BRAND NEW WORLD

Chapter 78: The Day the New Heavens spoke

Strong winds whipped through my hair and clothes as I stood atop the shell of the giant turtle.

Everything looked so small from up here.

Even though the wind was fierce, the view was breathtaking—far beyond what words could describe. If only there were something that could preserve this scenery forever... I suddenly found myself missing cameras.

Down below, near the city gates, I noticed several people gathered outside.

Shany?

I immediately leaped into the air and flew toward her.

"Auntie!" Shany called out as she hurried toward me with a worried expression.

Naturally, she was terrified that the "monster" was about to destroy the capital.

"Don’t worry... that’s not a monster."

"Not... a monster?" Shany muttered.

She turned toward the giant turtle again.

When the massive creature lifted one of its legs and brought it crashing down onto the earth, the ground shook violently like an earthquake. Trees swayed wildly as tremors spread through the surrounding land.

Shany’s face grew paler the closer the giant turtle approached the capital.

And just as it was about to take another step—

Its movement suddenly stopped.

"...It stopped?" Shany whispered.

Stopped?

Did they succeed?

Not long after, two figures leaped down from the turtle’s back.

The moment they landed—

"Hah, finally..." Ringga stretched lazily.

The dwarf followed behind him with a long sigh.

"I don’t know what happened, but thank you..." I said with a relieved smile.

"In that case, I want a reward," Ringga replied with a sly grin.

"What?"

"Huuug~!" Ringga leaned his face closer toward mine.

"...I-In your dreams!"

I shoved his face away with my hand.

"...."

"Ahem!"

Someone cleared his throat loudly.

"Are the husband-and-wife quarrels finally over?" the dwarf asked.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot." Ringga snapped his fingers. "Lun, don’t tell me you forgot this guy?"

"Hey! I have a name, you know!" the dwarf protested.

When I used Scan on him, I realized he was Level 400.

And even more surprisingly—

"...Mang Pedo!?"

"Yup! Child Predator himself," Ringga said mischievously.

"Child lover, not predator!" Mang Pedo protested immediately.

"Same thing," Ringga replied casually.

Mang Pedo—a dwarf specializing in crafting weapons, armor, and equipment. Or rather, as he preferred to call himself:

A Master Blacksmith.

He was also a Tower Guardian like Ringga and me.

Even though his level was only 400, his abilities were unquestionable. Back then, I had even learned smithing from him.

I had no idea what kind of person he used to be in the real world or what job he had before all this happened. But just like Ringga once said, he loved buying cute young NPC characters.

If I remembered correctly, he owned dozens of them.

That required an absurd amount of money—not to mention the time needed to raise them properly.

Because of that bizarre fetish, his friends nicknamed him "Mang Pedo."

"U-Um... Auntie?" Shany called hesitantly.

I had almost forgotten she was still there.

I turned toward her and noticed the anxiety still lingering on her face.

"Sorry about that, Shany."

"Oh, right, let me introduce you. This is Ringga. He’s..." My words trailed off because I suddenly had no idea how to introduce him.

"Ohh... so this is Uncle Ringga that Mother always talks about," Shany said before immediately hiding behind my back.

Just like Shanaera.

Shanaera must have told her how Ringga constantly bullied her.

"And this is... Pedo."

"Yo!" Mang Pedo waved casually.

"N-Nice to meet you!" Shany greeted nervously.

"Now that the problem’s solved, I’ll head home first!" Mang Pedo announced.

Without waiting for a response, he chanted a spell.

A bright light enveloped his body before shooting straight into the sky.

"That was the spell to return to his ’tower,’ right?"

"Correct," Ringga answered.

"But why upward?"

"Because his tower is literally a floating house with a garden drifting in the sky."

"Huh? A floating garden?"

"...."

After Mang Pedo left, Shany invited us somewhere else to talk. She also wanted to introduce us publicly as the heroes who saved the capital from disaster, but I refused because it sounded troublesome.

Instead, I told Ringga to move the giant turtle far away from civilization and hide it so it wouldn’t terrify people anymore.

I also reassured Shany that everything was already over and she no longer needed to worry about the giant turtle.

Afterward, Ringga and I returned to Lake Dewata.

[After Luna and Ringga Left]

Together with her advisors, Shany held a banquet attended by several nobles of Nyrranthea.

While the other nobles enjoyed themselves inside the hall, Shany stood alone on the balcony, gazing toward the northern horizon.

"The Forbidden Land..." she murmured.

"...."

A few moments later—

"So this is where you were. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Some nobles wish to speak with you," said an elderly dwarf dressed like a scholar.

"Alright. I’ll head there shortly," Shany replied.

After that, she returned inside.

[Back to Luna]

After yesterday’s events, my daily life returned to normal.

Making potions.

Shopping in the capital.

Playing with Daisy.

Hmm...

Feels like I’m forgetting something...

While I was lost in thought—

"MOM!" Daisy shouted.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Dad wants to take us to see your tower!"

My tower?

Come to think of it, I had never brought her there before.

"In that case, how about we invite everyone and bring picnic supplies too?"

