LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 73
Chapter 73
“Guest?”
“Yes! The one destined to be with you.”
The guest Azarup mentioned was undoubtedly the main reward character from the Chuseok event and its duplicate fragments. Otherwise, there would be no reason for a guest to knock on the gates of hell at such an unexpected time.
Typically, event-distributed characters in mobile games have clear concepts but are one tier below the highest-performing characters.
Naturally, Lemegeton was the same, and the distributed character was a 5-star familiar.
However, there was one difference from regular 5-star familiars… You could obtain duplicate fragments of this character during the event.
Lemegeton also referred to them as soul fragments, though it didn’t quite roll off the tongue.
“Event characters can be fully transcended.”
Here, “transcend” means that as you collect more duplicate fragments of a character, its abilities increase.
The maximum number of transcends is six.
When you obtain a character for the first time, it’s like getting a business card. After that, if you draw duplicates, the character’s potential is enhanced up to six times.
A character enhanced six times is referred to as fully transcended. Of course, owning a fully transcended character, whether 5-star or 6-star, is something only a very small number of players who spend heavily can achieve, so it’s rare to see.
No matter how many magic stones you throw at it, if you’re unlucky, your money disappears like water…
Anyway, the developers often show the taste of transcendence in events to encourage users to purchase magic stones, and most of the time, the distributed familiars play that role.
“For someone like me, who lacks familiars… a fully transcended familiar is a precious existence that can only be obtained through events.”
Azarup nodded.
“Then, I shall allow the visit.”
“…”
Whoooosh…
Crackle…!
Orange light spread from Azarup’s eye sockets.
A 5-star character.
Whoooosh-!
As soon as it emerged from the gates of hell, it soared into the air. It was an owl beastman with large wings.
[Summoning ★★★★★ Owl Aviator.]
Whoooosh-!
An orange spirit emerged from the gates of hell and collided with the Owl Aviator’s body, being absorbed.
[Found the soul of ★★★★★ Owl Aviator.]
Whoooosh-!
Messages kept appearing.
[Found the soul of ★★★★★ Owl Aviator.]
…
After seeing the same message five times, I could finally see the one who crossed the gates of hell.
A young woman with a mischievous face, an eyepatch on her forehead, and large wings.
Thud-!
She looked down at me from the air.
“Whirlwind! I am the prodigy who cuts through the wind! My name is Koning!”
“…”
Yes, I remembered… Koning.
She was quite popular in the subculture scene with her unique speech and concept.
She was the core reward of the Chuseok event I mentioned.
“Is it because she’s an event-distributed familiar?”
She uniquely remembered her name.
Whoooosh!
She puffed out her chest with a proud expression.
“What’s your name?”
“…Faust.”
“Faust! I look forward to working with you!”
…She was a unique one.
As expected of a familiar loved by users regardless of performance.
“…Is it daytime now?”
“It is.”
“Hmm! I knew it! No wonder I was sleepy! Well then, good night!”
Swoosh-
She lowered the eyepatch on her forehead and fell asleep standing up.
“Snore… Snore…”
An owl with bad sleeping habits.
Being nocturnal, she was set to be active mainly at night. It’s amazing how she stays alive sleeping like that, revealing her location.
Creak…
“Master, are you okay?”
Phenex, who was overly protective of me, peeked through the door.
‘Perfect timing.’
I couldn’t leave her here, so I had to move her to the living quarters.
“Take her away. Her name is Koning.”
“Koning? A new friend?”
“Yes.”
Phenex lifted Koning and disappeared. Even in that situation, she didn’t wake up…
I touched the UI visible only to me to check Koning’s transcendence effects.
Wind resistance +30%
‘Gale’ effect on all usable abilities.
Greatly reduced gliding distance when attempting to fly.
Ultimate skill cooldown reduced by 15%.
Can be active during the day.
It’s a balanced set of effects, not particularly related to combat.
It feels like a distributed character.
If the transcendence effects of a great demon were like this, it would have been a problem, but as an event reward, it feels like, well, it’s free anyway.
“Lord Faust.”
Lucifer, who had been away for a while, found me at the gates of hell.
“…What is it?”
“The scouts have found something at the dungeon entrance.”
* * *
Two months after the Autumn War, the dismantling of the indomitable Urea was in full swing in the Great Forest.
The corpse of a monster holds immense value in itself. The stronger the monster was in life, the greater its value.
“Two months have passed, and it’s still not decaying… What incredible vitality.”
“They say the nobles are going crazy for its skin, using it in high-end cosmetics and expensive talismans.”
“Exactly. The association even provided generous compensation to the fallen hunters’ families, yet they still made a significant profit.”
