Translator: Dreamscribe

The day of the Arsilan Saga showcase was approaching.

The showcase, held just before the official release of Arsilan Saga, attracted immense attention. To exaggerate slightly, it would not be an overstatement to say that the excitement was comparable to that of the Olympics.

The showcase was held at the Ohsung Electronics PR Hall.

The PR Hall was large enough to be rented out as an exhibition venue even on ordinary days.

Ohsung Electronics had invested a great deal of money into building it, but oddly enough, after the completion of the PR Hall, the company began to decline. They started to fall behind in product competitiveness, the stock price dropped significantly, and there were even rumors that the Ohsung Group itself was faltering.

There was even a time when people mockingly called it '30,000 won Electronics'. (TL Note: 30000 won here referes to its stock price.)

But that was a story of the past!

Title: I love you, Creator God.

I almost had to go to the Han River after buying Ohsung Electronics stock at its peak.

(Attached photo: stock proof from two years ago)

When virtual reality games were first mentioned, 80% of its value was wiped out. I just lived as if it didn’t exist, but when I checked again, it had skyrocketed unbelievably ㅋㅋ

What peak? It was just the lowest point.

Anonymous1: Whoa! It’s going up vertically like a rocket.

Anonymous2: Is it even allowed to go up like this?

Anonymous3: It’s only going to keep rising from here, hurry and hop on! This is no bubble, it’s still the good stuff.

Anonymous4: Seriously, there’s only more room to grow. This is just the second release of 'Soul Link'. When the third and fourth releases come, and then the global release?

Anonymous5: Apple might get overtaken soon. In front of 'Soul Link', everyone else is just mediocre.

Anyway, the PR Hall, once a burdensome white elephant and symbol of pain, was now fulfilling its role admirably. What once seemed like a reckless decision to build it so grandly had turned out to be an excellent choice.

The PR Hall was bustling with people even from the outside. It was packed with individuals in Arsilan Saga cosplay, most of them carrying model swords or magic wands.

“Whoa! There are a ton of foreigners.”

UruBear, holding a camera, marveled as he looked around the PR Hall area. Lately, it had become easy to spot foreigners on the streets of Seoul, all thanks to Arsilan Saga. Thanks to the game, the economy had also gotten a boost, and there were articles saying that small business owners were finally enjoying life again.

UruBear had won a ticket to the showcase and was doing an outdoor broadcast at the PR Hall.

-The Creator God is feeding Korea.

-The scary part is that this is only the beginning.

-Famous foreign gamers are learning Korean to play Arsilan Saga. University language programs are fully bookedㅋㅋ.

“This too must be the grace of the Creator God.”

Since starting Arsilan Saga, UruBear’s life had changed. He had barely averaged 200 viewers, but now he was easily hitting 100,000.

The Goblin Subjugation Battle had been the game changer.

“Huh? Aren’t you UruBear?”

“Yes! That’s me.”

“I’m a fan!”

People who recognized UruBear gathered around to take pictures.

“Are you close with Leon nim?”

“Well, we’re practically besties.”

“Wow...”

A video of Leon giving a thumbs-up to UruBear had gone massively viral even overseas. UruBear’s profile picture was also one taken with Leon. Because of that, even foreigners recognized him.

UruBear entered the PR Hall.

“Oh, they did a great job decorating this.”

The interior was styled like Evanth. There were life-size cutouts of Evanth NPCs, and there was a photo zone. It was clear they had put a lot of effort into the setup. People were lining up to take pictures with the Leon cutout, and the line was so long that its end was not visible.

“Hm?”

There was another area just as crowded as the Leon cutout. It wasn’t something prepared by FS Games or Ohsung Electronics, but rather a space set up by visitors to the PR Hall.

UruBear headed over to that spot. The reason why people had gathered there became clear at once.

It was the Temple of Creator God Lee Jinwoo.

Lee Jinwoo, bathed in light, was extending his hand with a merciful smile.

“Please...”

“Please let me win a 'Soul Link'.”

Visitors had become devotees, reverently offering their prayers.

In front of the photo, there was a mountain of offerings dedicated to Lee Jinwoo, and PR Hall staff were busily moving the tributes to one side.

It had been set up without permission by one of the visitors, but there were rumors that Chairman Lee Woon-sung had seen it and was very pleased.

Chairman Lee Woon-sung reportedly also prayed before leaving.

“What kind of prayer do you think the chairman offered?”

-That was just for show. He’s not the chairman of Ohsung Group for nothing.

-Maybe the chairman is playing Arsilan Saga too? He seems quite young for his age.

-ㅋㅋㅋ would he really play? He’s a super busy guy. Ohsung Electronics is on fire right now.

-True. There was even a news article about the vice-chairman going to the hospital due to overwork. That’s how much work there is.

UruBear read the chat messages popping up on his smartphone and gave a slight chuckle. He couldn’t quite imagine Chairman Lee Woon-sung playing Arsilan Saga.

But in reality, unknown to anyone, Chairman Lee Woon-sung had prayed:

'Let me get a rare item. At least E-rank or above. I mean, I’m the grandfather of the Creator God, so that should be okay, right? And let me succeed in enhancing to +5! No, let’s go to +6 right away! Oh, and also....'

He supposedly offered a very long prayer like that.

Even with the most money in Korea, there were still things one couldn’t obtain. No, there were many. Unfortunately, Chairman Lee Woon-sung was an ordinary man who didn’t even have a +5 enhanced weapon.

UruBear, from a distance, bowed his head in reverence to Lee Jinwoo.

Arsilan Saga had changed his life, and Lee Jinwoo was the savior who had rescued him.

