The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 76: Dragon of Light and Darkness (4)

The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 76: Dragon of Light and Darkness (4)

Translator: Dreamscribe
The episode of the Dragon of Light and Darkness concluded with Helby becoming the guardian dragon, but the path of trial still remained. For the latecomers, a phantom of Helby was left behind, and once enough people gathered, they could experience the battle between the guardian dragon and the magic dragon through illusion magic. It was edited to feel as if one were watching it right next to them, so even a Hero who had actually experienced it would be impressed while watching.
It would have been nice if everyone could participate together, but as the number of users exceeded two million and continued to rise, this was the way to leave history and let people experience it.
“Every day is the peak for Arsilan Saga!”
“Krr!”
“The reactions are insane.”
“Makes the work feel worth it.”
FS Games' revenue was also increasing exponentially. Even without selling paid items that affected gameplay, they were drawing in money in a much better way.
The app market of Arsilan Worlds, paid subscriptions, and streaming services were closely connected to the lives of Heroes, so the sales kept increasing. The Heroes accepted it without discomfort, and even actively used it.
‘I dedicate this money to the Creator God!’
‘Developers, please eat something nice!’
‘I feel like this is something worth paying for!’
‘Please release more paid content!’
It would be hard to find gamers this favorable toward a game company.
With the story of the Dragon of Light and Darkness appearing, the second class advancement was also revealed. However, no exact details had been confirmed yet. There still hadn't been a Hero who reached level 60, but that was only the minimum qualification.
The second class could not be reached without being of 'Knight-level'. Knight-level meant a state of completion where one could do more than just hold their own anywhere. For a warrior, that meant being able to use aura freely.
Since it depended on individual effort and ability, there would be Heroes who couldn't achieve the second class advancement even at level 100.
‘If there's a guardian dragon, then a Dragon Knight could be born too.’
If a Dragon Knight were to appear, it would probably be a hidden class. It would be very difficult to receive Helby’s recognition, after all.
He planned to revive most of the original classes that existed in Arsilan. If one reached the level of a second class, they would be able to walk their own path even without skill support.
“CEO! Everything is ready.”
When an FS Games staff member ed, Jinwoo stood up from his seat. More and more people wanted to communicate with the Creator God. It wasn’t because there was a problem with Arsilan Saga, but simply because they wanted to see him.
‘If the Heroes want it, of course I should do it.’
Now, the final part of Episode 2 only had its last story remaining.
The Great War.
Everything in Episode 2 had been building up for the Great War. Before that, he planned to communicate and refresh the atmosphere, and answer the things the Heroes were curious about.
Jinwoo entered the broadcasting room. The staff had completed setting up the broadcast equipment, and the displays were showing scenes of various cities and towns.
This communication broadcast was different from the previous ones. When Jinwoo broadcasted from FS Games headquarters’ studio, the video would appear directly in front of the Heroes who were logged into Arsilan Saga.
It was a screen that only Heroes could see.
There was no longer any need to stream on platforms like YouTube, so all future broadcasts were planned to be conducted exclusively in Arsilan Worlds.
‘It’s an interesting structure.’
Jinwoo, the CEO of FS Games, was broadcasting in reality, and the viewers, the Heroes, were inside Arsilan.
Perhaps, in the future, even regular events of Arsilan Saga hosted offline by FS Games might take place inside Arsilan instead? That would be a much more convenient method than renting out the Ohsung Electronics promotional hall.
The broadcast began.
“Hello? This is Lee Jinwoo from FS Games.”
The Heroes in Arsilan rapidly typed in chat.
-Creator God! Creator God!
-The Creator God has given us a revelation! Praise him, everyone!
-Let us recite the Heavenly Prayer!
-For the Creator God!
-Is that the Celestial Realm? Are you in the Celestial Realm!
The chat was going up at an incredible speed. With Heroes from Korea, the United States, Europe, and Japan all typing at once, it looked like a waterfall was pouring down. The Magic Tower filtered out useless messages and displayed the most important ones at the top.
The employees believed it was an AI chat analysis system.
“Are you enjoying Arsilan Saga?”
-Yes!
-Thank you!
-We love you! You’re handsome!
Jinwoo nodded and smiled at the flood of responses from the Heroes.
"First, I should congratulate you."
Employees came up behind Jinwoo and set off fireworks. Then they brought out a cake. It was a chocolate cake that looked like the Starflower of the Magic Dragon.
[Congratulations! 2.5 Million Heroes Reached!]
