The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Chapter 212: Episode 5 (1)

Translator: Dreamscribe

All the demons of Levannas had been safely evacuated to Arsilan. Arsilan's vast lands had more than enough room to accommodate the Demon Race. Jinwoo moved to Levannas and searched for any demons that might have been left behind.

"As expected, there's no one."

Belzerad had stayed behind until the very end, checking over and over again to make sure. If there were any demons with difficulty moving, Jinwoo healed them on the spot and sent them on their way. Since he had done all of this in his Leon form, the demons had fallen for him even harder.

With everyone gone, Levannas was desolate.

The aftershocks of the breaking seal had left the land riddled with cracks, and the energy of Erosion spawned thick swamps and foul smoke, contaminating the whole of Levannas.

There was one last thing to take.

Levannas's resources. After ages of exposure to Erosion, True Magic Stones had formed extensively across the land. There were also a considerable number of unique resources that could no longer be found anywhere in Arsilan.

When Jinwoo extended his hand, a pillar of light erupted from the center of the royal palace. The Protective Barrier crumbled apart, and an enormous magic circle formed across all of Levannas.

Because the Protective Barrier itself had been built upon a foundation of Magic Barriers, it could be converted into a magic circle. Of course, installing the conversion circle had taken quite a bit of time.

KRAKOOM!

The core components that made up the Protective Barrier bored deep into Levannas's earth. The ground shook violently and natural disasters raged in their wake, yet even that felt strangely quiet.

Levannas was accepting its death in silence.

This could have been Arsilan's fate.

Jinwoo understood Belzerad's feelings, at least a little.

As the magic circle activated, the True Magic Stones and countless other resources buried in Levannas shot up into the sky. Great and small craters dotted the land, and the royal palace, the cities, the villages all collapsed and crumbled away as if dissolving.

The resources floating in the air converged into one mass and teleported to Arsilan.

Stripped of all its power, Levannas now lost even its atmosphere. The once-blue sky turned black as though ink had been poured across it, and countless stars became visible.

Even the light that had illuminated Levannas vanished completely. Jinwoo gazed at the dead world of Levannas for a long time.

Just as Arsilan had built its own great circulatory system and pressed onward toward the light, perhaps Levannas, too, had possessed that same will and heart.

"You did well."

It had held on admirably until now.

Jinwoo offered his gratitude to Levannas for protecting the demons.

The moment he vanished through spatial teleportation, Levannas collapsed entirely, as though it had finally let go of a rope it had been clutching with all its might. Every trace that Levannas had ever existed disappeared like smoke.

Now, only the root of all calamity remained: the Lord of Despair.

* * *

The demons adapted well to Arsilan.

After arriving in Arsilan, Belzerad's health showed signs of slight recovery. The overflowing life force of Arsilan had influenced him as well. Serazade and the magical girls were also fulfilling their roles as official characters of Arsilan.

Once the demons had settled in and threw themselves wholeheartedly into Arsilan Defense, many changes followed. The demons were so hooked that they moved their fingers to mine resources even in their sleep.

The genre of gaming matched the demons' disposition perfectly.

They could compete at any time, and in this world, that kind of fierce competition was actually considered a virtue.

The Heroes, who had mercilessly slaughtered Erosion Insects and saved countless demons, were the very people the demons had admired. Now those same Heroes approached with envious expressions.

"Whoa, what are you? How'd you get that?"

"I farmed one spot for 19 hours straight."

"That's even possible?"

"Grinding is the easiest thing in the world."

The Heroes couldn't hide their amazement.

"Demons really are something else...."

"Hey, I've got a spare one of these. Want it?"

"Wow! I love you."

The demons were generous to those who weren't their rivals.

Unique cultural phenomena also emerged in demon households that had settled in Arsilan.

"I heard the Cheorsu kid next door already crafted a diamond pickaxe with four options on it."

"Ah...."

"You should stop reading books all day and play some Arsilan Defense. You're embarrassing me to death."

"...I am playing! Stop nagging me!"

"This is what I get for raising kids! Where are you going?"

"None of your business!"

The demon child ran off to the library in defiance. The mother watched her child's retreating figure and her eyes grew red. It was a surprisingly common sight.

Some demon children had hit their rebellious phase just like this!

In any case, the demons had become indispensable to Arsilan Defense.

