The Stone Cracks
The moment the stone slab split in two, Ragna’s statue shattered completely.
[No… This cannot be. This cannot be happening!]
The boss controlling the statue—Valtor’s master—let out a furious roar. He simply could not accept that he had lost to humans once again.
[Kwaaaaaah!]
With that final scream, the ancient ruler who had once dominated this land dissolved into smoke and vanished.
And with that, Zone 2’s boss was officially cleared.
“Emily!”
Ignoring the clear notification, I sprinted toward Emily.
A massive hole had been punched through her body. She lay motionless on the ground, the only sign of life the faint, flickering breaths that escaped her—like a candle on the verge of burning out.
In the real world, that wound would have been fatal.
But here…
“Ugh… uhh…”
A low groan slipped from her lips as light enveloped her entire body. Her twisted limbs straightened, and fresh flesh rapidly filled the gaping hole in her torso.
In Arcadia Online, leveling up didn’t only grant stat points. There was another reward that rarely came into play, but existed nonetheless.
Full recovery. A complete restoration of the body—another hidden benefit of leveling up.
“Cough! Cough!”
Emily, who had gained a level from the boss clear, spat out dark, clotted blood. The system didn’t clean away the stains or gore, but at least she had survived the battle.
Only then did I let out a sigh of relief.
When Emily finally opened her eyes again, she gave me a frail smile.
“Looks like we made it… Thank goodness.”
“Still, don’t ever pull a stunt like that again. What if you actually died?”
“You’re right. I don’t think I could do that twice.”
Naira and Mugi, who had rushed over a moment later, burst into tears the instant they saw Emily was alive.
“U-unni! You’re not dead, right? You’re really alive, aren’t you?”
“If you ever do something like that again, I swear I won’t forgive you! I’ll die right along with you!”
“There, there. I won’t do anything dangerous anymore.”
Emily gently patted the backs of the two girls as they sobbed uncontrollably.
It was a good thing she had managed to finish off the boss before collapsing. If she had been even a second slower, she would have left the two of them with unbearable guilt.
After that, many more people came to visit her.
Of course, not all the news was good.
“How many died this time?”
“…Six.”
“I can’t decide whether to call that a good outcome or a heavy loss.”
“Death is death. There’s no such thing as a ‘good’ death. Still, if it hadn’t been for you, many more would have perished. For that, you have my gratitude.”
Emily’s heroic act in those final moments had moved everyone deeply—and filled them with sorrow at the same time.
Perhaps that was why.
“Do you think… we can really clear this?”
At someone’s quiet murmur, no one could find the words to respond.
They had only fought two boss battles so far, yet each one had demanded they stake their very lives. The silence stretched on. Despair, shame, relief, rage—everyone stared at the shattered statue, confronting the turbulent waves of emotion rising inside them.
Then—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Just like in Zone 1, the sound of applause drew every eye in the same direction.
“Arka…”
A girl with blue hair. The guide NPC of this death game.
Standing before the players’ hostility, Arka wore a perfectly calm smile.
“It’s been a while, unnis and oppas. Did you miss me a lot?”
Her noticeably more expressive demeanor left the players feeling uneasy.
Still, they could only watch as Arka continued her exaggerated, theatrical performance.
“Haa… That was truly incredible. Watching all of you fight so desperately almost brought tears to my eyes.”
Arka began walking toward the players.
She stopped beside Emily and reached out a hand toward the exhausted girl.
“Especially this unni’s sacrifice this time—it was really moving. I’ve decided to name her the MVP of this battle.”
Of course, Emily never took the offered hand. If she had the strength, she would have gladly wrapped her fingers around Arka’s throat. But with no energy left to even lift a finger, all she could do was glare.
Even so, the smile never left Arka’s face.
Instead, she turned her gaze to me.
“So, unni, did you like the gift I prepared for you?”
I didn’t need her to explain what she meant by “gift.”
I let out a sigh and looked at her with clear displeasure.
“So it really was you?”
“It wasn’t hard at all. I was a little sad you didn’t seem to want it, though. Okay, I’ll hold back next time.”
“How generous of you.”
Setting aside how mortifying the outfit was, I had never asked for any kind of special treatment.
For now we were still in the low-level zones and my contributions had been significant, so it was overlooked. But special treatment always came back to bite you eventually.
I wanted to remain just another player like everyone else.
“Anyway, why are you here this time?”
“Aww, don’t glare at me like that. This is my job, you know. Plus, I have presents for all the unnis and oppas.”
“Presents?”
Arka looked around at everyone once more. Satisfied with their reactions, she smiled brightly and announced,
“I felt bad watching you all struggle to eat properly, so as a joint reward for this raid, I’m opening inter-zone teleportation starting from Zone 3! Everyone, give me a round of applause!”
The only clapping that followed was, naturally, Arka’s own. Everyone else simply stared at her in stunned silence.
Teleportation. It was one of the things the people who had been traveling back and forth between Lundel and Startia had desperately wished for.
Even Emily, who had always shown open hostility toward Arka, looked genuinely shocked.
And that wasn’t all.
Arka reached into the air and grasped at something invisible.
“And this is a special gift for today’s MVP unni.”
