Translator: Dreamscribe

God-tier game.

It was the word used to evaluate 'Arsilan Saga'.

It was natural, since it was the first virtual reality game, but even without that, it would have been enough to deserve such praise. However, after this update, it ascended to the status of a “super god-tier game.”

The addition of 240 skills and the first job advancement update were extensive enough to be rightfully applauded, and the level of completion was remarkably high.

'This is so vast that it's hard to build a character.'

'Even an F-rank skill can win every duel if used well. You just need to get stronger.'

'From E-rank on, it’s entirely up to you! Good luck!'

Even those posting strategy guides on Arsaga Worlds were at a loss for words.

The item exchange? Needless to say.

The number of items each individual could list on the exchange was limited and restricted to ranked weapons and items, so merchants were far from obsolete. In fact, due to the commission fees, it was often better to do business through the merchants.

The reason the exchange was so hot was thanks to the auction system.

People were gathered in Evanth, which was undergoing restoration work. There was a temporary building, and that was the exchange. In front of the exchange was the auction house.

An auction house created by the heroes themselves.

When demand for an item rose, it would automatically go up for auction.

[E+] Dull Knight's Greatsword

A greatsword once wielded by a veteran knight.

It contains a mysterious power.

Sharpening the blade might raise its rank.

Minimum price: 50,000AG

[The auction begins.]

“52,000”

“54,000!”

The heroes gathered there participated in the auction with their auction windows open. There was no need to gather in person, but at some point, it just became customary to do so.

“Nice!”

The hero who won the bid immediately received the item and held it in his hands. The hero who won the weapon bid would show off the weapon to the losers, then head straight for enhancement.

They had gathered to show off.

Party, subjugation squad, and guild systems were improved, and a large number of quests for novice heroes were added. For those who failed to obtain Leon’s holy sword, a path was opened to acquire it through village contribution points or various quests.

Of course, the emblem obtained that way was different from the ones held by heroes who participated in the invasion. It was a way to honor the heroes who had defended Arsilan alongside Leon.

All of these things were excellent, but not the reason the game was so praised.

The reason was 'Land of Erosion'!

The 'Land of Erosion' had an ecosystem completely different from Arsilan. No matter how much you explored, new things kept appearing endlessly.

Jinwoo thought he knew everything after fighting Erosion for a hundred years.

'So there shouldn't be anything surprising.'

Jinwoo created a hero’s body and entered it.

It was a bio golem body used by all heroes.

The body Jinwoo had used most in 'Arsilan Saga' was, of course, Leon’s body. Since it was crafted with Tiris’ full power after she awakened, its performance was outstanding. With just a small movement, it felt as if he was teleporting, and manipulating soul power was easy.

'Comfortable.'

However, this hero’s body, despite having much lower performance, felt incredibly comfortable.

To Jinwoo, Leon’s body was like a military uniform. No matter how comfortable and warm a uniform was, it was still a uniform. Acting as Leon, who was justice and light itself, was extremely taxing even for an Archmage.

Jinwoo had tightly sealed Leon’s body deep within the secret base in Evanth. The process was as careful as sealing a demon king.

[Lv.20] Comfortable

Title: [A] Golden Alliance of Arsilan

Class: Priest (First Job Advancement)

Rank: Official Cleric

Race: Human

Strength: 15 Agility: 12 Health: 14 Endurance: 10 Divine Power: 30

[SL ID: bigmagic4]

That was the spec of the hero body he was currently useing. Jinwoo had possessed the hero’s body to check if there were any anomalies.

Up until now, since everything had happened within Arsilan, Jinwoo was able to control every situation immediately. But the 'Land of Erosion' was different. Rather than overseeing it from a distance, it was necessary to experience it directly from the heroes’ perspective and inspect things in detail.

‘It could possibly have a negative impact on Arsilan...’

To blend in among the heroes, the best choice was the Priest class, which received the most favorable treatment. Needless to say, the first job advancement for a Cleric was “Priest.” Some people diverted toward Monk, which included combat aspects, but the Priest was the quintessential traditional healer.

“Hmm, perfect.”

Using Mirror Magic, Jinwoo inspected every detail.

A young man with black hair and an innocent-looking face appeared in the reflection, showing a very relaxed expression.

Wearing the outfit granted upon first job advancement and holding a sacred technique book, with Ella’s symbol hanging from his neck, a very convincing Priest was born!

Jinwoo posted a message on Arsilan World. These days, the recruitment board on Arsilan World was the most active.

Title: Priest available.

Just completed my first job advancement.

Haven't been to the Land of Erosion much because I was clearing the first job advancement trial quest right after hitting level 20.

[SL ID: bigmagic4]

Please message me here.

I’d like to gain a variety of experiences.

Thank you in advance.

BumeokGenius: Wow ㅋㅋ really a Priest? First job advancement?

Leon'sScent: Priest hyung-nim has arrived!

