive, they could do more.
NorthernGrandDuke looked at Leon with trembling eyes.
“I will protect everyone.”
Leon, as always, was reliable.
NorthernGrandDuke nodded and smiled. Leon stood up and reached toward the lanterns lying on the floor. Then, Leon’s light filled the lanterns.
Leon took out a white flower from the gifts he had received and handed one to each of them.
“If you show this, it may stir something within him.”
They were the paper flowers Heroes had offered at the gravestone. Everyone looked at Leon as if asking why.
“There was a time I too resented the world, and wanted to build a vast empire and destroy everything in sight. Whenever such feelings arose, I would visit the graves.”
The first time he saw the white flower, it had become his salvation.
“The moment I saw a white flower, something that didn’t exist in Arsilan, those thoughts vanished. I was able to forge the Holy Sword with my soul probably because such darkness had left my heart.”
-Leon-nim...
-The advance party really did so much.
Haebyul and NorthernGrandDuke nodded and smiled.
Knock knock!
“Your Highness! I have a report!”
Heina knocked on the office door. When Leon gestured for them to hide, the three quickly concealed themselves. Leon opened the door himself and greeted Heina.
“What is it?”
“There was an intruder. A Hero called SockThief. This is already the fifth time.”
“Still full of energy, I see. Was there any damage?”
“My socks... I took them off to wash, but they were taken. I had a lot of new socks too, and yet....”
“Haha...”
Leon gave an awkward laugh, and Heina let out a sigh.
“More importantly, I think we need to revise the operation plan. I’ve come up with a good strategy. Please summon everyone to the conference room.”
“Yes, understood!”
At Leon’s command, Heina bowed and withdrew. Leon turned back. When he saw the three peeking out, he burst into a big smile.
When Leon gave a thumbs-up, the three of them smiled and returned the gesture with a thumbs-up of their own.
“Leon-nim, let’s take a picture!”
“Sounds good.”
At Haebyul’s suggestion, Leon took a photo with the three of them. When they printed it right away using the Soul Link app, the picture appeared. Leon immediately pulled out a frame and placed it inside.
“Then we’ll get going!”
“Farewell!”
“Good luck to you.”
Haebyul, NorthernGrandDuke, and Mia said their goodbyes and exited the office. Perhaps thanks to Leon’s orders, the way out was completely quiet.
When they arrived at HandGenius’s workshop, all the Romance - Northern party members had already arrived. Haebyul distributed the lanterns filled with Leon’s light to everyone.
Around HandGenius, a mountain of supplies was stacked.
Haebyul approached him, curious.
“What’s all this?”
“There are quite a few items you can only get during Episode 2.”
“Ah, limited-time sales?”
“Yeah. I completely cleaned out the Platinum Coin Shop.”
There were paid items that had only been released during Episode 2. Petitions to resell them in Arsilan Worlds kept appearing, but FS Games never responded. Since there were Heroes who hadn’t been around during Episode 2, it seemed like a reasonable request.
However, most of the limited-time items from Episode 2 were themed around the Great War. So the atmosphere didn’t really suit a rerelease.
-Wow!
-This is how they re-release it, huh.
-God-tier game...
By blending it into the lore like this, there was nothing to do but praise it. In this joyful mood, everyone opened the Dimension Gate to return to Arsilan.
Once everyone stepped inside, a long passage to the original world unfolded.
[Returning to Arsilan.]
[The world you visited is changing.]
The passage began to change.
Various videos emerged around them. The timelines they had influenced were being altered. As they walked down the passage, the video footage also advanced into the future.
Everyone watched the videos as they walked.
“The Great War...”
“We won?”
“Whoa!”
Perhaps because the strategy guide had been delivered, Leon showed excellent command and won the Great War early. NorthernGrandDuke’s gaze trembled.
Cheers erupted as Bakal and the orcs were shown standing before the collapsing Gate of Invasion, and she herself was seen beside them, laughing heartily with a two-handed axe raised high.
The Bakal and orcs of that timeline had survived.
A gentle smile appeared on NorthernGrandDuke’s lips.
“They even cleared the Quest properly.”
“Ooh, this is an awesome development!”
“Mary!”
Under Leon’s command, Mary was returned to her original self and fought alongside the Empress. Before the Lord of Greed could do anything, everything was taken from him, and even Ella was rescued much faster! Then followed a one-sided beatdown. The Lord of Greed looked downright pitiful.
-He’s seriously pitiful now.
-Nah. That bastard deserves even more of a beating.
-They did way better than we did.
And then it reached Episode 4.
Leon detected the trap laid by the Lord of Despair and quickly completed the Quest, completely destroying the true hidden Tower of Erosion.
When the footage reached that point, the gate connected to Arsilan appeared ahead.
“I’m jealous.”
“That world is full of nothing but happy endings.”
The Heroes watched the footage with envy.
But it wasn’t over yet. A happy ending surely awaited them as well. The Romance - Northern party members looked at one another and smiled as they opened the gate.
-By the way, your strategy is insanely good.
-Just start by capturing SockThief if you end up in the same timeline.
-I’ll be using this! Thanks a lot!
The method the Romance - Northern party used to meet Leon was introduced as a strategy in Arsilan Worlds. After that, many used the same method to obtain the paper flowers!
Many Heroes and Arsilan natives who encountered SockThief bowed their heads and thanked her.
“SockThief-nim, thank you.”
“Thanks so much!”
As that continued, SockThief tilted her head in confusion. After reading the strategy guide in Arsilan Worlds, she gave a small nod.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes.”
Together with RomanticBard, she crossed the Dimension Gate.
Just as luck would have it, they landed in the exact timeline mentioned in the strategy.
As soon as SockThief spotted her past self trying to climb the royal palace wall, she rushed over and grabbed her by the shoulder.
“Huh? W-Who are you...?”
“I’m your future self.”
“W-What kind of scripted event is this now?”
The past SockThief trembled from the shock. When RomanticBard revealed himself, she flinched and stepped back.
“We’re here to save your world, and ours.”
“You?”
RomanticBard was a well-known infamous Hero even at this time.
When SockThief stood side by side with RomanticBard, the past SockThief looked at the two of them.
She sensed a strange atmosphere between them!
“W-What’s your relationship?”
The two looked at each other and awkwardly averted their eyes.
“N-No way...”
The past SockThief dropped to the ground in shock.
That day, her world crumbled.
[You have had a major impact on the world! An amazing achievement!]
*Positive influence increased by 10%!
*Victory chance in the Great War increased by 5%!
And so, the world changed into something even more beautiful.
*****
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