Chapter 6 – EPISODE 6 – PLEIADES (6)
Jude was bogged down by the sight before his eyes.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
A huge being.
Despite its kneeling and crouching posture, the hideous bat head touched the ceiling.
The wings that rose behind its back covered the entire floor, making its presence clear.
The Red Moon’s Leisegang.
Demon Prince that covets blood.
I couldn’t even compare it to when I saw it in the game.
The appearance itself was the same, but the pressure was different.
The limbs had been bound.
A chain that seemed to be thicker than Jude’s waist covered the entire body of Leisegang.
Nevertheless, I felt afraid.
Just by facing it, Jude felt like his own existence was trampled and crushed.
“Get a hold of yourself!”
Just then, Cordelia shook Jude’s shoulders.
Unlike Jude, who can’t handle mana itself because he had Gueumjulmaek, she was a true wizard, even though she was only a one-star. She put the necklace she prepared in a hurry on Jude’s neck.
“Are you okay? Is your mind okay?”
It was a magic tool that slightly raised one’s magic resistance.
I brought it just in case, but I think it was a good thing that I did. Jude’s eyes began to refocus.
“Cordelia?”
“Yes, it’s me! Get a hold of yourself! Huh?”
Jude blinked. Took a breath. He was so nervous that he could feel the enormous presence behind his back.
“Leisegang of the Red Moon…”
It was real.
The mighty Demon Prince was before us.
“You can do it.’
Jude thought. The seal of the sun G.o.d was still working. Bellastin’s magic circle was also playing its part.
The given time is about 3 minutes.
More than that, the Bellastin’s magic circle could not hold out.
“There it is. Over there, by the waist.”
Cordelia said in a tense voice.
Leisegang’s waist.
To be exact, the Sun’s Necklace hung on the handle of the sword, which was worn at the waist.
“Huu…”
Jude, who once again sighed, swallowed again.
Leisegang’s eyes were still closed.
It fell asleep on its own to endure the time it was trapped by the seal, but as the seal itself was being maintained, it did not seem to know that it had temporarily come out.
‘It’s a chance.’
Take only the Sun’s Necklace and immediately release Bellastin’s magic circle again. Then get out of its sight.
‘You can do it. You can do it.’
It was the moment when Jude took a step forward.
“Hey.”
“Heuk-?!”
When Cordelia suddenly reached out and grabbed his shoulder, a startled Jude let out a bizarre sound, and the surprised Cordelia also jumped back and screamed.
“You scared me!”
“I was really surprised!”
Why all of a sudden?
When Jude looked at her, Cordelia swung a baton that was slightly shorter than her forearm. Then the baton expanded by five times in a second.
“Here.”
It was not magic, but an a.s.sembled baton that could be pushed inward in the first place. Jude was puzzled for a moment, but soon understood Cordelia’s intentions.
“You want me to take this?”
“It’s better than sticking to it yourself, right?”
It’s definitely better.
Jude gave a sincere look of grat.i.tude, and Cordelia gave a merry, pleasant snort.
In any case, time was ticking along in the midst of all this.
With a baton, Jude crept to the side of Leisegang.
“Here it goes.”
I stretched out the baton and somehow reached the distance. Jude used the baton to poke between the strings of the necklace and lifted it carefully.
“Good, good. Almost done.”
Speaking very quietly, Cordelia nodded and swallowed slowly.
And immediately after.
The moment I finally took the necklace out of the handle!
Jude was frozen once again. The same was true of Cordelia this time.
And the two almost instinctively raised their heads and looked up to the heights.
The Red Moon’s Leisegang.
It was opening its eyes.
It glared at Jude and Cordelia and let out a red glow like when it first appeared in the seal.
One second like that.
No, it felt like an eternity.
“Take it!”
“Bounce back!”
Cordelia and Jude shouted almost simultaneously. Jude quickly pulled the baton and backed away greatly. He grabbed the Sun’s Necklace that came down along the baton.
[NO!]
Said Leisegang.
It opened its mouth, and the roar shook not only the seal but also the entire cave.
Jude stumbled and fell.
Leisegang gave strength to its arm to hold onto such Jude.
Kaduk!
But there was a chain.
The seal of the sun G.o.d still held tight on Leisegang.
“Hurry up!”
