Ruang Gim Soul Link No. 1.
Satu gedung besar didedikasikan sepenuhnya untuk Arsilan Saga. Kapasitasnya jauh melampaui warnet mana pun, dan reservasi selalu penuh sejak saat dibuka. Bahkan jika ada yang membatalkan di saat-saat terakhir, tempat itu akan langsung terisi dalam hitungan detik; begitulah populernya tempat ini.
Ada satu tempat yang sama populernya dengan reservasi ruang gim: teater hologram raksasa di lantai paling atas. Di sana, video resmi Arsilan Worlds ditayangkan setiap hari. Harga tiket masuknya relatif murah, tetapi harga makanannya cukup mahal.
[Death Knight telah menghilang! Para Hero, bersama dengan beastkin, telah melindungi Lunatie! Sekarang, Lunatie adalah….]
“Wooooo!”
“Sial! Kita menang!”
Saat Kim Seok-jun berteriak kegirangan, penonton melompat dari kursi mereka dan bersorak.
Sorak-sorai itu mengguncang teater layaknya sebuah negara yang merayakan kemerdekaannya.
Perang itu berlangsung lama, namun hanya sedikit orang yang meninggalkan kursi mereka. Berkat visual hologram, rasanya seolah mereka duduk tepat di tengah medan perang.
“Wow… kurasa aku tidak bisa menonton film biasa lagi.”
“Arsilan Saga adalah film yang sesungguhnya. Setiap acaranya benar-benar gila.”
Para penonton yang telah berbagi kegembiraan atas kemenangan itu keluar dari teater dan menuju restoran atau toko suvenir. Beberapa eksekutif Hollywood berjas hitam menghela napas pelan.
Mereka adalah petinggi dari Dinine Studio, yang sampai baru-baru ini berada di ambang menguasai pasar film global.
Seorang pria paruh baya dengan janggut panjang menghela napas dalam-dalam.
Rasanya bukan hanya industri film, tetapi budaya itu sendiri sedang tersapu bersih. Tidak, seolah-olah itu sudah setengah dilahap. Mungkin di masa depan, orang bahkan tidak akan menonton olahraga lagi.
“Aku tidak tahu bagaimana harus menjelaskan ini kepada ketua.”
“Benar.”
“Tapi... apa yang kau pegang itu?”
Pria yang ditanya tersenyum cerah dan menunjukkan apa yang ia pegang.
“Ini figur Leon, dan ini telinga kelinci Lunatie. Ada juga tanduk Helby. Ah! Dan ini versi nyata dari selimut yang bisa kau berikan pada Tia. Ini edisi terbatas, tapi aku cukup beruntung mendapatkannya dengan mengantre.”
“...Kau...”
“Ya?”
Pria paruh baya itu menatapnya.
“Hmm, apakah mereka punya sesuatu seperti tongkat?”
“Sayangnya, itu diperkirakan baru akan datang minggu depan.”
Pria paruh baya itu mengangguk.
“Kalau begitu, kita perlu melakukan riset lebih lanjut sampai minggu depan. Kita akan menulis laporannya setelah itu.”
“Siap, Bos!”
Keduanya masuk ke toko suvenir bersama-sama.
Jika kau tidak bisa mengalahkannya, pilihan terbaik adalah bergabung dengannya.
Toko Koin Platinum di Evanth.
Helby sedang menyaksikan perang di Lunatie dari sudut ruangan. Di luar Toko Koin Platinum, para Hero berteriak dengan lantang, tetapi ia tidak bisa mendengar apa pun. Ia sangat fokus.
Waaaah!
Saat Death Knight lenyap, sorak-sorai bergema dari luar.
Helby tetap berjongkok diam sejenak. Toko Koin Platinum yang selalu ramai, hari ini justru kosong.
Helby tidak merasa kesepian sedikit pun karenanya.
“Hmph.”
Faktanya, suasana bising di luar justru mengganggunya.
Helby menutup jendela status dan berdiri dengan tiba-tiba.
*Sniff.*
Setelah mengendus sekali, ia keluar dari Toko Koin Platinum dengan langkah kasar.
*Brak! Gedebuk!*
Ia membanting pintu dengan keras dan memelototi para Hero yang bersorak.
“Jangan berisik di depan toko! Pergi sana!”
Para Hero menghentikan sorakan mereka sejenak dan menatap Helby. Kemudian mereka mendekat dan mengerumuninya.
