novelraw Chapter 197: Perseverance (3)
Chapter 197: Perseverance (3)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Two weeks had passed since the interior of the Planetary Devourer was revealed.
During those two weeks, the Heroes gathered materials and completed the Dimension Gate.
Attacks continued from parasites resembling tentacles embedded in the white blood cells and flesh, but the Named Heroes quickly responded by crafting weapons and equipment using the materials scattered throughout the interior.
The moment the Dimension Gate was completed, the inside of the Planetary Devourer became a single field, and countless Heroes and Arsilanian people gathered.
“Oh, it’s really spacious.”
“Let’s set up the workbench first.”
“This is what you call romance.”
“Is that a white blood cell? Then are we the virus?”
Arsilan had become the virus invading the body of the Planetary Devourer. Technically speaking, they were quite similar to viruses.
“There’s nothing missing here.”
“Let’s take all the flesh too.”
“Time to mine!”
Countless Heroes swarmed in, tearing off chunks of organ flesh and mining the resources floating around. When a hole was made in the stomach wall of the Planetary Devourer, blood vessels flowing with the energy of Erosion were revealed.
The blood vessels were large and wide, giving the impression of tunnels.
Dark red jelly-like things were transporting Erosion Crystals, which were concentrations of Erosion energy, and the Heroes grinned the moment they saw them.
[Lv.170] Red Blood Cell of Despair
A cell that transports Erosion Crystals, created by absorbing Arsilan, to the entire body of the Planet Devourer.
Unlike the red blood cells of typical lifeforms, they are few in number but capable of fulfilling far more roles.
The Heroes approached the Red Blood Cells of Despair. The cells flailed their tentacles as a defense mechanism, but it posed no threat to the Heroes. The Heroes burst the red blood cells and obtained the Erosion Crystals.
Erosion Crystals slightly increased the success rate of weapon enhancement and had the effect of improving quality.
When the Heroes licked the Crystals, they tasted spicy. When used in cooking, they provided a buff effect.
“Hm....”
“Mm....”
The Heroes, after observing the red blood cells diligently working, stole the Erosion Crystals and stuffed various trash inside. The red blood cells, carrying the trash, damaged the blood vessels. Some even placed poison or bombs inside.
“Will this work too?”
A Necromancer Hero watching the scene attempted to turn a red blood cell into an Undead. The red blood cell turned white and stuck to the blood vessel. It gradually swelled, and then deformed cells emerged and began devouring everything nearby. It looked as though a tumor was growing.
Skreeeee!
At the sound of a horrifying instrument, the bodies of all the Heroes froze stiff. With frightened expressions, the Heroes looked to the side.
An Undead was visible, riding on top of a red blood cell like it was a small boat. It was playing an instrument made from ripped blood vessel material and was drifting along the blood vessel.
“...That’s nothing like a tumor.”
“Looks way scarier than something like the Ebola virus.”
“S-Scary....”
That Undead was RomanticBard.
As he opened his mouth, the white blood cells that had gathered to drive away the Heroes all bubbled up and exploded. He descended deeper into the body while giving a solo performance.
Thanks to the path opened by RomanticBard, Arsilan was able to spread throughout the body of the Planetary Devourer fairly quickly. At every major organ they reached, a Hero’s Flower bloomed, and new materials appeared.
Parasites or boss monsters in the form of cells emerged, but the Heroes steadily grew and took them down one by one. The bosses positioned near the path to the brain of the Planetary Devourer were quite powerful, so even the Heroes were struggling.
Jinwoo nodded as he observed the scene.
‘Looks like they’ll reach the brain soon.’
Jinwoo had been moving back and forth between Arsilan and Levannas to prepare for Episode 5. The stage of Episode 5 was Levannas, and this massive Planetary Devourer and the space setting were merely the prologue of Episode 5.
Considering the situation in Levannas as well, rather than presenting it through a showcase in a list-like format, showing it through quests and staging like this would be far more entertaining.
‘Levannas is holding out well too....’
The atmosphere in Levannas had changed significantly. More members of the Demon Race were enlisting in the defense forces, and everyone was preparing to move forward, dreaming of a hopeful future.
It was all thanks to Serazade. Every time a tunnel appeared, she rushed in and destroyed everything before any damage could occur. Tiris supported her, and recently, more personnel had been added in line with the progression of the original story.
