Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Director's Charm
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The live stream ended right at that moment.
Balance.
To the director, the game's balance was no different from a reverse scale—her Achilles' heel.
There was no such thing as perfect balance in the world.
Whether it was playing the game or fine-tuning its balance...
Everything was shaped by human hands, so perfection was impossible.
Because people were all different.
Even if perfect balance was achieved, it would mean nothing.
To someone, that "perfect" balance would feel imperfect.
For that reason, the official director of Akashic Records mentioning balance was undoubtedly a misstep.
Another director making an official statement about balance—favoring one class over others?
They could eat shit for years over that remark alone.
But Akashic Records' director, Aurora, wasn't your average director.
Besides, Akashic Records hadn't even started beta testing yet.
Everyone except one person was forcibly marked as "not in the game."
And the only job whose info had leaked was Martial Artist.
So, back to square one.
What backlash Aurora's words would bring later? Only time would tell.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...Ah."
The moment she woke up, yesterday's events flooded back.
She thought she'd handled it decently, putting in real effort.
But one chat scratching at mages' pride had made her lose her cool in an instant.
It was an overly emotional response, and words already spoken couldn't be taken back.
"Ugh..."
Scary. So scary.
"How many hours did I sleep...?"
Looking out the window, the sun was already high in the sky.
Aka-chan seemed to have already entered the capsule and headed to virtual reality for work.
"Slept a full twelve hours."
Mental exhaustion had filled half a day with nothing but sleep.
"Ughhh...!"
She stretched, then slapped her soft cheeks with both hands.
Smack!
No stinging pain... but the jolt cleared her cluttered mind a bit.
One hour until beta testing began.
She habitually reached for the gallery but stopped herself.
Facing the fallout from her screw-up was better than ignoring it.
💬 Indie Game Gallery — Top Threads Open in 1 hour—bring the booze and babes [360] All you lottery winners need to get perma-banned, upvote if agree [455] Famous streamer Sweet's current status.jpg [348] Official Director: I'll... be the troll [399] Director got triggered by yesterday's indie game gallery opinions [411] Did a postmortem on the guy who sent that chat [568] Hm? Public opinion's better than expected.
For dropping a balance bombshell, it didn't look half bad.
Scrolling through the featured posts, no malicious threads in sight.
If anything, posts praising her and fangirling over her dominated.
What the heck...?
📰 Open in 1 hour—bring the booze and babes (Dynamic laughing frog meme) Time for the heroes to pioneer the new world! Upvotes: 566 | Downvotes: 0 — Comments [360] This never stops being funny ㄴThat meme is hilarious lol ㄴFuck, I didn't win the lottery ㄴThat's beta lottery winners, shit ㄴOP needs to get banned ㄴWe'll brigade and dox you if you mass-report 📰 Famous streamer Sweet's current status.jpg (Meme of someone meditating reverently) Sitting cross-legged IRL lololol Bet he watched Daehyeop Kim's stream non-stop during his trip — Comments [348] That's not cross-legged, it's meditation ㄴGoddamn noobs ㄴAspie detected lol ㄴFaking lotus position smh ㄴWhy's he like that? No way he's going Martial Artist? ㄴBeen doing that shit for an hour on stream lololol ㄴMages gonna rage if he picks it anyway ㄴSweet's ruined, sigh—martial class curse 📰 Official Director: I'll... be the troll (Clip of director dissing Martial Artist in a huff) (Clip of director covering mouth in shock) (Clip of her rage-quitting the live) Troll punch then mouth-cover lololololol Upvotes: 675 | Downvotes: 5 — Comments [399] Her eyes going wide is adorable af lololol ㄴApproved as my future waifu ㄴLeak the job already ㄴMartial Artist looked fun tho ㄴMartial simps gtfo ㄴFantasy roots are mages ㄴFr, wtf is martial artist ㄴSkip swordcucks, mages hotter ㄴSkip swordcucks (opens swordcuck thread) ㄴTech support incoming again ...Just the first page of featured posts showed the sentiment was favorable.
Of course, the indie game gallery was basically Akashic Records' home base now.
Hard to say it matched the general public's view.
So she checked other communities too.
Overall vibe was good, considering the bombshell.
The dominant reaction was completely opposite from what she'd feared.
'That thing Aka-chan kept emphasizing...'
The beautiful girl director.
Her unique identity and character.
Maybe that turned a potentially hated statement into something charming.
Above all, that final scene delivered the most crucial thing: 'fun.'
Communication and fun.
The two pillars for any director.
Plenty of directors communicated.
But few nailed both communication and fun.
And now a director with communication, fun, and charm had appeared?
"Guess being a director's a talent too."
Honestly hard to wrap her head around.
She'd tried her best to communicate.
But fun and charm? That was tough to grasp.
"Anyway, good is good."
