Translator: Dreamscribe

Jinwoo did not head to FS Games' headquarters but instead made his way to his private laboratory. For a private lab, it was in a rather good location. Most of the researchers who had worked with Lee Jin-woo before he collapsed had either moved to Ohsung Group’s research lab or transferred elsewhere. Despite that, caretakers were stationed there, ensuring that the research equipment was well-maintained.

The lab was filled with cutting-edge facilities that could rival any research institute in the world. Not only did it receive support from Ohsung Group, but also a significant amount of Lee Woon-sung’s personal funds had been invested. Since corporate support had its limitations, Lee Woon-sung had personally taken action.

‘I have to show that something came out of this lab.’

There wasn’t much time.

The faster the progress, the better.

Most of it would be solved with magic, so things would come together in an implausible way. However, it would still be much better than something suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

‘And if they still don’t understand… well, what can they do about it?’

Isn’t a genius itself a form of plausibility?

As Jinwoo approached the lab building, the security guard opened the door for him.

The lab was quiet.

Jinwoo was the only researcher there; the rest were either security guards or facility managers.

“Oh….”

Kim Han-soo looked around in fascination.

Since he was such a large man, his behavior looked somewhat comical.

“It’s not quite like that holographic video, but it’s still impressive. It feels like a scene from a movie.”

“What movie?”

“Have you seen that Marbel hero movie? The one about a billionaire who builds a fusion robot with just a hammer and a welder.”

Jinwoo had seen it before going to Arsilan.

It was a blockbuster series that had reached its fifth installment. It was so famous that any rich genius in the world was often compared to the protagonist of that movie.

‘Seems like I could make one?’

The energy source could be a Magic Stone.

As that thought crossed his mind, Jinwoo smirked and brushed it off.

“The things that amaze the world are always made in labs like these.”

“Well… I suppose so.”

“Kuh! You really are incredible, CEO-nim.”

Kim Han-soo looked at Jinwoo with eyes full of admiration. His sparkling gaze was quite burdensome. Ever since experiencing the video, Kim Han-soo had been paying even more attention to Jinwoo’s security.

Jinwoo stepped into his private lab.

It was a fairly spacious area with numerous devices lined up.

“I’ll wait outside, then. If you need anything, just call me.”

After Kim Han-soo left, Jinwoo stood still, gazing at the equipment.

The first priority was to create the Soul Connector.

A soul was divided into will and spirit body.

‘First, I need to use the connector to separate a portion of the will and spirit body….’

Then, he would create a body in Arsilan and let it inhabit it.

That was the general framework.

For Jinwoo, it was an extremely simple task. He was the Immortal Archmage, and no one was more skilled in handling the power of souls than he was.

‘Since most of the body and soul remain on Earth, there won’t be any penalties related to death.’

It would consume some mental energy, but after a short rest, they would recover without any issues.

The problem was how to make it look like a game.

‘I’ve already thought about allowing users to configure their bodies through a character customization-like system….’

His plan was to implement customization by engraving a body-granting magic circle onto the soul. Since a soul could be reduced to an extremely small size, it wouldn’t require much space.

By utilizing the Magic Tower, which was connected to the roots of Arsilan, he could accommodate a large number of people.

As for the UI and a convincing system structure, he intended to leave that to the talented staff at FS Games. And by collaborating with the magic lifeforms, they could likely build it quickly.

“The connector should be… hmm….”

Since Jinwoo was a former game developer, he had, of course, read novels, watched animations, and checked out webtoons that featured virtual reality games.

Usually, such virtual reality devices came in the form of goggles or capsules.

“I think the goggle type would be a good choice.”

In truth, the connector didn’t require any actual components.

If he put a magic circle on a metal plate and synthesize a small Magic Stone fragment, it would activate immediately. If Jinwoo wanted to, he could make it as small as a coin.

Since it was an actual transition to Arsilan, where one would receive a body, no additional components were needed.

"Since I have to create the game engine anyway..."

If the FS Games development team handled the operations, the data could be stored in the Magic Tower’s database in the form of magical formulas, allowing it to be retrieved in Arsilan.

It was magic disguised as a game engine.

It went without saying that this would be far more efficient than traditional computer-based work.

‘I just need to convert the magic circle and Magic Stone into the form of a main chip.’

