novelraw Chapter 176: A New Possibility (4)
Chapter 176: A New Possibility (4)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The LA Field added to the Dimension Gate became a famous attraction visited by countless tourists. In particular, the place where the Holy Sword was born was still filled with blooming white flowers, making it extremely beautiful. When night fell, it emitted a brilliant light that could never be seen on Earth, becoming a representative attraction and holy site of the LA Field!
Other cities were also opened one by one through collaboration. The Great Rift continued to open, but it did not lead to a serious atmosphere. Repetition was bound to become tiresome, so they packed in plenty of quests focused on loot acquisition and growth.
At the same time, various events began!
[Leon unlocks all of the true power of the Holy Sword.]
[Leon’s Reward]This is a royal command! Everyone, grow stronger!
*Experience gain increased by 200%!
*True Magic Stone drop rate increased by 200%!
*Rare item drop rate increased by 50%!
[Ella celebrates the victory of Arsilan!]
[Ella’s Blessing]In commemoration of Arsilan’s victory!
*You can resurrect immediately from the afterlife.
*All stats increase by 10%.
*If you resolve Ella’s quest, you can obtain bonus points for the second class advancement.
[The Guardian Dragon praises everyone.]
[The Guardian Dragon’s Praise]Well done.
*Arsilan gold acquisition increased by 150%!
*Achievement point acquisition increased by 150%!
*All paid items discounted by 30%!
*Free distribution of the Guardian Dragon’s Praise sticker!
[Heina wants to take care of novice heroes.]
[Heina’s Advice]Let us welcome novice heroes
*If you become a mentor to a novice hero, you gain bonus points for the second class advancement!
*When you help a novice hero complete a quest, Arsilan Contribution Points are granted!
*If a novice hero you guided graduates from being a newbie, you receive the official instructor mark of the Sillion Kingdom!
A burning event for everyone in Arsilan had begun!
It was a festival-like event that continued for two weeks. The number of connected users kept increasing and reached 90 million. There were disruptions in mass production due to material supply issues, but once the Creator God stepped in, it was quickly resolved.
The number of connected users was displayed in real time in front of the Grand Temple of Solis for everyone to see.
“Will they do another event when it reaches 100 million?”
“Probably.”
“They definitely will not just let it slide.”
The newbie heroes, having gone through Episode 4, had now become proper heroes of Arsilan. The party they met when they were wandering outside Evanth during their newbie days had continued until now. They were able to break out beyond the Magic Barrier and come not only to the heroes’ domains but also near several major cities.
The party leader, MelonRiceBowl, looked at the party members.
After talking, it turned out that everyone had different nationalities in the real world, but strangely, they all spoke the common language of Arsilan quite well. Inside Arsilan Saga, it felt even smoother. The heroes guessed that there must be something like pronunciation correction.
“We are almost there!”
“If we go just a bit further, is it Elvens!”
“Wow! The scenery is insane.”
They camped while looking at the beautiful natural scenery of Arsilan or discovered small villages and stayed overnight.
They also visited various attractions posted on Arsilan Worlds. In particular, the Starlight Grand Canyon near Elvens was so spectacular that words were insufficient. Starlight falling from the sky flowed along the canyon like a river. It was a fantastic sight, as if the Milky Way had unfolded before their eyes.
“The Dimension Gate is nice, but...”
“Arsilan really is better.”
“Yeah.”
It was a great adventure overflowing with romance.
Monsters appeared and they fought, and they also participated in subjugation operations after accepting requests from the people of Arsilan. When they defeated a boss monster tainted by Erosion, a joy they had never felt before wrapped around their entire bodies. It felt like they had become true legendary heroes!
After passing through the Starlight Grand Canyon and entering the Great Forest, they could see many elves. MelonRiceBowl approached an elf who looked like a patrol soldier.
“Hello?”
“Nice to meet you, Hero. Are you going to Elvens?”
“Yes! Is this the way to go?”
The elf smiled and nodded.
“You can just follow the path. There is also a mount rental station along the way, so I recommend renting one.”
“Ah! You mean those Spirit Horses?”
“Yes, in the forest, they are even faster than trains.”
Elvens was located within the Great Forest, so railway tracks could not enter it. Instead, an airship airport was under construction in Elvens. The goal was to connect it with Solis, Evanth, Marogo, and several major cities.
