The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Chapter 253: Arsilan's Conspiracy (1)

Translator: DreamscribeArsilan Saga briefly entered a breather phase. Too much content had been released up to this point, and the Heroes were having trouble keeping up.

Even just exploring the now-complete Arsilan was a vast amount of content that wouldn't be finished in a few years.

New resources, new materials, and new flora and fauna!

Previously unseen environments kept being discovered, too.

For explorer-type Heroes who craved new discoveries, no better content could possibly exist. And on top of that, Luzen had been added, which was enough to drive anyone crazy.

Indigestion!

Their stomachs felt like they would burst and leave them sick with indigestion.

The Named Heroes were focused on the Constellation system, and the mid-tier Heroes were hard at work climbing the Evil God's Tower, so they needed time.

They also had to build bases on Luzen and deal with the Kalsus Dimensional Empire forces, which had begun rallying the remaining Erosion and leftover troops on Luzen to launch a re-invasion.

The number of Heroes grew explosively, quickly surpassing 500 million and now approaching 1 billion. Even so, they were still only a minority in this vast world.

In the remote regions of Arsilan, it was hard to run into another Hero, and on Luzen even more so.

"Whoa! There are so many newbies."

"There'll be even more piling in next week, right?"

"Crazy."

So many newbies were pouring in every day that Level 100+ Heroes had become a minority. Event had formed more than several thousand channels, and Solis, the former capital of the Sillion Empire, was much the same.

The newbies regretted it the moment they logged into Arsilan Saga.

"I thought I knew everything just from watching videos..."

"You're telling me they've been keeping this amazing thing to themselves?"

"Holy shit! I finally got a Soul Link!"

"You guys know how to speak Arsilan Common Language? If you use a foreign language here, you'll get treated like a country bumpkin. I studied for two years at a language academy."

To think that others had been enjoying this insane world first, all to themselves!

Why didn't I think to risk my life getting a Soul Link!

Arsilan was fantastical enough to inspire exactly those kinds of thoughts.

At Event, Heroes with decent levels opened up Arsilan Common Language lectures, and with quests generated to match, plenty of newbies signed up.

Sure, he could have just downloaded it straight into their heads, but Jinwoo didn't use that method. Instead, he let them gradually master it to near-perfection through enlightenment.

This, too, was resolved through game presentation.

[The Creator God blesses the novice Heroes who have arrived in Arsilan!]

*[Creator God] Great Blessing of Language

You can master Arsilan Common Language at remarkable speed.

Memorization ability increases dramatically, and language comprehension rises significantly.

"Was I always a genius?"

"The words... the words just keep coming to me!"

"Studying is actually fun..."

The newbie Heroes who first arrived at Event fumbled awkwardly through their Arsilan Common Language out of embarrassment, but after just a week, they were communicating without much difficulty.

Some newbies even carried around the Arsilan Common Language dictionary published by the Alusion Grand Library, memorizing it cover to cover. Since a single glance at a word etched it into memory, they were trying to squeeze every bit of value out of the Great Blessing while it lasted.

"Innkeeper! A bottle of soju over here, if you please."

"Hah, look at this fellow. Soju on a day like this? How about trying the Golden Apple Wine that His Majesty the Emperor drinks?"

"His Majesty bestows his grace upon the people, and Arsilan grows richer by the day. Truly, these are times of great peace and prosperity! Hahaha!"

Newbie Heroes wearing yellow kindergarten caps could often be seen in taverns saying things like that. They were deliberately using archaic speech to flaunt their pride in having mastered Arsilan Common Language to the extreme.

"Well..."

"Just leave them be."

"They'll get over it."

The higher-level Heroes watched those scenes with wry smiles. Their own dark past was coming back to haunt them.

Arsilan Pride.

It was something every Hero had gone through at least once.

"Heroes! Please don't just pick up and eat whatever you find, and be sure to visit the basic training grounds!"

"A shiny rock isn't automatically a good rock! Stop wasting appraisal scrolls!"

"Don't charge at a boss monster alone! Exercise a little restraint!"

The veteran Heroes dispatched to Event by their guilds shouted themselves hoarse, but the newbie Heroes acted like they didn't hear a word and kept causing trouble like a bunch of seven-year-olds.

[The Corrupted Goblin Chieftain has appeared!]

When a Corrupted Goblin Chieftain appeared in front of Event, the veteran Heroes tried to direct the newbies and help them clear it.

But the newbie Heroes wouldn't listen.

One newbie Hero doused himself in the strong liquor he'd received as a quest reward and charged straight at the Corrupted Goblin Chieftain.

"For His Majesty the Emperor! The Creator God is great!"

Judging by the momentum, one might have expected an explosion, but all that happened was a small flame flaring up. The Corrupted Goblin Chieftain blinked in confusion.

Apparently the newbies thought it looked cool, because they started copying him.

"Hey, no, that's..."

"Ah..."

"Haaa..."

The veteran Heroes clutched their foreheads and sighed. Controlling the newbie Heroes was practically impossible. All they could do was let them cause trouble until they got sick of it.

