Chapter 19
The beta test will last for one week.
You might think, “What kind of beta test only lasts for a week?”
Honestly, I wanted to end the beta test right now and officially release the game.
Akare was already a game guaranteed to succeed, and many people were eager to play it themselves.
That’s why we settled on a compromise: one week.
A week should be enough time to discover Akare’s problems and areas needing improvement.
“Right, Aka-chan?”
“…Affirmative.”
Since the start of the beta test, Aka-chan had been fully dedicated to monitoring and collecting data.
Checking if any bugs appeared in this otherwise perfect virtual reality game, and assessing the satisfaction level of the professions.
When I looked over the data collected by Aka-chan through the Creator’s Authority, things didn’t seem too bad overall.
There were currently six professions available to choose from.
It was still early in the game, so it was hard to be certain, but…
The balance between the performance of each profession and user satisfaction was quite good.
It’s a common belief in RPGs that “you should play the profession you want to.”
However, in many cases, the profession you imagined ends up being different from what you get.
“That’s why I gave the professions very intuitive names.”
Just by looking at the name, you’d think, “Oh, that’s the kind of profession it is,” making it easy to understand.
For that reason, the beta test was going smoothly, without major issues.
Sure, there were some balance complaints from a certain gallery, but…
That was only because the people obsessed with Galdr Cup had gathered there, so it was expected.
In other communities, the game was receiving positive reactions and healthy feedback.
Everything was going well, so it seemed that the only strange place was the in-game gallery where people played Galdr Cup all day.
“Let’s prepare the avatar first.”
We had successfully navigated through the chaotic first day of the beta test.
Now, it was time to start handling the tasks listed in the plan.
Using the Creator’s Authority, I called forth the most popular uniform and swimsuit.
“Why… the uniform?”
The uniform looked exactly like the one I was wearing right now.
I mean, why was this the most popular?
If I release this as an avatar, the self-insert character craze will surely intensify.
Even from my perfect aesthetic perspective, I had to admit it was a beautiful outfit.
“What a shame.”
It would sell like hotcakes, but I had no choice but to consider public opinion.
Instead, I brought out the second-most popular uniform, Aurora Uniform.
“And the swimsuit…”
There were three outfits I had in mind beforehand: the maid outfit, the uniform, and the swimsuit.
Surprisingly, there weren’t many swimsuits recorded in this other world.
Swimsuits designed to only cover the important parts didn’t look pretty, no matter how I looked at them.
“What do I do about this…”
If I release such a swimsuit as an avatar, I’ll only get scolded.
I didn’t want to see my flawless aesthetic sense being tarnished.
While I was seeking a solution, Aka-chan spoke quietly.
“You can analyze it using the capsule.”
“How?”
Aka-chan pointed at me.
“You wear it yourself.”
What in the world are you talking about?
“Aka-chan? Bringing a real swimsuit here would cause problems.”
“Data modification is my area of expertise.”
According to Aka-chan’s plan, the capsule scans the user’s body.
During this process, it also records the clothes the user is wearing.
This data is then transferred and stored in the virtual reality system.
“Then how about you wear it, Aka-chan?”
“I’m too busy monitoring.”
“…”
While the beta test was in progress, Aka-chan couldn’t leave the virtual reality.
If any problems arose, she had to address them immediately, so leaving her station was impossible.
“Ugh…”
Aka-chan was being really annoying.
Is this how a boss feels watching an employee slack off?
Of course, Aka-chan wasn’t slacking off at all. In fact, she worked diligently.
But at times like this, when she teased and played with me, she could be incredibly irritating.
“A swimsuit…”
I had to pick out a revealing outfit with more exposed skin than fabric…
I had to search through stores in the real world, try them on, and…
Then wear that swimsuit into the capsule?
Just imagining it made me feel so embarrassed and ashamed.
But if I could endure that brief moment of shame, I could make a lot of money.
Pride doesn’t feed you, but shame can provide the money to buy food.
I kept telling myself that this was all for the future as I prepared for my rare outing.
***
Kim Seon-ah (26), who was working part-time at a department store clothing shop, was startled when she saw the customer who had just walked in.