“Thank you!”
“Oh! Hero.”
As if recalling something, the elf called MelonRiceBowl again.
“It is said that a monster never seen before has appeared around here. It is said to have a horrific appearance, so if you discover it, please do not engage and immediately report it to the Elvens Guard.”
“A monster never seen before? Understood!”
The elf informed him of the official reporting channel of the Elvens Guard. By registering it in the friend window, messages could be sent immediately within the game.
This was a quest!
MelonRiceBowl smiled broadly and told the party members about it.
“A quest right from the entrance....”
“Let’s clear it!”
“If they are telling us to report it to the guard, it must be an extremely strong monster. The reward should be solid too.”
The next objective of the MelonRiceBowl party was decided!
They rented Spirit Horses and were able to arrive at Elvens by crossing the Great Forest. The large city of Elvens was beautiful. Buildings made of wood stood around a massive World Tree, and stone buildings made of white stone were also arranged pleasingly. Above all, they liked how it was bustling with heroes and people of Arsilan.
It was quite fun just looking at heroes and Arsilan people wearing various kinds of equipment. Some heroes even showed off rare mounts or items, so time flew by just watching.
There was none of the exclusionary feeling that was often felt when visiting travel destinations. Since everyone was a citizen of Sillion, they treated one another like friends.
"Best game ever."
“Long live the Creator God!”
When playing Arsilan Saga, such words naturally came out.
“The houses up in the trees are relatively cheap.”
“It seems like we could buy one.”
There were also many rare materials and local specialties that could only be obtained in Elvens. After purchasing Elvens traditional clothing at the Platinum Coin Shop and doing plenty of shopping in the marketplace, the MelonRiceBowl party gathered again outside Elvens.
There were also many hunting grounds near Elvens.
Resting even a little was a loss.
During the burning event period, they had to keep running without rest! The MelonRiceBowl party planned to keep going nonstop until they reached a level where they could obtain True Magic Stones.
“I found the gate coordinates!”
“Let’s go right away!”
The MelonRiceBowl party headed toward a gate located deep within the Great Forest. When night fell, the Great Forest grew dark. Young spirits and fairies were flying around, so visibility was not an issue.
Spirits sometimes clung to heroes who had the Affinity stat.
“Was the second hidden class Spirit Summoner?”
“These days it is all public, so it is not really hidden anymore..., anyway, second class advancement is difficult, so it is still impressive.”
"But I heard it's more doable now because they give a lot of bonus points?"
“General classes have become easier. But for special classes, they say it is still brutal.”
“Ah!”
During the burning event period, bonus points were also given, making second class advancement a bit easier. Thanks to that, quite a lot of heroes were achieving their second class advancement.
Everyone’s goal was the third class advancement!
“We have arrived at the gate.”
"It's a high-level gate, will we be okay?"
“If you hunt them one by one on the first floor, you can level up explosively. LifeHunter-nim posted a guide.”
“Oh, god-tier LifeHunter...”
It was at that moment, as the MelonRiceBowl party approached the gate.
Something came out from inside the gate.
“Huh?”
“What..., huh!?”
“Crazy!”
They were skeletons emitting green glowing eyes. Holding something like instruments made of bone, they walked out while clattering their jaws. Perhaps because their level was far higher than that of the MelonRiceBowl party members, an overwhelming pressure could be felt. Even a Death Knight would not be this bad.
But an even more shocking sight unfolded.
A terrifying boss monster appeared that could not even be compared to the skeletons that had just appeared.
It was a skeleton wrapped in black currents.
It possessed such an enormous presence that the boss monsters that appeared in Episode 1 looked like mere trash mobs. Inside its rib cage, a Life Vessel flickering with green light could be seen, and the black currents flowed down around it like a robe.
The boss monster dragged a coffin in its hand as it came out of the gate. The skeletons followed behind the boss monster.
“Uh, Undead...!”
“Undead have invaded Elvens!”
“Did the gate break open!”
There was no choice but to be horrified.
The peaceful Elvens was in danger!
MelonRiceBowl hurriedly contacted the Elvens Guard and then turned on Broadcast Mode to leave evidence.
[MelonRiceBowl]Elvens emergency! This is an urgent situation!
Viewer count: 1
-What is this?
-Huh?
