493 Radiant Losten

4

93 Radiant Losten

I stood within the grand hall of the church, its vaulted ceilings shimmering with refracted light from stained glass that depicted Dave’s and Joan’s myths.

The air buzzed with layered conversations, accents clashing and blending in awkward harmony as Losten natives and Hollowed World denizens attempted to bridge the linguistic gap I had forcibly closed through manufactured Skill Books. It worked, but not elegantly. There was a stiffness in their speech, like puppets tugging at unfamiliar strings.

Still, it was progress, and progress was enough for now.

Festivity draped itself over New Risendawn like a thin veil, unable to fully conceal the tension underneath. Liang Na’s people moved like shadows along the periphery, their vigilance sharpened by the influx of opportunists. My gaze swept across clusters of foreign dignitaries and their so-called ‘attendants,’ who were, in truth, entire caravans masquerading under diplomatic immunity.

I exhaled slowly, irritation threading through my thoughts as I reflected on my own oversight. My Ophanim should have anticipated this, yet I knew I hadn’t consciously directed them either. A lapse, perhaps tied to the strange cooldown lingering within my Origin Art. Regardless, the result stood before me in excessive numbers and thinly veiled greed.

I turned away from the crowd and found Dave and Joan waiting near the altar, both dressed in ceremonial attire that still looked foreign on them despite how well it fit. There was a stiffness to their posture, not from the garments, but from the weight settling onto their shoulders.

“How are you both holding up?” I asked, my voice low enough to keep the moment contained between us.

Dave let out a breath that almost turned into a laugh, though it faltered midway. “Honestly? I’m nervous as hell. But… I want to do this right. If we’re really stepping into this, I don’t want to mess it up.”

Joan’s fingers lightly brushed the fabric at her sleeve as she nodded. “It feels overwhelming, but I want to make changes that matter. Not just for appearances. If people are looking to us, then I want to be worthy of that.”

I studied them for a moment, weighing their words against the roles I had carved out for them. Names carried weight, and titles shaped perception long before actions ever could.

“You don’t mind the names and titles I chose for you?” I asked, watching for even the slightest hesitation.

Dave shook his head almost immediately. “No. It actually feels… meaningful. Like it’s something we have to grow into.”

Joan smiled faintly, though there was depth behind it. “They’re not empty titles. I can feel that. So no, I don’t mind.”

That was enough. I gave a small nod before gesturing toward Dave. “Come with me for a moment. I need your help with something.”

Joan tilted her head slightly, curiosity surfacing. “What is it?”

“Nothing, really,” I replied, already turning as Dave fell into step beside me without question.

We hadn’t gone far when Karen appeared. She looked out of place and yet perfectly anchored, her existence overlapping layers only I could fully discern. The faint marker of a player hovering above her confirmed what I already knew.

Karen folded her arms the moment her eyes landed on me, her expression edged with frustration. “Do you have any idea what kind of chaos that last update caused? Investors are already questioning stability, and now there’s talk about legacy characters being reintroduced without proper documentation. It’s not exactly inspiring confidence.”

I let her words settle before responding, my tone even. “I’m just glad you’re here. Having you as my spokesperson makes things considerably easier on my end.”

She blinked, caught off guard for a fraction of a second before recovering. “That’s… not really the point I was making, but fine. I’ll take it.”

I turned slightly, gesturing back toward where Joan still stood, watching us with growing intensity. “Karen, meet—”

Joan’s voice cut through before I could finish, sharp with recognition as her gaze locked onto Karen. “Wait… is she who I think she is?”

I met Joan’s eyes and gave a single, confirming nod.

Understanding struck her instantly, the unseen threads behind her existence suddenly standing in front of her in tangible form. The ‘Voice’ she had followed, questioned, and perhaps even relied on, now had a face.

I glanced at Dave and motioned subtly. He followed me without needing an explanation, leaving Joan and Karen to there own.

…

..

