The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Translator: Dreamscribe

The conference hall was filled with agonized screams and wails.

The high-ranking bureaucrats draped in the Evil God's creatures met the most horrific of ends.

Their bodies swelled up and burst like balloons.

Ending it all at once like that was the most merciful death.

"G-gaaah!"

"G-get it off! Get it off! A-aagh! My body...!"

Countless bugs squirming beneath their skin gnawed away at their bodies, and a hideous skin disease rotted them from head to toe. The process was excruciating.

KRRRUNCH!

The Evil God's creatures that grew from their bodies spread out in all directions once more, devouring alive the evildoers steeped in wicked karma. By the end of it, they had turned into skeletons.

GRAAAAAAH!

The skeletons let out screams as if they had fallen into hell.

Though nothing but bone remained, they suffered terribly.

Souls were being hanged.

Death by a thousand cuts was carried out while their necks still hung in the noose.

The Evil God's creatures tore the souls limb from limb, as if by chariots, and the combined five punishments awaited them after that. [TL: The "combined five punishments" was an ancient Chinese execution method inflicting all five corporal punishments on one criminal at once.]

[Kill me! Kill me! Please, just kill me!]

[It hurts, it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts!]

[Kyaaaaaaah!]

The souls' anguished cries, audible amid the screams, plunged everyone present into utter terror.

The skeletons, filled with hatred for the karma-stained souls, began lunging at the bureaucrats to turn them into the same wretched things they had become. They crawled along the walls, floor, and ceiling, swarming over the bureaucrats.

"Graaagh!"

"Kyaaah!"

The bureaucrats in the conference hall began fleeing toward the exits. Outside, there were countless knights and soldiers.

Surely they could resolve this situation. Surely they could help us!

"M-move!"

"Ugh!"

"I said move!"

The bureaucrats running down the narrow stairs shoved and grappled with one another as they raced for the exit. As the doorway with light streaming through it drew near, their faces colored with hope.

But the building's security system automatically detected the crisis.

THUD! THOOM! THOOM!

The security system, designed to block enemy intrusion, activated. Thick steel walls that even a battleship's cannons couldn't easily breach dropped rapidly in front of the doorways, sealing off every exit. And not just that; steel walls came down across the corridors inside the building, blocking every path that led inside.

"N-no!"

"Aaaaargh! O-open it! Open it, quickly!"

"Wh-what are you doing?! Shut off the defense system! We're inside!!"

It was a security system built solely with external intrusion in mind. This magnificent building, which should have been safe even against a Dimensional Predator invasion, had become a prison in an instant.

The knights outside pounded on the steel walls, but couldn't leave so much as a scratch. Once activated, the defense system took at least an hour before it could be retracted.

Of course, since Jinwoo had already seized control of it, it wouldn't open no matter how much time passed.

"U-urgh!"

"Urk!"

The knights who had drawn their swords infused with Dimensional Energy to fight the skeletons ended up dropping their blades. Something began streaming out of their eyes, noses, mouths, and ears.

Black tentacles.

The tentacles that burst through their skin seized control of the knights' bodies in an instant, turning them into horrific monsters.

"Th-the Evil God Disease!"

"Hurk!"

The bureaucrats were aghast.

Even the Evil God Disease was spreading here.

Terror-stricken, the bureaucrats clawed frantically at the steel walls, desperate to get out somehow. Their fingernails tore off as they scratched, staining the steel with blood, but the walls did not open.

Now all that remained was to die a gruesome death.

Every bureaucrat in the conference hall thought so and sank into despair. That was when it happened.

Clap!

The sound of applause rang out.

In that instant, the skeleton knights, the skeletons, every one of the Evil God's creatures stopped moving as if time itself had frozen.

The bureaucrats who had been screaming and fleeing froze stiff at the sudden turn of events. Trembling, they looked toward the podium from which the applause had come.

They saw someone seated upon a throne made of bones.

"Your Highness?"

"P-Prince Reist...."

It was the 4th Imperial Prince Reist; no, it was Jinwoo wearing Reist's skin. Jinwoo was watching the brutal spectacle as if enjoying a film. The thick wine in the glass in his hand gave off a bewitching gleam. It suited Reist's arrogant appearance remarkably well.

"H-how... how did this... what is going on...."

"Why...?"

The bureaucrats couldn't make sense of the situation at all.

When Jinwoo drank his wine and held out the glass, the skeleton beside him picked up the wine bottle and poured for him as if it were a butler.

"They say this wine yields only a single drop per dimension, but the taste leaves much to be desired."

A single drop of the wine was made using the final energy generated when a dimension perished and became a bubble dimension.

Each drop of this wine held the suffering of an entire dimension. Jinwoo brought it to his lips, then shook his head and poured it out onto the floor.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?"

A minister shouted at Jinwoo.

He was a brave man, in his own way. Brave enough to pick up a fallen sword from the floor to fight the skeletons. But he had not been granted permission to speak.

SHUNK!

A sharp tentacle shot up from the floor and pierced through his body.

"Graaaagh!"

The tentacle lifted his body straight up into the air. As he screamed like a siren, bugs flowing out of the tentacle poured into his mouth.

