NPC Fell onto My Bed C1

Chapter 01
The Chosen One

“Adventurer.”
“The light of dawn has guided you here. This is Eir, the temple where the radiance of healing flows.”
“For the sake of your destiny, I shall open the path of the priest to you.”

Hardiel Noah Hildegard offered the warrior before him a warm smile. Though no wings spread from his back, a halo of light streamed out, rivaling the majesty of wings themselves.

Clad in immaculate white priestly robes, Hildegard bore a beauty so unearthly it could scarcely be called human. Here, there were those who whispered he was no less than an angel descended to earth to deliver the will of the Most High—but of course, that could not be so.

He was merely a first-class job advancement guide, and, of all things, the one responsible for the healer’s advancement.

Hardiel Noah Hildegard.
Not a single adventurer could manage to memorize all eleven syllables of his name. Watching the thousands of adventurers who passed before him each day, Noah often wondered:

Would they be surprised if I told them “Hildegard” was but my surname, and “Noah” my given name?

But surely, even if he explained, it would vanish from their memories before long. That was only natural. Every adventurer he knew was consumed by only one thing…

[World] RiseToTheTopHeals: LFG Hardeka clear party, need 2 DPS, 1 healer, quick run~
[World] BlameTheHealer: Recruiting healer for Hardeka clear, mechanics known.
[World] DidIDodgeThat: LFM for Rock Dungeon? Need healer.

They were all mad for leveling up.

The classic fantasy RPG Last Chronicle had just celebrated its fifth anniversary, unveiling a grand update along with the opening of the dungeon Cassandra, Chapel of Eir’s Prayer. As a result, the temple of Eir—once silent save for those seeking healer advancement in its remote mountain valley—was suddenly teeming with noise.

Thus, the High Priest of the Temple of Eir, Noah, who had lived in calm days, now found himself living a busier life than ever.

Chapel of Eir’s Prayer, Cassandra.
Shortened, “Hardeka.” True to its name, it was a dungeon that absolutely required a healer. Thanks to this, the healer class, once unpopular, had skyrocketed in demand.

On this day alone, Noah had already advanced 352 adventurers into healers. Among them were those who had barely reached level 10 and sought their first advancement, as well as those who had reached level 120, undertaking the newly introduced fourth advancement.

At last, the hours of morning arrived, when adventurers came less frequently. Most stormed in during evening until dawn; morning to noon was relatively quiet.

Noah finally let out a weary breath. Once, he had worried endlessly about the shortage of healers when the class was unpopular. Now that its popularity had soared to the heavens, it was his own exhaustion that troubled him.

“To think the other advancement guides have endured this all along…”

Last Chronicle was so committed to generating new classes that it had continued adding them even until recently. Thus, there were many advancement guides besides Noah; each was responsible for overseeing multiple subclass paths beneath their designated job.

For instance, as the healer advancement guide, Noah managed the paths of Priest, Bard, and Paladin. With three starting classes, each having four further advancements, that meant Noah alone oversaw twelve possible jobs.

At least the saving grace was that healer remained relatively unpopular. Of course, Noah—bearing the will of Eir—was ever anxious to expand the healer’s influence.

“Haah… perhaps now I can rest a little—hm?”

Just as Noah was about to truly take his break, his eyes fell upon a figure.

At a glance, his frame seemed more suited to warrior or swordsman than to healer. Yet adventurers’ appearances often defied Noah’s expectations, so he shook his head and composed himself.

Judging from his equipment, he was certainly not high-level. As he approached, Noah smiled warmly, waiting for him to initiate conversation.

An NPC, after all, could never speak first.

“The light of dawn has guided you here…”

Noah rehearsed the lines as the adventurer came within arm’s reach. With a single press of the F key, Noah would utter them like a programmed response.

But the man did not speak.

Blankly. Aimlessly.

He merely stood beside Noah, staring at him. Noah’s warm smile remained fixed, though inside he grew uneasy. With the adventurer so close, he could not slip away for rest. All he could do was wait for the man to speak.

[World] Limp1219: Healer advancement guide… Hardiel Noah Hildegard?

The man quietly spoke his full name. Noah stared in mute surprise as his name left the man’s lips. Never before had some passing adventurer spoken his full name aloud.

[World] Limp1219: As a healer… can you cure anything?

Noah only continued to smile serenely at him. Unless the adventurer pressed F, all he could do was smile—no, even if the key was pressed, only his predetermined lines could emerge.

[World] Limp1219: Then heal my leg.
[World] Limp1219: Heal this **damned leg.

Certain words were censored before they could reach Noah. For adventurers, Eir’s divine will imposed certain laws—among them, a ban on profanity. That was surely why his words were muted.

Looking at the man who suddenly demanded healing, Noah could not hide the pang of pity in his heart. If only he could examine the man’s leg and grant him his healing light. But Eir had erected an unbreachable wall between adventurers and NPCs.

“……”

With priestly patience, Noah waited for the man to speak properly. Yet the man never did. He merely sat nearby, as though content to bask in the faint glow of Noah’s healing aura.

“Adventurer, the light of dawn has guided you here. This is the temple where the radiance of healing flows…”

Speaking his set lines to a new adventurer, Noah nevertheless cast unseen glances to his side.

For beside the one speaking to him stood another: the very same adventurer who, days ago, had begged him to heal his leg—Limp1219.

He still had not advanced, nor had he spoken a word to Noah.

“The sacred light surrounds you. Perhaps you are the one we have long awaited.”

As Noah recited the customary blessing for first advancement, the adventurer before him departed, satisfied. Once more, Noah was left not alone—but with only Limp1219 by his side.

At first, Noah had found him somewhat unsettling. Yet after a day or two, his presence no longer troubled him. Sometimes it was even pleasant, for in the shabby temple he no longer felt entirely alone.

Then one day, after days of silence, Limp1219 finally spoke.

[World] Limp1219: Hey.
[World] Limp1219: Today is the last time.

Was he, like countless others before, preparing to leave the world of Last Chronicle? Noah thought so, unsurprised. Tens of millions of adventurers had passed through his life. A few remained in his memory, but none had ever stayed until the end.

[World] Limp1219: If there’s a next life for me…
[World] Limp1219: Then please, let me live.

But the words struck Noah as strange. A subtle unease stirred within him.

As Noah pondered, sincerely worried for the man, another adventurer nearby snickered mockingly.

[World] DodgingIsCosmetic: lol what a pathetic loser.

That adventurer laughed and left. How Noah wished he too could simply brush things aside and move on. But he was bound to his place, ever the NPC.

[World] Limp1219: I want to live.

“……”

And with those final words, Limp1219 vanished. Noah closed his lips tightly. What he had just witnessed was the radiance of logout—an utterly ordinary sight.

So why did it torment him so? Though adventurers logging out was a natural matter, Limp1219’s last cry scraped at Noah’s heart, as though someone were grinding it raw with sandpaper.

Troubled, Noah finally stood in the center of the temple and prayed earnestly to the god Eir.

“Please, I beg you—protect the life of Limp1219.”

At that moment, a great radiance blazed above Noah’s body. Brighter and more explosive than the light of any fourth advancement, it burst forth in brilliance. And when the light at last faded—

Noah blinked.

“…Who are you?”

He half-closed his long dark-green lashes, gazing at the man who spoke to him. And then he answered:

“Limp1219… sir?”

The coarse touch of a mattress surrounded him. Eir had granted the wish of His most cherished priest, Noah.

“Who the fuck are you calling ‘limp’?”

…Perhaps in a somewhat violent way.