Hair and eyes that reminded her of the clear blue sky. Exotic, yet beautiful features.
She looked like a heroine who had torn herself out of the pages of a comic and stepped into reality.
“Welcome! If you’re looking for something, I’d be happy to help!”
“Ah, yes. Um… do you have swimsuits?”
Kim Seon-ah instinctively scanned the woman’s body, focusing on her figure.
The result was on another level.
Usually, if someone had a nice figure, it would stir feelings of envy or jealousy.
But this woman’s figure was beyond the realm of mere admiration, the kind that couldn’t be hidden even under a baggy hoodie.
It wasn’t just absurdly large, it was perfectly proportioned to the rest of her body.
Envy and jealousy—those negative emotions that naturally arise when you see a woman far superior to yourself—didn’t even register.
In fact, it felt like comparing herself was an insult, to the point where she felt a sense of admiration instead.
“I’d love to be friends with her. It wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression.”
Such thoughts ran through Seon-ah’s head because the woman in front of her was that beautiful.
“This is our hottest swimsuit right now. What do you think?”
“It’s… um, it’s really… quite something.”
“Would you like to try it on?”
At Seon-ah’s suggestion, Aurora, who was holding the swimsuit, let out an awkward laugh.
“Ha ha, would it suit me?”
“Of course! It would look amazing on you!”
With Seon-ah’s enthusiastic recommendation, Aurora sighed deeply inside.
Trying on clothes before buying them wasn’t a strange thing to do.
The problem was that it was a swimsuit, and the one the employee recommended was extremely revealing.
“Right this way to the fitting room!”
And so, she was half-forced into the fitting room.
Half resigned, Aurora removed the clothes she had been wearing and put on the swimsuit.
“Mm…”
As expected, there was much more exposed skin than fabric.
It was a swimsuit, so naturally, there was some exposure, but this swimsuit took it to an extreme.
Could this even be called a swimsuit? It was more like a bikini.
However, from the start, she had come with the intention of buying something with a bikini-like feel.
“It’s pretty, but…”
Aurora thought of the Crassaire Demon King who had put her in this situation.
If that Demon King saw her like this, she’d probably shout, “Come here, you wicked thing!” and pounce on her.
Thinking that Crassaire was crazy enough to do just that, Aurora sighed.
“Haah…”
Capitalism is cold, indeed.
After finishing her thoughts, Aurora changed back into her original clothes.
She stepped out of the fitting room and proceeded to purchase the swimsuit she had just tried on.
“That’ll be 245,000 won.”
“…Please put it on a 3-month installment plan.”
With the bikini in a shopping bag, Aurora hurriedly left the store.
* * *
[Daehyeop Kim’s broadcast is about to begin. – Talk in 1 second.]
―――
-Explain yourself.
-You bitch.
-Backdoor gaming is a serious crime.
-Must have been nice to go on a date with Raven.
-Explain yourself.
―――
The moment the broadcast went live, the chat room flared up.
A black screen with nothing on it. The number of viewers quickly rising.
How much time passed like that?
The screen transitioned, and Daehyeop Kim, dressed in a suit, appeared.
“Everyone, what have I done wrong?”
Without any greeting, Daehyeop Kim poured fuel on the already raging chat.
“Did I stop the broadcast abruptly because I hit a wall in progression?”
“Did I appear on Sweet’s stream, form a party, and spend 10 hours playing offline?”
“Did I break my promise to the viewers who were waiting for me to stream after dinner?”
“Did I watch Raven’s identity reveal event all by myself?”
“Did I indirectly spoil the event for Sweet?”
After a brief pause, Daehyeop Kim continued, now with a serious expression.
“What exactly did I do wrong?”
He wasn’t just pouring fuel on the fire—he was throwing a bomb.
―――
-You’re the best, Daehyeop.
-Seriously, what did he do wrong?
-This crazy bastard.
-He’s so shameless, it’s actually funny lol.
-Daehyeop, let’s go all the way to the bottom!
―――
Whether the reactions were negative or positive, Daehyeop Kim was attracting an enormous amount of attention.
Drawing in such “aggro” was a skill every streamer needed to have.
