The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 99: Offline? (5)

The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 99: Offline? (5)

Translator: Dreamscribe
Tia, Hasman, and Hallon, who had infiltrated the Empire of Evil, had gone deep inside and sent back the information they gathered.
Airi was...
“Hmm.”
Though it wasn’t intentional, Airi was being incredibly helpful just by existing there. Jinwoo hadn’t given her any specific instructions. He had only told her to go have a change of pace.
Jinwoo watched Airi for a moment through the Star of Invasion.
The noble meeting had ended without any results, and everyone left with only Airi in their eyes.
[You don’t need to do such hard work.]
[What? But I'm a maid.]
Airi enjoyed labor, but ever since Arsilan Saga began service, she had been treated as a saintess and hadn’t so much as touched water. From the start, she liked taking care of children and had long handled difficult tasks, so being treated with special care made her feel more uncomfortable.
She even hummed while working, and when the Marquis saw this, he clutched his chest.
[From today, you are the Head Maid! I’ll give you a higher position soon! I’ve prepared a garden just for you, would you like to take a look?]
[I’ll go after I finish this.]
[Give that to me!]
The Marquis snatched the mop from Airi’s hands and started cleaning himself.
The Marquis had become a incredible romantic!
[You have to clean it like this.]
[I-I see. As expected of you, you’re amazing!]
After receiving Airi’s coaching, the Marquis trembled as if he had felt an electrifying thrill.
[P-Please scold me more.]
[What? Th-that’s a creepy thing to say!]
[Agh?! V-very good.]
The Marquis looked as though he had discovered a new inclination.
The retainers and officials, who should have stopped such behavior, instead admired the Marquis. Their reactions made the Marquis puff up with pride.
[Airi (Head Maid): Please give me a mission too!]
└Jinwoo: Just do whatever you want. Think of it as a vacation.
That was the reply Jinwoo gave her.
In his mind, Airi’s impact had become equal to that of RomanticBard.
Since everyone who had infiltrated the Empire of Evil could use all the functions through the Magic Tower, Hasman and Hallon took photos and videos and sent them immediately. Moreover, Tia was even livestreaming for the Arsilanians. It was a broadcast only for Arsilanians, which the Heroes couldn’t see.
Garuna (Marogo): That bastard is the one who burned down Ella-nim’s temple!
Gollon (Solis): I remember too. My! He’s living quite well, isn’t he.
Luceren (Elvens): His name was Verunaron, right?
Seeing the remaining faces and names, more and more people were identifying the traitors. Memories from a hundred years ago were vivid, as if they had happened yesterday. That tone, that voice, that atmosphere could never be forgotten.
[Garuna nim has submitted a mission.]
Give that bastard hell
*20 Platinum Coins
Arsilanians also frequently used Platinum Coins.
Jinwoo had opened some features of the Soul Link app and Arsilan Worlds to the Arsilanians, and they were using paid functions with Platinum Coins. Many Arsilanians had begun enjoying paid content created by the Heroes.
Jinwoo was distributing Arsilan Gold and Platinum Coins to everyone working for the heroes. There were plenty of jobs available for Arsilanians, so they could work anywhere as long as they wanted to.
Tia was excellent at broadcasting.
[Hey, you come here.]
[Yes?]
[What’s this paperwork? Bow your head.]
Verunaron hesitated, but when Tia frowned, he immediately slammed his head into the ground.
[Go reorganize it!]
[Yes!]
[Who said you could get up?]
[What? Th-then how do I reorganize it?]
[That’s for you to figure out.]
Tia had become the assistant to Baron Burzirol, who had attended the meeting. Baron Burzirol’s faction wasn’t very strong, so though he had been invited, he hadn’t received much attention.
Baron Burzirol was throwing things around his office in a rage. When Tia entered, he looked at her with fury.
[Master.]
[Those bastards! How dare they humiliate me in front of Miss Verona!]
Verona was the name of the maid Airi had logged in as.
Baron Burzirol was also completely infatuated with Airi. He was feeling such strong greed that he even threw his cherished art pieces.
When a more beautiful treasure appears, the lesser treasure inevitably starts to look ordinary.
[Couldn't you build up your power and bring her over?]
[Ha! If that were as easy as it sounds, I’d be Emperor by now!]
Tia approached him.
[Let alone a marquis, I have fewer troops than even Baron Huggmon. That's my limit with my power.]
Baron Burzirol slumped into his chair.
Their system of titles was extreme.
The higher one's title, the more troops and slaves one could command. The Duke, who was the center of the Eastern Union, was a pro-imperial figure appointed by the Emperor and was said to wield immense power granted by him.
It was a system where territory, power, and military strength determined one’s rank.
[How about using the barbarians?]
[Those barbarians?]
[According to my investigation, they are people obsessed with treasure.]
