Making the Game Feel Like a Game (3)
Two months on Earth. Twenty years on the Galicia Continent. It had been more than enough time for fresh vitality and breathtaking scenery to take root across the once-barren land.
Standing in the grand plaza of the temple before the now-impressively towering World Tree, Shin Se-rin gazed at the surrounding landscape with deep satisfaction.
“This is getting a little tough… I miss the boss…”
“Hii, hii, I don’t wanna do this anymore…!”
The faint echoes of the few full-time staff members voicing their suffering drifted through the air, but Shin Se-rin lightly ignored them. It wasn’t as if Yoo Seol singing her endless “I miss the boss” song or Elysia throwing tantrums was anything new.
Of course, simply brushing off the growing discontent within the company and pushing forward would mean she lacked the qualifications of a proper leader. What she needed now was more manpower. The task she was about to undertake was part of that plan.
Bringing in additional Earthlings was still premature, however…
“Is everyone gathered?”
“Yes, Goddess.”
“Ugh…”
She still hadn’t gotten used to being called Goddess, but she had grown somewhat accustomed to playing the role. Shin Se-rin slowly scanned the faces of those assembled before her.
They were individuals she had met while traveling across the Galicia Continent—people with exceptionally firm faith. At the same time, they possessed considerable talent for manifesting at least a portion of divine power by channeling that faith. To put it in more game-like terms…
Holy Order. Priest Advancement Instructor.
Protection Order. Crusader Advancement Instructor.
Demon Extermination Order. Exorcist Advancement Instructor.
Spirit Summoning Order. Monk Advancement Instructor.
Unlike families that divided occupations by bloodline, religious orders were formed through shared belief rather than kinship. These were people who had internalized their faith in their own ways and could wield it accordingly. They would serve as the pioneers—the various “sects”—guiding the heroes who would one day settle on this continent.
“Today, I must ask something of you all that may feel rather cruel.”
The faithful offered reverent bows to their Goddess.
“It will still be many years before the heroes arrive from beyond. It’s possible that some of the bishops gathered here may never meet even a single hero in their lifetime.”
“Haha, we’ve already steeled ourselves for that.”
“I’ve already begun teaching my duties to my apprentice priest!”
“Our Goddess truly worries too much, doesn’t she? Hehe.”
Warm responses poured in. It was only natural. After all, what efforts had Shin Se-rin made as their Goddess? Not only had she worked alongside the little Goddess (Elysia) and the prickly angel (Yoo Seol) to make this continent a far better place to live, but she had also recently sensed the growing threat and launched a preemptive strike against the Demon God—securing victory.
Even if she had never revealed her form until now, who could possibly disregard the dedication she had shown in protecting the Galicia Continent all this time?
At least within this temple, there was no one who could.
“Thank you for saying so.”
Shin Se-rin smiled gently. But only for a moment.
“I wish to invite those who have fully fulfilled their duties—what humans would call those who have reached the end of their natural lifespan—to the heavenly realm.”
What Shin Se-rin had in mind was from Norse mythology. Specifically, Valhalla. The warriors’ paradise located in the gods’ realm of Asgard. The place where the chief god Odin gathered strong warriors from the human world of Midgard to train them as soldiers in preparation for Ragnarok, the gods’ fated twilight.
Of course, Shin Se-rin had no intention of using such barbaric methods. She didn’t plan to throw them into the front lines of the war against the Demon God anyway. The choice was simple: enter eternal rest and sleep in peace, or ascend to the heavenly realm to watch over the Galicia Continent and serve as administrators.
In game terms, it was essentially recruiting Game Masters.
Sometimes they would directly advise players or NPCs in their soul form. Usually, they would simply watch events unfold while munching on popcorn. If something truly serious occurred, they would either resolve it themselves or report it to their superior—Shin Se-rin. But this was fundamentally different from a regular GM job.
“Unfortunately… it is a lifelong position. Normally one might reincarnate into a new body, but once you ascend to the heavenly realm, your soul’s rank changes permanently. There is no turning back.”
In other words, it was a binding contract of permanent employment with no possibility of retirement.
