Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Planning - Hellic 2: RE
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First, become famous. Then, even if you take a shit, people will cheer for you.
…or so the saying goes.
At first glance, it seems like a cliché maxim, a statement confined to the returns that come with fame. But if you really think about it, the sentence itself expresses a profound truth in an idiomatic form.
When you delve into its meaning, it ultimately speaks to the importance of the speaker.
Isn't that so? For example, if there's an exceptionally handsome person in a group, they become the center of it without doing anything special.
If an ordinary-looking old man you'd see anywhere is introduced as ‘the chairman of such-and-such company,’ he suddenly starts to seem remarkable and different.
In short, it’s inevitable that everything composing a person changes depending on their status, talents, and aura.
Yuri Jackson’s case was in the same context.
A black man with blue eyes, Yuri Jackson’s appearance alone set him apart from others.
First, his eyes. Those beautiful eyes, as if a pale winter were embedded within them, sometimes made him seem like something other than human.
Second, his looks. His lean, lanky frame and the subtle harmony of his features, angled just right, filled his appearance with a sense of mystery.
In short, a chiseled, handsome black man who stood at the apex of the food chain.
His personality wasn't frivolous either, so how could anyone listen to his words and not take them seriously?
To bring back the initial sentence, ‘First, become famous. Then, even if you take a shit, people will cheer for you,’ this was exactly it.
Why would people cheer even if you took a shit?
Because they don’t see you as an equal, they look at the shit you produced and contemplate the ‘meaning hidden within.’
They become convinced that it must contain some great truth, incomprehensible to the average person.
Yuri Jackson was a man who lived in such a world.
He didn't know it, but his world had always been full of people who saw him as different and idolized him.
It was just that now, it had all come to a head.
“Yuri! How about we add some variation to the growth build system? We could research the builds users frequently used in the original *Hellic 2* and those they didn’t, and then reformat the neglected builds in a new way!”
“Sounds good. Let’s do that.”
“That’s Yuri for you! It was a great idea!”
“Woooooah!!!”
Stealing ideas was just the beginning.
Even if Yuri hadn't intended it, his team members, desperate to get into his good graces, were already swept up in a collective madness, offering up every idea they had to him.
But it’s fine!
In the heartless world of game development, a superior stealing an employee’s ideas is a ‘common practice’ found in any company!
Yuri told himself to just be a little bit of a bad person.
“Yuri! You’re the man, Yuri! You were the only answer!”
“Damn it, Yuri! I love you!!!”
They were fanatics.
Their ideas were offerings, and the periodic cheers were the steadfast faith they cried out to their leader.
It was the rise of the Blood Cult from the untamed frontier.
While the Central Plains (Development Team 2), under the leadership of the imperial court, continued their power struggles between the righteous, unorthodox, and demonic factions, they had been lying in wait here, in the remote Development Team 3, secretly amassing their strength.
At this point, even the most clueless person would have realized one thing.
‘Ah, I’m screwed if they find out.’
Yuri Jackson sensed that if it ever came out that he had ‘actually done nothing,’ public opinion would turn on a dime.
The line between being liked and loathed was as thin as a single number.
It was the difference of a single brushstroke, two sides of the same paper.
So, what was he to do?
Obviously, he had to keep his team members’ minds broken.
He needed them to keep drooling and chanting, ‘Lord Yuri!!!’
He couldn't allow anyone to pop up and say, ‘Wait, but what did Yuri actually do?’
No, he couldn't let such a person's words gain any traction.
Ruin was chasing him from behind.
That meant the only thing he could do was run forward.
“I grant it.”
The position makes the man.
In truth, the position wears the man like a mask.
“I forbid it.”
Yuri Jackson decided to become the person they wanted him to be.
Going with the flow, simply to survive.
“Pay homage.”
And so, after the power structure was established.
“Look at my idea!”
“My idea?”
“My?”
“Me?”
“Not Yuri?”
In Development Team 3, the land of the Blood Demon Yuri Jackson, the concept of ‘I’ ceased to exist.
“Punish that man severely.”
“It’s me, Yuri! Mindy, the one you favored! Please, just this once!!! I misspoke!!!”
“Strike him down!!!”
Yuri gestured and said, ‘Strike him down,’ and the man cried out and fell to his knees.
He was pleased, and the followers cheered.
“Mm, well done.”
“Lord Yuri praised me!”
“No! He wasn't praising you, he was praising me!”
“You fools! He was praising the setting sun outside!”
The waves of the great river flow on.
For the power that would dye that river with blood had not yet begun to stir.
Rewind’s Development Team 3 continued to build its strength today.
* * *
The live sparring match was a success.
Above all, it created a huge stir throughout the industry in terms of content, once again proving that Yang Gil-sang’s business judgment was correct.
At this point, the meme that was popular when the two first appeared before the public was being dragged out again: ‘If you’ve got a problem, let’s fight.’
When people actually started throwing down for real, not as a joke, it was inevitable that the meme would become something more.
One more thing: the initial goal of establishing the directors’ characters was brilliantly achieved.
Proof of this began to appear in the fan-creation market with Nishimura and Copson.
