novelraw Chapter 204: Descent of Heroes (5)
Chapter 204: Descent of Heroes (5)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Was it because the artificial skin and robot presentations received a response that far exceeded expectations?
Afterward, he showcased several other technologies, including large-scale carbon capture, high-efficiency rocket launch systems, batteries, and AI assistants, but the reactions were rather lukewarm.
As the presentation was wrapping up, the halo around him grew increasingly intense until it enveloped his entire body. Jinwoo delivered his closing remarks and then staged an exit where he vanished on the spot.
He had teleported away.
When the light swirling around Jinwoo met the magic, it burst apart in a dazzling explosion and spread outward. The sight of luminous particles rippling and flowing outward was a fantastical spectacle rare even in Arsilan.
Those touched by the particles of light found warm and joyful memories rising to the surface. It felt as though the scents from those moments had rushed right up to their noses.
Cheers and applause filled the venue.
-That exit was insane.
-It's another company's presentation, but he just can't drop the Arsilan-style theatrics.
-ㅋㅋㅋ Well, it IS the Creator God's company after all.
-At this point, his entire life is a production. Probably stages his meals too.
-Still cool as hell though.
With this level of excess, it actually looked even more like a staged performance.
The staff were flustered, radioing back and forth, but Han Yong-seon, well-accustomed to this kind of spectacle and event, stepped in and smoothed things over. In any case, the presentation concluded as a resounding success!
"Phew...."
Having teleported high into the sky, Jinwoo let out a small sigh. He was so high up it could practically be called outer space.
The light had grown even brighter, and from Korea, looking up at the sky, it appeared as though a new star had been born in the night sky. He concealed himself thoroughly with cloaking magic, but this light alone could not be hidden. Magic simply had no effect on it whatsoever.
The Soul Gate floating above Seoul also seemed to be affected by the Sacred Power, shining with blinding brilliance. It looked as though Jinwoo had become a god, as though he stood on the verge of a new evolution. There had been no reaction even when the number reached one hundred million, but at last, a change had come. As a result, an aurora appeared in the skies over Seoul.
"Live long enough and you'll see anything."
Just like that, he'd become a god?
Suddenly becoming a god, he still couldn't believe it. There had been no awakening event or anything of the sort; he'd simply become a god, just like that.
Jinwoo gazed down at the Earth. When he focused his eyes, he could see countless points of light traveling toward him.
Jinwoo touched one of the approaching particles of light with his finger. As he did, a vision of an Arsilan landscape appeared along with the figure of a Hero.
[O Creator God! Please, please let it succeed! Attempting Enhancement to +15!]
[Dude, that has a 70% chance of blowing up, you know? Isn't that a B-rank weapon? +14 already puts you in the top 5%. Just use it as is....]
[I'm going for it. One who challenges the impossible! That is what it means to be a Hero.]
[Has he lost his mind.]
Thanks to the appearance of Holy Swords in Arsilan, it had become even easier to make Heroes' weapons stronger. Enhancement conditions had been relaxed compared to before, but probabilities still existed.
Enhancement content formed one of the pillars of Arsilan's economy, so FS Games always approached it with caution.
The success rate for +15 was 3%, the chance of simple failure was 27%, and the chance of failure destroying the equipment was 70%.
The Hero entrusted his B-rank +14 sword to the blacksmith, then dropped to his knees and looked up at the sky. The blacksmith, tense as well, carefully raised his hammer.
The Hero prayed to the Creator God more fervently than ever before. Perhaps that desperation reached the heavens?
With dazzling effects, the Enhancement succeeded.
[AAAAAH! Thank you! Thank you!]
The Hero experienced the greatest joy of his entire life. He kept offering thanks toward Jinwoo, shedding hot tears. Then, light coalesced from his soul and flew toward Jinwoo as a particle of light.
The other particles of light each carried their own gratitude and joy as well. Jinwoo read the feelings and memories contained in the light and smirked.
"Hmm."
Becoming a god didn't seem like it would change things all that much. He just needed to keep doing what he'd always done: bring joy to the Heroes and save Arsilan. Feeling a little closer to the Heroes than before wasn't a bad feeling at all.
"What kind of god am I?"
God of Earth.
God of Heroes.
Creator God of Arsilan Saga.
God of Games, and God of Joy.
Several candidates came to mind.
"Sacred Power, huh...."
Sacred Power continued to well up inside him.
