Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: A Monumental Achievement
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It was a record-breaking, unbelievable achievement.
Everyone in the audience watching the stage at this awards ceremony knew it.
Korea, a country known for producing top-tier gamers but lagging in development, had given birth to an indie game from a mere university club that had now grossed nearly 20 billion won in net sales.
And as if that wasn't enough, it had competed against the eye of the storm, Minecraft, and emerged victorious. What could this be called, if not a miracle?
For that reason, the industry professionals seated in the audience understood Yeon-ho’s dazed reaction.
The sight of his consistently cool, expressionless face dissolving in a wave of elation was a spectacle in itself.
The moment the trophy was placed in his arms was the highlight.
“Ah…”
Like a new mother receiving her newborn, Yeon-ho’s hands were filled with caution.
The flicker in his eyes as he held it was magnified on the screen, vividly conveying his emotion.
It wasn't just Yeon-ho; the entire Studio Rewind team shared the same expression.
At this, the industry veterans who had been around for a long time wore pleased smiles.
These young developers reminded them of their own youth, of the dawn of video games—the so-called romantic era—when they developed games in cramped garages.
“Huuu…”
A breath escaped Yeon-ho's lips, amplified by the microphone.
In that moment, an undeniable fact was established.
That this young director had made a monumental mark on the history of the game industry, and that he might continue to do so in the future.
Who would dare not welcome such a fact?
A new bud, destined to make the industry blossom even more brilliantly, was just beginning to unfurl its leaves.
The applause grew even louder.
Amidst it all, the host nonchalantly began to speak.
“Now, have you calmed down a bit?”
Yeon-ho flinched, then nodded with a small smile.
His gaze was fixed straight ahead.
It was clear he still hadn't fully composed his emotions.
The tremor in his voice proved it.
“…I’ve shown an unseemly side of myself.”
Those were his first words, aside from thanks.
“To be honest, I thought the chances of us not winning this award were high. We did our best, but Minecraft was such a formidable competitor this year that I had all but given up hope.”
Following his respect for the competition came the conventional words of gratitude.
But they were steeped in heartfelt sincerity.
“We received help from so many people. First and foremost, my team members, who worked tirelessly every day to create this game—each one of them is a precious asset to me. They are irreplaceable. Also…”
Like any award recipient, he continued with a long speech.
Yeon-ho spoke of his team’s hard work and the external advisors who had helped them, before finally revealing the most important thing.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all the players who brought this honor to Hellic.”
For the first time, he bowed his head.
When he raised his head again, Yeon-ho's expression was cool and firm.
Yet, his eyes burned with intensity, ensuring his emotions were not lost.
He began to speak, as if about to say something important.
“A long time ago, the first game I ever played as a child was Studio Valhalla’s Ruin Crusader.”
Somewhere in the audience, Alid smiled with satisfaction.
Even so, Yeon-ho continued.
“It was a new experience. So much so that it felt like my life had been turned 180 degrees. I couldn't help but be drawn in. The conviction that this was my path only grew stronger as I played more games.”
He listed a few representative titles.
“I've finally made it to this stage. I won't say this is more than I deserve, as that would be a disservice to everyone who granted me this award.”
After saying this, Yeon-ho paused for a moment, then spoke.
“Thank you. I will do my best to ensure this is not the end.”
Yeon-ho's gaze swept across the audience.
For some reason, an inexplicable atmosphere settled in, and silence fell wherever his eyes landed.
The hall grew quiet, all eyes focused solely on one man.
“I will greet you all again. On this very stage. With a AAA title.”
Yeon-ho had just dropped a bomb.
Click—!
Camera flashes exploded dazzlingly.
Hellic 3, which had been teased for a mere twenty seconds.
A layer of its mystery had just been peeled away.
***
“South Korean University Game Development Team, Studio Rewind, Conquers the Global Game Market!”
It was an article bordering on hyperbole.
Calling it a 'conquest' was a stretch, as it was an achievement within the indie scene, and the victory was by a margin of a single award. Naturally, the community pushed back against such articles.
However, the backlash wasn't significant.
They had more important things to be excited about than getting fired up over an article.
[Hellic3Hype]: Hellic! Hellic! Hellic!
[BangbaeBloordlord]: Damn… a GOTY from our country… is this real life?
