novelraw Chapter 177: A New Possibility (5)
Chapter 177: A New Possibility (5)
Translator: Dreamscribe
A new possibility that transcended the races of Arsilan had emerged.
The named Heroes all halted their activities at once and challenged the third job advancement. Even the Undead, who had once been enemies, became a new force supporting the light of Arsilan. And various races commonly associated with darkness were also slowly being liberated.
‘It is a power that did not exist in Arsilan before.’
It was possible because the soul of Arsilan had become immune to Erosion and because a true Holy Sword had been forged. The third job advancement was a new power of Arsilan realized based on the souls of Heroes who had grown thus far. By detonating the potential of the Heroes, it was overwhelmingly more powerful than the second job advancement.
Jinwoo had not originally planned to update even the Undead. However, the light of the Holy Sword resonated with the Magic Tower and infused new power based on the souls of Heroes. It created the most fitting forms.
‘It deviated from my expectations, but....’
Since it had come to this, he decided to go boldly.
Jinwoo updated all of the emerging races without exception. He did not forget to include hidden jobs and races as well. Tiris and Tia also provided a great deal of help, and the FS Games developers, perhaps overflowing with passion, devoted themselves to development without sparing even overtime work.
‘They will become a good fighting force.’
Perhaps even the higher existence of Erosion they would encounter next might be greatly flustered upon seeing the darkness of Arsilan.
“Good morning.”
As all matters concluded smoothly, Jinwoo was able to rest comfortably at the mansion for the first time in a while. It had been exhausting to constantly read the room until now, but it seemed he would be able to live a bit more comfortably. However, that was an illusion. Jinwoo’s family ended up being split exactly in half.
“Somehow, the dark side is cooler.”
“Right. Light feels a bit childish.”
His older brother and grandfather became allies once again after a long time.
“Gloomy things are not pleasant to look at.”
“Yes, clean things are better.”
His father and older sister said so and nodded.
They had decided on a concept of competing with each other for Arsilan. However, even though the third job advancement had not yet been properly revealed, competitive spirit was already welling up.
It had become an everyday sight.
At least, for anyone who had played Arsilan Saga, this kind of scene would never feel childish.
In the past, Arsilan Saga had been described as a second life, but that was no longer the case. Now, both reality and Arsilan had become first lives. It was merely a matter of where one placed more weight.
A very quiet breakfast began, with not a single word spoken. Jinwoo opened his mouth to break the heavy atmosphere.
“By the way, are you not going to work today?”
"I'm on vacation."
His grandfather spoke as if it were obvious.
It seemed like he had been on vacation last week as well, and this week was also a vacation. His older brother and older sister had taken time off too, and only his father was working diligently and leaving work exactly on time.
‘The company is being run well, so....’
Ohsung Group had now become a company known by everyone in the world, and his older sister’s company was also doing well. Shifting the entertainment business into Arsilan Saga had turned out to be a masterstroke. It was fascinating that all the businesses were doing well despite such a long break.
‘Hmm....’
Perhaps thanks to their souls growing through Arsilan Saga, their talents were also exploding in reality.
His older brother cleared his throat and moved his lips. It seemed like he had something to say, but he hesitated as if the words were not coming easily. It was surprising to see him like that, considering he always walked his own path.
“Well, um....”
His older brother finally started speaking.
Jinwoo put down his utensils and looked at him. After taking a deep breath, his older brother barely began to speak.
“Even if you hear shocking news this evening, please do not be surprised.”
At his words, everyone stopped eating and looked at him.
His grandfather’s eyebrows twitched.
“Are you doing drugs? I thought you seemed out of sorts these days....”
“N, no! What are you talking about....”
His older brother waved his hands in alarm, startled.
Jinwoo nodded at his grandfather’s words. If he had been doing drugs, his actions up until now would have made sense. But it was probably not drugs.
‘The problem is that he is in his right mind.’
Jinwoo let out a small chuckle.
Even if someone did drugs, they could break free from addiction by coming to Arsilan Saga. The body itself was completely different. On top of that, Jinwoo had added drug addiction treatment effects to all Soul Links.
His older sister looked at his older brother with an expression of utter disapproval.
“Did you get scammed by voice phishing or something?”
“I heard those romance scams are rampant these days.”
