Translator: Dreamscribe

The method was decided!

Since the method had been found, it was now time to act.

Lee Jin-woo’s role on Earth was important, so he needed to adapt quickly.

Jinwoo absorbed all of Lee Jin-woo’s memories.

Reading memories was an easy task. Although some memories had been lost due to brain damage, he was still able to acquire all the essential information.

From minor habits to accumulated knowledge over the years.

Jinwoo grasped everything about Lee Jin-woo.

There was no guilt.

Taking everything from the one left behind and using that power to fight against destruction was something that people of Arsilan considered only natural.

As an Archmage of Arsilan, he resolved to respect the history Lee Jin-woo had built and become an even better version of him.

'At most, we have 3 years until destruction.'

If he failed to secure the Magic Stone Mine within that time, maintaining a large-scale Magic Barrier would be difficult.

Fortunately, he could expect full support from Ohsung Group. Lee Jin-woo also had a personal research lab, which Ohsung Group had been significantly supporting. The lab remained well-maintained even in his absence.

“Hoo.”

Jinwoo let out a long breath.

He gathered faint magic to bring his body to its optimal state. Since he could regenerate his body with just a handful of magic, this was nothing.

Jinwoo left his room, walked down the long corridor, and headed toward Lee Woon-sung’s room. Ever since Jinwoo had started recovering, Lee Woon-sung had been staying at the mansion, making an effort to spend time with him.

Even executive meetings were being conducted via video conference.

When he entered the room, Lee Woon-sung gestured to him with a kind smile.

Jinwoo’s older brother, Lee Cheon-woo, was also seated there.

“Is your body alright? Hoho.”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Good, well done! My grandson. Ah, you really went through a lot.”

Lee Woon-sung’s eyes were practically dripping with affection. Then, as he turned to look at Lee Cheon-woo, he let out a sigh. Lee Cheon-woo flinched slightly under his gaze.

Lee Woon-sung’s eyes were filled with concern as he looked at Lee Cheon-woo.

“If only your brother were even half like you, I’d have no regrets. Sigh, it feels like just yesterday that this rascal ran away from home in high school, saying he wanted to become a singer.”

“C-Cough. Why bring that up now….”

Lee Cheon-woo trailed off, looking embarrassed.

In Lee Jin-woo’s memories, Lee Cheon-woo had been a good older brother. Except for the times when he suddenly insisted on teaching him the spirit of resistance and committed all sorts of eccentric acts. Then, at one point, he grew his hair out and started doing rock music.

Jinwoo glanced at Lee Cheon-woo for a moment before speaking.

“…Still, he came back on his own.”

“That’s true. But only because he embarrassed himself due to lack of talent and got kicked out of his band. What was it again? ‘I’ll come back after changing the world’? Hohoho, it’s a miracle he didn’t freeze to death out there.”

Lee Woon-sung clicked his tongue.

For a chaebol family, this level of rebellion was actually rather tame. At least he hadn’t beaten anyone up or gotten involved in drug parties.

“Hmm, so, Jinwoo, what is it?”

Lee Woon-sung was ready to grant any request his beloved youngest grandson had.

“I want to try running a game company.”

“Hohoho! That’s a great idea. Running a company won’t be easy, but you’ll learn things you couldn’t in a research lab.”

Lee Woon-sung laughed heartily as he answered Jinwoo. The media was already speculating about him winning a Nobel Prize, but more than that, he wanted his grandson to live doing whatever he wanted.

“I’ll start making preparations today. Cheon-woo, you help him out.”

“Then how about taking over FS Games? Their performance has been poor, and their development studio is about to go through the shutdown process.”

Ohsung wasn’t just involved in smartphones, semiconductors, home appliances, and automobiles, they were also investing in future industries like AI and mobile gaming.

FS Games’ development studio had produced several mobile games and other titles, but none had performed well, leading to their services being discontinued.

“There’s one big problem.”

Lee Cheon-woo’s expression turned serious.

“The distance from the headquarters is a major issue.”

“Hmm, that is a problem. Maybe it would be better to start a new one from scratch….”

Jinwoo, who had been listening to the conversation, tilted his head.

"Is that really a problem?"

"Of course! This old man wouldn’t be able to visit often."

"...Ah."

Lee Woon-sung was being completely serious.

FS Games was suitable for executing Jinwoo’s plan.

It wasn’t too large in scale, and since it had already failed spectacularly, Jinwoo could take control as he pleased.

