Chapter 62
“…So, this is the Tower of Illusion.”
Raisha stood before the Tower of Illusions.
The place emanated an ominous aura.
Unlike other magic towers, the Tower of Illusions was isolated.
It was relatively smaller than the others, but its exterior was pristine.
Strangely, she thought she heard faint, eerie laughter echoing from within, like “Heheheh…”
“Phew… I must do this. I’m the student council president.”
The traditional perception of illusion magic had always been dismissive at best.
However, the Temple of Illusions was the source of the game that had engulfed the academy in chaos.
Determined to see this through, Raisha knocked firmly on the door of the temple.
-Currently, the Temple of Illusions does not entertain unscheduled interviews. Artifact purchases are to be made through the Blue-Head Merchant Guild, and inquiries or complaints about the game should be directed to the in-game customer service. Failure to comply will result in immediate blacklisting and account suspension.
“…?”
A voice, simultaneously courteous yet tinged with irritation, echoed from somewhere.
Even after knocking again, the same message repeated.
There was no one in sight; it was as if the place were haunted.
The source of the voice was illusion magic.
Fed up with people coming to complain about the game, the temple had implemented an automated response.
“Um, excuse me! That’s not why I’m here…!”
Unaware of the magical mechanism, Raisha continued to knock desperately.
After what felt like an eternity, a genuine voice finally responded.
-…Who’s there? If it’s about the game, we don’t…
“N-No, it’s not that! My name is Raisha Laird, the student council president of Téria Academy. I’m here to discuss matters related to the game.”
-…
The voice inside fell silent.
Moments later, a woman with brown hair and dark circles under her eyes opened the door.
Her exhausted appearance made her somewhat intimidating.
“…Wait in the lobby.”
Following her instructions, Raisha sat on a chair in the lobby.
The interior of the Temple of Illusions was strikingly different from its exterior.
Various fantastical displays floated around, seemingly placed at random for aesthetic appeal.
Occasionally, a colossal angel would drift across the ceiling, or the walls would transform into scenes of beaches and oceans.
Though the displays didn’t hinder movement,
“Heheh… The sea…”
“Father, take me away…”
The illusion magicians, appearing utterly drained, muttered incoherently while gazing at the illusions.
Their demeanour resembled students during exam season.
For some reason, the atmosphere felt perilously unstable.
“…What are you all doing? Get back to work on the balance patch.”
“Eek…!”
At that moment, a male illusion magician appeared.
The others, startled as if they had seen a ghost, scurried into their respective labs.
‘…What’s going on?’
His presence reminded Raisha of professors assigning projects during exams.
Instinctively, she felt a wave of apprehension.
“…You’re Raisha, correct? The student council president of the academy.”
“Yes, yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Raisha Laird.”
“I’m Rai Oat.”
Raisha greeted him politely.
Rai, familiar with noble etiquette, responded in kind.
‘So this is Rai Oat, the creator of illusion games…!’
Raisha had some knowledge about him.
He was a well-known figure even in social circles.
Unlike most magicians, who exuded an indescribable pressure, he seemed like an ordinary man in his twenties.
“What brings you here?”
“Recently, since the release of ‘Auto Chess,’ the academy has faced significant issues. Specifically…”
Raisha explained the academy’s recent troubles.
Rai listened without showing much surprise.
“…I see. So even the academy is experiencing this.”
“Yes. Due to this game, classes at the academy are not functioning properly. The very essence of academia is being overshadowed by ‘games.’”
Raisha poured out her frustrations, inadvertently laced with disdain for the Tower of Illusion.
She didn’t notice her tone, but Rai, while aware, remained silent.
‘Was that too rude?’
Raisha realized her potential mistake only after finishing her words.
Stress from dealing with the academy’s issues had affected her composure.
Thankfully, Rai didn’t seem visibly offended.
“…So, you want us to implement a time limit for the game?”
“Yes. Completely banning it might be impossible… but if you could restrict playtime…”
“Hmm. I see.”
Rai spoke in a languid tone.
Recently, he had been exhausted from dealing with dragons, the Red Cross organization, and an influx of updates and patches.
“…So, has there been a noticeable drop in students’ grades?”
“W-Well, no, but…”
“Isn’t that how academies usually are? Students rush to cram knowledge they should take time to absorb. Professors, disconnected from the learning process, race through their material. If exams rely on cheat sheets, those who play around all year might outperform diligent students. Grades often depend on the whims of professors, and students accumulate irrelevant knowledge for graduation. Isn’t that the reality of academia?”
“Well, there is some truth to that…”
Rai unleashed a torrent of words, as though venting pent-up frustrations.
His eyes gleamed with what seemed like madness.
“W-Were you, by chance, an academy student…?”
“…No, I wasn’t.”
How could someone who never attended an academy understand so much?
As expected, he was an unusual man.
“Anyway, the outcome will likely remain unchanged. Whether individuals value their grades or their academic pursuits won’t shift. That’s my perspective.”
Having experienced college in a world with games, Rai didn’t see the situation as particularly dire.
And as a developer, he was fundamentally opposed to something akin to a shutdown policy.
“But because of that, lectures are falling apart.”
“That’s probably because the professor is terrible at teaching. Having a high level of knowledge and being able to teach it effectively are completely different things.”
“Well, that’s… I mean, no, that’s not what I meant.”
“More importantly, have you ever played a game before, Lady Raisha?”
“No, I haven’t. Nor do I have any intention of playing one.”
The moment Raisha spoke resolutely, a crackling sound echoed from the sky as a woman descended.
