The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 72: The Things We Made Together (4)

The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 72: The Things We Made Together (4)

Translator: Dreamscribe
The Kingdom of Sillion was founded in Arsilan, and Leon was crowned king!
It wasn’t just news for the heroes who enjoyed Arsilan Saga. The coronation ceremony was broadcast live across multiple countries, and even featured in special news segments.
Leon proclaiming the foundation of the kingdom while wearing the crown was truly overwhelming. It was edited and uploaded not only to Arsilan Worlds but also to YouTube and social media. With an enormous number of views, it dominated every topic of conversation.
Even people who normally had no interest in Arsilan Saga came to know about Leon, and his popularity skyrocketed.
He was already famous, but with the royal attribute added, his popularity was surging uncontrollably. There were even talks of replacing the number one most influential leader in the world.
The greater Leon became, the more pride the heroes felt.
We are citizens of the Kingdom of Sillion!
That sense of belonging could only be felt by heroes. If before they had been visitors summoned to save Arsilan, now they were citizens of the Kingdom of Sillion and felt a strong sense of belonging.
Anyway, with the coronation, the Wish Event of Episode 2 concluded with great praise.
Jinwoo, who had somehow become king, was handling royal duties in the royal palace. Though they called it royal duties, it was the same as before - managing Arsilan Saga.
Jinwoo first appointed retainers from Rainsword. Heina became the commander of the Sillion Knights, and Hasman, dressed as a distinguished middle-aged man, took on the role of prime minister. Hallon, with his face covered, served as a high priest at Ella’s Grand Temple.
Just like they managed Rainsword before, now they would do their best for the Kingdom of Sillion.
“Your Majesty! Please lift your head just a little higher!”
“Like this?”
“Perfect! That’s great!”
Hero Photoshot began taking pictures of Jinwoo seated in the office. After the photos were done, he filmed a video of Jinwoo naturally signing documents and drinking tea.
“Wow! It’s art! Every time I shoot, it becomes a masterpiece! As expected of Your Majesty Leon!”
“Haha….”
“Then I’ll see you at the next schedule!”
Photoshot bowed politely and stepped back.
The reason Photoshot was taking Jinwoo’s photos and daily scenes like this was because of a sub-wish.
In the sub-category of ‘Make Leon the King!’, there was a wish: ‘Please show us the daily life of King Leon! Please vlog it!’ So many heroes gathered around this wish that it became one that couldn’t be ignored.
Anyway, Jinwoo had to grant the wish.
‘Good thing I added a condition.’
It was truly fortunate that he had added the condition that the wish had to be appropriate for Arsilan. Without it, he couldn’t even imagine what might have happened to him.
Anyway, thanks to this sub-wish, a channel called ‘King Leon of Sillion’ was created on Arsilan Worlds. Photos and daily life videos of Leon were uploaded for free, and with a paid subscription, even more content was available.
Subscribers increased rapidly, making it the most subscribed channel on Arsilan Worlds.
Title: Time to pay taxes.
There’s no ungrateful hero here who still hasn’t subscribed to Our Majesty’s channel, right?
For paid subscribers only: King’s exclusive emojis, photo-book level pictures, priority access to merchandise, and even the title ‘vassal’! On top of that, you can receive precious messages from Leon-nim through Soul Talk!
It’s basically free!
Subscribe right now!
Leku: Isn’t the subscription fee way too cheap?
Anonymous1 (US): It’s only natural duty for a vassal. I don’t even speak to heroes without the vassal title.
Anonymous2 (KR): What's left if they give away everything like this?
IKilledMyBoss: I get through each day looking at Leon's photos... the light of my life...
Jinwoo was steadily handling the sub-wishes one by one. He even installed something called the ‘Letter of Light’ where, if a certain number of heroes submitted a suggestion together, Leon would personally review it. If it was a good idea that the kingdom’s power couldn’t handle, Leon would pray directly to Ella at the Grand Temple.
It meant: ‘We welcome healthy and good ideas for Arsilan Saga! If you have ideas, let us know!’ This too was a sub-wish.
‘The next biggest sub-wish is….’
‘Please make Helby-nim our guardian dragon along with His Majesty the King!’ Honestly, this one seemed difficult. She was a Magic Dragon, and she enjoyed solitude....
“Hm.”
These days, far from enjoying solitude, she often spent time with heroes.
In any case, she was a Magic Dragon and Ella’s adversary.