“Woooo!”
“Waaah!”
“Helby-nim, bergabunglah dengan kami juga!”
Mereka mulai bersorak keras lagi di sekitar Helby. Saat ia mencoba mendorong mereka menjauh, ekspresinya berubah masam.
“K-kalian bodoh, apa yang kalian lakukan!”
Dalam proses mendorong mereka, ia menyadari dirinya sedang berpegangan tangan dengan mereka. Terombang-ambing ke sana kemari dalam kekacauan, ia akhirnya berhenti di tengah jalan.
“K-kalian...! Kalian bodoh!”
Jalanan sedang dalam suasana pesta.
Para Hero yang mengamuk seperti binatang liar itu tampak benar-benar kacau. Mereka adalah orang-orang bodoh yang terlalu ceria dan konyol tanpa sedikit pun etika.
Namun.
“Fiuh...”
Itu masih bisa ditoleransi.
Sedikit lebih baik daripada serangga.
Saat Helby melepaskan senyum kecil, para Hero menatapnya. Ia dengan cepat menghapus senyumnya dan mengerutkan kening.
“Helby-nim! Kami akan melindungimu!”
“Benar! Jangan khawatir tentang apa pun!”
“Kami akan selalu melindungi Helby!”
Wajah Helby berkerut.
“Siapa yang melindungi siapa! Kalian lemah!”
Seperti yang diduga, Helby masih membenci makhluk-makhluk kotor dan berisik ini.
*Plak plak!*
Ekornya dengan kesal memukul tanah sebelum perlahan berhenti. Helby tidak meninggalkan tempat itu untuk sementara waktu.
* * *
Setelah semuanya berakhir, Jinwoo kembali ke Bumi dan menghela napas kecil di kantor CEO FS Games. Meja itu penuh dengan tumpukan proposal bisnis.
Jinwoo dengan tenang memeriksanya.
“Mereka ingin membuka restoran cepat saji di Evanth?”
Sebuah perusahaan makanan cepat saji luar negeri yang terkenal telah mengajukan proposal. Mereka ingin membuat paket burger yang hanya menggunakan bahan-bahan dari Arsilan dan membuka gerai di Evanth.
Ada juga proposal dari merek mewah, perusahaan minuman, dan lainnya. Beberapa bahkan ingin mengadakan peragaan busana di Arsilan.
Dampak dari pertempuran pertahanan terakhir sungguh bersejarah.
Segala macam uang membanjiri Arsilan Saga.
Namun, itu bukan prioritas utama.
Jinwoo memeriksa dokumen lainnya. Satu proposal menarik perhatiannya, yaitu tentang penyediaan akses Soul Link bagi penyandang disabilitas.
‘Aku harus memeriksa ini secara pribadi.’
Jinwoo langsung menandatanganinya.
Ia ingin mengamati bagaimana disabilitas di Bumi akan memengaruhi tubuh di Arsilan. Dan sama seperti orang-orang dari Bumi yang membawa harapan ke Arsilan, ia pun ingin menawarkan harapan kepada mereka.
‘Ini bisa menjadi tanda terima kasih yang kecil.’
Dengan pemikiran itu, Jinwoo tersenyum.
Setelah menyelesaikan pekerjaannya, ia langsung kembali ke Markas Rahasia di Arsilan.
“Itu tidak berjalan persis seperti yang direncanakan, tapi tetap saja...”
Setelah menyelesaikan pertahanan Lunatie, Jinwoo merasakan kelegaan yang luar biasa. Meskipun banyak hal tidak berjalan sesuai rencana, ia tidak menyesal. Rasanya seolah sesuatu yang membebani dadanya akhirnya telah terbasuh.
Jinwoo merogoh sakunya dan mengeluarkan sebuah permata.
Itu adalah permata transparan. Tampak seolah-olah ada banyak permata yang berlapis di dalamnya, atau seperti pantulan cermin yang saling berhadapan. Bagian dalam permata itu terlihat persis seperti itu.
“......”
Jinwoo menggenggam permata itu erat-erat.
“Ah! Kau sudah kembali?”
Mendengar suara Tia, ia dengan cepat menyimpan permata itu ke dalam subruang. Kemudian, menatapnya, ia tersenyum.
“Maaf, alur cerita ini gagal.”
“Tidak apa-apa. Setidaknya kau meningkatkan kesadaran, kan?”
