Translator: Dreamscribe

Arsilan Saga had now become more than just a game, it had evolved into a cultural phenomenon.

Despite the low distribution rate of the Soul Link, it was having a massive impact. If global service were to begin, it was impossible to predict how much it would grow.

A renowned foreign scientist even confessed to feeling even fear. He said it felt as if aliens had crossed interstellar space and were conquering Earth.

And yet, Arsilan Saga continued its journey in steadily.

After the update that came with the extended maintenance, another kind of influence began to emerge.

Title: I lost 10 kilos.

Ever since the Elvens fruits and crops update, I’ve lost all interest in real-world food.

Southeast Asian fruits? They’re only tasty in real lifeㅋㅋ

Don’t even try to compare anymore. Just one golden apple, and you’ll forget Southeast Asian fruits ever existed.

Wheat and rice? Out of this world. They taste amazing even on their own, but when you make bread and eat it with horned rabbit meat, it’s better than any Michelin-starred restaurant.

I used to fail at dieting because I couldn’t control my appetite, but when I come to Arsilan, it's instantly solvedㅋㅋ

By the way, I have 300 Contribution Points for Elvens, so I created an Elvens trading company.

(Attached: photo of a fruit cart)

I'll be selling mushrooms and various fruits, so come to Evanth's commercial district. I've also rented a shop space.

Anonymous1: So it was a store ad. Please delete it.

Anonymous2: I lost a ton of weight too. It’s the Arsilan Diet.

└HoneyTank (original poster): But you do need to exercise a bit. Strangely, muscles don’t seem to disappear easily, but you still need to maintain your health.

└Anonymous2: I work out an hour a day. Got healthier so that I can play longer.

StrongElvesGreatElves: Whoa, is that a chicken pulling your cart? That’s crazy cool.

└HoneyTank (original poster): You can rent one for 200 Contribution Points. It’s called an Elkin. The duck is an Elduck.

└SupremeHeavenlyDemon: Elkin, as in elf chicken? Haha, that’s so childish.

└HoneyTank (original poster): I heard Tia nim came up with the name.

└SupremeHeavenlyDemon: I was saying my ID is childish. Elkin! Sounds like a noble name, I like it.

As various crops and fruits were introduced, Arsilan's food culture changed overnight. These ingredients, infused with magic power as they grew, were incredibly delicious, and the players’ bodies were so sensitive that they could fully appreciate the taste.

Meanwhile, nutrition block foods developed specifically for Heroes of Arsilan were appearing, focusing purely on nutrition. The price was relatively cheap, so some players consumed them in real life, then quickly logged into Arsilan Saga to satisfy their appetites.

The fields around Evanth were converted into large-scale wheat farms, and some players even made a career switch to become full-time farmers. Commerce was also thriving. The crops grew several times faster than on Earth and were unaffected by the seasons, quickly turning the area around Evanth golden.

Evanth itself had expanded so much that it could now be considered a city. Other villages were also developing in prosperity, and everything appeared peaceful.

In the midst of that peace, Jinwoo began progressing in the main scenario in earnest.

Lunatie, Elvens, Rox, Evanth, and several other mid-level villages, all of them had reached a certain threshold of Contribution Points through the players’ efforts, and the average Affinity level of each village had surpassed 50%.

Then,

[All villages have entered a ‘Prosperity’ state.]

[All Arsilan people have come to trust the Heroes. A reward title has been granted.]

*[E] Hero of Hope

Everyone calls you a Hero.

Affinity with Arsilan people increases by 5%.

That message appeared for all players.

“Wow! We did it!”

"Heck yeah! This is it! Really feels worth playing!"

“This place has developed so much. Just look at Evanth, it’s completely changed.”

“This isn’t a game, it’s life. This is my real life now.”

It was the moment when the players’ efforts bore fruit.

[According to Ella's guidance, a letter of gratitude has arrived for you.]

“Huh?”

“What is this?”

“You got one too?”

“Yes.”

There was a letter in the ‘Gift Box’ sent by an NPC. Only those who had achieved over 60% Affinity received it.

SoftSword, who had become an honorary guard member after passing the guard qualification test, tilted his head and clicked on the letter in the gift box.

[Heina] Are you eating well?

SoftSword Hero.

It feels like just yesterday when you were swinging your sword clumsily, and now you've mastered Basic Swordsmanship and are even showing signs of potential as an aura user, I'm truly proud of you.

I've been enjoying the apple jam you gave me.

It suits my taste quite well.

I haven't seen you around lately. If you get the chance, drop by the Guard Station.

Show me how much you've grown.

If you manage to land a hit on me, I might just grant you a small favor.

Anyway, hang in there.

I'm always watching over you.

[Attached Item]

[F+] Gloves Handcrafted by Heina

Gloves made from fine thread.

Heina made them out of pride for the Hero.

They feel warm.

*Warming effect +10%

These are standard supplies, so use them or don’t, up to you.

- Captain of the Guards, Heina -

If the Affinity was above 70%, a gift was attached to the letter.

As soon as SoftSword saw the letter, his eyes turned red with emotion. The letter that appeared before him looked neat and thoughtful. When he touched the attached item with his hand, the gloves appeared in his grasp.

"S-sniff!"

SoftSword put on the gloves and was overcome with emotion. Others nearby felt the same.

"Sob!"

“Luceren noona…”

"...I'm glad I'm alive. This is the first time... I've received a gift from a friend."

Receiving a heartfelt gift along with the letter was deeply moving. In the midst of this emotional atmosphere, a main quest popped up.