Cordelia yelled. Jude stood up staggeringly, and Leisegang spoke again.
And at that moment.
Jude once again witnessed an incredible sight.
A small light burst.
In the open mouth of Leisegang.
To be exact, an arrow of light flew towards the mouth of Leisegang and exploded.
The most basic attack magic that 1-star wizards can cast from the beginning.
It was Cordelia.
No, it was Yellow Storm.
The moment Leisegang tried to attack Jude, her instinct as a fighter to the bone was triggered.
“Hey! Crazy…?!”
As he was about to shout loudly, Jude blinked in surprise. And so was Cordelia.
“Level…up?”
Cordelia was enveloped in a ring of white light.
The level-up effect that I’ve seen countless times in Legend of Heroes 2 was clearly seen.
“Ah.”
Cordelia spoke out.
Then she shouted again. This time, together with Jude.
“Ah!”
We understood it.
It was an embarra.s.sing situation, but the two who were rotten water immediately understood the current situation.
In Legend of Heroes 2, levels existed.
However, for NPCs of Legend of Heroes 2, the status window does not exist, so they had to somewhere like a level temple to measure their level.
The important thing was that levels itself existed in this world, and it was also possible to become strong through leveling up.
Then why did Cordelia level up at this moment?
‘Combat experience.’
It wasn’t necessary to kill the enemy to gain experience. The act of attacking the enemy itself could gain experience points.
Of course, the latter was far too insignificant compared to the former.
But with Cordelia and Leisegang.
If you’ve just started as a 1-star wizard and fought against a mighty demon that you can only be dealt with in the second half of the game.
A vast gap in levels.
If it was the original game, a person would never even attempt an attack.
That’s why the combat experience was amplified!
[Vermin garbage!]
Leisegang roared again. But it was still stuck in chains and unable to move.
Cordelia and Jude looked at each other and understood the moment they exchanged glances. The fact that their gamer brains started to turn.
“!”
Cordelia fired a magic missile with a cheerful cry.
Instead of fear, it was a face of joy.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of magic missiles exploded. It was simply a ticklish little magic for Leisegang, but somehow, the attack was an attack.
“Oh yeah!”
After three shots, a white ring appeared again around Cordelia’s body.
It was the second level up.
“I, I will level up too!”
Outboxer009’s gamer brain crushed his fear. It was unforgiveable as Outboxer009 to miss out on these easy level up points.
“Here we go!”
At one stroke, Jude, who narrowed the distance to Leisegang, swung the baton like a sword.
“Ugh!”
I swung hard, but it was as if I had knocked on steel. Rather, the backlash was likely to damage Jude’s wrist.
‘But as long as you’re leveling up!’
Even if it’s painful-
“Huh?”
But nothing happened. No white rings were formed.
“Well… Ah!”
Like rotten water, Jude soon figured out the cause of the problem.
That’s why Cordelia burst out laughing.
““Too weak!””
He was.
Jude was too weak.
He was so weak that Jude’s attack was not even recognized as an attack on Leisegang.
It wasn’t even itchy, literally!
[Which vermin dares to…]
Boom! Boom!
Leisegang’s voice was overlapped by the sound of magic missile’s explosion.
Cordelia laughed and created another stretch of magic missile. It was proven that the seal of the sun G.o.d was firm, and there was no reason to hesitate.
“Oh yeah! Level up!”
Cordelia once again leveled up.
The impatient Jude thought over and over again.
I couldn’t be left behind like this here. Somehow, he had to make an effective hit to gain combat experience.
But how do you do that?
But what…
“Bingo!”
Habitually shouting, Jude threw the baton and clenched his fist after letting the decorative part of the Sun’s Necklace rise on his fingers.
“May the great sun G.o.d Solari’s blessing be with us,
O Sun that illuminates the morning,
O Light that drives the night away,
Arise,
Let fire light at my fingertips!”
As I recited the prayer of the sun G.o.d Solari, the necklace of the sun G.o.d began to shine in a golden color.
Of course, the effect was negligible because he was not a believer of Solari, but it was also a prayer that was recited by Jude, who had no mana.
But even so, it was the power of Solari, the sun G.o.d who destroys monsters and burns injustice!
“Haaa!”
The sound of Jude running, dododo, echoed as he struck Leisegang’s shin with his fist.