If someone like her were to become Arsilan’s guardian dragon, it would be incredibly reassuring.
It would be hard to persuade her, but let’s give it a try.
With that thought, Jinwoo summoned Helby.
“Your Majesty! Helby-nim has arrived.”
A moment later, Jinwoo’s vassal approached and ed.
It had been the same in the past, but now, the etiquette was far more reverent. Like Heina and Hasman, they were so moved that they seemed ready to give their lives in service.
Jinwoo was slightly surprised at the . He hadn’t expected her to arrive so quickly.
When Jinwoo stepped outside his office, he saw a maid cleaning.
“Oh! Your Majesty Leon!”
“Hello, Melonghallong-nim.”
The hero who had been cleaning the hallway outside the office beamed at Jinwoo. She was wearing a maid uniform. It wasn’t in the traditional Arsilan style but more like something seen in comics or games.
The palace’s servants and maids were vassals from Rainsword, and some were hired in a part-time format by awarding Contribution Points and Arsilan Gold to heroes. The palace was too vast for Jinwoo’s vassals to manage on their own.
‘But the competition was...’
The competition was extremely fierce.
They could rent or even purchase the Sillion palace servant or maid uniforms with Contribution Points and Gold if they wished. A major reason was also the freedom to roam around the beautiful palace.
“Isn’t the work hard for you?”
“Not at all! It’s seriously a dream part-time job!”
The hero looked genuinely happy.
She hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.
“Your Majesty! Could I please take just one photo with you?”
“Of course.”
The hero turned on her photo app and knelt in front of Jinwoo.
“Your Majesty! Could you please glare at me arrogantly? Like you’re scolding me!”
“Haha, how could I possibly do that to a hero?”
Jinwoo struck a variety of poses and took photos with her.
‘Hmm, it’s more like being...’
It felt more like being a very famous celebrity than a king. Still, if there was a good part about becoming king, it was that he no longer had to help beginner heroes under the pretense of doing royal duties. Though his term of service had become indefinite, his workload felt a bit more relaxed.
Yes! There should be perks like this too!
Jinwoo was trying to maintain a positive outlook.
Jinwoo entered the reception room.
As expected of a royal palace’s reception room, the interior was lavish. Compared to it, the things in the lord’s manor of Rainsword now seemed shabby. Jinwoo hadn’t created it. It had been crafted and donated by heroes affiliated with a furniture workshop in Solis.
Helby was sitting on the sofa, sipping tea.
When Jinwoo entered the reception room, Helby turned her head and looked at him.
“......”
She stared at him like that for quite some time.
Even after Jinwoo sat down across from her, her gaze did not leave him. Her ears and horns flushed slightly red.
“Hmph, hm! Barely passable, I suppose.”
“Really?”
Helby let out a small breath and made eye contact with Jinwoo. Ripples formed in her pupils.
Leon was beautiful. Just as much as when she once desired the golden light, she wanted to possess him. But it wasn’t simply because of his well-crafted appearance. It was because the soul of an Archmage resided within him that such beauty could exist in this world.
‘He’s changed.’
When she peered into his soul back in Lunatie, he had been crushed under countless hands.
Now he was not.
He was looking toward a brilliant light over a golden field.
Seeing that, she no longer felt greedy. Though she hated to admit it, for the first time, she felt envy. He had overcome his past entirely and was moving forward.
Jinwoo looked at the silent Helby.
“Helby, you’ve changed a lot too.”
"I've changed?"
Helby responded to Jinwoo’s words with a question.
He nodded. Helby’s expression had softened compared to before. Her power and majesty remained unchanged, but she felt easier to talk to now.
Helby turned her head and looked at her face in the large mirror hanging on the wall.
“Ha...”
It was absurd.
The faint smile on her face looked so incredibly stupid.
“...Looks like I’ve caught it too, hanging around with those idiotic heroes.”
She said that and laughed out loud.
Warm sunlight poured through the window, softly illuminating the two of them. Jinwoo took out some refreshments and placed them in front of her. Her expression changed to one of surprise as she tasted the cookies.
“Good, right? The bakery workshop brings them every day.”
Many heroes were entering the workshop district in the capital city, Solis. Though they had to pay Contribution Points and Arsilan Gold every week, the spaces were so packed that it was hard to find an empty one.
The romance of creating something in this world was just that captivating.
“Hella Violani Urshig, I have a request.”
Jinwoo spoke her name.
