Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Popularity Backlash
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After the first update notice went up in 'Maple Leaf Tale', the reaction wasn't great.
It was because players who had been enjoying the game smoothly couldn't log in for about three hours due to the update.
The moment the update finished, users flooded back in as if they'd been waiting.
"What's this? What changed?"
"Cash shop?"
The first thing that caught their eyes was the cash shop.
There were cash items available for purchase not with the in-game currency, mesos, but with real-world money.
To buy cash items, players had to go to the Continental Central Bank in person and link their artifact to their account.
Whenever they used cash in-game, it deducted money from the linked account.
"What... these have no effects at all?"
"They're just cosmetic items that change your appearance. Who's gonna buy this crap?"
"And you even have to register your artifact at the Continental Central Bank? Pass, hard pass."
Most users turned away from the cash shop.
They couldn't use it without linking their real account first, and these weren't items that made you stronger when equipped anyway.
Sure, there were useful ones like Return Scrolls, but you could play just fine without cash items.
There weren't many users yet who thought it was worth the hassle of trekking to the Central Bank.
Still, a few showed some interest in the cash shop.
Next up in the update was character information.
You could now check basic info on characters you encountered, and a new Popularity stat had been added.
Once per day total. And only once per month per person to raise or lower their Popularity.
It seemed like high Popularity unlocked titles, but it didn't look like a big deal.
"Popularity? Why'd they even add something like this?"
"Beats me..."
It didn't take long for users to figure out how to use it.
"Ah, that jerk again...!"
A user who was out hunting.
He'd just hit his second job advancement as a Cleric, so he was constantly losing his hunting spots.
A malicious user kept following him, messing up his hunts.
That's when he remembered the new Popularity system from the update.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] The alert popped up in front of the malicious player's eyes.
The player who'd lowered his Popularity had already returned to town.
Checking his info window, his Popularity was at -1.
No other effects, but it soured his mood anyway.
"Eh... this is boring. Time to head back."
With no one left to harass, he returned to town.
A crowd of users was gathered there.
"Ah, that's the guy! xPowerArcherx!"
"He got me too! That total asshole!"
"Me too! Me too!"
"...?"
Users swarmed toward him.
He backed away in confusion.
But you could open info windows from a certain distance.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] "Wh-what the hell?"
His Popularity plummeted to -11 in seconds.
He bolted from the town in a panic.
Still no stat penalties or anything.
But now that -11 felt like a scarlet letter branded on him.
And -11 was just the beginning.
"Minus 11? This guy's a total troll."
Even users who hadn't done anything bad started lowering his Popularity upon seeing how low it already was.
Wherever he went, his Popularity kept dropping, nearing -50 before long.
Furious, he tried lowering others' Popularity in retaliation.
But you could only lower Popularity once per day.
Compared to multiple people tanking his every day, he could only hit one—it was a massive loss.
Heck, one time he lowered someone's, they called friends over, and he lost even more Popularity.
"...Minus 58? Sorry, but you can't join our party."
Low Popularity meant no party invites at all.
He couldn't do party quests or boss raids that required groups—solo was impossible.
"Fuck...! What kind of bullshit is this?! Why the hell did the Illusion Tower push this update?!"
He finally snapped.
"The game's fucked anyway—I'm not holding back anymore!"
His Popularity was already irredeemably low.
Might as well troll again—sitting idle while it dropped felt even more unfair.
"Heh... that's the retard from before."
Then he spotted <Empire's Light>.
A female Cleric user with that stupid, childish way of talking.
Her appearance was way flashier now, but it was definitely her.
"Ah, aah! It's thaaat guyyy!"
As expected, <Empire's Light> just wailed like an idiot when her spot got stolen, doing nothing else.
He smirked at her and kept hunting.
Seeing her dumbass flailing made him burst out laughing.
"Kekeke. Yeah, this is it. Popularity? It's already as low as it gets!"
"Y-you... I'm not lettin' thish shlide thish time!"
Throwing a tantrum, <Empire's Light> pulled out some weird item and held it to her mouth.
It looked like a horn or trumpet.
Then she shouted into it.
📢 SERVER ANNOUNCEMENT 📢 (Megaphone) Empire's Light: xPowerArcherx ish doin' troll shtuff at the Race Den hunting ground! He'sh shtealsh all my prey! Her words broadcast to every user on the server.
'...What the hell is she doing?'
He figured it was just Jebit being her childish, screaming self.
Pitying her like the fool she was, he kept killing mobs.
But that didn't last.
Less than a minute later, nearby hunters swarmed the map.
"Jebit-nim! You okay?"
"Th-that'sh the guyyy! He got me before toooo!"
"...?"
Then they all piled on, lowering his Popularity one after another.
"Wh-what the hell, stop it, you guys!"
"You stop it, you troll bastard!"
