The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Translator: Dreamscribe

Jinwoo watched Jun steeling himself to work hard and wore a satisfied smile.

Having heard of the atrocities committed by the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, Jun had resolved to sublimate "Rok's" payment-baiting systems, which he had considered shameful up until now, into gambling of an even higher dimension. It was a system he had kept sealed away because it broke the law, even back when Han Mong-gyun was threatening him.

He had, without question, created Rok and had a bad influence on the Korean game industry. If Arsilan Saga had never been released, the Korean game industry might have fallen into an eternal dark age and collapsed.

That sin was no light one, but he would wash it away by unleashing Rok 2 upon the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, which had brought suffering to the dimensional realms.

Perhaps it would even become his proudest achievement?

Jinwoo's plan was bigger and more complex than Jun had imagined.

Jinwoo worked out the plan together with Jun in his room, which had been prepared for him in Reist World.

"So this is the Lord God Engine... incredible."

"It'll be far easier to use than what other game companies rely on. That's because you can borrow my authority directly."

Calling it the Creator God Engine rather than the Lord God Engine wouldn't be out of place. Through the pattern engraved on his wrist, Jun was now able to develop games to his heart's content.

Watching him adapt to the Lord God Engine right away and churn out all sorts of things, Jinwoo felt that his choice had not been wrong.

"Your Highness."

Berto approached.

"Requests to supply Reist World to the Sanctuary are pouring in. It seems the royals who have gotten a taste of gambling have set aside their pride."

"Well, the royals have been coming often lately. It looks like Scharnhilde has been contacting them and bringing them over...."

At Reist World, one could even spot high-ranking princes. Having lost even the chips Jinwoo had given her, Scharnhilde had contacted the royals and used them as gold coin shuttles.

The fortunes of Scharnhilde and the royals were being transferred to Jinwoo one by one.

"Betting an entire planet...."

Jun marveled at the scale of these royals from another dimension.

The sight of them exchanging a planet with an environment much like Earth's for chips and betting it right away was the very definition of a sucker.

"They really are suckers."

"Well, yeah."

When Jun clicked his tongue and shook his head, Jinwoo nodded.

"I don't think I'll ever get along with the people of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire."

Jun's attitude was resolute.

He wanted to hurry up and develop Rok 2, wash away his sins, and then join Arsilan Saga. He wanted to create content brimming with the kind of joy that had once thrilled him so much.

It was while Jun was drawing up the development plan.

Knock knock!

A knocking sound came through.

When Berto opened the door, Scharnhilde came in with a listless gait. With her drooping shoulders, brittle hair, and the weight she had lost, she looked terribly worn down.

'Tia would probably love this if she saw it.'

The haggard princess looked utterly pitiful.

She looked like the heroine of a suffering-genre story.

"...My dear brother."

"Sister, you look like you're having a hard time."

Jinwoo sat her down.

She seemed to have lost a great deal of confidence. Just yesterday she had been winning enough to hand out chips, yet when she came to her senses, there was nothing left in her possession.

"I suppose I'll have to go to the Main Planet and back."

It seemed the gold coins she had borrowed from the royals had run dry as well. What had drained her of spirit like this was not so much the money she had lost as her aversion to returning again.

The feeling of falling behind.

And the sense that her luck might be taken from her.

It even came to mind when she lay down to sleep. Crossing the Dimensional Portal and making the round trip to the Main Planet would take several days.

Being trapped in that dreary place for days on end!

Scharnhilde felt a dread as if she were walking into hell.

"It was probably difficult for you at the exchange, seeing as your fortune is on far too grand a scale, Sister."

"Indeed."

That was how vast a fortune Scharnhilde possessed.

"Hmm, then let me exchange your fortune on your behalf, Sister."

"Y-you would do that?"

"Are we not family? You can simply think of it as me holding it for you instead."

Scharnhilde shook her head with a serious expression.

"A wager is a wager. I shall reclaim it with pride, interest included."

Scharnhilde truly was a genuine sucker.

Though she was praised for her knowledge and wisdom, she had grown up only within the Sanctuary and lacked experience. The pleasure that dopamine provides alters the very structure of the brain, so it was hard to overcome with something like knowledge. On top of that, the people of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire were more easily swayed by dopamine than Earthlings. Their bodies and souls were considerably vulnerable to such temptations.

