Translator: Dreamscribe

Jinwoo hesitated for a moment before nodding and speaking.

"...Any method is fine. Keep going."

As soon as Jinwoo gave his permission, Tia fully immersed herself in her own world.

The pen floating in the air had already begun writing down the story.

It was an incredible speed that a computer keyboard couldn't possibly match.

"A respected person is fine too. Like someone who earns the admiration of the barbarians but meets a tragic death at the hands of the enemy. It would be even better if they die to save the barbarians!"

"Hmm."

"A desperate and noble sacrifice fuels the flames of emotion even more! Devastation and revenge! The regret after loss! The sorrow of never being able to see a loved and respected person again! The vengeance that arises from it! Aaah! I want to see the tears of the barbarians!"

Jinwoo thought for a moment before nodding.

The most significant factor in making a game immersive was, after all, the story.

Emotion makes people strong.

Sometimes, it pushes them beyond their limits and makes the impossible possible.

Love and tragedy.

The synergy between these two opposing emotions would undoubtedly be powerful.

Love blinds people, and the desire for revenge provides a strong driving force.

If the main chapters and side quests immersed the players in the characters and story while incorporating the tragic elements Tia mentioned, they would act on their own without needing any commands.

"Haaak! Haa... Ugh! If I could witness that scene, I’d feel full without even eating!"

Jinwoo nodded as he listened to Tia's moans.

Tia was, after all, a genius writer. Given how well she understood Arsilan's situation, there was no one more suited to be the story writer than her.

"Tia."

"Yes? Ah! S-Sorry. I... I did it again...."

Snapping out of her immersion, Tia blushed and looked at Jinwoo.

"Let's work on something together."

"Work?"

"It might sound ridiculous..., but if things go well, millions of souls will be able to read your story."

"M-Millions...?"

"Maybe even billions."

With the remaining population of Arsilan, such a number was unimaginable. Though her work was undoubtedly outstanding, her readership was small. In a world on the brink of destruction, few people had the luxury of reading books.

"......."

Tia lowered her head and trembled.

"Tia?"

"U-Ugh! M-My story... to billions...! Aaah!"

An expression of ecstasy appeared on Tia's face. She grabbed Jinwoo's hands tightly.

"Honestly, I don't understand, but if that's possible, I'll do anything! If you want me to be a slave, I will! I can offer my body, heart, and even my soul!"

"...Please don't have such extreme thoughts."

"The purest things are born from the most corrupted and ruined places!"

"I don't think that's true. Anyway..., calm down."

When Jinwoo raised both hands as if to tell her to stop and settle down, Tia looked disappointed but quickly composed herself again.

"What kind of scenario should I create?"

"First, a beta test... Hmm, imagine around 3,000 people who know nothing arriving at Rainsword. That number will gradually increase over time. I want them to have a reason to immerse themselves and fight against the erosion."

"Wow! This is like a full-fledged fantasy novel! Then, are these people from a different civilization than ours? Do they have different principles of magic and physics?"

When Jinwoo nodded, Tia's ears twitched.

It seemed inspiration was surging within her.

"The setting is Arsilan, and the summoning point will be... Hmm, yes, I think Evanth Village would be best."

Evanth was a village near the boundary of the erosion. A long river ran through the village, and it was filled with many old-fashioned wooden houses.

Since the erosion was approaching, relocation plans were already underway. It was the perfect place for a tutorial village and a test site.

"Aah! Evanth...! The land where love and tragedy will begin! The sight of it drowning in ruin will be truly..."

Tia didn’t fully understand everything Jinwoo had said, but that didn’t seem to matter much. The person standing before her was the greatest Archmage. Rather than trying to comprehend, it was far easier to simply follow. After all, the Magic Barrier he had created was already beyond the realm of common sense and understanding.

Tia’s eyes glazed over, and the pens began moving at an incredible speed. Jinwoo watched her for a moment, then let out a small sigh before stepping out.

Even a game displayed on a monitor could bring players to tears if it had a compelling story. But what about a fully immersive virtual reality game?

