The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Chapter 224: Open the Door (1)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Love & Friendship: Heart-Pounding Sion Academy!

That test had finally come to an end.

In truth, the testing period of one week was rather short. It was certainly not enough time to test new technology and extract meaningful data. But in practical terms, the testing period was no different from thirty-five days. A fivefold time acceleration had been applied.

The test results were astonishing.

"Out of 3,000 Heroes, 2,730 reached Potential Awakening. The remaining 270 came very close as well."

"And their ranks?"

"Most are high-rank. Even those with lower ranks have an open path to grow into high-rank."

After hearing Tiris's report, Jinwoo checked the Information Windows himself.

He could see skills that neither he nor FS Games could have designed. It would take quite a long time, but those Potential Awakening skills would become the seeds for ascending to Transcendent Being.

Jinwoo felt sorry for the Heroes who had participated in the test. It weighed on him that he had placed them in such extreme situations. For now, it seemed right to scrap the test scenario and create something that allowed for more gradual growth.

"Your Majesty."

"Hm?"

Heina entered the Magic Tower.

"A protest has broken out at the Grand Temple in Alusion."

"A protest? What for?"

"Well...."

Heina's expression turned awkward.

She was too embarrassed to say it herself.

"Ahem, they're demanding that, um, Love & Friendship: Heart-Pounding Sion Academy be opened immediately...."

"How big is the protest?"

"At first it was only the 3,000 Heroes, but more and more have been joining. It's around 20,000 now, and it's expected to keep growing."

"Why on earth would they?"

"They say it looks fun, so they're joining in."

"Ah...."

Since it was the first protest to ever occur within Arsilan, people found it a refreshing novelty. And because Love & Friendship: Heart-Pounding Sion Academy had become such a massive topic, there were also those who had rushed over simply because they wanted to try it as soon as possible.

Less than two hours had passed since the test ended, and this was already happening.

"Let's just watch for now."

"Understood."

Even this would be content in its own way.

Wouldn't it die down with time?

After all, it was a fictional world.

It was a game, after all.

...or so he had once thought.

As always, it had been a naive assumption.

Jinwoo concealed himself and moved to the Grand Temple. The plaza in front of the Grand Temple was packed with countless Heroes. So many had gathered that additional channel-spaces had spawned in the plaza before the temple. Arsilanians and members of the Demon Race were there too, having come to gawk at a sight they had never seen before.

It was a fictional world, after all.

Though elements designed to encourage deep immersion had been deliberately included, he had assumed people could shake it off as a good memory once they logged out. He had expected things to calm down with time, but instead they seemed to be intensifying.

Title: This is real.

A fictional world?

Fake?

But Arsilan Saga is life, isn't it?

Then wouldn't Sion Academy be the same?

Anon1: You know what, you're right. When you think about it, there's no difference!

Anon2: Arsilan Saga (Life No. 1), Earth (Life No. 2), Love & Friendship: Heart-Pounding Sion Academy (Life No. 3).

Anon3: Leon, Helby, and Ella are all real, aren't they? So our seniors are real too!

Anon4: That's actually really convincing. The Creator God needs to address this.

After reading the post on Arsilan Worlds, Jinwoo blinked. From Jinwoo's perspective, Arsilan was reality.

Many Heroes who had been through so much together valued Arsilan more than reality itself. Because of that, they had naturally come to accept Arsilan as another form of reality, but strictly speaking, from their perspective, this place was still a game.

'That's something I overlooked.'

Many Heroes no longer saw Arsilan as merely a game. So if they felt the same way about Love & Friendship: Heart-Pounding Sion Academy, there was nothing he could say.

Perhaps the reason the growth had been so remarkable was that what drove them went beyond immersion. It was sincerity.

"Haha...."

He felt good.

It was a protest that made him feel incredibly good. Because it was proof that they truly cherished Arsilan from the bottom of their hearts.

"The Creator God must descend!"

"Give us back the Academy!"

"Take all my Arsilan Gold!"

"Open the door!"

Those voices reached his ears.

They were voices filled with desperate earnestness.

"Hamburgers for sale! Eat while you protest!"

"Pickets for sale! Enchanted so they're visible from far away!"

"Starlight chicken and beer for sale!"

The Demon Race had set up street stalls.

They had permits, so it wasn't illegal. Arsilanians who had been watching brought instruments and started playing music or singing. It looked less like a protest and more like some kind of festival.

Ella and Helby appeared behind Jinwoo and grabbed his shoulders.

"So when's the official launch?"

"Hmm. It's not going to be reset, is it?"

Ella and Helby were looking forward to it too.