On top of the cake, SD characters of Guardian Dragon Helby and Magic Dragon Helby held adorable placards.
-So cute.
-Please sell it. Take my money!
-If you sell the cake, I’ll buy it right now!
-Give me one too!
Jinwoo smirked and cut a slice of the cake, taking a bite.
“It’s delicious.”
He ate it so enjoyably it was almost annoying. The Heroes reacted with envy. Jinwoo placed down the cake slice and smiled slightly.
“Eating alone makes me feel guilty. Hmm, it should have arrived by now, but the delivery is late.”
Jinwoo said this and looked at his watch.
“Ah! I’m told it just arrived. Everyone, please check your mailboxes.”
The moment Jinwoo said that, a window popped up in front of all the Heroes watching the broadcast.
[Congratulations! 2 Slices of Celebration Cake have arrived!]
*[F] Celebration Cake
The number of Heroes visiting Arsilan has now surpassed 2.5 million. Let’s celebrate together by eating cake.
Jinwoo could see how thrilled the Heroes were as they received the cake in the game.
-It’s so good!
-Kyah! This is the grace of the Creator God!
-Celestial cake!!
The chat once again exploded. Jinwoo had now reached the point where even the smallest things were staged perfectly. Seeing the Heroes enjoy themselves made him proud.
“Then, I’ll begin by going over the simple update that will be applied tomorrow.”
Since the Great War was approaching, Jinwoo planned a large-scale update with content aimed at increasing the Heroes' combat power. Starting with warhorses obtainable in Solis, he added the soldier rank system, war machine Quests, and a strategic tactics support system.
The detailed contents appeared on the screen.
“Your guild or party will participate in the war as troops of the Kingdom of Sillion. If you achieve merits, your rank will increase, and with solid rewards, you’ll be able to command more soldiers, so I hope you give it a try.”
At first, ranks would be divided by level and Contribution Points. Once achievements were earned, ranks could be raised at any time.
Jinwoo showed the next screen.
“These are the basic uniforms for soldiers and officers. You can layer your own armor over them. Mages and clerics should be able to wear them comfortably as well. Each rank has its own uniform, so please check later.”
It was attire showing affiliation with the Kingdom of Sillion.
Unlike before, when it was disorganized, they now had to move under a unified command structure. That was the only way to bring out their full strength.
-Wow! The officer outfit looks amazing!
-It has a modern yet fantasy feel. The art team deserves an award.
-I’m going to become an officer!
-Wow! My heart’s pounding. Something huge is coming!
-Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a simple update? This is a mountain of content.
It was the result of hard work by the art team. When Jinwoo showed it to Heina, she was very satisfied. She tried on each item herself and pointed out what needed to be adjusted. Jinwoo then explained the rest of the update details thoroughly.
“Now I’ll take questions. If any Hero has a question, please raise your hand.”
The Heroes on screen tilted their heads for a moment, then began raising their hands one by one. One of the Heroes who had raised their hand was selected and appeared on screen.
She was a female Hero who looked like an alchemist.
The screen split in half, dividing into Jinwoo’s and the Hero’s display. The Hero panicked as her image appeared on the screen.
[Uh? Uh? M-me?]
“Yes, please go ahead. There may be a slight delay, so please keep that in mind.”
There actually was no delay, but it was added for realism. That way, things could be glossed over later if needed.
[Wow! Ah, hello!]
“Yes, Hero. What is your name?”
It was a direct communication with the Creator God himself!
The Hero hesitated for a moment.
[OrcThighLicker… That’s me.]
“Ah. Yes. Quite…, hmm…, a very unique name.”
Jinwoo momentarily lost words.
[I-it was a punishment nickname! Please don’t misunderstand! I swear!]
“Yes, Hero OrcThighLicker. Please go ahead with your question.”
-You’re famous now!
-Orc thighs are definitely sturdy.
-Nice taste.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say every Hero connected to Arsilan was watching.
[D-does the Creator God also play Arsilan Saga?]
“Yes, I’m also a Hero. My level is low, so I still wear the kindergarten hat. I don’t have much time to level up. By the way, I'm a mage."
Jinwoo gave a casual answer.
“I’ll give you a nickname change voucher, Hero OrcThighLicker.”
[Thank you!]
Many more questions followed.
[If you’re permanently banned in Arsilan Saga, is there no way to return?]
“Yes, that’s correct. There’s no way to create a new ID, and even if you buy a new Soul Link, you can’t connect again. Those who are permanently banned can enjoy Arsilan Saga through videos instead.”
