Chapter 25: Why are you covering your eyes?

The outing was over.
I returned home directly, not lingering after the unexpectedly enjoyable time at the arcade.

The crowd had been considerable, and causing a commotion would have been troublesome.

Sephie seemed to have something to say on the way back, but since she didn’t speak first, I didn’t press her.

“That was good.”

Back at the apartment,
After quickly finishing the meal Sephie prepared, I immediately entered the capsule, wanting to hold onto the lingering feeling from the arcade.

I had also reminded her not to interrupt me abruptly like last time.

Ignoring Sephie’s concerns about getting too immersed, I opened my eyes once more in Eftarel Verden.

Thus, in the virtual reality game,
Eftarel Verden, I dismissed the familiar notifications that appeared before me.

And so,

[1. Leave the Valley of Despair (Story Progression)]

“Let’s go, then.”

With a bright smile,
I grasped the Holy Sword fragment Mobidik left behind in my right hand, reached out to his spirit, and selected the option.

My hand touched the black sphere.
A surging darkness crept up my arm, eventually enveloping my entire body.

But it wasn’t ominous.
Rather, I felt a comforting embrace and the lingering warmth of Mobidik’s heart.

Then, a voice echoed in my ears.

[Have you decided to shoulder despair?]

[How will you bear its weight?]

[But one cannot hope for hope without understanding despair.]

[I pray you can bear all the despair of this world.]

[Will you become a beacon of hope for those lost in despair, or will you succumb like they did?]

[That depends on your choice.]

It was a magnificent voice.
A sensation as if the world itself was trembling, like listening to an orchestra in a grand theater.

My mind went blank for a moment.
But when I regained my senses, I,

“He has finally found hope.”

“…Hmm?”

Was greeted by a saintess, clad in pure white, her eyes covered by a white cloth.

After defeating Mobidik,
After Yujin disappeared from the world, the frozen time of Eftarel Verden began to flow again with her return.

[You have left the Valley of Despair.]

A message appeared before Yujin.
Not a confusing one, but a simple notification of the current situation.

Yujin looked around.
Another message appeared.

[Sanctuary of Holy Fire]

The first message indicated where she had arrived after leaving the Valley of Despair.

Looking around, Yujin’s impression was this:

‘On the verge of collapse. Just like back then.’

Walls and pillars discolored as if burned by fire, with signs of destruction everywhere. The floor was cracked, and the only thing intact was the altar.

A chalice rested on it.
A chalice meant to be held with both hands, offering something to the heavens, but it was empty.

Her observation complete,
There was more than just the location message.

The other message referred to
The saintess clad in white, her eyes covered, her lips sealed. A woman with radiant blonde hair cascading down to the floor amidst the monotonous darkness.

[Saintess of Hope]

[Anastasia]

“…Anya.”

Yujin almost called her by the familiar nickname without realizing it.

Her eyes began to redden.
At Anastasia’s slight tilt of her head, Yujin bit her lip, holding back tears.

“Did you call for me?”

Anastasia replied with unusual politeness.

Yujin couldn’t decide what to say. It was difficult to speak casually to someone she’d reunited with in such an unexpected way.

Then,

[The story of Eftarel Verden is determined solely by the player’s progress.]

[Interactions with NPCs have dialogue options. Movement between areas is also determined by choices.]

[There are some areas with restricted activity. Free exploration becomes available after events and story elements within each area are completed.]

[NPCs may react favorably or unfavorably depending on your choices and actions.]

[Ultimately, everything depends on your decisions.]

The message blazed like fire and then vanished, scattering like ashes in the wind.

Then, Yujin saw
The Saintess tilting her head curiously.

Yujin tried to speak.
And then,

[Choose a dialogue option.]

She frowned at the message that appeared again. Not being able to say what she wanted was incredibly frustrating, but she supposed it couldn’t be helped since it was a game. Just then,

[1. Where am I, and who are you?]

