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Chapter 1
There was a strategy game with an intriguing concept. It was a game where magic and cannons competed to see which was more powerful.
Players had to lead an army to conquer the world. Depending on their preference, they could choose a Traditional nation that primarily used swords and magic, or an Innovative nation that focused on guns and cannons.
Traditional nations were strong when using conventional weapons such as swords, bows, and magic, while Innovative nations excelled with gunpowder weapons like muskets and cannons.
Between Traditional nations that were powerful from the start and Innovative nations that grew stronger as their technology was upgraded, the balance was well-tuned. The game itself was fresh enough to be considered a masterpiece, but it had one critical flaw.
That flaw was that there were as many as 1,000 playable characters.
This game allowed players to control numerous characters, from ordinary soldiers to the Emperor, with statuses ranging from Commoners to the Imperial family.
Moreover, not all characters were playable from the start; they were unlocked only after meeting specific conditions. This made clearing all 1,000 characters nearly impossible.
Nearly impossible. I said it twice because it is important. What does nearly impossible mean? It means it is not actually impossible.
[Title: Clearing the 1,000th character in Age of Gunpowder and Magic. Come watch if you want.]
I set the room title and started the stream. Even though I had no mic or camera, people began to swarm in like bees.
[Clearing the 1,000th character? Is this a joke? I played for 126 hours and barely cleared two characters.]
[I have played for 500 hours. The combat in this game is freaking hard. I quit when my completion rate hit 3.6 percent because it was too difficult.]
[This looks like clickbait. The game has only been out for a year, so how can anyone clear the 1,000th character?]
Many voices were skeptical, calling it nonsense.
But as soon as I started the game, those doubts began to vanish.
[Wow, a 99.9 percent clear rate. That means they really did clear 999 characters, Shiver]
[So it really is the 1,000th character?]
[How many hours a day did they play?]
[Regardless of the hours, this person is a genius...]
Just then, a chat message appeared.
[Could they be using hacking tools or cheats?]
I blocked the people talking nonsense. They have no idea how hard I worked to get this far.
As I started playing with the 1,000th character, people began to be amazed.
[Wow, what was that cavalry control just now? ]_]; He's dodging arrows by hand?]
I paused the game for a moment and typed into the chat.
[Arrows fired with allies in front are treated as indirect fire, not direct. Since indirect fire follows a parabolic arc, you can predict where the arrow will land. For more details, please search for the guide I wrote on my blog a while ago.]
People were shocked that arrows could even be dodged. About thirty minutes later, the chat began to buzz again.
[I tried it based on the streamer's words, but I can't dodge. I can predict where the arrow is falling, but it takes too long to order the soldiers to dodge, making it practically impossible.]
[That's why you have to spot the arrows quickly and issue the order immediately. If you're even a little late, you're just arrow fodder.]
[The fact that it's even possible is what's weird. My reaction speed is 0.25, but I still can't react as fast as you.]
[Wow, then just how fast is the streamer's reaction time, Shiver]
[Looking at it now, he reacts at the same time the enemy fires. Isn't that just reptilian reflexes?]
Everyone's overreacting. It's not even that hard if you just practice, yet they talk without even trying. Tsk tsk.
[Wow, how did he just wipe out the Heavy Infantry with Light Infantry? According to the AI, the power difference was twofold, but he won with almost zero casualties.]
[I thought only his mechanics were insane, but his game sense is too, Shiver]
[If he were born in ancient times, he probably would have unified the continent.]
[I want this man.]
Ignoring the chaotic chat, I continued to clear the game.
As the game progressed, the chat became increasingly filled with shock.
In a way, it was only natural. While I had written many simple guides online, seeing an actual clear video is fundamentally different from reading a guide.
[Wow... what was that, sliding the cavalry right between the enemy artillery...]
[Is that control even possible? Is this a montage? This is cheating, totally cheating.]
[His infantry are definitely walking, so why do they seem faster than the enemy cavalry?]
That's because I'm predicting the enemy's movements, you moron.
If you know where the opponent will be, you just have to get there first. Consequently, you arrive before they do.
Ultimately, it all comes down to strategy and tactics. If you excel at them, one of your regiments becomes as valuable as two of the enemy's.
Doesn't that happen in reality too? I mean those instances where a small force crushed a much larger army. It was always because they employed superior strategy and tactics.
Secure the terrain, plan your tactics carefully, and avoid mistakes, and you can overcome even the most unfavorable odds. Those who did this are hailed as Great Generals by history.
'Age of Gunpowder and Magic' is the same. Secure the terrain, plan well, and don't mess up, and you can outpace the enemy.
I continued to play flawlessly, and the game progressed toward completion.
And then came the moment I cleared the 1,000th character.
"Whew... I'm the first person in the world to do it."
The chat window exploded the moment I muttered those words. Then, the screen suddenly began to shift.
[Congratulations on clearing all characters! As a token of our gratitude, we would like to grant Siu priority beta access to our next title. Do you accept? Y/N]
I was completely stunned. The game company had sent me a personal message! Not only that, but they were offering me priority beta access to the sequel. Terrified that the message might vanish, I frantically spammed the Y button.
"A sequel? Priority beta access? I didn't know there was a perk like this!"
YYYYYYY
After relentless clicking, the Y button glowed and the message disappeared.
"Yes! I'm a beta tester!"
As I cheered, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me and everything went black. Dammit, what's going on? Did my blood pressure spike from the excitement?
Thud. I lost all sensation in my body, but my hearing remained. I heard the sound of myself hitting the floor. Dammit, I hope I didn't hit my head. I can't be seriously injured and miss out on Age of Gunpowder and Magic 2...
-----
In the Age of Gunpowder and Magic, there was an Empire that ruled most of the continent.
If you ask how such a vast Empire could exist, there is only one answer: Arcadia Academy.
This colossal Empire established an academy in the capital to educate nobles, teaching them everything from swordsmanship and magic to holy magic and more.
The teachers were among the finest talents on the continent. Consequently, the Empire's elite possessed an average skill level that was on a completely different plane from those of other nations.
Yes, that is the setting as I know it. But the problem is...
"Rochefort. Are you out here? Rochefort."
"Ah, yes! It's me."
I answered hurriedly. That's right. I had become a student at the academy—by possessing an extra named Charles Jean Rochefort.
'Of all people to possess, why an extra and not a main character...'
Charles Jean Rochefort was an extra with no presence. I wasn't even sure if such a character existed. He was a mediocrity among mediocrities, lacking any talent in swordsmanship, magic, archery, or holy magic.
To make matters worse, his family was insignificant. He was an NPC in every sense.
'What should I do...'
It would be safe to give up on clearing the game and simply live here as an extra.
Age of Gunpowder and Magic is a game where you must clear all 1,000 characters. If I've been possessed into such a game, the way out is obvious: I have to clear it not as a character, but as myself.
In other words, I can go home if I conquer the world. But is world conquest even possible as Charles Jean Rochefort? Wouldn't it be better to just give up and live a life of luxury as an extra, using my future knowledge to make money?
'But...'
If I do that, I'll miss the family and friends I left behind, and all those precious games I haven't finished yet. Living my whole life in a place without games would be nothing short of torture for me.
Because of that, I wanted to go home no matter what.
'Right. I won't give up; I'll try to clear this.'
However, since the character I possessed is a piece of trash like Charles Jean Rochefort, clearing the game through conventional means is impossible.
But if I change my approach a bit, it might just be possible.