The seal that had imprisoned the Higher Being of Erosion was weakening.
Tunnels began appearing more frequently and in multiple locations at once. Jinwoo requested a new character from Horolong.
It was to be an ally who could support Serazade.
Jinwoo sent a message to Horolong.
Jinwoo: About the new magical girls you added this time. They were excellent. I really liked that each of them had their own unique personality.
Horolong: I shall continue to pour my entire being into this for the glory of Arsilan.
New magical girls.
They were Serazade’s staff officers. They had been dragged into this by chance and ended up defending Levannas alongside Serazade.
Now that she had comrades in a similar situation, Serazade seemed to feel less shame and became more proactive in her activities.
As expected, bonds with comrades made magic stronger.
It was a good development.
Jinwoo: Where are you now?
Horolong: I have completed the sacred task bestowed upon me by the Creator God at the workshop and am now recording this glory.
It meant he had finished the deadline.
The speed of his work was incredibly fast.
Jinwoo: Soon, the path to the brain of the Planetary Devourer will be opened. If you have time, please come visit that area.
Horolong: I shall risk my life to follow the noble mission given by the Creator God.
Horolong’s speech had gradually become more peculiar, eventually reaching this state. But since one’s manner of speaking was a personal choice, Jinwoo left it alone.
With preparations complete, Jinwoo waited inside the Devourer’s brain for everyone to arrive. FS Games employees were also gathered in the situation room to observe the reactions.
‘I’m looking forward to this.’
He was curious to see how they would react.
It might be a bit shocking, but it would surely be a fun experience.
***
Horolong felt like he was dreaming.
Not only had he met the Creator God, but he had also earned the honor of working with FS Games.
His room was plastered with photos of the Creator God, and even his parents had become believers in the Creator God who had saved their son. With the signing bonus from FS Games, he had paid off all the family’s debts and was even able to move into a comfortable home.
“Well, my son’s working with FS Games now, can you believe it?”
“Really? With that FS Games?”
“Of course! He’s even close with the CEO of FS Games, they took a picture together! Want to see?”
His mother proudly showed off a photo of her son standing beside the Creator God.
‘I even exchange texts with the Creator God!’
Horolong also had an overwhelming desire to boast like that, but he held himself back. As always, he woke up early in the morning, gazed at a photo of the Creator God, performed a worship ritual, and logged into Arsilan.
Whenever he performed this ritual worshiping the Creator God, things that had been going poorly began to go smoothly, and good things would happen. Naturally, his faith grew stronger.
Horolong, having finished his deadline, felt mentally and physically light.
After tidying up his tools at the workshop in Alusion, he moved into the internal world of the Devourer.
It was because of a divine revelation (?) from the Creator God.
The content of the revelation was as follows:
Horolong.
A path to the brain of the Planetary Devourer shall open, and when that day comes, you must not hesitate to follow it.
The path to the brain is the gateway to knowledge and revelation, and the river of life where deep truth resides.
The opening of the path is my will, and it shall bring blessings upon you.
“Long live the Creator God!”
Although the message from the Creator God was simply telling him to check out the path to the brain once it opened, his mind interpreted it as a divine revelation through cognitive bias.
The Heroes had already spread through nearly every part of the Devourer, and only the brain remained.
When the path to the brain of the Devourer opened, Horolong headed there without delay. The Devourer was so massive that it was a difficult journey, but he endured it with his faith. It felt like a pilgrimage to a holy land, and he even felt reverent.
“Is this the brain?”
“Not what I expected.”
“Oh....”
The scenery inside the head where the brain was located was unexpected.
Inside the vast space, the only visible object was a massive crystal located at the center. Nerve bundles, resembling neural connections, were embedded into that crystal, and those bundles were linked to every part of the Devourer. Considering the enormous size of the Devourer, the space housing its brain was relatively small.
“Is this the brain?”
“Should we just smash it?”
“Let’s investigate it first.”
The Heroes approached the crystal. It was as massive as the Osung Tower, and countless nerve cells tangled within it made it look grotesque.
Horolong also headed toward the crystal alongside the Heroes.
It was when he reached the front of the crystal.
Light burst from everyone’s bodies around the crystal, and an Information Window appeared.
[A wicked intention is sensed from the crystal.]
