Chapter 39: [New ending unlocked]

What compels viewers to watch Yu-jin’s stream? Likely the ‘expectation’ and ‘excitement’ of witnessing the unexpected unfold.

Her ‘concept,’ though not a concept to Yu-jin herself, initially drew interest with its unique and unusual behavior. Unintentionally, she continued to defy expectations and fulfill the viewers’ desires for the unexpected.

A newbie who had never played Eftarel Verden before was achieving the impossible.

No one expected her to defeat Mobidik, let alone acquire the [Holy Sword Fragment].

They hadn’t known about the hidden event, and judging by Anastasia’s reaction, they hadn’t known about the new route either.

The battle with Keliata was the climax.

The [Cemetery of Rest], one of the three areas branching out from the Sanctuary of Holy Fire, was considered worthless. It was a place for clueless newbies or bored veterans with nothing else to do.

After painstakingly defeating the unimpressive and unrewarding Graveyard Keeper, Tellurak, that was it. Anastasia offered a small compliment, but there were no tangible rewards.

So, the viewers expected something different.
Or rather, they were starting to get disappointed.

Except for those drawn to Yu-jin herself, most were interested in the game itself.

It started with her unprecedented achievements. News of a hidden boss in an area everyone had dismissed spread like wildfire.

Those who rushed to her stream were excited by her victory over Keliata, but nothing else lived up to their expectations.

No special rewards, no events. Some viewers kept asking who Keliata was, but Yu-jin showed no signs of answering.

So, the viewers,

-Totally wasted my time;
-The streamer and the Hero, it’s all hype lol
-Ah, damn it~ Nothing happened~
-If she’s streaming, at least read the chat lol; Donations are off too, this is just disrespectful to the viewers, isn’t it?

Felt they’d been lured by false pretenses.

Yu-jin was in a similar situation.
After collecting Keliata’s despair, she visited the Sanctuary of Holy Fire.

Things progressed differently than usual. Anastasia didn’t greet her, and the dialogue was slightly altered, but in the end, she lit the Holy Fire in the chalice.

She was supposed to gain Holy Fire-related traits and learn from Anastasia that she needed to defeat more bosses and strengthen the Holy Fire to fulfill the ending requirements.

Therefore, those who dismissed Yu-jin’s stream as mere hype—,

“You, who stray from the beaten path, who listen to the whispers of despair and throw yourself into the abyss…”

Seeing Anastasia, with a benevolent smile, offering something to a flame-clad Yu-jin, realized they were wrong.

-Yeah, right lol Like there would be nothing lol
-There are always haters
-ㅉㅉ
-Don’t doubt our ‘Hero’-nim!
-Do it yourselves if you’re so jealous lol

Those who rejoiced were the viewers who had already witnessed Yu-jin defying expectations.

Regardless, the stream continued.

“You, who stray from the beaten path, who listen to the whispers of despair and throw yourself into the abyss…”
Anastasia said, clasping her hands over her collarbone. Her eyes, hidden behind the white cloth, weren’t looking at me.

She was looking beyond, at a cherished hope, undisturbed by any visual distractions.

She, Anastasia, had told me that. That only by walking bravely through the darkness, with unwavering courage and fervent hope, could one reach the end.

Undeterred by confusing distractions,
By annoying frustrations,
By frightening fears, by any external stimuli.

Moving forward solely by one’s own will.

“I… couldn’t do that.”

I replied dejectedly. She maintained her smile and posture. I glanced down, worried she might blame me.

There hadn’t been a clear path after becoming the Hero.

No method, no plan.
It seemed endless, so I just walked. I felt that if I stopped, I would crumble and waste away.

I only realized how to walk, where to go, after I’d taken the first step. Until then, I hadn’t even felt a sense of duty.

‘Sephie was similar.’

The thought came to me suddenly.
The story of the pitiful angel who, in a despair-filled world, never gave up and continued moving forward.

‘…Though she’s better now.’

The past Sephie, who deeply distrusted, scorned, and loathed humans, flickered in my memory. Considering her current behavior, the change was remarkable.

I felt a sense of pride knowing I was the catalyst for that change, but thinking about Anastasia before me, I felt a pang of sadness.

“…Anya.”

I softly called her name. It was a quiet sound, but enough to fill the silent space.

The blue flames flickering around me subsided slightly.

“You might not know this, but I’ve changed a lot.”

Anastasia’s gaze was fixed on me, expectant. Responding to her unspoken request, I raised my hand and touched the rim of the chalice.

“Differently than you might think.”

