The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 16.2: Early Access (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Among female streamers who mainly played general games, Haebyul was selected. She had a decent following, and above all, a clean image without any scandals.
Jinwoo sat atop the Magic Tower, watching the stream.
Even though it was morning, the number of viewers had already reached an all-time high. Not only the usual audience but also a huge influx of domestic and international viewers pushed the count well past 100,000. It could’ve been overwhelming, but like a true big-name streamer, she remained composed and acted as usual.
[Tada! This is the Soul Link Normal version! I was going to buy the Pro version, but what if it was a scam, right? So I went with the Normal version first.]
-100% a scam ㅋㅋㅋ
-You actually believed that?
-Feels like a scam, but something about this feels off.
Haebyul smiled lightly and showed the box containing the Soul Link.
[Oh, it smells nice. That new-product smell! The box design is very meticulously crafted. See? I told you, this kind of detail is what makes something luxury.]
Since it was an early product, they paid close attention to the packaging.
Chairman Lee Woon-sung personally inspected each item carefully before giving it the go-ahead.
What did he say again?
‘We’re summoning my comrades, can’t afford to be sloppy. The Soul Link must be perfect.’
Lee Woon-sung was already an Arsilanian.
He had dumped all his schedule onto the Vice Chairman and was staying at home, waiting. You could practically say he had half-retired just to enjoy Arsilan Saga.
Haebyul opened the box and took out the Soul Link.
It had a sleek design. A little thicker than glasses, it felt more like ski goggles.
[They say it links with Ohsung Group’s Universe smartphone. Wow! It connected right away? Does it run on its own OS?] (TL Note: Galaxy Smartphone = Universe smartphone)
Haebyul was amazed as she tried on the Soul Link.
It was incredibly responsive. Even with multiple windows open, there was no lag or slowdown.
[I could just use this to stream normally too. Totally worth the price. They said you can open the chat window while gaming..., oh, there’s a dedicated streaming mode?]
-But it looks kinda funny on camera ㅋㅋ Cyberpunk?
-Not as bad as I thought. Feels like futuristic goggles?
-Why is this thing so well made? It can do everything except actual VR?
There were plenty of trolls and provocateurs in the chat, but even they were starting to get caught up in the excitement.
[Ah! It’s 10 o’clock now!]
The launch time was 10 a.m. Korean time.
While she had been streaming, the time for the grand opening had finally arrived.
At last, the long-awaited moment had come.
The criticism once hurled at Jinwoo would now be replaced by praise and admiration. It would probably seem like magic. And only someone like the Archmage could make it happen.
At the stroke of 10 o’clock, Jinwoo opened the Soul Gate and activated the Magic Tower.
Let there be light.
The world changed.
The common sense that had governed everything up until now was shattered completely.
Humanity would no longer be able to return to how it was.
Fwaaash!
The light bursting from the Soul Gate enveloped the Magic Tower.
Earth, the Soul Gate, and Arsilan were now connected!
[Huh? Huh? G-Guys! It says I can connect! It’s telling me to sit back comfortably in a chair or lie on a bed before logging in?]
-Wait, why does this feel legit?
-What is this? What’s happening? Is this real?
-They’re really pulling off a full-on scam.
-At this point, let's just play along.
Was it really working?
Haebyul gulped nervously. She quickly adjusted her posture and sat properly in her chair.
After taking a deep breath, she brought her finger to the login button on the bottom-right corner of the Soul Link.
[I’ll set it to Broadcast Mode first! Now, will this really be a virtual reality game? Or is it, as people say, just an elaborate scam? H-Here I go! L-Login!!]
Click!
The moment she pressed the button, Haebyul’s consciousness reached the Soul Gate.
[Huh, huh? Kyyaaaak! What is this? Haaah!]
-???
-What is this?
-Is this for real? What is this? What the heck???
Haebyul was floating in midair.
All she could see was the vast open sky and a giant, overwhelming vortex. She was sucked into the vortex in an instant and transported to an unfamiliar space.
‘Works fine.’
Jinwoo nodded.
He had already run countless tests, but still, there had been a slight worry. Thankfully, it operated without any problems.
The moment Haebyul pressed the login button, her soul was connected to the Magic Tower through the Soul Gate. The Magic Tower received her information in real time and inscribed a Magic Circle onto her soul.
[Ahhk! This feeling is...]
The sensation of a Magic Circle being engraved onto her soul.
Haebyul felt a thrill.
It was a fullness and refreshment that could not be felt with the body.
A Photo Sphere floated above Haebyul’s head as she activated Broadcast Mode.
One of the Magic Circles inscribed on the soul through the Soul Link was that sphere. It was a spell that activated when Broadcast Mode or Recording Mode was turned on.
It floated above her head, transmitted the screen data to the Soul Link, and then relayed it to her personal computer for streaming. Since Haebyul was in Broadcast Mode, the viewers could see both her and the surrounding environment on their monitor screens.
It was still displayed as a flat screen for now, but once Ohsung Electronics released their hologram device, users would be able to experience it as if they were right there in person.
Jinwoo monitored the situation while reviewing the data sent from the Magic Tower.
‘Magic consumption is stable.’
Filming was a low-grade spell, so it didn't consume much Magic Power. The Soul Link could absorb ambient Magic Power to replenish it.
Everything was going smoothly.
Jinwoo looked visibly relieved.
Now it was time to carefully observe the reactions.
On-screen, Haebyul looked completely out of it.
Since her soul was separated from her body, she was literally in a daze.
[I-I-I... I-I-I’m really in... in... in virtual reality!]
-???
-No way! Really?
-What is this, it's scary...
-Haebyul-nim looks like a flame right now.
-Breaking news just popped up. It’s chaos everywhere.
-God Jinwoo! Did he really make this for real?!
-Why is this actually real? What is this?
At last, the fully immersive virtual reality game had descended upon Earth.
[Breaking News] FS Games’ virtual reality game confirmed to be real.
[Breaking News] Reason behind Lee Jinwoo’s silence: “Because it’s real.”
[Breaking News] NYC, USA: “The world is about to change completely.”
As if on cue, breaking news alerts came flooding in.
[Title: I’m inside Arsilan right now.]
Lost my mind in the Character Customization Room and made a macho Orc before logging in.
(Attached: Orc character photo)
That’s me, but the presence is insane, right?
The sense of touch feels more real than real life.
Everything feels exactly as it should.
Even the protruding fangs feel like they’re really mine.
(Attached: First landscape of Arsilan)
See that field?
That’s a sight you’ll never see in Korea.
Lee Jinwoo-nim is the Creator God of a new world.
Worship him always.
Anonymous 1: ??? So that was real?
Anonymous 2: Does this mean Korea’s about to rule the world?
└Anonymous 6: No no, Lee Jinwoo is the one ruling.
└Anonymous 7: For real though, that might actually happen.
Anonymous 4: How can foolish humans understand the will of God?
Anonymous 5: I work at Rox Games in the US, and we’ve just entered an emergency meeting.
As if dozens of nuclear bombs had been dropped all over the world, every global community exploded into chaos.
Chapter 16.2: Early Access (2)
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