The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 108: Always Anew (4)

The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 108: Always Anew (4)

Translator: Dreamscribe
A gigantic centipede that seemed to embody disaster itself.
Aren called it the incarnation of greed. True to that name, it boasted an overwhelming grotesqueness.
The mouth that had been spewing out baby centipedes opened even wider, tearing half its face apart to reveal sharp teeth. Hundreds of teeth stretched out like thorns.
KIEEEEEEK!
The massive mother centipede approached, gliding through the sky to rip and swallow the Hero’s fleet.
A Hero on the rearmost ship lowered his weapon with a dazed expression and looked up at the sky. Even though the sun was still in the sky, it felt like night had fallen. That was because the enormous mother centipede was blocking the sky.
“F-Fuck!”
A curse slipped out from the Hero’s mouth.
The magic engine was running at full capacity to move forward, but the mother centipede was so fast that it felt as if they were standing still.
The head of the mother centipede pressed down toward the ship, and with its massive mouth, it swallowed the ship in one bite.
CRUNCH!
A ship of considerable size was shredded by the centipede’s teeth and vanished instantly. The Heroes watching from another ship swallowed hard.
To be ripped apart inside that utterly revolting centipede’s mouth, it gave them chills all over their bodies!
They weren’t afraid of death itself, but the process terrified them.
That was not a romantic death by any means.
“C-Crazy!”
“Faster! Speed up!”
“Uaaagh! It’s too fast!”
All ships accelerated to the limit, overheating their magic engines in a desperate attempt to escape the mother centipede. However, it wasn’t only the mother centipede that was approaching.
Sssssrrrrk!
The sand below turned black. It looked as if ink had seeped into the sand and was spreading. At the scratching sounds, the Heroes looked beneath the ship.
The underside appeared black, as if floating on a dark lake. The moment the baby centipedes clung to the ship, the color slowly turned red. That was because the eyes of the baby centipedes, raised to feed, were glowing red.
Baby centipedes, far larger than a human body, gnawed at the surface of the ship and began invading the interior.
BOOM!
As the baby centipedes suddenly burst through the deck, the Heroes hurriedly drew their weapons and engaged in battle. Each baby centipede was so powerful it rivaled a level 60 boss monster.
“There’s too many!”
“Ugh! The ship’s output...!”
The baby centipedes chewed through the magic engine, causing the ship to stop. It was then buried under the baby centipedes and disappeared into the sand. In an instant, several ships were devoured.
[We can’t hold out!]
[Uwaaagh!]
[We’re being eaten!]
Such voices came through the radio to Haebyul’s ship. Then Aren raised his staff and emitted light. That light enveloped all the ships, forming a protective shield.
CRUNCH!
However, the mother centipede easily bit through the shield and spewed baby centipedes inside. The sight of countless baby centipedes pouring out with thick black fluid was straight out of a horror movie.
[Eat well and grow strong, my little ones.]
The dreadful voice of the mother centipede whispered into every Hero’s ear.
-No, this is just...
-Arsilan Saga really is dark fantasy.
-I would’ve passed out if I were there.
-This isn’t romance...
-Completely impossible
Haebyul shuddered and looked at HandGenius. HandGenius was cramming fuel into the magic engine, doing everything he could to increase output.
Smoke poured from the magic engine and several screws shot out.
“Ugh!”
As Aren groaned and emitted more light, the speed of all the ships began to increase. Exhausted from expending so much power, Aren staggered and collapsed to the floor.
“Aren!”
“I-I’m fine.”
With Haebyul’s support, Aren stood up. Aren pointed forward with a finger.
"There's the Temple of Summoning ahead! If we reach the Summoning Temple, they won’t be able to follow!”
Haebyul and the Heroes looked where Aren was pointing. There was only desert sand, nothing else in sight.
RUMMMMBLE!
As Aren waved his hand, the desert sand began to quake, and a giant temple revealed itself. The temple resembled the Grand Temple in Solis. Warm light from Ella poured out, serving as a lighthouse guiding the ships.
“That’s the Summoning Temple....”
Haebyul stared at the temple, momentarily dazed.
A temple rising above the desert.