Keliata’s despair, trapped within the chalice, thrashed about, trying to escape, like murky water trying to flow upstream.

[Action → Light the Holy Fire in the Chalice]

I sealed it with the Holy Fire.
It wasn’t a forced action by the system; I hadn’t selected a dialogue option. I poured hope into the chalice of my own volition. The flames engulfing me weren’t hot, and that made me feel even more melancholic.

“Can you feel it? Can you see it?”

I couldn’t tell Anastasia,
My precious friend who had only seen my worst moments, that I had finally lived up to her expectations.

How much despair could this small chalice contain? Could it save a world drowning in a sea of despair, even if filled with hope?

I looked at the chalice.
Keliata’s soul, trapped beneath the Holy Fire, writhed as if screaming.

But there was no sound.
The despair it had intended to unleash upon the world was now silenced by sacred flames.

‘…’

There was no response. Had she been expecting something? Had anything changed?

I couldn’t be sure.
Certainty was a foolish notion. Was I trying to rewrite an ending that had already been decided in reality, finding solace in a virtual world where I could do what I couldn’t in real life?

The intense Holy Fire within the chalice gradually subsided. There was no trace of Keliata. When I came to my senses, the flames engulfing me had also vanished.

Nothing had changed.
Feeling a slight disappointment, I withdrew my hand from the chalice, and then—,

Whoosh—!

Blue flames erupted on the large wall behind the chalice, which had been covered in darkness. Messages appeared, obscuring my vision.

[Holy Fire that Burns Despair, Achieved!]

[You have lit the Holy Fire for the first time. You can now use Holy Fire-related functions within the game.]

[The state of the Holy Fire indicates your game progress and can fulfill conditions for unlocking different endings.]

Game-related notifications. There were no answers to the questions in my heart.

I sighed deeply.
I wasn’t feeling it today, so I was about to log out when,

“How can one distinguish between hope and despair?”

Anastasia’s voice echoed.

“What one strives for might be the fulfillment of a cherished hope for some, and the beginning of despair for others.”

Like a philosopher pondering profound truths, Anastasia murmured in a quiet, contemplative voice.

“But you… acted of your own volition. You weren’t forced, nor did you plead. Am I wrong?”

Her words reached my ears clearly.
I tried to answer.

That she was wrong.
That I was no different from them, no, compared to her, I was foolish.

Enlightenment came too late. I had always searched for a reason to act, a purpose.

And…

“…It was my own weakness that corrected me.”

I had always berated and pushed myself. I condemned and mocked myself whenever I faltered, forcing myself to stand.

Was this enough?
I often wondered if those who knew my name, my past, would still consider me a Hero.

And yet, they…

“…Called me a Hero.”

It was slightly absurd.
This was how it always was. Lost in my own thoughts, I suddenly found an answer.

Perhaps it was just rationalization.
Now, I understood why I thought this way.

I still clung to the past. I was trying to avert my gaze from a story I desperately wanted to rewrite.

‘Is that wrong?’

I shook my head.

‘I was… distracted.’

I had been deeply disappointed that nothing had changed after defeating Keliata. It was a foolish, laughable mistake.

I finally turned my head.
Anastasia was still watching me, a gentle smile on her face. Her clasped hands shone brightly, as if holding light, capturing my attention for a moment.

“May this small, humble wish be of help to you.”

She didn’t say anything else.
She extended her hand, her fist enclosed in her other hand. Her palm faced upwards, so I extended my own, palm down.

Anastasia opened her fist. A small orb of light fell onto my palm, then scattered like dust and flowed into my body.

I felt a warmth spreading through me.

“There are still those who hold onto hope in this world.”

I clenched and unclenched my fist.
I couldn’t feel anything. Had I already forgotten? But a warmth lingered in my chest.

This was what it felt like to carry the hopes of others. I tightened my fist and listened to Anastasia.

“If you can gather the faint embers of hope from those who cling to it in despair and ignite a brilliant flame,”

Two voices overlapped in my ears.

[New ending unlocked.]

“Then surely… spring will come to this world as well.”

With those words, Anastasia fell silent. She walked to the side of the chalice and stood motionless, as if rooted to the spot.

I looked past the chalice,
At the wall where the blue flames had flickered, and a message appeared.

[Conditions not yet met.]

An ending.
The conclusion of a story.
A small spark of hope ignited within me. Perhaps, if I could gather all the pieces I’d lost, a different ending awaited.

A simple wish.
I pressed my lips together, stared blankly at Anastasia, and then left the Sanctuary of Holy Fire.