Chapter 153: Today is also good

As Leah left the studio,

Some employees craned their necks to get one last look at her. When their eyes awkwardly met hers, they quickly looked away. Leah simply bowed her head and passed by.

Walking down the stairs, she suddenly recalled the day the CEO first proposed the animation.

He had said, without hesitation, that he would personally cover half the cost.

However, due to Leah’s ambitious revisions, the workload had continuously increased.

So—

Conscience wouldn’t allow her to demand he stick to covering exactly half now.

In the end, the cost was settled as follows: the CEO would pay 5 million won, and Leah would pay 10 million won.

It had been almost three months since her debut.

There were still a few outstanding payments and settlements to be finalized.

So, this 10 million won represented a significant portion of her available funds.

But she didn’t regret it.

If not for things like this, what was the point of earning big money? That’s what she thought.

---

“Junior, do you know how many times this is?”

“Seventeen.”

“…You were counting all that? If you know, then stop riding it!”

“No. I have a free pass.”

Several days had passed since Leah became a God. She was currently riding the Maid-Express in Ayame’s palace, a cart that offered scenic views and the thrill of a rollercoaster descent.

• Please stop…

• Why are you so obsessed with this all of a sudden?!

• Watching the same thing over and over…

• Persistent, she is.

• The woman who rides a rollercoaster 17 times.

• If this were real life, the staff would be horrified.

“Then, should we ride it one last time?”

• Guaaaaah!

• Rampaging Leah;

• This brat’s gotten too full to be stopped by 10,000 Jellies Spirit Shot now.

Had she ridden it too much?

She was self-aware.

But every ascent and descent felt different.

The wind was different, the direction was different, and her feelings subtly changed each time.

When was the last time she went to an amusement park?

It had literally been decades. The last time was during her childhood in her past life, so…

Of course, this didn’t feel exactly the same as reality.

But until she rode this cart, she hadn’t even realized she still harbored the desire to go to an amusement park.

And in her current situation, crowded places still seemed difficult to visit.

Perhaps she simply wanted this vicarious satisfaction.

“Wait. Take this. I’m finished reading it.”

Ayame stopped Leah as she was about to start another ride.

“Took you a while, Senior.”

“I finished reading it quickly. I was checking to see if there were any hidden codes or something.”

Leah took The Secret of the Town from Ayame. This was the condition for the free pass.

“I feel a little cheated. It’s just the same information everyone already knows.”

“That’s why I told you beforehand that there wasn’t anything special.”

The day she publicly read the book on stream, the contents were bound to spread.

Leah flipped through the returned book. As Ayame had suspected, there was nothing hidden within its pages. The content was clear, leaving no room for interpretation, and it didn’t have any interactive elements.

1. The Land Where Light Arrived

There were no miracles in this world from the beginning.
However, there existed a land where miracles could grow.

Emotions and actions functioned in a special way in this town.

Buildings imbued with someone’s heart.
Structures crafted by hand.
Adventures and sharing for one another.

These weren’t simply records or memories.
They transformed into the energy that actually moved the town.

The lights of this town are fueled by emotions, not candles.
And the power that sustains the land comes from crystals condensed from accumulated actions.

That is why this town has become the sole manifestation of miracles in this world.

1. The Successor, the One Who Received the Spark of God

Lumina was a silent god.

It did not move on its own.
Instead, it shared a part of itself with those who could create miracles.

The first was the one who first moved their hand.
The one who created miracles and shaped the town.

Lumina bestowed divinity upon them,
and they were called the Successor, ascending to the position of God.

1. Betrayal and Sealing

At first, everything went well.
But as time passed, the Successor thought:

“Since the world began by my hand,
it should now be mine.”

They tried to transform the Spark of God
into a flame of dominion, not miracles.

Lumina sealed them away.
Their divinity was not taken,
but the world was made to forget them.
Their name vanished from records.

1. Unwavering Will

The sealed one awaited the day the town of miracles would bloom again.

The last trace they left behind
was a device called “Contribution.”

When miracles accumulate in the town.
When love accumulates in the town.
When the town is once again filled with energy—

At that moment,
their seal would be released.

In other words, when this town is at its most beautiful,
they would be the first to awaken. They had altered the system to ensure this.

1. Approaching Threat

Someone built together.
Someone embarked on adventures.
Someone joined hands and protected this town.