"Yay! Picnic!" Daisy cheered excitedly.

Together with Lusserina, Abiyasa, and Annandita, I prepared several dishes while Ringga played with Daisy nearby.

An hour later, we were finally ready to leave.

Since there were many of us going—and because Ringga wanted Daisy to experience "adventuring"—we traveled on foot.

At the edge of the lake, Ringga summoned a fairly large boat.

Putih, Bamby, and Arimby climbed aboard as well.

Meanwhile, Langit, Griffa, Riffon, and their children flew alongside us overhead.

As for the house...

I summoned two stone golems and another golem shaped like a tree to guard it.

The moment Daisy saw the boat, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

Ah...

I forgot Daisy came from a fishing village.

Seeing a boat must have reminded her of the destruction of her village...

...and her parents.

Without hesitation, I knelt and embraced her tightly.

As I held her, the only sounds that remained were the gentle wind and the synchronized beating of our hearts.

The lake stayed perfectly still—

as though even time itself had paused for a moment.

"...."

After a while, once her tears had dried, Daisy smiled again.

I knew there was still pain hidden behind that smile.

But believe me—

You’ll never be alone again.

Even though Ringga technically did nothing wrong, I still scolded him anyway.

Eventually, we departed.

• •

We finally arrived at the small island in the middle of the lake.

From the shore, a temple could be seen in the distance.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the tower.

It felt like it had been ages since I last came here, even though it had only been a little over a year.

Nostalgic.

Daisy and Ringga walked at the front, followed by Lusserina and the others.

I ordered Griffa, Riffon, and their children to remain outside together with Langit since the interior was too cramped for them to move comfortably.

Putih, Bamby, and Arimby followed us into the temple.

We climbed floor after floor until we finally reached the highest level.

"Oh, so it’s you, people."

A flat voice echoed through the room.

Or rather, not a person.

The one who spoke was the temple’s guardian statue.

"What? Aren’t you happy to see us?"

I glared sharply at it.

"N-Not at all! Please, do whatever you like!" the guardian statue replied awkwardly with a bitter smile.

"Waaahhh!!" Daisy exclaimed while admiring the scenery from above.

"This is nothing. We can go even higher," Ringga said proudly. "Lun, can I borrow your Guardian Ring?"

"?"

I removed the ring and handed it to him.

Ringga walked behind the guardian statue and slipped the ring onto one of its fingers.

Suddenly, a small square platform emerged from the floor.

Ringga pressed it.

The entire temple began to tremble.

An earthquake?

Moments later, I felt my body being pushed upward.

We’re... rising?

I immediately grabbed Daisy and hugged her tightly.

After a while, the shaking finally stopped.

When everything calmed down, I realized I was still holding Daisy, who trembled slightly in fear.

I stared around in shock.

The temple that once had only five floors had transformed into an enormous tower stretching high into the sky.

"This..." I muttered.

"How is it? Pretty amazing, right?" Ringga grinned proudly.

I took a deep breath—

then pinched him hard.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Ringga cried. "Why did you pinch me!?"

"You’re asking why!? You should’ve warned us before doing something like that! Look, Daisy got scared!!" I shouted through telepathy.

"S-Sorry..." Ringga replied awkwardly.

After a few moments of comforting her, Daisy finally opened her eyes again—

Though she still clung tightly to my dress.

But the fear on her face instantly disappeared once she saw the scenery from this incredible height.

Her eyes sparkled with amazement.

"Waaahhh! So cool!!"

Thank goodness.

She was smiling again.

I shot Ringga another sharp glare.

Sensing my stare, he forced an awkward smile.

"I-I’ll explain, okay?"

"So basically, I modified the Temple of the Sun and Moon back when this was still a game. And after the world became real, the mechanism somehow still existed. I tested it earlier... and it worked."

So my suspicion about him being some sort of admin was probably true after all.

"So what are we doing here?"

"You said you wanted to gather as many players as possible for the Forbidden Land raid, right? Here."

Ringga handed me a piece of paper.

This was...

A speech?

"Lu, did you bring the things I asked for?"

"Yes, Master," Lusserina answered.

"Then I’ll leave it to you!"

"My Lady, this way please," Lusserina said.

She guided me downstairs.

[Several Minutes Later]

When we returned to the top floor—

My heart pounded violently.

I clenched my fists and glared sharply at Ringga.

"What exactly are you trying to do to me!?" I shouted through telepathy.

I was now wearing an elegant long white dress with a golden-patterned hood attached to it.

"So, Daisy? Doesn’t your mother look beautiful?" Ringga grinned mischievously.

For some reason, his words made my heart beat even faster.

"Mhm! Mom looks just like a goddess! Right, Abi!?" Daisy’s eyes sparkled brightly.

"Young Miss Daisy is correct. Lady Luna truly looks beautiful," Abiyasa replied.

"I hate agreeing with this ugly cat, but Lady Luna really does look like a goddess," Annandita added.

"Well then, let’s begin," Ringga declared.

He pulled out a circular platform covered with glowing rune symbols around its edges.

"Lun, step on it."

