Chapter 216
Im Haneul became a hero! He was a hero with superpowers, like something out of fiction. It was a bit cheesy, but there was no other way to describe it.
Even if she didn't defeat all the Goblins alone, she saved dozens of lives, so she was definitely worthy of being called a hero.
Thanks to this, Im Haneul, despite her alias as a Homebody Editor, suddenly received significant attention. To exaggerate a little, Broadcasting Companies were scrambling to recruit her!
Of course, the reason she received this attention wasn't simply because she saved people.
More precisely, the superpowers she used felt very familiar. It was a sight seen dozens of times in the game.
In an era where millions of Users play [Demon's Saga] in Korea alone, there is no way people would fail to recognize it.
Naturally, the Community went wild.
Isn't that an In-game Skill? Wow, finally! Status Window! Status! Oh, please, Gaia, give me the power to smash Monster skulls...!
It's a world where fantasy is becoming reality. The frequency of monsters appearing is increasing day by day, and it's too unfair that people have no power. But now, it is finally revealed that they *do* have power.
After Im Haneul appeared in news articles, countless people began trying various methods to awaken like her.
Some acted crazy in their rooms and shouted “Status Window!” Or some went back to their embarrassing childhood pasts and suddenly awakened their Black Flame Dragon in their right hand. Some among them even chanted similar Incantations to Im Haneul's.
Everyone, embracing the dream of Awakening, didn't shy away from embarrassing acts.
Huh? It's not appearing?Please give me superpowers tooI poured my life into the game, so why am I just Super Unemployed here...?Ah, damn it, I was grunting in my room while trying to gather energy, and my dad looked at me like I was crazy...
However, for most, it only added another line to their embarrassing pasts... Unfortunately, very few gained abilities like Haneul's. And to begin with, Haneul didn't even get a Status Window.
But “very few” means that there were still some who *did* awaken their abilities.
“···Huh?”
Shin Hanbyeol, Domestic Rank 1 of [Demon's Saga], was a prime example, a human with an innate sense for moving her body.
She also heard Haneul's news. Feeling intrigued, she thought, “Should I try it too...?” and gave it a shot.
Hanbyeol's chosen method was Physical Enhancement, a basic Warrior skill that involves lightly circulating mana throughout the entire body.
It was a bit embarrassing... but she remembered the feeling from the game and put power into her body.
“This works...?”
She succeeded in no time, as if she had regained a lost sense, so easily that even she was surprised.
Pure White Particles shimmered around her body like snow.
“Wow, this is really amazing.”
Hanbyeol, though bewildered, accepted the change that had occurred in her. She wasn't the only one.
Dozens of days after the first case, authentication posts were appearing all over the Community.
+ [Hey, you lowly Commoners]
(Photo)
No need for long words, send this to the trending posts
+
+ [There are no Weaklings who haven't Awakened yet, right?]
(Photo) *Kyah* lol This is it +
+ [Kim Jia, the bully who always called me a shut-in for playing games, stands at attention]
(Photo)
Now who's the winner?
+
All of them were showing off with photos. The uploaded photos were all different, but they clearly had one thing in common.
Pure White Particles were shimmering around some part of their bodies. From the Users' perspective, even that effect was familiar.
Users who suspected something immediately began a Personal Information Investigation of the Awakened People, and soon confirmed a commonality.
+ [At least all the ones who've Awakened so far seem to be those who got the Hero Title?]
(Photo) Me too The effect seems a bit different from normal mana I didn't know it had this kind of effect. Whoa +
No, seriously lol If it had that effect, I would've risked my life to get it lol I'm so jealous...
[You never know. You can still Awaken even without the Hero Title][N What do you know, lol? You are an Unawakened Person, lol!]
It was truly an Age of Chaos. People who gained abilities boasted on the internet, and Common People who saw it looked on with envy.
The Domestic Government was also continuously taking various measures, such as realizing that Gaians could also cross over and engaging in direct diplomacy, or calling upon the Awakened People.
Various issues were also arising, but one thing was certain. People were gradually acquiring means to resist.
*
Several days had already passed since I heard the news that Haneul was alive. Even though some time had passed, the memory of that day still left a strong impression on me.
...It really makes you realize how long you've lived.
I never thought I'd end up in the position of a heroine worrying about the protagonist. Well, this was a new experience, so it wasn't too bad.
Even though I was anxious for two days, didn't she survive safely in the end? Since she could use the abilities she used here in Reality, there probably wouldn't be any more dangerous incidents.
But that's that. What happened that day was enough to bring about a small change in me.
I had that helpless feeling of being unable to do anything when a close acquaintance was in danger. Moreover, I had no choice but to wait anxiously until I could confirm the outcome.
I didn't want to experience such an unpleasant feeling more than once.
“I'm too frustrated; I'll go look by myself.”