The first option was a standard choice any player would likely make.

But Yujin’s eyes weren’t on that one.

[2. Why are your eyes covered?]

Surprisingly,

“How…”

The words she wanted to say
Appeared as a dialogue option. Blinking in surprise, Yujin selected the second option.

And that,

-What’s that?
-Why is Anastasia so polite lol? She wouldn’t even answer me when I talked to her
-Must be the hidden route; That line wasn’t there before

Astonished the viewers.

The number of viewers was enormous.
It hit 7,000 right after the stream started, then surpassed 8,000 thanks to the attention drawn by her connection to Holcop and the two streamers relaying her broadcast.

And that was after those who left upon realizing that donations were disabled and Yujin didn’t react to chat.

Most of those watching had played Eftarel Verden in some form.

The Sanctuary of Holy Fire they knew
Was the safest and most comfortable of the neutral areas in Eftarel Verden.

A place to travel to other checkpoints or rest.

And the woman residing there,

The Saintess, Anastasia.
The source of heartbreak for countless players.

After being defeated by Mobidik, all players left the Valley of Despair and headed to the Sanctuary of Holy Fire.

There, they met Anastasia.
Captivated by her delicate frame, the mystical aura created by her covered eyes, and her beautiful appearance, players were then devastated by her response:

—Thankfully, I have my eyes covered, so I’m safe.

Another layer of despair after facing Mobidik.

As viewers cringed, remembering their emotional wounds, Yujin’s chosen dialogue option appeared.

[2. Why are your eyes covered?]

“Why are your eyes covered?”

It sounded incredibly natural.
Not just to the viewers, but even to Yujin herself, who thought she wasn’t speaking of her own volition.

-So natural lol
-Why is she curious about that first?;
-I wonder if she knows that’s the hidden route option?
-Can’t stand covered eyes lol
-Ah lol How could she not ask lol

Anastasia spoke.
Yujin listened intently, sensing a deep reverence in her demeanor.

“I covered my eyes because I was afraid of despair.”

“That…”

Yujin murmured unconsciously.
Anastasia smiled faintly.

-That btch never smiled at me?
-Why didn’t she smile at me after I painstakingly lit the Holy Fire? The fck?
-Ah, even with covered eyes, she can still see lol

“But I’ve finally realized my mistake. Because I covered my eyes, I couldn’t see hope while shouldering despair.”

Her words were directed at Yujin.
Realizing the smile was a gift for her, Yujin bit her lip and nodded.

“Now, offer your prayer.”

Anastasia raised her arm,
Pointing towards the altar where the chalice rested.

Yujin nodded and walked towards the altar.

Up close, it felt desolate and empty,
Far from majestic.

No dialogue options appeared.
Naturally, Yujin knelt. She settled down with one knee raised, clasped her hands, and bowed her head.

The viewers gasped in admiration.

-So divine…
-That’s the Hero’s dignity lol
-At this point, isn’t she really a Hero lol Why is it so natural lol

Just then,

“You are fire.”

Anastasia spoke.

-Anastasia initiates conversation too…
-Well, even a Saintess covers her eyes lol

Yujin closed her eyes and listened.
Not just to Anastasia’s words, but to the whispers of the [Holy Fire] blooming deep within her heart.

“If you cannot see hope, all that remains is despair, and when you look at despair, you can see hope.”

She recalled the sensation of brilliant flames.

“Even if your footsteps are nothing but burnt ashes, as long as you do not give up, the warmth of the ashes will not fade.”

-The story is so sad when you know the context ㅠㅠㅠ
-The flame of hope will always bloom…

“If you are tired, if you feel you cannot go on under the weight of despair, return here. Even if I cannot see, I can listen with you.”

A double meaning.
Listening to her words.
And sharing her burden, offering comfort.

A smile touched Yujin’s lips. Slowly, blue flames flickered around her.

Then, she rose.
Step by step.

