Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 194



Only Noblemtl

194

From there we reach the city of the dead, the abode of the Apostle Luke.

Jinseong knows that it is structured in a somewhat complex form compared to the main scenario flow so far.

‘It can’t be helped. This is the first scenario in DnF history where the concept of choice appears.’

There is no part of the epic quests that are normally carried out in the game that the user can choose.

Literally, if you give up on a quest, you give up. In the end, as an adventurer, what Dungeon & Fighter users have been doing is handling the requests that NPCs make.

But here, in Zelva, things are different.

How to deal with the Apostle Luke.

For the first time ever, it gives users a choice about what attitude they will take.

‘There are three choices in total. As soon as you arrive at Zelva, you meet various NPCs and the chaotic situation seems to be to inform the user of the structure of each force and their stance for their choice.’

The first part involves arriving at Zelva, being welcomed by Neville Jurgen, having a brief conversation with Van Balstedt, and exchanging formal greetings with Isabella, the princess of the De Ross Empire.

They are the [Joint Investigation Team], one of the three groups of Zelba.

These are those who were born from the alliance between the Jiben Empire of the Celestial Realm and the Deros Empire of the Arad Continent, and who seek to investigate the Castle of the Dead.

The main characters are Neville Jurgen, who can be called the representative of the Celestial Realm, and Princess Isabella and Van, who can be called the representatives of the Empire.

‘Then-.’

-Hunter phone?! Suin? Mr. Jinseong, is this it? A little fox? The same human is talking, so this doesn’t matter, right? This is an existing NPC, right?

-That’s right. There’s also a GM named Hunter Phone. The nickname is a bit of a snobbery, but he’s still a good worker.

-GM? I only know GM Lorian. And ahem, okay anyway. Shall we proceed?

-Kuk, yes, please keep up the good work. I also got a gunship.

[Adventurer’s Guild], which includes Hunter Pon from the Demon World and Meryl Pioneer from the Seven Shards of Heaven.

The section where the Chili Shrimp is just arriving and talking also serves as an introduction to the second group in Zelva.

‘Come to think of it, this is my first time seeing Meryl Pioneer. I wonder if Caracas got my warnings right?’

Information that was once provided as a condition of a deal with Caracas.

Jinseong chuckled as he thought back to that time, as if it was absurd even to himself.

In addition to Hunter Pawn and Meryl Pioneer, Chili Shrimp will soon be heading to the Castle of the Dead by meeting the Adventurer’s Guild’s Vice-Lord Dana Donatel.

There, he meets Becky, a homunculus who is Luke’s subordinate… … .

-Ms. Vivi! Have you met Becky?

-Huh? Becky is already finished! Just like Jinsang said, I met Azalea too!

At the same time as meeting Becky, you will also meet the third group in Zelva, [Grim Seekers], and their leader, Azalea Rott.

-Okay, okay. Let’s continue like this. If you need to talk to any NPCs or go to any places, just tell me right away.

Jinseong smiled as he checked the report of the chili shrimp and Vivi’s progress.

There has been no shaking yet. There is nothing unusual.

Above all, isn’t the plan that Jinseong himself made also working out beautifully?

‘It was fortunate that I met Chili Shrimp first at Anton. At least one thing was certain.’

Jinseong was pondering the main scenario related to the castle of the dead that would be held in Zelva.

How should we respond in this flow where choices are provided?

One piece of information that helped Jinseong, who was worried, was something Chili Shrimp casually said.

‘I already know that each of the characters has their own main scenario. However, I wasn’t sure about ‘how much time difference is needed for them to be individually distinguished.’

After Vivi arrives at Zelva, how long should it take for the chili shrimp to arrive before the two main scenarios are mixed up?

Chili Shrimp, who had helped clear the main scenario quests of the adventurers possessed by ‘Anton Jjeul’, also had information about ‘the possessed people who came around the same time’, and based on that experience, he told me that there should be at least two quest progression differences.

From the moment he heard that story, Jinseong’s thoughts began to progress rapidly.

Which of the four possibilities should you choose?

1. Vivi and Chili Shrimp progress through the main scenario at the same time and choose the same route.

2. Progress through the main scenario at the same time, but choose different routes.

3. Proceed with the main scenario separately at different times and choose the same route.

4. Choose different routes but with different times.

What will the outcome be for each option?

Countless simulations took place in Jinseong’s head.

Naturally, the most important thing had to be its relationship to the occurrence of pollution.

‘Anton was important as in-game content. It was meaningful and important because it was the first raid in DnF. However, Luke is different. Luke is important not just because he is raid content, but also in terms of the story.’

Contains content that has a significant impact on the main scenario.

I don’t know where, what, and how things got messed up.

However, Jinseong himself cannot confirm everything.

‘There’s no way the main scenario can progress with just me, the sidekick. In the end, the adventurer has to go. Especially… …the route with the people of interest.’

So Jinseong made a decision.

Send the Bibimbap and Chili Shrimp at different times.

It also forces you to choose different options.

Of course, it’s not that I didn’t think about the opposite situation.

‘If we just narrowed the choices down to one, Vivi and Chili Shrimp, and went together, there might not even be any chance of contamination occurring elsewhere. Maybe that would be safer.’

It might have been easier to have the two adventurers take the same route, like they did with Apostle Anton.

Still, Jinseong had to consider this route.

One of the events that unfolds in the main scenario involving the Apostle Luke.

-I met Roy and Erica! And we even talked about the Black Nightmare, so I can just keep going with the Grim Seeker route?

