◈ Episode 334. Write It Great (1)
The sanctuary of the Goddess Order, Muon.
Paladin Commander Tallim Eber wiped away the sweat that had poured down during training. The sensation was not bad. To a degree incomparable to when he had first been dropped into the adventurers’ world.
Tallim smiled faintly.
“Well, I suppose it was only natural that I had remained stagnant.”
The Goddess Order had been at a standstill all this time, after all.
It was still a shameful thing.
To think back on the Goddess Order that had been cooped up in Muon, toyed with by a demon. The Order’s paladins, as well as its priests, surely wished to redeem the past just as he did, devoting themselves to every moment.
“Let’s see, we’re entering a rift tomorrow.”
The Goddess Order belonged to the Holy War Allied Forces.
Because they knew better than anyone that training alone could not stand against demons that toyed with and shook humanity, Tallim had conquered countless rifts to build up real combat experience.
The System, the exclusive domain of the Players.
“Though the word still feels unfamiliar.”
As an Arcanan, Tallim possessed neither a System nor levels.
But he could tell from his changing body and the reactions of the Players affiliated with the Holy War Allied Forces.
—“Level 500 rifts are a piece of cake now!”
Effort never betrays.
However, Tallim was not the least bit pleased.
He merely clenched his fist.
Because the more he grew accustomed to the adventurers’ world, the more he realized.
“I am ashamed to say it seems I am still terribly far away.”
The gap between him and Ho-yeol.
Rumors spread faster in the adventurers’ world than on the continent of Arcana.
Thanks to wondrous mechanical devices that could not be compared to ordinary magical tools, more than half of those floating rumors were none other than news concerning Ho-yeol.
—Simultaneous clear of Level 700–800 Cave Rifts!
—I Ho-yeol Quells the Great Calamity of the Zero Mountain Range.
—[Breaking News] Great Evil, Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins Subjugated……
For the current Tallim,
these were legendary achievements that he could not even fathom attempting.
And yet.
“I shall faithfully follow behind you.”
Rather than despairing, Tallim burned with even greater motivation.
What mattered was his faith, his pride.
More important than the direction that faith pointed,
was that the faith remained unbroken.
Ever since the day Muon fell into this place,
it had been thanks to the enlightenment he gained through Ho-yeol.
Tallim muttered.
“Still, I sometimes wonder if it is all right to feel this way.”
It was wondrous. Though he knew the road ahead was long, he felt no impatience.
It was in that moment that Tallim was reminded anew of Ho-yeol’s presence—
Vwoooooom— A portal opened before his eyes.
“!”
Muon was, after all, the holy land of the Goddess Order.
Visitors did come to Muon through its main gates, which were opened for that purpose, but—
Deep in the heart of Muon, there was but a single being capable of opening a portal and entering.
Color returned to Tallim’s face. ‘It is the Commander.’ But his bright expression did not last long.
“……?”
Soon, behind Ho-yeol, who revealed himself amid the swirling light of the portal,
he saw a silhouette that was anything but unfamiliar.
Tallim’s eyes narrowed.
A veil draped over the face.
And the octagonal pattern embroidered on the nun’s habit was……
It was unmistakably the symbol of the Goddess Order.
In that instant, all manner of thoughts flooded his mind.
It could not be, but had a priest of the Goddess Order committed some discourtesy against the Commander? Even if not discourtesy, had something happened? A priest of the Goddess Order had no reason to be outside in the first place……?
Of course, Tallim’s predictions were completely off the mark.
“P-pardon, what did you just say, Sister?”
Tallim asked the priestess again.
“The faction of the Goddess’s reincarnation……?”
With a blank, dazed expression.
“Do not factions no longer exist within the Goddess Order? Why would you bring up a matter from at least a hundred years ago now……?”
*Clack— I set down my teacup.
“As expected, one cannot rival years of experience.”
“……What did you say, Commander?”
“No, I was not speaking to you.”
If you ask why I suddenly speak of experience, I shall answer with the teacup I just set down. It seems the Goddess Order, and Tallim in particular, did not heed my teaching.
