The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 134: Princess of Erosion (1)

The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 134: Princess of Erosion (1)

Translator: Dreamscribe
A new fire sparked in the hearts of the FS Games developers, whose spirits had been somewhat relaxed. As they entered Episode 3, instead of taking the lead, they participated in content development by aligning themselves with Jinwoo’s direction.
Creating Arsilan Saga was always fulfilling and full of a sense of accomplishment, but it had fallen short of giving them the opportunity to pour out their burning passion.
This time, Mary, the Princess of Erosion, ignited the hearts of those developers. When Jinwoo noticed their feelings and told them they could change the setting book of the Erosion Headquarters, it was like pouring oil on fire, their passion blazed even hotter.
It wasn’t urgent.
The Heroes had only just occupied one underground labyrinth in the Empire of Evil, and more than half of the Empire’s vast territory still remained.
While Jinwoo briefly visited Arsilan, the character illustration had been completed, and the modeling work had also been done. Related Quests and scenarios were being developed rapidly.
“Hh, hehehe. Mary….”
“Do you miss your unnie?”
“I’ll let you meet her.”
The sight of them breathing heavily with bloodshot eyes was almost frightening. They were putting their whole hearts into it, creating every detail with all their might.
“Mm.”
Come to think of it, even the FS Games developers had been deeply immersed while watching the experiential video. Just like the Heroes, many employees were also absorbed in Mary, so such reactions were understandable.
‘I should borrow Airi’s power once in a while.’
If it were used too often, the side effects could be worse, so it should only be used for important videos.
After some time had passed and Mary’s development was mostly complete, Jinwoo moved to Arsilan. Now, based on FS Games’ material, he had to implement Mary in Arsilan.
In Leon’s office, Jinwoo summoned Tia and Tiris.
Upon seeing the scenario for Mary that Jinwoo handed over, Tia’s eyes began to heat up.
“Wow! This is great! Can I add more?”
“As much as you want.”
With Jinwoo’s permission, Tia quickly reviewed the scenario and Quest content developed by FS Games.
Tia’s passion also began to reignite. It had been a very long time since they had included such despair in the main story, so it was impossible not to get excited.
“Heh, hehehe…, th-this taste…! Strawberry flavor!”
Tiris defined this scenario as despair with a strawberry flavor.
As Jinwoo looked at Tia, who was flushed with ecstasy, he turned his gaze to Tiris. She was reviewing Mary’s character sheet.
“There are some areas that could use work, but overall, it’s a decent design.”
“We need to make the body. How long do you think it’ll take?”
Creating a body from scratch would probably take some time.
“If we modify the girl version of Leon, I think I can finish it within today.”
“Mm, there was something like that…, right.”
He recalled seeing it in Tiris’s workshop. She was still consistently creating bodies. Thanks to that, characters like Aren could be completed quickly.
“I’ll go begin the work.”
“I’ll help too.”
“Understood.”
Tia returned to the writing room, and Jinwoo headed to her workshop with Tiris. Her workshop was originally located in the Magic Tower, but it had since been moved entirely to Solis.
After passing through a door protected with strict security magic and entering inside, there was a vast space filled with countless bodies on display. Some bodies were adorned with paid items available in Arsilan Saga, while others were decorated with outfits or accessories designed by Heroes.
“There are more than before.”
“Yes. Since I’ve found many ways to apply them, I tried making several versions.”
There were bodies in various versions, such as Arsilan inhabitants, Heroes, the Empire of Evil, and non-human forms. Tiris guided him past those bodies to a hidden room. It was a room where specially crafted bodies were stored with extra care.
The girl version of Leon lay inside a capsule.
She had gray hair and a decadent aura. The concept overlapped closely with Mary’s appearance in the video, so just a bit of modification would make her ready for use.
“Good. Then shall we begin?”
When Jinwoo said that, Tiris looked at him. Her face was still expressionless, but a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
“…It reminds me of the old days.”
“Mm?”
“The magic for making dolls…, it was the first one Master ever taught me.”
When Jinwoo first saved Tiris, she had lost her family to Erosion and was so deeply traumatized that she closed her heart. To the young Tiris, who had lost the will to live, the first thing Jinwoo taught was the magic of doll-making.
The moment the doll she made with her own hands moved, Tiris showed Jinwoo her first bright smile. Jinwoo spent a good while sitting side by side with her, making dolls together. Every doll they made back then still remained in her bedroom without a single one missing.
She had really grown up well.
Her personality was a bit peculiar, but even that was endearing. She was more than worthy of being a candidate for the next Archmage, and her skills in body creation had surpassed Jinwoo’s.
