Chapter 23

Leon (4)

Tia, Hasman, and Hallon had finished work.

All of them had expressions like exhausted office workers.

“What are you doing here instead of going home?”

“I can’t sleep because of stress. We’re healing our minds by talking to each other.”

It seemed like Tia had been under a lot of stress lately. Since she played the role of interacting with players the most, it was natural. Thanks to that, the scenario writing had sped up, but the stress still hadn’t gone away.

It was the same for Hallon and Hasman.

“All I can do is… pray. This too must be a trial of light.”

“The heroes… they look at my face and get suspicious. I haven’t even done anything suspicious yet… why…?”

They each had their own difficulties.

A gloomy aura was building around Hallon, and Hasman sighed as he looked into a mirror.

Would those three gathering really heal their minds?

It didn’t seem like it.

Jinwoo couldn’t say anything other than, “For Arsilan’s sake!”

“How do you use that?”

As Tia showed interest in the game pad, Jinwoo chuckled and handed it to her.

“The directional pad adjusts movement, and pressing the buttons performs assigned actions. And…”

The way she awkwardly held the game pad was the very picture of a newbie!

Jinwoo explained how to use it in detail to Tia.

Hallon and Hasman also came closer and listened to the explanation.

Jinwoo couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. He never imagined he’d end up explaining how to use a game pad to his companions in Arsilan.

Tia moved the Corrupted Goblin with the game pad. After watching the hologram screen and trying to move it around, she quickly got the hang of it.

“You’re good at it.”

“Hehe! This much is basic. But what are you trying to do with this?”

“To stimulate story progression.”

“Aha!”

Tia understood immediately.

When the players subjugated the Corrupted Goblin, it would be revealed that the army of Erosion had invaded, and the main story Episode 1 would officially begin.

And in line with that, the second round of Soul Link sales would start.

“Leave it to me. I’ll try to stir things up so a lot of subjugation parties gather!”

“Ahem, I’m alone every day, so I have a lot of time.”

“Strategy and tactics are my specialty.”

Tia was full of enthusiasm, and Hallon and Hasman also showed interest.

It wasn’t a bad idea.

It seemed like it would be more lively than having them move mechanically from the Magic Tower.

Jinwoo made more game pads on the spot and handed one to each of them.

Tia, Hallon, Hasman, and before he realized it, Tiris also sat side by side holding game pads.

It was a nice sight, so he took a picture.

“Ah! It can jump backward too!”

Tia enjoyed controlling the Goblin.

“Haha, I’m not alone anymore.”

“That guy’s so ugly! Yeah! There are freaks like that out there! Compared to him, I’m pretty decent.”

Hallon and Hasman chuckled softly as they fiddled with the game pads.

‘Well, they’ll quit once they get bored.’

There was no way moving a Goblin around could be fun.

It was enough if it could relieve their stress even a little. Jinwoo felt sorry that this was all he could do as their lord.

‘I should set this photo as my smartphone wallpaper.’

Looking at the picture, Jinwoo smiled slightly, then checked the Magic Tower, stopped by the company, and returned home.

Things were progressing smoothly, and it would take a while for players to join the subjugation parties, so a day of rest wouldn’t hurt.

Jinwoo took a break and returned to Evanth.

“Hmm?”

The atmosphere in Evanth had changed.

“Join the Goblin subjugation!”

“Looking for a tank to kill those assholes!”

“Are we just going to let this happen? The Adventurer’s Guild has a Goblin subjugation quest posted! Let’s go together!”

“Ah! I saw Haebyul-nim’s stream too! Let’s kill those fuckers!”

“Waaaaaah! My herbs!! My meat!! Waaaaaaah! I gathered those for 10 hours!”

The players had gathered in Evanth Square and were expressing their rage.

Their numbers continued to grow. Players began to gather faster than expected.

What in the world is going on?

Jinwoo tilted his head and headed for the Secret Base.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

The room in the Secret Base was sweltering. Heat was rising.

The four, including Tiris, were still seated there just like before. It looked as if they hadn’t taken a single break until now.

Jinwoo looked at the screen floating above the game pad.

“Haah! Tiris! Support!”

“Yes.”

The Goblin controlled by Tia grabbed a two-handed axe and charged straight at the players.

Tiris’s Goblin held a staff and fired fireballs to assist Tia.

[Aaargh! The Goblin is using magic?!]

As the player staggered from the magic, Tia’s Goblin split their body with the two-handed axe.

Fwoosh!

The player’s body turned to ash and vanished.

Since Heroes were visitors through the Soul Gate, dying wasn’t a problem for them. In fact, they grew stronger through death.

All the NPCs understood it that way.

This too was meant from a place of warm intention to help the Hero grow…

But it wasn’t exactly like that.

“Got him! Nice!”

Clap!

Tia raised her hand toward Tiris.

