novelraw Chapter 208: Mini-Game (3)
Chapter 208: Mini-Game (3)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Everyone froze as if hit by a time-stop spell.
Lee Jinwoo was standing right in front of them!
Jinwoo was so famous that even well-known celebrities wished they could see him in person just once. He had sent the Korean economy skyrocketing and saved countless people with disabilities through his medical support programs. It wouldn't have been the least bit strange if people worshipped him like a god.
Park Heewon's father worked at a subcontractor for FS Games. Before Jinwoo announced Arsilan Saga, the company had been on the verge of collapse, but once Arsilan Saga took off, work flooded in to the point that his retirement was pushed back. Business was booming.
Park Heewon's family rubbed their eyes several times.
They wondered if they were dreaming.
No matter how many times they rubbed their eyes, or squeezed them shut and opened them again, Jinwoo was still standing right there in the living room, refusing to disappear.
"You're really Lee Jinwoo...."
Park Heewon's father was the first to regain his senses, his words trailing off as he asked cautiously, and Jinwoo greeted him again politely.
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, oh! Ah, p-please, h-have a seat!"
Park Heewon's father attended to Jinwoo with the utmost care. He quickly pulled out his smartphone and handed it to Heewon.
"Would it be alright if I took just one photo with you?"
"Of course. And please, speak comfortably with me."
"Oh no, I couldn't."
Even the president of the company considered Lee Jinwoo a savior, going so far as to frame a photo of Jinwoo and hang it on the wall. He even wiped the dust off it every day with a clean towel.
Park Heewon's father understood that sentiment completely. Thanks to the Jinwoo standing before him, he had been able to comfortably pay his daughter's college tuition. FS Games was the first company to extend support all the way down to subcontractor employees.
Park Heewon's mother beamed a wide smile as she looked at Jinwoo.
"My, you're so handsome! Hoho. How did you and our Heewon...?"
"We met through work. We became close."
At Jinwoo's words, the whole family turned to look at Park Heewon. Heewon glanced toward Jinwoo and gave a small nod.
Hearing Jinwoo introduce their relationship like that to his family, Heewon felt something well up inside him, a surge of emotion he couldn't quite contain.
"Son~, you could've told us..., oh! Our Jinwoo...."
"Ma'am, I'm Heewon's friend. Please, feel free to speak casually."
"Hoho! Is that really okay? So, Jinwoo, have you eaten?"
"No, I haven't. Would it be alright if I joined you?"
Park Heewon's mother nodded vigorously.
"Of course! I'll make you something delicious. What a charming young man!"
Park Heewon's mother kicked into high gear.
She pulled out everything, including what she had set aside for tomorrow's meals, and started cooking.
His younger sister, Park Heeseon, sat down next to Jinwoo, trembling all over. She fired off a message to her group chat to share this insane news.
Mijin: You crazy b*tch. At least make your lies believable.
Kim Seona: lmao she's actually lost it. Fine, then I'm marrying Lee Jinwoo.
Hyemi: I'm already on my honeymoon with him.
Park Heeseon: I'm serious! He's sitting right next to me.
Kim Seona: She's finally cracked. This is serious.
Hyemi: Are you actually going insane?? Heeseon! Please come back to reality!
Park Heeseon's friends, naturally, didn't believe her.
And who could blame them? Even Park Heeseon herself could barely believe it. She kept stealing glances at Jinwoo. When their eyes met, hers began shaking violently as if struck by an earthquake.
"U-u-um, c-could I get a p-photo...."
Park Heeseon summoned her courage and asked for a photo.
Jinwoo smiled and took a photo with her. The moment Park Heeseon posted it in the group chat, chaos erupted.
The calls wouldn't stop coming in.
Mijin: Whoa.
Hyemi: Wait, for real??
Kim Seona: Pick up the phone you little...
Park Heeseon had become a winner in life!
She set her phone to silent and savored every moment. Jinwoo brought up the reason for his visit over dinner with Heewon's family.
"I'd like to recruit Heewon to FS Games, and I thought it would be proper to visit and tell you in person."
Normally, the mere mention of games would earn Heewon sharp glares from his parents. But this time was different.
"Haha! You are too kind, I don't know what to say."
"Wonderful! How wonderful!"
Park Heewon had become a son to be immensely proud of.
His parents looked ready to hang a congratulatory banner at the apartment complex entrance.
"Work hard, son."
"We're rooting for you!"
For the first time ever, Park Heewon received his parents' wholehearted support. He nodded with a dazed expression, and a single tear rolled down his cheek.
There had been times when even he thought his stubbornness was pathetic. That feeling had only grown stronger because he could sense how much his parents worried.
He finally felt that the years he had spent making games hadn't been in vain.
"I'll make sure to take good care of Heewon's health. Oh! And...."
