Translator: Dreamscribe

Since the soul had already departed, no matter how hard one tried to revive the body, death was unavoidable. A soul that had left the body would shatter into tiny fragments, merely becoming nourishment for the birth of a new soul.

Jinwoo carefully examined Lee Jin-woo’s body.

The condition was severe, but with magic, it was fully recoverable.

When Jinwoo had first gone to Another World, he was in his late thirties. When he became an old man, he switched to a new body. Since then, he had always maintained a youthful physique, and this body fit the conditions perfectly.

‘This is too good.’

The academic background was unnecessarily impressive, the appearance was decent, and the background was outstanding. Most importantly, he felt a strong conviction that everything about this body would be necessary.

It was the intuition of an Archmage.

Countless years of accumulated experience and vast magical knowledge were telling him so.

Most of the time, such intuitions were warnings of bad things, but this time was different.

There was no need to hesitate.

Swoosh!

A magic circle was engraved on the body, and his soul entered and settled within it.

Although it was weaker than the bodies he typically used, it was not a significant problem. The moment his soul took root, the body began to recover rapidly. Even in a world with scarce magic, this much was an easy feat.

He was at the pinnacle of all mages, a magician who symbolized immortality. Healing a body of this level of damage was a trivial task.

The heart, which had been on the verge of stopping, began beating strongly again, and the slightly stale air seeped into his lungs.

As he opened his dry eyes, his vision was blurry.

After blinking a few times, his sight returned to normal.

“Hm…”

Jinwoo naturally sat up.

His muscles and joints screamed in pain, but as magic seeped in, they recovered naturally.

“How fortunate.”

It was an incredibly lucky outcome.

It had been a staggering ninety-nine years since he had last uttered those words.

*

As expected, the hospital was in chaos.

Lee Jin-woo, the youngest son of Ohsung Group, who had been in a vegetative state for three years, had woken up.

Even the most skilled doctors, both domestic and international, had shaken their heads, saying there was no hope.

Yet, after a thorough examination by the best specialists in each field, it was confirmed that, while still weak, he was within the range of a normal, healthy person.

It was truly an unbelievable recovery.

Yes, this was a miracle!

There was no other word to describe it.

Ohsung Group was in a festive mood.

Not only the chairman of Ohsung Group but also Lee Jin-woo’s father, the vice chairman, stayed at the hospital until the detailed examination was completed.

"Sob, sob!…! Jinwoo!”

Lee Jin-woo’s father burst into tears, and his grandfather, Lee Woon-sung, the chairman of Ohsung Group, turned his back and sniffled. He could not bring himself to show tears in front of his grandson.

After much commotion, Jinwoo was able to return to the Ohsung Group mansion. Lee Jin-woo had originally lived independently, but that was before he became comatose.

‘This is incredible.’

The mansion was luxurious and massive.

It was hard to believe a residence of this size existed in Seoul.

Although he had once been a lord ruling over a fairly large territory, he had never indulged in such extravagance. In a world that was racing towards destruction, such things were unimaginable.

Upon entering the mansion, Jinwoo had to endure the burden of many gazes.

Starting with Chairman Lee Woon-sung, Lee Jin-woo’s older sister and older brother all looked at him with sparkling eyes full of love.

“Jinwoo, do you want to go out with noona?”

His older sister, Lee Hee-jin, held his hand tightly and asked. Lee Jin-woo had been born much later than his siblings, resulting in a significant age gap.

He was eight years younger than his sister and twelve years younger than his brother. As Jinwoo nodded awkwardly, Hee-jin beamed brightly.

“Ahem. Jinwoo, uh… I picked this up on my way here.”

His older brother, Lee Cheon-woo, nonchalantly left a brand-new console gaming system in his room.

Warm and peaceful days.

It had been far too long. He wished these days could continue.

Ever since Jinwoo had woken up, the family gathered at the mansion more frequently. Today, too, they sat together at a large dining table to share a meal.

And the food was absolutely delicious.

The moment he sat at the dining table, he focused entirely on eating. It had been a hundred years since he had tasted proper food.

