Chapter 3
Before launching the virtual reality game, there were a few things that needed to be decided.
First, the game name.
“How about Akashic Records?”
I swear it’s not because I’m too lazy to come up with a name and just borrowed Aka-chan’s.
“…”
Aka-chan stared at me with a sullen expression, making me feel a bit uncomfortable.
This is the kind of situation where you need to be shameless.
“Since this is just a beta test and pre-release… Hmm… We could divide the Objects of Destruction into different seasons and update them gradually.”
Aka-chan sighed softly at my blatant attempt to change the topic.
Isn’t there a saying that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to get permission?
It was the perfect situation for that saying.
That’s how Akashic Records Season 1 was planned. The final raid boss would, of course, be the Elder Lich.
If we just called it Season 1, it would sound too plain, so let’s give it a subtitle: “Blooming Catastrophe.”
‘Personally, I prefer “Destruction” over “Catastrophe,” though.’
According to Aka-chan, the Elder Lich wasn’t quite at the level of a world-destroying being.
More importantly, the word “Catastrophe” sounded better in terms of imagery than “Destruction.”
‘The word “Destruction” feels too hopeless and devoid of dreams, after all.’
That’s why I chose “Catastrophe” instead of “Destruction.”
“Next, we need to decide on the classes.”
The other world isn’t a game, so the roles aren’t clearly defined.
Therefore, it was necessary to establish clear distinctions between classes, which was an unavoidable task.
As I immersed myself in the work and continued to focus, more classes were created than I initially expected.
Mercenary, Knight, Hunter, Mage, Cleric…
‘Some of them will have to be made into sub-classes.’
Classes like Blacksmith and Appraiser didn’t fit as main classes.
Just like in other RPGs. There’s always a reason why things are done similarly in other games.
‘Balancing this is going to be tricky.’
Just thinking about the balance issues made my head feel cluttered.
‘But it might not matter too much.’
-“A broken balance creates demand.”
That’s a saying often heard in the gaming industry.
Of course, that’s assuming the game is fun.
“Master, I need help.”
While working together in virtual reality, Aka-chan suddenly asked for help.
“What can I help you with?”
“I need an action scene involving the Elder Lich for the trailer.”
“Hmm… I can do it, but is it really necessary?”
“Affirmative. It’s essential for creating an impactful trailer.”
An impactful trailer, huh…
Well, the Elder Lich is the final boss of Season 1.
If we include even a small scene of a battle with such a boss, it would definitely raise anticipation for those watching the trailer.
I’m not an expert in this field, so I can’t be sure…
But having at least one flashy action scene would probably be enough to pique interest.
At least, that’s what I think.
‘It looked pretty intimidating…’
Suddenly, memories of subjugating the Ancient Necromancer came to mind.
The putrid lumps of decaying flesh. The sickening stench of blood. The screams. The mountain of corpses.
“…”
They weren’t pleasant memories.
Ugh, now I’m in a bad mood.
“Can you summon the Elder Lich, please?”
Let’s just get it over with quickly.
***
After summoning the Elder Lich, Aka-chan switched to spectator mode.
She immediately began using her specialty—recording the world.
What she aimed to record was the battle between the great hero, Aurora, and the Elder Lich.
Step, step…
The background of this place is the audience chamber of a fallen ancient kingdom.
At the end of the chamber sits a blood-stained throne.
And there, an Elder Lich is seated.
In one hand, it holds a black inverted cross that denies the existence of gods.
In the other, a decayed staff that denies life itself.
The aura it exudes is so sinister that any ordinary person approaching would be turned into an undead.
Slowly walking toward this dangerous being is the hero, now a living legend.
The divine light shines upon the laurel crown worn by Aurora, the hero.
A divine artifact crafted solely for the hero by the Empire.
Pwaah-!
Aurora kicks off the ground and swings her sword, slicing through the air.
At first glance, it seems like a missed attack, but it’s not at all.
After all, Aurora’s specialty is not swordsmanship or martial arts, but magic.
And since she has ascended to the pinnacle of magic, she doesn’t need any weapon.
So why does Aurora still hold a sword in her hand?