I slowly stepped onto the platform.

The moment I did, light began glowing beneath my feet.

"When I give the signal, read the words from the paper I gave you earlier, okay?" Ringga said.

"O-Okay."

Ringga took out something resembling a remote control.

He pressed a button.

Then he gave me a thumbs-up before pressing another switch.

And then—

Light from the rune circle beneath my feet began glowing brighter and brighter.

At first, it was only a faint glimmer.

But gradually—

It transformed into a massive pillar of golden-white light piercing through the heavens.

Wind began to blow.

Softly.

Then stronger and stronger.

My hair fluttered wildly together with the golden hood draped over my head. The air around the platform vibrated gently as though mana itself was resonating throughout the surroundings.

Ringga slowly pressed another button on the device in his hand.

And in the next instant—

The sky above Lake Dewata lit up.

WHHUUUUMMM—

A gigantic magic circle appeared high in the heavens.

Countless glowing runes rotated slowly like ancient stars orbiting the sky itself. Their golden radiance reflected upon the lake below until the entire surface resembled an ocean of light.

Then—

A colossal figure slowly materialized in the sky.

It was me.

A gigantic holographic version of myself wearing a long white dress and golden hood floated above the clouds.

The moment the figure fully formed—

The world seemed to fall silent.

The wind stopped.

Birds flying through the sky suddenly became quiet.

Even the ripples upon the lake slowly faded away.

In distant cities—

People stopped walking.

Adventurers looked up toward the heavens.

Soldiers standing guard slowly raised their heads.

Children stopped playing.

And for one brief moment—

The entire continent gazed toward the same sky.

I swallowed nervously.

My heart pounded violently.

"To all players across this continent..."

My voice echoed through the heavens.

Gentle.

Yet vast enough to shake the air itself.

"I bring grave news for all of us."

Beneath the glowing sky, clouds slowly parted as though making way for my colossal figure.

"For those who have yet to hear..."

"The City of Parahyangan has fallen."

Silence spread everywhere.

"It was destroyed by the monsters sealed there for over two hundred years."

"For all this time... we lived in peace because of the guardians maintaining those seals."

"But..."

The runes in the sky pulsed slowly.

"The seals have begun to crack."

"And within three months..."

"...the walls protecting this world will collapse."

Golden flashes swept across the night sky.

Across the continent—

people trembled.

Some stood frozen in disbelief.

Others clenched their fists tightly.

"I do not want this world to be destroyed."

For the first time—

My voice trembled slightly.

"I do not want to lose the place that has become our home."

The wind began blowing once more.

My gigantic white dress fluttered through the heavens like a goddess standing among the clouds.

"That is why..."

"I need your strength."

"I ask for the aid of every player across this continent to face the coming crisis."

Slowly, I brought my hands together before my chest.

Then bowed my head.

"May all of you be granted protection..."

"...and safety."

The moment those final words left my lips—

The entire magic circle in the heavens shone brilliantly.

And then—

It shattered into countless particles of light that drifted gently across the night sky like a rain of stars.

• •

In a desert city northwest of Nyrranthea...

A muscular man stepped outside his shop after hearing the voice from the heavens. A woman followed shortly behind him as he raised his gaze toward the sky.

"So... it’s finally time," he thought quietly.

Inside the coliseum of Arvastan...

A man dressed entirely in green trained with several swordsmen before a gigantic translucent woman suddenly appeared in the sky above.

"So this is the invitation?" he thought with a smile.

Within the northern mountain ranges...

A draconian holding a staff was teaching a young girl magic when the massive figure suddenly appeared overhead.

"So... Parahyangan has fallen, huh..." he muttered with a grin.

Inside a treehouse somewhere in the southern forests...

A silver-haired elf woman was busy working on documents before the translucent figure appeared in the sky.

"Players? Will Big Sister Luna join too?" she asked softly with a smile.

• •

After my final words, the light from the projector vanished.

Silence filled the tower for a brief moment.

"...."

"...And CUT!" Ringga shouted.

"Great work, Lun! Hahaha!"

"...."

"Y-You should’ve warned me that it would turn out like THAT! I could’ve prepared myself mentally!" I protested.

"But then it wouldn’t feel natural. Besides, your acting sucks," Ringga laughed loudly. "You should’ve seen your expression earlier—it was priceless!"

M-My expression!?

"Mom’s cheeks are red! Are you sick?" Daisy asked worriedly.

Hearing her words, I instinctively touched my cheeks.

They really were warmer than usual.

I glared sharply at Ringga, but he immediately hid behind Daisy.

"Hey Daisy, I think your mom might be sick. Can you check on her? I’ll buy you ice cream later," Ringga whispered.

"Yay! Ice cream!" Daisy cheered.

Ugh, he’s so annoying!

Just like back in the game, he still loved teasing people.

Earlier, I had been wondering how to gather players from all across the world to participate in the Parahyangan raid.

But of course—

Ringga always had absurd and unconventional ways of solving problems.

And with this—

Our goal of inviting the players had finally been accomplished.

From now on—

We would become busier than ever, preparing for the raid.