“You’ve completely outdone me now.”
“I’ll teach you well, Master.”
Jinwoo chuckled softly, then stood next to her and began modifying the body.
“Master, this bone is an alloy I developed.”
“Oh! That’s excellent. Magic flows through it very smoothly.”
Tiris, for once, smiled beside Jinwoo and proudly showed off her craftsmanship.
‘Master! This is a Horned Rabbit doll!’
‘Why did you put a blade on its chin?’
‘Because it’s the strongest Horned Rabbit like you, Master.’
‘I see.’
She overlapped with the image of young Tiris proudly showing off her creations. Without thinking, Jinwoo patted her head the same way he used to.
A small smile appeared on Tiris’s lips.
“Looks pretty good?”
“It would be better to slim down the figure a bit.”
“Mm. That’s better. It’ll give a nice contrast with the massive two-handed sword.”
After a period of focused work, Mary was completed!
With gray hair that seemed to have lost all color, dull violet eyes, and pale skin, Mary stood before Jinwoo’s eyes. She still had the adorable face of the younger Mary, but now gave off a mature vibe with age. He didn’t forget to ensure she still looked clearly younger than the Empress.
Mary’s pitiful appearance alone provoked a strong protective instinct.
Her physique was made slightly slimmer than the character sheet, while the armor and two-handed sword were adjusted to feel larger and heavier. Thanks to that, the contrast between her armored and unarmored appearances was drastic.
With the armor on, she stood well over two meters tall, but the Mary inside the armor was a slender girl. It felt less like she was wearing the armor and more like she was piloting it.
Jinwoo engraved various magic spells into Mary’s body. He mimicked the Erosion energy and Authority he had witnessed so far and engraved them into her. As a result, the armor she wore took on a form that looked as if it were melting.
“Not quite on Leon’s level, but still very well made.”
Tiris nodded as she looked at Mary. Jinwoo also found it impressively complete. The Heroes would be absolutely shocked when they saw her.
Then Jinwoo remembered something he had forgotten.
“Hmm, who should play the role of Mary?”
“You’ll be playing Leon, Master, so it would be difficult for you.”
Jinwoo, for the first time, felt glad he had chosen to be Leon.
Should he ask the Arsilans?
The experience they had built in the Empire of Evil through Desert Star was a big help.
With the help of the Soul Gate and the Magic Tower, the Arsilans could now inhabit bodies through Soul Link. Since Mary would be active in an area Jinwoo had already occupied with an Occupation Monument, it didn’t matter if an Arsilan took on the role.
Coincidentally, tomorrow was Sealing Day.
“Holding auditions might be a good idea.”
Up until now, characters were designed based on pre-existing Arsilans, but that couldn’t always be the case moving forward.
The characters in Arsilan Saga would become even more diverse, so assigning these fabricated character roles to Arsilans should be considered.
It would also help expand the lore of Arsilan Saga.
Jinwoo decided to try it for the first time.
‘Of course, they’ll need quite a bit of practice….’
Inhabiting an unfamiliar body wasn’t easy.
With a light heart, Jinwoo wrote a post on the Arsilan notice board.
Jinwoo (Leon): Anyone interested in trying out for the role of Mary?
└Garsha (Village Chief of Lunatie): I’m applying.
└Luceren (Village Chief of Elvens): Me too.
└Mia (Owner of the Production Shop): Same here!
└Alraune (Model Summoned Creature): Until when can we apply?
└Ice Witch (Jelly Shaved Ice Girl): Giving it a shot.
└Leviathan (Sashimi Restaurant Owner): Just sneaking in!
└Astel (Archangel): Hand raised!
.
..
…
Quite a number of people commented immediately.
The interest was much hotter than he expected!
In the end, Jinwoo had no choice but to arrange an official audition.
***
It was Sealing Day, the day when all the Heroes returned to their original world. As the Heroes, once so densely spread across the entire land of Arsilan, disappeared, the world of Arsilan became desolate.
The total number of users had already far surpassed 30 million and was now racing toward 40 million. The average number of active users had reached 30 million. With so many Heroes suddenly gone, it was only natural for the world to feel empty.
“We made it through this month too.”
“Thankfully, there were no issues.”
The Arsilans chatted about various things, showing a side of themselves that they couldn’t while the Heroes were present. The summoned creatures also returned to their original forms and began resting peacefully on the lands of Arsilan. Even the staff revealed themselves for the first time in a while, walking around freely.
