TRWMG 17

Chapter 17

Early Access (3)

Arsilan Saga.

A new order was established in the world.

It was such a sensation that multiple countries urgently scheduled special programs. No, the word “sensation” doesn’t do it justice. It had to be done.

Everyone instinctively knew.

If they didn’t join, they would be left behind forever.

At this point, it could be called fate.

Apology letters, written confessions, and apology videos flooded YouTube, various communities, and SNS.

[I’m sorry. From the Unpack event, no, even before that, I kept posting comments and videos that crossed the line, doubting Lee Jinwoo-nim’s sincerity. And then….]

[I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Sob… I’m sorry. I will take time to reflect.]

Streamers who had criticized Jinwoo hurriedly turned on their broadcasts, bowed their heads in formal attire against green chroma key backgrounds.

All the ridicule and criticism up to that point turned into praise for Jinwoo. It felt as if alchemy had been used to make it happen. Praise for Lee Jinwoo swept over everything like a tsunami.

Unlike the magically shifting public opinion, Jinwoo remained completely calm. For the Archmage, this level of change felt like no more than a gentle breeze.

He was leisurely watching Haebyul’s stream.

It took Haebyul quite some time to regain her composure.

Her arms and legs were invisible and she was floating in the air. And yet, it didn’t feel out of place.

She was in a soul state.

It was far more comfortable than when she was in her physical body.

With the UI floating in front of her to support her, she was able to adapt quickly. Once she regained her composure, she looked straight ahead.

She realized what this place was.

[Wow! This feels like a Customization Room, doesn’t it?]

Then, the customization window popped up in front of Haebyul.

She could change everything from head to toe, but she couldn’t deviate outside the human form.

[The selectable races are Human, Elf, Dwarf, Orc…, O-okay, let’s go with something as pretty as possible…, Elf…. Wow! It adjusts just by thinking about it?]

Several presets appeared.

They were Elf appearances created with Illusion Magic. The UI was incredibly intuitive, and Haebyul instantly got used to it. It was extremely convenient since you could adjust everything just by thinking.

Lighting and backgrounds could be added to the Customization Room, but if they did that, it would be impossible to accommodate the large number of people entering from now on. This level of implementation was the limit.

-Look at her going straight for big boobs.

-ㅋㅋㅋshe’s freaking gorgeous.

-Wow! That body!

-Stop cheating. With boobs that big, you deserve life imprisonment.

As soon as Haebyul finished customizing, her vision turned black. Then light burst forth, completely engulfing her surroundings.

A moment later, her vision and five senses returned.

[Huh? Huh? Woooow!]

Haebyul gasped in awe and looked around.

She saw a wide plain. At the edge of the plain, an aurora shimmered, with a lake and forest spreading out. And right in front of her was a village surrounded by a palisade.

Haebyul moved her body around and tried jumping.

Swooosh!

She could jump surprisingly high.

Fresh air, cool breeze.

From her fingertips to the tips of her toes, everything felt vivid. The senses were so much richer than in reality that she got goosebumps.

Just standing still brought happiness.

A thrilling fullness overtook her as if she had found something she had lost, making her excited.

This place was…

[Kyaaaa! Crazy! This is amazing!]

It was heaven!

-Wow! Is this real?

-Is this the real Arsilan?

-Can you adjust the viewpoint?

-The scenery’s insane. Now this is true fantasy!

A chat window popped up in her vision. Below it was a camera control button, and when she pressed it, the angles changed.

[The shoulder view works well for you guys, right?]

-Yeah. Feels like watching a movie

-Damn! Feels like I’m going on an adventure with you

-This is nuts, it’s nuts!! What is Lee Jinwoo?! Is he really a Creator God?!

[Is this the Status Window? Wow!]

The Status Window appeared in front of Haebyul’s eyes.

The viewers could see it too.

All information of the heroes who logged into this place was stored in real-time at the Magic Tower. The Tower interpreted the soul’s information and displayed it as the Status Window.

Currently, it could process about ten thousand simultaneously.