With Ohsung Group, Korea’s largest conglomerate, backing him, no matter what came out of FS Games, it would at least be somewhat understandable.

Anyway, all it took was one word from Jinwoo, and everything was set in motion. With Ohsung Group’s chairman and Ohsung Electronics’ headquarters director, Lee Cheon-woo, personally overseeing every detail, things were bound to move quickly.

‘For now….’

There was a lot to do.

Jinwoo returned to his room, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes.

The moment his soul left his body, his physical form fell into a deep sleep.

He had cast a spell on his body.

It was set to perform basic functions automatically, so even if it seemed a little unnatural, it wouldn’t cause any major issues.

Jinwoo gazed at the Soul Gate visible in the sky above Seoul.

Aurora-like lights swirled around the distorted space, though for now, it appeared only as a small vortex.

Having experienced it firsthand, new information had been updated.

[Transcendent] Soul Gate

A gate connected to Arsilan.

Only those in a soul state can pass through. The more souls that pass, the more it expands and grows. As the gate enlarges, its master gains the ability to transport greater amounts of matter and wield even higher-dimensional powers.

Passers: 1

Currently, the gate was too narrow and weak at best, even with space magic, only a small object could be transported. However, as the number of people increased, so too would the volume that could be transferred.

'Good.'

There wasn’t much time left.

He needed to return to Arsilan and establish an overarching plan.

First, the game planning!

*

The resplendent golden Arsilan.

In the past, this name had described a world so breathtakingly divine. A land shimmering in golden hues, a World Tree that glowed like the sun and illuminated the night, crystal-clear waters, and a sky imbued with the primordial light, it was a paradise in every sense.

Crops flourished effortlessly, ensuring no one knew hunger, while the abundant sweet fruits and bountiful resources granted people endless joy.

A place more beautiful than heaven itself.

That was Arsilan.

Jinwoo arrived when Arsilan was entering its twilight, and witnessed everything from its brilliant era to now, as it faced destruction.

The golden radiance had turned to ashen gray, and the sky and land had been consumed by erosion. Songs had become screams, and countless people had fallen into corruption, swallowed by fear and despair.

It was a sight straight out of hell.

"Hoo."

Atop the Magic Tower, Jinwoo awoke from a wooden chair and let out a deep breath.

His body, which had been in stasis, began functioning again.

Biologically speaking, it was no different from his body on Earth, but it had been engraved with a magic circle that fully harnessed the power inscribed upon his soul. With only minimal sustenance, his body could always maintain its optimal condition.

It was a body imbued with alchemy, dark magic, and a puppeteer's magic.

Having returned to Arsilan through the Soul Gate, Jinwoo descended from the Magic Tower.

The Magic Tower was located at the heart of his domain, Rainsword.

It was no exaggeration to say that Rainsword was the very frontline against erosion. The farthest end of Rainsword bordered the lands consumed by erosion, and a massive Magic Barrier surrounded the area. Beyond Rainsword, only the last remnants of Arsilan’s territory remained.

At least, the city surrounding the Magic Tower was positioned toward the rear of Rainsword, so for now, it remained relatively peaceful.

'A withered peace.'

A peace that had bloomed in the shadow of impending destruction, it was like gazing at a flower dried and shriveled.

As Jinwoo stepped onto the city streets, every citizen of his domain halted their tasks and removed their hats. Then, they fell to their knees and bowed their heads.

No one had forced them, and it had long since become an outdated tradition. Yet, the people of the territory bowed their heads with respect and gratitude.

When Jinwoo reached out his hand, everyone stood up.

“Lord!”

A young girl came running toward Jinwoo. As he lifted her into his arms, she smiled brightly.

“Amy, have you been well?”

“Yes!”

Amy shyly held out a flower crown.

It was a wreath she had made herself with pretty flowers. When Jinwoo lowered his head slightly, she placed it on him.

“You went outside the city again, didn’t you?”

“...Yes.”

“Your sister is going to scold you.”

“Ugh.”

"I'll take you to her."

As Amy flinched, Jinwoo chuckled and started walking down the street.

Even though this was the central city of Rainsword, it wasn’t crowded. As the world approached its end, the population had dwindled significantly. Additionally, since a large portion of the residents were military personnel, the streets were always quiet.

“Lord.”

“Would you like some fruit?”

“Oh dear! Did Amy cause trouble again?”

“Haha. The flowers suit you well, my lord.”