Arsilan’s tragedy would become the players’ tragedy, and Arsilan’s happiness would be their happiness.

Going even further, just as Jinwoo had come to love this place, perhaps the players would as well.

Jinwoo turned his head to look at the Magic Barrier.

The Magic Barrier clashed with the power of the erosion, creating an aurora of various colors. The screams of scattered magic particles were so vividly clear to Jinwoo’s ears.

Alright, let’s take our time and complete the stage properly.

"The Village of Beginnings."

That would be the new name for Evanth, the small village that would disappear in the face of Erosion.

*

The name of the game was Arsilan Saga.

The overall flow of the story and the major framework had been completed.

Since Arsilan was already an existing world, integrating the necessary settings allowed the planning document to come together quickly.

A fully immersive virtual reality game.

A world where freedom like reality was guaranteed, where one could do anything and become anything.

Even from Jinwoo’s perspective, the plan was quite solid. However, to the average person, it was mostly an absurd tale. Even if it were presented as a fantasy movie script, people would still tilt their heads in doubt.

‘It definitely feels like over-technology.’

At a time when even rudimentary VR games were just emerging, a fully immersive virtual reality was clearly unrealistic.

If he had at least ten years left, he would have taken a more gradual approach, but there was no time to spare.

However, Lee Jin-woo’s existence could provide the justification.

A single genius could change the world. That was the premise he would push forward with.

"Cosplaying as a genius is a bit much, but it can’t be helped."

Jinwoo smirked and nodded.

"Hmm."

Jinwoo was now about to lead a fairly large game company.

Even if he told the developers, ‘From now on, we’re going to create the world’s first fully immersive virtual reality game!’ they wouldn’t believe him. They’d just assume their new CEO had lost his mind.

But that didn’t mean he could simply bring them to Arsilan.

The game hadn’t even been properly structured yet.

‘I need to create a demonstration video.’

It didn’t have to be full virtual reality, just a video of that caliber would be enough. A well-crafted demonstration could present the overall direction that a planning document alone couldn’t convey. It was a solid approach.

‘Not just a simple video, but an interactive hologram using Illusion Magic…’

If he could directly showcase technology that everyone could accept, he could make them believe.

By presenting a technology far beyond its time, he could add credibility to the concept of virtual reality.

Jinwoo pondered for a moment, then returned to Arsilan.

At the center of Rainsword, the domain known as the front line of Erosion and as an iron wall, stood a lord's castle alongside the Magic Tower.

The mansions built around the lord’s castle added a touch of antique elegance. It was reminiscent of a medieval landscape, though much cleaner and well-organized. However, given the impending destruction, a somewhat somber atmosphere lingered.

When Jinwoo appeared at the castle for the first time in a while, the retainers rushed out in a panic.

"Master!"

A retainer dressed in modest attire knelt before Jinwoo.

This was Baron Hasman Agast, who managed the domain in Jinwoo’s absence.

At this point, noble titles didn’t hold much meaning anymore, but he was a noble who embodied the true spirit of noblesse oblige. The only downside was that his face looked a bit villainous. With a large nose and a long jaw, he appeared extremely sinister whenever he smiled.

Still, that was just part of his unique appearance.

For decades, Hasman had devoted himself to the people of the domain, earning their deep respect.

"Hasman, you don’t look well. Have you been eating properly?"

"Khuhuk, how could I possibly eat when my lord is suffering like this?"

Hasman shed tears as big as raindrops.

Excessive loyalty was the problem. Claiming to share in Jinwoo's suffering, he had once fasted for an entire month.

"Call all the retainers."

"Understood!"

With a snap of Hasman’s fingers, the retainers were immediately contacted. They swiftly gathered in the grand conference room of the lord’s castle. Having endured the era of erosion, they were all incredibly powerful individuals.

They bowed their heads and remained silent.

A solemn atmosphere filled the room. Their unwavering resolve in the face of impending death made them appear like true heroes.

"Hmm."

Jinwoo carefully observed the retainers.

