Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Art Director
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The design document was steadily coming together.
From the choice of genre to the game engine, the basic concept and gameplay, character settings and system design, and even the overall scope.
The moment I finished it all, I could finally catch my breath.
‘Alright, the planning phase is done.’
Now, it was time to start preparing for production in earnest.
It had been an arduous process.
Everything from setting the budget to drawing up the execution plan.
Game development isn't something you can do with passion alone.
At its core, a game is a complex medium that requires the intricate interplay of various media.
It requires talented people from various fields and a process of assimilation where they all move as one.
That’s true even for a solo developer.
I couldn't do everything by myself, so I had to fill the gaps, even if it meant outsourcing.
The core of development is planning, programming, and art.
Fortunately, I could handle two of those on my own.
‘The planning is done. I can handle the programming.’
My major in college was programming.
And not just any college—I entered and graduated at the top of my class from a prestigious university in the capital area.
I have a great deal of programming knowledge beyond my coursework. Plus, with the know-how I gained during my solo development days, I don’t need immediate help with programming.
That left only one thing.
‘...Art.’
As someone not well-versed in the arts, I desperately needed help in this area.
No matter how outstanding the gameplay or how clean the structure, if the visuals are lacking, a game just looks cheap.
I had even outsourced the art when I made *that* [Identity].
This time, its importance was even greater.
‘Visuals are the core of this project.’
Not just this time, but for all future projects, the most crucial element will be the visuals.
The key is how vividly and bizarrely I can bring the landscapes of Hell to life.
So I couldn't choose someone carelessly.
I also needed someone who would be with me for the long haul.
Considering the future, it was best to avoid changing the art style recklessly.
‘Someone already famous would be difficult.’
Even at this point in time, there were quite a few art directors renowned for their work in horror.
But I was too insignificant right now to recruit them.
So I had to think of someone who wasn't famous yet.
But whose talent was certain to emerge one day.
The thought didn't last long.
I couldn't be more grateful for my knowledge of the future.
‘There’s one person.’
Someone who won't make it big until ten years from now.
Right here in Seoul, and quite close by, at that.
* * *
It was in the early 2020s, back when I hadn't yet fully decided to quit my job.
"Whoa, a Korean art director is up for a GOTY. The national pride is insane."
"Well, it was well-made."
"Right? I mean, the ideas probably came from the director, but she's the one who brought it to life, you know? How on earth did she come up with that kind of depiction?"
"That's why she's a genius."
That year, a masterpiece that would go down in the history of console gaming was released.
A masterpiece hailed as such for its gameplay alone, an unparalleled work whose greatness no one could surpass until the day I died.
[Lost Kingdom]
That was the name of the game that swept the Game of the Year awards for an entire year.
In the history of gaming, many titles had sold more copies. Many had a greater impact.
And yet, the reason it was praised as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, irreplaceable then and forevermore, was none other than...
"Damn, the visuals are insane. Seriously."
Art.
If you had to pick just one reason, setting aside all other elements, it was the art.
It was an artistic masterpiece that, through its open-world RPG setting, presented breathtaking landscapes you couldn't tear your eyes from for a single moment.
Some were horrifying, some were delicate, and others were magnificent.
At every moment while traversing that world, players were met with new stimuli and beauty, and they could interact with every single element.
This led to a level of immersion so profound it felt as if you had truly fallen into the game's world.
Everyone who played the game said the same thing.
"I was so immersed that I even played the game in my dreams that night. I think I'll be living like this for a while."
I was the same.
Having always had a keen interest in console games, I played it with high expectations, and the experience affected me so much that it hindered my own project's progress for a while.
In fact, I still think about that game sometimes.
Even with the landscapes of Hell so vivid in my mind, the shock of the first day I played was so immense that it could still break through those memories.
Anyway, when the public singled out the number one contributor to the game's creation, it was her: the art director, Han Seo-rim.
It was a clear departure from the norm.
After all, doesn't the focus of a game's production usually fall on the lead director?
Considering the lead director's standing in the industry, the credit should have gone to him, but she had stolen the spotlight.
In the history of gaming, an art director receiving enough attention to threaten the lead director's prestige was, as far as I could remember, the first and last time it ever happened.
"It'll probably never happen again, right? One game sweeping all the art awards for a year."
"You can never say never. But I doubt it'll happen again in the next ten years."
She monopolized every art award in the game industry that year.
Following this historic achievement, online communities began to investigate who she was, and the facts that came to light were these:
A Korean woman in her thirties.
And that this game was the very first one she had worked on after entering the industry.
