Chapter 100: In the Name of the Goddess 1
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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It's dark.
Is this what an out-of-body experience feels like? Or like a lucid dream?
The whole world is dark, and I feel as if I'm floating aimlessly in water.
There's no sensation of a floor beneath my feet, making it seem as if the ceiling and floor have merged into one.
In the darkness, I spot a familiar silhouette.
It's Han Se-ah's back.
It looks like she's staring at something.
"Wow, is that the Goddess? They've designed her beautifully... It's incredible in many ways, especially when it comes to the chest."
Her mumbling, perhaps to her stream, clearly reaches my ears.
It stands out in this strange space where nothing else can be heard.
My head is foggy, but her voice gradually clears my mind and sharpens my vision.
In the dim space, she is floating, looking at something pale and indistinct.
Judging by her mutterings, that faint figure appears to be the Goddess.
Around her, like totem poles or pillars of a temple, our companions silently float.
Perhaps an event scene only for the player is taking place, as they all curl up like embryos with their eyes closed.
Grace with her gray hair fluttering, Irene with her hands clasped together as if in prayer, Kaiden with her head resting on her hand as if sleeping at a desk
And the figure of Roland, his arms crossed over his chest in the shape of an X, like a pharaoh.
'...What is this?'
I'm here, but Roland is there.
Only then do I realize that I'm in a different space.
If Han Se-ah is inside a small glass bead, then I'm like someone outside, looking in.
...Why?
Is it because I'm an NPC who remembers my past life, able to eavesdrop on Han Se-ah's conversations with her viewers?
Floating in the darkness like drifting deep at sea, I feel a growing sense of suffocation and urgency.
But that's only for a moment.
The dim form of the Goddess brightens, and a strange warmth fills my chest.
Perhaps the event scene is ending, as beams of light pour down over Han Se-ah's head and single rays penetrate the chests of our companions.
"It feels like a side quest, but it's more like a confirmation of our party members? Perhaps the ones marked with this divine energy won't leave the party. I got here quickly because of Roland, but I think regular players will probably only get here after completing all the character quests. It seems like if you manage to keep the party together to the 20th floor, then you keep them permanently after that."
Han Se-ah nonchalantly talks to herself as she receives the baptism of light.
Of course, I can't see her stream channel or chat window, only her back.
Since struggling won't allow me to return to my physical form, I dejectedly look on from the outside.
Hearing an explanation about the tower from the goddess in the blessed forest, and strengthening the bonds with your existing companions it's like the beginnings of a legend.
Han Se-ah has probably received some hints about the tower and the Goddess.
This side quest is also probably meant to strengthen relationships with companions to help the player from losing party members.
But how long do I have to be here?
"Anyway, I'd like to go now since it looks like that's all I'm going to get. The Goddess's processing speed is not what Koreans like."
Right after Han Se-ah's irreverent remark, something pale unfurls like a curtain or a tent, enveloping everything.
In the Tower, one must the in order to .
Simultaneously, a soft voice rings in my ears.
That pale thing passed by Han Se-ah and came right in front of my nose.
It seems to want to tell me something from within that strange space.
But like speaking through a glass window, it becomes distorted and mangled.
I couldn't understand it properly.
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Raei Translations
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How long has it been since I felt this tired?
My eyelids feel as heavy as if they weighed a ton, but gradually vitality begins to return to my body.
It feels as if I've eaten a meal after being ravenously hungry, or consumed coffee or something sweet after taxing my brain; my body is slowly waking up, and I can feel it in fine detail.
"Ugh, what just happened?"
"Hmm, it feels like I had a dream...."
It's not just me, as one by one, I hear the groans of my companions around me.
Grace stretches her arms, Irene massages her shoulders and gets up, and Kaiden, with her hand on the hilt of her sword, looks around warily.
Of course, there's nothing suspicious to be found in our surroundings.
The Blessed Forest is still tranquil, the sunlight shining down on us like spotlights.
No one seems to have noticed, but the moment Han Se-ah's quest bar reached 100%, something flashed and thrust us into a strange space.