The landscape of Arsilan Defense changed day by day.

The Main Quest had reached 99.9%, and atop the foundation where the Holy Magic Circle would be constructed, countless structures and defensive installations had been erected.

With the combined efforts of Heroes, Arsilanians, and demons, a massive warship had been built. Because it was crafted using Arsilan Defense's combination recipes, construction had been swift.

"Whew! Look how magnificent that is!"

"Now this is what a game's all about!"

"That's basically a moving castle, isn't it?"

The Heroes marveled at the colossal warship. It was far larger than any airship they had ever built. Fitted with eight large-scale mana engines powered by True Magic Stones, it had more than enough mobility. High-rank magic had been imbued through combination formulas, giving it shields and the ability to unleash devastating firepower.

The many warships produced from the shipyard formed a defensive formation, and massive turrets were packed in tightly. The Erosion Insect waves could no longer even get close before being obliterated. Jinwoo even deployed the Erosion Insect bosses that FS Games had designed, but they vanished pathetically the moment they crossed the barrier.

The Erosion Insect waves no longer meant anything.

With the final Erosion Insect wave concluded, the entire schedule was complete. It had been a schedule matched to the state of the Lord of Despair's seal. The end of the Erosion Insect waves meant that the seal imprisoning the Lord of Despair was about to break.

[Main Quest 'Defend Arsilan!' has been completed.]

[A massive defensive barrier will be generated according to the formation created by everyone's combined efforts.]

The Main Quest was finally complete!

'It would've been tough without the demons.'

Jinwoo looked at the demons with an expression of utter adoration.

The Main Quest had been progressing slower than expected due to the many variables, but the moment the demons were thrown into the mix, it was completed faster than the projected time. They had been able to build the foundation for activating the Holy Magic Circle and the defensive line with room to spare.

What made it even more gratifying was that none of this had been forced. He could feel that they were purely enjoying the game and having fun doing it.

A whopping twenty million Game Demons had been born!

Every last demon was passionate enough about gaming to rank in the top 0.1%. Going forward, the demons would be a tremendous force in protecting Arsilan.

When the Main Quest was completed, everyone cheered with joy.

[So what do we do now?]

[Is that it?]

[There's nothing to do, so let's just go back to mining.]

The demons moved on from the joy of completing the Main Quest remarkably fast. When the demons posted those comments, the Heroes nearby smirked, and the Arsilanians shook their heads.

How many had said things like that and been taught a harsh lesson?

The demons still had no idea about the Creator God. Not a clue. The demons trying to act like Veterans at merely this level were nothing but adorable.

"Cute. We were like that once too."

"Sir Hero, the demons really do have that Newbie energy."

"Haha!"

The demons could only be puzzled by the atmosphere.

[What do you mean?]

"Always remember this. After big Content comes bigger Content, and after that comes even bigger Content."

A Hero answered the demon's question with those words.

An experienced Arsilanian standing right beside them nodded.

"And all of it is for the sake of protecting Arsilan."

[I don't really understand what you mean.]

[We were just having fun, that's all. And you're saying that helped protect Arsilan?]

The demons couldn't comprehend it yet.

They knew that Arsilan Defense existed to save Arsilan, but they couldn't quite believe it. If you could save the world just by having fun, there would be no greater miracle. It was the kind of conveniently happy story you'd only find in a fairy tale.

"You lot are lacking in faith. Just wait and see."

At the Heroes' words, the demons decided not to go off mining and instead stood still for the first time in a very long while, looking up at the sky. The world seen through their Devices was small, but it had given the demons a freedom they had never known before.

Every second you rest, someone else is mining one more iron ore!

It was the creed and absolute truth engraved in every demon's heart.

It was unlike the demons, who had always believed that wasting even a moment was an unbearable loss. That was how precious this fun little world had become to them.

The sound of that conversation reached Jinwoo's ears.

By now, they had come to know each other well enough to understand one another's hearts and intentions. Even the Arsilanians had grown enough to treat crises and despair as Content.

'Well then....'

He had to show them something worthy of everyone's expectations.

He smirked, then drew up all his mana and Sacred Power simultaneously. Jinwoo's will connected to Arsilan's Magic Tower, the Holy Sword, the Soul Gate, and to Ella and Helby.