[CherryLipsJaehee]: This is insane ㅠㅠㅠ
Hellic 2’s GOTY win.
And it wasn't from some minor awards show, but one of the top five, which added to its value.
December 28, 2011.
In Korea, the standard for GOTY was ‘how many awards has it won?’
By that metric, Hellic 2, with its 18 awards, had secured the top spot in an unusually competitive year for indie games, making it a clear source of pride.
It was a moment of explosive affection for the game, and that affection was expressed in various ways.
[Chat] zZoneMaster: Alice celebrating Hellic 2's win
(Image of Yeon-ho cosplaying as Alice)
Alice wants a celebratory cheeseburger!
[CherryLipsJaehee]: Fix the 3-meter Alice bug lololol
Some used already-famous memes.
[Chat] IsThisTheTest: So the director is the one in the plaid shirt, right?
(Image of the Hellic 2 acceptance speech)
The guy with glasses in the plaid shirt is the director, yeah? The one giving the speech is just the spokesperson.
[PureT]: Not the spokesperson lol, he's the face of the team lol. The guy who talks probably has shit dev skills anyway lmao
Others used memes typically reserved for The Legend of Zelda.
[Chat] SweetBelfGuy39
The,,,staff,,,seems,,,very,,,passionate,,,^^
Or just watched with fond amusement as the members of Studio Rewind looked flustered at the ceremony.
Another new development was the influx of new fans.
[Question] YeonhoLoveCountryLove: Is this the community where people talk about Director Cheon Yeon-ho?
(Image of Yeon-ho smiling at the awards ceremony)
Sob ㅠㅠㅠ he's so handsome ㅠㅠㅠ what do I do ㅠㅠㅠ
[PureT]: Can't we ban people like this.
It was a big enough event to be featured not just in online articles, but on the 9 o'clock news.
After all, how could the title of ‘Korea’s First GOTY’ not carry immense weight?
Interest in Hellic and packaged games soared.
It was a green light for the entire game industry.
And on top of the GOTY win, there was one more thing for them to talk about.
[Chat] Hellic3Hype: HELLIC!!! 3!!! AAA!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
The reveal of new information about Hellic 3—and in such an unexpected way, on the most prominent stage.
Studio Rewind was taking on a AAA title.
While this should have been more cause for concern than excitement, Yeon-ho's performance thus far had managed to quell some of the users' worries.
[Chat] S2PoppyS2: I can't help but be excited! He’s Korea’s first GOTY winner!
[Chat] BangbaeBloodlord: Are we finally getting a major AAA series out of Korea?
[Chat] IsThisTheTest: Wow, but if it's AAA, how long will it take to release?
A big name promised more than one might think.
Comparing the impact of Studio Rewind’s debut with the name Hellic to the ripple effect of a single piece of information about Hellic 3 made this fact crystal clear.
Studio Rewind could no longer be called a small-time operation.
The eyes of those watching their next move were filled with anticipation.
Of course, there was one absolute truth.
[Chat] SpaceWarLover: Hyping up a game that hasn't even been released lol
No game can be judged until it's been played.
For now, Hellic 3 was a distant story.
[Chat] PreEnlistmentBladeMaster: Ah lololol I'm taking a time machine to the future! See you in two years! When Hellic 3 is out! Ah lololol
...Though for some, it might not be so distant.
[BangbaeBloodlord]: Why's this guy entering the Hyperbolic Time Chamber? lolol
[PureT]: Ugh lol smells like a soldier lol
[Hellic3Hype]: LMAOOOOOOOOOOO
[zZoneMaster]: Wow!!! I'm so jealous!!! LMAOOOO
The community was peaceful today, as always.
***
“Congratulations.”
On the day we were wrapping up our schedule and preparing to leave, Alid Rousseau appeared.
I gave a short bow.
“…Thank you.”
I decided not to bend or be intimidated.
I was no longer the person who simply admired him from afar.
Still, a little humility was necessary.
“There’s a long road ahead. We have to tackle a AAA title now.”
It wasn't an exaggeration; the road ahead was indeed long.
Indie and AAA games are different.
To use a soccer analogy, it's the difference between a youth soccer club and the Premier League.
Even if we’ve made waves in the indie scene, that’s not enough to hold our heads high in the AAA market.