"Eat this!"
"Uwaaak!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] x6 His Popularity hit -100 in a flash.
He frantically used a scroll to teleport back to town.
But that was just the start.
"Hey? That's xPowerArcherx."
"?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] "Isn't that the guy from the megaphone announcement earlier?"
"??"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] Now everyone he came across started lowering his Popularity.
Some even chased him down while he fled to do it.
"S-stop it already!!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] [Your Popularity has decreased by 1.] "Uwaaaaaah!"
His Popularity crashed all the way to -291.
Considering there were only 1,500 users total, that was insane.
And it would keep dropping like this.
New users he met lowered it on sight, and ones who knew him whispered as he passed.
No impact on stats, still.
But the mental strain was crushing him.
That initial -1 he'd brushed off had snowballed into an avalanche burying him alive.
"S-stop, stooop iiiit!!"
In the end, he had no choice but to log out of 'Maple Leaf Tale'.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The imperial palace's grand banquet hall.
Today was the emperor's birthday feast in full swing.
The emperor of the Empire—the continent's heart and one pillar of power—his birthday.
The day all major figures from the continent gathered.
Which meant high-stakes political talk flowed freely.
"Your Highness also purchased 'Maple Leaf Tale'?"
"Indeed. Arrived the day before release, lined up to buy it. Not a second of the wait was wasted—truly an incredible game."
"Might I have your in-game name? If chance arises, how about a boss raid together?"
"Hahaha! Excellent, Duke. Can't believe I didn't know a fellow enthusiast like you sooner. Let's bond over 'Maple Leaf Tale' this time."
"Hahahahaha! Splendid! I knew Your Highness would be into it!"
That would've been normal.
But this year's birthday feast conversations were... off.
No, not just the emperor's birthday—most high-society parties were like this.
"Impressive. Popularity over 50 already."
"Ho ho ho. Nothing much. Compared to the famous Jebit-nim, it's peanuts."
"Then, shall we trade Popularity tonight?"
All anyone talked about was Maple Leaf Tale.
Players and non-players alike—it was all they discussed.
A small circle of players made tighter networks via in-game promises.
Those who hadn't bought yet envied them, counting down to the next production batch.
"Heard the next production run comes with another big update."
"Oh? Where'd you get such premium intel...?"
"One of my contacts knows the Blue Hair Merchant Guild leader."
"Oho...! Info straight from the Blue Hair Merchant Guild? Ironclad! So, what's the update?"
"Shh... can't tell just anyone, but they say guilds are coming."
"Oho... so we can form guilds inside it. Expectations are skyrocketing."
"Even crazier... right after, a new class drops with its own storyline."
"Wh-what?!"
"Something about a knight order... ha... just hearing the skills and story had me entranced. Hope that day comes soon. So, about this deal...?"
Anyone in the know about update schedules instantly became the party's star.
Nobles lined up trying to forge ties with the Illusion Tower.
But the illusion mages were mostly commoner-born—no close noble allies yet.
"Hmph... just what is this 'Maple Leaf Tale' that's got everyone in a frenzy?"
"An artifact from the Illusion Tower, sire. They say it lets you experience a whole new world."
"...The Illusion Tower? They're losing it over an artifact from a place like that?"
The emperor clicked his tongue at the party's vibe.
"End of days, end of days..."
He furrowed his brow at the young nobles lost in this weird fad.
The Empire's second emperor, Ridon Leonius.
From his predecessor's reign, he'd fought on battlefields to forge the current Empire.
Thinking of his own youth soaked in blood and strife, these modern nobles seemed utterly slothful.
No training or study—just addicted to some silly game.
"...Is it really that fun?"
He thought that, but he was human too.
'Maple Leaf Tale' rumors were everywhere, and it sounded thrilling enough to make his heart race just hearing about it.
Truth be told, the emperor wanted to try it, but dignity forbade it.
Plus, you had to visit the merchant guild in person to buy one.
No matter how tempted, an emperor lining up? Pride wouldn't allow it.
Once the rowdy feast wrapped up.
One report came up at the state council.
As always, about the third prince.
"...What the hell has the third prince been up to now?!"
Bam—
Investing in the Illusion Tower on absurd terms.
Even stamped the contract—totally binding.
With their stock skyrocketing, reneging would trash the imperial prestige.
"But we can't just waste that much money. We get nothing out of it."
"Summon the third prince now...! Ha... no, never mind."
The emperor started to call him to yell, then backed off.
No point—the guy never listened anyway. Just built stress.
"What to do now..."
As he pondered solutions, an idea flashed.
"...Summon an Illusion Tower mage."
"Pardon?"
"Mages are scholars at least. Should be easier to reason with than that third prince fool."
"...Understood. I'll make contact."
Maybe... he could snag a 'Maple Leaf Tale' without lining up.