Jinwoo answered everything sincerely.
“Episode 2 is also heading toward its conclusion. Even though you Heroes have grown stronger, the journey ahead will be far more difficult. You’ll probably want to run away.”
-Here we go again.
-ㅋㅋWe’ll beat it easily.
-There are 2.5 million Heroes. How hard could it be?
Jinwoo chuckled as he glanced at the chat.
“If Episode 2 ends in a happy ending, I’ll definitely reward you all. Is there anything you’d like?”
-Please release a swimsuit photo set of Leon-nim and Helby-nim!
-And Tia-nim too!
Requests like that poured in rapidly.
“I’ll consider it positively! Next!”
Riding the momentum, Jinwoo went a bit overboard and made a lot of promises. But he didn’t regret it. After saving Arsilan, what couldn’t be done?
“Everything! Absolutely everything! I will grant it all!”
-Wow! Look at the scale of the Creator God!
-This is our Creator God!
-Take this! Almighty Beam!
Praise him!
Jinwoo had thrown it all out there.
He’d think about how to deal with it later.
* * *
The number of users connected to Arsilan Saga surpassed 2.5 million and was heading toward 3 million.
Arsilan Saga was a fantasy overflowing with romance.
The Heroes enjoyed their adventures and moved forward while interacting with one another. The sight was truly beautiful.
However, just like every place in the world, beauty wasn’t the only thing that existed.
As the number of Heroes increased, so too did those who engaged in malicious play. From light misconduct to intentionally harassing beginner Heroes, the types of behavior were diverse.
Even if just 1% of the 2.5 million users were malicious, that was 25,000 people. In reality, it was slightly fewer, around 10,000, currently held in detention.
Jinwoo, dressed in black with a white mask, arrived at the Magic Stone Mine with Hasman. Skilled knights were guarding the front of the mine.
When Jinwoo and Hasman approached, they bowed their heads and immediately opened the mine entrance.
“I’ve heard there are magic stones deep underground.”
“Yes, now there’s no more need to worry about a lack of Magic Power.”
At Hasman’s words, Jinwoo nodded in agreement.
The underground was filled with Magic Stones, so there was no need to worry about Magic Power. The problem, however, was the various types of tunnel bugs that swarmed in during mining, but they were now implementing effective methods to deal with them.
Jinwoo boarded the mine train with Hasman, heading deeper into the mine. It was a train installed using Magic Engineering technology by the Magic Developers.
The mine train arrived at the depths of the Magic Stone Mine.
A door made of iron bars came into view.
That was the detention center where Heroes who had committed malicious acts were held. When Jinwoo and Hasman approached, a knight in a prison guard uniform opened the door. He, too, wore a white mask that concealed his face.
“There are currently 8,732 inmates working, and 1,211 are awaiting release. Would you like to confirm it yourself?”
Jinwoo nodded, and the guard guided him with disciplined movements. After passing through several doors and reaching the worksite, they saw Heroes in prison uniforms mining Magic Stones. Death Knights, their bodies covered entirely in black cloth, watched over them to prevent any misconduct.
Jinwoo checked the information of one Hero.
Inmate Number: 0323
Name: SockThief
Level: 53
Remaining Sentence: 95 days
Charges: 342 counts of sock theft, 3 escape attempts, malicious harassment (target: Namgung Somen)
The level was quite high.
There was a reason for that.
“Bug! Catch it!”
“Hehehe!”
“It's dinner time!”
Tunnel bugs survived by feeding on the Magic Power that leaked out during Magic Stone mining. They were monsters born naturally in areas rich in Magic Power. Since they consumed only Magic Power and nothing else, they contained abundant Magic Power in their bodies.
Inmates hunted the tunnel bugs that appeared during mining and cooked them for food. That’s how their levels were increasing.
‘I thought they’d stop logging in once they were locked up...’
Time served only passed while connected to Arsilan.
Here, they couldn’t access Arsilan Worlds or any other apps. So it was expected that those with long sentences would eventually quit Arsilan Saga. However, it seemed even this became a sort of content for them, and they were managing to endure their prison life.
The truly irredeemable ones had already been permanently banned, so those here weren’t quite that bad.
“They seem like they could become a considerable force for Arsilan, but releasing them immediately would be dangerous. Recently, even a sense of solidarity has formed among the inmates.”
The guard ed as such.
Hasman gave a low chuckle at the .
“Hehe, excellent. I will begin the interview.”
“Yes! I’ll prepare immediately!”