His older sister and father had almost no expectations of his older brother. Well, his track record had been far too illustrious since childhood. It had been consistent even before he ran away from home claiming he was going to do rock music.
“Just make sure you do not end up on the crime section. If you disgrace Jinwoo’s face....”
Normally, Ohsung Group would be mentioned in situations like this, but not anymore. If he caused trouble, it would damage Jinwoo’s reputation. That was the most important thing now.
“I will break all four of your limbs and make you crawl on the ground.”
“Then I would not have to go to work.”
Was he insane?
His older brother came up with the idea that this would actually be good. When Jinwoo looked to the side, his older sister and father had tempted expressions. Jinwoo wondered if this was really okay.
“T, then I will get going first.”
His older brother hastily stuffed food into his mouth and got up from his seat.
Jinwoo watched his back and then nodded.
It did not seem like he had committed a crime. Because if he had time to commit a crime, his older brother would rather spend even a little more time playing Arsilan Saga.
‘I am curious, though.’
What could it be?
Something in reality rather than Arsilan Saga was completely unexpected.
Jinwoo also stood up from his seat.
“Then I will head out as well.”
“Work hard.”
“Haha....”
What his grandfather meant was, “Extend the event! Give us content!” Now Jinwoo could immediately grasp his grandfather’s true thoughts.
Jinwoo went to work at FS Games.
After receiving a brief report, he moved to the situation room.
“Currently, 13,321 Heroes are challenging the third job advancement.”
Thanks to the burning event, there were quite a few Heroes who had surpassed level 120. In most games, when the level gap between new players and the vanguard became too large, they would allow skipping through jump tickets.
However, Arsilan Saga did not do that.
Although there were burning events, players still had to steadily level up from level 1. That was because the soul needed to grow properly. For the continuously increasing number of newbies, Jinwoo set things up so they could enjoy everything from Episodes 1 to 3.
Even more Heroes would be born in the future.
Providing a stage where they could grow properly was Jinwoo’s duty and mission.
“How many have passed?”
“Currently, 23 people.”
The third job advancement was a trial that detonated the power and potential of a grown soul all at once. It would feel difficult, but once someone was at the point of challenging the third job advancement, they would be able to find their own method.
Arsilan Worlds was also in an uproar because of the third job advancement.
‘Do Undead not smell?’
‘Undead in Arsilan are not decay but fer.ment.ation. They have a rich aroma.’
‘Wow! I hear hunters are also going to the dark side? I am curious what they will become.’
‘I heard Valhalla is going with light.’
‘If RomanticBard is the first Undead, then is he the Demon King? That is pretty apocalyptic.’
Information about the third job advancement was gradually being released.
“A Death Knight has appeared!”
“An Arch Lich has appeared!”
“So far, the dark side clearly has more, right?”
As dark-type warrior third job advancements, Death Knight, Dullahan, or Werewolf were unlocked. Looking at the Status Window, they definitely seemed to have gained powerful strength. Because the power of the Holy Sword unlocked their potential, there were many parts that FS Games had not developed themselves.
Jinwoo opened the Status Window and examined the Heroes who had undergone the third job advancement.
[Guys, I can transform into a Werewolf.]
[Wow, it is huge? Seems way bigger than Beastkin? Wow, there is light coming out of the eyes and the fur is black, that looks insanely cool. How did you do that job advancement?]
[They kept mocking me in the Trial Arena, so I got pissed off and bit them apart.]
[Wow! That is intense!]
The Werewolf was quite impressive. It was far larger than a Beastkin undergoing beastification, and it possessed teeth and claws with cutting power at the level of aura. Moreover, it had an ultra-regeneration ability, giving it tremendous combat endurance.
The Dullahan was also drawing attention.
[Do I have to keep carrying my head around?]
[You can float it beside you. You also get a Dullahan-exclusive ghost horse.]
The Hero who advanced to Dullahan summoned a ghost horse. Among all summons that existed in Arsilan, it was the fastest. It could not fly, but it could ignore slopes and was even capable of gliding.
The FS Games developers made it possible to float or move the head to a desired location in order to reduce the inconvenience of having to carry it around.
[It was dizzy at first, but once you get used to it, it is incredibly convenient.]
As a result, the head could be used like a drone. The armor was also extremely cool, making the Heroes who were watching feel envious.