Emily stared at the object Arka handed her and muttered,
“A… flag?”
“This is something you can only get in Zone 5, but I brought it just for you. Aren’t I nice?”
She received no answer, but Arka didn’t seem to expect one. She kept smiling until the very end.
“Well then, my business here is finished! See you next time, unnis and oppas.”
Arka waved at the players and began backing away.
“Oh, right. I almost forgot to say this.”
Just before she vanished as abruptly as she had appeared, Arka grabbed the hem of her skirt with both hands and gave a small, polite curtsy.
“Welcome to Zone 3, dear players.”
And in that instant—
“W-wait, what?”
“Th-the ground… something’s wrong!”
“Hold on, why is water coming out here?!”
“Everyone, get out of the way!”
A massive surge of water burst from the ground and swallowed everyone whole.
“Cough! Cough! Blegh! Ugh… What the hell was that?”
I had barely managed to escape the torrent. Realizing once again just how precious solid ground was, I kept coughing violently.
I wasn’t the only one. Every player who had been swept away by the current was busy trying to expel the water from their lungs, their minds still hazy.
“More importantly… where are we?”
The night sky sparkled with stars. The powerful stream of water flowing right beside us reminded me of a real-world mountain valley, and the surrounding scenery felt strangely familiar.
Wait… a valley?
Only then did I realize where we were.
Lundel’s only water source—the very valley that had been drying up.
“N-no way…”
One by one, the players regained their senses and stared at the sight before them, unable to look away.
Until today, this place had been so dry it wouldn’t have been strange if it never recovered.
Yet now water was gushing out like a broken dam. The realization that they themselves had created this scenery left them completely speechless.
At that moment, a group of people appeared behind the players.
Chief Halvar, Great Warrior Hakon, and the rest of Lundel’s residents. They came running, breathing hard, practically sprinting toward us.
“Ah… aah…!”
The moment they saw the water pouring down with the force of a flood, they fell to their knees without a word and began to weep.
The players’ eyes grew red as well. A warm feeling spread through their chests, and a gentle wave of hope washed over them.
“Thank you… Thank you so much.”
Watching the villagers bow repeatedly, the players smiled softly.
The scene was truly…
[Lundel’s Crisis]
In the distant past, the corrupted master sealed away by the Great Warrior lurked in the shadows for countless years, gnawing at the ley lines and usurping the position of a god. But thanks to your efforts, the corrupted master has been completely eradicated from this world. The disgraced heroes and the people of this land offer you their deepest gratitude.
Reward Acquired.
It was the most heartwarming reward of all.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the day we cleared the boss, we returned to Startia for the first time in a while. We held a celebration for our success and a memorial for those who had fallen. The next day was completely wasted thanks to a brutal hangover.
I still couldn’t understand why they had even programmed hangovers into the game. The people who made this thing must be serious psychopaths.
Still, the banquet itself wasn’t bad.
Maybe it was because we had fought desperately together as comrades, but unlike the annoying affairs back in Zone 1, this one was actually enjoyable. We drank just as much as before, though.
I suppose I had grown used to life here. These days, hunting dangerous beasts every single day came to mind before even thinking about going to school or playing games.
Maybe that was why. Even though I could have rested a little longer, my feet naturally carried me outside.
When I returned to Lundel, many things had changed.
The gloomy atmosphere remained, but the village now felt alive. Every person carried hope for tomorrow in their hearts.
The sight filled me with both envy and pride.
To think that I—no, that we—had created this scene. Even after two full days, it still didn’t feel real.
While I wandered through Lundel with those thoughts, my steps naturally led me to that place.
“Oh? Savior. You’ve returned?”
The warrior’s house where Hakon stayed. He had been my constant companion during the two weeks I spent in Lundel.
I smiled at the welcome face I hadn’t seen in two days.
“How long are you going to keep calling me that?”
“You are the one who saved Lundel. How could I possibly dare address you by name?”
“Seriously. You’re so stubborn.”
I had returned the embarrassing Savior outfit a long time ago. The moment the quest was completed, I changed back into my original clothes.
But the people of Lundel still called me Savior. And that title might not change until I cleared the entire game. After all, I really had brought about a massive transformation for Lundel.
Haa… Damn Arka. One day I’m definitely going to punch her.
I was clenching my fist at the thought when Hakon spoke again.
“Are you leaving now?”
“I have to. I’ve been here quite a while.”
“I see.”
His tone was as calm as ever, but after spending two weeks with him, I could sense the regret hidden in his voice.
I smiled at him.
“Don’t look so sad. We’ll meet again someday.”
“Yes. When that time comes, I will once again become your spear. It has been an honor to fight alongside you.”
Hakon extended his hand. It was a rough, calloused hand filled with a warrior’s sincerity.
And I…
“Um… Savior?”
“We can’t part like this.”
…did not take it.
Why?
“Hakon, do you know? I can’t stand losing.”
A long time ago, there was a line like that in a game. If you’re going to play, you have to win.
And before I was a savior, I was a gamer. A person who absolutely hated losing to anyone.
“So—”
Instead of taking his hand, I pointed my sword at him.
“Hey. Let’s go again.”