SilverWave: A real noble has descended.

└Anonymous1: Is it that hard?

└SilverWave: You basically have to train your spirit. There are more Clerics these days, but most branch out into Paladin or Monk. Those are combat-oriented but can still use healing and buffs. A true Priest is really rare. Just existing as one makes you noble.

└AssassinationTechnique: I heard the Priest advancement trial is tough.

[SL Messages: 1,221]

As soon as the post went up, messages exploded. They ranged from party invites to work requests.

Pleased.

Jinwoo could feel the nobility.

‘Purification work?’

Jinwoo began checking through the new types of requests one by one. There were a lot of messages requesting purification work at the 'Magic Barrier'.

Comfortable: Contacting you regarding your request for purification work.

ForRiceMoney: Thank you so much for responding! Our Priest-nim! Where are you right now? I’ll come escort you right away!

Comfortable: No need. I’ll come to you.

ForRiceMoney: (emoticon: weeping Horned Bear) Thanks! It’s Zone A in front of the Magic Barrier. You’ll recognize us immediately when you get close! (emoticon: Horned Bear bowing politely)

Jinwoo headed for the 'Magic Barrier'.

In front of the barrier, the scene was nothing short of a sea of people. It looked as if every hero in Arsilan had gathered there.

[Logged-in Users: 139,005]

Despite it being Friday evening, the number of connected users was tremendous.

In just a few days, the area in front of the Magic Barrier had become packed with several temporary structures, and even large-scale warehouses could be seen.

Jinwoo paused there for a moment, looking at the Magic Barrier.

“Ooh!”

“He’s here!”

Heroes were pulling carts and carrying loads of something out from the exit of the Magic Barrier. Production-class heroes who had been waiting dashed toward them. Auctions were being held on the spot.

The materials coming from the 'Land of Erosion' were treated as precious, and to Jinwoo, this was a fascinating sight.

“Priest-nim! Over here!”

The area near the entrance to the 'Land of Erosion' had been divided into several zones, and Zone A was the closest to the entrance.

It was true that one could recognize them immediately upon approach.

Not only ForRiceMoney, but also other heroes from the Farming Alliance were all holding banners.

‘Welcome, Priest-nim!’

‘We always support you!’

‘We love you!’

Hmm.

It was a bit overwhelming.

When Jinwoo approached the members of the Farming Alliance, they smiled brightly and even welcomed him with applause.

“What should I do?”

“Please purify that pile of lumber and soil over there.”

Zone A was filled with stacked wood and soil.

It was such a large amount that it looked as if an entire section of the forest had been scraped up. Everything had been brought from the 'Land of Erosion'.

“But won’t it disappear after purification?”

“It’s fine as long as it’s in contact with the Magic Barrier.”

Jinwoo examined them carefully. The magic barrier's energy settled in the empty spaces of erosion, helping maintain the original form. Since it was energy like heat emitted when the magic barrier clashed with erosion, it had no effect on the magic barrier.

It was something even Jinwoo was seeing for the first time.

He had often brought monsters for research, but had never piled up things like trees and dirt in heaps.

“Hmm.”

In game terms, wouldn't this be like a bug?

“Priest-nim? Is there a problem? If you tell us, we’ll resolve it immediately.”

“No, I’ll begin the purification.”

Jinwoo cast a sacred technique.

It was a large-scale purification technique that only Priests could use. As light enveloped the entire pile of wood and soil, the wood looked as if it had been dried under the sun for a long time, and the soil turned a bright brown.

“Wow! All of that at once...!”

“Kya! That’s a Priest for you...”

ForRiceMoney and the Farming Alliance members marveled at the sight. With reactions like that, Jinwoo felt very pleased.

Jinwoo checked the information via the Magic Tower.

[E+] Purified Erosion Wood

Quickly dried using the sacred purification technique.

The wood retains its fundamental effects, preventing pests and harmful animals from approaching. It emits a subtle fragrance imbued with the power of purification.

* Monsters under Level 10 cannot approach

* Crop disease resistance +300%

[E+] Purified Erosion Soil

The power of erosion has vanished, replaced by the power of purification.

The fundamental elements of the soil remain intact, greatly aiding crop growth.

* Crop growth rate +300%

After checking the results, Jinwoo blinked. Everything intended by Erosion was still intact, but the erosion energy had been purified and adapted to suit Arsilan.

“Priest-nim, here is your payment for the work. You were so amazing that I added a generous bonus. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied. Hahaha!”

ForRiceMoney handed Jinwoo a money pouch filled with Arsilan Gold.

“If it’s not too much trouble, may we ask for your help again next time?”

“Ah… yes.”

“Kya! It’s an honor! I’ll add you as a friend, Priest-nim.”

ForRiceMoney was exceedingly courteous. He came off like a professional salesperson. Holding the money pouch, Jinwoo looked around the area near the Magic Barrier.

“The weather’s great, it’s drying nicely!”

