"…Well done, Hero."
Squish—.
With a sickening squelch, the pure white blade pierced the man's heart.
The Holy Sword, Ascalon.
With a single strike from the Hero's holy sword, the Demon King was finally defeated.
The Demon King's hand, which had been caressing the Hero's blood-soaked cheek, soon lost its strength and fell limp. Then, his body, which had collapsed lifelessly upon the altar, dissolved into black particles and scattered into the wind.
Sshhhhaaa—.
The altar was left empty, as if nothing had ever been there. In the middle of the desolate stone, a single, brilliantly colored orb lay forlornly.
The Orb of Life. The artifact that would grant new life to everything in the world. With this, she could restore this broken world.
"…"
The Hero silently picked up the orb and clenched it tightly in her fist.
Crrunch—.
The Demon King was defeated, and the world was saved by the Hero's hand. But the expression on the Hero's face, despite her great achievement, was anything but bright. In fact, for some reason, she looked utterly heartbroken.
Rumble… rumble…
And so, with the sight of the Demon King's castle crumbling into ruin, the long story came to an end.
*
Click—.
In a dark room.
I watched the ending credits roll across the monitor, sinking deep into my chair.
"Hahhh."
Completely drained, I slumped in my seat, my gaze drifting back to the text displayed in the center of the screen.
[Myrillin Saga]
This was the new title from Mir, a subsidiary of the global IT giant New Age, and currently the hottest game company in the industry.
A vast open world, a revolutionary character progression system, charming characters that felt truly alive, and… well, so on and so forth. It hadn't been officially released yet, but the teasers alone had garnered immense public interest. A world-famous superstar had even appeared in the cinematic trailer recently.
Of course, having played Myrillin Saga myself, I felt the actual game didn't quite live up to the astronomical hype.
'…However.'
Regardless of the reviews, reaching the end of a story like this is, without a doubt, one of the true joys of gaming. It's the driving force that made me the top-tier player I am, and it's the reason I love games.
As I was lost in thought after finishing the game…
Vzzz—.
My smartphone on the desk vibrated. I picked up the buzzing phone to find a message from Director Lee of Mir.
Director Lee: Doctor Cola Zero. Did you finish testing the new game?
After reading the message, I turned my gaze back to the ending credits.
This game, Myrillin Saga, was still an unfinished work, not yet released to the public. But thanks to my long career and recognized skill as a gamer, I was able to test the alpha version. I guess that shows how much credibility I have in the gaming world.
Slap—.
I lightly slapped my cheeks and stood up.
Anyway, as of today, I've cleared the endings for all currently available routes. I'd pulled several all-nighters to clear the game, so it should be fine to get some sleep before replying. She'd understand that much.
"Oh, man."
Just as I was dragging my weary body toward the bed…
Vzzz—.
The phone vibrated again.
Director Lee: Actually, we already know you're done since the logs are in our database. I've sent a car to the front of the hotel, so please come right over ^^
'…This woman.'
I frowned slightly at the one-sided notice.
Swoosh—.
Pulling back the blackout curtains, I looked outside to see a flashy limousine already waiting in front of the hotel.
"Tsk."
I wanted to go home and rest, but I guess I had no choice. It would be rude to send back a car that had already come all this way. I let out a deep sigh, threw on some clothes, and headed out.
*
"It's been a while. It's good to see you."
The top floor of Mir Tower.
A place with a stunning night view overlooking downtown Seoul. Guided by a couple of hulks in black suits and sunglasses, I entered the VIP reception room, where Director Lee greeted me with a bright smile.
"You haven't changed a bit, Director."
I smiled back and sat down on the plush sofa across from her.
Director Lee Yeon-hee—an intelligent, sharp-looking career woman. A few years ago, she was the one who offered me a position as a game tester for Mir back when I was making a name for myself as a top-ranked player. At first, my pride made me want to refuse, but I ended up accepting.
'The money was just too much to turn down.'
Since then, I've been working as an external consultant, testing Mir's new games as a side job. It's thanks to this gig that a shut-in gamer like me gets to meet face-to-face with a director from a major corporation.
'It's strange, though. How does she not age?'
She looked exactly the same as the day I first met her.
Anyway, after exchanging the usual pleasantries, we got straight to the point. Director Lee asked with a smile, "Let's cut to the chase. You've completed 100 playthroughs as of today. What did you think of the new game? Were you satisfied?"
"Yes, for the most part. Should I start with the good points?"
"Feel free."
Slurp—.
I put down my teacup and began sharing my thoughts on Myrillin Saga, focusing on its strengths. As it's the only productive activity I engage in, I was quite detailed and thorough. In response, Director Lee took out a notepad and pen and quietly jotted down my words.
A notepad in this digital age. It was a bit odd, but the sound of the pen nib scratching across the paper was quite pleasant.
"I see. And what about the parts you found lacking?"
At her question, I shifted in my seat and began to seriously point out the game's flaws. No matter how well-made a game is, there are always one or two disappointing aspects. For someone like me, who has spent most of my life as a top-ranked player, identifying them wasn't difficult.
"First… is the story."
There are several plot points that harm the story's coherence, and the one-off characters who appear once or twice before disappearing only make these issues stand out more. To spend so much effort polishing the graphics only to burn through settings and characters like this… I know they're rolling in money, but it's a massive waste of resources.
At my critique, Director Lee scratched her forehead with the back of her pen.
"Hmm. I don't see any particular problem with the coherence. I think plot developments like these can happen all the time in the real world."