These two keywords combined into a single word: 'genius.'
Countless foreign webzines offered praise mixed with jokes like, "Korea really is the king of gaming," and major game companies spared no effort in trying to recruit her.
Korean companies, including the one I worked for, were no different.
They probably thought that since the talented director was Korean, they should at least try to get in on the action.
Of course, it was a failed attempt.
"If I were her, I wouldn't come either. Why live as a salaried worker in the isolated domestic game market?"
Korea is a market that primarily pioneers the mobile and online sectors based on highly predatory business models.
In other words, it's a barren wasteland where AAA titles cannot survive on their own.
Furthermore, the salary that domestic companies could offer her, a talent who would receive the best treatment anywhere she went, was far too meager.
Anyway, to cut to the chase, that's how it was.
She didn't go anywhere.
No, after that game, she left the industry altogether.
The reason was never revealed, but setting that aside, the one thing to focus on now was this:
Han Seo-rim, the mother of [Lost Kingdom].
A legend of the industry who appeared like a comet, left behind a single masterpiece, and then vanished.
She was the one I had to recruit.
Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about how to find her.
"Come to think of it, she's an alumna of your university, Team Leader."
"Alumna? I never saw her once while I was there. We were in different departments to begin with."
"Well, if you graduated from the same school, you're alumni."
She's a junior attending the same university as me.
A fresh-faced freshman from the class of '08, currently studying design.
* * *
After making my decision, I acted immediately.
I got dressed, left my place, and, trying to recall the now-faint memory of the bus route, arrived at my alma mater, Korea University.
‘It’s been a long time.’
I tilted my head back and looked at the academic building.
It was the first time I’d seen it since turning back time, so it had been almost twenty years.
Suddenly, memories of those days came flooding back.
Pulling all-nighters for assignments, doing assignments, and... doing assignments.
‘Hmm...’
...Maybe I should stop thinking about it.
Looking back, I hadn't exactly had a great time at university.
As I was continuing this period of self-reflection,
"Huh? Isn't that Yeon-ho?"
A voice called out.
"It is! It's Yeon-ho!"
A large man was smiling warmly at me.
Who was he? It took me a moment to remember.
"Jin-gyeong?"
We hadn't met since graduation, so it took me a while to recognize him.
He was a senior from my department, famous for being a heavy drinker.
I remembered he was popular because he came from a wealthy family.
"Yeah, you punk! Did you forget me already after coming back from the army?"
Jin-gyeong swaggered over and slapped my shoulder hard.
This was the kind of person he was.
Unpretentious and cheerful, the type to hang out even with loners like me.
"It's been a while."
"Yeah, yeah, the last time I saw you was around when you left for the army, so has it been two years? Are you back at school now?"
"No, I'm taking another semester off."
"Oh? Then what brings you to campus?"
"I'm here for something."
"Ooh..."
Jin-gyeong nodded.
He didn't seem particularly curious for more details.
Then again, we weren't close enough to share personal stories.
"You're a senior now, right? You'll probably have graduated by the time I come back. Congratulations in advance."
I was about to turn away after some conventional pleasantries.
"What are you talking about? I'm here for another year."
"?"
"Retaking classes. I'm a fifth-year."
"..."
Ah, that's right.
When I returned to school, he had been a fifth-year.
"Han Jin-gyeong! Let's go!"
A group of people who looked like they were about to start day drinking called out to Jin-gyeong.
He replied.
"Yeah! Oh, perfect timing. Yeon-ho, you wanna come?"
"No, I'm just here for something quick."
"Oho, a model student who doesn't know how to have fun? Anyway, got it. Take care!"
Jin-gyeong led his large frame away and vanished like the wind.
Many thoughts crossed my mind, but I pushed them away.
I just kept walking.
‘Where was the Fine Arts building again?’
My own immediate problems were more pressing than worrying about someone else's life.
Fortunately, there was a campus map to make up for my faded memories.
After finding my way to the Fine Arts building without much trouble, I decided to look for her the old-fashioned way.
"Excuse me, can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know a Han Seo-rim in the Visual Design department?"
The student blinked.
They looked bewildered, but I had no other choice.
This was an era before smartphones were widespread.
This was the way.
* * *
*Bang!*
"Seo-rim! Han Seo-rim!"
Her classmate burst through the department lounge door, shouting boisterously.
Seo-rim lifted her head from where it had been buried on the desk.
"...What."
She was completely drained from an all-night assignment session.
Her head was pounding, and the loud noise was agonizing, but her classmate seemed to have no intention of being considerate.
"A guy is here looking for you!"