[Your heart for Arsilan has summoned the Light of the Holy Sword. Would you like to link the Light of the Holy Sword to the crystal?]
The Heroes quickly realized that a Main Quest was progressing. Naturally, everyone accepted.
Horolong raised his head to the ceiling and offered his gratitude toward the Creator God before pressing the accept button.
At that moment, his vision went dark.
-Huh?
-This feels familiar.
-It’s like when we possessed someone in Episode 3.
-Oh, I can see your messages too.
The Heroes were familiar with this feeling.
It was just like when they had experienced possession while watching a video.
The Arsilanian people weren’t used to it, but with explanations from the Heroes, they were able to calm down. They also felt relieved, thinking that as long as the Light of the Holy Sword was with them, no harm would come.
A glowing space appeared at the edge of their vision, allowing them to communicate.
It was a bit different from the possession experience in Episode 3.
Instead of fully possessing someone else's body, they now saw the surrounding scenery from an external observer’s perspective.
-Huh?
-Hm?
An egg appeared.
Everyone’s vision shifted to an egg attached to the shell of the Devourer. Countless eggs were being launched toward a distant planet.
The egg they had possessed was launched as well.
-Oh! It’s fast!
-This is getting exciting!
The egg tore through space and approached the planet.
As the planet grew closer and rapidly enlarged, it created a suffocating sense of pressure. The looming image of the massive planet filled their vision with an overwhelming presence.
The egg settled into orbit around the planet and made one rotation. There were lands that looked similar to Arsilan, but the opposite side of the planet was utterly devastated. It was heavily corrupted by Erosion and horribly destroyed.
After a few quick rotations around the orbit, protrusions rose from the surface of the egg, and it gradually tilted toward the planet.
-It’s falling!
-Ughhh! This feels weird!
The Heroes could see the landscape of the planet.
The moment they saw Levannas, they erupted into chaos.
-Wow! This is insane!
-That’s a highly advanced city! There are airships and even cars!
-I thought it’d be a wild world, but to think there’s a civilization like this…!
-Is this the setting for the next Episode?
-Then is this like a PV video?
Horolong had even more reason to be shocked than the Heroes.
Because it was exactly the same setting as the one from the 'Demon Magical Girl Sera' he had drawn. The large castle and cityscape in the distance, and the Protective Barrier, were identical to the materials FS Games had provided him. Based on those materials, he had created 'Demon Magical Girl Sera'.
Horolong was so stunned it was as if he had been struck by lightning, unable to escape the shock for some time. He had assumed there might be some relation since Erosion Insects appeared in 'Demon Magical Girl Sera', but he had never imagined that the setting itself would actually exist.
‘Which means....’
The moment the egg crashed into the planet’s surface and shattered, Horolong finally came to his senses.
What emerged from the broken egg was an Erosion Insect.
The Erosion Insect landed on the blackened ground and began burrowing into the planet. It joined a swarm already inside the planet.
Beneath the surface, there was an unimaginable number of Erosion Insects.
-There’s a fuck ton of them!
-A massive pile of large Erosion Insects?!
-It’s paradise!
Even the Arsilanian people, not just the Heroes, couldn’t take their eyes off the screen. The swarming Erosion Insects looked irresistibly delicious. There were plenty of new types of Erosion Insects, stimulating their curiosity.
‘That’s the giant Erosion Insect....’
He could see the giant Erosion Insect that had given Sera such a hard time in Volume 3. It was a creature not found in any of FS Games’ materials, a monster he had designed entirely on his own, from start to finish.
‘The Creator God brought it to life!’
Horolong felt like he was about to cry, but he barely held it in. No- his body, lying dormant in front of the Devourer's crystal, might already have been shedding tears.
The Erosion Insects began to rise.
Bursting through the ground, swarms of Erosion Insects spewed out. The Erosion Insect that everyone had inhabited also revealed itself to the world, following the swarm.
Sirens wailed.
From atop the massive walls, soldiers fired guns at the Erosion Insects. An airship floating in the sky dropped bombs, but the Erosion Insects pushed forward with sheer numbers.
-These people are screwed.
-Ah....
-Is this the end?
-Their bullets and bombs aren’t strong enough to handle this.
The Heroes, who understood Erosion Insects better than anyone, were deeply distressed. The swarm gnawed through the protective shield in front of the fortress wall and began infiltrating.
