Chapter 367 Now This Is Arsilan Saga! (2)

Translator: Dreamscribe

The leaders of the countries selected as candidates were coming to Alusion!

Time seemed tight, but there was no need to rush the preparations. In Arsilan, there was no need to worry about what anyone else thought, so there were no real restrictions. Even if they arrived right that instant, Jinwoo was confident he could welcome them with a grand spectacle.

Still, a major event was a major event, and Han Yong-seon and the team leaders gathered in the situation room, tense and on edge.

“For now, I think we should prepare as quickly as possible and arrange the meetings for the day before the selection. As for the order….”

Jinwoo nodded at Han Yong-seon's words.

On Earth, meeting all of them in a single day would have been physically impossible, but Arsilan was different. They could simply adjust the Time Ratio, so there was no problem at all.

Jinwoo did not know much about the proper protocol for receiving national leaders, but Han Yong-seon and the FS Games employees prepared everything for him.

“We'll have to create separate accounts for them.”

“I don't think that'll be necessary. They're already logged in.”

At Jinwoo's words, Han Yong-seon gave an awkward smile and brought up a holographic information window. More than half of the leaders of the various countries were already Heroes who enjoyed Arsilan Saga, while the rest had logged in ahead of time and were currently getting accustomed to it.

‘Right, they're Heroes too.’

Jinwoo chuckled.

It seemed he had been thinking about this far too stiffly until now.

Whether they were presidents or prime ministers on Earth did not matter. To Jinwoo, they were Heroes, or prospective Heroes, whom he needed to entertain.

Through the holographic information window, Jinwoo and the employees looked toward the area in front of Evanth.

There was someone almost anyone on Earth would recognize.

Naturally, Jinwoo knew him too.

It was the President of the United States.

The U.S. President was hunting Horned Rabbits while being guarded by a fairly high-level Hero.

[You need to put more of your hips into it!]

[L-like this?]

[Now try swinging while holding that posture!]

THWACK!

A skill effect burst from the U.S. President's sword, and the Horned Rabbit was split apart. Thrilled by the satisfying impact, the U.S. President clenched his fist.

[O-oh! Oho!]

[Excellent! Nice shot!]

CLAP CLAP CLAP!

When his guards applauded, the U.S. President nodded with a proud expression. He had customized himself to look like a man in his twenties, so the Heroes passing nearby failed to recognize him and merely tilted their heads curiously.

The U.S. President stared at the sword in his hand. Its tip was trembling. The excitement had yet to fade, lingering vividly in his hand.

[…I should've started this sooner.]

The U.S. President's gaze deepened.

Simply coming to Arsilan must have felt completely different from being on Earth.

[How does one hunt that goblin or whatever it is?]

[Once you raise your level a little more, you'll be able to hunt them right away. There's an EXP event going on right now, so you should level up quickly.]

[I see.]

As if he had returned to his childhood, he hunted in a cheerful mood. Then he encountered the leader of another country. Neither of them said anything, but naturally, they could tell who the other was.

It was the Prime Minister of Canada.

Like the U.S. President, he had made himself younger and clearly touched up his appearance here and there, but his face still looked similar, and guards stood around him.

[Hmm….]

[Hm….]

They glanced sideways at each other before resuming their hunts. Perhaps their competitive instincts had been stirred, because their hunting speed gradually increased.

Han Yong-seon watched them before looking at Jinwoo with an uneasy expression.

“Nothing's going to happen, right?”

“Probably?”

Han Yong-seon looked even more worried after Jinwoo's answer.

[Guys! Wanna go on a world boss raid?]

Heroes wearing kindergarten hats, the symbol of newbies, approached the U.S. President. When the U.S. President looked at one of his guards, the guard stepped closer and whispered in his ear.

[I believe they're referring to the Newbie Hero event.]

[An event…, interesting.]

[We aren't eligible to participate, so we won't be able to assist you.]

[That's fine. I'll try it myself.]