Because of that, Shin Se-rin had honestly expected that fewer than half of those gathered would accept the offer.
But…
“You mean we can serve Lady Se-rin forever?”
“The greatest blessing a cleric could receive…!”
“I’ll do it! I can start right this instant! Haha!”
Contrary to her expectations, every single priest accepted her proposal without the slightest hesitation. Shin Se-rin’s eyes widened. Soon, a soft smile spread across her lips.
She took another look at the faces before her. The orphan who had once wailed after losing his parents had become a fine young priest, now raising children in similar circumstances.
The young man who had wept, asking why God had only now appeared before them, had become the leader of a church. The middle-aged man who had declared that seeing her once was enough to die without regrets now stood firm at the center of the faithful, still vigorous even after twenty years.
To her, it had only been two months. Though there had been times she adjusted her perception to match real time, making the total feel closer to a year. But for a Goddess burdened with duty, that time had been enough to fill her with affection. For people drowning in sorrow, it had been enough to fill them with faith.
“…Thank you. Always.”
Shin Se-rin spoke her true feelings honestly. In response, the faithful bowed their heads with deep respect.
“What? You’re saying I can keep fighting even after I die? That sounds fun as hell! Who else is doing it? I’m the first, right? Huh? Huh?”
“…Eilena. Have you found a spouse or successor yet?”
“Ah! Umm, well! There aren’t any decent-looking guys with good builds around! Can’t you just give birth to one for me, Goddess?”
Looking at Eilena—the battle-crazed maiden who was still a battle-crazed middle-aged woman and the Berserker advancement instructor—Shin Se-rin let out a very deep sigh. There were apparently people who never changed no matter how many years passed.
Another month passed on Earth. Another ten years flew by on the Galicia Continent. From the very beginning, thirty years had now passed since the prologue.
“Bweeeee……”
There was one minor issue: due to excessive crunch mode, Elysia had completely melted into a slime-like blob and was currently on strike, stuck fast to Shin Se-rin’s back. But aside from that…
“Not bad at all.”
Was this how the Creator felt after resting on the seventh day and looking down upon the world He had made?
The existence of the Goddess had become completely natural. Thanks to that, the faith the people of Galicia sent forth was now barely enough to fend off the Demon God’s attacks. On top of that, the prophecy that heroes from another world would one day come to protect the Galicia Continent had spread far and wide.
Of course, there was the problem that a few heretical cults—those who refused to believe in the Goddess and instead sought to worship something lurking in the shadows—had begun to emerge.
Realistically, however, Shin Se-rin didn’t have many ways to suppress them. The Demon God was granting them power, and while her own strength was close to omnipotence, it was not truly omnipotent. She was also quite far from being omniscient.
And if she thought about it coldly, the existence of an enemy faction could add variety and flavor to the RPG experience…
“I really need to catch those bastards and kill them.”
…was what she thought while grinding her teeth over the ones selling obscene pictures modeled after her appearance. But was there any task more difficult than eradicating cockroaches that had hidden themselves in dark corners?
So Shin Se-rin neatly set the problem aside and began planning her next move.
If they only looked at the war against the Demon God, the situation had grown rather stagnant. To break that deadlock, outside help—player intervention—was essential. The time had come to begin preparations for drawing players in.
The one non-trivial problem was this:
“It’s heavy. Get off.”
“Uwaaaa… Se-rin is so mean……”
The fact that Elysia’s “Galicia Online” had received poor reviews. In more common terms, it was sitting in “Mostly Negative” territory. Of course, seeing the Galicia Continent as it was now would probably change that opinion, but first impressions were hard to shake. They needed an incredibly tempting lure to draw people in.
There was only one standard method for that.
“We need to make a teaser video.”
There was still some preparation left before full service could begin, but thanks to Yoo Seol and Elysia’s hard work, the visuals had become quite polished. It was time to raise expectations to the maximum.
“Ugh.”
“Haa……”
While pinching Elysia’s chubby cheeks, Shin Se-rin let out a deep sigh. Today, as always, she was suffering from both a headache and a guilty conscience.