His gaze landed on the knight commander clad in armor. Her red hair was loosely tied back, and she wore no makeup, yet she was an extraordinary beauty.

The aura of light surrounding her made her resemble a noble holy knight.

Jinwoo nodded as he looked at her.

"Knight Commander. Arsilan needs your strength."

"Yes, my lord! Heina del Ardengart pledges her life to obey any command!"

Heina knelt on the spot and bowed her head.

She was so moved by Jinwoo’s words that she trembled.

"Priest Hallon, and…"

Hallon had endured so much hardship that, unless he was smiling, he looked like a fallen priest. Though he had once held the title of Pope, he had come to Rainsword to fight against the erosion and was now cooperating with Jinwoo.

Jinwoo chose people based on their appearance.

"Ah! Hasman, you dabble in Dark Magic, don’t you?"

"Yes, but compared to my lord, I am no better than an insect…."

"You’re coming too."

Hasman immediately burst into tears of gratitude.

"Yes! Kugh! I, Hasman Agast, am ready to lay down my life! Finally, the time has come for this worthless existence to die gloriously!"

Jinwoo simply chuckled.

"You’re all willing to do anything for Arsilan, right?"

Thud!

The chosen retainers pounded their chests and bowed their heads.

"Then gather in front of the castle in 15 minutes."

As Jinwoo vanished, the selected retainers burned with determination. They looked as if they were about to march into war.

The retainers who were not chosen lamented their shortcomings but still blessed their comrades on their path.

Even though there was no need for such dramatics.

Before long, Heina, Hasman, and several other retainers gathered in front of the castle. Fully armed, their faces were filled with tension.

Whiiik!

With a snap of Jinwoo’s fingers, a teleportation spell activated.

In an instant, they were transported to a vast field.

Heina, who had been tense enough for her expression to harden, blinked in surprise as she looked around.

They weren’t anywhere near the erosion.

Instead, they stood on a peaceful plain in front of a city.

"Wow!"

"Heeeh!"

Children were running around, playing.

"......."

The fully armed retainers, feeling awkward, slowly lowered their weapons.

Jinwoo reached into subspace and rummaged around.

Heina, who had been standing stiffly, hesitated before cautiously stepping forward and speaking.

"Um… my lord."

"What?"

"We have gathered as you commanded."

Jinwoo nodded and pulled out a box from subspace.

When he opened it, several orbs floated into the air and began circling around them.

They were spatial recording devices created using Illusion Magic and magitech engineering.

Heina and the retainers stared at them, confusion evident on their faces.

They had come prepared to die for Arsilan, but the situation seemed entirely different. They had no idea what was happening or what they were supposed to do.

"Hmm."

Jinwoo examined Heina.

From head to toe, she was clad in thick armor, resembling a walking tank. That armor was a high-grade artifact that provided immense defense and strength.

However, it looked far too bulky and lacked any sense of style. It was purely designed for combat and survival.

‘In games, the people here…’

It was an unspoken rule that the more revealing the armor, the higher the defense and value. Of course, it wasn’t about being overtly suggestive, subtle appeal was key.

To put it bluntly, it had to be elegantly provocative!

And the prettier the design, the better the performance.

Jinwoo glanced at the materials he had taken out from subspace, then drew a magic circle on the ground and crafted a new set of armor. While its actual performance was significantly lower, the design was well-polished.

"That is… just a piece of scrap metal."

Heina commented after looking at the completed armor.

Jinwoo and Heina both stared at the armor for a moment before turning to look at each other.

"Hmm."

"My lord?"

A sudden wave of unease washed over Heina, making her tremble.

"Put this on."

"...What?"

Heina hesitated and took a step back.

"A-Are you telling me to w-wear that scrap metal...? I-It's completely exposing my stomach…."

"That’s the important part."

"My… my thighs are exposed below as well. This would make me vulnerable to traps. You’re joking, right? Right?"

Jinwoo simply continued to look at Heina in silence.

"Remember this, it's common knowledge that the more exposed you are, the higher the defense."

"...What?"

It was common knowledge.

At least, on Earth.

To be more precise, in games.

*****

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