Chapter 180: Merry Christmas Online (2)

After the Invasion Event ended successfully, Pegasus Corporation made another surprise announcement.

“A Christmas Event,

huh

...”

If the Invasion Event had been designed to help players grow, the Christmas event had a bit of a different purpose.

“Limited edition character outfits... and Crystal Hearts for expressing your feelings?”

In short, this event was meant for those with lovers and friends—a concept completely unrelated to Kai! ...Or so he thought.

“I have something I want to eat”

Helik, her cheeks puffed out with air, sulked as she looked at Kai, who had come to visit her after a long time.

“What is it that you want to eat this time?”

“A Christmas Special Split.”

“

Huh

... How did you even hear about that?”

Kai, who had come to the Celestial Garden to bring her snacks, rubbed his forehead. When he glanced at Helik, it seemed like her belly had gotten slightly rounder since last time...

I’m not ruining a god’s figure, am I?

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

A god gaining weight from receiving too many treats from her follower was unbelievable.

As Kai carefully set down the bundle of snacks he had brought, he asked, “Do you even know what Christmas is?”

“I do.”

“

Oh?

”

Kai tilted his head when Helik showed surprisingly deep knowledge. He had always thought she was rather foolish.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ... How does Helik know about that?

His question was quickly answered.

Helik crossed her arms, puffed up her tiny shoulders, and chuckled, “This was the first day that I bestowed my teachings upon humans.”

“... Really?”

“You, have you been neglecting to read the holy scriptures?" Helik grumbled as she slightly pouted.

Her affinity is about to drop!

Alarmed, Kai quickly waved his hands and said, “Of course not, I was just joking. See, I even brought gifts for Christmas, didn’t I?”

Kai hurriedly shook out the contents of the snack bag, presenting a pile of cookies, candies, chocolates, and cakes.

“

Wooow

... As expected of my envoy! You understand me so well!”

Helik’s eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky as she lunged toward the mountain of treats.

Of course, Kai raised his arm to stop her.

“W-Why are you stopping me...?” Helik sadly asked, conveying her feelings with a trembling gaze.

“Make sure to brush your teeth after eating, and only three treats a day.”

“S-So many... but only three a day? That’s cruel! What a brutal person you are!”

“You’ll gain weight. And it’s bad for your teeth.”

“

Ugh

...”

“If you promise to listen, though... I’ll bring you the Christmas Special Split.”

The Christmas Special Split! Upon hearing those words, Helik perked up instantly.

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. Well, I’ll have to go through quite the ordeal to get it... But still, I’ll make sure to get it for you.”

The Special Split she wanted was a limited item available only during the Christmas Event. It was a banana topped with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and coffee ice cream, drizzled with three special syrups, and garnished with delicious cookies. It was an incredibly popular item!

I’ll have to hunt a lot of monsters to get that...

It would be a loss for Kai since he would have to hunt low-level monsters, but the affinity boost from Helik would make it worthwhile.

I’ll just think of it as an investment for the future.

Based on his past experiences, Kai realized that Helik was the one who bestowed the Benevolence stat.

She gives the stat whenever she’s moved or convinced.

Favoritism always worked in one’s favor! Thus, if Kai, who already behaved sweetly, did good deeds on top of that...

My Benevolence stat is going to keep piling up.

Moreover, his Benevolence stat increased by an additional 50% with the special title Witness of the Sun.

I was supposed to get 10 Benevolence points, but I ended up with 15 this time.

He had earned more Benevolence points from saving a single city, Baden, than he had when he saved the entire Kingdom of Aquavera. In other words, how much Benevolence he earned depended entirely on Helik’s will!

To other players, she might just be a god for form's sake, but to me... she’s practically a real god.

Kai’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Helik.

Whether she knew that or not, Helik had the happiest expression in the world as she stuffed her mouth full of chocolate cake.

***

“

Phew

, I finally gathered all the materials.”

To obtain the Christmas Special Split, one had to bring tokens from defeated monsters to an event NPC.

The Banshees were a bit tricky.

Physical attacks didn’t deal much damage, so they were a bit tough to defeat. Although they were only level 130, which made them easy for Kai, they were annoying since they floated in the air.

“Hey, what costume parts do you still need?”

“I just need the hat now. What about you?”

“I need the shoes and the beard. Got any spare materials?”

“Yeah, I’ve got all the shoe materials, but I’m short on the beard. Let’s go. I’ll help you.”

During the Christmas Event, every city was filled with a festive atmosphere. Even though it was just a game, carols echoed through the streets, and the town squares were lit with bright lights and huge Christmas trees.

“The day Helik gave her teachings... Funny how they’ve reworked that and Christianity hasn’t raised an eyebrow,” Kai chuckled as he made his way to an event NPC.

In line with the Christmas theme, all the important NPCs were dressed in red and white.

Christmas events have always been a favorite among game developers.

That was because they brought a surge in both active players and content purchases! Of course,

MID Online

didn’t sell paid content beyond the subscription fee. However, limited-time event costumes were more than enough to trigger the collector instincts of the players.

Helik would look pretty good in those...

But to get them, he would have to hunt more monsters.

Scratching his head, Kai found an event NPC and approached her.

“Merry Christmas! What can I do for you today?”

“I’d like to exchange for a Christmas Special Split. Here are the materials.”

“Alright! The materials are confirmed!” The cute NPC handed Kai a square box wrapped in green and red. “Here is your Christmas Special Split!”

“Thank you.”