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[POV: Joan]

Joan stood still, yet everything within her felt as though it had begun to move again after a long, stagnant silence. The world shaped by the Source had once felt distant, like a stage she acted upon without ever truly belonging to it. That disconnect had defined her existence for so long that she had stopped questioning it. But now, something stirred deep within her, something alive and expanding, pressing against the boundaries she once accepted.

Karen exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair as she muttered, “I swear, David’s pranks are getting out of hand. First the system tweaks, then this sneaky update slipping in past player characters as NPCs without any warning. I didn’t even know that was possible.”

The words were casual, almost dismissive, but they carried implications that Joan could not ignore. She stepped forward, her gaze unwavering as she addressed her directly.

“I don’t know what you mean exactly,” Joan said, her voice steady despite the storm of realization building beneath it. “But I think I understand the context. Your kind sees this world differently. You believe this is all… not real. Some kind of grand illusion. I want you to know that isn’t the case.”

Karen froze.

For the first time since she had arrived, her composure cracked. Her eyes searched Joan’s face, not as one would observe a character, but as one would look at something impossible.

A faint tremor entered her voice as she asked, “You… can see me?”

Joan nodded without hesitation.

“I’m grateful,” Joan continued, her expression softening but never losing its intensity. “I wouldn’t have reached this point without you.”

…

..

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I kept my hands steady over the small grill, watching the skewers sizzle as the oil crackled in quiet protest. The aroma was… questionable, but the rich qi I infused into each piece masked it well enough to the untrained senses.

Dave stood beside me, equally diminished into the form of a child, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and reluctant amusement. The new Chibi Perfume I just recently pilfered from the Origin King’s treasury had done its work flawlessly, shrinking us down into harmless figures that blended seamlessly into the crowd.

At this point, I was convinced the item bordered on absurdity with how effective it was. No trace, no leakage of aura, nothing that could betray us unless someone truly went out of their way to pry. Or in our case, purposefully let out our spiritual pressure.

Dave leaned closer, keeping his voice low as he glanced around at the bustling festival. “What exactly are we doing here, my lord?”

I didn’t even look at him as I rotated a skewer, letting the heat kiss it evenly. “First of all, stop calling me with any kind of title,” I muttered. “After today, I expect you to speak to me like a normal person. No ‘my lord,’ no distance. Just talk to me like a friend.”

He blinked, slightly taken aback, but nodded.

“This,” I continued, gesturing to the stall we had thrown together not long ago, “is us killing time. And bonding, apparently.”

I picked up another unfortunate roach, snapping off its legs with practiced ease before skewering it alongside the others. The faint glow of qi seeped into the meat, transforming it into something far more… marketable.

A group of passing cultivators slowed nearby, their hushed whispers barely concealed as their eyes lingered on us.

“Do you feel that?” one of them murmured, barely containing his excitement. “They look like children, but that aura… it’s completely hidden. They must be experts.”

Another nodded eagerly. “Hidden masters, for sure. This must be one of those encounters you read about. They’re testing fate during the coronation.”

Their debate grew more animated, each trying to outguess the other until one of them finally stepped forward, pushing past his hesitation.

The young man bowed slightly, his curiosity outweighing caution. “Senior… what are you cooking?”

I glanced up at him, letting a slow grin form as I answered, “This is a rare delicacy known as ‘Heavenly Ember Ninefold Essence Skewers.’ Very few in this world have the fortune to even witness it.”

His eyes widened instantly, awe replacing any trace of doubt. The name alone had done its job.

“I’ll take fifty,” he said quickly, then paused before doubling down with even greater enthusiasm. “No, a hundred!”

Dave shot me a look, one that hovered between disbelief and pity for the poor soul in front of us.

The young cultivator fumbled with his storage pouch as he asked, “H-how much would that be, Senior?”

I waved a hand dismissively, as if the matter barely concerned me. “I’ll give you a discount. Just make sure you tell your friends where you got them.”

That was all it took.

He began practically shoving spirit stones toward me, his excitement overriding any sense of caution. Dave moved mechanically beside me, packing the skewers into a paper bag while occasionally glancing at the young man as though debating whether to warn him.

