Chapter 4
Chapter 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Dismantling the Tower
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Th-that seems difficult..."
That was Hina's response after hearing my grand plan.
"Why?! If we layer illusion spells, it should be totally possible! And with illusion sharing magic, we can maintain and share the world just fine!"
"W-well, that's true, but... what Rye wants to make is, uh, a really huge illusion world... or something like that..."
"Exactly."
"And you're saying we store information in that world and let people enter the illusion whenever they want...?"
"Yeah, that's it!"
"And with illusion sharing magic, multiple people can enter one shared illusion world...!"
"Yes! We can do all that!"
"B-but..."
Hina fidgeted, rubbing her index fingers together.
"If we route it through my mana, it could work for a little while, but to maintain a world like that, we'd need to create an artifact and enchant it with the spell..."
...Ah.
That's when I realized the flaw in my plan.
The plan itself was feasible, but we didn't have the money to execute it.
"Ugh... even if we worked our whole lives, we couldn't afford that many mana stones. Hng..."
To build an online server, we needed an artifact to act like a supercomputer.
The idea was to create an artifact that manifested a massive illusion world,
and then people could use other artifacts enchanted with illusion sharing magic to connect to that illusion world—the game server—from anywhere.
But crafting artifacts loaded with that much magic required far more than the usual amount of mana stones.
And we had no money to buy mana stones.
"Haa... that damn money again..."
"Uh, hng..."
Hina deflated with a pathetic hiss.
Feeling bad, I placed a hand on her head.
Petting her hair cheered her up, and she perked right back up.
"It really feels like we'd succeed if we could just make it..."
I knew better than anyone how addictive games were to humans, having experienced it myself.
The people of this world would be no different. They might even crave it more.
I'd originally planned to start with a 5v5 AOS game.
The legendary Championship of Legends, or COL for short.
Making that game, which had swept the world with its popularity, was sure to be a hit.
And with illusion magic, players would actually become their game characters—nothing like playing on a computer.
They'd literally turn into the character and fight firsthand.
I wanted to try it myself.
"This... yeah, it's gonna cost a serious fortune."
Just thinking about the mana stones for the server made my head spin with astronomical figures.
And COL's format, with multiple rooms running separate games, would make the server even more complex.
"Ugh, uwaaa... I'm dizzy, Rye..."
But I couldn't give up.
If COL was too much right now, maybe start with a cheaper game.
Like an MMORPG.
It wouldn't be small-scale, but with few users at first, the server could be modest.
Starting small and scaling up wasn't a bad idea.
"...Yeah!"
"Eek!"
I slammed my hand down, and Hina made a weird noise.
My hand was still on her head.
"Then let's make just one world for now. If only one person can connect, one artifact is enough."
"E-even that costs money..."
"Right! We don't even have money for that!"
Damn this broke-ass tower!
I knew better than anyone that we couldn't afford even that—after all, I'd been handling the finances instead of Hina.
For reference, before I took over, Hina had no clue about money management, wasting what little we had.
"But we do have a few mana stones."
"Eh?"
We didn't have enough money for a massive artifact like that.
But as a magic tower, we had some mana stones for sustaining spells.
And the prime example was...
"W-wait, Rye...! N-no, not that..."
"We don't need this stupid illusion anyway!"
"B-but without it, we'll just get mocked—hwaa—"
The magic sustaining the massive tower illusion.
Dispelling it revealed the pitiful true form of the Illusion Tower.
"Whether we have this or not, everyone knows our illusion school is a joke."
"W-well, that's true, but..."
"Don't worry. I'll earn the money quick and restore it. Hell, by then we can build a real tower as tall as me."
Borrow and repay, right?
With Hina whimpering behind me, I scraped together every mana stone sustaining those pointless illusion spells.
Thanks to that, all the Illusion Tower's illusions vanished.
And its true, shabby reality was laid bare to the world.
"Wh-what happened?! Our tower!"
"My tower! The Illusion Tower that pierced the heavens!!"
The seniors returning from part-time jobs wailed at the unmasked building.
"It was all illusion anyway. Just eat your food and move on."
"Haha, yeah."