“Ah! I want to get to Evanth quickly.”

At this point, Evanth felt more like his hometown than Seoul, where he was born and raised.

UruBear verified his ticket and entered the performance hall.

This was where the showcase would take place.

The performance hall was large enough to host a concert, and even though it wasn’t yet time for the showcase to start, it was already packed with people.

Outside the performance hall, large displays had been installed so that visitors without tickets could also watch the showcase. And of course, every part of the showcase was scheduled to be streamed live via Arsilan Worlds app.

“Why am I so lucky? Soul Link owner, showcase ticket holder, and the first person in 'Arsilan' to enhance a shield to +5, not to mention being in the vanguard with Leon nim’s praise sticker.”

-Stop flexing, dude.

-Agh! Stop showing off, you damn-

-This guy has already used up all his luck.

The chat was a little rough.

After a short wait, the lights dimmed inside, and peaceful music began to play.

“Huh?”

“Wow!!”

The audience looked up at the ceiling.

The indoor space transformed into an outdoor scene. They had essentially created a sky.

“…That tech is insane.”

The technology that had blown away all the competition at CES, the world’s largest ICT convergence exhibition, was none other than the hologram display developed by Lee Jinwoo for Ohsung Electronics.

The dark interior lit up to reveal a blue sky. It was the clear sky of 'Arsilan', with a faintly broken moon visible. Birds and wind spirits flew among the audience.

-What is this technology even.

-They made virtual reality, so this is nothingㅋㅋ

The performance hall turned into the field in front of Evanth Village. The scene was so familiar that UruBear was brought to tears for no reason.

The congratulatory performance followed immediately.

The legendary British rock band ‘Osiris’ appeared in 'Arsilan'-themed outfits holding guitars.

ZIIIIING!

With one strum of the electric guitar, a loud sound rang out, grabbing everyone's attention.

"We're grateful to the Creator God who invited us here...."

They made a comment in somewhat awkward Korean.

They paused before finishing their sentence, and a brief silence settled.

“For Arsilan!”

A wild performance began.

Dedication songs for Arsilan Saga were performed. The one-hour congratulatory performance became legendary.

-Is it true they’re being paid in 'Soul Link'?

-That’s just a rumor. They’re doing it for free.

-Ah.

The performers, instead of exiting backstage, casually packed up their gear and took seats in the front row. That alone was enough compensation for being part of the concert.

After the congratulatory performance, the surrounding scene returned to its original form. The official showcase had begun. As Director Han Yong-seon stepped onto the stage, the audience erupted into cheers and applause.

“Hello! I’m Han Yong-seon, director of the Salvation Headquarters at FS Games! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Heroes!”

Han Yong-seon looked a bit nervous but continued smoothly.

"After the early access ended, we are now approaching the official release. A lot has happened during that time."

Laughter could be heard from the audience.

UruBear nodded. It was FS Games that had endured an overwhelming amount of baseless criticism.

“We’re sorry!”

“We’ll do better from now on!”

The audience shouted these words in support and cheered.

“Haha, thank you. Then before introducing the official release content, I’d like to present the various projects and activities FS Games is currently pursuing.”

Something appeared on the display behind Han Yong-seon.

It was a space that would be familiar to any gamer, though something about it felt subtly different.

“Our first news is the ‘Soul Link Game Room’.”

“Huh?”

“Wow!”

“Ooh!”

Where there would normally be computers, Soul Link devices were installed.

-Ohoooaaahh!

-Whoa! Does this mean we can finally play too?

Even those who couldn’t obtain Soul Link could now play Arsilan Saga!

That fact alone made everyone cheer. Once the cheers died down, Han Yong-seon began explaining in more detail.

They were in the process of turning an entire building into a Soul Link Game Room. Since it was a virtual reality game, it would be operated differently from traditional PC cafes. Using Soul Link had effects similar to sleep, so they were also planning to run it in a way that allowed overnight stays.

He announced that the usage price would also be set at a reasonable level.

“The first Soul Link Game Room is planned to open for trial operation early this year, and we intend to gradually increase the number from there.”

Even that alone was a breath of fresh air.

-Whoa! Gonna spend my vacation in the Soul Link Game Room!

-Why even book a flight anymore? ㅋㅋㅋ

-Are foreigners gonna start coming to Korea just for the Game Room?

-Reservations are gonna be impossible.

“Seems easier to manage than a PC cafe, doesn’t it? It’s basically a nap room.”

That was UruBear’s assessment.

PC cafes were noisy, but the Soul Link Game Room would be completely quiet like a sleeping facility.

“And...”

Han Yong-seon went on to introduce other initiatives, such as a merchandise shop and donation events. He also explained new features in Arsilan Worlds, such as mobile chat, emoticons, and streaming capabilities.

“Now let’s begin presenting the content to be added for the official release..., hm? One moment please.”

Han Yong-seon lowered his mic and turned to look behind the stage. He began speaking with a staff member and appeared quite flustered.

-What’s going on?

-Did something happen?

After a hurried exchange with the staff, Han Yong-seon picked the mic back up.

“Ah! My apologies! This wasn’t originally planned, but CEO-nim couldn’t resist his love and affection for our Heroes and came rushing over.”

The audience stirred.

“No way...”

-No way...

-Is he descending?

UruBear’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

"Allow me to introduce."

Han Yong-seon gave a sly smile, stepped aside, and took a deep breath.

“This is FS Games CEO, Lee Jinwoo!”

As Han Yong-seon shouted that,

"Kyaaaah!"

"Wooaaaah!"

A massive roar of cheers completely shook the hall.

* * *