As long as the beings of Arsilan and Earth found joy and happiness in Arsilan Saga, this Sacred Power would never run dry.
What could he do with Sacred Power?
Jinwoo had previously used Sacred Spells through the remnants Ella left behind. After Ella returned, he either borrowed her Sacred Power or converted his Mana into something close to Sacred Power to use it. Using Sacred Spells with Sacred Power was nothing special.
"She said I'd need to create a sanctuary within my soul to house the Sacred Power."
The method Ella had taught him was the orthodox route to becoming a true god, but it wasn't to his liking. In game terms, it felt like class-changing from warrior to knight. Too conventional.
Jinwoo gathered Mana in one hand. In the other, he tried channeling Sacred Power. When he compressed the Mana and Sacred Power together, a repulsion occurred and they exploded outright. The shockwave blasted outward, cleanly vaporizing the clouds below.
Why wouldn't they mix?
Jinwoo tried again and again. Then, when he linked the Soul Gate to his Mana and drew it through the Holy Sword, the two forces repelled each other like opposing magnetic poles, but they reached a stable state.
Instead of creating a new sanctuary, Jinwoo accepted the Sacred Power into the space where his Mana already resided.
Fwooosh!
A surge of brilliant light swept around him, and the Sacred Power that had been generating light around Jinwoo was drawn into his soul. It claimed a place at his core alongside his Mana, spreading throughout his entire body.
When Jinwoo snapped his fingers, Sacred Power erupted outward and formed a magic circle.
"Oh."
He could now wield magic with Sacred Power.
When he carefully channeled Mana into the Sacred Power magic circle through advanced calculations, it transformed into a new type of magic circle.
Let's simply call this Sacred Magic.
When Jinwoo fired the Sacred Magic into outer space, a flame made of light shot out like a laser beam. It had been a low-tier spell, yet it displayed the power of an arcane-level spell.
Jinwoo swallowed hard, looking dazed.
"Looks like I leveled up too."
It felt as though a cap that had been blocking his level had been broken through and expanded. A burst of intense light suddenly erupted from the sky, turning it bright as day, and caused a commotion on Earth.
Jinwoo returned to the waiting room immediately.
When he arrived, Ella and Tia were waiting for him.
"Looks like you sorted it out?"
"Well, more or less."
"All hail the Creator God!"
Ella raised both arms and shouted that. Then she gazed at Jinwoo with a look of admiration. Tia mimicked the pose with crisp, precise movements.
"Huh? Ella-nim?"
"Hmm?"
Halon and Hasman entered the waiting room and saw the two of them standing with their arms raised. When Ella and Tia turned to look at them, they flinched and raised their own arms overhead.
Fwoosh!
It was an utterly ridiculous pose, but light flowed from them and transformed into Sacred Power at Jinwoo's side.
'Hmm....'
That pose was actually working, generating Sacred Power. And with remarkable efficiency, no less.
Something about that....
Something about that really ticked him off!
***
Hero Tech's new technologies and products became just as much of a hot topic as Arsilan Saga itself. Jinwoo's declaration of war against disease and disability moved many people deeply. Heroes took pride in him, saying that was the Creator God for you.
Jinwoo led the world's greatest company and wielded influence so immense that calling him a real god wouldn't have been an exaggeration. Yet there was not a single scandal in his private life, and he had done a great deal for people.
He is our Creator God!
Heroes felt immense pride looking at Jinwoo. Because of that, Jinwoo couldn't help but be mindful of his image. He hadn't asked for it, but now that he had become a god, he needed to be even more careful.
Title: The reason the Creator God is truly a great god.
I've had hair loss since middle school.
By the time I enlisted, my head was basically bare...
I already looked older than my age, so from day one as a private they teased me asking if I was an officer.
After discharge, I tried everything but nothing worked.
Even a hair transplant failed....
I developed social anxiety and was really depressed.
For years I didn't go outside, just stayed in my room.
Even after becoming a Hero in Arsilan, I tried not to care, but I still did.
But apparently scalp transplants are being introduced starting this winter?
You can even pay with Arsilan gold.
Went and made a reservation ㅋㅋ
Anon1: Me too. The hospitals under Osung Group are all taking reservations. Must be a simpler procedure than I thought.
Anon2: They have a dedicated machine apparently. The transplant takes 10 minutes and you fully recover in 3 days?
Anon3: Heroes get priority! The higher your Contribution Points, the sooner you can get it.