Regardless of politics and national disputes, the Adventurers’ Association, rooted throughout Solaria, maintains its massive size because it operates like a business.
In the end, it’s all about manpower.
They dispatch surplus personnel to desired locations, and any losses incurred are covered with gold coins.
Since most adventurers are wanderers without a fixed abode, few mourn their futile deaths. Both the adventurers who step into dangerous places and the association that sends them there understand and accept this fact.
The association, built on the sweat and blood of adventurers, exists as an intangible monster in Solaria. The atmosphere of mourning the great disaster that swept the hunting party has long vanished, with everyone now focused solely on the profits gained from the hunt.
Step…
Step…
The flags of the Aslan Empire were hoisted everywhere.
“Those imperial bastards… They’re not trying to steal the credit, are they?”
“Urea? They don’t care. Why would the imperial army bother with this? They collect taxes from over half the continent.”
“They came for another purpose. They only glanced at Urea for a few days.”
After Urea fell, the imperial soldiers, like the now-reduced-to-spectators hunting party members, showed interest in Urea’s corpse for the first few days, then began searching the Great Forest with the association’s representative, Kaelut.
“Hmm… Indeed, I sense traces of evil.”
“Do you see it that way, Archbishop?”
“Time has faded it, but it’s clear. However… it doesn’t seem to indicate the appearance of a demon.”
“Are you saying it wasn’t a demon that slaughtered the hunting party?”
The old man, called the Archbishop, nodded.
“If a demon had appeared, it wouldn’t have ended like this. Scala, they said they fled upon seeing you, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Then it’s even less likely. If a demon had been here, the entire hunting party, including you, would have been buried here.”
The High Priest smiled slyly.
“Demons are such beings. They’re not evil to be spoken of lightly.”
“Then… what are these traces of evil? Neil fell to this power!”
“I’m sorry about your disciple, but it seems he fell to a relic left by a demon.”
“A demon’s… relic?”
“Yes. Among the relics that wander Solaria, there are items touched by demons. The traces left here are likely from such a relic.”
“Such…”
This wasn’t the answer Scala wanted.
If this was the conclusion…
“There was no demon. Let’s leave it at that.”
“…So there’s no pursuit team?”
“Unless it’s a demon’s appearance… the empire won’t move.”
“…I see.”
The Aslan Empire is slow to act.
To rouse this giant, the lives of dozens of adventurers are far from enough.
“…Scala.”
“Archbishop…”
“I’m sorry about Neil. I’ve been watching over you for a long time…”
“…”
“That rigid and inflexible man changed a lot after meeting that child. But, that’s as far as it goes. Your life is still yours to decide.”
The Archbishop was right.
Neil’s death was tragic, but it didn’t need to dictate the rest of Scala’s life.
“What about the capital?”
“Aslan… you mean?”
“Yes. How long will you roll in the dirt and face hardships? I can recommend you to the capital.”
“…”
“There, you will find peace. Everything will be purified… so you won’t be consumed by sorrow and anger.”
“Thank you for your words, Archbishop.”
Scala bowed his head.
“But… I must decline.”
“Scala!”
“A wolf… cannot be tamed.”
His eyes blazed.
“I will live as a wolf… and die as a wolf.”
The Archbishop closed his eyes.
“So that’s the life you’ve chosen. Anger, is it…”
“…”
Then, he smiled at Scala.
“Good, that’s like you.”
* * *
Lucifer brought news from the scout.
Curious about what it could be, I went to check and found something unimaginable before my eyes.
“This is….”
“Magic stones.”
Two whole chests.
Someone had left two chests of top-grade magic stones near the dungeon without a word and disappeared.
A forgotten figure quickly came to mind.
“Leon….”
Before the dungeon’s rotten roots collapsed, he had whisked me away and warned me… and pushed Romwell to help me.
Once this is over, I’ll hand over two chests of top-grade magic stones.
Inside the chest was a note.
These are the items I left behind in autumn.
‘…Strange fellow.’
I hadn’t delivered what he asked for, so I didn’t deserve these magic stones. Yet, he gave them to me.
‘Why?’
I told you from the start. I just need someone worthy of my trust.
His words suddenly flashed through my mind. Did he really just want to use me?
Showing a madness in keeping promises that didn’t need to be kept.
He almost forced trust upon himself….
“Leon… were you watching?”
He already knew I was staying in the frozen lands. That’s why he placed the magic stones so precisely.
‘I have no way to contact him… He’ll probably find me when he needs me. I’ll think about it then.’
For now, there would be no contact with him.
So…
‘Well, I’ll make good use of these.’
I turned around and spoke.
“Lucifer.”
“Yes.”
It’s time.
“Send all the magic stones to the Gate of Hell.”
To stir the winds of revival in the frozen land.