Sealing Day was a time when all beings in Arsilan could relax and unwind. However, in front of the royal palace, the atmosphere was unusually tense for such a day. It was because of the Arsilans who had come to audition for the role of Mary.
Jinwoo had set up an audition venue at the royal palace and planned to select the actor for Mary’s role by evaluating the Arsilans’ acting skills, adaptation to the body, and immersion level.
Jinwoo sat in the judge’s seat. On either side of him were Tia and Tiris. Heina and the knights assisted with the guidance for the audition.
“Then, we will begin the 1st Princess of Erosion Mary Role Audition.”
Clap clap clap!
At Jinwoo’s words, Tia and Tiris clapped. There was no audience at the audition hall, but it was being broadcast as an event for the Arsilans.
Viewers could vote while watching the broadcast. Jinwoo planned to reflect about 50% of the voting results in the final decision.
“Please come in.”
The participant with number 1, Garsha, entered. When Jinwoo waved his hand, a magic circle spread across the audition floor, and a wave of sensation, as if possessing a different body, rushed toward her. It was magic tuned specifically to Mary’s body.
Even Garsha, who had sharp senses, almost stumbled but quickly adapted and began demonstrating various movements. Her physical adaptation passed the threshold.
“Now, let’s assess your acting ability.”
At Jinwoo’s words, a script appeared via the information window.
“Heroes! Taste despair. Heh! Hehehe! Hahahaha!”
Garsha delivered a stable performance, but it didn’t suit Mary. Perhaps because her acting was instinctual, there were parts where she interpreted the character however she wanted.
Anonymous 1 (Dwarf): Not bad. But doesn’t suit Mary. The emotions are too exaggerated.
Anonymous 2 (Beastkin): Go, Garsha nim!
Anonymous 3 (Beastkin): So beautiful!
Anonymous 4 (Elf): The worst.
Anonymous 5 (Elf): Doesn’t seem to fit.
“Next.”
Once the evaluation ended, Garsha took a seat in the chairs prepared in the audition hall.
The audition continued in a serious atmosphere. Since many of the applicants had helped develop Arsilan Saga together so far, most had decent acting skills.
Luceren displayed similar skill to Garsha, but also didn’t quite fit the role of Mary.
Anonymous 4,354 (Beastkin): Not doing great.
Anonymous 4,355 (Blacksmith): Doesn’t seem right.
Anonymous 4,356 (Elf): You did great! The best!
Anonymous 4,357 (Fairy): Hmm… was it that good?
“Greetings! I am the knight of the great Guardian Dragon….”
“Next.”
Just as all the applicants had been evaluated.
Hallon entered.
“Hallon?”
Hallon looked at Jinwoo with a sly smile. Did he have some urgent business?
“May I also be evaluated?”
Jinwoo blinked as he stared at Hallon. He couldn’t understand his words for a moment.
“Hallon, do you even properly understand the character Mary?”
“Of course. I am ready to accept the Trial of Light.”
The Dark Priest had officially retired, and with the appearance of the Empress of Vengeance, he had also stepped down from the role of the Marquis’s Prophet. Jinwoo thought he would take a vacation, but he never expected him to show up at the audition hall.
Perhaps because he was still adapted to the body he used in the Empire of Evil, he moved freely even under the influence of the magic.
Hallon took a deep breath, then opened his eyes.
Tears were welling in his eyes. Those glistening tears and sparkling gaze looked unusually pure.
And then, he began to act.
She adorably pursed her lips, then dropped to her knees on the floor and reached her hands toward the sky.
“Unnie! Unnie! Where are you! Ueheuheuk! Heueueong!”
With overwhelming emotion, she shouted passionately.
“……”
“……”
Tia and Tiris were speechless.
So was everyone else in the audition hall.
Anonymous 4,866 (Cleric): This is a bit much…
Anonymous 4,867 (Cleric): This must be another Trial of Light.
Even Jinwoo, too shocked to say anything at first, barely managed to speak.
“…Thanks for your effort.”
With a satisfied expression, Hallon stood and took a seat.
[1st Place Hallon 7.41%]
[2nd Place Garsha 3.3%]
[3rd Place Luceren 3.29%]
It was voting time, but the Arsilans watching the broadcast weren’t able to vote properly.
The voting turnout was incredibly low.
“Why…”
“What is this even…”
Garsha and Luceren were left stunned by the unexpected result.
To Jinwoo, the fact that Hallon was in first place felt like despair.
Just imagining Hallon inhabiting Mary’s body and acting sent chills down his spine. Airi’s Succubus Queen mode might even be shattered.
“Should we hold another audition?”