No need to overthink what she couldn't understand.
Thinking positive, she entered the capsule and shifted to virtual reality.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ — Sweet's Broadcast Alert [Sweet's stream has begun - Akashic Records 1 Hour Prior] [Stream Title: Akashic Records Open Run] "Hero who has reached the Hall of Heroes. What do you seek to have come this far?"
The Hall of Heroes.
The starting point in Akashic Records where jobs were chosen.
Sweet looked at the maid who'd posed the question, a sudden doubt arising.
"Quick question—why the maid outfit?"
"..."
Aka-chan's clone fell silent at the unexpected query.
She knew the answer to "why maid clothes," but...
As the clone deemed it outside her authority and prepared a stock response,
the main body—Aka-chan's consciousness—intervened.
"Director's personal taste."
"Huh, unique tastes. Must be tough."
Aka-chan's consciousness moved the clone's body in empathy.
Nod, nod.
"That just now? Top secret."
"Of course."
Sweet glanced at the viewer count below the chat.
A secret 100,000 people knew.
Basically public knowledge at this point.
💬 Chat Maid waifu cute lol Hidden job hunt go? Martial Artist or bust 100k secret besties With the chaotically lively chat, Sweet replied softly.
"I want to become a mage."
? ?? Explain the hour-long clown show ? No hidden hunt? Sweet didn't need hidden jobs or Martial Artist.
Fantasy, isekai, VR.
"Mages are the root of it all."
Backstabbed us Martial Artist fans blue-balled? Putting real effort into the backstab, insane lol Put that effort into streaming more His pre-open lotus meditation was a show.
A show to drive fans and haters alike insane.
Sweet tore his eyes from the question-mark and laughter-filled chat.
"Is that so."
The maid smiled brightly.
Wonder what that smile means.
"I shall show you the vision of records. If that is the path you desire, call for me."
Got it.
Before he could reply, the scenery shifted.
First, a massive dragon appeared.
The dragon used a mountain peak as its pedestal, holding steady.
Immobile, it stared at one spot.
"Looks like it's on guard or something..."
Sweet turned toward where the dragon's gaze fixed.
Something floated in the empty sky.
He wanted a closer look—and his view zoomed in.
"Whoa, startled me..."
First time experiencing this, Sweet jolted briefly.
But before fully gasping, his mouth snapped shut.
Director Aurora. She was slowly levitating toward the dragon.
Director in the chat lol Dragon raid wtf Soloing it? No way? Looks personally filmed The distance between Aurora and the dragon narrowed.
Aurora struck first, deploying a crimson magic circle.
"Fall, Meteor." Clouds parted from the sky in an instant.
Beyond them loomed a massive meteor summoned from the magic circle.
The meteor fell.
Slowly, at a speed far from fast.
Run hard enough, and maybe escape the radius?
It seemed that feasible—but no.
Meteor was unavoidable.
Its visible range in view? The impact affected it all.
Thus, history dubbed Meteor "the slowly approaching death."
Death impossible to dodge once seen.
But the dragon was different.
The dragon, monster with the moniker ruler of magic.
It halted the slowly falling death.
No action, no precursor.
Just stared.
"Bind it, Chain Lightning." Magic circles deployed around the dragon.
Lightning chains extended, shackling its body.
"Pull it down, Gravity." Amplified gravity yanked the halted meteor downward again.
Much faster than before.
GRRROOOAAARRR—!!!
The dragon roared.
Reptilian eyes flashed red.
It rose its massive body, spreading wings.
Wingbeats snapped the lightning chains.
Roar alone crumbled the meteor.
A being worthy of the title apex of all life.
But.
"Finally up, huh."
Aurora, as if waiting for this moment, teleported to the peak.
Short-range teleport magic: Blink.
"Bye now."
Foolish dragon.
From Aurora's sword tip bidding farewell, flames of another league bloomed.
The flames erupted, engulfing the dragon.
High-tier magic: Explosion.
-!!!
Soul-scorching flames devoured even the dragon's scream.
Simultaneously, the crumbling meteor plummeted.
KABOOOOOM—!!!
Massive meteor collided with the peak.
Everything around annihilated.
Forests, ranges, peaks.
Left behind: the dragon's corpse alone.
"Only magic can save this world."
Aurora reached for the dragon's heart.
With that scene as the finale, the view returned to the Hall of Heroes.
"Did that please you?"
the maid asked.
If the mage's path she'd just witnessed appealed.
"...Director's scarier than she looks."
Sweet burst out laughing at his impression.
"Loved it. For real."
Sweet recalled the meteor from moments ago.
"Can I get that strong too?"
Sweet asked, but the maid offered no answer.
"Open the door beyond the statue and step into the new world."
She just gestured toward the new world.
"This'll be fun."
Sweet, brimming with anticipation, opened the door at the hall's end.