Coming from a background in content creation, Daehyeop Kim knew better than anyone how to stir the pot.
“The things I said earlier were all just jokes. Ah, I’m really sorry. Akare was so much fun that I forgot to start the stream.”
After pulling off a record-breaking act of aggro, Daehyeop Kim finally revealed his true intentions.
He admitted his mistake in breaking the promise to the viewers and offered an apology.
Even though the intensity in the chat hadn’t died down…
“I’ll set up a 24-hour stream soon, so please cool off a bit.”
Promising a 24-hour stream to regain favour, the heated atmosphere of the chat room gradually started to cool.
―――
[ㅇㅇ] Donated 10,000 won
- What did you think when you first saw the Mage’s skill yesterday?
―――
“Mage’s skill? Honestly, I did feel a bit inferior, but I proved myself in the boss fight. So now, I don’t think about it much.”
When it came to hunting capabilities, the Mage—with its powerful AOE skills—was naturally much better.
However, those same AOE skills couldn’t deal much damage to bosses.
In fact, due to their poor utility, Mages often ended up dying during the attempts.
On the other hand, the Martial Artist, with its suitable passive skills and short-cooldown mobility skills, was great for boss fights.
He had proven that in the results, so he didn’t care much about balance anymore.
Besides, the only place that was really burning over balance issues was a certain gallery.
“Well then, I’ll go ahead and… connect to the real world.”
―――
Real world?
Akare isn’t the real world?
See you later.
The real world is wherever Raven is.
Confess your love to her when you log in!
―――
Daehyeop Kim stood up, moved his mouse, and ended the stream before heading to the capsule.
Once inside the capsule, he connected to the virtual reality world, Akare, and a new world unfolded before him.
“No matter how many times I log in, it never ceases to amaze me.”
The feel of the wind on his skin.
The liveliness of the people walking through the streets of the capital.
It was all virtual, yet it all felt so real.
[Daehyeop Kim’s broadcast is live. – Akashic Records in 1 second]
Shaking off the awe, Daehyeop Kim started the broadcast again.
He pulled out an item he had prepared beforehand and showed it to the viewers.
―――
[Trace of the Heretic (4/4)]
- Dropped from, Minion of Darkness
- Use it to reveal the location of Dungeon ‘Heretic’s Hideout (3)’
―――
The Trace of the Heretic was an item dropped by the Minion of Darkness with a certain probability.
Once four pieces were gathered, it would reveal the location of the Heretic’s Hideout, which was part of the main quest.
Of course, there were at least nine more dungeons like this, so clearing the main quest right away was impossible.
“I have to go there eventually.”
Still, progressing through the main quest and challenging new dungeons was guaranteed fun.
After graduating from the Cradle of Dark Magic dungeon, there was no reason not to do it.
As he was about to use the Trace of the Heretic to reveal the location…
[A message from the Mercenary Guild is waiting for you.]
[Accept to be instantly teleported to the Mercenary Guild.]
A system message appeared in front of Daehyeop Kim, and it also showed up on the broadcast screen.
“Hmm…”
A call from the Mercenary Guild. The Heretic’s Hideout.
Weighing both options, Daehyeop Kim made his decision.
“I accept.”
The Heretic’s Hideout could be dealt with later, but events like this were too rare to pass up.
Upon accepting the call, Daehyeop Kim was instantly teleported to the Mercenary Guild and surveyed his surroundings.
Unlike the empty hall from before, the guild building was now filled with mercenaries.
As he looked around, a familiar voice called out to him.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Raven?”
Raven, who hadn’t made it on screen in the last stream, appeared.
She explained the situation to Daehyeop Kim.
After having a secret meeting with the emperor, Raven had become a knight under the imperial family with the emperor’s help.
In return for the help, she was ordered to investigate a plague that had started spreading in a count’s territory.
“I remembered you were working as a mercenary, so I came to find you.”
Raven pulled out a hefty pouch of money and handed it to Daehyeop Kim.
“I’m hiring you.”
An offer he couldn’t refuse.
“Will you come with me?”
Her smile was so beautiful that Daehyeop Kim couldn’t bring himself to say no.
—
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