A hybrid system combining magic structures and modern computing seemed like the best approach. It was on a level similar to quantum computing, but who would question a genius like Lee Jin-woo if he decided to make it?

Fortunately, Lee Jin-woo had already dabbled in this field.

He had conducted such radical research that it had sparked various criticisms. Many had even ridiculed him, calling him a dreamer.

Regardless, Ohsung Group had its own production lines, so there was no need to hesitate. Everything could be handled internally within Ohsung Group.

"Alright then..."

First, let’s create a prototype connector!

Jinwoo retrieved a small Magic Stone from Arsilan.

The lab had plenty of useful materials.

Whoosh!

Through alchemical material transformation, he combined part of the small Magic Stone and then engraved a soul-separating magic circle onto it. This magic circle maintained the body’s link while only detaching part of the mind and soul.

In Arsilan, alchemy could transform most materials using magic, unless the material contained magic power or mystical properties.

This completed chip was a bit childish in name, but for now, it's named 'Soul Chip'.

There was a VR device made by Ohsung Electronics.

It was a project launched with massive investments to create a new platform, but it had failed miserably, losing out to the Melon Quest series and other VR devices.

Jinwoo’s older brother had been in charge of it.

The biggest issue was handling the unsold stock.

They had produced so many units that they were even giving them away with purchases of smartphones and home appliances. The research lab’s storage was also filled with them.

Jinwoo picked one up and examined it.

It was bulky and ugly.

Its performance was inferior to competing models, its proprietary OS was terrible, and it wasn’t well-compatible with smartphones. It also lacked any exclusive apps. It was clear that they had desperately tried to follow industry trends but had overextended themselves.

The market’s evaluation was: "Not even worth taking for free."

"Perfect."

It was absolutely perfect.

As Jinwoo spread his hands, the VR device floated into the air and instantly disassembled. From large components to tiny micro-fabricated parts, everything was neatly separated.

But it wasn’t just disassembled, through analysis magic, he perfectly understood its internal structure and design. Compared to magic formulas, this was an incredibly simple structure.

Lee Jin-woo’s vast knowledge was also a great asset. Even for the Archmage, this was knowledge he had never encountered before.

Swoosh!

He attached the Soul Chip, added some magical enhancements, and reassembled it. The previously ugly exterior transformed into something that looked like it belonged in a sci-fi movie.

‘Now, if I connect it to the Soul Gate and the Magic Tower…’

The Soul Gate itself functioned as an intermediary.

The connector’s signal would be received by the Soul Gate and relayed to the Magic Tower.

Jinwoo pressed the power button on the completed connector.

The indicator light blinked red before turning green, signifying that it was connected to Arsilan. With magic vibration phenomena, two-way information transmission was possible without delay.

"Hmm."

Jinwoo stared at the connector for a moment.

A new desire began to surface.

The Archmage’s creative instincts were igniting!

Surrounded by cutting-edge technology and armed with vast knowledge, he was brimming with ideas.

"Should I make more?"

With that thought, Jinwoo fully immersed himself in his work.

It had been a long time since he had fallen into such a trance. He was so absorbed that he forgot how his hands were moving, simply pulling out the ideas in his mind.

This kind of immersion was what had allowed him to become an Archmage.

When Jinwoo finally came to his senses.

“Huh?”

A massive robot golem stood before him.

It was similar to when someone absentmindedly doodled and ended up with an unexpected masterpiece.

Thud! Thud!

It stomped forward, stopping right in front of Jinwoo.

“…It’s been a while since this bad habit showed up. I should get rid of it.”

Just as Jinwoo was about to disassemble the robot golem.

“CEO-nim! What’s going on…?”

Kim Han-soo rushed in after hearing the loud noise. The moment his eyes met the robot golem’s, he froze on the spot.

“This is just a model. Like a figurine or something…”

He was in the middle of making an excuse when.

A stack of boxes piled up around Jinwoo tilted and collapsed toward him.

Before Kim Han-soo could even react.

Kwaaaa!

The robot golem stretched out its hand, and a blue beam shot out, instantly disintegrating the boxes.

Kim Han-soo’s mouth fell open.

A… beam…

A laser beam just fired!

“Y-you really are amazing, CEO-nim!”