That alone brought immense pressure down on him.
It was a curse and trial so great that even a powerful Arsilanian couldn’t withstand it. But something like that could not have any effect on an Archmage.
The pressure dissipated instantly.
“Speak.”
Helby set down her teacup and looked at Jinwoo.
“Revenge is something I and the heroes will take. We will definitely destroy the Erosion and reclaim Arsilan. So...”
No matter what price had to be paid, it would be done.
“Become the guardian dragon of Arsilan.”
Without the penalties of Erosion, Helby was as strong as Jinwoo. Even with all the countermeasures he had prepared as an Archmage, their fight had ended in a draw.
If she protected Arsilan, Jinwoo could focus on preparing for the invasion without worry.
“Fine.”
“Huh?”
“I said fine.”
Jinwoo blinked.
Helby calmly lifted her teacup.
“Did I not already entrust all of my magic power and computing ability to you from the start?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I have obtained the golden light. As a Magic Dragon, all of my wishes have already come true.”
She had achieved everything.
So now, like that Archmage, she had to look forward.
Instead of seeking treasure, she had to become the treasure herself.
Helby folded her arms and looked at Jinwoo with a wicked smile.
“Of course, there’s a condition.”
What kind of condition?
Could it be something overwhelming?
“That disgustingly horrid body, destroy it immediately. And when you meet me, always come in that form.”
The disgustingly horrid body referred to the anti-Helby special combat unit. That was a very easy request.
“Also, set up a second branch of the Platinum Coin Shop next to the Helby Lovers Group’s workshop.”
Members of the Helby Lovers Group lived between Evanth and Solis. That was also easy. Solis was so large that several Platinum Coin Shops were planned anyway.
“That all?”
“That’s all.”
Helby’s expression looked thoroughly relieved. Jinwoo gazed at her for a moment.
‘Something like this can’t just proceed this simply.’
Helby was second in popularity only to Leon. If he just went ‘click!’ and appointed her as the guardian dragon, that would be an insult to himself as the game developer.
Jinwoo looked at her with a sly smile.
Helby flinched at that smile.
“Helby, don’t you want to go wild one last time as a Magic Dragon?”
Jinwoo leaned forward and moved closer to her.
“Don’t you want to see heroes crying their eyes out in despair?”
"Uh, um...."
Jinwoo’s words sounded extremely wicked.
“A-Alright, fine. Back off now.”
“Then you agree?”
When Helby nodded with a displeased expression, Jinwoo beamed. The Archmage looked overjoyed, like all his stress had been blown away in an instant.
Even if he looked like that, everything the Archmage did was for Arsilan.
Whatever he was scheming now, it would be for that purpose too.
‘Mm, I’m the protagonist after all.’
Anyway, the story would progress centered on herself. So there was no reason to refuse. After all, it was only natural for all of Arsilan to look up to her!
That’s what Helby believed.
Jinwoo immediately summoned Tia and Tiris. As the two entered the reception room, Helby grew slightly uneasy. The two sat on either side of her.
Jinwoo shared the concept he had come up with. Tia, after listening to it, added flesh to the idea on the spot. The more Helby heard of it, the more anxious she became.
Tia looked at her.
“Helby-nim, you're a great being, so acting and such should be easy for you, right?”
“O-Of course. There’s nothing I can’t do.”
Once the storyline was mostly developed under the direction of Jinwoo and Tia, Tiris, who had been quietly listening, pulled out an outfit and accessories from her subspace.
“I’ve brought clothes that match the story.”
“Oh.”
“Wow! Just a little adjustment and it’ll be perfect!”
As Jinwoo and Tia admired them, Tiris nodded. Her facial expression barely changed, but if you looked closely, it was full of satisfaction.
Helby tried to stand after seeing the outfit.
Swoosh!
But Tia linked arms with her, and Tiris grabbed her hand. Jinwoo, Tia, and Tiris all looked at Helby with sparkling eyes.
“Helby, we’re going to make you a superstar.”
Superstar!
Helby’s ears perked up at Jinwoo’s words.
“...Please, just make sure the outfit is at least somewhat normal.”
Helby let out a small sigh as she said that.
Alright then, let’s get started!
Helby had gone missing!
She was nowhere to be seen in Evanth or at the Platinum Coin Shop. At first, the heroes just found it a bit strange. But as days passed without any sign of her, Arsilan Worlds grew noisy.