Just as Kai was about to leave with the Split in hand, a voice behind him hurriedly addressed the NPC. “Uh... W-what materials do I need for a Crystal Heart...?”

“Fifteen Banshee’s Rags, thirty Crystal Golem Shards, and...”

“I-I have more than enough of the other materials, but I just can’t gather enough Banshee’s Rags on my own... Isn’t there any other way?”

“

Oh...

I’m sorry, Adventurer, but without those materials, I can’t make a Crystal Heart.”

The male player, disappointed by the NPC’s apology, walked away with heavy steps.

“

Hm

.”

Overhearing the conversation, Kai glanced at his inventory.

I’ve still got thirty-two Banshee’s Rags left.

He had killed dozens of them with Holy Explosion, after all.

Banshee’s Rags are selling for ridiculous prices right now...

It was the same in every game—event materials always spiked in price.

But with a fat bank account, Kai decided after seeing the man’s dejected figure.

“Excuse me!”

Kai hurried over to stop the man, who responded in a weak voice.

"Yes...? Can I help you...?"

"Do you need Banshee’s Rags?"

Hearing Kai’s question, the man’s eyes widened, and he nodded.

"Yes! I need them! I really do! But..." His face quickly darkened, and he shook his head as he continued, "I’m sorry. I don’t have enough gold, so... I’ll just be on my way."

Thinking Kai was a merchant selling materials, the man politely apologized and began to walk away.

"No, it’s fine. I just happen to have around fifteen extra rags, and..." Kai smiled brightly and opened a trade window. "Didn’t you say earlier that you had plenty of other materials?"

"Yes... I do."

"Do you have any materials for the Christmas Santa costume?"

"

Oh

, yes! I’ve got enough to make one full set."

"Then how about we trade fifteen Banshee’s Rags for those materials?"

It wasn’t a bad deal for the man. Banshees were notoriously difficult for normal warriors to hunt without a Wizard's help, making Banshee’s Rags one of the most expensive event materials.

"I-I'd be really grateful if you did that! The other materials are relatively easy to gather, after all."

With an instantly brightened expression, the man quickly put the materials into the trade window.

After the successful trade, the man smiled as if he had just won the lottery. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"It’s nothing. I should be the one apologizing. I’m sure it was tough gathering the other materials."

"No, no. Based on the value alone, I’m the one who got the better deal, so I should be thanking you!" The man gazed warmly at the Banshee’s Rags he had just received and explained, "I’m planning to confess my feelings to my crush once I get the Crystal Heart."

"It is the kind of night when couples come together." Kai glanced up, feeling the cold touch of snow on his cheek, and smiled. "Even the sky’s setting the mood."

"A White... Christmas." With a dreamy look, the man nodded confidently. "I’m not a very brave person. I’ve always wanted to confess, but I kept putting it off, telling myself I needed the right moment. I promised myself this time too that if I couldn’t get the Crystal Heart, I wouldn’t confess... but now, I finally can."

"That’s great news. It might be a bit out of the blue, but would you like to hear some advice that might help with your confession?"

"I’m all ears."

It was the same advice Kai's father had given him when he asked how to win a woman’s heart.

"A woman won’t entrust her future to a man who doesn’t even have the courage to confess his feelings. So be confident. Make sure she knows how much you love her, how deep and great that love is."

"

Oh

...!" The man, having gained a great realization from Kai's words, repeatedly bowed his head with a deeply moved expression. "Th-thank you! You’re so kind and handsome, I bet you’re really popular with women! I’ll never forget what you said! I’ll... I’ll definitely convey my feelings to her!"

With renewed courage, the man gave a bright farewell and walked away.

Han Jung-Woo, twenty-two years old and single his whole life, was a man who had learned about love through books and words alone.

***

"H-How did you come back so soon?!"

"Gathering materials isn’t that hard."

Having returned to the Celestial Garden using Shadow Shift, Kai quickly scanned the snacks.

"

Hmm

... you only ate three, right?"

"Of course! I am the Solarian God of mercy and truth. Do you think I would lie about something like that?"

She really looks like she would...

But she was a god, after all. There was no way she would lie about eating one more candy.

Kai smiled and handed Helik two boxes.

Overjoyed, Helik eagerly tore open the larger box just as a child would. "

Oooo

...? What is this?"

"It is clothing that humans wear to commemorate the day your teachings were bestowed.”

“

Wow!

It’s pretty like me!” Helik seemed quite pleased with the red and white fur-lined outfit and immediately put it on. “How do I look?”

“You look wonderful.”

Kai smiled warmly, finding the outfit suited her far better than he had imagined. He then moved behind her.

“What are you doing?”

“Just wait a moment.” Kai grabbed her long hair that reached the floor, parted it in two, folded each half so it made a loop, and tied it into two pigtails, then nodded in approval. “A Santa girl with twin tails, just like a keychain... It’s perfect.”

After enthusiastically taking a few screenshots, Kai pointed to the remaining gift box. “Open that one too.”

“Okay!” Helik quickly tore the remaining box, and her eyes sparkled as brightly as the sun. “Christmas Special Split!”

“Merry Christmas, Helik.”

“Merry Christmas to you as well! May fortune bless your path!”

Ding!

[You have received Helik’s Blessing (Luck).]

[Your luck will greatly increase for seven days.]

Kai shook his head as he saw the message that appeared. Then, he smiled as he watched Helik deliciously enjoy her Split, happily swinging her legs as they didn’t reach the floor when sitting on the chair.