[Lv.1] Nameless Elf

Name: –

Race: Elf

\*Stats

Strength: 5 Agility: 5 (-1) Health: 5 Endurance: 5 Magic Power: 1

(Stats below 5 are not displayed)

Stat Points: 0P

Skills: None

\*[Status]

Due to excessively developed breasts, agility is being affected.

-Someone’s actually nerfing themselves?

-ㅋㅋㅋ what’s with that status

-Still looks good though. Cheers.

-Hehehe!

[Ah, no! I’m allowed to want things! Th-this was my dream! I don’t regret it!]

Haebyul was just happy, nerfed stats or not.

Jinwoo smiled as he watched the reactions in the chat window.

The number of viewers was skyrocketing. Everyone was watching the beautiful scenery of Arsilan in awe.

‘Then…’

Jinwoo cast Invisibility Magic and quietly exited the Magic Tower, heading to the Beginner Village, Evanth.

Heroes.

That was the term used for players in Arsilan.

Heroes who had purchased the Soul Link were connecting rapidly.

Once customization was finished, they were summoned around Evanth, and all of their reactions were the same.

At first, they were blank, and then, wearing expressions of disbelief, they touched the ground or ran around in every direction. Then, they began cheering in praise of Lee Jinwoo.

“Kyiaaah!”

“Hey, hey! Want to level up together?”

“Uwaah! Lee Jinwoo is a god!”

“Why does your character look like that?”

“Excuse me, may I ask about this place? I was surely competing with the Heavenly Demon…”

“Ah, wuxia concept? Are you perhaps Han Dol-hyung?”

“…Ahem! You have mistaken me for someone else.”

The area in front of Evanth was now bustling with just-arrived players. Jinwoo floated in the air, watching the scene.

‘Any useful Traits….’

The power of the soul that all Earthlings possessed.

He looked to see if any of them had useful Traits. The Magic Tower analyzed the origins of their souls and relayed them to him.

Traits were not displayed in the players’ Status Windows.

‘Most of them are Rank E or D.’

Traits were also the identity of one’s soul.

They were formed from the years lived, accumulated within the soul.

In Arsilan, if you chose a path that matched your Trait, you could grow rapidly. Jinwoo had made that possible.

The rank of a Trait could be raised through effort, and having a low rank didn’t mean it was bad. A low rank could actually offer more choices.

Bringing the souls of Earthlings had been the right answer.

Everyone here had the potential to become young heroes.

Jinwoo spotted streamer Haebyul, who was hopping around joyfully for some reason.

“Hm?”

Jinwoo’s eyes widened in surprise.

It was because she possessed a high-rank Trait.

[A] Affinity

A talent that allows one to easily become close with anyone.

Capable of befriending even beasts who’ve lost their reason.

Was it because of her long streaming career?

She possessed none other than an A-rank Trait. Affinity would not only be effective on people, but also on magic power, divine power, and even spirits.

Jinwoo descended beside her. Thanks to Invisibility Magic, no one could see him. Jinwoo could even see the chat window floating next to her.

“Going to the village? Let’s go!”

Haebyul said that as she followed the others toward the village.

Most of the players headed to the village, but a few crossed the plains toward the forest.

“If I catch something, I’ll probably level up!”

“Let’s explore!”

“Hey, try eating a stone. You’ll develop resistance.”

“Wow! I got the Steel Teeth!”

Chewing weeds was the least of it. Some people even ate the dirt and stones on the ground.

The madness unleashed by the lack of limits was starting to show.

New abilities formed through their experiences were being updated to them.

“…….”

Well, it should be fine.

It’s all beneficial, so better not to interfere.

Jinwoo followed behind Haebyul.

At the entrance of the village stood a knight from the Rainsword Knights, assigned the role of guard. Though he possessed great strength, for now he was just an ordinary guard.

“Wow! A village guard…! I-I’ll try talking to him.”

True to her streamer nature, Haebyul stepped up first and approached the guard.

The guard slightly stiffened his expression, cleared his throat, and opened his mouth.

“Hello?”

“W-Welcome to Evanth, s-stranger. Ah! Perhaps you are v-visiting this land at the call of G-Goddess Ella….”