“Ugh, uwaaah!”
“Kegh!”
The Erosion Insects climbed the wall and overwhelmed the soldiers.
“Grrh! For Levannas!”
A soldier grabbed a bomb and leapt straight into the swarm, blowing himself up. All the watching Heroes and Arsilanian people fell silent at the sight.
It didn’t feel like someone else’s story.
There had been a time when they too had fought so desperately to defend their homes. They wanted to help, but unfortunately, right now, they were inside an Erosion Insect.
Their physical bodies were far, far away.
“Krgh! Jeiran! Damn it!”
“Fire! Shoot them!”
“A-All ammo’s been depleted!”
The desperate shouts of soldiers rang out.
The turret installed atop the wall was destroyed, and Erosion Insects breached the fortress wall, yet the soldiers did not retreat. Behind them were villages and cities they had to protect.
-Ah....
-This is bad.
-There’s no way to help them?
-Is this happening right now?
-Feels like real-time.
They wanted to help.
We all wanted to help them.
It was the moment everyone felt the same way.
[The Light of the Holy Sword is responding to your will and burning fiercely. Would you like to share Arsilan’s miracle with this land full of despair?]
A glowing Information Window appeared.
All the Heroes and Arsilanian people accepted immediately. Then the Erosion Insect they had inhabited exploded, and from within, a powerful light burst forth and soared high into the sky.
[A being most worthy of the Light of the Holy Sword has been found.]
Everyone’s vision shifted upward into the sky.
The light fell upon a distant royal palace. At that moment, a massive wave made of light swept the surroundings and halted the movements of the Erosion Insects.
A magical circle began to etch itself into the sky.
As the circle activated with a bright light, someone appeared. It was a beautiful girl holding a staff that resembled a holy sword. Her outfit, like that of a magical girl, suited her perfectly.
“H-Huh? What’s going on....”
The girl seemed flustered and stumbled around.
As the magical staff glowed and explained the situation to her, the girl looked down at the Erosion Insects with eyes full of firm resolve.
The girl swung her staff.
A burst of light shot out and blew away part of the Erosion swarm. She clenched her fist tightly.
She didn’t know who had given her this power, but she was only filled with gratitude. With this power, she could save everyone!
"A1, was it? If it's to protect Levannas, I'll do whatever it takes. Let's go!"
[Yes, Master Sera.]
The girl's name was Sera.
Sera looked at the swarm of Erosion Insects and flew toward them.
The Heroes were thrilled by the sight.
-Did we give her that power?
-Hell yeah! This is it! This is the light of Arsilan!
-Isn’t that a mix of holy arts and magic?
-This story progression is insane!
-Goosebumps.
We just shared Arsilan’s light with this place!
Horolong was trembling.
In the original story, it was a light that happened to come to Sera by chance, but the Creator God had tied it all together so beautifully!
‘This scene is the Protective Barrier defense battle..., Sera’s debut stage...!’
He wanted to spoil everything that was going to happen. He wanted to say that he had created that character. But of course, he said nothing. He only tried to calm his excited heart.
KWAHHHH!
Sera, who had fallen into the swarm of Erosion Insects, swung her staff with all her strength. She fought bravely, crushing the Erosion Insects. Though she was struck by an attack and sent rolling across the ground, she stood up again.
“Ptuh!”
Sera spat out blood and charged once more.
-Win!
-You can do it!
-You’re doing great!
All the Heroes and Arsilanian people cheered for Sera.
Was it because their encouragement had reached her? Light began to swirl from the staff in Sera’s hand. Breathing heavily, Sera raised her staff.
She realized a way to detonate this light all at once.
“Shining....”
With this light, she would save Levannas.
Just as Sera was about to unleash her ultimate move, the connection to the crystal was severed.
[The Light of the Holy Sword has been completely consumed, and the connection to the crystal has been lost. You cannot reconnect until the light is recharged.]
“Huh?”
"AAARGH! You can't cut it off here!"
“Reconnect us!”
“At least show us the result! Please!”
Everyone gathered around the crystal shouted and thrashed in frustration.
Only Horolong wore a satisfied smile.
'Hehehe! I already know what happens next....'
I am the original author of 'Demon Magical Girl Sera'.
I know everything.
From Horolong exuded the composure of a creator.
Long live the Creator God!
Horolong’s faith deepened even further.