"That may be true."
I closed my eyes and nodded. Of course, she had a point. Things that seem like they're straight out of a drama really do happen in real life. Even looking at history, twists that seem like they're from a script aren't uncommon.
But a work of fiction can't be like that. No matter the excuse, if you can't convince the consumer, it's all for nothing. When I stated my opinion again, she fell silent for a moment before giving a slight nod.
"Understood. I'll take your feedback into consideration and pass it along to the scenario department."
"Yes. Then, next." I shrugged and moved on. "This is related to what I just said, but the narratives for some of the characters are just absurd."
I pointed to a few characters displayed on the tablet screen.
"It's to the point where I wonder if they just treated them like MacGuffins because they couldn't properly connect their character arcs. Among them, the one I understand the least is this guy."
An important villain who appears in the academy arc of Myrillin Saga. The utter scoundrel, Roen Devalis.
He's a villain from a prestigious family who dislikes the protagonist for enrolling in the academy, and he's a fairly significant character connected to several other major players. As such, the story drops all sorts of hints as if there's something huge planned for him, but then he suddenly appears as a mid-boss in the academy, dies in a flash during his fight with the protagonist, and is never mentioned again.
When I brought up Roen, Director Lee's eyes lit up.
"Aha. So that part bothered you too. Then, I'd like to hear your esteemed opinion."
"It's hardly an 'esteemed opinion.' It's just my personal take. I've included the details in my report, so you can refer to that."
I tapped the USB drive I'd placed on the table. Something about using this old-generation relic for security reasons.
"Understood. After reviewing the report, we'll adjust some of Roen's stats and his storyline to reflect your feedback."
Director Lee readily accepted my suggestion. That was enough criticism on the story and characters. After all, my core role is to address game balance, not to write the script.
'Since I started consulting for Mir, none of their released games have had any major balance issues, so I'm sure they'll take my advice seriously.'
We lost track of time discussing the game's internal balance—characters, boss fights, items, skill trees—and only finished as the sky was faintly beginning to brighten with the dawn.
Director Lee's eyes widened as she looked at the sky.
"Oh my. Look at the time. How about it, would you like to sleep here? The facilities are quite nice. You could also test some of our other new titles while you're at it."
Director Lee gestured to the new Mir games displayed in a row on one of the walls. Normally, I would have jumped at the chance, but I was too exhausted.
"No, thank you. I'll go home and rest."
At my firm refusal, Director Lee nodded obediently.
"Understood. Please get home safely. Also, I've deposited your payment, so please check your account."
Ting—.
I checked my phone and saw a deposit notification with a lot of zeros. I like how punctual she is. With this much, I won't have to worry for a few months, no matter how much I spend.
"Yes. You worked hard today too, Director Lee."
After parting with her, I was guided by the suits back to the limousine. And so, I was on my way home.
"Hmm…?"
A strange feeling made me snap my eyes open, rousing me from my doze.
Blaaare—!
Then, a loud horn blared, and my vision was filled with blinding lights. Instantly grasping the situation, I sighed inwardly.
'…I knew I had a bad feeling about leaving the hotel.'
Before that thought could even finish.
Craaash—.
The massive impact that rocked my entire body made me lose consciousness.
*
And that brings us to my current reality.
"…"
I stood blankly before the mirror, staring at 'myself'.
While I could confidently say my original face was decent, it couldn't compare to the boy reflected in the mirror. Pale white skin contrasted with sharp, jet-black eyes that seemed to pull you in, and dark circles settled beneath them. The face of a sickly pretty boy that seemed to define decadent beauty, and a skinny body wrapped tightly in bandages.
A familiar model… no, a familiar face. Staring at the gleaming black eyes on the other side of the glass, I managed to mutter calmly.
"A common cliché."
The other-world truck, reincarnation, or possession. It's a situation that appears so often in anime, manga, games, and novels that it's become a tired trope. But when it happens to you, it's a different story.
First, the identity of this body.
Roen Devalis.
The academy's good-for-nothing and the game's villain. It seems I've ended up in the body of that very same scoundrel I was just talking about with Director Lee.
"…"
Stunned by the sudden turn of events, I soon shook my head to clear my thoughts. Then, I recalled a single, clear fact.
'In novels or movies, the ones who are slow to act or deny reality are always the first to die.'
Whether this is a dream or not, I need to do what has to be done to overcome the reality before me. If it's a dream, I'll wake up. If it's real, the one who moves first has the advantage.
The one silver lining is that I haven't woken up in a completely unknown place.
'This is inside Myrillin Saga.'
I played through every possible scenario and character to test the game. I've cleared it a hundred times. With this much knowledge, I have a fighting chance.
I quietly clenched my fist. Roen may be a piss-easy boss monster in the academy arc due to poor balancing, but I remember his lore stating he's the son of a high-ranking noble family, and his stats and traits themselves aren't bad.
'If I combine Roen's abilities and background with my knowledge of the game, I should be able to overcome any adversity without much trouble.'
"…Hoo."
Slap—.
I slapped my cheeks to focus, then slowly opened my eyes. Just as I was collecting myself, analyzing the situation, and thinking about what to do next…
Knock, knock—.
A knock came from outside. Someone had come to my room.
'Alright.'
This is my first encounter with a character from Myrillin Saga. No, it's a monumental first meeting with a person from this world, which might now be my reality.
I took a calm, deep breath and spoke to the visitor at my door.
"Come in."