NoveLight ™
The story of someone born with a silver spoon, racing down a wide-open path to success, versus the story of someone with a difficult past, who climbed a steep cliff despite all odds to reach the top— which would move people’s hearts more?
Most people would likely be moved by the latter. Stories of individuals who overcome overwhelming adversity to achieve success aren't as common, so they resonate on a deeper level. Some find hope in such tales, feeling a sense of connection, while others may be inspired to work harder.
[Poor Kana...]
How hard must it have been for her at that young age?
[Comments]
-?? -??? -Seriously? -A lot of you haven’t watched the stream, huh?
And now, another story that tugs at the heartstrings has been added to the list. The revelation of the NPC "Canaria Grasis" by Journey had given enough insight into her past to evoke sympathy in the audience, if not tears.
They say that indifference can be worse than hatred, but sometimes interest can be just as poisonous as apathy. Kana’s parents were that kind of poison. According to Aeron’s account, they didn’t see their daughter as a precious result of their love but as a tool to be used. If they hadn’t died in an unforeseen accident, Kana might have ended up as the plaything of some wealthy pervert—or worse, no longer part of this world.
After her parents' deaths, young Kana was left alone at an age when she still needed care, wandering the slums with other children in similar circumstances. Although it's unclear what kind of life she led, it’s easy to imagine that it was far from ordinary. And just when it seemed like she was surviving, monsters overran the city. She was lucky to be saved by Garid, who arrived just in time, but the ordeal was a nightmare no six-year-old should ever have to endure.
There are many people with troubled pasts who go unnoticed, fading into obscurity. However, if people are confronted with such a person in real life, few could easily ignore them. That was why Aeron had shared Kana’s story with Journey—a subtle request to take care of her, in his own way.
What Aeron couldn’t know, however, was that there were invisible eyes watching Journey—hundreds of thousands of eyes, in fact.
-[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] -[The weather was supposed to be clear today, so why is it suddenly raining...] -[This story is so predictable, but why am I crying?]
As a result, Aeron unintentionally became a chain reaction of tears for hundreds of thousands of people. Initially, players saw Kana as a ruthless raid boss— a flawed creation that ignored balance, a poorly designed boss.
But that perception shifted over time as more details about Kana emerged. She went from being a monstrous raid boss to a cute girl, and from a cute girl to a tragic soul guarding her father’s grave. Now, she was seen as a poor, tragic figure with a painful past.
[That flower garden in the boss room]
I thought Kana just liked flowers, but it turns out she was growing them because her late father (Garid) loved them… and he had wanted her to like flowers, too. It’s so heartbreaking... ㅠㅠㅠ
[Comments]
-I really want to smack whoever wrote that comment. ┗Yeah, but it really is sad... ┗Agreed...
[I wish I had a girlfriend like Kana]
Someone who only has eyes for me, who’d never forget me even after I’m gone. If I were to rank NPCs based on their suitability for marriage, Kana would be the top choice, no doubt.
(“Pure love is the best” meme.jpg)
[Comments]
-Sigh... I usually prefer NTR, but even I can’t deny this. ┗Die, NTR fan. -So, you like little girls like Kana, huh? ┗Wait, what? ┗Hold on. ┗No, I meant I like her personality, not her appearance! ┗(execution image meme) ┗Save your excuses for the judge, let's go. -I’d actually feel sad if my girlfriend only thought of me after I died. ┗Same. -I think you should worry about finding a girlfriend first.
[I just want to spoil Kana]
I want to feed her delicious food, buy her whatever she wants, take her to an amusement park, sing her back to sleep if she has a nightmare, and comfort her when she’s scared of cockroaches. I want to spoil her until she forgets all her painful memories.