『King of One-Upmanship: LOL what’s with these guys
(Image of a bulked-up Nishimura and Copson grabbing a user by the head)
Why do these keep popping up? LMAO』
It was a beneficial phenomenon for Rewind.
A meme that started from a growing fondness for the developers themselves would eventually lead to the question, ‘So what do these guys make?’ which would, in turn, lead to the formation of a new user base.
Besides that, various other opinions about the sparring match were exchanged.
Since the level of the fight itself was high, even experts came forward to analyze the techniques the two exchanged, which created a ripple effect.
“How about a sponsorship deal with the KFC (Korean Fighting Championship)?”
“So suddenly?”
“Yes, the timing seems perfect right now. It’s the middle of the season, and I think we can get a big banner placement for a good price. They’re also reviewing it positively.”
Yang Gil-sang immediately rode the wave, planning to make the Rewind name known to other hobbyist communities.
Yeon-ho approved it, and a short time later, a massive Rewind logo was hanging in the arena of the KFC, which dreamed of the growth of mixed martial arts in Korea.
One day, while this was all happening.
Yeon-ho summoned Nishimura and Copson.
The two entered the president’s office with their legs trembling like newborn calves, wondering, ‘Is it another pay cut?’ There, they heard unbelievable news.
“We’ve received a request for a contract to turn *Demon’s Relic* into an animation.”
“Eh?”
“REEEAAAALLLLY?!?!?!?”
Copson froze, while Nishimura had a fit, foaming at the mouth.
That’s right.
The animation production they had only dreamed of had become a reality.
It would be a lie to say that the recent buzz and the distinct characters of the two men hadn't influenced the process.
But even apart from that, the subculture market share they had steadily built up had a significant impact.
The webtoon production, the encouragement of fan works, and the release of things like setting collections and unreleased illustrations.
*Demon’s Relic* itself was an IP that provided a lot of support for enjoyment outside of gameplay, making it well-suited for an animated adaptation.
“We’ll work out the details and schedule later. We’re still in the contract negotiation stage.”
Yeon-ho said, trying to calm them down, but there was no way they could hear him.
“We did it! We did it, Nishimura!”
“Oooohhhhh!!!”
Having always seen each other as rivals, perhaps understanding each other better than their own parents, Copson knew.
He knew that his rival’s dream was within reach.
In this moment, he was not a worthy opponent but a dear friend, a martial artist who would share a drink and discuss swordsmanship off the stage, offering pure praise.
“You’ve worked so hard, Nishimuraaaa!!!”
“Thank you, Copson!!!”
As the two roared with boiling enthusiasm, Yeon-ho said.
“…Both of you, get out.”
The passion of these men, it seemed, did not reach Yeon-ho.
He felt drained.
* * *
The four seasons were a thing of the past.
It was the middle of September, but the weather was still as hot as midsummer. Only the nights were starting to cool down, creating drastic temperature swings.
Experiencing the seasons of a bygone era after my return made it all feel more vivid, and a few thoughts about it crossed my mind before disappearing.
A person’s own worries take precedence over grand, macroscopic concerns, don’t they?
I took a moment to look back on all I had accomplished so far.
In that respect, everything was very satisfactory.
*Hellic 4* was still on a roll.
According to various data points, it was on track to sell a confirmed 6 to 8 million copies by the end of the year.
If managed well, it could even reach 10 million, but… that would require the GOTY award, so I tried not to count my chickens before they hatched.
Second, *Demon’s Relic* had been more successful than initially planned, leading to a quick animation deal.
The related articles were still being prepared, but if released with a time delay, they would provide some decent promotional effect before the release of the sequel.
Third was a bit of a surprise.
The remake of *Hellic 2*, handled by Development Team 3, was turning out to be quite impressive.
Though still in the planning stage, the level design was much more refined.
How should I put it? It was as if they had preserved the feel of the original while skillfully implementing all the things that had been abandoned due to the limitations of a six-person development team.
Yuri Jackson, to my surprise, was delivering excellent results as a director.
I didn’t know much about the development process, but one thing was certain: recruiting the creators who made the Identity *Hellic* mod was an excellent choice.
With that sorted, it was time for the next step.
What should I do from now on?
I had just decided.
“Then it’s settled. We’re developing the DLC.”
The release was set for the second quarter of next year, and we planned to prepare a small, manageable volume.
There’s a thing called development capability.
The literal meaning is the power needed for development, but it can also be used to mean the ‘sensory ability required for development.’
Senses grow dull if not used.
Conversely, if honed sharply, they can increase efficiency by several, even tens of times.
In that respect, Development Team 1 was at its peak right now.
Their senses were heightened from handling a tough schedule, and they had also recharged their physical and mental strength through a proper rest period.
At this point, finishing the DLC development by the second quarter of next year wouldn't be a difficult task.
I left after the meeting ended.
As I was organizing the schedule and reviewing the DLC plan.
“P-President…”
Jo A-yun, who had been quiet for a while, sought me out first.
I wondered what was up. She had been busy all through the vacation season with game events and new raids, so her sudden visit was puzzling.
“Yes?”
At my question, Jo A-yun squeezed her eyes shut, and with a voice full of shyness, she grabbed my collar and said.
“P-please marry me…!”
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