In the distance, Erosion Headquarters personnel who had participated in the test were watching.

"...Honestly, it was just supposed to be a test...."

The original plan had been to gather data, and if meaningful results came out, to use the test as a foundation and incorporate it into Arsilan Saga itself. That was why they had announced beforehand that it was a technical test game.

The piercing stares directed at him grew even more intense.

He did understand how they felt.

Ella and Helby had been able to set aside their divine status and, if only briefly, live a different life. For beings who had been transcendent since their very creation, it was the only space where they could experience being ordinary students.

Ella and Helby had also grown noticeably. New experiences brought growth, and that was not limited to Heroes alone.

'The Magic Tower....'

Magic Towers were currently being built throughout Arsilan.

Processing capacity was more than ample. They were handling all of Arsilan, but after repeated expansions, it was no exaggeration to say the capacity was nearly empty. The computers and state-of-the-art equipment brought from Earth had also been a great help.

Jinwoo raised his head and gazed at the Soul Moon.

The Soul Moon was scattering a soft glow. The divine power housed within the Soul Moon was so full that it naturally overflowed, transforming into light.

'I could handle thousands of games like that.'

Power flowed in from both Arsilan and Earth.

Joy and happiness transformed into light, enriching both Arsilan and his divine power.

Jinwoo's eyes went wide.

He, too, was growing alongside the Heroes, alongside Arsilan and Earth.

"They want it that badly, so I've gotta make it happen somehow."

Granting the Heroes' wishes was also the most basic way he could express his gratitude. Ella beamed and clung to Jinwoo's back, while Helby gave a firm nod. Cheers erupted from the direction of the Imperial Palace.

"But just this much would be boring, wouldn't it?"

If he was going to do it, he had to do it right.

"I should approach this the Arsilan Saga way."

Not once had Jinwoo ever disappointed the Heroes.

Go big first, figure it out later!

He could afford to go big first because he had the ability to clean up afterward. And his power had grown even greater since becoming the Lord God.

So go even bigger!

"Anything I can help with?"

At Ella's words, Jinwoo flashed a grin.

* * *

Jinwoo returned to FS Games.

FS Games was also watching the protest and deliberating on how to respond. The scale of the protest continued to grow, spreading beyond the plaza in front of the Grand Temple to the center of Alusion itself.

"But don't you think they just want to have a festival?"

"That's part of it, I think. They never got to have a festival after defeating the Lord of Despair."

"Well, the stage is already set, so...."

Oh? The Heroes have gathered?

They're protesting? Looks like fun.

Hmm, since we're all here, might as well do something.

Riding this wave of consciousness, the numbers kept swelling.

"Protest groups have appeared in other cities as well."

"Should we run some kind of event?"

"Let's bring it up as a proposal."

Protest groups appeared in multiple cities and towns.

The Arsilanians enjoyed the festive atmosphere, while the Demon Race rushed in en masse to start doing business. Demons poured in from Levannas carrying their wares as if launching an invasion!

It was the largest unplanned event in FS Games' history.

The Salvation Headquarters at FS Games had no real way to respond.

Love & Friendship: Heart-Pounding Sion Academy had been a technical test game created by Erosion Headquarters. The Salvation Headquarters had not been involved; they had only monitored and observed the test.

It was one marvel after another.

"Our dev team won't fall behind either! Now we can receive direct support from the hyper-intelligent AI too."

"It's possible with the Lord God Engine."

The Lord God Engine was a development tool that defied common sense.

Through its integration with the Soul Link, it could create anything and everything. An era where creativity was paramount had arrived. There was no need to type on a keyboard or work by hand; everything was possible through thought alone. However, the quality of the output varied wildly depending on one's proficiency, so adaptation was necessary.

In terms of pure development skill, the FS Games dev team could hold their own against the Magic Developers. With the Lord God Engine added on top, it was like gaining wings.

When Jinwoo entered the operations room, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

"Good morning. Did you see the protest truck outside?"

"Yes, sir. It was a protest truck, but more like a coffee truck."

In response to Jinwoo's words, Han Yong-seon held up his coffee cup.

He showed off the cup sleeve wrapped around the disposable cup.

[Release it now!]

[Open the door! BANG BANG BANG!]

It depicted Heroes pounding on the gates of Sion Academy, with those phrases written in speech bubbles. There was even a warning that tomorrow they would send a hot dog protest truck. They seemed intent on sending protest trucks until their demands were met.

"We'd better protect the Heroes' wallets."

FS Games had quite a large number of employees, so at this rate, the Heroes might actually go bankrupt.

