Translator: Dreamscribe

FS Games received much praise for its payment system.

Although the in-game purchases were limited to a certain extent, outside the game, they were rapidly expanding their presence through aggressive marketing.

The most representative example was Arsilan Worlds, which was practically a goose that laid golden eggs. The virtual reality platform possessed immense growth potential.

Under Jinwoo’s approval, FS Games and Ohsung Electronics were quietly establishing their plans.

“Hm.”

One hour before the server opened, Jinwoo began an overall inspection. The newly added villages and NPCs were waiting in their designated positions.

The players were no different. Arsilan Worlds was already heating up.

Title: Just 1 Hour Left.

First, I recharged 200 Platinum Coins.

All the paid items are limited editions, right?

I'm hitting the Platinum Coin Shop first.

Anonymous1: How cute, a newbie.

Anonymous2: I recharged too. But can't we buy gold with Platinum Coins?

└SockThief: Not tradable. Same goes for paid items. But apparently, you can give them as gifts to NPCs.

ForRiceMoney: If you get caught doing cash transactions for Gold right now, you might get banned. I’m just collecting gold for now.

└Namgung Somen: You made some money?

└ForRiceMoney: I already set up a Gold farming workshop during Early Access. If you take village chief quests, Adventurer’s Guild quests, construction requests, cleaning jobs, meat butchering, or help out at the forge, you can earn some Gold. Sewer cleaning is the GOAT. The sewers are basically a Gold generator.

└Anonymous3: Isn’t that just called working hard?

└Anonymous4: This guy was Evanth’s diligent worker ㅋㅋ. No wonder the sewers were so damn clean. Tia nim would be pleased ㅋㅋ.

└ForRiceMoney: Yeah. I can accept 5 quests at once. You guys should do it quickly when servers open. Working gives you gold. It's sweet as honey.

Since monsters didn’t drop money, the Gold farming workshops that were in every game were just convenient laborers.

“Oh? So this is Evanth. It’s tolerable enough.”

Helby appeared behind Jinwoo.

She was still in human form. It seemed she had taken a liking to that appearance.

Her immense Magic Power was palpable.

If she could just be linked to the Magic Tower, then for the time being, Arsilan Saga could be operated quite comfortably.

“I can’t break the contract, but I think I could negotiate. What do you think?”

“I refuse.”

Fifty thousand heroes.

And more heroes to come afterward.

It was clearly an overwhelming number of people. However, if handled one by one, the end would eventually come into sight. In any case, unless she acknowledged it, the match would not be settled.

That was how the numbers would be reduced.

As if he expected this, Jinwoo nodded and took out a ring.

When he extended it to Helby, she froze.

"W-what, w-what... y-you can't convince me with something like this..., though come to think of it, it might be fine...."

“It’s a Magic Ring.”

“Hm?”

Helby examined the ring.

Several spells were cast on it, and it was connected to the Magic Tower. She could see that everyone in Evanth was wearing the same ring. Though an invisibility spell was cast on them, they were clearly visible to her eyes.

“There will be absolutely no negotiation.”

Helby spoke firmly.

As expected from a Magic Dragon, unyielding spirit without compromise.

Jinwoo planned to take a quick look at the areas updated before the server opened. First, he visited the Platinum Coin Shop in Evanth. It was right next to the central plaza.

Helby followed behind him.

"It's been made well according to the original plan."

The Platinum Coin Shop, built of white bricks, stood out distinctly. It was large enough to accommodate many people, giving the feel of a small department store.

The building from Rainsword had been magically remodeled by Tiris and Magic Developers, then relocated entirely to this spot. Inside, various goods were displayed.

Clothing and items from Rainsword’s storage, as well as various products made with the help of the domain’s residents, were arranged on display.

Helby’s expression twisted.

“They’re all cheap junk. What is this?”

“It’s a shop for Hero-exclusive items.”

“People actually buy this crap?”

Helby looked over the merchandise.

Starting from cups and blankets, to clumsily made accessories, they all looked rather crude.

"Hmph, it should be at least this level, shouldn't it?"

Helby reached out and pulled out some items.

True to her identity as a Magic Dragon who sought to obtain everything in Arsilan, she was surrounded by flashy goods. Some of the clothes looked like what royalty or nobles might have worn during Arsilan’s golden age.

"That's impressive."

“How Crude. So crude.”

When Jinwoo expressed admiration, Helby’s shoulders lifted slightly, as if pleased.

"Anyway, have a look around."

“There’s nothing to see in such a pathetic place.”

Jinwoo checked the NPCs of the Platinum Coin Shop. They were worker NPCs connected to the Magic Tower. They could sell goods non-stop, 24 hours a day.

‘The NPCs lack distinct traits..., but it can’t be helped.’

After confirming the worker NPCs, Jinwoo turned around.

"H-humm."

Helby was holding a swimsuit in her hands. It was a bikini. When she made eye contact with Jinwoo, she flinched and quickly put it down.

Not just her ears, but even her horns turned bright red.

“Y-You mean to tell me people buy such shameless things?”

“Yeah, they’re pretty expensive and sell well.”

“I simply cannot understand. There’s no way perverts would pay money for such rags…, and that’s supposed to be for heroes? Ha!”

She had lived for countless years and was a traditional-style dragon.

Jinwoo looked at Helby as if taking a picture. She surprisingly suited the Platinum Coin Shop.

"Are you really not interested in negotiating?"

"No. Heroes who like this kind of stuff will save Arsilan? You'll never win."

Adult content hadn't been added yet, so one couldn't be completely naked. The white cloth generated by the Bio Golem's body itself covered the chest and groin.