She extended her hand and placed it inside the chalice. A small ember, holding its breath, awakened within.

Yujin’s flames had vanished. As she turned her head, she saw Anastasia smiling gently.

Anastasia bowed deeply.

“I sincerely pray that your small ember will bloom brilliantly into a flame of hope that envelops the world.”

Yujin nodded,
Biting her lip to suppress her emotions, bowing her head slightly.

“…Yes.”

It wasn’t because of any dialogue option, but because she couldn’t bear to see Anastasia’s innocent smile.

Her voice was thick with emotion.
The viewers immediately noticed.

-Is she crying again?
-Why is she crying lol
-It’s understandable if you know the story ㅇㅇ
-The problem is she doesn’t know the story lol;
-This seems like a hidden event too, I wonder if the story will change?

Unaware of the viewers’ questions, Yujin took a deep breath and moved forward.

Looking up, she checked the messages that appeared.

[Neutral Area – Sanctuary of Holy Fire]

The label “Neutral Area” now appeared next to the Sanctuary of Holy Fire, which had previously only had a name. She also noticed that the checkpoint function had been activated.

After saving at the checkpoint, Yujin tried to speak to Anastasia several times. But each time, she sighed and gave up.

-Why is she doing that?

The viewers’ confusion reached a boiling point, and finally, without even looking around, Yujin decided to leave the sanctuary.

-She’s leaving just like that lol?
-Even if there’s nothing to do at the sanctuary in the early game;
-She didn’t even look around properly lol How does she know the way so well?
-I seriously can’t predict what she’ll do next;

As viewers expressed their bewildered frustration, flooding the chat with messages,

[Leave the sanctuary?]

Before stepping out,
Yujin stopped at the darkened entrance, turned her head slightly, and murmured,

“…Do you still hold onto hope?”

It was a question
Directed at Anastasia, who had followed her to see her off, an action she hadn’t shown any other player.

Anastasia simply smiled.
Yujin bit her lip again, nodded once, and left the sanctuary.

“I will prove why the Hero is a symbol of hope… this time.”

Leaving those words behind.

The viewers’ reactions were intense.

-Oh, f*ck lol
-A symbol of hope shouldering despair lol
-She really nailed the concept lol Most try-hards can’t even compare;
-How did such a monster even come to be lol
-It’s so cringe how she’s being ‘sincere’ with an NPC…
-Does she even realize what she’s doing lol?

Stepping into the darkness after selecting the option, Yujin felt a dizzying sensation, then opened her eyes to the cool breeze on her skin.

There was a world before her.
A dying world under a dark, gloomy sky.

A message appeared before her.

[Objective – Light the Holy Fire in the Chalice]

Yujin couldn’t suppress her burgeoning smile.

-Why is she smiling?;
-Every time I see her, I seriously worry about her mental health;
-You worry after watching her for how long lol?
-I’m so excited to see what she does next
-Where is she going?
-She just left the sanctuary, why aren’t there any warnings? Didn’t she allocate any stat points?
-They appear if your physical abilities are too low compared to your gameplay ㅇㅇ Which is the case for most people

Carrying the weight of the viewers’ expectations, Yujin moved forward. To announce to the despair-filled world that the symbol of hope had returned.

“I will never forget your will.”

Holding the despair of the fallen knight deep within her heart.

Of course,

-Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
-I wish she’d just shut up;
-These guys don’t know anything; that’s her biggest charm lol
-It’s so funny how stunned Lee Hae-min and Gale Force are lol

Yujin was oblivious to the viewers’ excitement. She was already gripping the shining white Holy Sword fragment in her right hand.

Then, Yujin,

“Hmm…”

-Ah, this is so frustrating;
-I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy
-Waaah… where am I… Waaah… where am I…
-Just go somewhere! Anywhere!
-This is killing me lol

After leaving the sanctuary,
She stood at the entrance to a three-way path, pondering for over 20 minutes. Completely unaware that she was agonizing her viewers.