‘Why isn’t Helby-nim showing up?’
‘Feels so empty without Helby-nim.’
‘Has anyone seen Helby-nim recently?’
‘Did she go on a trip or something?’
Helby had always been with the heroes.
At the Evanth Platinum Coin Shop, she was always sitting with a lazy expression. She would sometimes be spotted walking the streets of Evanth or snacking in Solis.
When spoken to, she would respond with a grumbling tone.
When given gifts, her tail would sway gently.
Helby had settled just as deeply in the hearts of heroes as Leon had. So when she suddenly disappeared, the sense of loss was overwhelming.
Jinwoo quietly waited for the right moment.
As Helby’s disappearance became a hot topic in Arsilan Worlds, the News Bureau also began ing it as a special feature. In time, not just Arsilan Worlds but also YouTube and social media picked up the story. Inquiries poured in even through the Letter of Light. But not a single update was given until server maintenance began. This time, Arsilan Worlds entered maintenance along with the main server.
Jinwoo moved to the control room.
Amidst all this, the server reopening time arrived!
“The server is now open! Displaying the screen!”
At the staff member’s words, Jinwoo nodded.
One side of the control room displayed Arsilan Worlds. Normally, its UI gave a bright and hopeful feeling. But not now. It looked dark and dreary. It looked as though it stood at the brink of destruction.
As soon as users entered Arsilan Worlds, a window appeared.
It showed the back of a girl gazing up at a high mountain.
It was Helby.
If you clicked on the window or just watched it, a teaser video would play.
The teaser video played in the control room.
Space, or the Abyss.
Within it, a massive Magic Dragon flew as if swimming. It was beautiful, like it held stars and galaxies within it. The Magic Dragon looked down on Arsilan, then descended upon the land.
Reflected in its massive eyes was Arsilan, falling into ruin from Erosion, filled with an undeniable despair. Then, alongside heroes, light began to emerge.
The Magic Dragon took human form and arrived in Evanth, where she experienced many things and fought alongside the heroes.
They were memories as beautiful as any treasure.
[Helby-nim.]
Leon and Helby stood side by side in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Sillion, gazing out over Arsilan. From its borders, an ominous energy was seeping out, forming some terrifying shape.
Leon, his expression full of worry, turned to Helby.
[Must you really go?]
[I heard the wishes of those idiotic heroes.]
Helby responded to Leon’s words with a refreshing laugh.
[Isn’t this a chance for me to become even greater?]
[Helby-nim....]
A wish to make her the guardian dragon of Arsilan.
That line appeared briefly.
Leon deeply bowed his head toward her.
What must one give up to become a guardian dragon after living as a Magic Dragon for so long?
To fulfill that wish, Helby, the Magic Dragon, sealed away all her power and ascended a Path of Penance, battling the wickedness that remained within her soul.
Dressed in pure white garments and wearing a crown of thorns, she looked like a goddess.
As she climbed a mountain filled with sharp rocks, her shoes were torn, and wounds increased across her body. Fighting off beasts drawn by the scent of blood, Helby pressed on without rest toward the summit.
Her pure white clothes became stained and dirtied with blood, soaked with sweat.
Blood flowed from beneath the thorn crown she had pressed onto her head. Though the pain should have contorted her expression, she smiled.
The memories shared with the heroes.
Those scenes flashed before her eyes.
The affection that made her feel valued allowed her to forget her pain.
After a long time, she finally reached the summit.
It was the very place where she had first descended upon this land and looked down on Arsilan.
At the top of the mountain, she knelt.
It was at that moment.
[Krrgh! Aaagh!]
Black wings spread from Helby’s back, and an enormous force surged explosively upward. The black wings slowly dispersed and transformed into a new shape.
Swoosh!
A girl wearing black clothes appeared.
She looked identical to the current Helby, but her presence was as dark as the depths of pitch-black night. When she extended her hand, the ground cracked open and a massive temple rose as if erupting from below.
From the temple that seemed to embody the darkness of the universe, the girl looked down at Helby arrogantly. In the girl's shadow, the form of a giant magic dragon shimmered.
[Foolish. We can never move toward the light. Accept the instincts of destruction and greed.]
The moment Helby lifted her head in response to that voice.
The screen faded to black.
‘Episode 2: The Dragon of Light and Darkness’
With that phrase, the video came to an end.
That day, Arsilan Worlds exploded.

.
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Chapter 72: The Things We Made Together (4)