Chapter 38: [Goal – Light the Holy Grail]

“This is… pathetic!”

-For f*ck’s sake… someone stop her…
-Upvote if you think she acts like this outside too lol
-Wow, this is so embarrassing lol
-Only the viewers are suffering lol Nerf her please lol
-Seriously, who the hell is Keliata?
-Cleared the hidden boss, but nothing special happened?
-It might be different after purification ㅇㅇ I think there’s an event

Yujin was getting carried away.

After retrieving Keliata’s soul and leaving the Cemetery of Rest, on her way to the Sanctuary of Holy Fire, her initially timid mutterings gradually transformed into confident pronouncements.

The viewers’ comments didn’t reach her. The chat, a chaotic mix of speculation, doubt, expectation, and pained reactions, burned brightly on its own.

However, the viewers didn’t cross the line. They knew that overly offensive comments could lead to the stream being shut down, and they would be the ones to suffer.

Oblivious or not,

“A Hero doesn’t crumble so easily!”

Yujin declared triumphantly.

-Please crumble lol
-A Hero needs a strong mental fortitude ㅇㅇ;
-That’s not mental fortitude, she just doesn’t know she’s embarrassing herself lol
-Such a child;
-So f*cking cute lol
-A woman who beats a C-rank Awakened senseless with skills is a chuunibyou…?
-Well, well…

Her experiences in the other world weren’t insignificant. Though she’d adapted to a peaceful life after returning, she couldn’t abandon her identity as a Hero.

Time buried many things. Precious memories were discarded into the depths of the unconscious, and even those who once shone brightly eventually knelt before death disguised as time.

But not Yu-jin.
The shame she’d felt at the mockery of strangers was fleeting. Compared to the humiliation she’d endured in the other world, this was nothing.

‘It reminds me of when I became a woman.’

-Why is she like this again
-A thousand faces
-Wow, her expression is so creepy;
-Upvote if you think you’d sh*t yourself just by making eye contact lol

Yu-jin’s face suddenly contorted in disgust. The viewers wouldn’t understand, but a repulsive, horrific memory, far from being a cherished one, had surfaced.

“Damn it…”

A curse slipped out naturally. While she murmured calmly, it didn’t sound that way to the viewers.

-Gasp
-Gasp
-Noona… I’m scared…
-Stop with the bad words!
-These guys are getting scared the stream will get shut down, so they’re all being nice now lol
-Ah lol The stream is important lol
-It’s amazing how many viewers there are even though the streamer doesn’t read chat ㅇㅇ;
-Because there’s an irresistible charm…

Yu-jin walked on, and then a large temple came into view. She had arrived. A faint smile touched her face at the thought of meeting a cherished acquaintance.

-Gasp…
-Wow… she’s seriously beautiful
-Unnie, I’m dying;
-How can someone be like this lol? I can’t understand her at all
-I want to make her cry just once lol
-Well… there’s already… I’ll stop here
-Where do you live, b*tch?

Finally reaching the entrance of the Sanctuary of Holy Fire, Yu-jin gazed at the majestic building, weathered by time, her smile turning melancholic.

“Ahem, I’m back!”

-lollollollollollollollol
-Ah lol
-I wish she’d just shut up
-Seriously lol
-That’s her charm though

As if trying to lighten the mood, she glanced around, muttered to herself, and then entered the Sanctuary of Holy Fire.

Inside the sanctuary, a game message greeted Yu-jin.

[Objective – Light the Holy Fire in the Chalice]

The single, unexplained message was clear to both Yu-jin and the viewers.

“I think I understand.”

-She has to purify it ㅇㅇ
-Nothing special? I was honestly expecting something…
-I wonder if she actually knows anything about Eftarel Verden or if she’s just clueless
-There’s no game as unfriendly as Eftarel; And yet she’s progressing just fine lol
-Does the Hero even know that the forum and the official site are on fire because of Keliata?

Yu-jin raised her hand and touched her right eye. The Holy Fire held the meaning of purification. It meant using Keliata’s despair, the despair that would plunge the world into darkness, as kindling, and simultaneously purging a part of that despair.

The dimly lit sanctuary held a comforting atmosphere. Silence and tranquility coexisted, soothing the mind.