—“The water is not special simply because it bears the name Saint’s Tears. What resists aging is merely one of the effects of the medicinal herb growing beneath the spring, ‘Aria Moss.’ Because its appearance is unremarkable, proper research has not been conducted until now. It is only natural that no one recognized it.”
They had been making proper use of the Aria Moss growing in Muon’s spring!
After all, it is a universal human psychology to desperately flock to anything said to be good for the body. But what if there were spring water that restored one’s youth?
‘There is a fine example close by, too……’
I was the one who sent Aria Moss enclosed in my morning letters to Madam Choe Gang-hui of my household to ward off aging. And because of that, the I siblings’ group chat had erupted.
—Hey, I Ho-yeol, did you send a gift only to Mom???
—I got called sisters with Mom today, haha……
—Unni’s in shock hahaha
—Hey
—Hey
—If there’s something good, shouldn’t you take care of these noonas too? -_-
—Mom’s skin is supple like Arang’s, I tell you?!
Serene Pentacle of Knowledge.
Knowledge of plants and minerals that arise as effects.
The rejuvenating effect of Aria Moss is only valid at a specific temperature. Unless one manifests magic as I do, maintaining that specific temperature is difficult. That was why Aria Moss was not widely known despite its effects.
‘The more I see, the more it seems there is a God after all?’
The presence of “Drumen Moonstone” in Muon was a staggering coincidence. Because its heat-absorbing property perfectly matched the finicky specific temperature required by the Aria Moss.
‘Good thinking, Tallim.’
Indeed.
What I held was a teacup made of Drumen Moonstone.
The liquid within was tea brewed from Aria Moss.
This alone showed that
the Goddess Order was one of the Arcana forces most well-adapted to reality.
And as I took another sip of that Aria Moss tea,
‘How did Mom drink this bitter stuff?’
I was marveling at her years of experience anew.
‘By the way.’
Though I, a third party, was merely sampling the tea,
the conversation passing between Tallim and Saint Freiza
was exceedingly grave.
‘It was only natural.’
Freiza’s true identity was a Saint of the past who had emerged from the Omen.
That I had been able to dissuade Freiza, who had tried to judge me out of nowhere,
was thanks to the struggles I had ceaselessly endured.
The goodwill I had built with the Goddess Order.
And the fact that, as the last survivor of Akshan, I had defeated the Omen.
Had I failed to meet even one of those two conditions,
‘things would have become considerably complicated.’
Just think.
If I dare say, had I been in the middle of Antonium
quarreling with a priest of the Goddess Order, what rumors would have circulated?
‘No doubt all sorts of delusions would have followed.’
But thanks to having perfectly met the prerequisites,
Freiza, though unable to fully believe my words,
had followed me to visit the present-day Muon.
She must have thought that Muon, the sanctuary of the Goddess Order,
would be able to resolve her doubts.
But Tallim did not appear to be in any state for that.
Rustle, rustle— Tallim, who had been rifling through scripture without rest, opened his mouth.
“Indeed, so there truly was a Saint in the Reincarnated Saint faction of the past.”
I was not sure if that could be called a pedigree, but
in any case, Freiza was a figure from at least a hundred years ago.
It was only natural that Tallim would be surprised by the very existence of a Saint.
At the same time, he seemed uneasy.
Tallim muttered as if reproaching himself.
“To think I did not know what even the demons knew…….”
The True Name Demon, Nephriphit.
Judging by how precisely it had impersonated Freiza,
the creature had clearly known of Freiza’s existence.
I, too, was more than a little startled.
I had realized that the demon’s influence had been spread across the continent long before anyone knew it.
So I reflected on the scream Nephriphit had spewed during the exorcism……
—‘O Great Evil! O my master, Sloth! Save me!’
……Surely, it had spoken those words?
If Nephriphit had been a minion of the Seven Deadly Sins, Sloth, it was somewhat understandable. Unlike the Demon Kings of the Demon Realm, the Seven Deadly Sins were demons born on the continent of Arcana.
Of course, this pride of mine had no intention of admiring a demon.
I interjected into the conversation around then.
“Has the target of your judgment still not changed?”