He was very awkward.

[Act natural. Just like you practiced.]

First impressions were very important.

As Jinwoo stirred his magic and whispered into the guard’s ear, the guard flinched slightly. After taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth again.

“E-Evanth always welcomes herros. Before entering the village, please state your name.”

“My name? Is this where I set my nickname? Then, Haebyul.”

When Haebyul said that, her name was entered into the Status Window.

“So this is where you set your name! That was super natural. Is the guard an NPC? Are you Korean?”

“What do you mean? I can’t quite hear you.”

“Ah! No, nothing. Um, do you perhaps have any quests or something for me?”

The guard nodded as he looked at Haebyul.

-Seems like an NPC? Players have something floating above them.

-He seriously looks like a real person. How is that AI?

-All AI companies are doomed now.

All NPCs were equipped with an artifact of language comprehension.

It allowed them to speak Korean naturally, but filtered out specific words to make them inaudible.

This was a measure to protect the people of Arsilan.

“As expected of a hero, seeking a mission right away. Try going to the Adventurer’s Guild. Ahem! Come to think of it, the Village Chief is looking for some workers….”

“Ooh! Thank you!”

-Wow, her RPG experience shows.

-Got a quest hint right away!

The guard let Haebyul pass. Then people started crowding toward the guard and lining up.

Faced with the large crowd, the guard’s expression froze.

[Hang in there.]

“Gr-Great….”

[Quiet.]

“Mmph!”

Jinwoo patted the guard on the shoulder as he clamped his mouth shut and followed behind Haebyul.

“Wow! It’s so pretty!”

-Feels just like a beginner village.

-It makes my heart feel at peace.

-This is true healing.

-No need to travel abroad anymore. Just go to Arsilan from your room!

FS Games’ art team was quite skilled.

They had simply recreated it, yet even with the village’s large size, its serene atmosphere was well preserved.

Haebyul caught a falling petal from a flowering tree with her hand.

The texture and fragrance of the petal wrapped around her.

“It feels more real than real life! It’s like… like I’ve recovered a sense I’d lost?”

Jinwoo watched her for a moment and gently waved his hand.

Paaaah!

The sky over Evanth became covered in flower petals.

As if blessing the day, a shower of petals began.

“Ah….”

Not only Haebyul and the viewers, but all nearby players stood still for a while, gazing blankly at the sky.

He hoped the players wouldn’t forget this sight.

He hoped they would protect this beauty.

Jinwoo imbued that wish into the fluttering petals.

“This is amazing!”

Haebyul looked around curiously, taking in the village.

NPCs nearby chuckled as they watched her.

They knew she was a hero, but her innocent demeanor made them smile. After all, she was someone who had come to save Arsilan, how could they think ill of her?

“I should go to the Adventurer’s Guild first. Where is it? There’s no map, so I have no idea.”

-This is so realistic.

-Of course it’s realistic. It’s the world’s first virtual reality game.

-Arsilan Saga! The game more real than reality.

-When’s the second sales round? I wanna play too me too me too me too

-Isn’t it that big building over there?

Haebyul spotted the Adventurer’s Guild building and went inside.

It was spacious.

It had been designed large, keeping a large number of players in mind.

The atmosphere of the Adventurer’s Guild was lively. Loud talk bounced around here and there, but it was all scripted.

“I’m telling you! Huh! I took down a wyvern in my youth! If it weren’t for that arrow to the knee, I’d be…”

“Hahaha! You probably took down a worm, not a wyvern!”

Mm, great acting!

Jinwoo was satisfied!

Haebyul widened her eyes and looked around.

Such a fantastical sight!

This was exactly the kind of Adventurer’s Guild that comes to mind when one thinks of another world!

Haebyul carefully walked toward the reception desk.

“Um, excuse me….”

“You must be a hero! You’ve finally arrived!”

Haebyul’s gaze went blank.

It was because Tia, playing the role of the receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild, had appeared.

The finest beauty sculpted by nature.

Haebyul couldn’t help but be entranced by the High Elf’s stunning appearance.

-B-beautiful -noona!