Still, perhaps because we seem to have received a generous dose of divine energy from the Goddess, our physical condition is perfect.
"Could it be a blessing from the Goddess? I feel like divine energy is overflowing from my body."
"I feel a bit sluggish, but at the same time, my senses seem sharper."
My companions, who have no memories of the dark space, comment as they loosen their bodies.
I, too, loosen my shoulders and quickly check Han Se-ah's stream.
All the features I received as rewards for the quests were disabled during the out-of-body experience.
Luckily, Han Se-ah's stream starts right away.
In her chat, viewers are in an uproar.
In her Ancient Greek style tunic, the motherly silhouette of the Goddess had been on full display, and the chat was filled with nothing but burning heart emojis.
Hey, a hint about the game's story has just been revealed for the first time, so why don't you talk about that, you bastards?
The Goddess descended and dropped a hint about the tower, but why wasn't there a single comment about that?
"Anyway, there are definitely no orcs... So looks like it's all over. Let's go back."
"Do we need to report this to the Knights Division?"
For now, we should tell them. Though there are no orcs, we fainted in this clearing after receiving a baptism of divine energy.
My party gets up and prepares to leave the forest.
Something strange happened, but naturally, we decided that there were no orcs here.
We fainted after receiving a divine blessing and woke up completely safe.
So, it's a natural conclusion.
Having completed her side quest and talked to the Goddess, Han Se-ah also quietly joins us, picking up her staff and heading out of the forest.
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Raei Translations
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Walking through the forest, as peaceful as the day before, my mind is more complicated than ever.
Of course, I had been suspicious when the quest window appeared and directly instructed me to assist Han Se-ah, but who could be calm after experiencing a forced out-of-body experience like just now?
"Roland, what are you thinking about so deeply?"
"Hm? Well, its hard to say... I feel like I heard the voice of the Goddess or something."
I struggled to make sense of the situation with my less-than-brilliant mind, but I could only guess that the pale figure might be the one who trapped me in this world.
While I was lost in thought, Grace beside me spoke, so I gave her a casual response...
"That's it, right?!"
"What is?"
"The Goddess! When I fell asleep, almost like fainting, I dreamt of being warmly embraced and comforted by someone as they spoke to me. Everyone was silent, so I just thought I was dreaming."
Grace's animated agreement, almost jumping in place, was also joined by Irene and Kaiden's assent.
I had only given a vague response while wondering if this in-game Goddess was real, but now it's led to this.
Accidentally behaving like the other NPCs by a fluke is not bad at all.
Even Han Se-ah, who was vigorously discussing the quest, seemed unaware of my unique experience.
"It seems like the others felt like they were dreaming when we were in that space earlier. Players chosen by the goddess and her comrades. BB Games sure knows how to give the full-on fantasy experience, right?"
-The Goddess's bag of divine power is even heftier than the Saint's, huhu~
-[Chat deleted by the mod]
-These guys never change; the story's just been revealed for the first time, and all they do is compare it to Irene.
-When the Goddess's chest was in the thumbnail, the traffic went up by ten thousand, damn lol.
"Argh, damn it! You guys just got the world's first reveal of the Tower's background, and all you talk about is bags of divine power... And what's this about a runway for male g*nitals? You, just take a ban for now. Let's think a little harder about the newly revealed story, everyone."
After Grace, Irene spoke up, and then Kaiden.
They all spoke with enthusiastic voices, confessing their faith-like experience of hearing the Goddess's voice and feeling a mission bestowed upon them.
Of course, while everyone was passionately joining in on this beautiful scene, Han Se-ah was busy fending off malicious viewers spamming the chat with inappropriate comments.
Although it looked like a ghostly apparition to me, it seems that the appearance of the goddess was clearly revealed in Han Se-ah's stream.
A typical Western beauty, possibly modeled after a blonde bombshell, wearing a Greek tunic, revealing her arms, armpits, and chest bone
These vulgar people, ignoring the story completely, were spamming about armpits, chest bones, and necks, so much so that even without seeing it directly, I could visualize the goddess's appearance from their words alone.
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