“…….”
When Freiza fell silent, Tallim asked,
“Judgment? What do you mean, Commander?”
I, I Ho-yeol,
could not abide injustice, nor did I intend to.
Besides, this was a one-sided misunderstanding, was it not?
‘Though the nuance is a bit off……’
Of course, it was true that my sudden “blackening” had caused trouble on a continental scale.
But is it not too much to be judged simply for that?
‘I want to tattle to Tallim with all my heart.’
Was it because babbling did not befit the dignity?
A real handful, truly.
I merely looked at Freiza in silence.
But for Tallim, that alone seemed to be enough.
“Sister, would you tell me the full story as well?”
As expected, those of the same faith seem to have a connection.
Freiza, who had not properly exchanged words with me, kindly explained the whole story to Tallim.
“I believed that that infinitely deep darkness… would one day plunge the continent of Arcana into ‘immeasurable sorrow.’ Following the doctrine of the Goddess Order, I believed it wrong to leave such darkness unattended.”
“……An infinitely deep darkness, you say.”
The darkening of the continent of Arcana caused by the blackening.
It was a sight one would hardly believe even with one’s own eyes, so hearing it only in words, he must have wondered what she was talking about.
But then.
At Tallim’s following reaction,
I nearly chewed the Aria Moss tea I had swallowed……!
“The Commander is ‘a ray of light within the infinitely deep darkness.’ Why does Sister Freiza speak as though she failed to witness that light?”
No, Tallim, that is not it……!!
And why bring up that epithet all of a sudden?!
Freiza, why are you too—
“……If it is a ray of light.”
At me.
To be precise,
she was staring right through my jacket, was she not?!
My sin was so great that I could not let my guard down for a moment.
But did she think it insufficient because I did not show it on my face?
Tallim went so far as to add:
“To the Goddess Order, the Commander has been nothing less than a literal ray of light. Not only did you save Muon from the demon that impersonated Sister Freiza……!”
……It seemed this story would go on for a while.
‘It is agonizing to listen to any more of this.’
Just as hard to get used to as Grandfel’s full name was having gold leaf on one’s face.
I stood up from my seat around then.
Having returned to reality, it was about time to handle the next schedule.
You ask how I am going to slip away with a quest still pending?
[World Quest: The Reincarnated Saint]
Darkness covering the continent of Arcana.
The Saint shall follow the Goddess’s teachings.
That which will plunge the continent of Arcana into immeasurable sorrow in the future.
To judge the infinitely deep darkness.
—Survive the judgment of Saint Freiza. (Deferred)
Was it because she had not yet been fully convinced by Tallim’s words?
The progress stage was halted at deferred, but that was fine.
Did I not confirm it in Antonium?
That the Goddess seems to like me more than that Saint.
‘And I even said so with my own big mouth.’
Suddenly, that blabbering came to mind.
—“Revelation? No, it must be your own narrow-minded belief.”
Now that I thought about it……
I wondered if I had not been asking for a beating with my words.
In any case, I had confirmed that the Saint’s ability to pass judgment in the Goddess’s name was harmless to me.
Without worry, I manifested a portal.
What was the next schedule,
that I was moving so urgently for, you ask?
Cannot you tell from how my lips have not stopped twitching?
A demon hunter’s iron rule.
Do not exchange words with your prey.
Just you wait, Liu Aojunchun….
Tallim clutched his head.
“……You have made a grave mistake, Sister.”
Freiza could not understand.
“Why is it a mistake? I merely sought to practice the doctrine. Even before that, I cannot believe the form the Goddess Order has taken. How can the Goddess Order, which should serve only the Goddess… participate in something as absurd as a holy war?”
Tallim held his tongue.
‘It is only natural that they cannot understand each other.’
There was a gap of at least a hundred, perhaps several hundred, years.
Even if they belonged to the same Goddess Order.
The teachings one ought to follow change with the times. Such views could hardly be narrowed in a short span of time. After all, Talim had, just this morning, come from holding negotiations with the priests over the use of a holy relic. ‘But there are truths that transcend the ages.’ Talim opened his mouth meaningfully.