Arsilan Gold could now be used for payment anywhere in the world. Currency reform had been carried out, and the Platinum Coin had become a denomination of Arsilan Gold. All existing Platinum Coins had been refunded, and one Platinum Coin could be exchanged for 1,000,000 Arsilan Gold.

The Platinum Coin shop was still maintained.

It served as the symbol of paid items offered by FS Games. Exchange rates could be checked in real time within Arsilan Saga.

Many investors were investing in Arsilan Gold. Even investors who did not play Arsilan Saga were pouring in large sums.

"I'm going to do a community broadcast after a long time."

"A community broadcast?"

"Yes. We'll do it at the Hologram Center, so please get things ready."

He called it a community broadcast, but the moment the name "Hologram Center" came up, the FS Games employees sensed something big was about to happen. When the staff looked toward Han Yong-seon, he nodded and approached Jinwoo.

"Sir, is there anything we should prepare in advance? A plan or something...."

"There is something to prepare."

Jinwoo flashed a grin.

"Prepare to work hard."

"Ah...."

Han Yong-seon squeezed his eyes shut.

He had seen Jinwoo like this many times before. Somehow things always got resolved in the end, but from the perspective of those working alongside him, it was nerve-wracking.

Still....

'This is gonna be fun.'

'This'll be a blast.'

'Sounds like it'll be a total riot.'

It was going to be fun!

Han Yong-seon and the staff all thought the same thing and smiled happily.

"Let's set the time for 8 PM tonight. Put up a casual announcement, please."

"Yes, understood."

At Jinwoo's instruction, Han Yong-seon answered immediately, then turned to face the staff in the operations room.

Clap, clap!

Han Yong-seon clapped twice, as if injecting energy into the room.

"Alright, everyone! Get the Hologram Center ready for broadcast! Work's gonna come flooding in after the broadcast, so brace yourselves!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Heck yeah! Let's get to it!"

Far from being discouraged by the promise of a mountain of work, they were thrilled.

After the Episode 5 finale, they had essentially been on an extended vacation. And yet bonuses kept rolling in generously, to the point where a hint of guilt was starting to sprout.

On top of that, a fierce sense of rivalry toward Erosion Headquarters had been building. Not just among the main office staff, but across every overseas branch.

Up to now, the major content of each episode had mostly been designed by Erosion Headquarters, and the FS Games dev team had been limited to building the components that went inside that content.

The atmosphere was electric.

"Oh! After we're done, how about a team din..."

Jinwoo had started to suggest a team dinner, pretending he had just thought of it, but

"The announcement is up!"

"The Hologram Center called. They say everything can be ready by 7."

"Heck yeah! Overtime for the first time in ages!"

His voice was drowned out by the surge of enthusiasm.

The announcement went up on Arsilan Worlds right away.

[Notice] Community Broadcast Announcement.

Hello, this is FS Games.

Today at 8:00 PM, a community broadcast with the Creator God is scheduled. This will be a relaxed session wrapping up Episode 5 and having a good time together, so please don't feel any pressure. We hope you'll tune in through the official Arsilan Worlds broadcast with an easygoing mindset.

Thank you.

Anon1: A community broadcast? It's been a while.

Anon2: It's because of Sion Academy, right? Right? Please say yes!

Anon3: Something big is coming. Something big is coming.

└Anon4: They said it's just a casual community broadcast though?

└Anon5: Newbie? You don't know the Creator God, do you.

Anon6: It's been ages since the last broadcast.

It had been a very long time since they had done an online broadcast. The announcement said it was a casual community broadcast, but not a single Hero believed that.

Had the Creator God ever just casually chatted before?

Almost no Hero believed that was all it would be.

Every Hero stopped what they were doing, straightened up, and waited for 8 PM.

Thirty minutes before the broadcast.

When the standby stream opened,

-It's live!

-LET'S GOOO!

-Open the door! Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!

-Finally! Finally! Finally! Finally!

-Something big incoming! Something big incoming! Something big incoming!

The chat became absolute pandemonium.

Tens of millions poured in within moments.

In just three seconds, viewership surpassed 100 million and kept climbing. Despite over 100 million people flooding in, the broadcast did not crash. It ran flawlessly smooth.

In all of FS Games' operations, the servers had never gone down. Not once. It was an achievement other companies could not even dream of, yet everyone took it for granted.

Chat channels were divided into units of 100,000, which barely made it possible to follow the messages.

Many Heroes in Arsilan watched the broadcast through their Information Windows, and quite a few people in the real world were watching on hologram TVs as well.

8 PM arrived, and the casual community broadcast began!

Would it really be casual?