"What guy?"
"That, uh, Cheon Yeon... Cheon Yeon-ho?"
It was a name she didn't know.
Just as Seo-rim furrowed her brow,
a senior who had been tapping away at her phone nearby snapped her head up in recognition.
"Cheon Yeon-ho? From Computer Science?"
"Huh? You know him?"
"Of course I do! The top student of the '06 freshman class! I heard he went to the army, guess he's back!"
The senior even shot up from her seat, joining in the fuss.
*So he's famous for being a good student?*
But it was strange.
Every department had a top student for each year, and there was no reason for someone to be this famous in another department, let alone another college.
"Is he that good at his studies?"
When she asked out of curiosity, the senior tilted her head.
"What are you talking about?"
"You said he was the top student. I was just wondering if that was enough to be so famous."
"Not that kind of top. I mean, he is that, too, but he's top in another way."
The senior grinned.
"Top of the department in looks."
"..."
Her classmate nodded, her eyes sparkling.
"Do you know him?"
There was no room for doubt.
They looked like hyenas that had found prey to chew up, tear apart, and savor.
Years of experience told her.
If she opened her mouth, she'd just become fodder for their gossip over drinks.
"I don't know him."
"Then why is he looking for you?"
"How should I know?"
"Gasp! Don't tell me?"
The classmate and the senior looked at each other, letting out gleeful breaths.
Soon, they were giggling and making a scene.
Damn television had ruined people again.
A show where celebrities entered into virtual marriages was all the rage.
It was painfully obvious what was going on inside their heads.
Seo-rim immediately got up from her seat.
"He's probably here for something important. Why are you making such a fuss? My brother is in that department too."
She tried to dismiss their excitement, but judging by their expressions, it was a lost cause.
It seemed she'd have to keep a low profile for a while.
"I'll be right back."
Seo-rim quickly walked out of the lounge.
She was slightly annoyed. She had often been the subject of unnecessary rumors during her school days, so she didn't welcome this kind of attention.
Naturally, her impression of Cheon Yeon-ho was bound to be negative.
There was a high probability he was here at the request of her good-for-nothing brother, Han Jin-gyeong.
If not, she'd shut him down and leave immediately.
The moment she stepped out in front of the building with that resolve,
Seo-rim was able to spot Cheon Yeon-ho among the people coming and going at once.
He had that much of a striking aura.
‘...Hmm.’
*He is handsome.*
* * *
"Cheon Yeon-ho?"
A woman standing askew with her arms crossed spoke to me.
A sharp bob cut, sharp features, and a prim expression.
I knew at once.
This was the mother of [Lost Kingdom], the art director Han Seo-rim.
Her face, younger than in the photos I remembered, stirred a strange feeling in me.
This was what it was like to see the past of the person who would create such a masterpiece in the future.
At the same time, a sense of excitement rose within me.
Because this woman could realize the Hell in my mind more vividly than anyone else.
‘It’s fine even if she’s not ready now.’
If I help her grow, she'll reach a level that satisfies me, and perhaps even surpass it.
My mouth suddenly felt dry.
Suppressing a rising thirst, I offered my hand for a shake.
"I'm Cheon Yeon-ho from the Computer Science department. Han Seo-rim?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Could we talk for a moment?"
"What is it about? If it's not important, can you just tell me here? I have a class soon."
Even then, Han Seo-rim didn't take my hand.
Her wary attitude was palpable.
Then again, it was understandable, since a complete stranger had come looking for her right in front of her department building.
"Um..."
This wasn't something to discuss while standing, but I supposed I had no choice.
I thought for a moment, then said the words I had prepared.
"I happened to see your Mini-Homepage. To be precise, the pictures you posted there."
"Ah, the doodles?"
Doodles? That was laughable.
On Han Seo-rim's Mini-Homepage, which I had found through various connections for my preliminary research, there were a few digitally drawn pictures.
Every single one was top-notch.
Not in terms of quality, but in their sensibility.
It was as if the sensibility I remembered from [Lost Kingdom] had been melted down into its rawest form.
Anyway.
"...Yes, those are the ones."
"Hm, go on."
It seemed I had succeeded in catching her interest.
I nodded.
"I'll be direct. There's something I'd like to ask of you, Ms. Han Seo-rim."
"What is it?"
"I'm making a game. I would like you to be in charge of the art department for it."
Han Seo-rim made a strangely sullen face.
"...A game?"
"Yes."
"You're *making* it?"
"...Yes."
Just as a wave of anxiety washed over me, her answer came.
"...I've never even played a game before."
?