When Jinwoo pulled out his phone and made a call, the doorbell rang almost immediately.
Kim Hansu and the security team came in carrying armfuls of gifts. There was a latest-model Hologram TV, limited-edition Soul Links, Soul Glasses, a home Soul Gate, and the newest devices from Osung Electronics.
"Y-you didn't have to...."
"Can we really accept all this?"
Nothing beat a good gift, after all.
Park Heewon's parents couldn't hide their happy expressions.
The Hologram TV in particular was a product Heewon's father had been eyeing but hesitating over, since the price was still quite steep. The security team expertly handled the installation.
"If you make this gesture...."
Jinwoo personally showed Heewon's family how to use everything, kindly walking them through each step.
When the Hologram TV synced with the Soul Gate, a holographic Information Window appeared. Anywhere in the house, they could pull up an Information Window and watch TV or browse the internet. The display could be freely adjusted from a wall-filling 200 inches down to the size of a smartphone. If they had a Soul Link, it could naturally sync with that as well.
Jinwoo spent more time with Heewon's family before heading out of the apartment. The whole family came out to see him off. Heewon looked at Jinwoo with eyes full of gratitude.
He could see light flowing from them.
Jinwoo thought that alone made the visit worthwhile.
"Well then, I'll be on my way."
When Jinwoo got in the car and drove off, the family who had been waving all turned to look at Heewon in unison. The moment Jinwoo was out of sight, Heewon's shoulders rose sky-high with pride.
"I was going to keep it a secret, actually, but my buddy Jinwoo insisted on coming to the house.... Haha!"
It wasn't technically a lie.
Back at home, Heewon sat on the sofa with an air of arrogance. His younger sister Heeseon stood at attention beside him.
"Water."
"Yes, sir!"
She put ice in a cup and poured him water.
"One refreshing glass of ice water!"
"My teeth are sensitive."
"I had a feeling, so I prepared lukewarm water too!"
Heeseon bowed and scraped, catering to her brother's every whim.
When Heeseon's father went to work, he showed his boss the photo he'd taken with Jinwoo.
"Oh, sir, my son says he's friends with Jinwoo. Hahaha."
"What?! Oh, uh, is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"I could go for some chicken stew."
"Let's go! My treat."
The boss began treating Park Heewon's father with extreme care.
That atmosphere continued for quite some time!
* * *
Back at FS Games, Jinwoo got straight to work. Using Arsilan Defense as a foundation, he incorporated the ideas that the Heroes had submitted. With Jinwoo handling the core elements himself, the development speed was remarkably fast.
A game within a game.
The minigame, Arsilan Defense.
Its setting was an Arsilan so devastated that its core lay exposed.
Heroes could participate in this minigame as SD Character miners. The lore explained that these were avatars created through the combined power of the Creator God and Ella, along with the Light of the Holy Sword.
Players would mine the massive debris floating nearby to collect materials, then use those materials to fill in the damaged sections of the planet according to blueprints.
Rare materials obtained from the debris could be kept by whoever mined them, and to give it that event feel, all sorts of rewards were hidden throughout, including random boxes and coupons.
There was plenty of freedom as well, with the ability to build defensive positions and various structures out in space.
"The Erosion Insect wave settings are complete!"
"All the designs are done too! Sending them over now."
The Erosion Insects that would swarm in during waves were designed by FS Games.
Just mining alone would get boring.
Periodic Erosion Insect waves were set to attack, targeting the resources players had mined. This served as a mechanism to keep too many rare resources from flooding the market.
'If the materials they worked so hard to gather just vanish, they're going to be furious.'
That fury would be directed squarely at the Lord of Despair. Narrative devices had already been put in place within Arsilan itself. Of course, once everything was wrapped up, Jinwoo planned to compensate players in other ways.
Development continued smoothly.
Park Heewon actively contributed ideas, and most of them were adopted. The development team was already making moves to bring him into their department.
"I've added more customization options too."
"This is cuter than I expected, isn't it? It's got that alt-character vibe. I like it."
"There are exclusive tools too, so it feels like you're raising a whole new character...."
Tons of cosmetic elements were adopted, along with upgradeable mining equipment and armor. Various tools using crafting recipes were also implemented.
The key was making it feel like a completely fresh minigame while still maintaining the connection to Arsilan.
"With this much freedom, I bet people are going to come up with some wild stuff."
"Heroes always exceed our expectations."
"Haha...."
The FS Games development team was completely absorbed in developing Arsilan Defense. Since every good idea was adopted, everyone pitched in enthusiastically. The thrill of seeing one's own idea implemented inside Arsilan Saga was electrifying.
Since the development itself was fun, they naturally looked forward to the Heroes' reactions as well.
Development wrapped up quickly. It wasn't completely finished, of course; the idea contest would remain open until the Lord of Despair crisis was resolved.