Mendengar kata-kata Tia, Jinwoo mengangguk.
“Lagipula, kita masih punya senjata pamungkas kita.”
“Benar.”
Ekspresi Tia menjadi tegas.
“Ayo bunuh Leon sekarang.”
“Oh!”
“Mari kita buat itu menjadi kematian yang agung dan mulia!”
“Ooooh!”
“Mari kita ciptakan lautan air mata dengan pengorbanan mulianya!”
Ia menyatakan dengan tegas.
Itu sudah lebih dari cukup untuk menutupi kurangnya tragedi.
Tidak, itu akan lebih dari cukup.
“Semua untuk Arsilan!”
Jinwoo mengangguk dan bertepuk tangan mendengar seruan Tia.
Soul Link Game Room No. 1.
An entire large building had been dedicated solely to Arsilan Saga. It boasted a capacity far beyond any internet cafe, and reservations were fully booked from the moment it opened. Even if someone canceled last minute, the spot would be taken in mere seconds, it was that popular.
There was one place just as popular as the game room reservations: the massive hologram theater on the top floor. There, official Arsilan Worlds videos were shown daily. The entrance fee was relatively cheap, but the food prices were quite high.
[The Death Knight has disappeared! The heroes, together with the beastkin, have protected Lunatie! Now, Lunatie is….]
“Wooooo!”
“Damn! We won!”
As Kim Seok-jun cried out in excitement, the audience jumped to their feet and cheered.
The cheers shook the theater like a country celebrating its independence.
It had been a long war, yet few people left their seats. Thanks to the hologram visuals, it felt like they were sitting right in the middle of the battlefield.
“Wow… I don’t think I can watch normal movies anymore.”
“Arsilan Saga is the real movie. Every event is just insane.”
The audience who had shared in the joy of victory exited the theater and headed toward the restaurants or the merchandise shop. A few Hollywood executives in black suits let out quiet sighs.
They were senior figures from Dinine Studio, until recently on the verge of swallowing the global film market.
A middle-aged man with a long beard sighed deeply.
It felt like not only the film industry, but culture itself, was being swept away. No, it was as if it had already been half-devoured. Perhaps in the future, people wouldn’t even watch sports anymore.
“I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to the chairman.”
“Indeed.”
“But... what’s that you’ve got there?”
The man being questioned smiled brightly and showed what he was holding.
“This is a Leon figure, and these are Lunatie rabbit ears. There’s also Helby’s horn. Ah! And this is the real-life version of the blanket you can give to Tia. It’s a limited edition, but I was lucky enough to get it by lining up.”
“...You...”
“Yes?”
The middle-aged man stared at him.
“Hmm, do they have anything like a staff?”
“Unfortunately, that’s expected to come in next week.”
The middle-aged man nodded.
“Then we’ll need to do more research until next week. We’ll write the report afterward.”
“Yes, boss!”
The two of them entered the merchandise shop together.
If you can’t beat it, the best option is to join it.
Platinum Coin Shop in Evanth.
Helby was watching the war in Lunatie from a corner. Outside the Platinum Coin Shop, the heroes were loudly shouting, but she couldn’t hear any of it. She was deeply focused.
Waaaah!
As the Death Knight vanished, cheers echoed from outside.
Helby stayed crouched quietly for a moment. The Platinum Coin Shop, always crowded, was empty today of all days.
Helby didn’t feel the slightest bit lonely about that.
“Hmph.”
In fact, the noisy outside only bothered her.
Helby closed the info window and stood up abruptly.
Sniff.
After sniffing once, she stormed out of the Platinum Coin Shop with rough steps.
Crash! Bang!
She threw open the door forcefully and glared at the cheering heroes.
“Don’t be noisy in front of the store! Get lost!”
The heroes paused their cheering momentarily and looked at Helby. Then they approached and surrounded her.
“Woooo!”
“Waaah!”
“Helby nim, join us too!”
They started cheering loudly again around Helby. As she tried to push them away, her expression twisted.
“Y-you fools, what do you think you're doing!”
In the process of pushing them away, she realized she was holding hands with them. Swept this way and that in the chaos, she eventually stopped in the center of the street.
“Y-you...! You fools!”
The street was in a festive mood.
The heroes rampaging like wild animals looked absolutely chaotic. They were overly cheerful, ridiculous fools with not a shred of etiquette.
And yet.
“Phew...”
It was bearable.
Slightly better than bugs.