Tiris nodded and gave her a high five.

Tia’s Goblin had new information displayed.

[Lv.10] Hero Slayer with the Red Ribbon

Race: Goblin Corrupted by Erosion

[Combat Record]

24 minutes ago, defeated IfYouFlipBearItBecomesDoor!

12 minutes ago, defeated HeheThief!

1 minute ago, defeated SockThief.

TL Note: In Korean, “door” is “문” (mun) and “bear” is “곰” (gom). Flipping it upside down interchanges the meaning and that is the username.

Tia’s Goblin wore a pretty ribbon on its head.

Originally white, it had been dyed red with the players’ blood.

Hero Slayer.

The Magic Tower had even bestowed such a title.

How many… did they kill?

“Oh, as expected of Tia-nim.”

“Indeed! A naturally gifted commander. Haha!”

Hallon and Hasman’s Goblins also joined in.

“Tia-nim, it’s time to do that, right?”

“Ah! That’s right! I almost forgot something important!”

As Hallon said that, Tia immediately controlled her Goblin and moved it close to the player who had turned to ash.

Bounce! Bounce!

Tia’s Goblin repeatedly sat down and stood up.

Jinwoo was momentarily speechless.

The players nearby were watching.

[Ugh, urgh!]

[T-teabagging?]

[Aaaah! Those crazy Goblin bastards!]

They were literally losing it.

Thanks to automatic adjustment from the Magic Tower, even the Goblin controlled by Tia had a mocking expression.

“Kyaahaha! Heroes! What can you do, huh? Absolutely nothing, right?”

Tia smiled brightly, as if venting her stress through the players’ reactions.

Her smile was so radiant it felt like the surroundings lit up.

Even the Demon King probably didn’t laugh like that while killing Heroes.

Bounce, bounce! Bounce!

Tiris, Hallon, and Hasman’s Goblins turned their bodies and began to mimic Tia’s Goblin.

“Hasman! Smoke screen!”

As the enraged players rushed in, Tia gave the command.

Hasman closed his eyes and drew up his magic power.

Through the line connected to the game pad, Dark Magic was activated, and black smoke billowed out around them.

“Retreat!”

Everyone followed Tia’s command and swiftly escaped the area.

The Goblin controlled by Hallon was holding quest items that the players had been hunting or gathering.

Their roles were divided flawlessly.

“Kyaa! This farming is so sweet~”

“This is awesome.”

Tia and Taris expressed their joy like that.

Did they learn those expressions from the players?

Jinwoo thought he’d need to add more filters.

“Tia-nim, I see a carriage over there. It looks very sturdy.”

“What if we steal the carriage, drag it around to taunt them, then hide it in perfect condition? When the Heroes discover it and open the cargo hold with joy, and find all the goods gone…? That would be a great trial of light.”

When Hasman spotted the carriage the players were pulling, Hallon made the suggestion.

Hallon had once been a clergyman, even serving as the Pope.

Perhaps that was why he understood the abyss even more deeply.

“Wow! Let’s do it right now!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Tia immediately agreed.

All the loot they acquired was sent to Rainsword.

The amount was substantial, making Rainsword even more abundant!

“Uh…”

At Jinwoo’s voice, everyone turned to look at him.

Their eyes were sparkling unusually bright. There wasn’t a hint of worry or concern, just pure, clear eyes.

“…Take it easy. It’s time to get to work now.”

“Just one more round.”

Tia responded like that to Jinwoo’s words.

At such a textbook answer, Jinwoo simply closed the door and stepped outside.

‘I might have created… something incredible…’

And he had unleashed that incredible thing upon Arsilan.

At any rate, the results were better than expected.

Rainsword had grown more prosperous, stress had been relieved, and most importantly, the subjugation force was being organized much faster than anticipated.

Back at the mansion, Jinwoo had a meal with his family for the first time in a while.

Everyone had gathered except for Jinwoo’s father.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Everyone ate quickly in silence.

Clack!

Jinwoo’s grandfather, older brother, and older sister all set down their spoons at the same time.

“Hm.”

“Mmm.”

“Sigh.”

Scrape!

They all stood up at once and entered their rooms without a word.

‘What was that?’

Left alone, Jinwoo tilted his head and quietly continued eating.

…

It felt a little lonely.

The next day, the subjugation force began gathering at Evanth.

FS Gaming’s Salvation Headquarters was extremely busy.

Han Yong-seon and the rest of the team were all assembled in the meeting room.

“How many have gathered?”

“About 800 people have joined the subjugation force! The level restriction is set to 7.”

“What about class balance?”

“Almost no healers. I guess it’s because the church is located on the outskirts and doesn’t get much foot traffic…”

“Hmm… It’ll be dangerous without healers. But if we follow the script…”

Players had gathered at Evanth for the Corrupted Goblin subjugation.