[Comments]
-Should we intervene, chief? ┗Hmm... it’s a bit borderline. -Helping her with cockroaches is actually pretty sweet. ┗Do you really think Kana would be scared of a cockroach? ┗She’d probably split the house in half. ┗??? “Ah! A bug!” (destroying the house) ┗One million gone every time a bug appears, lol. ┗Honestly, it’s the poster’s fault for buying a house with bugs in it. -It feels more like you’re talking about what you want to do for yourself. ┗Wasn’t that the case from the start? -And this is why you want to spoil her and not just admire her? ┗(patting Kana meme)
Of course, not everyone was sympathetic.
[It’s just an NPC made by Demonins]
People are making such a fuss, calling this top-tier content. It's disgusting how these pedos are all over a loli character. It’s obvious they were just pushing for popularity, and no one even sees that. Stop getting so emotionally invested—it’s gross.
[Comments]
-'Real' -Why even play RPGs if you’re not going to get invested? -Yes, yes, the cool-headed, rational, wise commenter is always right. -Is there any game that isn’t a tear-jerker made by the devs?
┗Even movies and comics are made by people, you know.
┗This person only watches documentaries. Please take down your post. -This is a terminal case of “too cool” syndrome. Family members, please prepare yourselves.
┗Doctor, is there any hope? My husband can’t survive this, right...?
┗That took me a moment to understand, lol.
Even the most steadfast individuals can’t resist a powerful current. Although the waters of the internet lack physical form, their strength is undeniable. And just like that, the detractors were swept away by the tide, leaving behind a torrent of emotions that seemed unlikely to settle anytime soon.
* * *
“‘I’m enjoying the stream. Please use this to buy something nice for Kana’...”
Rustle.
Journey’s face showed a hint of confusion as she read the note in her hand.
“What is all this?”
Last night, Journey had logged out from the game and finally got to enjoy a good night’s sleep in a real bed at the inn Aeron had arranged. She’d been sleeping in the capsule for days due to the escort quest, so lying down on a soft mattress again felt like floating on air. Not that she regretted taking the quest, of course.
When she logged back into the game and opened the door to her room, however, she was taken aback.
A huge pile of items had accumulated just outside her door.
‘Did I order this much stuff?’
For a moment, Journey forgot she was in the world of Silea, and the thought crossed her mind that it looked just like a delivery pile back home. There were various items left with both short and long notes attached, while some were simply left there with no note at all. The strangest thing among them was a neat stack of Imperial coins placed off to the side.
The notes varied in content but shared the same sentiment: they were watching the stream, and they hoped this money (or gift) would help in some small way.
Who for?
“For who else? Of course, it’s for Kana.”
After reading a few more notes, Journey realized that all of this was the reaction to yesterday’s broadcast. In other words, these were all gifts for Kana.
‘But why wasn’t there any reaction before?’
After a bit of thought, Journey came to a conclusion. Back then, all that had been revealed was the identity of the grave’s owner that Kana was protecting, not the details of Kana’s past. Besides, Kana had been living in such a remote area, hidden behind barriers, which made access difficult.
But now Journey was in the bustling city of Riverie, the Free Mercenary City, with hundreds of players residing here at any given time.
Journey rummaged through the pile of gifts by the door.
“This is money. And this… also money. What’s this?”
“Huh… are they really that tasty?”
Journey opened a small paper bag and took out a cookie, staring at it before opening her mouth wide.
“It was just a joke!”
The chat finally calmed down once she quickly stuffed the cookie back into the bag.
“But seriously, this is a lot. How am I supposed to deal with all of this?”
As Journey was pondering how to handle all the items, the sound of heavy footsteps approached.
“Did you sleep well? ...What’s all this?”
“Oh, well…”
Aeron stopped mid-greeting, looking just as surprised as she had earlier when she first opened the door. Luckily, it didn’t take her long to explain the situation to him this time.
“My comrades heard I was taking care of a child and decided to send some help.”
She had to tweak the truth a bit since she couldn’t exactly tell him the full story.
“...You didn’t tell them about Kana, did you?”
“N-no, of course not.”
‘I didn’t say anything, so it’s not a lie,’ Journey thought to herself, though she felt a bit guilty as she avoided meeting Aeron’s eyes.