Tiris: All connections have been established.

Jinwoo nodded silently.

Tiris opened an Information Window and stepped out of the Magic Tower to stand upon Arsilan's earth. The disciples of the Magic Tower appeared at her side. The retainers from Alusion also teleported to Tiris's side and looked up at the sky.

"We're facing a battle greater than the Great War, and yet I don't feel a shiver."

When Heina said that, the knights beside her laughed heartily. Tia nodded.

"Because it's a game."

"This is the climax of Arsilan Saga Episode 5. There's no way it won't be fun."

Tiris said that while gazing at the Information Window.

Everything from Episode 4 onward had been building up for this very moment. During the Great War, everyone had been tense and felt despair. But not now. Even though a crisis greater than that had arrived, there was no room for despair or fear.

If they pressed forward with joy, they would prevail in the end.

A powerful conviction had taken root in everyone's hearts.

In the Grand Temple, Ella closed her eyes alongside the Clerics and offered a prayer.

To whom was this prayer dedicated?

Halon received the prayer and quietly raised it toward the heavens. When the sounds of admiration and cheering brushed against her ears, Ella laughed out loud.

"You haven't forgotten the prayer, have you, Halon?"

"Actually, I've forgotten about half of it. Would you teach me again?"

"I think we'll need to make a new one, so forget all of it."

A beam of light shot high into the sky from the Grand Temple.

Helby was instructing the dragons in Starlight Valley. The Helby Fan Club exchanged pleasantries with the dragons, their faces brimming with excitement. When Helby turned her gaze to the dragons, they nodded and opened their mouths toward the sky.

FWOOOOOSH!

All the mana they had gathered became breath, erupting forth and piercing the heavens.

"Whoa! What a sight!"

"Now this is what a game's all about!"

"Told you it was the right call to stay here."

Helby watched the sky for a moment, then extended her hand and sent her Authority upward.

"Hmm...."

How had she ended up here?

She looked at the Helby Fan Club. They were the same unsightly, noisy bunch as always. But all this noise and commotion, it wasn't so bad.

Standing in the void of space, Jinwoo reached his hand toward Arsilan.

An enormous wave of power surged toward him.

The drain on his mana and Sacred Power accelerated as though it would crush his body. The True Magic Stones and Magic Stones he had stockpiled evaporated as they were consumed, supporting him from behind.

FLAAAAASH!

The magic circle formed first.

A blue glow rippled across the land above the hollowed-out space, then spread across the entire area in an instant.

"Oh, ohhh!"

"Something's coming!"

Everyone present watched the spectacle unfold.

The blue light surged as if to fill the space that had been carved out all the way down to the core. But that wasn't the end of it.

Jinwoo poured in all the Sacred Power he had gathered from everyone.

Heroes, Arsilanians, and demons alike.

They had all sent him so much light while playing Arsilan Defense. That light had become Sacred Power and now flowed back into Arsilan.

Atop the magic circle made of blue light, a Holy Magic Circle woven from light began to unfurl. It was a sight that even Heroes who had been playing since early access had never seen before.

"Huh?"

"That's...."

Petals erupted from below.

They filled the airless void of space with beauty, spreading far and wide from beneath everyone's feet.

The Heroes reached out and caught the petals. The moment they did, an Information Window appeared, showing the most joyful moment they had experienced while playing Arsilan Defense.

The petals flying into space grew more and more numerous until they filled the entire surrounding area. In that instant, the enormous Holy Magic Circle was completed.

Everyone looked down.

The vast space that the Planet Devourer had hollowed out had always been a painful sight. An area as large as the Sillion Empire had been left gaping, its core exposed and empty.

With the Holy Magic Circle's completion, a change began.

Something started growing from the core. A sprout, brimming with a spectrum of light. The sprout drove strong roots into the core and grew rapidly.

RRRUMBLE!

Vines extending from the stem filled the surroundings, wrapping around the empty space.

The vines stretched long and coiled around the Planet Devourer. The Planet Devourer writhed and twisted its body trying to break free, but it was dragged down and absorbed as nourishment.

The massive stem that had begun growing from the core finally revealed itself before everyone. It grew past the ground where they all stood, continuing higher and higher, until an enormous bud formed at its peak. It was a sight so overwhelming that everyone stared in a daze.