Baron Burzirol began to focus on Tia's words.
[We hire the barbarians and attack Baron Huggmon.]
[Hmm, the treasure that would satisfy those barbarians would be....]
[We don’t need to prepare it ourselves.]
Baron Burzirol nodded, looking at her as if to say, "Go on."
[After using the barbarians’ strength to occupy Baron Huggmon’s domain, we can simply hand over part of his territory and treasure.]
[Can you hire the barbarians?]
[Master, I will personally take responsibility and make it happen. I will risk my life to recruit them.]
Baron Burzirol was moved by Tia’s words.
[You could become a Count, no, even a Duke, sir!]
[Mm, yes!]
[If you become a noble worthy of Miss Verona, she will surely be pleased!]
[That’s right!]
Ambition gleamed in Baron Burzirol’s eyes.
[If you succeed in recruiting them, I will value you highly.]
[Thank you! I will bring you the most beautiful treasure into your arms, Master!]
As Tia knelt and bowed her head, Baron Burzirol entrusted the matter to her.
Luceren (Elvens Village Chief): This is entertaining. When’s the next episode...? How can you cut the broadcast here!
Garsha (Lunatie Village Chief): Please keep the broadcast going.
Thomson (Blacksmith of Solis): Whoa! This story is well written. Time flies by while watching this with chicken and beer!
Naria (Receptionist of Northern Village): Love and war! It’s so thrilling!
Hans (Guard of Northern Village): Hurry! Hurry up and continue!
Helby (Guardian Dragon): It's annoying because they're ugly, but it's watchable.
Tia’s broadcast had become an addiction for the Arsilanians.
It was just like watching an outrageous drama, and it was captivating. Hasman and Hallon, who were in the Marquis’s camp, also ed to Jinwoo.
‘Those who crossed the border…’
The Empire of Evil was extremely vast, but naturally, there were boundaries at the edge of its territory. There were those who had crossed that border, and they were referred to as barbarians.
That was also the reason the heroes had been called a barbarian. While it was highly likely that a higher being from elsewhere had invaded, Jinwoo felt the need to properly investigate.
He ordered Hallon and Hasman to look into it more thoroughly.
“Well then…”
Since Tia had brought new content, Jinwoo had to keep in step and manage Arsilan Saga accordingly.
The timing was perfect.
The current reason the Heroes’ domains weren’t expanding further was due to a lack of treasure. Expanding a territory into a domain required a considerable amount of treasure and Invasion Contribution Points.
Treasure could be obtained in the Underground Labyrinth, but since its opening times were fixed, it was always in short supply.
The villages near the desert had been wiped clean, and although they needed to push further in, the cities were far too well defended. A large-scale force was necessary, so many guilds were currently in meetings.
Jinwoo edited the video Tia had recorded and sent it along with the intel to FS Games. It was to build up the newly added ‘Mercenary’ content. Preparation for the update was completed swiftly.
On the day of server maintenance, all the Heroes waited for the update notice to be posted. There were even Heroes who specialized in reviewing update content.
Through the recently released Soul Link app, “HeroTalk” many conversations were being exchanged. Since it linked with phones and could also be used in Arsilan, most Heroes were now mainly using HeroTalk. It was easier to access than the previous messaging system in Soul Link, and it received positive reviews for its clean UI.
UruBear (Commander of the Romance Knights): Has the update dropped?
Haebyul (Junior Baron of Romance): They added a ton of environmental items and mounts last week. I’d say even a whole month without updates would be justified.
BlingMagicShot (Strategist): Right. Even the Creator God needs rest.
RomanticBard (???): I hope they’ve added more instrument types. But why is my title marked as “???”
Comfortable (High Priest of Romance): I feel like something big’s coming today.
UruBear (Commander of the Romance Knights): Hello, Comfortable-nim!
Haebyul (Junior Baron of Romance): (Emoji: rabbit bowing 90 degrees) You’re here!
Just like other Heroes, the Romance Heroes were waiting for the pre-server-opening update notice. Ten minutes before the server opened, the update announcement was posted.
The view count on the notice surpassed two million in an instant. Even so, Arsilan Worlds ran smoothly without any lag.
The update details were extensive.
From the addition of new magic and skills to Hero-exclusive events, the pages seemed to go on endlessly.
Among them, there was one update that drew the most attention from the Heroes.
[Mercenary system is added]
*The nobles of the Empire of Evil wish to hire mercenaries for payment. Based on performance, you may receive Invasion Contribution Points, treasure, or territory.
*You can view character information through the information window before signing a mercenary contract.
*All choices are yours to make.
[Arsilanians Will Visit the Heroes’ Domains]
*With Ella’s authority, the Heroes’ domains are now protected from Erosion, allowing Arsilanians to visit!