It felt like a scene out of mythology. Romance was alive and breathing. But looking back, there was nothing romantic, only disaster.
“We're going to be caught!”
HandGenius’s urgent voice rang out.
Not just Haebyul’s ship, but all the surrounding ships were desperately cutting through the sand. Aren emitted so much light that his figure became blurry, but the mother centipede and its children were following with ease.
Even firing cannons at the mother centipede had no effect. There wasn’t even a scratch on its surface. To the Heroes, the mother centipede felt invincible.
It seemed as though all the ships would be devoured at any moment.
[This is GoldSilverTable, captain of the GoldenSilver, broadcasting to all Heroes!]
The captain of the largest passenger ship among them sent out a transmission to all the ships.
The owner of the GoldenSilver was a rather famous Hero. Around the time the Great War began, he started as a new recruit in a northern village, amassed great wealth through trade, and recently constructed that ultra-luxurious passenger ship.
[The GoldenSilver will now head straight for that giant centipede! All 2,200 Heroes aboard have agreed to this!]
GoldSilverTable’s solemn voice was transmitted to every ship. Haebyul picked up the radio.
“But then the passenger ship will...!”
[We can earn money again, but this moment won’t come back once it’s gone!]
The ultra-luxurious passenger ship turned its bow.
Its magic engine went into overdrive as it charged toward the mother centipede. All the Heroes aboard drew up every last bit of their magic and entrusted themselves to a self-destruct spell.
[Uwaaah! Summoning Quest! Please, complete it!]
Leaving those words as his last, GoldSilverTable cut off communication. Just as the mother centipede opened its massive jaws to bite down on the passenger ship.
BOOOOM!
The passenger ship exploded within the centipede’s mouth, emitting a blinding light.
KREEEEEEK!
The entire pale-white face of the mother centipede was engulfed in flames. It violently shook its head in pain, then buried its head in the sand. As it paused, the Heroes nodded.
Everyone realized what they had to do.
[We’re under-leveled anyway, so we’ll try to hold it back.]
[Send all the ships with the Summoning Stones to the front!]
[My ship... It's a shame, but it can’t be helped. Arsilan Saga only gives us one shot at this moment!]
HOOOOONK!
With the sound of horns, all ships except those carrying Summoning Stones turned their bows. Haebyul choked up at the sight.
“We’ll finish it no matter what!”
-That’s what being a Hero means!
-That got me choked up for real.
-I’ll remember this!
BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions continued to echo. The advancing baby centipedes were caught in the blasts and began to slow down. The mother centipede, now with its face scorched and grotesquely deformed, raised its head and screamed like a demon, lunging toward the ships.
As ship after ship collided with the centipede and exploded, its speed decreased slightly. Aren pushed out even more power, increasing the speed of the nearby ships.
Only a few Hero ships remained now.
From the countless ships, only about five remained.
“U-Uaaaagh!”
“Just a little more!”
The Summoning Temple was just ahead.
The mother centipede furiously cut through the sand and charged. Its face split completely in two, and its massive mouth opened even wider.
“Haaa!”
Aren slammed his staff into the bow of the ship.
A crack formed on the lantern attached to the staff, and it shattered. The last bit of light that poured out boosted the speed of the ships.
Just before the mother centipede’s mouth could touch.
BOOOOM!
Without slowing down, the ships shot forward and collided directly with the Summoning Temple.
“Uwak!”
“Aagh!”
All five ships crashed into the temple, either tipping over or breaking in half. The Heroes flew in all directions, tumbling down under the ships.
KIEEEEEEE!
The mother centipede and its children lunged toward the Summoning Temple, baring their teeth, but they couldn’t come any closer, as if blocked by some force.
“We... we made it!”
Haebyul shouted as he witnessed the scene.
“Haha! You can’t come here?”
“Damn, you're fucking ugly!”
The Heroes mocked the mother centipede that couldn’t approach the Summoning Temple. As its already twisted face grew even more grotesque, the Heroes flinched and fell silent.
Haebyul ran over to Aren, who was collapsed on the ground.
“Aren!”
Aren’s body was faint. Having lost the staff, his body seemed to be weakening.
“Into the temple...”
As Aren spoke with difficulty, Haebyul lifted him and entered the temple. All the surviving Heroes followed her inside.