The U.S. President looked at the Heroes who had gathered around him.

The Canadian Prime Minister had already joined them. On closer inspection, there seemed to be leaders from other countries among them as well. They looked different from their appearances on Earth, but the guards standing farther away made their identities obvious.

[Whoa! That's a lot of people!]

[Guys! Join the Expedition!]

A large Expedition was formed in front of Evanth.

The Expedition crossed the grasslands and headed toward the event area.

[Did you just start playing today?]

[Indeed.]

A Newbie Hero casually approached the U.S. President and asked him a question. Since there was no particular need for protection here, his guards merely watched from a distance.

Besides, because this was an event exclusively for Newbie Heroes, the high-level guards could not participate in the battle.

[Whoa, that's a pretty unusual character concept. Are you not very good with the Common Tongue?]

[Ahem….]

[People let it slide if newbies in kindergarten hats speak English, but I heard if you use English outside Evanth, everyone treats you like some country bumpkin.]

There were many Newbie Heroes who were still poor at the Common Tongue. Learning the Common Tongue was essential for graduating from newbie status. Playing Arsilan Saga allowed them to learn the Common Tongue quickly.

[Oh! Here, drink this. It's a buff potion.]

[Hm?]

After drinking the buff potion, the U.S. President looked startled.

[I-it's delicious. How can something taste like this….]

[Crazy, right? Hehe!]

Here, one's status on Earth meant nothing. Even if someone revealed their identity and strutted around arrogantly, nobody would care. They were all nothing more than fellow Newbie Heroes.

When the U.S. President and all the leaders of the candidate countries forgot their positions and were swept up in the cheerful atmosphere, a broad smile spread across Jinwoo's lips.

‘They look like they're having fun.’

People were beings who constantly strove for enjoyment and happiness. The lust for power that had bound them so tightly vanished with almost laughable helplessness in the face of such primal enjoyment.

Jinwoo looked at Han Yong-seon.

“What they're about to fight is the event monster, right?”

“Yes. A world boss monster exclusively for newbies is scheduled to appear shortly.”

A huge number of Newbie Heroes were about to leave Evanth for the first time and challenge a world boss monster.

“Let's replace it with this one.”

“Understood!”

Jinwoo changed the world boss monster on the spot.

It was the boss monster of the upcoming newbie-exclusive dungeon. There seemed to be no harm in showing it off ahead of time. Its presentation was flashier, and it gave better rewards and more experience, so the reaction would probably be good.

The Heroes who entered the event area waited for the world boss monster to appear, their eyes brimming with anticipation. Whether someone was a president or an office worker, everyone here was nothing more than a beginner Hero.

[Event] Unbelievable! A Dimensional Rift has appeared!

The event announcement appeared, and an enormous Dimensional Rift formed before the Heroes. When the beginner event had first been introduced, they had briefly shown a sequence of a monster being summoned, but this one was enormous on an entirely different scale.

[Uh….]

[Whoa!]

The Newbie Heroes stared blankly at the Dimensional Rift they were seeing for the first time.

[My God.]

[W-what in the world is that….]

The leaders of the candidate countries participating in this boss raid reacted the same way.

[I-it's coming!]

[Prepare for battle!]

One of the more experienced Newbie Heroes had taken the role of Expedition Leader. At the Expedition Leader's shout, the Heroes hurriedly pulled out their weapons and gripped them tightly.

KRAKAKAKAKOOM!

Red lightning erupted from the Dimensional Rift and mercilessly struck the surrounding area. The grasslands burst into flames, and every tree in the distance was split apart.

Ominous black clouds poured from the Dimensional Rift and dyed the entire sky above Evanth pitch-black. The black clouds writhed like thick, viscous liquid before beginning to spew black fluid all over the grasslands below.

[Whoa!]

[That's horrifying….]

For the first time, the Newbie Heroes experienced firsthand a sight that looked as though the world itself were coming to an end. It really was on an entirely different level from watching it through a video.