All those emotions and actions
accumulated as Contribution points.

Now, the conditions for breaking the seal have been met.

“So, when Contribution reaches 100%, some kind of boss appears. But why is it so peaceful? Especially now that there’s a new Successor.”

To Ayame’s question, Leah offered her prediction.

“It’s simple. They couldn’t just shut down the server as soon as the fourth week started.”

If something were to appear after the seal was broken, it would probably be the server’s final event. Wouldn’t they try to postpone that as much as possible?

• Suddenly realistic…

• But it makes sense lol

• Circumstances…

• They still need to extract more clips for YouTube!

That’s why, as soon as she read the book, Leah had decided how to spend the last week.

Just…enjoy it.

Ayame said, sounding disappointed.

“I see. I overcomplicated it and wasted my free pass.”

“Still, not many people have touched a God’s book, so be satisfied. I’ll be going now.”

Leah pulled the lever, and the cart started moving with a clatter.

She leaned back and felt the changing speeds in each section.

The cart circled the highest point of the palace as it descended, capturing the entire town in view.

“It’s wonderful today, too…”

• It’s the 18th time!!

• Stop looking, please…

• Does she have dementia??

• They need to check if the cart has superglue on it.

• (
  this
  ! I’m admiring the number of rollercoaster rides, no ban please) [Message deleted by manager.]

• Who’s that again? lol

• You think they won’t ban you for that? lol

As the cart glided down the winding track,

Sunlight shattered over the hill at the edge of the distant garden, and various mounts crossed the bridges spanning the canals.

That’s when it happened.

Crackle.

Something like a fissure appeared in the sky.

At first, she thought it was a simple graphical error.

Noise.

Beyond the distorted rift in the sky, something…or rather, someone caught her eye.

A figure standing proudly within a geometric structure.

The silhouette…

Was unmistakably Steve.

Blocky arms and legs. A square face looking straight ahead. Short brown hair, a blue shirt, and navy blue pants.

The oldest human form, the default provided in Bok.

But it wasn’t the size of any player character she knew.

It was unrealistically gigantic, large enough to swallow several buildings in one gulp.

• What is that?

• Was that the final boss? lol

• It can still be intimidating even looking like that…

And then, a voice echoed as if from all directions.

[Those who have contributed to this town.
Those who accumulated light, built paths, and summoned miracles.]

[I am the forgotten name above all.
Now, face the one you have summoned.]

[‘Forgotten Abyss’ has opened.
Participation requirement: Combined Contribution of 3000 or higher.]

There was probably no one who hadn’t earned 3000 contribution points yet. It was essentially an invitation to everyone.

Well, if they had intentionally delayed the boss’s appearance, it was about time after these past few days.

Clatter.

Leah gracefully stepped off the cart at the end of its run and headed towards where the giant Steve awaited.

The area she entered through the dungeon entrance had completely different hues of sky and ground. Not too dark, not too bright, but a desaturated, colorless space.

Structures resembling twisted cubes were connected in incomprehensible forms.

Steve, standing in the center, didn’t move. Up close, its massive form exuded an unsettling, distorted majesty.

“Hiya, everyone~”

“Whoa! A raid! This’ll be fun!”

Everyone started entering the dungeon one after another. Six people gathered, likely everyone currently on the server.

Koharu was the first to step forward.

“Wait! I’ll go first! My +11 Excalibur is crying!”

She held a sword enveloped in a golden aura.

• Koharu +11, for real? When did she finish that?

• Just now lol

• Truly a triumph of the human spirit…

Koharu quickly closed the distance like a vanguard, swinging mercilessly at its ankles.

Bang!

• Uh…

• Did that even hit?

“…Huh?”

Koharu swung again. And again. But the HP bar didn’t budge.

“What the—! It hit!”

At her words, Leah also drew her bow.

The +12 Abyssal Wood Bow.

The most powerful weapon on this server.

The arrow of light struck Steve squarely in the chest.

The light scattered like shards.

The hit was undeniable.

But the number that appeared on screen was—

<2>

“Goddess Leah! What’s going on?!”

“A +12 doing that kind of damage… Are we supposed to fight this thing forever?”

Loud reactions erupted from around her. Leah was also slightly taken aback.

Then, someone muttered softly.

“…Isn’t this…a puzzle mechanic?”