The inside of the temple was beautiful.
At its center stood a large statue of the Goddess Ella, and many summoned beasts knelt around it as if praising her.
“Huh?”
“The summoning method is written here!”
“Whoa... it takes a ton of materials.”
In front of each summoning beast’s statue was a description of how to summon it.
[C] Behemoth’s Lion ‘Gagil’
One of the beasts that make up Behemoth.
To summon Behemoth’s Lion ‘Gagil’, you need a lower-grade Summoning Stone and sacrificial materials worth more than 100,000 Arsilan Gold.
* Type: Lower-grade Summoned Beast
* Summon Time: 6 minutes
The Arsilan Gold market had recently stabilized.
A worker on a ship earned about 100 AG a day, and 20 AG could buy a decent meal in Marogo. So 100,000 AG was a huge sum.
“Hmm, up to the lower-grade summoned beasts, we can manage....”
“From mid-grade on, the sacrifice requirements are insane.”
“Just how strong are they supposed to be?”
Starting from mid-grade, the prices skyrocketed.
It was an amount that only a guild or domain could afford. And obtaining a mid-grade Summoning Stone in the first place was difficult. To craft one, you needed at least ten Fragments of Light.
BOOOOOOM!
The Summoning Temple shook violently.
“Guys! That centipede’s going nuts!”
The baby centipedes were burrowing under the sand, trying to approach the temple, and the mother centipede kept slamming its head against it, attempting to break the protective barrier surrounding the Summoning Temple.
Should they try to escape?
[The Aura of Greed is enveloping the Summoning Temple. You cannot move to the Hero’s Flower.]
That message window appeared.
The Heroes were trapped inside the Summoning Temple!
Haebyul stomped her feet in frustration.
“What do we do now?”
-We’re stuck.
-We’re gonna be centipede food.
-Come on, something show up!
Aren staggered toward the statue of Ella. Kneeling in front of it, he brought his hands together in prayer.
“Huh?”
“This is...”
“Oh....”
The Summoning Stones held by Haebyul and the named Heroes began to emit light and floated into the air.
[The Summoning Temple is being activated! You can now summon a summoned beast through the summoning circle. However, for the first summoning, you must prove your worthiness.]
The Summoning Stones scattered light and moved toward Aren.
[Goddess Ella consumes her divine power to descend the ultimate summoned beast. You, who have reached this place, have already proven your worth. For this moment, no sacrifice is needed.]
A message window appeared in front of every Hero inside the Summoning Temple. The golden message windows shimmered, merged into one, and became a summoning circle.
The summoning circle settled onto Aren, who was still kneeling.
[Top-tier Summoned Beast Aren reveals himself. Aren is Ella's avatar who holds infinite possibilities. He possesses the power to materialize everything you imagine.]
[S+] Ella's Avatar Aren
Goddess Ella created Aren to lead the summoned beasts. Forged with Ella’s brilliant divine power, Aren can transform into the strongest form imagined by the summoner. To summon Aren, a top-tier Summoning Stone, an enormous offerings, and noble qualifications are required.
Aren was engulfed in radiant light and floated into the air. The statue of Ella moved and embraced Aren with both hands.
[Hero! Envision the strongest summoned beast and summon Aren.]
The strongest summoned beast!
Haebyul and the Heroes shivered with excitement.
“A form that can crush that centipede....”
“Hmm! Hurry and imagine it!”
“Uuuuugh!”
“It probably has to be as big as that centipede.”
The Heroes closed their eyes and imagined. Haebyul and the Romance Heroes did the same.
A summoned beast powerful enough to destroy a giant monster.
What could it be?
The more the Heroes imagined, the brighter Aren’s light became.
“That’s it!”
“That’s the one!”
“Hmm, will it really manifest?”
The Heroes’ imaginations, curiously enough, unified into one. Like drawing in a giant sketchbook unfolding in their minds, their thoughts formed a single shape.
Fwoooosh!
As the summoning circle activated, Aren, who had been in the hands of the statue of the goddess, transformed into light and shot out of the Summoning Temple. Haebyul and all the Heroes ran after Aren out of the temple.