“Darkness… sometimes gives you the courage to move forward.”

Courage wasn’t free. Yu-jin knew this well. She walked on, pushing through the oppressive darkness.

-Is the sanctuary usually this dark?
-Where’s our Ana-chan?
-Ugh, cringe;

She swung her arms back and forth. To the viewers, it looked like she was brushing against the darkness.

They were still curious about her, but as with everything in the world, those who received attention tended to conceal themselves. Though Yu-jin hadn’t intended to.

-No matter how I look at it, this seems like an event, right?
-Yeah; Anastasia usually greets you at the entrance
-He’s right, something’s different
-Something big is coming…!

The viewers’ anticipation grew. Yu-jin continued walking, feeling a familiar sensation. Longing and sadness welled up within her.

Then, her vision lowered slightly as she descended a short flight of stairs.

Just then,

“True courage blooms in despair.”

-Seriously, nothing is as amazing as the dialogue just continuing
-ㄷㄷ;
-Maybe the Hero is also an NPC lol? The game devs intentionally created her
-Cutting-edge technology lol

Whoosh—!

Small, faint, and divine.
Azure flames flickered briefly, pushing back the surrounding darkness.

Anastasia, standing to the right of the chalice, came into view. She stood with her hands clasped respectfully before her, her head turned towards Yu-jin.

[Saintess of Hope]

[Anastasia]

“…Anya.”

-What’s with the atmosphere;
-It’s like watching a movie lol
-So many viewers lol Seems like even foreigners are here
-They’re all spamming emotes since they know Yu-jin doesn’t read chat lol

Yu-jin felt a lump in her throat,
As if a waterfall was flowing upwards, as she faced the familiar figure from her past.

The small Holy Fire flickering above the chalice died down.

The faint, blue ember within the chalice flickered weakly, as if about to be extinguished, but Yu-jin didn’t just stand there and watch.

She took another step down. Her vision shifted, her hair swayed, and Anastasia’s voice echoed repeatedly in the darkness.

“I sense an unfamiliar presence within you. And a familiar one, as well.”

Anastasia spoke with each step Yu-jin took towards the altar. No dialogue options appeared. Yu-jin’s body moved on its own, as if entranced.

“What did you do when you faced despair for the second time?”

Yu-jin couldn’t answer.
With a small spark of awareness, she realized this was a pre-programmed event. Some of the viewers realized it too.

“Even now, countless despairs mock and trample upon hope.”

Listening to Anastasia’s words, Yu-jin’s eyes began to well up. Hot, colorless tears streamed down her cheeks.

She was now standing next to Anastasia. Before her was the chalice, resting on the dusty altar. Inside, a faint, blue flame crackled like electricity.

Yu-jin turned her head.
She felt as if she’d made eye contact with Anastasia through the white bandages.

“You made your choice. Whatever the reason, its nobility and greatness remain unchanged. I pray that the flame of hope you ignited will never be extinguished.”

Anastasia raised her right hand, her palm open, gesturing towards the chalice. Yu-jin nodded silently and extended her right hand, placing it inside the chalice.

No concentration was needed.
It was a moment of affirmation, of remembrance. A silent monologue, questioning and answering her own resolve to save the world.

In that moment—,

“Darkness exists everywhere. Always lurking, coiled within my heart, waiting for an opportunity.”

The darkness stirring within Yu-jin’s right eye, the despair Keliata had failed to unleash upon the world, flowed down her arm and into the chalice.

“As long as I strive, as long as I do not give up.”

She closed her eyes briefly.
Yu-jin silently reflected on the reason she always carried within her heart, the reason she had to be courageous. The darkness waiting for its chance coiled like a serpent, staring back at her.

“As long as I remember the meaning of the Holy Fire, hope will never be extinguished.”

Then, a powerful, blue Holy Fire erupted from Yu-jin.

And in the chat,

-Ugh, cringe;
-So f*cking reverent lol
-What kind of life has she lived to say such things?
-It’s clear now lol She’s the real deal lol
-Even a concept becomes sincere if you take it far enough~
-The body is honest, even if you pretend otherwise

The chat burned brightly with an inextinguishable flame.