Beaming brightly, Scharnhilde informed him of the sizable list of assets to be liquidated. She put several planets outside the Sanctuary and treasures within the Sanctuary on the list.

Once the account registered to her bracelet was filled to the brim, she regained her confidence.

"Thank you, my dear brother."

"Family ought to help one another."

"Indeed. If there is anything I can help with, I shall help too."

"Your enjoying yourself is what helps me, Sister."

"Truly, you are the only brother for me."

Scharnhilde had come to rely heavily on Jinwoo. There had never been any affection among the princes and princesses of the family, but she was feeling it for the first time. A pity, that.

"But, who is this fellow?"

Scharnhilde looked at Jun.

Only then did Jinwoo turn his gaze to Jun as well.

'Hm?'

Jun was staring at Scharnhilde in a daze. He was watching her with his mouth open, his eyes trembling wildly as if an earthquake had struck. Jinwoo knew what that phenomenon was.

"Baron Jun."

When Jinwoo lightly tapped his shoulder and called out, Jun jolted in surprise and shot to his feet. Scharnhilde tilted her head as she looked at him.

"A peculiar fellow."

"He does have that side to him. He is a genius, after all."

"A genius?"

Jinwoo wore a gentle smile and placed a hand on Jun's shoulder.

"This friend was a great help in building Reist World. Most of the games you've been enjoying, Sister, were designed by this fellow."

"Ohh! I see! It's not that I doubted my dear brother's wisdom, but he certainly does seem gifted. No, it was my brother who took such a genius into his service, so never belittle your own achievement."

Scharnhilde looked at Jun with sparkling eyes.

Jun froze right where he stood. He couldn't manage to look Scharnhilde in the face.

"This friend has been working on something recently, and when it's finished, I'll show it to you first of all, Sister."

"And what might that be?"

"I cannot say just yet... but it will likely be quite entertaining. And it is also something for the sake of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire."

Scharnhilde gazed at Jinwoo with eyes full of affection, then nodded.

"Jun, was it?"

"Y-yes, yes! Th-that's right! Your Imperial Highness! I am Baron Jun Rockst!"

"Judging by your appearance, you seem to be of pure-blooded noble birth."

"Th-that's correct."

That was how he had been customized.

It was to avoid arousing suspicion.

Scharnhilde reached out and took Jun's hand.

"I shall arrange an occasion sometime. Strive even harder."

"I-it is an honor!"

Scharnhilde nodded and strode out with a dignified gait. Jun remained frozen until she had vanished from sight.

"Hey."

"Yes? Yes?"

Jinwoo shook his head as he looked at the utterly dazed Jun.

"You into her?"

"N-no?! Me? Th-there's no way?"

It was an awkward reply.

Having worked only at EL Soft since he was young, he had never even had friends. Scharnhilde was quite beautiful in appearance, so it was no surprise he'd fallen for her.

He couldn't so much as look at the even more beautiful Ella and Helby, but Scharnhilde carried less of an intimidating air, so it seemed he'd fallen for her at first sight.

"The princess seems interested in you. She's fond of capable people."

"I-is that so."

Jun's motivation exploded.

His look was that of someone who had completely lost any desire to return to Arsilan.

The planning came together at a staggering speed, and on the spot he assigned tasks to the sinners who had been turned into goblins.

"Hmm...."

What if he brought Jun and the princess together?

It seemed like it might make for an interesting picture.

"I won't meddle in your private life, so go for it."

"Wh-what are you, are you talking about?"

At his reply, brimming with panic, Jinwoo merely shrugged and chuckled.

It was summer.

* * *

It was no exaggeration to say Reist World was now the most famous place in the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. Since only nobles with physical bodies could enter, the countless high-ranking officers and lesser nobles outside the Dimensional Barrier grew ever more envious each time they heard news of Reist World.

Demands to open branches of Reist World were flooding in, and several were in fact under construction in the Sanctuary. A Reist World for commoners was planned for the most luxurious of Reist's planets outside the Dimensional Barrier.