*Arsilanians may leave reviews in a guestbook or even settle in domains they like, so please decorate your domain well! Receiving many positive reviews will earn you rewards and titles!
*Special guests will be visiting domains for a limited time! Please act like you don’t recognize them!
This was the core content of the current update.
Haebyul (Junior Baron of Romance): This is insane!
UruBear (Commander of the Romance Knights): Mercenaries? This is gonna draw tons of people.
DaggerTongue (Strongest Butler): Whoa! I believed in you! Long live the Creator God!
RomanticBard (???): Ah... no instruments in this update... I’m disappointed...
BlingMagicShot (Strategist): Arsilanians are coming to the domains? Who could these special guests be?
Haebyul (Junior Baron of Romance): Aaaah! Platinum Coins recharged! I’m going to make this the best domain ever!
The more content, the better.
Feed them first, then throw it away immediately if it doesn't taste good.
'Looking to recruit mercenary groups for treasure hunting!'
'Heroes level 60 and up! Please contact me!'
'The Assassination Unit is recruiting skilled mercenaries.'
'Organizing a large-scale mercenary group! We have a domain!'
Mercenary!
It was a name full of romance!
Even before the server opened, many posts were already going up in Arsilan Worlds.
[The server has opened! Have a pleasant journey!]
Once the server opened, as always, countless Heroes logged in all at once.
[Current Users: 7,032,132]
One hour after the opening, the user count surpassed seven million.
* * *
Jinwoo descended into Leon’s body.
With this update, Arsilanians were now able to visit the Heroes’ domains. With the setting that they could travel instantly through Ella’s authority, they no longer needed ships and could use the Hero’s Flower for teleportation.
“Hurry up and get ready.”
“Ah, just a moment! Let me finish this first.”
Helby glared at him with her arms crossed. Her cheeks were flushed, clearly full of anticipation. As Jinwoo continued working through piles of documents, she stomped her feet anxiously.
After having relaxed for a while, many tasks had piled up. They weren’t Hero-related, but mostly complaints and civil issues from Arsilanians.
Luceren (Elvens Village Chief): Please have Tia broadcast every day.]
[Garsha (Lunatie Village Chief): I’m curious about what happens next. Please proceed quickly.]
Among the civil complaints, there were ones like this. Helby, frowning, came over to Jinwoo and helped him process the paperwork.
“All done now?”
Jinwoo chuckled and stood up from his seat.
He pulled a black robe out of subspace and handed it to her.
“You know, right? We’re sneaking in. It’ll be a problem if we get caught.”
“I know, so let’s go already.”
At Jinwoo’s words, Helby grabbed his arm and pulled.
They were planning to visit the Hero’s domain.
Of course, since the notice had already gone out, the Heroes would recognize Jinwoo and Helby the moment they arrived.
“This robe is supposed to make us look like regular Heroes, right?”
“Yeah, but watch your tone.”
“Hmph, got it.”
Inside the robe Jinwoo handed over, there were intricate magic circles drawn. Of course, they were all fake. It was just an ordinary black robe.
That was the charm of this event.
To inspire Heroes to decorate their domains with passion, Leon and Helby were going to visit in secret!
Helby pulled the hood of the robe down deep.
Because of her horns, the hood stuck up sharply, but it still looked decent enough. Jinwoo, along with Helby, used teleportation magic to head to the Romance Domain first.
The Romance Domain had developed significantly more than before. Haebyul had invested a lot of money into environmental design and buildings, and she had poured in all the Contribution Points earned from the Underground Labyrinth without hesitation.
“Wow...”
Helby’s eyes sparkled.
Around the oasis were desert-themed buildings, and palm trees were harmoniously arranged. One Hero could be seen sunbathing and drinking a beverage, while many others were fishing at the oasis.
Countless stalls were lined up in rows. Many Production-Class Heroes had gathered to sell food and souvenirs. Since there were so many Heroes heading to the Underground Labyrinth, the Romance Domain was always bustling and business was thriving.
Whoosh!
Helby started rushing ahead. Jinwoo looked at her back and chuckled before following her.
Helby stared intently at the skewered meat displayed at one of the stalls.
“Welco... huh!”
The Hero selling the skewers was startled when he saw Helby. Though covered by the robe, it was obviously Helby. Her majestic horns and beautiful features were impossible to hide.
“Shopkeeper.”
“Y-yes?”
“How much?”
“J-just take it.”
The Hero respectfully handed the skewer to Helby.
Ding-ding...
As Helby’s Affinity rose, she flinched and glanced around nervously. Just then, Jinwoo appeared beside her.
“Haha, we’re just newbie Heroes who just crossed over.”
“Hmph, y-yes, exactly!”
Jinwoo paid in her place.
The Hero who received the money was even more shocked. Leon was standing right in front of him.
“It’s delicious.”