"We'll begin the reveal presentation."
This reveal was important.
Because they could create a seamless narrative that didn't feel disconnected from Arsilan Saga at all.
When Jinwoo nodded at Han Yong-seon's words, the development team hurried to prepare the minigame reveal.
The Heroes are going to love this one too, right?
This was a completely different approach from any event they'd done before, so expectations were high.
The plan was to reveal the minigame not just to the Heroes, but to every being in Arsilan, and even Levannas. Groundwork had already been laid in Levannas in cooperation with Belzerad.
This was a large-scale operation that required everyone's strength!
* * *
The Named Hero GoldSilverAward was busy going back and forth between Levannas and Arsilan, working to expand his business. He owned multiple large passenger ships and cargo vessels and held shares in the Arsilan Railway Company, making him a wealthy man. Recently, he had brought business ideas from Levannas and made a fortune.
He was currently aboard a large cargo ship crossing the Hanu Sea. He had sold goods brought from Levannas in Solis, and was planning to transport items he'd purchased in bulk from the workshops of Solis to Alusion via the Hanu Sea and the railway.
"Let every day be as good as today!"
GoldSilverAward shouted this while gazing out at the calm sea.
The Arsilan crew members snickered at the sight.
"We're going to rake in a mountain of money! No one can stop us! Heheheh!"
"Captain, you shouldn't say things like that."
"When you say stuff like that at sea, it attracts bad luck."
GoldSilverAward clicked his tongue and looked at the crew.
"Ella-nim and the Creator God are watching over us. What is there to worry about?"
"Well, that's true, but...."
"It's just a feeling, you know?"
GoldSilverAward laughed heartily.
Something seemed to cross his mind, and he grinned slyly at the crew.
"Once this job is done, I'll take you all to Seoul Field and treat you to a huge night out."
"Aaand there's another flag."
"Captain, please stop saying things like that."
The crew had picked up the concept of flags from the Heroes.
It was mere superstition, but Arsilan's people believed that even superstitions carried magical power. Some even regarded flags as a type of curse.
"When this job is over, I'm going to confess my feelings to her."
"Gah!"
"Please...."
The crew clutched their heads.
"Don't worry. We'll definitely make it back. Every one of us will arrive home safely. When I get home, my childhood friend will be waiting for me!"
"Oh, come on!"
"Seriously...!"
"Someone shut this guy up!"
If he kept spouting cursed lines like that, even Ella-nim would lose her patience!
Just as the crew moved to cover GoldSilverAward's mouth...
THUD-THUD!
A sound like thunder echoed across the sky.
GoldSilverAward and the crew flinched and looked up.
In the clear sky above, the Lord of Despair was still gazing down at Arsilan. If one looked carefully, a golden Barrier shimmered across the sky. It was the Barrier protecting Arsilan.
THUD-THUD-THUD! CRACK!
Thunder roared once more, and the Barrier cracked and split open.
[The Lord of Despair gazes upon Arsilan.]
[Under that gaze, Arsilan's Barrier weakens.]
Those Information Windows appeared, and the cargo ship lurched violently.
"Huh?"
GoldSilverAward stared blankly at his surroundings. The Hanu Sea, always peaceful and calm, was now surging wildly. As though something were pulling it from above, the water's surface heaved and began slowly rising like a mountain.
GoldSilverAward's necklace drifted slowly into the air. Objects around him began floating upward one by one. It felt like zero gravity.
GoldSilverAward's cargo ship rose effortlessly along with the surging water. Perched atop the rising swell, the ship looked down at the surrounding scenery as if sitting on top of a mountain.
[The Light of the Holy Sword restores Arsilan's Barrier.]
Particles of light burst from everyone, sealing the breach in the Barrier. The anomaly brought on by the Lord of Despair vanished.
"Phew."
GoldSilverAward breathed a sigh of relief. But the moment he saw the crew's faces, deathly pale, he realized just how dire the situation was.
The upward force was gone.
Naturally, the water collapsed along with the cargo ship, plummeting downward.
"WAAAH!"
"AHHH!"
"EEEEK!"
The cargo ship was swept into the churning waves and began sinking into the sea. Fortunately, the Light of the Holy Sword formed a protective shield that kept GoldSilverAward and the crew safe.
Wrapped in the shield and bobbing on the surface, GoldSilverAward stared blankly as his cargo ship sank beneath the water.
"NOOO! My ship...!"
He couldn't help but scream.
"There's nothing we can do about the ship, but if we ask the Merfolk for help, we should be able to recover the cargo."
"I knew something felt off...."
"Sigh...."
The crew shook their heads and let out long sighs.
GoldSilverAward looked up at the sky and flipped off the Lord of Despair with his middle finger.