So, I decided to investigate the rifts myself. Anyway, the Otherworlders are too busy to come. It would be better to go out and do something myself than to stay at home lazily. And while I'm at it, I can also investigate whether any new Demons are appearing.
“This much preparation should be enough.”
With that, I prepared for a trip and then looked around the Cave.
In front of the Cave, there was a sign I had written myself.
[Temporarily Away.]
It had been so long since I'd written anything that my handwriting was a bit shaky, but it shouldn't be a big problem to read. Even if other Otherworlders came, they would recognize it quickly.
Honestly, I don't know when I'll be back. The rifts appear and disappear randomly, so it seems like it will take a long time to find one. Since I'd be wandering around aimlessly, it would probably take quite a while.
Thanks to that, I had quite a lot of supplies this time: from my spear, which I now use like an extension of my limbs, to a Spatial Pouch filled with weapons, food, clothes, gold coins, and so on. This much would be enough to survive for a month even while sleeping on the street.
This time, I even had a companion to alleviate my boredom.
“I don't think I've ever traveled like this, even when I was a kid···.”
It was Livia. She ended up coming along unexpectedly.
The reason for her accompaniment was simple. The guys in The Depths needed to know that I was going on a trip. If I, who regularly brought them food, disappeared, it was obvious that the Freeloaders in The Depths would be flustered.
So, I took a large number of snacks and explained the situation to the snacks.
“For that reason, you'll have to live independently for a while.”
After all, both Neria and Livia are strong enough to Hunt alone in The Depths. As long as they are careful of a few strange things like Cannibal Plants, they can achieve Self-sufficiency on their own.
Naturally, they were disappointed... but it couldn't be helped.
I needed to go on a trip too.
But then, Livia shouted.
“I want to go too!”
In her childish tantrum, there was even a hint of solemn determination. I was a bit flustered, but I readily allowed her to accompany me.
Traveling alone would be a bit boring.
Anyway, I don't know the way well myself, so having a Conversation Partner wouldn't hurt.
And so, we found ourselves in this situation.
“So, where are we going first?”
As I was spacing out for a moment, Neria asked, and I thought for a moment and replied.
“Hmm··· I guess we should go to the Monster Habitat, right?”
“Monster Habitat···?”
“Yes. The Gates we're looking for usually open in places with many Monsters.”
This was all information the Empire's Investigation Team had personally gathered by traveling around. Thanks to them, I was spared the trouble of having to find out where the “Gate hotspots” were.
“Well··· it seems like there will be a lot of fighting. Is that okay? It might be quite rough.”
“I don't think it matters. Unless a Wyvern Pack appears, it probably won't be very dangerous.”
“That's true.”
So we left the Cave. However you look at it, it was my first trip without Otherworlders.
Fortunately, the journey was quite smooth. Even if the roads were a bit confusing, people kindly gave directions when asked. Monsters appeared somewhat frequently, but there were no weaklings here who would fall to mere monsters.
“I always think this, but you're really strong, Lord Yor···.” “Of course. I'll handle most of the Monsters, so you focus on Resource Protection.” “No, I'll help fight too! You don't need to overexert yourself alone!” “It's not that. Your Magic is just too dazzling. It's hard to fight when my vision is obscured.” “Ah.”
However, the rifts we were looking for were not easily seen. More precisely, it was difficult to time them correctly.
Rifts appear out of nowhere and disappear just as suddenly. The duration of the rifts also varies. So, when we arrived, the timing was off most of the time.
“Tsk··· there are fewer Orcs than I thought. Did a rift already open?” “Are we late this time? You said a rift opened after we passed by last time.”
Still, it didn't matter much. At least the frequency of finding traces of opened rifts had increased, hadn't it? If we keep pursuing them like this, we'll eventually find one, and at the right time.
Time passed like that. It wasn't a very long time. At most, it was about two weeks.
I usually plan to go back to the Cave once a month to rest, not because I miss home... but because I run the risk of going Berserk.
No matter what, I couldn't afford to go berserk while sleeping on the street.
Livia is also here.
Then one day
Even though we were wandering aimlessly, we didn't completely avoid nearby villages.
We periodically needed to resupply, and it was definitely more comfortable to sleep at an inn.
And when we went to a Village, we would occasionally meet Otherworlders. Even though the Otherworld is noisy right now, there are still some Otherworlders accessing the game.
“What are we going to do···.”
“Yeah··· *phew*, at least it's not in our Region, so that's a relief.”
The Otherworlders were sitting in a corner of the Inn, talking. It seemed to be a serious problem, as all their faces were slightly hardened.
Curious, I approached them.
“Huh, Lord Yor? Why are you here?”
“Whoa, what? Hello!”
And I asked them why they all looked so grim.
“Ah··· actually, something not easy came out of a Gate.”
The reason that followed was quite shocking.
“A Demon appeared··· in our Reality.”
A Demon had appeared after a long time. However, this time, the stage had changed.