The prisoners tore into tunnel bugs and returned to their work.
The guard approached the inmates.
“Number 0112!”
Inmate 0112 ran up to the guard.
“You have an interview.”
“An interview?”
“No questions. Follow me.”
As 0112 followed him, a door flickering with black flames came into view.
“The Administrator of the Abyss is here. Mind your speech and behavior.”
“T-the Abyss...!”
To the prisoners, this place was referred to as the 'Abyss', a realm outside of Arsilan. The Abyss was known as the birthplace of the Magic Dragon.
0112 stepped inside.
A figure clad in black, flickering with darkness and wearing a white mask, the Administrator of the Abyss, was seated in a chair. Beside him stood an overwhelming presence, gazing down at 0112 with immense pressure.
“Number 0112.”
The voice of the Administrator of the Abyss, Jinwoo, was terrifying. Just hearing it sent chills down one’s spine.
“Thirteen counts of Hero murder, twenty-three counts of property destruction, and three escape attempts. You have seventy-eight days left on your sentence.”
There were also many smaller offenses.
“What was your reason for committing these crimes?”
"I, I got angry competing for hunting grounds..., and, and I broke things looking for hidden pieces. I'm reflecting on it. I'm sorry!"
“For that, you attempted to escape three times?”
“T-that was... out of curiosity...”
The Administrator of the Abyss, Jinwoo, checked all of his information. His level was high, and there was some room for leniency.
"I'll give you a chance to have your crimes pardoned."
“A chance?”
“Will you enlist in the Penalty Unit?”
[The Administrator of the Abyss offers the foolish criminal a chance to join the Penalty Unit. The more achievements you earn on the battlefield, the more your sentence will be reduced.]
“Yes! Please take me! I’ll do anything!”
Inmate 0112 nodded desperately.
“Stand by.”
Inmate 0112 was led by a Death Knight into another space. Thus, 4,444 prisoners were selected. Other vassals also assisted in the selection process.
The selected inmates walked down a long corridor.
Death Knights wrapped in black cloth stood on both sides of the corridor, and clerics dressed in black stood in front of dreadful instruments.
Inmate 0112 and the others stood before the clerics.
[Do you repent for the sins you’ve committed?]
“I repent.”
A cleric pressed a red-hot branding iron onto 0112’s body. The sigil of the Magic Dragon was engraved, and his body became dyed black. Multiple magic circles overlapped, turning his entire body dark.
[Will you serve in silence?]
When 0112 nodded, a white mask was placed on his face and locked tightly. No matter how much he screamed, no sound would be heard from outside.
[Will you offer up the freedom of your body?]
Thick shackles were fastened to his arms. They didn’t hinder movement, but his physical abilities were restricted.
[Are you prepared to give everything for Arsilan?]
0112 swore to the final question as well.
The clerics approached and dressed him in black robes. The edges of the robes shimmered as if smoke were rising from them. Over the black garments, they placed multiple seals and armor suited to him.
The prisoners all stood in a line before the clerics, dressed identically.
[O Ella! Forgive this sinner! Grant them a single chance to cleanse their sins! Make them a weapon of devotion for Arsilan! In the most brutal battlefield, let their sins be burned away in the most painful battles!]
As the clerics prayed, a small light descended from the ceiling.
[The Goddess Ella has granted you one last chance.]
[You have been assigned to the Penalty Unit of the Abyss. Devote yourself to Arsilan and receive forgiveness for your sins.]
*You may now access Arsilan Worlds. However, messages, posts, and comments are restricted.
*You may leave only with the Penalty Unit Commander’s permission.
*If you disobey the Penalty Unit Commander’s orders, you will be reassigned to the Abyss Prison.
*You must receive training from the Penalty Unit Commander.
*Penalty Unit members may speak with each other.
Through the ritual, all members of the Penalty Unit were officially appointed.
'Creator God is taking care of even us.'
‘Ah... I did do wrong.’
‘We look kinda cool, though.’
‘It’s not like I’m glad I became a criminal... but this is kind of badass.’
‘When we show up, it’ll cause a stir, right? I’m excited.’
‘I need to stick to the concept from now on.’
The Penalty Unit's appearance more than satisfied their attention-seeking tendencies. And so, the Penalty Unit, made up of prisoner Heroes, was born in Arsilan.
Creeeeak!
Then, the massive gate that had been faintly visible at the border twisted the space around it and revealed its horrifying form.
The Great War was approaching!
*****
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Chapter 76: Dragon of Light and Darkness (4)