It’s solely to draw the enemy’s attention.
And it worked—Elder Lich’s gaze was fixed on Aurora as she swung at the air.
In that very moment, multiple layers of magic circles formed above Elder Lich’s head.
Blue—the sea that swallows all things.
Red—the flames that burn eternally.
Green—the oldest of trees.
Even the greatest archmages must chant incantations to use high-level magic.
However, Aurora is not an ordinary archmage—she is a human carrying a dragon’s heart.
To implant a dragon’s heart, the incarnation of arrogance, into her own body?
She should have died a long time ago, but she endured.
Driven solely by the mission to protect this world from destruction.
That is why Aurora became strong.
No, she had no choice but to become strong.
――!!!
The Elder Lich’s silent scream filled the audience chamber.
Its expression, reduced to bare bones, contorts in pain.
Despite lacking the means to feel pain, the Elder Lich was in agony.
“…The power of a Divine Artifact.”
A crown of creation obtained by the Empire in exchange for returning one of the Church’s holy relics.
An absurdly overpowered item that grants the wearer a permanent divine blessing.
But that doesn’t mean the surprise attack just now dealt a fatal blow to Elder Lich.
Although the Elder Lich’s skull was blown off, that wasn’t what mattered.
The real weak point, the ‘Life Vessel,’ was still hidden somewhere.
As long as the Life Vessel exists, the Elder Lich can infinitely regenerate its physical form.
– Do you dare challenge one who has transcended death!!!
With the Elder Lich’s fierce roar, the surrounding corpses rose.
The sinister aura filled the space, denying the existence of all living things.
Booom—!
Avoiding the approaching undead and blocking the onslaught of the Elder Lich’s dark magic,
Aurora performed actions befitting a game trailer and shifted her gaze.
She looked toward Aka-chan, who was recording and filming everything in spectator mode.
‘Is this enough?’
Nod, nod.
Aka-chan answered by nodding her head.
Seeing that, Aurora sheathed her sword back into its scabbard.
Simultaneously, she unleashed a massive amount of mana, clearing the area, and invoked a dragon spell.
[Dragon’s Demise.]
The spell once used by a great archmage to hunt a newly matured dragon.
Meteor.
A blazing rift of magic circles opened up in the ceiling.
From beyond it, a massive boulder gradually grew in size.
A lone star cloaked in flames slowly descended, heralding the end.
“Finding the Life Vessel as fast as possible is best done with this.”
Hearing Aurora’s muttering, Aka-chan broke into a cold sweat.
Booom—!!!
And with that, the world created for the trailer was obliterated by Aurora’s single Meteor spell.
***
“—I ask you, soldiers, are you afraid of death?”
The trailer begins with a man’s shout.
The man, a commander, was giving a speech in front of countless soldiers.
“It’s okay to be afraid. As long as you are living beings, fear is inevitable. But does that mean we should allow these vile undead, who defy even death, to trample our lands?”
The atmosphere was heavy. No one uttered a word.
Fighting against the undead is akin to standing before death itself and testing one’s resolve.
It required a determination to lay down one’s life and the courage to overcome fear.
“Think of your beloved family, your cherished friends, or any hope that drives you to keep living. Stand against the walking dead! Nothing will extinguish our tomorrow…”
The commander unsheathed his sword and pointed beyond the horizon.
There, an undead army that defied death itself was advancing.
“Forward! For the Empire of Reissen!”
Waaaaa—!!!
With the end of the departure ceremony aimed at boosting the army’s morale, the war began.
The soldiers advanced. The cavalry charged forward.
Among them were mercenaries, and even conscripted hunters.
There were mages who granted death to death itself with fire magic.
There were priests who healed the wounded with holy power and purified the unholy.
The perspective continued to shift, preventing the viewer from looking away.
And as the tension reached its peak, the scene shifted again.
Step, step.
…
…
―――
[Title] “Just watched the trailer after seeing the hype post, what’s with the quality of that final battle scene?”
I thought it was just another viral marketing ploy, but it was completely different.
The rapid perspective shifts starting from the middle made me a little dizzy, but I think they did it to create a sense of urgency.