When Jinwoo raised a finger to his lips, Kim Han-soo quickly nodded in agreement.

Anyway, it was summer.

*

Jinwoo spent the next while moving between FS Games and the research lab, working on his projects.

It had been a long time since he had focused so intensely. It reminded him of his old days, deeply immersed in magic research.

Jinwoo looked at the results before him.

Multiple versions of the connector had been created. There were VR device-type models, lightweight goggles that could be worn like glasses, and even a box-shaped design.

It was a drafting device created by analyzing, modifying, and reconstructing computer technology with Lee Jin-woo’s knowledge.

By linking it to the Magic Tower, users could structure magic formulas, magic circles, or blueprints, and once they got used to it, they could even compose new types of magic. It was essentially a kind of “magic engine” that made complex magic language easy to write.

Jinwoo replaced the entire programming team’s computers with the magic engine.

When AI first appeared in the world, people had been shocked. But over time, they accepted it as normal.

Even if the singularity arrived, the same thing would happen.

Humans were creatures of adaptation, after all.

“How do we implement the fishing skill?”

“Try attaching bait to a water-element spell.”

“Oh…”

“Huh? Why is this working? It shouldn’t be.”

The development team adapted quickly.

They were designing the entire layout of Evanth, the starting village, and constructing life skills, combat skills, and magic. Bringing in familiar gameplay elements would make it easier for players to adjust.

‘If I use Soul Engraving, players will be able to learn skills just like in a game.’

Much of what Jinwoo and the development team had conceptualized was already being implemented through the magic lifeforms. Since Arsilan was a real world, there were many unpredictable factors, but perhaps that could be an advantage.

Jinwoo chose to be optimistic for now.

At the very least, this was better than destruction.

FS Games employees had not yet used the connectors to travel to Arsilan.

They were still working on the overall design of Evanth, the customization system, and the basic connection UI. The work done on computers was transferred to the magic engine, then sent to the Magic Tower, where the information was stored.

The magic lifeforms were diligently receiving and implementing the data.

Jinwoo held a meeting with Director Han Yong-seon and the department heads.

For now, he had divided FS Games into two organizations.

One was the Arsilan Salvation Headquarters, which consisted of the existing FS Games employees.

This division was responsible for leading players through the main scenario, designing towns and cities, setting up basic skills and NPCs essentially, overseeing the entire game development process.

Han Yong-seon continued to be amazed.

“So, the Arsilan Erosion Headquarters consists of the research lab personnel? That’s truly impressive.”

“…Ah, yes.”

The other division, the Erosion Headquarters, was responsible for managing Arsilan’s overarching super-intelligent AI and controlling the game’s "Erosion" system. Of course, this explanation was somewhat fabricated.

Since Erosion couldn’t actually be controlled from this side, Jinwoo had simply stated that the researchers from his old lab, who had worked with him, would be in charge of it.

Clearing his throat, Jinwoo spoke.

“There’s no need to worry about balance. Just make the players strong and let them crush the Erosion. Creating an engaging story and impressive visuals is no different from traditional game development. Other than that, we’ll only intervene in a limited capacity.”

Without a large-scale patch capable of halting the AI, they could only intervene within certain limits. Jinwoo explained that this was necessary to maintain Arsilan’s self-sustainability and balance.

Though his words were quite different from normal game development, somewhat forced, even Han Yong-seon and the team leaders were even more fired up.

“This feels like a novel. Using a super-intelligent AI to create a world more real than reality itself… But, uh… CEO-nim.”

Han Yong-seon and the team leaders all turned their eyes to Jinwoo. Their gazes burned with intense enthusiasm, so much so that Jinwoo felt pressured enough to slightly turn his head away.

“Go ahead.”

“When can we try connecting? The Erosion Headquarters members are always logged in, aren’t they?”

Jinwoo nodded.

“We do need to run test connections on this side as well…”

Internal testing was possible at this stage.

However, moving beyond that required going through several procedures.

This was something FS Games alone couldn’t push through quickly. Even with regulatory sandbox policies, the concept of full virtual reality was far too radical.

Of course, Jinwoo had been publishing research papers to make it seem credible, but instead, he had become a target of ridicule.

Evan Merkins, the CEO of BrainLink, America’s leading neurotechnology company, had blatantly mocked him on social media.