The royals and nobles who had fallen into gambling began to support Jinwoo, and the commoners who heard the news also chanted the name of the 4th Imperial Prince Reist.

The side effects of gambling appeared soon enough.

The chain of command of the legions outside the Dimensional Barrier fell into disarray, and because responses from the Sanctuary were sluggish, areas began cropping up where things weren't running according to plan.

The Evil God Disease was left unchecked, and they even suffered losses to rebels who had suddenly appeared. Yet the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's army remained powerful, and with Kalgul, who had become the right hand of the 4th Imperial Prince Reist, and General Gord bringing back victory reports against the Dimensional Predators, the Kalsus Dimensional Empire was in an age of great peace and prosperity.

'They're doing well.'

The more famous Kalgul and General Gord became, the more Reist's reputation grew. Under General Gord's command, they recruited the upper legions and waged a war of attrition against the Dimensional Predators. It was a war of attrition so massive it left them with no capacity for dimensional invasions.

Neither the high nobles nor even the royals paid it any mind. The Sanctuary was a holy place that no one could invade anyway, and soldiers could be churned out in any number.

Only the Crown Prince, first in line for the throne, seemed to be busy with this and that, but it didn't amount to much.

The Kalsus Dimensional Empire, erosion.

In the midst of it all, Arsilan was slowly establishing itself as a third power, reaping the incidental benefits.

'The Avatars are even organized enough to form rebel forces now.'

Rebels were organized, spearheaded by the Avatars who had emerged from the Evil God's Tower. Vast support was continuously provided through the Constellations. The heroes were steadily growing as well, and every situation was smiling upon him.

"Hmm."

Jinwoo stepped inside an enormous mansion.

It was the Administrative Planet, deep within the Sanctuary, where high-ranking officials were mainly gathered.

Lately, voices had been rising that Reist World ought to be regulated and that more effort should be put into the invasions. Of course, the high nobles who had fallen into gambling didn't pay them the slightest attention. If anything, they showed their displeasure at anyone opposing Reist World.

In the mansion where everyone was asleep, a study with its lamp still lit could be seen. Marquis Alontro, together with the noble faction that followed him, was drafting a report to send to the Crown Prince.

He was also the minister who had steered the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's conquest policy for many long years. He held the Crown Prince's deepest trust, and his becoming the next chancellor was a foregone conclusion.

'Well, one would have to be at that level to oppose what Reist is doing.'

Because he had the Crown Prince backing him, he could openly oppose what the 4th Imperial Prince Reist was doing.

In the current state of things, penetrating deep into the Sanctuary was difficult, but there were still tricks he could pull.

Jinwoo entered the study.

Security was tight, but such things were no obstacle at all.

He could see Marquis Alontro diligently drafting his report.

His soul was full of evil deeds.

His character didn't seem all that bad, but given that he had exerted enormous influence on the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's dimensional invasions, he was a sinner beyond any hope of redemption.

He hadn't the faintest inkling that Jinwoo was behind him.

'I could just make him like Berto or Kalgul....'

He couldn't go deeper into the Sanctuary. He would be crushed to dust under the immense pressure. In that case, how about gradually acclimating himself?

When Jinwoo stretched out his hand, a caterpillar came wriggling out of the darkness. The caterpillar crawled toward where Marquis Alontro was seated and latched onto the leg of the desk.

In an instant it became a chrysalis, and an insect burst out through it.

A mosquito.

The insect that kills the most humans, a mosquito.

It would be no exaggeration to call it the enemy of mankind.

The mosquito was a little larger than a thumb and black in color. Its wings bore the overlapping pattern that symbolized the Evil God, and its belly was packed with countless writhing larvae. The larvae could be seen squirming beneath the surface of its belly, swollen and bulging with them. It was so revolting that the pattern seemed to ripple like some grotesque design.

BZZZZZZT!

The mosquito took flight and landed on the nape of Marquis Alontro's neck. A sharp tentacle shot out from the mosquito's mouth, tore through the skin, and burrowed inward.

Marquis Alontro felt nothing at all. The entire spot where the mosquito had landed was numbed, so even though the tentacle pierced his skin and dug deep inside, he simply kept working.

GLUG-GLUG!

