Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Beta Test Wrap-Up and Swimsuit Shopping
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The beta test would run for a total of one week.
Someone might think, What kind of beta test is only a week long?
Truth be told, I wanted to end the beta test right then and there and launch the official release.
Akashic Records was already a guaranteed hit, and tons of people were dying to play it themselves.
But after compromising with reality, we settled on one week.
That was plenty of time to identify Akashic Records' issues and areas needing fixes.
"Right, Aka-chan?"
"...Affirmative."
Ever since the beta test began, Aka-chan had been fully dedicated to monitoring and data collection.
Checking for bugs in the virtual reality game that needed to be flawless, gauging job satisfaction levels, and so on.
Reviewing the records Aka-chan gathered with Creator privileges showed everything was looking solid overall.
There were six jobs available to choose from right now.
It was still early in the game, so it wasn't definitive yet.
But user satisfaction versus performance was impressively high across all jobs.
RPGS often had the golden rule: Play the job you want to play.
But that rule fell apart when the job you wanted turned out nothing like your imagination.
"That's why I named the jobs as intuitively as possible."
So anyone could look and instantly go, Ah, that's the one.
That was why the beta test was sailing smoothly. No major issues.
Sure, balance complaints kept flaring up in that one specific gallery.
But that was inevitable when it was packed with Gal Cup obsessives.
Other communities were full of positive reactions and healthy feedback.
That in-game gallery glued to Gal Cup all day was the real outlier.
"First up, let's prep the avatars."
We'd safely cleared the chaos of beta test day one.
Now it was time to tackle the tasks on the agenda.
Using Creator privileges, I summoned the most popular outfits: the uniform and swimsuit.
"Why the uniform...?"
The uniform was identical to what I was wearing right now.
No, seriously—why was this the most popular?
Releasing my avatar like this would just fuel the "self-insert" crowd even more.
It was undeniably cute, even by my perfect aesthetic standards.
"What a shame."
It would've sold like hotcakes, but public opinion forced my hand.
I pulled up the next most popular uniform instead: 'Aurora Uniform'.
"The swimsuit...?"
The three outfits I'd planned ahead: maid outfit, uniform, and swimsuit.
Surprisingly, there weren't many swimsuits logged in this world yet.
The ones made just to cover essentials looked ugly no matter how you sliced it.
"What do we even do with this...?"
Selling swimsuits like these as avatars was a recipe for backlash.
I couldn't bear to see my flawless fashion sense get trashed.
As I racked my brain for solutions, Aka-chan spoke up softly.
"Analyze it with the capsule."
"How?"
Aka-chan pointed right at me.
"Wear it yourself."
What kind of nonsense was that?
"Aka-chan? Bringing in a real swimsuit as-is will cause problems."
"Record modification is my specialty."
Following Aka-chan's fix, the capsule scans the user's body.
It records whatever clothes they're wearing too.
That data gets sent straight to virtual reality storage.
"Then you wear it, Aka-chan...?"
"I'm swamped with monitoring."
"... ."
During the beta test, Aka-chan couldn't leave virtual reality at all.
Any issue needed instant fixing, so stepping away was impossible.
"Ughhh..."
Aka-chan was being so damn smug right now.
Was this how a boss felt watching an employee slack off?
Not that Aka-chan slacked—she was actually super diligent.
But she had this knack for teasing me at the worst times.
'A swimsuit...'
One that exposed way more skin than it covered. Utterly shameless.
I'd have to wander stores in the real world, try them on...
And climb into the capsule wearing one I'd picked out.
The thought alone was mortifying, humiliating.
But if I powered through that brief shame, I'd rake in the cash.
Pride doesn't pay the bills, but shame does—indirectly.
This is all for the future, I told myself, gearing up for my first outing in ages.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Kim Seon-ah (26), working part-time at a department store clothing shop, was startled by a customer who walked in.
Her hair and eyes evoked a clear blue sky. Exotic yet stunningly beautiful.
She looked like a manga heroine who'd ripped through the pages into reality.
"Welcome! If you're looking for something specific, I'd be happy to help!"
"Ah, yeah. Um... do you have swimsuits?"
Kim Seon-ah reflexively scanned her body—especially the key areas.
The results? Next level.
Normally, anything decent-sized sparked envy or jealousy.
But this was beyond decent; even a baggy hoodie couldn't hide it.
And it wasn't just huge—it was in perfect harmony with her overall proportions.
Envy and jealousy usually hit when seeing someone leagues above.
But comparing herself felt rude; instead, admiration welled up.
I wanna be friends with her. Can't go wrong impressing someone like that.
She was just that beautiful.
"This is the hottest swimsuit right now—how about this one!?"
"It's... uh, really... something..."
Wanna try it on?
Aurora gave an awkward smile as she took the swimsuit from the enthusiastic Kim Seon-ah.
"Ahaha, you think it'd suit me?"
"Totally! It'd look amazing on you!"
Aurora swallowed a deep internal sigh at the fervent recommendation.
Trying on clothes before buying was normal.
The problem? It was a swimsuit, and this one had sky-high exposure.
"Come on, changing room's this way!"
Thus, half-forced into the changing room.
Aurora stripped in a state of half-resignation and slipped on the swimsuit.