As Helby let out a small smile, the heroes looked at her. She quickly wiped off her smile and frowned.
“Helby nim! We’ll protect you!”
“That’s right! Don’t worry about a thing!”
“We’ll always protect Helby!”
Helby’s face contorted.
“Who’s protecting who! You weaklings!”
As expected, Helby still hated these filthy, noisy things.
Whap whap!
Her tail irritably thumped against the ground before slowly coming to a stop. Helby didn’t leave that place for a while.
* * *
Once everything was over, Jinwoo returned to Earth and let out a small sigh in the CEO’s office of FS Games. The desk was stacked with various business proposals.
Jinwoo calmly looked through them.
“They want to open a fast food restaurant in Evanth?”
A famous overseas fast-food company had made the proposal. They wanted to create a burger set using only ingredients from Arsilan and open a store in Evanth.
There were also proposals from luxury brands, beverage companies, and others. Some even wanted to hold a fashion show in Arsilan.
The impact of the latest defense battle was nothing short of historic.
All kinds of money were flooding into Arsilan Saga.
It wasn’t the top priority, though.
Jinwoo looked through the other documents. One proposal in particular caught his attention, it was about providing Soul Link access to people with disabilities.
‘I need to look into this personally.’
Jinwoo signed it immediately.
He wanted to observe how disabilities on Earth would affect the body in Arsilan. And just as people from Earth had brought hope to Arsilan, he too wanted to offer hope to them.
‘It could be a small gesture of gratitude.’
With that thought, Jinwoo smiled.
After finishing his work, he returned straight to the Secret Base in Arsilan.
“It didn’t go exactly as planned, but still...”
After completing the defense of Lunatie, Jinwoo felt a great sense of relief. Though things hadn’t gone according to plan, he had no regrets. It felt as if something that had been weighing down his chest had finally been washed away.
Jinwoo reached into his coat and took out a gem.
It was a transparent gem. It looked as if countless gems were layered within, or like a reflection of mirrors facing each other. The inside of the gem looked just like that.
“......”
Jinwoo gripped the gem tightly.
“Ah! You’re back?”
Hearing Tia’s voice, he quickly stored the gem into subspace. Then, looking at her, he smiled.
“Sorry, this story arc was a failure.”
“It’s okay. At least you raised awareness, right?”
At Tia’s words, Jinwoo nodded.
“Besides, we still have our ultimate weapon.”
“That’s right.”
Tia’s expression became resolute.
“Let’s kill Leon now.”
“Oh!”
“Let’s make it a grand, glorious death!”
“Ooooh!”
"Let's create a sea of tears with his noble sacrifice!"
She declared firmly.
That was more than enough to make up for the lack of tragedy.
No, it would be more than enough.
“All for Arsilan!”
Jinwoo nodded and applauded at Tia’s cry.
*****
TL Note: Below is the author's note, but it contains additional information regarding this chapter.
Author’s Note
[Announcement] Update Notice
Hello, this is Arsilan Saga.
Thanks to the firm will and beautiful hearts of our heroes, fate has been twisted and Lunatie has been saved. Accordingly, an update has been implemented.
[Update Details]
* A trial will be given to heroes at level 20.
* Race Change (Beastkin) has been unlocked. Once you earn 300 Lunatie Contribution Points and verify with Garsha, you can become a member of the beastkin race.
* The beastkin possess powerful physical abilities, but please be aware that their bodies may undergo partial transformation during a full moon.
* The land of Erosion trembles, and ominous energy approaches Arsilan.
[Paid Content Introduction]
* You can change your race at any time with a Race Change Voucher. Vouchers can be purchased at the Platinum Coin Shops in each village.
* New items have been stocked at the Platinum Coin Shop.
[Fixes and Changes]
* The Affinity Status Window has been improved for easier viewing.
[Arsilan Worlds]
* High-grade cameras will be provided to official Arsilan Worlds streamers.
* Hologram video production support is provided to official streamers.
[Merchandise Shop]
* Helby’s Horn has been released.
* Tia and Heina SD dolls are being re-released.
* Leon figurines are now available (limited quantity).
* Thomson’s Hammer is now available (limited quantity).
[Hologram Screening Announcement]
* Lunatie Defense Battle has been added to the hologram theater.
(Link: Screening Schedule)
* All screening footage is edited versions.
We thank all the heroes who have visited Arsilan.
Thank you!
*****
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