The moment the BGM cut out and everything went silent in the final scene—the pacing was perfect.
Especially that beautiful mage at the end? Magic swordswoman?
The whole time she was fighting that skeleton bastard, I couldn’t take my eyes off.
Upvotes: 58 | Downvotes: 0
―――
[Comments: 43]
“Is it really that good? Hm…”
ㄴ“This guy’s pulling cheat codes out of nowhere.”
ㄴ“Shut up, you crazy bastard. If you’re so pissed, just go watch it yourself instead of leaving annoying comments. Ah, damn it!”
ㄴ“The guy who commented won, LOL.”
“I watched it, and it’s no wonder the hype post is all over the place.”
ㄴ“I wanted to find flaws, but there really weren’t any.”
ㄴ“Yeah, the perspective shifts are excessive, it’s dizzying.”
ㄴ“Fact is, the trailer’s already hit over 100,000 views.”
“Is this really the quality of a no-name game company?”
ㄴ“Did a movie production company go bankrupt and decide to switch to game development?”
ㄴ“Where’s it even from?”
ㄴ“Figuring that out is your job, not mine.”
ㄴ“This guy’s unbelievable.”
―――
The Indie Minor Game Gallery, where it seemed like today would pass peacefully (?), was thrown into chaos.
After one post with a linked video went up, the discussion continued late into the night and carried over to the early morning of the next day.
―――
“No-name game company but actually no-name, LOL.” [77]
“Investigated the game company, please upvote.” [31]
“How old-fashioned is the lead dev that they gave it that name?” [46]
“There’s even a VR-related video on the channel.” [89]
“The video description says it’s a ‘virtual reality’ game—what’s up with that?” [135]
“Thoughts after watching the trailer for that currently trending game.txt” [69]
“Compilation of close-ups on the last big-sister’s chest.jpg” [208]
―――
[Title] “Compilation of close-ups on the last big-sister’s chest.jpg”
(Image of muscular male furries sharing a sticky friendship)
“Instead, enjoy our sexy bros.”
Upvotes: 51 | Downvotes: 499
―――
[Comments: 208]
“You F***ing bastard!”
ㄴ“Came in expecting one thing, only to get furrycast, f.”
ㄴ“At this rate, it’s on par with Hall.”
ㄴ“Checked comments first, and the mess is hilarious LOL.”
“Bro? Are you a girl? Where you from?”
ㄴ“What’s this guy saying, LOL.”
ㄴ“Brain’s in their crotch.”
“Thought it was for real since it was in the hype post, damn mod!”
ㄴ“Seriously, the mod’s crazy.”
ㄴ“Yeah, I gave it a no-vote just to balance things out.”
―――
[Title] “Video description says it’s a ‘virtual reality’ game—what’s up with that?”
“Thought it was BS, so I went to the channel, and it’s true, LOL. There’s even an explanatory video about the capsule VR device.”
“Plus, some super high-level maid demonstrates it, and it’s super sexy.”
(YouTube Link)
“Here’s the link. Go watch it yourself. You won’t regret it.”
Upvotes: 148 | Downvotes: 0
―――
[Comments: 135]
“That last line is what matters, yup.”
ㄴ“Come on, you know it’s sexy. Admit it.”
ㄴ“Yeah, super sexy.”
ㄴ“You guys are nuts, that’s an ordinary person, LOL.”
ㄴ“Be careful, anything goes to court without distinction.”
“What kind of video is it where a maid is demonstrating VR, you damn nerd.”
ㄴ“Why ask this guy, LOL.”
ㄴ“Sorry, just felt like picking a fight.”
―――
The Indie Minor Game Gallery was in complete chaos.
Whether it was truly virtual reality or not didn’t matter; the maid was sexy.
Whether the trailer quality was superb or not didn’t matter; the mage girl was super sexy.
Bait posts, trolling images, and even fake upvotes dominated the gallery.
For a place that only had bait to bash major games for a while, it was ablaze with new excitement.
Meanwhile, the one who had sparked all this was now…
“Mmm… Nyah….”
…sleeping soundly, leaving Chunshik(?) to do all the overnight work alone.
—
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