"It was fake anyway. Still kinda sad."
But there wasn't much shock. Reality was even more of a dump to begin with.
Hina, the tower master, was pretty bummed, but whatever.
Anyway, basic prep was done.
After much deliberation, I settled on MMORPG for my debut game.
The one no Korean could forget—the game that once ignited countless adventurers' spirits.
The one I'd still play now and then to recapture my childhood wonder as an adult.
"Sure, it became a dead game eventually with some controversies, but no denying its place in MMORPG history."
The first game I'd make was Maple Leaf Tale.
Too much to implement everything, so start with the fundamentals: Victoria Island, the adventurer's starting point.
And so, full-scale isekai online game development began.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The forgotten hero Galliard sat blankly, gazing at drifting clouds.
Long ago, he'd been a hero who commanded the world, but now he looked every bit the grandfather.
Even his academy professor gig post-retirement had ended with mandatory retirement.
He hadn't lost his strength from back then.
He could still swing a mighty sword.
But there was no reason to now.
The world had found its fragile peace, and he was done being a pawn in human politics.
Just quiet days tending his field and watching the sky.
That's how Galliard spent his remaining years.
"Those were the days..."
He often lost himself in memories of the past.
The grueling struggles from his weak days to his growth were now fond nostalgia.
Because he had comrades. And the joy of leveling up.
He longed to return to those innocent days of charging forward blindly.
Now he had much, but it all felt meaningless.
He'd come to realize he preferred the slow climb from nothing.
It wasn't having that brought joy—it was the moment of gaining it.
"Agh... coming again. Everyone."
Galliard rose from his seat.
By his spot lay his old comrades who'd fought beside him.
Time had claimed all but one in eternal sleep.
Galliard left those memories behind and headed to the market.
Having built his home near Trinity, he stopped there for necessities.
"Haaaa..."
Entering Trinity, Galliard halted at a sigh.
'A young guy sighing like the world's ending. Back in my day, kids that age could chew rocks...'
His eyes caught a mage.
Judging by the robes, an illusion school mage.
Robes filthy and torn like he'd rolled on the ground, clutching a strange artifact and sighing deeply.
'...Seeking investors?'
A signboard read that, and he sat on the roadside.
Apparently seeking backers for that artifact.
Details were on the sign, but too far to read clearly.
'Getting old... small print's a blur.'
Galliard stepped closer to read.
[Tired of reality? Don't you want a completely new life? In 'Maple Leaf Tale', a new adventure awaits you...]
Roughly, it promised a brand-new adventure.
A fresh start at level 1, regardless of attribute constitution or birth status.
No surprise no one cared.
Who'd invest in the illusion school anyway?
But intrigued, Galliard approached the mage.
"...For real?"
"Eh? Y-yes?"
"A completely new adventure awaits. That true?"
"Y-yes! In a new world, you can grow stronger your way. Choose from various jobs. It's early, so not many yet, but soon..."
The young mage, barely an adult, explained in a trembling voice.
Just illusion magic, sure, but he had real passion and attachment to it.
'I was like that once. Can't even remember when anymore. Charging headlong with that fire...'
Seeing him stirred Galliard's own youth.
The days he'd leap into anything with passion.
"Can I try it?"
"R-really? Th-then please come to our tower. It's risky on the street..."
"Lead on."
Galliard followed willingly to the Illusion Tower.
As shabby as rumored.
"Infuse mana into this artifact, and the magic activates automatically. You'll get a new body there, so don't panic—just enjoy the game."
"That's it?"
"Yes. The rest you'll learn naturally once connected."
"Hmm..."
Galliard did as instructed.
No risk could faze a former hero.
"Have fun."
It was an artifact shaped like a maple leaf stone.
Covered in layers of illusion magic.
Gazing at it felt like a cool breeze on his chest.
The maple leaf stirred inexplicable excitement.
Galliard infused mana, plunging into the illusion.
Several hours later, when he awoke,
"Ah, you're awake?"
"What the hell is this?!"
"Y-yes?"
"I finally hit my first job advancement, and you cut me off?! I haven't even tried the swordsman skills yet—huoooook!"
He was utterly hooked on the game.