Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 192
>Chapter Title: Angela's Wish
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>“What the hell is this? The final lantern rite?”
“It says to behold the beauty of the lanterns? Wasn’t this just some tip text?”
“If it’s the final one, does that mean no more lantern festivals from now on?”
“No way, first it’s chaos with the emperor and the Hero Guild, and now this out of nowhere? Does anyone know what’s actually going on right now?”
“No idea……. Something with the monsters…… the monsters are rising.”
Everyone was baffled by the message floating in front of them.
It was only natural.
For players who knew nothing about the king or Angela, this whole situation must have seemed utterly confusing.
They could only stare in dazed wonder as the lantern rite unfolded.
Float—
Flash—
“Wow……. But it’s really pretty.”
“…Gotta admit it. The lantern festival was beautiful and all, but this? This is on another level.”
“It’s like the lake is cradling the sunset.”
“Suddenly hits me that we’re really in a fantasy world.”
The sight unfolding before everyone’s eyes was breathtaking enough to draw gasps of awe.
The kind of beauty that made you sigh in admiration the moment you saw it.
Gazing at this otherworldly vista, straight out of a fairy tale, warmed the heart and cleansed the soul in a dreamy haze.
“Wow, what is this? The vibe is amazing.”
“It’s so pretty……. Honey, let’s stay and watch a bit longer.”
“Mom, Dad. Should we stick around and check it out too?”
“Sure.”
Young couples and families alike were enchanted, claiming their spots and losing themselves in the spectacle.
“Sob, sniff…….”
“Why weep on this joyous day! We should be rejoicing!”
“This isn’t the time for that! I don’t know the reason, but we can’t just let what might be our last rite pass like this! Let’s show them our skills!”
“How can you all be lounging around on such a blessed occasion!? What happened to all that art we’ve learned!”
“Let us sing in infinite gratitude to Gilberun, who has bestowed this blessing!”
The NPCs, who had been drowning in tears for inexplicable reasons and making a fuss, suddenly rose to their feet one by one.
In their hands, each clutched something.
Ding—
Swish— Dong—
From string instruments like violins and cellos to drums and wind instruments.
“Huh? Look over there.”
“They’re performing.”
One resident opened a window and began playing an instrument.
Another sat or stood in an alley, singing.
Some played instruments, others sang.
They each took their roles, filling the city with melody, as natural and joyful as if it were routine.
And then the residents dancing to that beautiful tune, others painting the scene.
The players’ brief bewilderment at the sudden change didn’t last.
Whumm—
“What, what is this?”
“A magic circle……? All of this is a magic circle?”
“Crazy……. How far is it spreading?”
The magic circle, blessing them as if in response, spread beyond the streets to the markets, then enveloped the entire city.
That marked the true start of the festival.
“How long has it been since our last real festival! Everyone, bring out the booze!”
“Leyla, care for a dance?”
“May Lady Angela’s grace be upon you all!”
The residents, who had worn grim faces every lantern festival, now sprang up laughing as if it had never happened.
And that was just the beginning.
Swish—
Pop! Boom boom!
Men, women, young and old alike paraded the streets, setting off fireworks in a display reminiscent of a Disney procession.
Their genuine joy in the festival felt almost awkward to witness.
“…Was the lantern festival always like this?”
“I don’t get what’s going on, but…… it’s way too fun.”
“Hey, you there! Why don’t you join us! The gods must have forgiven us! We can’t charge money on a day like this!”
“…Is that okay?”
“Of course! Everyone enjoy yourselves! This is on me, Henry!”
The players’ confusion was short-lived.
Soon, swept up in the vibrant beauty and melody, they mingled with the NPCs, unleashing the grandest festival since Gods of the Game launched.
“Insane……. Quick, take pics.”
“Crazy. Anyone who missed this is straight-up tragic.”
“Even just the video’s got me hyped.”
“Articles incoming fast! Gotta snag that exclusive!”
Naturally, journalists and streamers weren’t about to miss out.
-What’s this? What’s going on?
-Wow……. What? This is the lantern festival?
-I thought the lantern festival was just some fantasy fireworks thing? This scale is insane!
-Real festival vibes……. Wait, this might be the last one?
-Jump in now! No time to waste!
-Clip grabbed lololol sending to the streamers next door.
As broadcasts lit up everywhere, viewers flooded in, and the news spread like wildfire.
The sounds of everyone reveling in their own ways drowned the city, echoing even beyond the forest.
“Can you hear it?”
The Restricted Forest, now brimming with life once more.
Even to Gilberun, advancing through its heart in a waltz-like stance. The sounds reached him.
To others, it might look like a madman dancing alone in the woods, but in Gilberun’s closed-eye world, it was different.
Swish—
Angela nestled in his arms, dancing together, beneath a radiant magic circle.
—……Yes. They’re all rejoicing.