She was a striking beauty radiating a mysterious and powerful aura.
“Electra?”
“What an amusing conversation you’re having.”
Having coincidentally visited the Tower of Illusion, Electra overheard the exchange between the two.
As someone who couldn’t live without COL, she couldn’t ignore the topic.
“You’re the student council president of the academy, right?”
“Yes, I am. Raisha Laird.”
“Hmm, Laird.”
Figures, they’ve always been so rigid.
Muttering to herself, Electra landed softly on the ground.
“But criticizing something without truly understanding it? That seems rather ignorant, don’t you think? It’s akin to making judgments based solely on fragments of information.”
“But the harm caused by games is undeniable. Even now…”
“Can you truly call that harm? Have the players themselves described it as such?”
“Well, no, but looking at the situation…”
“That’s merely your perspective. From what I see, it seems those students might actually be experiencing happiness. Isn’t that right, Rai?”
Sharing Electra’s opinion, Rai brought out some games.
He thought that experiencing the games firsthand might change her perspective.
“If, after trying it for yourself, you still feel the same way, I’ll consider your concerns to some extent.”
“……”
After some hesitation, Raisha nodded.
As Electra said, it wasn’t right to criticize something she hadn’t experienced herself.
She decided to play the games to uncover any harmful aspects.
“Understood.”
“Good. Then start with this.”
Raisha accepted the maple-leaf-shaped artifact Electra handed her.
With a determined heart, Raisha connected to The Maple Leaf Story.
“What a bold young woman. The Laird family has always been like this.”
“Honestly, I don’t think playing for a bit will change her mind. Besides, there’s no way I’d implement something like a shutdown policy…”
“Oh, she’ll change her mind.”
“Pardon?”
Sparks flickered in Electra’s hands.
Rai had intended to keep this casual, but Electra’s expression burned with passion.
“Electra, what exactly are you planning…”
“She should be finishing her character creation by now and starting the game proper.”
With that, Electra placed her hand on Raisha’s head.
“W-Wait! You can’t just mess with people like that…”
“Don’t worry, dear. I’m only going to make things a little more enjoyable for her. Electricity, when controlled delicately, can do things like this. After all, brain signals are just another form of electricity.”
Bzzzt, bzzzt.
Electra sent a finely tuned current of electricity into Raisha’s brain.
At first, there was no noticeable reaction.
But as the game progressed, Raisha’s waist began to twitch intermittently.
“W-Wait, what is this…”
“I told you, don’t worry. This is just an honest reaction to how fun the game is.”
“Are you seriously saying that playing a game makes someone’s waist twitch…?”
“Enjoying it like this makes it even more entertaining.”
Could it be that Electra had always been playing games like this?
If pleasure were forcibly amplified to such an extent, addiction was inevitable.
Rai began to understand why Electra always looked so euphoric while gaming.
“H-Hngh, ah, this is…”
“Isn’t it wonderful, child?”
“This pleasure… I mean, enjoyment…”
“Now, try this one too.”
This time, Electra handed her Auto Chess.
After kindly explaining the rules, the game began.
“Hah, ahn… ngh…”
“Yes, that’s it! Don’t stop re-rolling!”
“Ahn, no…! Just one more Lee Sin! Hngh… Triple-star, here I come…!”
Raisha, now fully immersed in the amplified pleasure, played under Electra’s influence.
For some reason, Electra was wearing a similar expression as she played alongside her.
Rai could only watch in stunned silence at the sight of the two.
“This feels so good it’s releasing something nice in my brain-!”
‘What… is this…’
And so, with Rai’s cold, detached gaze, Raisha’s (gaming) initiation concluded.
***
“Hah, hah… So this is a game. Something this good… no, this fun…”
“Now, do you understand what you were trying to oppose?”
“I… I…”
Raisha left the Tower of Illusion with a new perspective on games.
As a bonus, she received access to all the games developed by the temple.
Raisha apologized for her earlier rudeness and departed the Tower.
Reflecting on it, there hadn’t been any noticeable changes in the students’ grades.
Moreover, during well-regarded lectures, the students rarely played games.
Although games dominated conversations, the academy’s atmosphere was brighter than ever.
Raisha realized that the games themselves were never the problem.
The real issue was her attempt to restrict something enjoyable, causing unnecessary stress and frustration for the students.
Despite all her learning, she still had much to grasp.
It was better to teach students how to enjoy games properly than to suppress them.
***
Weeks after her return to the academy, the Empire announced plans for an international gaming competition akin to Arcane War.
“This is it!”
Upon hearing the news, Raisha slapped her thigh and stood up.
Her sudden outburst startled the student council members engrossed in Auto Chess.
“W-What is it, President?”
“We’ll create a new course… no, a new major!”
“Pardon?”
“What kind of major?”
“I-SPORTS (Illusion Game Sports)!”
To explore the beauty of pleasure and the new world it offered.
To delve into combat in COL, explore new realms in The Maple Leaf Story, strategize in Auto Chess, and even study engineering, psychology, and science in MyCraft.
“Games are academic pursuits in their own right!”
Games. They were a field of study.
And there was no reason why an academy dedicated to learning should not explore them.
It was the right thing to do and the direction the world was heading.
Considering how much games had changed society, this major was long overdue.
“Well, that’s…”
“No matter how you look at it, that’s…”
“Actually, that sounds amazing, President!”
The council members smacked their foreheads in agreement.
Thus, the new academic field of I-SPORTS began its journey at the academy, paving the way for unprecedented growth in the world of gaming.
—
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