Anon4: I'm paralyzed from the waist down, and I got a surgery appointment in a month. Will I be able to go on walks by myself?
Contrary to expectations that it would take quite some time, it was being introduced starting this year. Clinical trials had already been completed quickly. Organ transplants using artificial organs would begin with critically ill patients whose lives were at risk.
'I hope they live long, healthy lives and protect Arsilan.'
Jinwoo smirked and teleported to Levannas.
Upon entering the Levannas headquarters, he saw Tiris and the Magical Girls. The Magical Girls were drenched in sweat, moving their bodies with sharp precision.
"Again! Your movements are out of sync. You need to move as one body. At this rate, you cannot showcase the beauty of Levannas."
They were practicing a dance, and it looked quite grueling.
Tiris was preparing a joint festival between Arsilan and Levannas. There was a palpable sense of excitement in Levannas as well.
Once this festival was over, they would begin preparations in earnest to fight the Lord of Despair.
There wouldn't be many chances to smile until the fight was over.
It was best to smile plenty while they still could.
As Jinwoo approached, Tiris raised her hand and brought everyone to a halt.
"Rest."
When Tiris granted them a break, the Magical Girls collapsed to the ground with expressions of relief. Jinwoo moved with Tiris to a place where they could talk.
"Tiris."
"Yes, Master."
Jinwoo looked at Tiris with a serious expression.
Tiris remained expressionless as always.
This time, she'll definitely be surprised, right?
He felt like he was about to see Tiris's surprised face for the first time in a very long while. When she was young, he used to tease her often, and the way she'd get flustered was adorable.
It felt like going back to the old days for the first time in ages.
He pressed the record button and watched her with brimming anticipation.
"I've become a god."
"I see."
Tiris nodded.
There was not a trace of surprise on her face. She was so calm it felt like they were having an everyday conversation.
"You're not surprised?"
"I had always thought it would happen eventually."
All the wind left his sails.
Jinwoo let out a sigh.
Tiris was lost in thought for a moment.
"It might be beneficial to synchronize your Sacred Power with the Magic Tower. We may be able to create various divine abilities."
"That's interesting. Shall we try?"
"I will begin preparations immediately."
Tiris immediately synchronized with the Magic Tower and pulled up an Analysis Window. When Jinwoo connected his Sacred Power to the Magic Tower, Tiris began analyzing the Sacred Power right away.
"Very interesting. I will quantify it."
She quantified Jinwoo's Sacred Power.
[Sacred Power: 1,003P]
Since Mana served as a basis for comparison, quantification was straightforward. 1P was roughly the amount needed to cast a single D-rank low-tier spell. The quantity of Sacred Power was drastically less compared to his Mana, but it was slowly increasing even now.
[Prayer System]
Able to read the feelings and will contained within Sacred Power.
Through synchronization with the Magic Tower, Sacred Power can be expended to grant wishes, bestow buffs, or issue personalized quests.
[Prayer List]
[F] Please help me find the herbs quickly!
[F] Please let me leave work on time!
[F] May this cold get better!
[E] Spray some Erosion bugs please!
[E+] Please drop! Please let the crafting material drop this time!
.
...
....
[SSS+] Please let my confession succeed!
The prayers flowing into Jinwoo were also sorted through the Magic Tower. Tiris had built the Prayer System on the spot. Using Jinwoo's Sacred Power, the Soul Gate, and the Holy Sword, granting small wishes was easily achievable. Since prayers were personal, it was also possible to assign quests tailored to each individual.
"The prayers directed at Ella-nim are also all flowing into you."
"Is it because Ella's divine authority is in sync with the Soul Gate?"
"It seems so."
Not only prayers from Heroes, but prayers from the people of Arsilan directed at Ella were also flowing into Jinwoo.
This, too, was content.
Since a new function had emerged, he would think about ways to utilize it going forward.
"For those with high Contribution Points or honor, I should just grant anything E-rank and below."
"I will set it to be processed automatically. Items of high importance will be sorted separately."
E-rank and below didn't consume much Sacred Power.
Tiris began devising various plans to apply Jinwoo's Sacred Power. From creating gems of condensed Sacred Power, to developing Sacred Spells exclusive to the Magic Tower, to conducting research on Sacred Magic, she planned it all.
Jinwoo felt proud watching Tiris accomplish with ease things that even he would have found difficult. The child who used to follow at his heels, asking question after question, had grown remarkably and now stood side by side with him.