We've only just taken the first step.
When I said that, Alid chuckled and replied.
“It seems you were right after all. I admit my insight was lacking.”
“Humility doesn’t suit you.”
“Then I’ll cut to the chase. I regret not being able to recruit you. But I’ll acknowledge it. You have talent. Enough to make me think you can achieve success even in the AAA space.”
It was strange. An Alid this friendly.
But it wasn’t enough to make me show any emotion.
I bowed my head to signal my departure, and Alid let me go without any reluctance, adding one more thing.
“I’ve prepared a gift. You’ll only be able to see it after you return to your country.”
“Pardon?”
“What the gift is, that's a secret. Isn’t this kind of anticipation part of the fun?”
I had no idea what he was thinking.
However, if he was telling me to look forward to it himself, it couldn't be a small gift.
Was there any reason to let my pride get in the way of accepting it?
“…I’ll look forward to it.”
“Heh heh, I’m looking forward to it, too. To you making it to this market.”
Alid left.
I stared for a moment at the spot where he had been, then headed toward my team.
“Why does that old guy show up so often?”
Han Seo-rim asked, glaring disgruntledly at the spot where Alid had stood.
Why, you ask?
“I guess he likes me.”
“Ugh, creepy.”
Suddenly, the image of her trembling before the award announcement overlapped with the sight of her furrowing her brow now.
“Not nervous anymore?”
I asked without thinking,
“…Shut up.”
And turned Han Seo-rim into a beet.
“Just go already!”
The sight of her back as she stomped away, dragging her suitcase, was quite something.
A short breath escaped me.
‘Hmm.’
Is this real? To be honest, it still doesn't feel real.
Indie GOTY, and against Minecraft, no less.
It was a miracle that no one from my past life would have believed if I told them.
It was also a moment of magic created by perfect timing.
Considering our initial lead in sales was starting to shrink, it wouldn't be long before our sales figures were surpassed.
Of course,
‘But I’m the one who won, right?’
That doesn't mean Minecraft gets to claim a total victory.
A weight lifted from my chest.
Just as I was about to walk away.
Thump!
“Oof!”
Something bumped into my leg.
The moment I looked down to check.
…!
My breath hitched.
“Aww…”
The one letting out a pitiful groan was a little Caucasian girl, maybe six or seven years old.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, and brightly flushed cheeks.
The child looked down at her crushed hamburger wrapper with a tearful expression.
Just then, a woman’s voice called out from a distance.
“Lisa!”
The woman who approached with quick steps was clearly the child’s mother.
“I’m sorry. My daughter is a bit clumsy.”
The woman said with an awkward smile.
She then scooped the child up into her arms.
I couldn't readily answer.
I felt something tightening in my chest.
It was a reaction of pure astonishment.
“Lisa, you need to apologize.”
From her mother's arms, the little girl glanced at me.
“…Sorry.”
She muttered a short apology and buried her head in her mother’s chest.
The woman apologized one last time and pressed a dollar bill into my hand, telling me to use it for laundry.
I stood there blankly, looking at the hamburger sauce on my pants and the five-dollar bill in my hand.
Was it just a mistake, my inability to properly distinguish foreigners’ faces?
“Sunbae! What are you spacing out for!”
Han Seo-rim shouted from a distance.
Only then was I able to break free from my thoughts.
The mother and daughter were no longer in sight.
I clenched the dollar bill in my hand.
‘…I must be imagining things.’
I turned and walked away.
Thinking that, whatever it was, it was a good thing.
Thinking that perhaps the future I had hoped for might actually exist.
Or if not, that I just wanted to believe it was true.
“I’m coming.”
The sunlight was sharp.
Just enough to feel pleasant.
***
It was the first day back in the country.
“Dad, Mom.”
Having returned at the year's end after a month-long journey.
I finally confessed my work to my parents.
“I’m a president now.”
My father replied.
“Right, you said you were making that game. I saw it on the news. I was so surprised to suddenly see your face on TV.”
Beep, beep.
My father asked, tapping his smartphone.
“So, do you make baseball games too?”
“?”
“The Giants are the strongest, right?”
I glanced at my father’s smartphone screen.
He was playing a mobile baseball game.
Crack!
With the sound effect, my father’s team gave up a home run.
“Dammit!”
My heart ached.