The bugs tore his soul to pieces and threw them to the floor.

Then the floor turned black, and mouths appeared and swallowed the soul. Everyone trapped in the hall froze, not daring even to breathe.

Once the speech was over, Jinwoo showed the conference hall that had become a gruesome hell, then cut the broadcast. Everyone watching from beyond the Sanctuary, outside the dimensional barrier, had witnessed this horrific disaster.

And the only ones who had witnessed Jinwoo's true self, the act cast aside, were those gathered here.

Jinwoo opened an Information Window and looked out at the scenery outside.

Not only warships but heavy machinery had been mobilized to break through the steel walls as quickly as possible. A commander with a desperate expression was shouting nonstop, and the knights were struggling as well. Crowds had gathered in droves, busy gawking at the building.

Jinwoo enlarged the Information Window so that everyone could see it.

A warship was firing a beam of concentrated Dimensional Energy, boring through the steel wall that surrounded the entire building.

The beam was powerful enough to pierce a planet, so even a steel wall made of special materials wouldn't hold out for long. As the wall glowed red and slowly began to melt, the bureaucrats' expressions brightened.

Jinwoo let out a snort of laughter and snapped his fingers.

Then something strange happened among the onlookers.

[Urk! Uuurgh!]

[G-gaaah!]

[Kyaaah!]

[I-it's the Evil God Disease!]

Several people began bleeding, and then their skin ripped apart as they transformed into tentacled monsters. People screamed and fled, tangling with one another and tumbling to the ground.

Not only those touched by drops of blood, chunks of flesh, or tentacles, but everyone nearby contracted the Evil God Disease as well.

The horrific Evil God Disease had revealed itself to everyone on Planet 10 of the Sanctuary.

The Evil God Disease spread in an instant, infecting hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of people. The sight of bodies bursting was immensely satisfying. It was like watching red fireworks.

[F-fire! Wipe them all out before the Evil God Disease spreads!]

When the panicked defense commander gave the order, the warship that had been firing its beam turned and aimed its cannons at the people.

KRAKAKAKAKA!

Not only those infected with the Evil God Disease but the hundreds of thousands of people around them evaporated on the spot. The beautiful roads and the long rows of buildings vanished without a trace as well, and where the beam had passed, the ground was gouged hundreds of meters deep, leaving a long scar.

Even amid that carnage, there were those who miraculously survived. Those judged not to be evildoers were protected by Jinwoo's Authority.

Utter chaos.

Utter chaos had descended upon the Sanctuary, which had been believed safe for all eternity.

[Kieeeeek!]

[Kiek!]

The Evil God Disease was like a tidal wave.

The horrific monsters born from the Evil God Disease spread wildly in every direction and began destroying everything.

WHOOOOSH! KABOOM!

Even the fleet floating loftily in the sky couldn't escape the Evil God Disease's reach.

The ships' armor writhed and swelled, and grotesque masses of flesh burst out through the plating.

GRRRRRIND! KABOOM!

A ship's engine was entangled in tentacles and exploded. The ship tilted sharply and collided with the ships floating beside it in a chain reaction. Like spreading flames, chunks of flesh latched onto the ships, and every last vessel was engulfed in flesh and lost power.

The fleet that had guarded the resplendent Sanctuary plummeted to the ground.

It almost felt as if the Kalsus Dimensional Empire itself were falling.

"Hurk!"

"Ah, ahh...."

"This can't be...."

A nightmare.

It was a hideous nightmare.

The bureaucrats who watched that scene through the Information Window were left utterly dazed. A hell so horrific that even the light of the Sanctuary couldn't purify it was unfolding.

Jinwoo closed the Information Window and rose from his seat. At that, the throne of bones vanished as if seeping into the floor.

Jinwoo gazed at the more than eight thousand bureaucrats trapped in the enormous conference hall with a deep smile.

They were irreplaceable, top-tier talent.

If they all disappeared here, the Kalsus Dimensional Empire would fall into great chaos for quite some time. It was a truly unfortunate reality for them, but Jinwoo had plenty of time on his hands.

'At this rate, I should be able to hold out for about a day.'

The pressure flowing from the heart of the Sanctuary was gradually growing stronger, but it seemed he could endure for a day.

When Jinwoo snapped his fingers, the floor, walls, and ceiling turned black, and countless body parts appeared, including eyes, ears, and hands. The Vengeful Spirits watched the bureaucrats with great delight.

What would happen next?

The Vengeful Spirits waited quietly, feeling anticipation and excitement.

"Simply killing them would leave too much time to spare."

And as it happened, there were plenty of viewers, too.

He didn't want to show them something so dull.

Jinwoo was a game developer.

When it came to soothing Vengeful Spirits, nothing beat a game.

"Yes, that will do."

Jinwoo thought of a suitable game.

There was a genre many Heroes were enjoying in the Arsilan Saga side-story episodes. It was 'Battle Royale'. It had been hugely popular at one time, spawning games, movies, novels, and more.

Then, like a proper game developer, let's get to it!