[That would be convenient for streaming.]
[Ah! And this is also possible.]
Blue flames flowed out from the Dullahan’s neck. When a large doll head was placed there, it twisted as if burning and turned into a grotesque shape. Then it dropped to the ground with a thud and disappeared.
[You can absorb Health and Magic Power like this. Experience points and skill proficiency also increase. If it matches your aptitude, you can even obtain the enemy’s skills.]
[Wow, this concept is insane. I guess I should go around collecting heads.]
[Yes. That is the plan.]
The developer who designed the Dullahan clenched his fist with a proud expression. He had put in a great deal of effort to integrate the Dullahan’s setting into Arsilan.
“Khh! The reaction is delicious!”
“This is it! This is why we develop games!”
The FS Games employees had the highest level of job satisfaction.
“But if someone walks around the Seoul field looking like that, it would be pretty scary.”
“Well, it will work out somehow.”
Jinwoo imagined a Dullahan eating pork soup rice at a gukbap restaurant. If Undead like an Arch Lich or a Dullahan appeared in the Seoul field, it would probably become quite a hot topic.
You cannot resist showing off.
Heroes who had completed the third job advancement headed to Solis or to the Seoul and LA fields to show off. The moment they appeared, all eyes gathered on them.
‘This will be fun.’
This was the fun of a game.
Jinwoo entered the CEO’s office and watched the trials of the named Heroes.
LifeHunter and the hunters were also challenging the third job advancement and heading down the path of darkness. Many were also undergoing trials of light. Representative examples were NorthernGrandDuke and her guild members, as well as the Romance Heroes.
Jinwoo kept an eye on things while working with the Status Window open.
NorthernGrandDuke’s trial was to eliminate more enemies than herself. She had to keep fighting against enemies that poured in endlessly. LifeHunter’s trial was to hunt and absorb copies of himself in a space with almost no light.
Up until the second job advancement, there had at least been some established strategies, but for the third job advancement, the contents of the trials differed for each individual, so no strategy existed.
‘It will take quite some time.’
After finishing his work at FS Games, Jinwoo headed to Arsilan.
Construction was in full swing at the center of the reclaimed land. A city more magnificent than any other was being built. All staff members were mobilized and working meticulously, and Ella could be seen wearing a safety helmet. The sight of moving an enormous pillar in one piece was truly a godlike feat of strength.
“You are working hard.”
“...Since I played around too much..., I feel self-conscious....”
Ella glanced at Astel and the staff.
She had only been active at the beginning of the LA incident and had lived like an unemployed person from the latter half onward. It was said that Astel had looked at Ella, who was lying in the laboratory eating snacks, with a look of disdain.
Helby was still asleep.
“Keep up the good work.”
Once the number surpassed one hundred million, he planned to declare an empire. At the same time, he intended to relocate the capital of the Sillion Kingdom to the center of the reclaimed land.
Since Solis had been built during a time when there were few users, it was small in scale compared to other large cities. Its infrastructure was also tangled, making expansion inconvenient. That was why he planned to move the capital entirely.
This, too, would become part of history.
‘It finally feels like the real beginning.’
Jinwoo gazed for a moment at the new capital that was nearing completion. It was larger and more magnificent than the capital of the empire that had once existed in Arsilan.
Arsilan deserved to have such a capital.
Tiris appeared behind Jinwoo.
“We will also install a new Magic Tower here. By utilizing True Magic Stones throughout the entire city, we will be able to supply energy.”
Jinwoo nodded.
Jinwoo opened the Status Window and looked toward Solis. The area in front of Solis was already filled with various inventions. Trains and airships powered by True Magic Stones could be seen.
[Ugh, ahhh! I'm falling over! Move!]
[Huh?]
A ride-type golem that had been walking clumsily fell over as it was and collided with a nearby airship.
Kwaaaang!
At that moment, a chain explosion occurred, turning the front of Solis into a sea of flames. Jinwoo closed the Status Window.
“Hm....”
There was still a long way to go.
He was curious how far Arsilan could develop.
Tiris stared intently at Jinwoo, as if she had something to say.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“Master, I upgraded Leon and added a reproduction function based on your soul.”
“You did.”