That bud was familiar to all of them.

Even the demons recognized it. It was the bud of the very same flower that had appeared before the Protective Barrier, the one that had revealed itself at the entrance of every village and city.

Light poured from the bud as it began to bloom.

"That's...."

"The Hero's Flower!"

A beautiful, pure-white flower made of light.

A symbol of miracles.

And now, a Hero's Flower that held joy within it.

As the Hero's Flower revealed its beautiful form, a golden current that erupted from the core traveled up the stem and reached the flower. Particles of light burst forth from it like pollen, spreading out into space.

[The Hero's Flower has bloomed from Arsilan's core.]

[A Light Barrier is forming.]

A sturdy barrier, ten layers deep, formed between Arsilan and the Lord of Despair. It was so thick that the Lord of Despair could only be seen as a faint silhouette.

[The Hero's Flower inherits Arsilan's will and conveys it to everyone.]

*Heroes may now leave their Avatars and descend here in their true bodies.

*Arsilanians may now leave their Avatars and operate as Clone Bodies.

*Adult demons of Levannas may now inherit their Avatar abilities and connect as Clone Bodies.

*Avatar abilities may be used freely for as long as the Hero's Flower endures.

The Heroes grinned when they saw the Information Window.

A Holy Magic Circle was drawn beneath the Heroes' SD-character-like Avatars, and the Avatars disassembled. Then, as if summoned, their true bodies appeared.

"Nothing beats the real body!"

"Ooh! All my stats are back."

"I can still use Avatar abilities too."

Since they could return to their Avatars at any time, there was no sense of loss. The Arsilanians were also summoned as Clone Bodies, just as they had operated through the Dimension Gate. Thanks to the Hero's Flower, they could breathe freely and comfortably.

[Connect?]

[Is this how you do it?]

[Mmm...!]

The demons generated their Clone Bodies and connected for the very first time.

A world they had never experienced before unfolded for the demons. They looked around like freshly connected Newbies. Now the demons, too, were Veteran Newbies, just like the Heroes.

An Arsilanian grinned and placed a hand on a demon's shoulder.

"How is it?"

"I, it's insane. I never imagined I'd get to experience something like this."

Adult demons could connect via Clone Bodies, while younger demons could remain present through their Devices as before.

A massive Dimension Gate appeared in front of the Hero's Flower. Now all supplies could be freely transported between Alusion and this location. And vice versa.

The Heroes smiled brightly and raised both arms.

"Long live the Creator God!"

"Long live the Creator God!"

At that, the Arsilanians struck a pose as if they had been waiting for this moment. It was a somewhat silly pose, but every face was filled with pride.

"Long live the Creator God!"

The demons looked at each other, nodded, and followed suit.

The enormous Hero's Flower was visible even from Arsilan.

Beyond the blue sky, the Hero's Flower was breathtakingly fantastical. Ella and the Clerics all smiled brightly and raised both hands.

Ella grinned and exercised her Authority.

[Strike the All Hail the Creator God pose and receive the Creator God's Great Blessing!]

The Information Window was delivered to everyone.

When Tiris and the Magic Developers struck the All Hail the Creator God pose, the knights followed without hesitation. Heina struck the pose more valiantly than anyone.

When the dragons in Starlight Valley raised their stubby arms, the Helby Fan Club chuckled and raised both hands. Then they looked at Helby, who stood with her arms crossed.

Helby backed away when she noticed all eyes on her.

"Helby-nim!"

"Join us!"

"If you do this pose, the Creator God gives you a blessing!"

Helby shook her head vigorously.

"I, I don't need any blessing."

When the Helby Fan Club stared at her with sparkling eyes, she flinched. In the past, she would have refused on the spot and vanished through teleportation, but she didn't do that this time. The Helby Fan Club approached her and took her hands from both sides.

They forcibly raised both her hands, and the blessing descended. Helby's face turned so red it looked like it might burst.

"Why am I...."

"It's more fun when we do it together."

At HellHound's words, Helby could not argue.

That pose was just as embarrassing for Jinwoo. But he felt more energized than ever before.

Jinwoo turned his head and looked at the Lord of Despair. Cracks formed in its enormous eye as it was stained by Erosion. The seal was breaking rapidly.

Every stage was now set.

The climax of Episode 5 began now.