Once underwear was equipped, that would be automatically removed.

Adult content would be considered after reclaiming the Magic Stone Mine.

After leaving the Platinum Coin Shop, Jinwoo looked around the newly added villages.

Six villages had been added this time.

These included villages connected to Evanth and themed villages. The villages linked to Evanth served as intermediary stops on the way to the themed villages. It was too difficult to travel directly from Evanth to a themed village in one go.

There were three themed villages.

The villages of the Beastkin, Elves, and Dwarves.

He decided to go to the Beastkin village first.

The Beastkin village was built beneath towering peaks. Perhaps because the homes were built in their traditional style, the village had an entirely different atmosphere from Evanth.

“My Lord.”

As Jinwoo and Helby arrived at the Beastkin village via teleportation, a wandering female from the tribe who played the role of village chief appeared. Her long ears perked straight up to the sky, and her tail gently swayed.

Other than that, she was no different from a human.

“Is everything comfortable?”

“Yes, we are prepared to welcome the Heroes.”

Various Beastkin approached and bowed their heads to Jinwoo in greeting. Helby simply stood behind him and watched them.

The village chief’s ears drooped slightly.

“I wonder if the Heroes will like us.”

“They’ll love you. There’s no need to suppress your nature. Just be yourselves.”

“But…”

Not just the village chief, many of the Beastkin seemed filled with concern.

When a player interacted with NPCs, various spells activated.

There were filters, and behavior restrictions that reacted to malice were also in place. Helby folded her arms and let out a small chuckle.

“Discrimination, huh? That reminds me.”

“Of what?”

“Mage, didn’t you drop a meteor on the imperial palace of the empire that declared a Beastkin extermination order?”

“I was full of youthful vigor back then.”

It was a story from long ago.

Jinwoo shrugged.

Helby glared at Jinwoo. He had once been more dragon-like than herself, a magic dragon. His rampaging in that hideous body was the very embodiment of a demon lord.

Even that Ella had come to her for help, what more needed to be said?

That anger wasn't for himself. It was purely for his surrounding companions and Arsilan. Despite his hideous appearance, she had acknowledged him.

As Helby's magic eyes flashed, Jinwoo's inner self became visible.

Her eyes widened. Countless hands were gripping his body, pulling him downward.

Was it the burden on his heart?

A sense of responsibility? Guilt?

He was carrying far too much.

‘He’s still angry.’

Even now, he was furious, and doing his utmost to suppress it. He was ignoring it, as if under hypnosis.

The reason was simply that emotions like anger interfered with performing magic.

“Hm? What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

Helby closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Even when he had that hideous form, she hadn’t been able to disregard him. And now, in his current form, his presence was overwhelming. For no reason, she fidgeted with the ring on her finger.

There was a Platinum Coin Shop here as well. It was full of specialty products from the Beastkin village. Helby’s face twisted again as she looked at the merchandise with Jinwoo.

“Hah, you’re seriously selling this? Are you serious?"

“Yup.”

They were animal-ear headbands and accessories made from the fur of the Beastkin. A subtle scent unique to the Beastkin lingered on them.

Jinwoo also checked the Elf Village and the Dwarf Village.

“Ha, hrrk! Ugh!”

“What’s wrong?”

"Leaf underwear or weird things like safety helmets are being sold? Such hideous things?"

“Yeah.”

“Kyahhh!”

Helby reacted as though each village’s Platinum Coin Shop was personally offending her, as if something had scratched her pride.

Jinwoo moved with Helby to the skies above Evanth.

Helby still looked sulky, but when Jinwoo silently looked down over the quiet Evanth, she frowned slightly and also looked down with him.

“They’re coming.”

As Jinwoo said this and looked toward the sky, Helby raised her head as well. Her face turned to astonishment.

Light was descending.

To her eyes, which could see souls, it appeared as a baptism of light.

For a fleeting moment, the golden scene she had so long yearned for came hazily to mind.

“Uooohhh!”

“Graaaah!”

“This is crazy! Insane!”

“I’m here toooo!”

As the light fell, countless players appeared around Evanth.

Helby tilted her head, watching them.

One of the Heroes dashed wildly into the field and flung himself at a Horned Rabbit.

“Guehk!”

The Hero was instantly skewered on the horn and killed. Helby blinked.

The Hero… died?

Is it really supposed to be like that?

She turned her gaze to Jinwoo with that expression.

[Lv.1]SupremeHeavenlyDemon

Title: Novice Hero

Gender: Male

Race: Human

[Title]

[-]Novice Hero

Until Lv.3, resurrection cooldown is not applied up to 3 times.

“Huh?”

An invisible magic circle appeared, and with a burst of light, the body was reconstructed and revived.

“Ah, that’s tough.”

“Hey, you’re supposed to go to the village first. Horned Rabbits are tough as hell.”

“I’ve learned some martial arts, but it’s still not easy.”

“The advance group wasn’t called great for nothing. They’re all veterans.”

Only then did Helby grasp the essence of the players’ souls.

They were fundamentally different from the people of Arsilan. If Arsilan’s soul could mix with Erosion like water, these were like oil.

Heroes do not die. They simply resurrect through the Magic Tower.

Which means...

Helby gulped and looked at Jinwoo.

What kind of trial could one possibly deliver to beings who do not fear death? Even making them give up on a trial seemed difficult.

“...How about negotiating?”

At her words, Jinwoo smiled brightly.

As if he had been waiting for it, Jinwoo began proposing various negotiation terms.

* * *