Lee Woon-sung, the chairman of Ohsung Group, watched Jinwoo with a pleased expression before turning his head and speaking.

“Still no progress?”

“It’s not easy to meet the conditions. Since it’s practically a monopoly, negotiations are difficult.”

“Hmm… Call everyone in this week. And then…”

Lee Woon-sung continued discussing company matters with Lee Geon-su, Lee Jin-woo’s father. However, when he noticed Jinwoo eating enthusiastically, he suddenly stopped speaking.

“You must have been very hungry.”

“Ah, yes. It’s been a while…”

Jinwoo replied absentmindedly, and at that, everyone’s expressions turned somber.

Lee Jin-woo had been a genius among geniuses, holding multiple doctorate degrees by the age of twenty-two. However, his health had rapidly deteriorated five years ago, making it nearly impossible for him to eat solid food.

Lee Woon-sung took out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes.

Despite surviving on IV drips and porridge, his grandson had never given up on his studies. He was truly admirable.

“You’ve done well. If there’s anything you want to eat, just say the word. I’ll use every method possible to bring you the most delicious food.”

“No, that won’t be necessary…”

Lee Woon-sung became emotional once again.

How could he say such things to a grandfather who had done nothing for him? The kindness moved him deeply.

Jinwoo’s sister, Lee Hee-jin, began crying openly.

“Jinwoo, do whatever you want. Noona will help you.”

Lee Woon-sung also struggled to hold back his tears. Imagining himself as a model grandfather, he did his best to maintain a composed demeanor.

“Try to distance yourself from studying now.”

“Huh? Ah, yes.”

Unlike Lee Jin-woo, Jinwoo had never been interested in studying.

He had only climbed to his current position by desperately struggling to survive. If this had been a typical Another World like those in novels or comics, at best, he might have become a common adventurer or a guild receptionist.

“Do you have any interests other than studying and research?”

Magic creation… That probably wasn’t the right answer.

Jinwoo thought for a moment.

He had been a game developer. Since childhood, he had been passionate about games, and he had worked his way up from a developer to a recognized director.

As everyone’s attention focused on him, Jinwoo nodded and spoke.

“Games… I’m interested in games.”

“Hahaha!”

At the mention of games, Lee Woon-sung laughed heartily, and his father, brother, and sister joined in.

“I see! Our Jinwoo is interested in games! That’s great, very good.”

Lee Woon-sung was relieved.

At last, Jinwoo was showing interest in something suitable for his age. Brain science and AI research were impressive fields, but he just wanted his grandson to be happy.

Lee Cheon-woo hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking.

“Ahem! Grandfather, recently… I gifted Jinwoo a gaming console.”

“Oh, well done. As expected, the eldest takes care of the important things.”

“Of course. Hahaha!”

Lee Cheon-woo laughed loudly, clearly in a great mood.

Lee Hee-jin pouted, glaring at Lee Cheon-woo before turning away.

“I’ll buy an entire game company for you. Ah! Don’t we have one in our business group?”

“Yes, though it’s been running into all sorts of problems…”

At Lee Hee-jin’s comment, Lee Woon-sung nodded.

“Then we should acquire a solid one instead.”

“Ah… That won’t be necessary.”

“Hah! It’s fine. This grandfather of yours can at least do that much.”

Ohsung Group was the top-ranked conglomerate in South Korea, and Lee Woon-sung was a man of grand gestures. Before anyone realized it, the dinner table had turned into a discussion on which game company to acquire.

After finishing his meal, Jinwoo returned to his room.

‘I’d love to keep living like this…’

But then, Arsilan, on the brink of destruction, came to mind.

Living a peaceful life had always been his wish, but he couldn’t just ignore Arsilan. His disciples were there, he had subjects to protect, and he had many connections to that world.

‘It’s good that I awakened and returned to Earth, but can I find a way to prevent its destruction?’

Even if he brought all of modern Earth's military forces, it would be impossible.

Even a nuclear bomb wouldn’t work. Unless the deeply hidden core was destroyed, the monsters would always resurrect.