-Undead?
-Is that a boss monster? It looks fucking strong?
Perhaps because the title drew attention, viewers poured in quickly, and rumors spread in an instant.
The guard unit stationed in Elvens hurriedly mobilized. Since reports about this had already come in, they prepared and set out immediately as soon as they received MelonRiceBowl’s report.
“Undead?”
“Let’s go!”
“Another invasion again...!”
“We will help too!”
Seeing the Elvens Guard heading out in full gear, countless heroes followed after them. The recent LA incident had become an enormous lesson. If anything even slightly suspicious appeared, it had to be investigated thoroughly and handled to an excessive degree. Only then could a small spark be prevented from turning into a massive blaze.
The MelonRiceBowl party concealed themselves and secretly followed the boss monster and the skeletons accompanying it. At the same time, they shared the coordinates in real time.
After a short while, the guard and the heroes arrived.
“So Undead really did invade.”
“Wow, the pressure is insane.”
“It easily looks over level 100.”
High-level heroes could roughly gauge its strength even without appraisal.
The boss monster began acting suspiciously in a clearing within the forest. It muttered something and then opened the large coffin.
“Something feels off.”
“Could it be trying to burn down the Great Forest?”
“Let us stop it first!”
There was no doubt it was a plot to destroy Elvens.
When the guard captain heard the heroes’ conversation and gave a signal, the guards also raised their fighting spirit and drew their weapons. The guards met the heroes’ eyes and nodded.
“Protect Elvens!”
“For Arsilan!”
“Charge!”
The guards and heroes shouted and charged forward. The boss monster, which had been taking something out of the coffin, saw the guards and heroes rushing toward it and flinched in shock, staggering backward.
“That scared me!”
The boss monster shouted as it recoiled.
At the moment they were about to attack, the guard captain raised his hand. Everyone stopped their attacks in awkward stances. The boss monster looked at them and let out a sigh.
“Ah, I thought you were mobs.”
At the boss monster’s words, everyone blinked and stared at it.
“What is going on?”
The boss monster spoke to them casually. Its tone felt just like that of a hero.
“Huh?”
“There is a Hero mark.”
“What is this?”
The forest was dark, and because of the black currents rising from his body, the mark floating above the hero’s head could not be seen. When a guard cast Light Magic, it became clearly visible. Along with the Title, the hero’s name could also be seen.
The Hero mark could not be hidden, but Titles and names could be set to private. Quite a few heroes preferred hiding them because it looked cleaner. However, he was openly displaying his.
“I am, RomanticBard.”
“Crazy..., you became Undead?!”
“You, you are not wearing a skin, right?”
RomanticBard nodded.
“When I did my third class advancement, I became Undead. It is comfortable and nice.”
-No, how can a hero become Undead?
-But the style is badass.
-He looks like some kind of World Boss.
-RomanticBard... what on earth did you do....
The guard captain approached RomanticBard. He also looked extremely flustered.
“Th, th..., Hero RomanticBard, what were you doing? That coffin-like thing...”
“I got it when I advanced classes. I was crafting an instrument. I can put materials in here and make instruments. Want to see?”
“What? Ah, no.”
The guard captain hurriedly shook his head, but RomanticBard did not listen to his answer and moved right away. He had become even more my-way than before.
RomanticBard looked around and spotted a troll that had come out beyond the gate.
When he gestured as if giving a command, the skeletons let out ghostly screams and raised their instruments. At the unbearably horrific performance, the guards and heroes covered their ears.
When the troll clutched its head and slammed its face into the ground, the skeletons grabbed the troll’s body, dragged it toward the coffin, and stuffed it inside.
Crunch crunch crunch!
Kueeeek! Kuek!
The troll’s screams echoed.
Along with the sound of bones and flesh being ground apart, blood splattered over the top of the coffin. The materials were cleanly separated, and a guitar made from the troll’s bones and hide was created.
“Ah...”
“Uh...”
-Oh...
-Um...
The guards, the heroes, and even those watching through the broadcast all had the same reaction. The MelonRiceBowl party was so shocked that they froze in place.
“Th, th, that is a g, good, g, good item.”
The guard captain barely managed to say that.
RomanticBard, seemingly pleased by the praise, immediately shared the item information.
[A] Coffin of Screams (Bound)
'Screams are excellent music. Because they never change.'
