ARPG: City of the Dead Mages (1)
We'd hung up a massive "Grand Opening" banner, but honestly, the initial reaction was pretty lukewarm.
First off, the Central Imperial Magic Library's image is basically a hangout for ambiguous mid-tier mages who aren't affiliated with any magic tower—outsiders, free spirits, and Hongdae-style eccentrics, you know? In other words, it's underground.
Why come all the way to a library when there are magic towers? If you break it down, the resources here are public-funded, so the quality can't compare to the private collections or archmage-run towers. The problem is, normal folks can't access those anyway. Naturally, we don't get a ton of visitors.
And second—actually, this is the bigger reason.
"Mr. Librarian Yujin, the number of library visitors has dropped sharply compared to last week."
"The convention started, that's why."
The Continental Mage Union Conference had finally kicked off. It's an annual event where mages from all over the world gather. As prestigious as it is massive, it usually runs for over a week. So even the bigger names at our library had all headed out to attend. And since it's not in the capital but in one of the empire's two autonomous territories, Nirvana, what can you do?
I didn't expect literally zero people on opening day, though.
Still, no need to feel slighted. True masterpieces don't need gongs and fanfare—they spread naturally by word of mouth. With folks poking around bored out of their minds like now, it'll catch on soon enough if it spreads little by little.
Take this guy, for example.
"Hey, 2nd Circle."
Our library's resident troublemaker and regular, the third-year Dark Tower mage with the villain name Ego Staff.
Of course, it's not like some hero obsessed over him and stuck him with it—it's just that his ego is ridiculously huge. The guy's always protesting to get into the forbidden stacks. He's such an outlier that even in the fringe Dark Tower, he's the fringe of the fringe.
Is he some kind of washout?
I suddenly wondered. Otherwise, why would a third-year tower mage—prime time for fangs bared like a corporal on his third stripe, with juniors trembling—at this stage be lurking around a library?
"2nd Circle! Half-assed librarian! You deaf or what?"
"Dude, shut it!"
"What's that supposed to mean since last time? Figures a low-tier 2nd Circle like you couldn't get it."
"...Hey, you're barely scraping 4th Circle yourself. Don't pick fights just 'cause you're bored—go finish your business or whatever. Or do I need to flip out? You want the real demon mode?"
I let out a menacing aura to threaten him, and Ego Staff took a step back.
"Whoa, why so violent? We're mages—use words, words."
I knew it'd end up like this anyway.
"Ahem... uh, well, you see. That Cube Room thing. What the hell is it? You're plastering the entire west wing with Cubes like there's that much demand?"
Instead of answering, I handed him the prepped explanation sheet.
[Cube Room Usage Rules]
* All users must register a membership card.
* Cube Rooms are limited to 3 hours per session. 3 hours equals 24 hours inside the Cube.
* All violence, unauthorized spellcasting, and threats against staff are strictly prohibited. Violations may result in permanent library ban and referral to the Convention Committee.
* Unused time will be credited to your membership card.
* Single session fee: 50 silver coins.
* If there are waiting customers after one session, re-entry is not permitted immediately.
* Beautiful people leave beauty in their wake.
!IMPORTANT! All names, characters, scripts, voices, companies, organizations, place names, country names, events, products, and unique terms mentioned or depicted in the games are entirely fictional creations with no relation to reality. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.
All in-game actions are logged. Inappropriate behavior will result in a warning followed by permanent library ban.
The library assumes no responsibility for any pain, mental stress, or side effects from in-game experiences.
[Currently Supported Games]
1. City of the Dead Mages (NEW!) (Recommended!)
"What... the hell is this?"
"It's called Dimension. The Cube has its own functions, but Arkythia came back and overhauled it big time."
"Dimension???"
"Think of it as a magic tool that lets you peek into a virtually created other world. Wanna give it a try since we're here?"
I flashed Ego Staff a grin.
He looked intrigued, pondering seriously, then shook his head as something dawned on him.
"...Nah. Can't burn 50 silver on some mystery gadget."
"Free for one session today only."
"...!?"
"Perfect timing—I was bored anyway. You got nothing better to do, right? Can't pull your usual chaos with Arkythia around."
"...H-hey, that's not it!!"
"Whatever, suit yourself. Someone else just asked and left... I can send them instead."
"W-wait a sec!!!"
Ego Staff grabbed me desperately.
"Fine, let's do it. A third-year Dark Tower 4th Circle needs to give feedback...!"