KIEEEEEEE!
The mother centipede was shrieking and rampaging. Its appearance was still horrifying, but the Heroes could smile now.
Because the strongest summoned beast would soon appear!
Aren’s light shot up into the sky, brightly illuminating the surroundings.
[The Aren you imagined as the strongest summoned beast is being summoned.]
Flaaaash!
The summoning circle grew larger and larger, eventually covering the entire sky.
RUMMMMMBLE!
As if the earth's crust were being torn apart, massive stones pierced through the sand and soared toward the summoning circle floating in the sky. As all the surrounding sand churned, the bodies of the mother and baby centipedes collapsed and were driven into the ground.
The enormous stones gathered into one and began to be chiseled down.
A massive torso was formed.
The giant stones floating around came together to form arms and legs.
CHHHH! BOOOOM!
The arms and legs fused with the torso in a cloud of smoke, as if assembling. A golden head slowly descended from the summoning circle. As the head settled onto the torso, hands extended from both arms.
CRACKLE!
As the fist clenched, sparks burst out, sweeping the surroundings. The crest of the Kingdom of Sillion appeared on its head, and its eyes glowed green.
The massive body was carved into a sleek form, revealing its radiant figure. Golden particles flowed from its shoulders, forming a cape that fluttered in the wind.
“Hell yeah!”
“This is it!”
“Freaking awesome!”
-Wow...
-What the hell did they imagine!
-This is what romance means!
A colossal war machine imbued with Ella’s divine power.
Its overwhelming majesty made the mother centipede look trivial. The form imagined by the Heroes had manifested and descended upon this land.
The colossal war machine stretched out a hand and beckoned with a finger. The mother centipede roared in fury and charged at it.
CHOMP!
The war machine extended a hand and grabbed the mother centipede’s head. The centipede thrashed, trying to escape, but it was no use.
ZIIIIING!
Its other hand turned golden and began to emit an explosive light. Haebyul and the Heroes clenched their fists tightly.
This is it!
“Goddess Punch!”
“It’s the Goddess Punch!”
BOOOOOM!
As if responding to the Heroes’ shout, the war machine slammed its fist into the mother centipede’s face. The mother centipede flew back and crashed into the sand.
When it rose again, it staggered, its strength fading. The Goddess Punch had been powerful. Half its head was smashed in, and all its teeth were broken.
[H-How dare you! Graaaaaaaah! I’ll swallow you all!]
The baby centipedes clung to the mother centipede’s body. Absorbing them, the mother centipede swelled in size. It howled like it was announcing the end of the world.
The war machine looked at the mother centipede, then reached out its hand. The sand swirled, and a massive Holy Sword glowing golden slowly emerged. The war machine grabbed the sword and raised it high, causing brilliant flames to flare up.
“Go!”
“Cut it down!”
The Heroes’ cries made the Holy Sword blaze even brighter. Gripping the sword with both hands, the war machine faced the mother centipede as it charged forward with a furious scream.
Just as the mother centipede tried to devour the war machine.
SWOOSH!
The war machine’s figure blurred and disappeared, reappearing behind the centipede.
STILL!
The mother centipede’s body froze in midair as if suspended. A long golden line stretched from its head to the tip of its tail.
SLASH!
As the war machine shook the flames from the Holy Sword.
CRAAAAACK!
The mother centipede split cleanly in two and exploded.
“Hell yeah!”
“Woooooo!”
-A perfect finish!
-This is dark fantasy, right?
-If Ella saw that, even she’d be shocked ㅋㅋㅋ
-Seriously, that was epic.
-To think you guys imagined something like this... you’re incredible...
-Freaking lunatics ㅋㅋㅋ
The Heroes cheered as they looked at the war machine.
The war machine raised the Holy Sword and saluted the Heroes.
In the Game Room, the spectators jumped to their feet with clenched fists, and the students passing by Soul Shop stared blankly at the scene. The Heroes’ endless imagination made Arsilan even richer and more vibrant.
“Huh?”
The Hero next to Haebyul looked at the Temple of Summoning. Ella's statue was clenching its fist tightly, and on its beautiful face was a refreshing smile that had never been seen before.

.
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Chapter 108: Always Anew (4)