By the time the transaction was done, the cultivator left clutching his prize like it was a divine artifact, his companions crowding around him in envy.

Dave let out a long sigh once they were out of earshot. “You really haven’t changed at all. Still messing with people like this, my lord.”

I scoffed lightly, flipping another skewer. “I’m doing them a favor. Teaching the younger generation that life isn’t just about cultivation.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue either.

Around us, the reactions were… telling.

Losten natives gave our stall a wide berth, their expressions ranging from mild disgust to outright avoidance. The group of cultivators who had just purchased from us also drifted away, though theirs was fueled more by anticipation than suspicion.

Then Ru Qiu appeared.

He stopped just a few steps away, his gaze locking onto me with unsettling accuracy. Recognition flickered in his eyes before he scoffed, clearly unimpressed by my selection.

Without a word, he set up his own stall right next to mine.

I watched in silence as he brought out his ingredients.

Grasshoppers.

Slugs.

I felt my expression twitch slightly. “Really?”

He ignored me completely, already preparing his own skewers like this was some unspoken competition. I exhaled through my nose. Of course he would take it this way.

Dave leaned in, lowering his voice again. “Um… What’s the Heavenly Demon doing?”

“Just a bored individual with too much time on his hands,” I replied flatly. “Ignore him. He must be really bored if he’s resorting to this…”

As if drawn by fate or chaos, a group of players wandered into the area, their appearances immediately standing out. One had the head of a duck on a perfectly human body. Another looked like a distorted cartoon figure, while a third wore a face that seemed ripped straight from some exaggerated meme. Their designs clashed violently with the surrounding world, yet they moved through it with complete confidence.

Karen’s earlier words echoed faintly in my mind about the updated character creation system. Advanced tools, AI assistance, photo imports… it certainly showed.

Then I saw him.

For a brief moment, I genuinely thought Tom Cruise had just walked past my stall, surrounded by a group of admiring girls. The resemblance was uncanny, almost absurd.

The only difference?

He stood at least six foot two.

I stared a second longer than necessary before shaking my head slightly, returning my attention to the grill as if nothing about this day could surprise me anymore.

…

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[POV: Joan]

Joan moved through the festival with a lightness she hadn’t felt in years, the atmosphere wrapping around her like something warm and long forgotten. Laughter echoed freely, blending with music and conversation as people from different worlds mingled in a way that once felt impossible. For the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to simply exist within it.

Beside her, Karen walked at an easy pace, her earlier tension replaced with something softer as her gaze drifted across the lively streets.

“Do you remember that quest near the shattered valley?” Karen said suddenly, a faint smile forming. “The one where you kept triggering every trap because you insisted on leading the way? I thought my mouse was getting wonky or something.”

Joan let out a quiet laugh, the memory surfacing vividly. “You told me the path was safe.”

“I said it looked safe,” Karen corrected, her tone laced with amusement. “There’s a difference.”

They continued walking, their shared history weaving itself into the present as naturally as breathing.

“And then there was that dungeon run,” Karen added, glancing at her. “Where David refused to follow the plan and somehow made things worse and better at the same time.”

Joan shook her head, laughter slipping through more freely now.

Karen’s expression shifted, turning teasing as she nudged the conversation in a different direction. “Speaking of David… Or I guess, Dave? Yeah, how are the two of you doing?”

Joan felt a flicker of embarrassment rise, subtle but undeniable.

“We’re getting married,” she revealed, her voice softer now.

…

..

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[POV: Karen]

Karen sat among the polished pews, her hands loosely folded over her lap as her gaze remained fixed on the ceremony unfolding before her. The soft glow of ambient light filtered through towering stained glass, casting shifting colors across the gathered crowd. It should have felt like a scripted event, something pre-rendered and guided by invisible triggers, yet every movement carried weight in a way she couldn’t easily categorize.

Her player character was getting married.