Perhaps an armored division might have some effect, but it couldn’t push back the Erosion. No, to begin with, transporting such weapons would be impossible.

‘Hmm…’

One thought led to another in an endless chain.

No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t find an answer.

‘Let’s clear my head.’

With a sigh, Jinwoo looked at the gaming console that Lee Cheon-woo had gifted him. It was a handheld device, the best-selling console in the world. He had owned one before, so just holding it brought back memories.

His favorite game was Dragon’s Legend 7.

It was a story about a Brave Warrior summoned from Earth, exploring a vast open world and embarking on adventures. The game was so exceptional that it made him want to create something like it himself.

‘I wish a Brave Warrior would descend upon Arsilan too.’

A warrior strong enough to eradicate the Erosion.

To resist the effects of the Erosion, it would be best if they were Earthlings like Jinwoo.

‘In Japanese anime, high school students get summoned to Another World and go on power trips…’

He wished someone would come to Arsilan and unleash their overwhelming strength. But it was pointless. Even a few high-level warriors wouldn’t be enough; the scale of destruction was too immense.

‘If millions of Brave Warriors appeared to fight against the Erosion, Arsilan’s lands would recover quickly.’

Jinwoo chuckled at the thought.

It was an absurd fantasy. Magicians were beings who turned fantasies into reality, but ridiculous delusions like this had to be laughed off.

Jinwoo moved the joystick and started playing the game.

Though he was playing, he couldn’t focus. His mind was cluttered with endless thoughts and daydreams.

Dun-dun-dada-dan!

A cheerful sound effect played as he opened a treasure chest he had stumbled upon.

[Brave Warrior Linka has obtained a Mage Summoning Circle!]

[SSR 5-Star Companion Acquired!]

[Would you like to summon a Mage Companion?]

Yes - No

Jinwoo was about to press a button without thinking when his eyes widened.

“What?”

The gaming console slipped from his hands and fell to the floor.

All the scattered thoughts in his mind suddenly converged into a single realization. The chaotic fragments that had been floating around aligned perfectly, sending an electrifying thrill through his soul.

“That’s it.”

Thinking about it, all the conditions were at least somewhat in place.

“Hero Summoning… I just need to do that!”

The Soul Gate was already hovering over Seoul.

Earthlings were immune to the Erosion.

And this planet was overflowing with souls that were immune to it.

Seoul alone had over ten million people.

“I can create the bodies in Arsilan. If I extract just a portion of their souls and transfer them to Arsilan…”

A soul was composed of will and spiritual body.

What if he could bring them to Arsilan while maintaining their connection to their physical bodies on Earth?

Their real bodies would remain on Earth, while the bodies they used in Arsilan could be created locally. If he placed them in Bio Golems or massive war machines and had them fight…

‘But… would they actually fight properly?’

The situation was dire, and he couldn’t even promise proper rewards. Who would follow orders if he simply commanded them to fight? If anything, they might turn against Arsilan instead.

After a moment of contemplation, Jinwoo quickly found a solution.

“What if… they thought it was a game?”

Wouldn’t they hunt down the Erosion for the sake of fun and excitement?

If he created an immersive story and an irresistible level of enjoyment…

They would come to cherish Arsilan as if it were their own world.

A dark fantasy-themed virtual reality game!

Currently, AI technology on Earth was advancing rapidly. American companies had already developed brainwave interfaces that could move a computer mouse, and even type on a keyboard.

Releasing a fully immersive virtual reality game would be an unprecedented breakthrough. But just as AI had seamlessly integrated into daily life, virtual reality could do the same.

“Besides, I’m both a magician and a game developer.”

The two things he excelled at most were magic and game development.

Jinwoo leaped to his feet.

If this plan worked, Arsilan still had hope.

Ideas poured into his mind like an endless fountain, and his enthusiasm soared.

“Let’s make a game.”

No, let’s pretend to make a game.

Arsilan, standing on the brink of destruction…

Would become the stage for a virtual reality game.