[Evan Merkins]

A Korean genius with brain damage might need a BrainLink BCI implant. We’ll insert it for free, just sign up for our clinical trials.

#LeeJinwoo #Madman #PsychWard #DelusionsOfGrandeur

Evan Merkins was treating Jinwoo like a lunatic.

BrainLink had achieved considerable success in implantable BCI technology and was receiving widespread acclaim.

In Korean online communities, Evan Merkins was considered the true genius, while Lee Jin-woo was seen as a genius manufactured by a conglomerate’s money. The conspiracy theory that he had bought his doctorate with wealth had even become mainstream.

‘If I get tangled up in regulations…’

Jinwoo was even considering using magic.

Manipulating people’s brains to turn them into puppets wasn’t a difficult task. However, the side effects were severe. He wanted to avoid using such magic if possible.

It would be a last resort.

“I suppose I should be the first to go in, right?”

“Ahem, I’d like to as well…”

“I don’t even need to go home!”

Han Yong-seon and the team leaders looked desperate.

“Yes, we’ll be running a test soon. Let’s do it together.”

“Thank you!”

“Uooooh! Finally!”

“Honey, I’m sorry! Haha! I’ll be working late!”

Han Yong-seon and the team leaders were practically ready to dance with excitement.

It was about time to borrow the overwhelming power of Ohsung Group.

Korea was practically called the Ohsung Republic, and Ohsung Group’s chairman, Lee Woon-sung, was both a myth and a legend. His connections were so vast that even the political world couldn’t touch him.

At that moment, Kim Han-soo hurriedly entered the meeting room.

“CEO-nim.”

“What’s the matter?”

“The chairman has been injured.”

Jinwoo was shocked and quickly got into the car, heading straight for the mansion.

Hearing Kim Han-soo’s words, Jinwoo rushed back home.

Was it an accident?

Kim Han-soo had received the report in a hurry and didn’t know the details. Whether it was because he had fully inherited Lee Jin-woo’s memories or because he had grown emotionally attached, Jinwoo found himself deeply concerned.

Upon arriving at the mansion and entering the room, he saw Lee Woon-sung.

“Huh? You’re home already?”

“Grandfather?”

Lee Woon-sung was lying down.

“I heard you were injured.”

“I just pulled a muscle in my back. Haha, you’re all making such a fuss over nothing.”

He must have fallen or something, as his arm was also in a cast.

“I told them not to make a big deal out of it, but it seems word still got out. Haha.”

“For someone who wanted to keep it quiet, my entire security team seems to know about it.”

“Ahem… I just wanted an excuse to see my grandson’s face. Isn’t that a good enough reason? Still, it’s nice to see you.”

Lee Woon-sung turned his gaze away, looking slightly embarrassed as he spoke.

Lately, Jinwoo had been so busy moving between FS Games, the research lab, and Arsilan that he hadn’t had time to visit.

“How long until you fully recover?”

“Maybe because I’m old, but they told me not to move until next spring. Looks like we’ll have to postpone our fishing trip for Lunar New Year. Getting old is a curse. Maybe it’s finally time for me to retire.”

Lee Woon-sung had been looking forward to their fishing trip so much that he had already bought Jinwoo a fishing rod and stocked up on all sorts of fishing gear. He had even gone as far as securing a brand-new yacht.

He was a solid pillar of support. In Jinwoo’s plans, Lee Woon-sung’s help was essential.

…And, he was a good grandfather.

“You must be really good at fishing.”

“Jinwoo, back in my day, I used to catch sharks as big as houses. This scar here? I got it from a marlin. About thirty years ago…”

When he was young, everything had been enjoyable.

Now, all that remained were ashes.

Lee Woon-sung’s eyes grew distant, lost in memories.

Jinwoo quietly listened to him.

“Haha, sorry. I’m keeping you here when you’re so busy. So, how’s business going? Those damn bastards! They believe ridiculous rumors and curse at you like crazy. Just say the word, and I’ll use all my connections to crush them.”

All his connections, huh?

Jinwoo fell into thought for a moment before looking at Lee Woon-sung with a small smile.

There was a way for them to go fishing right now.

And he knew the perfect place.

“Grandfather, do you want to go fishing?”