"You son of a bitch! God damn it! I swear I'll kill you no matter what! AAAARGH!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs.
The crew leaned back and lay down. The protective shield kept them at a comfortable temperature and kept them floating on the surface. Their bodies weren't even wet, so it was surprisingly pleasant. They figured it was best to wait for GoldSilverAward to calm down and then travel via a Hero's Flower.
The crew logged into Arsilan Worlds.
Arsilan Worlds was what got them through the long voyages.
"Looks like there's been damage all across Arsilan."
"It's serious. No casualties, but the railways are warped."
"Airships crashed too...."
It was total chaos!
Thanks to the Light of the Holy Sword's protection, no Arsilan residents were hurt. The only ones on the casualty list were a few Heroes who had trusted the shield and jumped off high places.
"That guy is a real piece of shit."
"That's the Erosion for you."
"Always causing problems."
All of this was the Lord of Despair's doing.
Posts cursing the Lord of Despair kept pouring in on Arsilan Worlds.
While browsing Arsilan Worlds, the crew found a video posted by Ella.
"Hm?"
"Captain, take a look at this."
A crew member enlarged the Information Window.
Floating on the surface alongside his crew, GoldSilverAward watched the video Ella had posted.
'An event PV or something?'
The video began.
The beautiful Celestial Realm revealed itself for the first time in a while. The Creator God's Grand Temple came into view, and countless angels were bustling about. The angels were gathering petition letters sent by Heroes and Arsilan's residents, carrying them toward the Grand Temple.
Beside the Grand Temple stood Ella's temple.
The camera, which had been showing the Celestial Realm, moved toward Ella's temple and went inside. Within the temple was Ella's office. Ella sat in a chair made of clouds, studying an Information Window with a serious expression. She was even wearing a pair of large glasses.
[Proposals from the Heroes]
-Why don't we set up structures to block it?
-How about blocking it with a Barrier or something?
-Please make Arsilan Defense a real thing! It's so damn fun.
-Let's just blast it with high-powered shells. We just need space to set up turrets.
-Can't we just fill in the parts that got eaten away?
Ella diligently read through the posts and sorted the ideas. Perhaps it was because she'd been working without rest for too long?
As she was reviewing the Information Window, she began nodding off. Archangel Astel approached from behind, carrying refreshments.
[Ella-nim?]
[Wha?!]
Ella jolted awake in surprise and accidentally pressed the submit button. The Information Window glowed, and a proposal appeared.
"Ah...."
Ella stared blankly at the proposal. It floated into the air, transformed into light, and shot straight toward the Creator God's Grand Temple.
The light came to rest upon the Creator God's altar within the Grand Temple.
[Ella-nim's submitted proposal has been approved.]
Every idea that Ella had accidentally submitted was approved.
FLASH!
The Grand Temple shook as an enormous burst of light poured out. Ella rushed out of her office and stared at the Grand Temple alongside the angels.
[Multiple proposals from the Heroes have been combined, and a new 'Arsilan Defense' has been created!]
Who would have thought every single one of those ideas would get approved?!
Ella stared blankly at the Information Window, then struck a triumphant Creator-God-bless pose.
The crew couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Ella.
"Ella-nim...."
"Same as always."
"A new Arsilan Defense? Isn't Arsilan Defense a game?"
The crew members who enjoyed games had played it many times before.
GoldSilverAward focused on the video again.
An Information Window made of light appeared before Ella.
[Would you like to connect to Arsilan Defense?]
[You may fully enter Arsilan Defense or enjoy it through an Information Window.]
There were two ways to connect.
Heroes and Arsilan residents could either fully enter Arsilan Defense or pull up an Information Window and play it like a console game. Levannas demons were limited to the latter option.
Ella gulped and pressed the connect button. Her body transformed into light, descended from the Celestial Realm, and headed toward Arsilan. She passed by Helby, who was floating in the sky, keeping watch on the Lord of Despair.
Once she crossed the boundary, her body began to change.
She became a cute SD Character wearing a hard hat and holding a wooden pickaxe.
Ella stood on a fragment of the destroyed Arsilan and looked up. Countless pieces of debris drifted through space. Between the fragments, clusters of rare resources glimmered and sparkled.
[Arsilan Defense!]
The screen faded to black as that title appeared.
[Connect now!]
GoldSilverAward's expression went blank.
"Oh, ohhhhh!"
The Heroes' proposals had been brought to life!
He immediately cheered and logged into Arsilan Worlds. Arsilan Worlds was already in an uproar.
"Everyone! Let's go! I smell money!"
"Yessir!"
"This looks like a big deal, doesn't it?"
"Let's get in there and claim our spots."
At GoldSilverAward's words, the crew all agreed.
And just like that, the minigame Arsilan Defense was unveiled to the world!