“These mushrooms are pretty good, too. When mixed into food, they give a buff effect.”

“Move those over here! We’re shipping them to Lunatie!”

There were many other workshops like the one run by the Farming Alliance. Production-class heroes were beaming with joy over the flood of work. The atmosphere was overflowing with vitality, filling every empty space in Arsilan.

They were taking things from Erosion and using them to benefit Arsilan.

It hadn’t even been a full week since the 'Land of Erosion' had opened, and already such developments were occurring.

From a game director's perspective, it would be maddening, but

‘But since it’s good for Arsilan...’

For Jinwoo, it was something he welcomed with open arms.

“Priest-nim!”

“Ooh! It really is Priest-nim!”

“This way!”

After making a few rounds at various workshops, his coin pouch had grown even fatter.

Arsilan’s economy was booming!

‘They pay even more here.’

A large subjugation party was looking for a Priest. It was a joint party formed by two guilds, and when Jinwoo approached, they treated him with the utmost respect.

He joined their party and entered the 'Land of Erosion'.

The environment of the early part of the Land of Erosion had changed quite a bit. There had always been eroded trees and plants everywhere, but now there were spots that looked like patches of hair had fallen out.

“Wow, this one’s sturdy.”

“Let’s uproot it completely.”

A hero who had maxed out Strength pulled a tree up by its roots. Then, like peeling off skin, he tore up the ground, rolled it up, and loaded it onto a cart to transport.

Erosion was experiencing hair loss.

[These damn bugs...! Uaaaaahhh!]

The will of Erosion was embedded in this environment. With tens of thousands of heroes scraping away that will in its entirety, it was clearly suffering.

Monsters were sent to stop them, but they couldn’t halt the heroes. An hour later, the heroes would respawn and continue scraping. On top of that, the heroes were only growing stronger.

“What kind of work should I do?”

“Ah! Yes, do you see those trolls over there?”

In response to Jinwoo’s question, the party leader smiled and pointed to the trolls tied up on one side. The trolls were half-buried in pits.

“Why are they buried like that?”

"We discovered by chance that more comes out that way."

Thanks to the troll being buried in the ground, Erosion's will settled into the troll as the erosion environment recovered. It looked like it had been seasoned with Erosion's will.

But, more comes out?

Jinwoo didn’t quite understand what that meant.

“If you could imbue this chain with divine power and cast a healing sacred technique on the troll, that would be great.”

Question marks floated through Jinwoo’s mind, but for now, he did as instructed. As he infused the chains with the powerful divine power and healing sacred technique unique to Priests, smiles bloomed on the others’ faces.

“As expected of Priest-nim...!”

“Wow, the concentration of that divine power is insane.”

“At this level, this is going to be a legendary disassembly show.”

Disassembly show?

Jinwoo watched them.

The heroes pulled the troll, bound in chains, out of the pit and moved toward the Magic Barrier. Though there was only one entrance, multiple exits had been created. Holding the chains, they walked out past the Magic Barrier.

The chains infused with divine power didn’t break when passing through the barrier. The Magic Barrier accepted the divine power, which was a remnant of Ella.

“Pull!”

“Uaaaah!”

The heroes began pulling on the chains. As the troll was dragged and touched the Magic Barrier...

[Ugh! Don’t you ever get tired! Ugh, ugh!]

The will of Erosion embedded in the troll could be heard.

Bzzzzt!

As soon as the troll touched the Magic Barrier, it began to burn like a mosquito caught in an electric swatter.

As the heroes pulled harder.

Crunch crunch crunch!

It was ground up by the Magic Barrier like meat in a shredder.

Clatter clatter!

And numerous by-products fell from it.

They were troll by-products with various effects that couldn’t be found in Arsilan.

Because the sacred technique was embedded, they didn’t disappear.

“......”

Jinwoo was momentarily speechless.

It really was a disassembly show.

“Wow!”

“This harvest is record-breaking.”

“Kya! This is what makes the job worthwhile!”

“This is what a game should be.”

The heroes smiled broadly as they collected the by-products.

The party leader approached Jinwoo and handed him a money pouch.

“Thank you! Thanks to you, our harvest increased significantly. If you’re not in a guild, how about joining ours? We’ll treat you like royalty.”

“Haha..., I’ll think about it.”

“Feel free to contact us anytime!”

Jinwoo left the 'Land of Erosion' and stood in front of the Magic Barrier. His hands were full, and his heart was at ease.

The energy of Erosion was gradually weakening.

More was being taken than it could recover, so it was inevitable.

Erosion was not an omnipotent existence.

As powerful as its authority had seemed, which once offered no countermeasures, it too was bound by strict rules.

"Heh."

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, which put Jinwoo at ease.

A smile naturally formed on his face.

Jinwoo felt like he had forgotten something, but his mind was at ease so he didn't worry about it.

“Not bad.”

Yeah, this is what a game should be!

* * *