From the perspective of the Salvation Headquarters, today was the day to clash with the evil Erosion Headquarters.

Even if they failed, they could try again, but that wasn’t the point.

The Salvation Headquarters supported the Heroes, and the Erosion Headquarters managed the monsters, so it had become a matter of pride.

‘The Erosion Headquarters is…’

Tia, Tiris, Hasman, Hallon.

He had just used them as an excuse, but now they had truly become a part of the organization.

Anyway, having 800 participants despite the level cap was a big deal.

It meant almost every player above level 7 had joined.

Since this was the first event, they were constantly monitoring things.

This subjugation drew more attention than expected.

It even appeared on national news, and a Hollywood master director left a post on social media.

[Marco Scolanti]

The Goblin subjugation battle is the only enjoyable war that can be experienced directly on Earth.

The inspiration that blooms there will usher in a new era of art.

I give my praise to Lee Jinwoo for creating such a beautiful world.

So please, give me Soul Link.

#SoulLink #GiveMeSoulLink #CurrentlyInKorea

Jinwoo decided to broadcast footage of the subjugation through the newly launched Arsilan Saga app, Arsilan Worlds.

The cameras would be managed by the Magic Developers.

“It almost feels like we have a dedicated Arsilan broadcasting station now. Haha.”

“That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

“Huh?”

Han Yong-seon’s idea was quite good.

Though it was still a distant concept, if the number of players increased, it might be nice to broadcast news-like content through Arsilan Worlds.

Jinwoo stood up from his seat.

“I’ll head to the lab now.”

“Yes! Understood.”

With that, Jinwoo left and headed for the Research Lab.

When he was at the lab, no one disturbed him, so he could stay in Arsilan as much as he wanted.

‘Then…’

Jinwoo arrived at the church in Evanth.

The interior of the church was ordinary.

There was a statue of the Goddess Ella, and puppet NPCs controlled by the Magic Tower were acting as clerics, managing the church.

And in the innermost room sat Airi, wearing a veil and a black cloth covering her eyes.

When Jinwoo entered the room, Airi turned her head and looked at him.

“Jinwoo-nim!”

Airi stared at Jinwoo blankly, then burst into tears.

“Waaaah. I was so scared!”

“What’s there to be scared of in a church?”

“T-that someone like me is in a church that serves Ella-nim! My soul is going to be ripped to shreds and vanish!”

Airi was desperate, but Jinwoo just let it slide.

“She’ll understand. Besides, she’s not here now. Probably already vanished, don’t you think?”

“T-that’s blasphemy!”

Jinwoo shrugged his shoulders.

“You, a demon, really don’t have the right to say that.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Your role this time is important. You know that, right?”

“Y-yes, but how could I possibly stand before the Heroes like th-that…?”

Anyone could tell just by looking that Airi was a Saintess.

Once she appeared, the players would naturally start making their own assumptions.

“You just have to do what you’re good at.”

“Huh?”

“There’s already a shortage of healers among the Heroes, so go charm them like crazy and turn them all into clerics.”

“D-do you really think I can be of help?”

“Of course. I believe in you. You’re a succubus who can handle this.”

Jinwoo patted Airi’s shoulder in encouragement.

“I-I’m a succubus who can handle this…”

“You’re a succubus who can do anything well.”

“I… I…”

“You’re the best.”

Jinwoo raised Airi’s self-esteem with praise.

Airi trembled slightly and gave a small nod.

In Rainsword, demons weren’t discriminated against.

The great Archmage standing before her had accepted demons who had fled from the Demon Realm without prejudice.

He had given them a place to live and even brought them hope.

‘What I can do…’

It was time to repay the kindness.

Airi’s aura began to change.

Click!

The long-dormant succubus switch in Airi had flipped on.

“I’ll do it.”

“Good!”

“I’ll seduce everyone.”

“Mm! That’s the spirit!”

“Haa, I’ll make them all my slaves. I’ll corrupt them into loyal hunting dogs who follow only me. I’ll turn them into pets who crawl beneath my feet, drooling…”

“Yeah! That’s the… wait, huh?”

A pink aura began to rise from Airi’s body.

The hearts in her eyes became more vivid.

The pink aura was so strong it even seeped through the cloth covering her eyes.

‘Uh, um…’

Jinwoo took a step back.

She would probably calm down in time.

“A-anyway, stay on standby.”

“Yes. Fufufufu… the succubus who can do anything well will be waiting here for her master’s call.”

It looked a little—no, very—ominous, but at least she seemed motivated, which was a relief.

Jinwoo quietly slipped out of the place and headed for Evanth’s central square, where the subjugation force had gathered.

‘The preparations are perfect.’

I’ll make it so they can’t think of anything but Arsilan.

Jinwoo smiled deeply as he looked out over the players.