-Kyaaa!

-S-something’s happening to me…

When Tia smiled slightly, Haebyul snapped back to her senses.

“Welcome to the Evanth Branch of the Adventurer’s Guild. By joining the Adventurer’s Guild, you can take on various Quests. We also provide support for beginners, so don’t hesitate and sign up right away.”

“Yes! I-I’ll sign up. Um, can I call you unnie?”

“Oh my.”

Tia was also an excellent actress.

While Haebyul was registering, Jinwoo turned his head to look at the notice board. It was filled with various Quests. Some were created by FS Games, and others were real.

Rainsword was short on labor, so they planned to use the Quest format to hire heroes. After all, things like food, firewood, and herbs were essential for the domain’s people.

Mission rewards came in the form of money or items.

‘The currency is….’

Fittingly for a fantasy world, the unit was gold.

Arsilan Gold.

Marked as AG.

Originally, currency had no value in Arsilan.

Because the world was on the verge of collapse. Jinwoo had the coins produced by mobilizing the domain’s people. He designed the economic system to make them usable in Evanth.

Wow! Free labor!

Heroes were incredibly strong, free labor.

Jinwoo looked toward Haebyul and Tia.

“You are now an Iron Rank Adventurer! Complete Quests to achieve higher ranks. Here are your starter supplies.”

“Starter supplies?”

“An Item Appraisal Certificate, a Subspace Tattoo, and startup funds.”

The Subspace Tattoo engraved on the soul functioned as an inventory.

It couldn’t store a large amount, but it was created to give the game-like feel. Of course, it was crafted by magic developers.

“A basic weapon is be provided, so please take one.”

“Yes! Unnie!”

Tia smiled and gently patted Haebyul’s head.

Haebyul’s face turned red.

-Noona! Me too!!

-Me too me too!

-Wooooooah!

-mngmngmng

The chat window went wild.

Jinwoo made eye contact with Tia. Seeing through Jinwoo’s Invisibility, Tia winked.

Tia immediately sent a magical message.

[What an adorable hero. Makes me want to torment her. I want to see her weep and collapse in despair soon.]

[Hmm….]

[Are all summoned heroes this cute?]

[…Probably not.]

Could players really be cute?

During his time as Game Director, players were…, ugh! Suddenly, a headache…

Thud!

Just as Haebyul exited, men in only their underwear walked in.

“I have arrived.”

“Weapons are mere accessories.”

“How boring this world is. So boring I want to die.”

“Innkeeper girl! Bring me wheat noodles and bamboo leaf liquor!”

Tia’s eyes, once filled with madness, turned blank.

Madness always crumbles before greater madness.

In front of Earth’s heroes whose limits had been released, Tia was just an ordinary being.

[Um, Jinwoo-nim? A-Are those really heroes too? Jinwoo-nim?]

Are these things seriously heroes?

Question marks flooded Tia’s mind.

[It’s all for Arsilan. Hang in there.]

Swoosh!

Jinwoo disappeared using Teleportation.

And then…

“Kyaaak! You can’t eat the Quest scrolls! Spit it out right now! Yuck! Gross!”

“Aah! You can’t roll down the stairs! There are no secret passages or anything! Your head is bleeding!”

“You can’t mix poisonous herbs in your beer! What? You like the tangy flavor? Aah! That’s a sign of addiction! Quick, get some herbs…!”

“You threw a jar because you thought there might be money in it? Hero? Is something wrong with your head? Ugh! Pay the fine!”

“I’m not your noona! I’m not your mom either!”

As the Heroes caused mischief like little children, Tia sighed and held her head in her hands.

She slowly began to fall into darkness!

*Title: Prankster

A title given to a mischievous Hero who pesters Tia.

It has no special function.

“Wow! A title!”

“Can’t resist a title!”

“Looking for someone to go prank Tia noona with.”

Grrrk!

Just you wait.

A burning desire to make the heroes cry began to swell in Tia’s heart.

Despair… a thicker, more dreadful kind of despair…!

“Hu, huhuhuhu….”

Tia’s laughter turned sinister.

Well, in any case, it was a good development.