When Jinwoo snapped his fingers, the conference hall's space expanded, transforming into a colossal expanse. A sky appeared, and a black sea surrounded the area. And the ground everyone stood on turned into an island.

'It'd be no fun if it were too plain....'

He planted trees and grass and created various ruined buildings.

As he went on, he found himself enjoying it, and he focused on decorating the environment. When he loaded presets from Arsilan and pasted them in, it took on a rather convincing look.

'Let's fill it with weapons from the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.'

Jinwoo opened his Subspace and meticulously placed weapons of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, from blades to firearms. He also took out a few tanks and positioned them, and placed a small ship at the airport.

A stage splendid enough for an official release as-is was complete.

The bureaucrats who watched it all could only be aghast.

He was creating heaven and earth.

That was a domain possible only for a god, something even Dimensional Predators could not do.

This was definitely not the 4th Imperial Prince Reist.

Nor could it be a demon. Perhaps....

"Th-the Evil God...."

It might just be the Evil God.

One of the ministers let the word slip out without thinking.

When Jinwoo waved his hand, everyone present was transported to an Airship high in the sky. Those who couldn't adjust to the sudden spatial transfer vomited or complained of motion sickness, collapsing to the floor.

No one screamed or caused a commotion. They all just trembled, keeping a fearful eye on Jinwoo.

"Now, attention!"

Jinwoo's voice rang out clearly in everyone's ears.

"We're going to start a fun game now. To explain it simply, it's a game where you kill each other until only one person remains. The rules will be transmitted to your bracelets, so give them a read."

Light shone from the bracelets everyone was wearing, and an Information Window appeared.

[Evil God] Survive!

'To be alive is proof of strength.'

You are evildoers beyond salvation.

From now on, all that is permitted to you is pain and despair. On the Island of Evil, kill each other and keep killing until only one remains. Like the evildoers you are, use any means necessary and survive to the very end.

If you survive, there may just be a reward.

*Refer to the guidebook for detailed rules.

Condition: Evildoer

Duration: 10 days

Reward: ???

The Quest was transmitted to everyone.

Jinwoo had used the Authority of Time to set this space's time to flow 10 times slower.

"K-kill each other?"

"H-hngh! I... I want to go home. S-send me home!"

"Aaagh!"

The sound of sobbing could be heard.

Whimpering wouldn't change anything.

They had to survive.

They couldn't die here.

They instinctively realized that if they died here, suffering far worse than death awaited them. So they had to survive to the very end.

A rather large-built minister cautiously raised his hand.

The Evil God had prepared this game with considerable care, so surely he wouldn't kill someone merely for asking a question. That was why he could summon the courage to raise his hand.

When Jinwoo permitted him to speak, he gulped and opened his mouth.

"If we truly become the last one standing, will we live?"

"Yes, I promise. Only the single winner gets to live. Any other questions?"

The man beside the minister politely raised his hand.

"Th-the guidebook says to purchase starting equipment... wh-where are we supposed to purchase it?"

"Impatient, aren't you."

"I-I'm sorry! P-please, forgive me...!"

The moment Jinwoo said that, the man slammed his head against the floor.

When Jinwoo waved his hand, a gacha machine appeared above each person's bracelet. A single pull required money or valuables worth 500 billion won, and while they could pull as many times as they wanted, they could only take one item with them.

"Enter the assets you possess into your bracelets."

If they entered them into the bracelets themselves, Jinwoo could use his Authority to collect them. The inner regions of Planet 8 would be difficult, but anywhere outside of that, the assets would be automatically transferred into his Subspace.

Everyone hurriedly entered their assets and purchased pull tickets.

Having experienced RL, they knew exactly what a 'gacha' was.

"P-please, something good...!"

"Whew, whew.... Please!"

Everyone pressed the pull button with tense expressions.

A viscous black orb appeared before the minister who had questioned Jinwoo, and an item took shape.

[-] Frying Pan

Quite sturdy.

The minister gripped the frying pan with a blank expression.

It was a 500-billion-won frying pan, so that was only fair. Since the won's value was absurdly higher than the wealth of this place, it was probably worth about as much as an entire planet.

Jinwoo was extorting them, as befit an Evil God.

"A d-dagger...!"

"A bow, I see."

"Ha, hahahaha! A g-gun! It's a gun!"

Joy and despair intersected.

The one who had pulled a gun acted as if he'd become a king. People began servilely attaching themselves to him. It was a truly amusing sight.

Once the pulls were complete, numbers appeared in the Information Window and a countdown began. Everyone clutched the equipment they had drawn, gripped by extreme tension.

Gulp!

The numbers ticked down and finally reached 0!

At that moment the ship began to move, and everyone was enveloped in what looked like capsules.

"Then, let the game begin."

May you all have a wonderful game!

With those final words from Jinwoo, the floor of the ship opened, and everyone plummeted down toward the Island of Evil.

The survival game played with their lives on the line had begun!

*****

For 15 or more extra chapters, you can check out my Patreon here --> patreon.com/dreamscribe

If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it at Novelupdates. Thanks! 😊

To receive the latest update notifications or report mistakes, join our Discord server linked below.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!