Like Cordelia’s Magic Missile, it was a tickling attack for Leisegang, but it was still an attack.
“Level up!”
A white ring appeared in Jude’s body.
And Jude could feel it.
It was a little, but he became stronger.
His overall physical ability rose.
[These vermin!]
Leisegang roared again, but Jude and Cordelia did not stop. The rotten waters’ desire to level up overweighed their fear at this moment.
“We don’t have time!”
“One more shot!”
Bellastin’s magic circle has a three-minute time limit.
Cordelia made magic missiles while drinking mana potions, and Jude sweated and shook his fist like a boxer hitting a sandbag.
[Keuaa! These bugs! I’ve remembered your faces! I’ve imprinted your souls in my brain! On the day I am released! I’ll let you suffer pain worse than death – these vermin! Hear me! Listen!]
Jude and Cordelia did not listen to it. The time left now was only 10 seconds.
I had to hit one more before the easy points pa.s.sed.
And 10 seconds later.
A fifth ring arouse simultaneously around the waist of Jude and Cordelia.
It was Cordelia who first started to attack, but it happened because the experience effectiveness of Jude, who was a raw level 1, was better in the first place because he had Gueumjulmaek.
Once 10 seconds pa.s.sed, Bellastin’s magic circle took effect.
As the s.p.a.ce began to close again, Leisegang vented his anger as he glared at Jude and Cordelia.
[Vermin! I’ll see you again! Watch my words!]
“Yeah, see you again at Act 7.”
“It was nice meeting you, and I’ll see you again next time.”
When Jude and Cordelia laughed and waved their hands, Leisegang, who was close to having Hwabyeong, grunted and closed its eyes. If its hands and feet were free, it would’ve caught them by the scruff of their necks.
T/N: Hwabyeong (화병) is a Korean somatization disorder, a mental illness which arises when people are unable to confront their anger as a result of conditions which they perceive to be unfair. It is known as a Korean culture-specific syndrome.
Source: Hwabyeong
And light shone again.
The golden color symbolizing the sun G.o.d Solari filled the seal, and the Red Moon’s Leisegang disappeared again to the far side of s.p.a.ce.
“Haa.”
“Whoo.”
When Leisegang’s huge presence disappeared, Jude and Cordelia undoubtedly sighed. And then they burst into laughter
“Ha, really. I always knew it, but you’re a crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
“Well, you’re not sane either.”
Even if it was sealed, we ignored the warnings of the great demon and attacked it.
Jude and Cordelia looked at each other again and cheerfully laughed.
This quest had been a great success.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“It will take some time, but I will get better.”
Unlike the Sunfire Carp, the Sun’s Necklace couldn’t cure the Gueumjulmaek at once. I had to melt away the excessive Yin energy blocking the meridians with the Yang energy of the Sun’s Necklace little by little.
But that was enough. It was clear that things would get better day by day.
“Please get better.”
“Yes, yes. When I get better, I’ll give you a hug, I’ll hit you, and I’ll cross your wall.”
“What is this crazy guy saying?”
Cordelia, who laughed small, stretched her shoulders once and suddenly pushed her fist straight forward.
It was one of the moves the characters take when they clear the quest in Legend of Heroes 2.
Therefore, instead of sitting down, Jude walked towards Cordelia. Then he b.u.mped fists with Cordelia.
“Fine play.”
“Fine play.”
It was a little childish, but they did it like in the game.
Jude and Cordelia faced each other and smiled.
Not only did they get the Sun’s Necklace as planned, but they also raised their levels by 5, so it was a great success.
“Let’s go now.”
“We’ll be in a lot of trouble, right?”
“I’m sure we’ll get scolded.”
Even if they were engaged, an unmarried young man and woman said that they want to have time alone, so they went on a midnight – no, daytime flight.
“Ugh…”
Cordelia stretched her shoulder as if she was worried, and Jude held down her shoulder in one arm.
“What, what are you doing?”
“Please carry me.”
Because I’m exhausted.
At that outrageous moment, Cordelia asked dazedly.
“Didn’t you level up?”
“Why do you think I’m asking for a piggyback?”
“Yes.”
Cordelia laughed as she gave Jude a piggyback ride, and the two stepped in good harmony side by side.
And at that night.
Jude and Cordelia, who had returned home, were grounded for 10 days.