The ominous wind brushing against their skin, the heavy, clinging atmosphere, and the sound of their nervous companions breathing!

When all of those things came together in one place, something began to boil within the hearts of the Newbie Heroes.

The Named Heroes weren't here. So it was up to them to protect Evanth.

Courage and determination swelled within the Newbie Heroes.

BUBBLE-BUBBLE!

Something began rising from the black liquid that had fallen across the grasslands. It was an enormous coffin. It continued rising as though a building were emerging from beneath the ground.

The Newbie Heroes' mouths fell open.

They craned their heads upward, expressions completely blank.

[T-this is really a newbie-exclusive event, right?]

[I-I think so.]

[How are we supposed to beat that….]

[It's freaking huge….]

CREEEAK!

The black coffin opened, and an arm made entirely of bone pushed its way out. The coffin itself was the world boss monster. Ominous liquid continued pouring from inside it, accompanied by screams.

[Event Notice]World Boss Monster! The Coffin of Despair has appeared in Arsilan! Heroes! May fortune favor you in battle!

*May the blessing of Arsilan be with you!

*The light of Arsilan dwells within your weapon!

*All stats increase by 10%!

Light burst from the weapons of the Newbie Heroes.

The Expedition Leader raised his weapon high.

[For Arsilan!]

At his shout, the Newbie Heroes all erupted into cheers.

[Charge!!]

[For Arsilan!]

[Uwaaaah!]

[LET'S GOOO!]

Everyone charged toward the Coffin of Despair at once. The leaders of the candidate countries mixed in among the Newbie Heroes also joined them, shouting at the tops of their lungs.

Han Yong-seon and the team leaders smiled as they watched.

“The atmosphere's pretty good, isn't it?”

“Once you get hooked on that kind of rush, there's no escaping it.”

“Hehe! That's true.”

“Those guys are going to start logging in every day now.”

The Coffin of Despair swung its arm and sent the Newbie Heroes flying. Every sweep of its arm devastated the grasslands and sent shockwaves surging across the battlefield, but the Newbie Heroes got back up and charged again.

[Are you okay?]

When the U.S. President fell, a Newbie Hero reached out a hand to him.

[Of course.]

GRIP!

The U.S. President grabbed the Newbie Hero's hand and pulled himself back to his feet.

[All right! Let's go again! I'll cover you.]

[Good! That's reassuring. I'm counting on you to watch my back!]

[Haha! Now you're finally starting to sound like a Hero!]

[I-is that so?]

On that day, the one and only President of the United States gained a comrade-in-arms.

The Heroes fell again and again, but each time, they got back up and charged once more.

The Coffin of Despair was a boss monster designed for Newbie Heroes. Despite its overwhelming appearance, its durability was quite low. As the Newbie Heroes bombarded it with skills and magic using their light-infused weapons, cracks began to form across the coffin.

Black liquid flowed from the cracks as if the coffin were bleeding.

[There's a crack in the coffin! Everyone, focus your attacks there!]

At the Expedition Leader's words, every Newbie Hero concentrated their attacks on the cracked section at once. The liquid flowing from it transformed into corrupted Horned Rabbits that charged toward the Heroes. The battle became fairly drawn out because of them, but the tension never faded. If anything, it gave them an even more intense, exhilarating battlefield experience.

[Oh! We'll help too!]

[LET'S GOOO!]

More Newbie Heroes came rushing in and joined the battle.

After a long fight, the coffin lid was destroyed, and everything inside spilled out across the grasslands. A gigantic skull, unable to move, opened and closed its jaws like a fish gasping for air.

[Uwaaaah!]

[DIE!]

[Smash it to pieces!]

The Newbie Heroes rushed forward and shattered the skull, causing a message to appear.

[Event Notice]Congratulations! The Coffin of Despair has been subjugated!

*New record achieved! Additional rewards will be distributed!