-… … Yes. That’s right. If anything happens to Azalea Rott, please tell me right away.

-Huh? What could happen? After Luke ends, you won’t die anyway, right?

The death of Azalea Lott.

This was one of the reasons why Jinseong paid special attention to this.

* * *

This part can also be said to be the final destination of the main scenario related to the Apostle Luke.

Azalea Lott’s death cannot be prevented.

Such an act is an act of abandoning the .

Rather, that was not the reason why Jinseong had repeatedly asked Vivi.

-That’s right. So that you don’t die before that. You know what I mean?

When an event that has already been decided occurs before the set time.

This is the worst of the worst.

‘The death of Azalea Lott… … doesn’t just happen out of nowhere. It has to happen at a certain moment, at a certain point.’

Something that must be protected, even if it is for the ‘main scenario’ of the future, not the present.

Whether it was because she didn’t know the ultimate reason or because of her personality, Vivi answered in a cheerful voice.

-Ahahaha, yes yes! I’m going back to the castle of the dead! Fighting to you too, Chili!

-I’m going to the castle of the dead now. I’ll meet Becky or something and meet ‘my Azalea’ there. Vivi, you too, stop being so cheerful and come to your senses.

-Huh? I’m already doing well! Hehe, you have to be careful not to get hated by the people of the empire!

-Is that worrying or teasing? Oh my.

The chili shrimp let out a small sigh.

However, the work she had to do was something that Jinseong could never ignore.

Vivi is going to take the [Grim Seeker] route.

So what is the mission given to Chili Shrimp, who entered Zelva after Vivi?

-I believe you will do well, Chili Shrimp. Isn’t this where your social experience comes into play?

-Well, when I think about the people I’ve dealt with in the past, like Van Balshtet, or this stupid-looking princess… or Cyrus the Hound? They only have glaring eyes, but it’s not like I can rub up against them.

– Hehe, that’s right. Especially, Chili Shrimp, you have to be careful not to have other people think differently.

Joining the [Joint Investigation Team].

More specifically, it is related to the leader of the Iron Wolf Knights of the De Los Empire, Van Walshtedt, a person Jinseong is particularly watching closely.

-I’ll tell Jinseong everything related to that human, so give him appropriate instructions. I’m just an old person who doesn’t know what’s right or wrong.

-Of course. In that sense, I feel reassured. I don’t think he’ll do whatever he wants like so-and-so.

-Can you just do whatever you want while working? You have to be sure. You won’t be like someone else.

-Huh? What are you talking about? Are you talking about me?

Vivi asked so cheerfully.

It could be said that even Jinseong, let alone Chili Shrimp, is so innocent that it is difficult to react any further.

But I couldn’t hate her, even if it was because of the way she spoke that made me smile pleasantly.

Jinseong said as he checked the approaching Zelva and the decreasing altitude.

-I can see Zelva now too. Probably on the timeline… … Even if we do meet, our relationships with the surrounding NPCs will be different, so it would be best not to pretend to know each other if possible. The best thing to do is to frequently talk about your current location and moving destination, etc., so that there is no overlap.

Even though they may exist in different timelines, they are still the same character.

If it were a game, they would only exist within each user’s monitor, so there would be no overlap, but these are possessed beings.

-Aren’t you curious!? The Azalea I just met! What would happen if the Azalea that Chili will meet now and the Azalea that she is going to meet were different people and could exist in the same space? Something like a time paradox would occur-.

– Now, wait a minute. Vivi, you wouldn’t do something like that just because you’re curious and it’s fun, right?

-Huh? No way. I’m not an idiot.

-… … Hmm… … It’s scarier because you’re aware of it.

-Perhaps as Chili Shrimp-nim said, the NPC at that point has a high ‘probability of not being seen’, but-. Yes, you have to be careful. Whether it’s a time paradox or something, so that they don’t overlap.

That’s why we took this approach to avoid problems, but we still need to be careful.

Since all three of them felt deep in their bones that it was useless to regret it after something actually happened, they were able to share the confidence that they would not do something like that even as a joke.

-Then please take good care of the [Grim Seeker] route and the [Joint Investigation Team] route. Me too-.

Shoooooooooo… … !

Jinseong nailed it once more inside the landing gunship.

Even though Jinseong is not sure that he is the one with the , Bibi and even Chili Shrimp have a vague idea.

Jinseong also knows that point.

So Jinseong prepared for this plan as well.

-[Adventurer’s Guild] I’ll let you know if anything happens along the route.

From their perspective, they would probably only be considered ‘special adventurers’.

It is impossible to imagine that he would have a completely separate mission from the adventurers, so he said that he would take charge of one axis of the main scenario flow that is divided into three routes.

Of course, in reality, you cannot choose the [Adventurer’s Guild] route that only true adventurers can take.

Because your words and actions won’t affect the main scenario.

‘Perhaps the closest adventurer… … In my case, the NPCs who sympathize with Chili Shrimp will react. Like at the Power Station.’

Tak, Jinseong took his first step towards Gelba with light movements.

The fact that Neville Jurgen didn’t come out to greet him and that there was no Van Balshteit around also proves that Jinseong’s own guess was correct.

“Whew, the sea breeze is quite strong.”

However, that doesn’t mean Jinseong himself had nothing to do.

Not only will we need to check if the main scenarios of Vivi and Chili Shrimp have been tainted, but we will also need to investigate the quickly-deleted card that came out when destroying the heart of Apostle Anton.

Jinseong rummaged through [Inventory].

[Anton (polluted) who eats unpolluted fire]

“… … What kind of pun is this?”