“Those cursed are awakening one by one. They can all return to their families now. This is all the result of your choice.”
—…….
“I’m truly proud of you.”
—No, it was our choice, Rune. I’m the one grateful to you.
Gilberun faced her.
In his world, something new appeared.
“…It’s strange, though. At some point, everything started feeling infused with mana. That massive tree, the brushing wind, even the falling leaves…… Is this the world you see?”
A world brimming with mana.
Some things shone brilliantly, others emitted faint, humble glimmers.
—Yes. You’re finally sensing the flow. I wanted us to walk this path of mana together…… but your mana was too vast; I couldn’t control it.
“…….”
Gilberun nodded silently at Angela’s smiling, playful tone.
He seemed somehow self-reproachful.
“…I’m so sorry to you.”
—Why? Same thing you said earlier?
“I think I finally get a little how hard it must have been for you.”
A world flowing with mana of varying intensities.
In it, Angela was tiny.
Infinitesimally so compared to anything else—like a flicker that could snuff out with a breath.
His own light, by contrast, was so immense it felt unfair to compare.
“I thought we were soulmates, destined. That you alone could guide my shortcomings. But now I understand.”
—Rune?
“How did you endure it? Guiding me.”
—……It just kinda became second nature after a while.
She smiled lightly, brushing it off, but Gilberun now knew.
She had the eyes of a guide, but not the vessel to contain him.
The gap was so vast that a single mistake would have caused fatal internal injuries.
Her stamina must have been constantly depleted, on the verge of collapse.
Guiding him had been a monumental challenge throughout.
What she endured wasn’t talent—it was sheer will.
‘I…… was loved far beyond what I deserved.’
If only he’d known sooner……
Would he have avoided breaking the taboo?
Would Ruid not have appeared, and could he have kept her by his side?
Could they have shared simple days waking to morning sun, spending nights together.
Everything felt regrettable, aching.
Swoosh.
But Gilberun said nothing.
As the lantern rite progressed, Angela’s form grew fainter, her voice more distant.
She could vanish any moment.
—……Do you remember? The day we first met.
With little time left, Angela didn’t want to spend it in apologies.
Just as if nothing had changed.
Recalling happy days, savoring a taste of the everyday they’d never reclaim.
Simply dancing and chatting as always.
“Of course I do. You found me resting by the cliff.”
—Hehe, you remember well.
“Naturally. The day I first fell for you.”
Gilberun gladly obliged her wish.
It was the only repayment he could offer for love beyond his worth.
—Oh, really?
“I’ve said it a million times. Gonna pretend you don’t know now?”
—Hehe, what can I do? I love hearing it every day. And…… I fell for you at first sight too.
“…What? First I’m hearing of it? Why hold back such good news? Wait, I distinctly remember pursuing you relentlessly…….”
—That’s just how women’s hearts work, Rune.
“Hah……. You got me good.”
Angela giggled at Gilberun’s defeated laugh.
Her pure joy drew a soft smile from him too.
They kept talking.
From what they ate for meals to funny faces Hyde made in mishaps—petty daily trivia.
Dream trips, foods they craved.
Like people who’d never part, they painted futures, laughing and chatting.
“By the way…… mind elaborating now? I’m dying to know more about that first-sight love confession.”
—Oh? That curious, huh?
“Ahem……. Can’t deny it.”
Angela smiled at Gilberun’s bashful face mid-step.
—The day we met, I was utterly exhausted.
“I know.”
Gilberun knew the tale.
As her family crumbled, her father drowned in drink daily, siblings weeping endlessly for her.
She could do nothing.
Just tend to them while awaiting the transparent future.
—I’m human too, you know? Eventually, I snapped: Let’s rebel a bit!
She laughed it off, but that day had been exceptionally brutal.
The failing house fully collapsed. She couldn’t face going home.
Couldn’t bear seeing her father’s state.
……In the end, he took his own life—so it was the right call, in hindsight.
—Anyway, I stormed out…… and got lost.
“…You got lost there? Pretty straightforward path for a hike.”
—First time there. It was dark night…… Anyway, panicking, no path in sight, on the verge of tears!
“Then you met me.”
Angela nodded.
Despairing at the cliff’s edge after chasing a light.
Gilberun’s sudden greeting was a ray of hope.
Especially through her guide’s eyes that day……
—You were dazzling.
Beautiful.
Radiant seemed coined just for him.
“…Weren’t you the one who said it wasn’t your type?”
—Oh? Didn’t mention your face?
“Ah……. Right.”
—Pffft, kidding, Rune. No joke—you truly shone.
“Ahem, shone how?”
—Your mana was so pure. The purest, most brilliant I’d ever seen…… I thought anyone with such mana must be wonderful.
Mana was innate.
But shaped by mindset, personality, life circumstances.
So Angela habitually checked mana first.