Light gathered around the coffin, which was still standing, and its appearance slowly began to change. Its horrifying form vanished in an instant, transforming into a shape familiar to everyone.

[Huh?]

[A gift box?]

[Ooh!]

The Coffin of Despair had transformed into a beautifully wrapped gift box the size of a building!

The Newbie Heroes stared at the gift box in excitement. At a glance, it looked like it must contain some truly incredible prizes.

SWISH!

The wrapping around the gift box came undone, and the box sprang wide open.

Brilliant light burst forth, cleansing the sky that had been dyed black.

SWISH!

The light broke apart and descended toward the Newbie Heroes. It settled into their hands and transformed into gift boxes tailored to each individual.

[Whoa! It's a ranked weapon!]

[Ooh! A skill book!]

[These rewards are insane.]

Along with a massive amount of experience, generous rewards were distributed to everyone. The reward that received the best reaction was the Proof of Subjugation. A skull emblem appeared on the kindergarten hats worn by the newbies.

[Event Notice]You have obtained Proof of Subjugation (Coffin of Despair)!

*Collect every Proof of Subjugation to receive a valor reward, so make sure you participate in all of them!

Once they collected every Proof of Subjugation and graduated from being newbies, they could receive an enormous reward.

The leaders of the candidate countries hugged one another and celebrated like children, only to come back to their senses, clear their throats awkwardly, and move apart.

[The event period was thirty days, wasn't it? Hmm!]

[The next world boss is….]

[I suppose I'll have to participate in all of them.]

Now that they had tasted the rush of Arsilan Saga, there was no escaping it.

The U.S. President and the leaders of the various countries did not log out and instead continued enjoying Arsilan Saga's content.

Han Yong-seon grinned.

“I think they're addicted. Look, they're even forming parties together now.”

“Well, it's good if they all get along.”

“They're having a blast.”

And thus, the world became even more peaceful!

***

An Evil Person could never enter Arsilan.

It was a rule Jinwoo had upheld ever since Arsilan Saga was released. Evil People on Earth could never connect to Arsilan, nor could they enjoy anything Jinwoo had brought to Earth.

There were several mandatory requirements for selecting the candidate countries, and one of them was the condition of their leaders' souls.

If an Evil Person used a Soul Link, the Evil Person's soul automatically fell into hell. Jinwoo then placed a new self devoted to serving humanity inside the empty body left behind.

‘Good thing I took care of that ahead of time.’

Over the past two years, Jinwoo had already taken measures in advance, so the leaders of the developed nations were not Evil People. It had been a drastic measure for the sake of peace on Earth.

Someone might have criticized him if they learned the truth, but Jinwoo had never been a god for everyone in the first place. He could do anything for Arsilan and the Heroes. Perhaps that was why he had developed the characteristics of an Evil God.

Jinwoo entered Leon's body.

For the first time in a while, he dressed in attire befitting an Emperor and put on his crown. It was time to meet the leaders of the various countries.

He partitioned off the space within the Imperial Palace itself and used the Authority of Time to adjust the flow of time.

The Imperial Palace's main gates opened, and a specially crafted luxury vehicle drove inside. The Imperial Knights stood in formation, raising their swords as Aura surged from them.

When the U.S. President stepped out of the vehicle, Jinwoo slowly approached him. The U.S. President had adjusted his customization to regain the appearance he had on Earth. Though it seemed he had made himself look a little better while he was at it.

A piercing bird cry rang through the air.

A bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, appeared above the Imperial Palace. It was so enormous that it seemed to cover the sky. It flew through the air carrying the American flag.

A dragon flew alongside the bald eagle, carrying the emblem of the Sillion Empire.

The sight alone was enough to get anyone's blood pumping.

Jinwoo spread his arms and smiled at the U.S. President, who was staring blankly up at the sky.

“Welcome to the Sillion Empire.”

Whatever he imagined, what awaited him would surpass it.

Because this wasn't Earth. This was Arsilan Saga!

*****

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