"Nngh..."
As expected, exposed skin vastly outdid the fabric.
Swimsuits were supposed to be like that, but this one took it to extremes.
Was this even a swimsuit? More like a bikini.
But she'd come specifically for bikini-style swimsuits.
"It is pretty, but..."
Aurora thought of the demon king who'd put her in this mess.
If that demon bitch saw her now, she'd probably yell, You little tease, get over here! and pounce.
Aurora sighed, convinced Kssare was crazy enough for it.
"Haa..."
Capitalism is cold.
With her appraisal done, Aurora redressed.
She emerged, paid for the swimsuit she'd just tried on.
"That's 245,000 won~"
"...Put it on three-month installments, please."
Aurora grabbed the shopping bag with the bikini and bolted.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 💬 Stream Chat [Daehyeop Kim's broadcast has begun. - Talk 1 sec ago] — Explain Spill it — You bastard Backstabbing is a serious crime — Dated Raven, huh? Nice Bet that was fun — Explain yourself Now The chat ignited the moment the broadcast went live.
A black screen with nothing visible. Viewers piling in fast.
How long did that last?
The screen switched, revealing Daehyeop Kim in a suit.
"Everyone, what did I do wrong?"
Skipping greetings, Daehyeop Kim poured fuel on the flaming chat.
"Did I hit a progress wall and rage-quit or something?"
"Did I guest on Sweet's stream, party up, and no-stream for 10 hours?"
"Did I break my promise to you viewers about streaming after meals?"
"Did I solo an event revealing Raven's identity?"
"Did I indirectly spoil that event to Sweet?"
Pausing for breath, Daehyeop Kim continued with a solemn expression.
"Just what did I do wrong?"
He'd gone from pouring fuel to dropping a bomb.
— You're the best, Daehyeop Fr, what'd you do wrong — This crazy bastard So shameless it's hilarious lol — Daehyeop let's hit the depths together Come on Positive or negative, massive attention poured onto Daehyeop Kim.
Pulling aggro like this was a key streamer skill.
Daehyeop Kim, from Rekka, knew it better than anyone.
"Those were just jokes, folks. Ah, seriously, I'm sorry. Akashic Records is so fun I forgot to stream."
After peak aggro, he revealed his true intent.
He owned up to breaking his viewer promise and apologized.
The chat's heat didn't cool, though.
"I'll do a 24-hour marathon soon, so simmer down."
The promise of a 24-hour stream gradually doused the flames.
— YY's 10,000 won donation - What'd you think first seeing mage skills yesterday? "Mage skills? Honestly, inferiority complex hit hard, but I proved myself in the boss fight. Not sweating it now."
Mages with strong AoE outhunted Martial Artists, no contest.
But in boss fights, those AoEs barely scratched, and bad utility meant constant wipes.
Martial Artists shone with tanky passives and short-CD mobility.
He'd proven it firsthand, so balance gripes didn't faze him anymore.
Especially since it was just that one gallery anyway.
"Alright, time to log into the real world... I mean, reality."
— Real world? Akare isn't real wtf — See ya Raven's world is reality — Confess to her when you log in Do it Daehyeop Kim stood, ended the stream via mouse, and hopped into the capsule.
Logging into virtual reality—Akashic Records—unfolded a new world.
"Every login, it's just... magical."
The breeze on his skin.
The lively crowds in the capital streets.
All feeling utterly real, yet all virtual.
[Daehyeop Kim's broadcast has begun. - Akashic Records 1 sec ago] Snapping out of it, Daehyeop Kim restarted the stream.
He pulled out a prepped item and showed viewers.
⚔ ITEM ⚔ [Trace of Heresy (4/4)] - Item drop source: Servant of Darkness - Use to reveal location of dungeon 'Heretic's Hideout (3)'. Traces of Heresy dropped at a chance from defeating the Servant of Darkness.
Collect four, and the main quest's Heretic's Hideout location unlocks.
Of course, nine more such dungeons existed, so clearing the main quest wasn't immediate.
"Gotta hit it eventually."
Progressing the main quest and challenging new dungeons? Pure fun guaranteed.
Having graduated the Cradle of Black Magic, no reason to skip.
As he went to use the Trace and reveal the spot...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The Mercenary Guild is looking for you.] [Accept to teleport to the Mercenary Guild.] The system message popped up before Daehyeop Kim—and on stream too.
"Hmm..."
Mercenary Guild summons. Heretic's Hideout run.
Weighing options, he decided.
"Accept."
Hideout could wait; events like this were too good to miss.
Accepting whisked him to the guild.
Unlike the empty hall before, it buzzed with mercenaries.
As he scanned around, a familiar voice rang out.
"You've arrived."
"Raven?"
Raven appeared—missed by the stream last time.
She explained everything to Daehyeop Kim.
After a secret talk with the Emperor.
With imperial aid, she'd become a knight of the Royal Guard publicly.
In exchange, she was ordered to investigate a barony hit by plague.
"Your mercenary work came to mind, so I came."
Raven handed over a hefty coin pouch.
"I'm hiring you."
Unilateral contract.
But refusal? Impossible.
"You'll come with me, right?"
Her smiling eyes were too captivating.
He simply couldn't say no.