The thought circled in her mind with a strange persistence, refusing to settle into anything simple. There was a faint, almost absurd sting to it, one she couldn’t quite dismiss. Joan, her Joan, was stepping into something monumental before she herself had even reached that point in her own life. The comparison lingered longer than she cared to admit.

Her eyes softened as she watched the figure at the center of it all.

She remembered creating Joan.

Late nights in cramped dorm rooms, arguing over mechanics and lore with her college friends while lines of code blurred into entire worlds. She remembered shaping Joan’s appearance, refining her backstory, testing her limits both as a developer and a player.

There had always been that quiet ethical gray area in playing within a system you helped build, but LLO had never been the kind of game where insider knowledge translated into dominance. If anything, it punished overconfidence.

She had died more times than she could count before even reaching Level 10.

This world, whatever it had become, followed that same philosophy.

At the front, David—no, the Holy Emperor—stood in full regalia, his presence commanding without being overbearing. Karen narrowed her eyes slightly, analyzing him with a developer’s instinct she hadn’t quite shaken off.

There it was.

That subtle, unmistakable trace of personality beneath the role.

“Before we proceed,” David said, his voice carrying effortlessly across the hall, “I feel obligated to ask the important questions. Have the two of you discussed your honeymoon plans, and more importantly, how many children you’re planning to surprise the kingdom with?”

A ripple of polite laughter spread through the audience, some amused, others simply playing along with the levity.

Karen exhaled through her nose, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Yeah… that’s definitely him,” she muttered under her breath.

To her side, a cluster of players leaned toward each other, their voices lowered but not nearly enough.

“I’m telling you, the David-Dave ship had potential,” one of them insisted.

“It was never going to happen,” another shot back immediately. “You’re delusional if you thought they’d go that route.”

Karen pressed her fingers against her forehead in a slow, deliberate facepalm.

Their voices continued, aided by Qi Speech that should have filtered outsiders, except they had clearly forgotten one crucial detail.

Her.

“I mean, if we’re talking real missed opportunities, the Ru Qiu pairing arcs are way more unhinged,” someone added.

“Oh please, nothing beats the goblin theory. You know the one. Don’t act like you haven’t read it.”

Karen lowered her hand, staring at them in disbelief.

“What is wrong with you people?” she muttered under her breath, though they didn’t seem to notice.

Another voice chimed in, tinged with frustration. “You all joke, but do you have any idea how insane Ru Qiu’s disciple quests are? I tried it once. Never again. That guy is a menace.”

Karen blinked, her attention snagging on that detail. “...That’s new,” she murmured quietly, filing it away without realizing why.

The ceremony continued, drawing her focus back to the front.

Dave stood facing Joan, his usual casual demeanor tempered by something steadier, more grounded. In his hands rested a ring that shimmered faintly with layered enchantments, its design intricate without being excessive.

Joan mirrored him, her expression calm yet filled with something deeper, something Karen couldn’t quite define but instinctively understood.

They exchanged rings in silence first, the act itself carrying enough meaning that words felt secondary.

Then came the vows.

“I didn’t expect any of this,” Dave admitted, his voice steady despite the honesty woven into it. “But if I’m standing here now, it’s because I chose to be. And I’ll keep choosing that, no matter what comes next.”

Joan held his gaze, her own voice following with quiet strength. “This world gave me a purpose, but you gave me a reason to believe in it. I’ll stand with you, not because I have to, but because I want to.”

There was no dramatic flourish, no exaggerated spectacle.

Just sincerity.

When they leaned in, their kiss was brief yet decisive, sealing something that extended far beyond the ceremony itself.

Basically, this was the second time Dave and Joan was getting married, first time when this was just a game, and a second time here in this sequel.

Karen felt her chest tighten slightly, though her expression remained composed.

At the forefront, the Holy Emperor raised his hand, his voice resonating with finality as the moment reached its peak.

“By the light of the Immortal Path and the will of Losten's people, I crown you Davian Lightforge and Joana Luminara, the Twin Sovereigns of Radiant Losten. May your rule ward the realm from shadow and guide it into eternity.”