The larvae in the belly began pouring down into Marquis Alontro's body. They burrowed into his skin, muscle, and bone, taking up residence.

What dwelled within the larvae was the Evil God Disease.

It would slowly transform the interior of Marquis Alontro's body and run many experiments on it.

"Ugh, mm...."

Marquis Alontro set down his pen and rubbed his eyelids. A sudden dizziness came over him, and fatigue washed in. He rose unsteadily and headed straight for the bedroom.

He collapsed onto the bed as if crumbling and fell asleep. Jinwoo read over the report he had written.

It was filled with concerns about the Online Payment System and about Reist World, as well as plans to restart the delayed invasions.

'There's no chance this reaches the Crown Prince now.'

The contents of the report vanished and were replaced with content saying there were no problems whatsoever and that everything was proceeding smoothly. To Marquis Alontro's eyes, it would look properly written. Everything he wrote from now on would turn out this way, which was truly a pity.

From the ears and nose of Marquis Alontro, asleep on the bed, mosquitoes came crawling out and took flight. Centered on this mansion, they would gradually spread outward.

There were plenty of delicious hosts on this planet.

[Oh, the transmission's coming through nice and clear?]

"I set up a Magic Tower while I was here."

A message came in from Jun.

Reaching deep into the Sanctuary would be difficult, but communication carried this far without trouble.

[Are you busy right now?]

"No, what is it?"

[The Rok 2 demo build is finished.]

"That was fast?"

[Thanks to the Lord God Engine.]

The goblin slaves were working without rest as well. All the data from EL Soft had been transferred over here too, so it could be upgraded and put to use.

[I think it should be enough to test.]

"Yeah? Then get ready. I'll come over now."

[Understood.]

Jinwoo gazed at the scenery of the beautiful planet for a while, then returned to Reist's mansion. Jun, Berto, and the servants who had become his hands and feet were waiting for Jinwoo.

"Then, from now, we'll begin the first internal test of Rok 2, official name Reist Legend."

The official name for Rok 2 to be announced in the Kalsus Dimensional Empire was Reist Legend, RL for short. As it happened, it was similar to RL in the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's language too.

"I lifted all the background setting and characters straight from Rok. As you instructed, I also mixed in the look of Arsilan. It does feel formulaic, but the people here will find it fresh."

It was a typical Korean MMORPG background setting that began with, "In the beginning, there were the Heavenly Race and the Demon Race."

Jinwoo nodded and touched the bracelet that enabled the Online Payment System. At that, an information window rose up and the RL demo build started running.

The graphics themselves were quite good.

It wasn't virtual reality, but it felt real. It was as if he were actually living through a story set in some dimension.

It had been made that way on purpose.

To attach a narrative that would drive everyone wild, and for the sake of what was to come.

'This brings back memories?'

He'd expected it to be dull, but this classic feel was unexpectedly rather fun. For quite a long while, Jinwoo sat there in place and enjoyed the game.

"Master! Now's the time!"

"Oh, got it."

Clap clap clap!

The servants applauded.

A sense of accomplishment surged in.

"If only I'd done a bit more weapon enhancement...."

Huh!?

Jinwoo was startled that he had thought such a thing. It was so addictive that even the Evil God found himself unconsciously picturing that weapon enhancement button.

The sun had already set. Berto and the servants were having a great deal of fun as well.

Jun grinned as he looked at Jinwoo.

"Weapon Enhancement, Pets, the Collection, Transformation, Gacha with no pity ceiling, Marketplace Auctions, Blood Alliances, and hunting-ground control through warfare, I put those in as standard. The odds can be manipulated easily."

"Hmm...."

"I also built in one-hour Paid Buff Potions, gambling-style monster battles, and a racetrack. I'm thinking of selling premium hunting-ground entry tickets too, and... ah! Naturally, there'll be a Battle Pass as well."

Various gambling games that couldn't be played at Reist World were also added, and through RL, players would be able to enjoy Reist World's gambling online as well.

"There are things I'll develop further and add in. I'll send you the plan."

Change the world through games.

Jinwoo had proven those words on Earth and in Arsilan.

"Splendid."

Here, in the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, it would be no different.

*****

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