“Very well. I will no longer try to persuade you, Sister Freyja. Watch with your own eyes and judge for yourself why the Commander-in-Chief is called a single ray of light in the boundless depths of darkness. But there is one thing you must keep in mind.”
“Keep in mind? What do you mean?”
“How do you think Muon has remained intact until now?”
“By the Goddess’s grace, of course……”
“If this were the Arcana Continent, I would have clasped my hands together at your gracious words, Sister. But this is an entirely different world, the home of adventurers.”
“……!”
“How do you think Muon’s tens of thousands of priests and holy knights were able to avoid starvation and maintain the same lives as before in this unfamiliar land?”
Freyja could guess the answer.
A truth that transcended the ages.
The Church could not be self-sufficient.
The Church absolutely required donations.
Talim nodded.
“That is correct. It was the Commander-in-Chief.”
“……”
“If the support we received from the Commander-in-Chief were converted into gold coins, it would amount to……”
Ssssssssk!
The quill pen moved without hesitation, writing down numbers.
At those numbers, Freyja’s complexion changed drastically.……
I think I finally understand why You did not answer.
“O Goddess……”
That was far too much.
Far too astronomical a sum of sponsorship.
For faith alone to withstand.*It was only natural for the world to be interested in the wealth of celebrities.
Players were said, in vulgar terms, to be raking in money.
Interest in their income was beyond description.
And there was one name that naturally came up in such discussions.
Recognized by all.
The greatest and strongest player, Lee Hoyeol.
Lee Hoyeol.
Just how much profit had he earned as a player?
Estimates regarding that were easily drawn from requests.
-Just think about Cosmo’s market cap back in the day.
-Fr?
-The rift clear rewards Raymond Sean pays out are all being distributed from the corporate reserves they built up during the Cosmo days, right? If you just think about the price range of the connectors……
After the raid on Count Askyura.
Hoyeol had, in effect, monopolized and cleared every high-level piece of content updated into reality. Considering contribution and clear difficulty, the total amount of rewards paid to Hoyeol was……
-He probably ate up 10% of Cosmo’s market cap by himself?
The accepted theory was that it was estimated at a minimum of hundreds of trillions.
And that was not all.
The Yusra Kingdom, known as the legendary treasure island, should also be regarded as Hoyeol’s territory in practical terms. Furthermore, if one were to estimate and add together the economic value of the Magic Tower and even the price of the items Hoyeol had equipped…….-Holy shit, that’s basically a money bug.
-He’s not a walking corporation, he’s on the level of a nation lol
-Right, he basically used an infinite money cheat lol
-Not even the U.S. or the oil states can hold a candle to him, can they? ㄷㄷㄷ
Indeed.
It was wealth in a realm that could not even be measured.
Only, the person in question was so upright and incorruptible that he did not reveal it.
However, there were those who abruptly came to feel that immense wealth for themselves: Cheonhatongil. The analysts of Cheonhatongil, who had been watching the monitors with dry expressions, turned ashen.
“……
What is this?”
The auction house on Arcana’s official website.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Notifications that would not stop.
And at the same time.
High-grade health and mana recovery potions began selling out in an instant.
“……
This is sold out too? Is it a bug?”
“Everyone, get a grip! For now, shut up and grab even one.”
“You know we have to secure quantities at all costs, don’t you?”
Cheonhatongil had been, and would continue to be, aggressively pushing through攻略. To that end, Cheonhatongil had purchased potions—the kind considered luxury goods among players—whenever they appeared on the auction house.
And yet.
Drrrk—drrk—drrrk—?
“……!”
No matter how far they scrolled down, not a single potion was in sight. Not high-grade, mid-grade, or low-grade potions, of course. Even elixirs, each bottle costing billions, were nowhere to be seen.
Truly, not a single bottle.
“S-something’s wrong!”
“……
Has a rival force joined in? Don’t tell me it’s Shining?!”
“No, even Shining couldn’t possibly sweep everything up like this!”
“Then who the hell is it? Who can throw money around like this?”
A great bundle of cash had begun slapping Cheonhatongil across the face.