Just like they themselves had done in the past.

"Heheh."

Watching the scene from a distance, Tia wore a pleased smile. Wasn't this also the Heroes' karma?

Soul Links could now be obtained by anyone at the Soul Shop. For some strange reason, the stock kept getting replenished. The number of newbie Heroes kept climbing, and the incidents and accidents at Event and Solis never stopped.

[Arsilan] Take Care of the Novice Heroes!

'Catch this newbie!'

Take care of the novice Heroes, who know nothing.

If the novice Hero you helped grows splendidly and graduates from novice status, you can obtain tremendous rewards.

Restriction: Heroes of Level 100 or above

Rewards: [C~A] Creator God's Random Treasure Box, [C~A] Creator God's Skill Book, a large amount of experience, titles, honor points, and Arsilan Gold based on contribution (issued by the Alusion Imperial House).

Arsilan Gold was being strictly managed through agreements with multiple nations. It was now tightly intertwined with the global economy, so not even FS Games could mint it as they pleased.

After Jinwoo had established the bank that traded in Arsilan Gold, many countries where Arsilan Saga was serviced pooled investment funds and participated. Each unit of Arsilan Gold came with its own issuance information, and it was issued under strict controls.

At any rate, the quest for looking after newbies came with fairly substantial rewards, so the veteran Heroes had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure.

"Still, they're being pretty well-behaved today."

"Probably because of the Creator God's announcement today."

"Ah! Right!"

At least today, they were on the tamer side.

Because everyone was waiting for Jinwoo's announcement.

There was some breathing room on Arsilan Saga updates, but Jinwoo was still running around busy.

Jinwoo's expression went blank.

"...Being busy is a good thing."

"You've completely accepted it now."

Kim Hansu said that as he observed Jinwoo's state.

Jinwoo felt he wouldn't be able to rest until the Kalsus Dimensional Empire and Erosion had completely vanished from the dimensional realms. So he had no choice but to squeeze his eyes shut and accept it.

He'd done a lot of work in Arsilan and the dimensional realms, but he was also doing plenty on Earth.

Today, he was on his way to the Hologram Center to handle one such matter.

Evening, with the sun fully set.

A massive event venue had already been set up at the Hologram Center, and not only high-ranking officials from South Korea, but also heads of state from countless nations had arrived in advance. Representatives from companies whose names alone were instantly recognizable had also gathered in droves.

That was just how enormous the event about to begin was.

It was something that would change the course of human history.

Those who had arrived at the Hologram Center kept posting online about what an honor it was just to be present at such a historic site.

"There's been a huge fuss for months. Have you been reading the articles?"

"They do go overboard."

Articles of praise kept pouring out.

The article titled "Lee Jinwoo Is the Greatest Figure in History!" had honestly been incredibly embarrassing. After seeing it, he hadn't gone looking for more.

In Korea, no, in every country where Arsilan Saga was serviced, Jinwoo was now in a realm of sacred inviolability.

'I am a god, after all...'

Since Jinwoo was indeed a god, maybe it wasn't all that strange.

Jinwoo looked out the car window.

Escort vehicles sent by the government guarded Jinwoo and led him to the Hologram Center. With the whole world watching, they were making a clear show of things.

'Just enjoy it.'

Jinwoo had come to accept this kind of treatment as well.

He was now completely in enjoyer mode!

When he arrived at the Hologram Center, countless reporters trailed after him. Broadcast media, social media, all of them were livestreaming Jinwoo's arrival. Thanks to the security team, he entered the Hologram Center without any trouble and headed to the stage.

As Jinwoo stepped out of the car, countless people on site broke into applause. Many were even cheering. Jinwoo's family was there, and representatives from the Osung Group could be seen as well.

-Maaan!

-Filling up with National Pride.

-This ain't National Pride. This is Creator God Pride.

-Guys, are they really announcing something today? Or is it just an announcement?

-I don't think the details have been made public.

Behind the stage where Jinwoo was about to step up, a massive power plant was visible.

The world's first nuclear fusion power plant had been completed. Brilliant lights illuminated the facility.

It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi film. There was no real correlation between fusion technology and the external design, but appearances mattered, so it had been designed that way on purpose.

With a somewhat arrogant gait, Jinwoo stepped onto the red carpet and ascended the stage.

He saw his family seated in the very front row, and, as promised, Gongd, who had been granted a temporary body and was in attendance. Gongd was there in his capacity as a researcher from the laboratory.

High-ranking officials had offered to deliver formal congratulatory speeches, but Jinwoo had flatly refused. That kind of stiff formality wasn't to his taste. It would only create a dull, boring atmosphere. The only reason it had even become a large-scale event like this was because of the government's persistent, desperate requests over a long period.

Jinwoo stepped onto the stage and gave a light wave.

The applause continued for quite some time. Jinwoo raised his hand as if conducting and brought the applause to a stop.

Instantly, everything went quiet.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Lee Jinwoo."

There was no need to hold a microphone. Jinwoo's voice was automatically amplified and carried clearly to every ear.