"Haha! Welcome, cu—er, customer. First, let's make your membership card. Just write your name here..."
"I-is this thing safe!? For real!?"
"You kidding? Liana Merchant Guild cross-verified everything..."
I finished all the onboarding and shoved Ego Staff (real name: Rondo) into the Cube.
"Wiki, we've got a customer!!"
"Finally? Rondo... isn't he that pest always nagging about the forbidden stacks?"
"Yep. So let's make him cry his eyes out."
Three hours later, as promised.
"..."
"How was it? Records show you cleared Act 2—!?"
Rondo staggered out of the Cube, half-dazed, and gripped my shoulder tight.
I froze at the sudden contact, but more shocking was the unprecedented intensity in his eyes. The guy who always averted his gaze like a total nerd was staring straight into mine.
"Yujin... Feltro, was it?"
His whiny voice was gone, replaced by a sharp tenor piercing my ear.
"Why my name all of a sudden...?"
"Wait here a bit. I'll head back to the tower and grab more coin."
"Huh?"
"Got it now...!! I finally get what you and Archmage Arkythia are trying to say!! Why the forbidden books are stored here...!! That mystery's solved!!! You two must've witnessed the destruction from those books firsthand!!"
"What? What kinda bullshit is that?"
"Hey! Quit playing dumb! We've known each other for almost three years!! Just wait!! I told Mary to hold on!!!"
Rondo bolted out of the library.
Less than ten minutes later, he returned, carefully placing a whopping 5 gold on the counter.
"Yujin Feltro, take me back to the future."
His expression somehow resolute.
Playtime: 60:12:34 (RT - 07:42:15)
Normal Ending Collected Successfully.
Dark Tower 4th Circle mage Rondo spent about seven and a half hours—60 hours in Dimension time, two and a half days—before seeing the ending of City of the Dead Mages.
Then he stumbled out, collapsed in a chair, and burst into tears.
"Maryyyy—!!!!!! Lucy—!!!!!!"
Even after Claude dragged him out near closing time, he wandered Romanium's streets sobbing like a heartbroken lover.
And that's when fellow Dark Tower mages passing by spotted him.
"Isn't that Senior Rondo?"
"What? Did he finally get caught sneaking into the forbidden stacks and banned for life?"
"Senior! What hap—."
"Waaah, I couldn't protect them. If I hadn't been obsessed with useless magic tomes, if I'd only known what mattered...!!!"
"What're you on about? Has he finally lost it staring at forbidden books all day...?"
He'd always been the one dragging down the Dark Tower's average, but hey, family is family.
"Dunno who dumped you, Senior, but we're heading to the tavern—wanna join?"
They took their puffy-eyed, bawling senior to the tavern.
The next day, he showed up at the Central Imperial Magic Library with mages from other towers in tow.
To verify the rumors and stories from Senior Rondo.
And that was the spark.
"Is there really no way to save those two?! Hey, friends! Help me out!! Please! Money's no object!!"
"You haven't been there yet?! How can you call yourself a mage? Go now! The library's booked solid—you need reservations these days!!"
"No way... it's just Cubes, right? The ones we used for spell demos?"
"Just go see for yourself! Guys like you cause Days of Loss by being clueless! You're as good as the one who killed Mary!"
"Fuckin' who the hell is Mary...???"
"Try 'Phaeton bastard.'"
"Phaeton bastard!!!!"
City of the Dead Mages.
Yujin insisted it was all fiction, but that only made the mages believe it was real.
Who in the world could dream up such a world in their head?
Shocked after playing, they huddled in towers and academies, pooling their thoughts.
And reached one conclusion.
"We have to head to the Convention right now!!"
"Or the empire and the Convention will face horrific destruction!"
1. Archmage Arkythia and her veiled disciple Yujin have restored dimensional magic.
2. They crossed 500 years of time and space, witnessed the horrors firsthand, and packaged it as a game to warn the Convention.
3. The Continental Mage Union Conference must halt all current discussions and prioritize preventing the Day of Loss.
This absurd snowball started rolling.
The capital Romanium and the Convention flipped out upon hearing the news late.
"Mages left in the capital are sounding the alarm all at once?"
"What nonsense is this? World-ending fog and monsters from another dimension?"
"That crazy bitch Arkythia must've done something again!"
To investigate the sudden unrest in the capital, the imperial court's direct mage and commander of the 2nd Magic Legion defending Romanium—Kasian Valerius—sprang into action.