A coffin that can turn monsters into instruments.
The quality, condition, and appearance of the instrument are determined by the rank of the monster. It has ample space and can also be used as an inventory. It is a bound item that only the Conductor of Screams can touch.
A coffin that grinds an entire monster to make an instrument was certainly an item worthy of the A rank. However, no one present here felt envy.
That was because the process itself was something else entirely.
RomanticBard plucked the strings of the guitar he had made by grinding the troll alive.
Dooook! Reeeek! Miiiik!
The troll’s screams resonated as sound. RomanticBard nodded in satisfaction and looked at the guards and the heroes.
“I will give this guitar as a gift.”
The expressions of the guard captain and the guards stiffened. The same was true for the heroes. The shape of the guitar was extremely grotesque.
RomanticBard searched for someone to give the gift to. When his eyes met the guard captain’s, the captain raised both hands as if telling him to calm down and stepped backward.
"Th, there will be a gap in the Elvens's security if I stayed too long. I must return! A, ahem!"
The guard captain of Elvens, who had not fled even when faced with Erosion, ran away. One by one, the guards also stepped back and then fled at full speed toward Elvens.
RomanticBard looked at the heroes.
The high-level heroes forced awkward smiles and avoided his gaze.
“Ah, we were going to the gate, right?”
“R, right.”
“Oh dear, my inventory is full…”
I, RomanticBard-nim, g, good work!”
High-level heroes possessed various skills. Some disappeared by using stealth, others hid themselves with fog magic. Some even slipped into the ground as if melting into it, digging tunnels as they vanished.
Only the MelonRiceBowl party remained.
As the surroundings suddenly grew quiet, the MelonRiceBowl party members became flustered.
RomanticBard’s eyes met those of MelonRiceBowl, who was standing at the very front. MelonRiceBowl hurriedly lowered his gaze, but it was already too late. RomanticBard walked straight up to him. Behind RomanticBard were numerous loyal skeletons.
“What is your name?”
“M, m, MelonRiceBowl.”
RomanticBard took out a bone knife and engraved something onto the surface of the guitar. He handed the guitar to MelonRiceBowl and then disappeared just like that. Receiving the guitar without realizing it, MelonRiceBowl wore a blank expression.
Coming to his senses, he lowered his head and examined the horrific guitar in his hands.
To. MMMelonRiceBowl
[Always be happy. -RomanticBard-]
RomanticBard had even left a proper signature on the guitar.
-He really lives up to being ranked first among crazy heroes..
-He seems even crazier than before. Now he does not even care about appearances.
-So third class advancement even changes your race. Undead… not bad.
Despite it being his first broadcast, MelonRiceBowl’s viewer count exceeded 30,000. MelonRiceBowl remained frozen, unable to move.
Kkirik kkirik!
The guitar RomanticBard had given him wriggled in his arms as if it were alive. Startled, MelonRiceBowl threw the guitar to the ground.
“E, eek!”
“So gross!”
“Ugh!”
MelonRiceBowl and the party members ran through the forest at full speed.
Stopping while gasping for breath, MelonRiceBowl trembled as if he still had goosebumps.
“Huh?”
The guitar, which he was sure he had thrown away, was now lying in front of him.
It felt like he had stepped into a horror movie.
[Troll's Bone Guitar is a bound item.]
“B, bound?”
Since it was a bound item, he could not discard it. The only way to get rid of it was to destroy it by consuming its durability. He tightly shut his eyes and picked up the guitar.
He swung it down toward a tree.
KWEEEEK!
A horrific sound rang out, and the tree shattered.
“O, oh?”
“The destructive power…”
“It is pretty good.”
It was as if the troll’s strength had been reflected in the bone guitar. It was far better than items he could normally equip at his level.
“O, oooh! Should we go to the gate?”
MelonRiceBowl’s expression brightened.
Although its appearance was horrific, he had obtained a good weapon. The MelonRiceBowl party entered the gate and enjoyed hunting.
-This guy is not in his right mind either.
-To be honest, there are not many heroes who are normal.
-That is true.
In any case, through third class advancement, it was possible to become Undead.
If you could even become Undead, could you not become other things related to darkness as well?
Arsilan Worlds heated up with all kinds of speculation and stories about third class advancement.