[Arsilan] Shaking Magic Barrier

The Magic Barrier is shaking dangerously.

Monsters of Erosion are breaking through the Magic Barrier, and the scale of their invasion is gradually increasing. This is the result of having neglected the encroaching hand of Erosion while basking in peace for too long.

There’s no more time.

If the Magic Barrier collapses, the Erosion will lead his army to corrupt the peaceful Arsilan.

Stop the Erosion conspiracy and protect Arsilan.

Difficulty: Extremely Difficult

Participants: All Heroes

Reward: Survival of Arsilan, ???

Kugrrrr!

As soon as the quest window popped up, a massive noise echoed from the direction of the Magic Barrier, followed by rippling darkness.

“Main quest?”

"It's intense."

“Whoa, something just appeared on the Magic Barrier.”

When players looked toward the Magic Barrier, an information window appeared on it.

[With Ella’s guidance, you are now able to check the state of the Magic Barrier.]

[Magic Barrier: 83%]

*As the value decreases, Erosion invasion may progress and anomalies may occur.

A foreboding omen shattered the peace and spread across all of Arsilan.

Because of the sudden main quest, Arsilan Worlds erupted in chaos. Though it came like a sneak attack amid the peaceful atmosphere, it didn’t feel completely out of the blue.

Everyone had been sensing something ominous.

‘It did feel like something was about to happen…’

‘Is there something we failed to notice?’

‘When I asked the village chiefs, they said there’s a sense of unease all over Arsilan. Other than that, they didn’t know much.’

‘Leon nim keeps coming back injured. Maybe he knows something?’

‘Let’s ask Leon nim!’

There was no need for Jinwoo to step up himself, this course of action unfolded naturally. After checking the quest progress, Jinwoo changed Leon’s physical appearance from within the Secret Base.

“Perfect. Even the weary look is fantastic.”

“As expected of Leon!”

Tiris, under Tia’s direction, adjusted Leon’s body.

His skin became paler, and his face more gaunt. Black blotches, as if tainted by Erosion, appeared all over his body. These marks were wrapped in bandages, and dark-red bloodstains were added on top.

“Let’s put a big one on the neck! Wrapping it with a bandage and letting it peek out slightly would look good.”

“Understood.”

A bandage was wrapped along the neckline. At the end of the bandage, a small portion of the black area was exposed.

"That's perfect."

Tia nodded as she looked at the completed form of Leon. Jinwoo looked into the mirror.

“Oh.”

Just this transformation changed Leon’s entire vibe. He looked like he was on the verge of collapsing, exuding a deep sense of solitude. He looked like someone burdened by the weight of the world. His appearance invoked an impulse to reach out and comfort him right away.

“Try making a sad face!”

“Like this?”

“Put your heart into it!”

Under Tia’s strict acting direction, Jinwoo took a deep breath and immersed himself into Leon.

When he put on a sorrowful expression.

Ziiing!

Seeing that, Tia's eyes reddened, and Tiris quietly closed her eyes and nodded. Both gave a thumbs up simultaneously.

“This is it! This is the feeling I wanted!”

"This is the ultimate haggardness that Tia nim has been pursuing..., I think I can understand it now."

It was beyond Jinwoo’s comprehension, but at least it meant they had done a good job. Tia handed Jinwoo an updated character setting book for Leon. Quite a few additions had been made to the previous settings, and the content had become more detailed.

Tia let out a deep breath.

“Now we’re finally at the starting line. Somehow… it was clumsy and chaotic, but also fun.”

“Yeah.”

Jinwoo nodded with a smile.

Somehow, they had made it this far.

“Let’s keep pushing forward. For Arsilan.”

When Jinwoo said that, both Tia and Tiris smiled brightly.

“Then, I’ll begin!”

Tia announced the start of the operation through the information window. As if they had been waiting for this, NPCs began releasing bits of information about Leon.

Ordinary NPCs offered fragmented clues like “I think he went that way”, or “Looked like he was doing something alone”. Village chief-level figures started leaking hints about Leon’s identity.

Jinwoo observed for a while from the Secret Base, then moved to the outskirts of Evanth. It was a location near the Magic Barrier, in a ruined area and was a ruin that seemed hidden. He had set up that place not too long ago.

Inside Arsilan Worlds, numerous posts were asking about Leon’s whereabouts. Even the real-time Leon location tracker app was flooded with messages. As time passed, Jinwoo’s location was eventually pinpointed.

“Hmm.”

While waiting for the players to arrive, Jinwoo pulled out the scenario script from subspace and read through it. Since it was a live performance, many variables were expected, but the overall direction would not change.

The idea to send letters and gifts to players based on their Affinity had also been Tia’s.

Players who received gifts were delighted and posted proof on Arsilan Worlds. Seeing that, Jinwoo let out a faint laugh. The meaning those gifts might hold in the future was something only time would reveal.

“They’re here.”

Many players were approaching. The scale was larger than Jinwoo had anticipated. It looked like multiple guilds had mobilized.

‘Well then, let’s start the real build-up.’

As he stood up and looked toward the ruins, magical power surged, and a Death Knight appeared. Unlike the one that had shown up in Lunatie, this Death Knight had a very different form. It was larger, and looked far more powerful.

The Death Knight moved according to Jinwoo’s intent. While not as free as when he had inhabited its body, the support of the Magic Tower made things manageable.

Jinwoo closed his eyes.

As he exhaled, he fully immersed himself in the role of Leon.

Srring!

The moment he opened his eyes and drew his sword, the Death Knight began to move.

Leon’s hidden story would unfold here.

This was the first piece moving toward the finale!

* * *