"Hmm..., now that I've become a god...."
Couldn't he step down from the position of Archmage?
Archmage was also a title referring to the most outstanding mage in all of Arsilan. If Jinwoo stepped down, Tiris would rise to the rank of Archmage in short order.
"I should retire from being Archmage. Then, the next Archmage would be you...."
"Absolutely not!"
"Hm?"
Tiris's expression turned urgent.
"You are my Master. There is still much left for me to learn."
Tiris reached out and grasped Jinwoo's arm.
When she was young, there had been a time when Jinwoo briefly left the Magic Tower, and afterward, she hadn't let go of his arm for quite a while. It was the same expression she'd worn back then.
Jinwoo looked at Tiris, broke into a wide grin, and stroked her hair.
"Can't be helped, then. I'll just have to be a god and Archmage at the same time."
Tiris relaxed upon hearing his words.
As she quietly let go of his arm, her ears slowly turned red. She tried to play it off with a fake cough and turned her head away, but her face and even the back of her neck had already flushed crimson.
"A gift for you."
Jinwoo pulled a tomato from his Subspace and placed it in her hand. The moment she saw the tomato, Tiris's eyebrow twitched.
"Master!"
"Haha!"
Jinwoo burst out laughing.
Seeing Tiris's lively, animated expression made him feel like he'd gone back to the old days, and it put him in a wonderful mood.
***
Lee Hayun, an office worker, let out a sigh and removed her Soul Link. The hellish hour of going to work had arrived. She thrashed about on her bed.
"Aaaargh! I don't wanna go!"
Save me!
I want to live in Arsilan!
Why can't I be happy!
She whined while staring up at the Creator God's sacred visage stuck to her ceiling. She gazed blankly at the photo from the presentation and drifted off to sleep before she knew it.
"Gah!"
By the time she opened her eyes, quite some time had passed.
If she didn't leave now, being late was guaranteed. She frantically washed up, threw on her clothes, and dashed outside. Checking the time, it was going to be razor-close.
'Creator God! Please, please don't let me be late!'
The words and habits from Arsilan had carried over, and she found herself praying like that naturally even in reality.
Then something strange happened. The crosswalk seemed to be malfunctioning, stuck on green and not changing, and the train she always barely missed was sitting there with its doors open, not departing. The moment she stepped on, the doors closed.
'I, I might actually not be late...!'
She looked down at her smartphone. The Creator God she'd set as her wallpaper was gazing at her with a refreshing smile.
"Hehe."
A laugh escaped her.
The rest of the way to work went impossibly smoothly. She had been worried about being late, but she arrived at the office a full five minutes early. Her coworkers, too, started their day with talk of Arsilan.
Work came flooding in from the morning.
It was enough to make her scream.
She worked in a frantic daze until quitting time arrived.
"Come on, come on! Let's push through just a little longer!"
The department head pressured them with pointless tasks, silently enforcing overtime.
He didn't even play Arsilan Saga, so they couldn't even relate to him on that level. He was the type who fed his ego by subtly tormenting his subordinates. What made it worse was that he was good at his job, so he had the company president's trust.
'Overtime again today....'
Lee Hayun sighed and glared at the back of the department head's skull.
'Creator God! Please let me leave on time! And punish that jerk of a department head who's being difficult for no reason!'
It was a meaningless act of defiance, but she prayed nonetheless.
It was a habitual thing, just like what she did whenever she was doing something in Arsilan. When enhancing equipment or gathering materials, many Heroes actually said things like that.
Just as she was squeezing her eyes shut, resigning herself to overtime.
"Urk, uuugh!?"
The department head suddenly clutched his stomach and dropped to his knees.
Employees rushed over and supported him.
"A-are you okay?"
"Bleugh!"
The department head ended up being taken away in an ambulance.
Naturally, everyone went home.
Whoosh!
When she came to her senses, she was somehow already inside her apartment. The time she'd arrived home was as early as if she'd left right on the dot.
She stared at the photo of the Creator God.
"Could it be that the Creator God actually granted my prayer?"
No way.
She smirked and put on her Soul Link.
It's all because I've been living such a good life!
She had a feeling her luck was going to be incredible today!
She gathered every last coin she had and headed for the blacksmith. In her hubris, she attempted an Enhancement without praying to the Creator God.
"Ohoho! My hand slipped!"
"KYAAAH! My staff...!"
Her staff burst apart like a firecracker.
She knew her luck had been too good to last!