It was a function that involved such incredible technology that even Jinwoo could not help but click his tongue.
“Please enjoy yourself freely and carry on your lineage.”
“Huh?”
“Fighting.”
Swoosh!
Tiris raised her thumb and then smoothly disappeared.
Countless lives in Arsilan were preparing to be born. Now that they could safely start families without worrying about falling to Erosion, many Arsilan inhabitants got married and settled down.It was a good thing.
CRASH!
There was the sound of something falling nearby.
It was the sound of Ella dropping a pillar onto the ground while moving it. Jinwoo turned his head to look to the side. Ella was staring at Jinwoo with a shocked expression.
“...Th, that is good news.”
Ella turned her body and began walking away awkwardly, like a robot.
***
After helping with construction, it was time to leave work, so Jinwoo returned to the CEO’s office. Just then, LifeHunter and NorthernGrandDuke passed their third job advancement trials.
[LifeHunter hunts himself and accepts darkness. In the darkness, the instincts of the hunter awaken.]
[Advanced to the higher vampire species, Daywalker!]
“Oh....”
A Daywalker was a vampiric species that could be active even during the day. There were some penalties, but thanks to containing the light of Arsilan, it could still exert power during the daytime. When night fell, all abilities increased dramatically.
[A]Blood Drain
‘Offer your blood to me.’
An ability that allows the user to absorb blood.
Blood can be absorbed simply by touching the opponent’s body. Upon absorbing blood, not only Health and Magic Power but even severe injuries can be instantly recovered. Through Blood Drain, detailed information about the opponent can be read, and experience points can be obtained at an amplified rate.
[A]Kin of the Night
‘Rise! O kin of the night!’
Heroes belonging to one’s territory or guild can be turned into lower vampiric species. The opponent’s consent is required, and Heroes who awaken as lower vampiric species can use vampiric abilities at night. However, when daytime comes, they return to the form of an ordinary Hero.
As Contribution Points, level, and stats increase, the power of the lower vampiric species grows, allowing advancement to the next stage.
Vampiric species could use blood magic by using blood as energy instead of Magic Power. LifeHunter’s fangs grew longer, and his eyes turned red.
LifeHunter grinned and immediately uploaded the information to Arsilan Worlds along with a verification shot. It was to show off.
‘Vampire?’
‘Please bite me!’
‘Are you recruiting guild members?’
‘Please take me in as a territory member!’
Inquiry comments continued to increase.
The image of his grandfather’s face, surely wearing a satisfied smile, came vividly to mind.
NorthernGrandDuke advanced to Valkyrie.
It was not a class developed by FS Games, but one manifested through the Magic Tower by the light of the Holy Sword.
[A]Valhalla
‘The pride of a warrior does not disappear even in death.’
When Valhalla is invoked, stats increase dramatically until all Health and Magic Power are exhausted, and the light of the Holy Sword can be woven into aura. The more enemy souls are harvested, the more Health and Magic Power are restored.
If one dies on the battlefield without letting go of their weapon, they can immediately resurrect on the spot in perfect condition. The resurrection cooldown is seven days.
[A]Bifrost
‘Through light, to the battlefield.’
When Bifrost is used, wings made of light are created, allowing instant movement to allies on the battlefield together with guild members or party members.
Jinwoo was impressed.
It was a job that suited NorthernGrandDuke well.
After looking over the Heroes who had undergone the third job advancement, Jinwoo connected to Arsilan Worlds.
An article link had been posted on the free bulletin board.
Moreover, it was flooding the best posts. Articles did get posted occasionally, but they had never made it to the best section before.
The moment Jinwoo saw the title, his expression went blank.
‘[Breaking News] Actress Lee Eun-seo is dating Ohsung Group’s eldest son Lee Cheon-woo.’
‘Who is Lee Cheon-woo? The older brother of FS Games’ Lee Jinwoo and heir of Ohsung Group....’
'Will the match of the century happen?'
'Exclusive photos of the relationship obtained!'
Ding!
His smartphone rang.
Still wearing a blank expression, Jinwoo checked his smartphone.
Grandfather: Come straight home as soon as you get off work.
At his grandfather’s message, Jinwoo came back to his senses.
“Ah....”
It should be a good thing, right?
Knowing the true identities of the two, Jinwoo felt strangely unsettled.