“Excellent.”
As Jinwoo and Helby walked away, the Hero running the skewer stall quickly wrote something on his stand.
[Skewer Stall Visited by Prince Leon and the Guardian Dragon]
That was the phrase he inscribed.
Jinwoo walked down the stall-lined street with Helby.
Perhaps the word had spread, Heroes started to gather around Jinwoo and Helby. The Heroes were very considerate. They didn’t approach directly but stood at a distance, simply observing.
Above all, Leon and Helby looked so genuinely happy that no one wanted to interrupt them.
Haebyul, the lord of the Romance Domain, came running over upon hearing the rumor.
“Huh?!”
She immediately recognized Jinwoo and Helby.
-ㅋㅋㅋ Wait, why are Prince Leon and Helby-nim here?
-Looks like they’re trying to hide their identities. But how can you hide that face ㅋ
-It’s a festival!
-Can’t believe they’re visiting a Hero-made domain! So cool!
Even the viewers quickly realized who they were; their disguises were that flimsy. But the effort to hide their identities looked so cute that no one pointed it out.
Helby went from stall to stall, carefully examining anything that caught her eye.
“What’s this..., ahem! What is this?”
“It’s a figure of the Guardian Dragon, made from minerals gathered in the Underground Labyrinth.”
“Excellen..., I mean, very good. I’ll take one.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Helby awkwardly adjusted her speech to sound like a Hero. It didn’t sound very convincing, but since it looked cute anyway, Jinwoo just let it slide.
-Helby-nim using honorifics, unbelievable
-That’s insane
-The impact is overwhelming
Jinwoo nodded as he read the reactions in Haebyul’s chat window.
Seeing the Heroes enjoying themselves made him feel good as well.
“Look. This is what they call a figurine.”
“Oh? That’s cool.”
“There wasn’t one of you. Hmph.”
Helby proudly showed Jinwoo the Guardian Dragon figure. She seemed to still be bitter about losing in the popularity poll last time.
“Would that be considered a treasure?”
“...It barely passes.”
Seeing the affectionate scene between the two, Haebyul covered her mouth with her hand. Prince Leon was walking through the domain she had created, enjoying himself! And Helby-nim was with him too!
“Now I can die without regrets.”
-Helby-nim showing off is so cute...
-Running over right now ㅋㅋㅋ
-Is the Helby Lovers Group mobilizing?
-They're decorating the domain like crazy now. Someone just paid 500 platinum coins there ㄷㄷ
Jinwoo and Helby toured every corner of Haebyul’s domain.
They even had a fishing contest at the oasis, and Helby won. The sight of her happily lifting the fish she caught was instantly uploaded to Arsilan Worlds.
“Let’s leave a message in the guestbook and head to the next domain.”
“Okay!”
[Hero in Disguise (Leon)]
This domain carries the warm heart of its lord. It’s a splendid domain with a promising future. I hope you’ll continue to serve Arsilan and the Kingdom of Sillion well.
[Mysterious Hero (Helby)]
I like it. I’ll come again next time.
[Affinity with the Heroes of the Romance Domain has greatly increased for Leon and Helby!]
Although their identities were hidden, an indicator was still shown.
Jinwoo and Helby moved on to the next domain. As the rumor spread among the Heroes, those with domains began pouring out their Platinum Coins in a frenzy.
* * *
Tia looked into the mirror.
She had eight eyes and a lower body that resembled a spider. When she put on a mask to cover her eyes, her face became somewhat tolerable. The spider legs were surprisingly convenient. Since she’d always handled many pens at once for her creative work, she was able to adjust quickly.
Tia, accompanied by knights and soldiers assigned by Baron Burzirol, headed for a Hero’s domain. The one closest to Baron Burzirol’s territory was the Northern Domain, belonging to NorthernGrandDuke and the Valhalla Guild.
The Northern Domain was designed solely for combat. The buildings were all Viking-style wooden structures, and the entire atmosphere of the domain exuded a warlike energy.
As Tia approached from afar, NorthernGrandDuke and the Heroes rose to their feet. The girl group Lumina, who had been dragged to the Northern Domain unintentionally, also read the room and followed behind NorthernGrandDuke.
No one attacked. All the Heroes had read the update notice.
Tia approached right to the front of the Northern Domain.
The Heroes were able to see her clearly.
A Hero standing beside the NorthernGrandDuke looked at Tia and exclaimed in awe.
“Oh... Would.”
The NorthernGrandDuke, the members of Lumina, and all the Heroes nearby glared at him. Their gazes were ice cold.
Thus began the first appearance of Tia, whom the Heroes would come to call “Spider noona”!
***
TL Note: This is what that "Oh... Would." meant. Read more here if you don't understand what it is: https://www.dailydot.com/memes/would-meme/

Chapter 99: Offline? (5)