“I think it would be best if you did it, Master. As for Leon, I’ll try to manage things at the Magic Tower.”
Even Tia and Tiris couldn’t make a decision easily.
Anonymous 5,686 (Elf): Maybe Tiris nim would be a good fit?
Anonymous 5,687 (Beastkin): Oh…
Jinwoo spotted those comments and looked at Tiris.
Tiris’s personality actually matched well with Mary’s setting. On top of that, she had the skills to best utilize the carefully crafted body. She could even create direction and staging on the fly.
‘Come to think of it…’
Jinwoo had suffered as Leon and had become someone who couldn’t discharge from the role. Since the Master couldn’t do it, wasn’t it the disciple’s duty to take over?
Jinwoo met eyes with Tia. She immediately caught on to his thoughts and nodded. Feeling a sense of dread, Tiris tried to stand, but Jinwoo and Tia came up behind her and placed their hands on her shoulders.
“…Master?”
“Sorry. For not taking better care of you until now.”
“Huh?”
“Alright! Give it your all! Show the world your dream!”
Pushed by Jinwoo and Tia, she was forced onto the stage.
Just her appearance alone sent the voting rate skyrocketing. As the script popped up, Tiris let out a sigh, then read it with her usual expressionless face.
“Die.”
Just one word, but the impact was enormous.
Clap clap clap!
As Jinwoo clapped, everyone in the audition hall nodded in agreement. The applause grew louder and louder.
[1st Place Tiris 83%]
With an overwhelming majority, Tiris was selected for the role of Mary!
When Jinwoo gave a wide grin and a thumbs-up, Tiris let out a small sigh and nodded her head. With so many people expecting it from her, there was no way she could refuse.
Jinwoo felt extremely pleased.
“What a shame. This, too, must be a Trial of Light.”
Hallon genuinely expressed regret. He slumped his shoulders and walked out, but no one paid attention to him. However, Hallon’s challenge would continue.
For that, too, was part of the Trial of Light.
* * *
The Heroes, fully rested on Sealing Day, resumed their advance.
The forces led by the Empress of Vengeance continued to grow, and the frontlines expanded across the entire Empire of Evil. They were now pushing through more than half of the northern and southern regions of the Empire.
“Once we get past that ridge, we’ll reach the heart of the north.”
“Ugh, it’s the north, but it’s a lava zone? That’s way too hot.”
“Good thing there are skeleton horses.”
“It’s really huge. If we’d stopped to enjoy the scenery, it would’ve taken another year.”
Lava flowed down the canyon like a waterfall.
Once they crossed that canyon, they would reach the center of the northern region. The Heroes unfolded the map through the Hero’s Flower. All the regions they had advanced through appeared, and areas currently engaged in battle were also marked.
“If we completely occupy the northern region, we could even plant some tropical fruit here.”
“Khh! That’s a great idea.”
“Ah, I want to roast some sweet potatoes.”
Since the encounter with the giant man-eating flower, the atmosphere had noticeably relaxed. Victory announcements kept rolling in, and the enemies, perhaps having lost their morale, were busy running away. There were no major complaints.
“It’s kind of boring now.”
“Maybe we’ve just gotten too strong? We’re all veteran players now.”
“Haha, well then. I guess we’ve become veterans.”
Though they called it boring, they didn’t really mean it.
With area spells or skills, dozens, sometimes hundreds, of enemies vanished all at once. The thrilling sensation of a hack-and-slash experience was enough to keep the Heroes satisfied.
HohoGamMan, one of the named Heroes, was actively fighting on the battlefield. After the Mary possession incident, his viewer count had actually increased.
“HohoGamMan nim?”
HohoGamMan, who had been leading the group, suddenly came to a stop.
“There’s something up ahead.”
“Huh?”
Between the canyon walls, where lava flowed like a waterfall, someone was standing.
The moment the Heroes laid eyes on that spot.
“Huh?”
Kwagagagak!
The air rippled, and a massive slash swept through the Heroes. All the named Heroes standing next to HohoGamMan vanished as if they had been erased.
The power was unbelievable.
“What…”
“Huh?”
“That is…”
A massive killing intent pressed down on the Heroes.
It became hard to breathe, like they were going to suffocate.
Kiiiiik!
A sound like armor twisting echoed out.
It rang across the entire canyon, stabbing into the Heroes’ ears like an awl.
The Heroes, who had halted their advance, swallowed nervously and stared straight ahead.
A figure, clad in armor that looked like it was melting from Erosion, was slowly walking toward them.

.
!
Chapter 134: Princess of Erosion (1)