"As you know, the nuclear fusion power plant has been completed. The official name of this nuclear fusion power plant is 'Arsilan's Sun'. I visited Arsilan and brought back a seed that had received the sun's power."

Jinwoo pointed his finger at the massive nuclear fusion power plant standing behind him.

The live broadcast feed zoomed in on the power plant.

-Look how majestic that is.

-THAT'S what a power plant should be!

-You guys don't have anything like this, do you?

-Still, won't it take a while before it's up and running?

-Guys still don't know the Creator God ㅋㅋㅋ

Officially, it had been announced as a completion ceremony. No concrete information had been released about when the plant would go operational. But any Hero of Arsilan knew better.

There was no way the Creator God would hold an event like this just for something as mundane as a completion announcement.

When Jinwoo extended his hand, a small seed appeared.

"With just the smallest trigger, this seed will grow into a sun."

The seed held a soft, gentle glow.

No one was particularly surprised, because they'd all become thoroughly used to these kinds of holograms by now.

Jinwoo pulled out a small cube-shaped jewel from his pocket.

It was a blue jewel.

"This is a special catalyst that can only be created at our research lab. With just one of these, Arsilan's Sun can be sustained for several years."

When Jinwoo held up the cube, every source of power at the Hologram Center cut out as if there had been a blackout.

Murmur, murmur!

With all the lights extinguished, a darkness in which nothing was visible descended. Only the faint glimmer of stars in the night sky could be seen.

Jinwoo slowly placed the seed into the cube.

FWOOSH!

The surface of the cube split open, and a brilliant light burst forth. In an instant, the seed became a tiny sun, hovering just above Jinwoo's palm. The light from the little sun illuminated everything around it.

Everyone gazed at the tiny sun floating above Jinwoo's hand.

Jinwoo grinned and raised his hand upward. The sun rose higher and higher, scattering its radiant light as if it were suspended in outer space.

"A new source of light for humanity is right here, right now. With this light, we will be able to accomplish so much. Ten years from now, we may even have ventured beyond Earth to settle in wider worlds."

The small sun grew larger and larger, eventually reaching the size of a building.

The people on site couldn't even cheer.

Crushed by the pressure of what felt like witnessing a real sun right before their eyes, they could only barely manage to breathe. The silence was so complete that the sound of people swallowing hard was clearly audible.

The government officials had been briefed on all of this in advance, but actually seeing it was so overwhelming that not a single thought came to mind.

-Of course he's putting on a show here too.

-This is what the Creator God is all about!

-I'm watching through Soul Link, and it's absolutely breathtaking.

-Good thing I got used to stuff like this. If it was my first time seeing it, I'd have freaked out.

Only the Heroes, who had plenty of experience with this kind of thing, managed to keep their composure.

"Congratulations! You are all witnessing a historic moment right now!"

Be grateful for your good fortune!

To have witnessed this great beginning will be the finest blessing and the greatest stroke of luck in your lives.

Jinwoo's eyes curved into a gentle smile.

When he slowly raised his hand and pointed at the nuclear fusion power plant behind him, the enormous sun began to move, drifting slowly toward the fusion plant.

"Uh, uhh?"

"I-it's going to crash!"

The sun collided with the nuclear fusion power plant.

Naturally, no explosion occurred. This was nothing more than a piece of theater. Specifically, it was staging meant to demonstrate the fusion plant activating.

The sun broke apart and seemed to seep into the nuclear fusion power plant. The instant it did, lights came on across the plant, and the sound of machinery whirring to life could be heard.

It had all been resolved with a single spell, but Jinwoo had deliberately mixed in mechanical sounds and staged various activation processes to give it a grand, sweeping feel.

KWAAAAA!

Like an engine turning over, the mechanical noise built higher and higher, until what sounded like a massive explosion rang out. It wasn't just noise. It was a colossal sound that felt as though the heavens and earth were being created. At the same moment, the lights of the Hologram Center, along with all the illumination that had been cut, blazed back on.

"Arsilan's Sun is now, from this moment, operational. Everyone! A great light has been born, one that will never fade no matter how much it is shared! Enjoy the blessing of light to your heart's content!"

As Jinwoo spread both hands wide and spoke, everyone on site went wide-eyed. Unable to contain their trembling emotions, they erupted into cheers and clapped like mad.

The nuclear fusion power plant erected at the Hologram Center displayed more than enough output to supply all of Seoul with electricity.

Just as the Heroes had brought light to Arsilan, Jinwoo, too, had brought light to Earth.

-So is electricity free now?

-Oh! The plan just dropped. Says they're expanding to all of Korea right away.

-He already had them all built in advance!

-Long live the Creator God!

-The concept of wasting electricity is basically gone now ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

They would still charge operating costs for the plant, but split across Seoul's population, it would be practically meaningless.

Effectively, the era of free electricity had begun!

Of course, countries where Arsilan Saga was serviced, and those cooperative with FS Games, were given priority. The world's leaders began lining up to negotiate with Jinwoo.

On this day, Jinwoo was etched into everyone's hearts as one of the greatest figures in Earth's history.

*****

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