It hinted at one’s life and character.
—Seeing that mana dim ever so slightly broke my heart. If I could, I’d stay by your side to restore its brilliance.
“…And so it happened.”
—Yes. You, whom I thought beyond me, kept giving me courage.
“Heh……. Wasn’t wasted effort, then. So, how am I now? Still shining?”
No hesitation in her answer.
—Yes.
Faint now, barely audible over the wind without focus—but her emotion rang firm.
—Dazzling. More than that day. You lived true even without me.
“…Is that so.”
—Keep it that way. As if I’m always by your side.
“I will.”
Gilberun agreed readily, then exclaimed as if struck by a thought, chattering excitedly.
“Oh, right. Luriel mentioned the neighbor Henry caused some mess, headaches galore…… Angela, you there?”
—…….
“Angela?”
No reply.
Thud. Halting, Gilberun slowly spoke.
“…Gone?”
Silence.
Swoosh—
Not just that—the world had changed.
The mana-filled realm reverted to ordinary forest.
Only the massive magic circle underfoot and cool breeze remained.
“I see.”
Gilberun quietly looked up.
Beyond the forest: raucous cheers, fireworks.
Vibrant lanterns adorning the night sky.
Watching that festival scene, something trailed down his cheek.
“You left like this. Without us seeing it together…….”
Just a few more steps.
The city was right there. He’d craved the rite most, yet left without witnessing it alone.
“Called a sage king, but failed as a husband. Thank you for staying with this flawed man…….”
Wiping tears, Gilberun’s eyes had changed.
Float—
A purifying lantern drifted from the forest skyward.
“I’ll live out my days as you wished. So watch from there? Until I become a man and king you’d be proud of…….”
Eyes closing at the sight, Gilberun stood motionless.
For a long, long time.
* * *
Ding—
“Wow, it’s pretty……. Huh? Ding?”
Meanwhile, in Pratel.
Amid the true lantern festival blending residents and players.
[Sudden Quest ‘Angela’s Wish’ cleared.]
[Granting Angela’s wish deletes the first route of the hidden event, ‘Dream City Pratel’.]
[Second route, ‘Birth of the Radiant Sage King’, now proceeds.]
[Hidden event ‘Last Lantern Rite’ influenced by ‘Birth of the Radiant Sage King’.]
[Level up.]
[Achieved graduation level; Continental Trial granted.]
[4th Trial, ‘The Dream Fulfillers’, generated.]
…….
[Confirming Apostle achievements.]
[Measuring rank.]
Dohyun’s eyes widened at the barrage of sudden messages.
Realizing the situation, he turned toward the forest.
‘……It’s over.’
Gilberun and Angela’s purification rite had ended.
Meaning Angela was gone. She’d sacrificed herself as wished, saving the city’s people.
‘Sob, sniff…… waaaah……. So saaaad!’
‘Lizaliza……. Liza!’
‘Mmm……! A truly beautiful farewell, my lord.’
Moved by the touching resolution, Zidane burst into tears.
Eliza’s green eyes welled up as she hopped about, stern Charlie bowing in condolence.
‘……Makes me feel it too, for no reason.’
Dohyun’s chest tickled oddly when—
Thud.
“Ah, no! I wasn’t crying!”
“……? What’re you on about?”
Startled by the sudden shoulder touch, Dohyun yelped; Luriel frowned.
“Ahem. Nothing. Why’d you call?”
Realizing it was her, embarrassment hit; he cleared his throat.
Luckily, she didn’t press.
No—her face was gravely serious, unlike ever before.
“…Luriel?”
Sensing the oddity, Dohyun asked seriously; she stepped forward, hand on his chest.
Staring intently, hand pressed.
“L-Luriel? What’s with the……?”
“Thank you, Kaiser. No—successor of that one.”
Before stunned Dohyun could respond, a strange voice emerged from her.
Not a girl’s—not cynical adult woman’s.
But Dohyun wasn’t shocked by the voice.
‘……Successor of that one?’
One word from Luriel.
Focusing, Dohyun’s eyes widened in realization.
“You’ve splendidly passed that one’s test, restoring the shattered fragment of fate. You should be fine.”
Flash—!
Blinding light burst from Luriel.
A thread from her connected to Dohyun’s ‘Shattered Necklace of Truth’.
Familiar light and scene—Dohyun clenched his fist.
‘This…… no way!?’
His guess hit perfectly.
Ding—
[Fourth fragment of fate, ‘Shattered Necklace of Truth’, restored to whole.]
[Fourth fragment of fate, ‘Necklace of Truth’, reacts.]
[Dormant will of the Magic Dao King awakens.]
[The Magic Dao King of ancient humanity, ‘Lucir El Reihaad’s’ will manifests.]
‘Crazy……!’
The moment the fourth fragment’s will awakened.