The people of the territory greeted Jinwoo with smiles and small talk.

Elves, humans, dwarves, orcs, their races were diverse, but they were all his people. Ironically, the approaching destruction had erased racial discrimination.

The biggest reason Jinwoo was striving to save this world was because of them.

Now that he had obtained the Soul Gate, he could have stayed on Earth, ignored this world, and enjoyed the pleasures of a wealthy life. But he could never turn his back on his people.

Jinwoo walked along the street and entered a circular building near the Magic Tower.

It was the library where all of Rainsword’s records were kept.

It housed books from the golden era, before the land was tainted by erosion.

Amy’s eyes filled with worry.

Even though they were within Rainsword, the areas outside the city weren’t safe. Due to the influence of erosion, monsters occasionally appeared. They were low-level monsters, but still extremely dangerous. Amy often played with the other children outside the city and was always scolded for it.

‘I placed a protective spell on her, so it’s not an issue… but…’

Still, if she made a habit of it, it could be dangerous.

As Jinwoo stepped inside the library, he spotted an elf buried in books. She was Amy’s guardian and a distant relative of his disciple, Tiris.

She carried the noble blood of a High Elf, but to Jinwoo, she was just an eccentric elf.

"Master Jinwoo?"

She lifted her head and saw Jinwoo approaching. Then, noticing Amy in his arms, she sighed.

“Where have you been? You went outside the city again, didn’t you…?”

“It’s fine. I was with Amy, and we just played outside for a bit.”

When Jinwoo winked at Amy, her face brightened. Tia, of course, knew the truth, but she sighed again and let it slide.

Outside the library, a few children peeked from behind cover, secretly watching.

As Jinwoo set Amy down, she hesitated for a moment before running toward them.

“Amy is too energetic for her own good.”

“She’s just like you when you were little.”

"...I have nothing to say to that."

Jinwoo approached Tia.

Floating in front of her were ink-stained pens, constantly scribbling something onto paper without pause.

“A novel?”

“Yes.”

Tia was one of the most famous authors in Arsilan.

When Jinwoo first arrived in this world, she had been around Amy’s age. He had told her various stories to comfort her, and perhaps because of that, she had become deeply passionate about literature.

“A new work?”

“It’s a story that ties together all the books I’ve written so far. I want to give people a temporary escape, even just in their hearts.”

Jinwoo nodded and sat in the chair across from her.

He had a reason for seeking her out.

When developing a game, what was the very first step?

Planning.

Defining the overall concept, deciding on the genre, and establishing the framework.

The setting of this game was Arsilan, and its genre was a fully immersive virtual reality online game.

“Tia, imagine a stranger suddenly falling into another world.”

“That’s an interesting idea. Is this a setting for a novel?”

“Well, something like that.”

Jinwoo shrugged.

“That person has no duty to protect this world and only wants to enjoy themselves. Since they have no connection to this place, we can’t force them.”

This wasn’t a game but reality. While it was possible to impose restrictions on their bodies to prevent crimes, free will had to be respected. A puppet could never unleash its full potential.

“How can we make them fight desperately for us?”

“You’re looking for a way to control a savage who only pursues pleasure and enjoyment.”

“Ah… well, maybe not a savage… let’s call them a free spirit instead.”

Players were unpredictable beings.

They sought out and broke rules, exploited loopholes, and abused bugs. Of course, one could argue that was part of enjoying the game, but from a developer’s perspective, it was a headache.

“They need a sense of belonging.”

“And how do we give them that?”

Tia nodded, her expression firm.

Her eyes burned with passion.

“Love!”

“Hmm?”

“And tragedy!”

As Jinwoo blinked, a sinister smile crept onto Tia’s lips.

“Haa…! Hhuut!”

Her breathing grew ragged, and a strange gleam flickered in her eyes.

Her body trembled, and her fingers twitched, it made Jinwoo feel slightly on edge.

It had been a while since he’d seen her enter ‘writer mode’.

“A barbarian who only seeks pleasure meets their beautiful ideal type, falls in love, and settles down in this world. And then, just before that love is fulfilled, a tragic death...! If they die meaninglessly right before their eyes, just by a hair’s breadth, the effect is even stronger.”

“Hmm….”

“At that moment, you console them, clearly point out the enemy, and offer your support. Hoo, hohoho!”

Even as Tia spoke, she looked at Jinwoo expectantly, as if asking him to let her keep going.

Was this… really okay?