Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Abyss (2)
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Immediately after the console release of *Hellic 2* was announced, the Japanese community was abuzz with the news for a while.
『I'm a user who played the PC version.
I can say with certainty that it's a masterpiece, a game loved by Alid Russo of Valhalla.
It's the 2011 Indie GOTY, earning such high praise.
I'm excited that it's coming to console.
I recommend it to all of you.』
The reactions were mostly favorable.
The few negative responses came from users anxious about it being a PC port.
But those voices were few, and the interest in *Hellic* was significant enough to drown them out.
There was a lot of talk, especially about Alice's character model.
『Is that girl the protagonist?
That's right. It's a game you play from the girl's perspective.
┕Oh... The model is beautifully done.
┕The action is good too, I recommend it』
Fundamentally, the Japanese subculture market has a deep interest in moe elements.
As such, a game featuring a young girl as the protagonist already had a baseline appeal, and with the added guarantee of solid gameplay, many people's interest was piqued.
Furthermore, the 'no spoilers' phenomenon that had occurred in other countries added to the curiosity about the story, leading to a fair number of users already deciding to buy the game.
But until then, it was still only the interest of a minority.
When you thought about it, that was the case.
No matter how much it was an Indie GOTY, it was still an indie game. From a user's perspective, weren't there already more prominent AAA options available?
A casual level of interest was the general perception among users.
The interest in *Hellic 2* was on the verge of fading away.
It was at that moment.
That an image appeared, skyrocketing the interest in *Hellic* within the Japanese market.
『The developers have a deep love for their game.
(Image of Yeon-ho cosplaying as Alice)
The director himself is cosplaying the playable character www
The director is serious about cross-dressing wwwww
This guy wwww pretending it's for promotion but showing his true colors wwww
Horrifying wwwwwwww』
The 'Land of Subculture, Japan (important)' went wild.
From their perspective, the director's eccentric behavior was directly linked to the game's credibility.
Of course, someone seeing this phenomenon might sigh in despair, but what did that matter?
『I tried drawing the director.
(Fan art of Yeon-ho cosplaying as Alice)』
A meme-driven success is still a success, and noise marketing is still marketing.
Just as someone's sad theory would have it, *Hellic*'s entry into the Japanese market was cruising along smoothly, albeit with a lot of noise.
***
Humans are creatures of adaptation.
Like that old saying, Ji-seok, the new hire in the planning team, was adapting to this studio that never slept.
Completing an adaptation and evolution befitting his environment.
'Oh, I'm getting off on time.'
The time he finished work was exactly 7:00 PM.
It had been about nine hours since he clocked in at 10:00 AM.
Leaving on time for the first time in his two months at the company, many thoughts raced through Ji-seok's mind.
From thinking 'Should I quit?' on his first day, to starting to adapt and thinking 'Alright, let's just stick it out a little longer,' and even just yesterday, after working an hour of overtime, thinking 'This isn't so bad, I can do this.'
As each memory came back with a wave of emotion, Ji-seok's heart swelled.
Amidst it all, the person who came to mind was, of course, Yeon-ho, who had given him this workload.
Ji-seok's gaze shifted sideways, landing on Yeon-ho who was busy at work.
The planning team's leader, the studio's president, and the general director of the *Hellic* series.
That was all the information Ji-seok had when he joined, but what he realized now was that the man was incredibly meticulous.
He was like a personal trainer, to make an analogy.
'He gives just enough work that it becomes manageable once you get used to it.'
You know how it is.
Those trainers, when you feel like you can't do any more, they shout 'Just one more! One more!' and push you right to the brink of death.
Yeon-ho's way of managing work was just like that.
The daily workload he assigned seemed impossible at first glance, but when you actually did it, you'd find yourself thinking, 'Huh? How did I manage that?' and complete it.
For the first month, it felt like he was going to die, but now that he was used to it, it was manageable as long as he focused.
That led him to a thought.
'Does he have a lot of experience managing employees?'
Yeon-ho was 26 this year.
He was two years younger than Ji-seok, who was 27, yet he was so skilled at managing people.
So, regardless of age, there were times when Ji-seok felt a sense of respect for him.
Of course, there were also moments when that feeling faded.
“Hey, let’s go eat.”
From over the partition, Art Director Han Seo-rim's head peeked out.
Yeon-ho glanced at the clock and replied.
“Ah, it's dinnertime.”
“What should we eat today?”
“Something simple would be nice.”
“Let's go to that dakgalbi place. A new one opened up.”
“That place is no good.”
“...It just opened today, though?”
“I know it. It's no good. Let's just go get jajangmyeon.”
“You really love your jajangmyeon, don't you.”
“What about the others?”
“No one else. It's just us two today. Get your stuff and let's go.”
As their conversation flowed smoothly, an unidentifiable emotion welled up inside Ji-seok.
His gaze turned to Yeon-ho's face.
'...He's handsome.'
It was a face he couldn't get used to, even after seeing it for two months straight.
How many times had he wondered why someone like that was a developer instead of a celebrity?
With a guy like that around, and seeing him go out to eat alone with a pretty woman, it was only natural for his stomach to churn.
If that were all, he wouldn't even mention it.
There was the sound director (Jo A-yun) who'd pop over his partition at least once a day to feed him a chocolate, and the senior designers from the art team (the fuss-making duo) who would come over cackling to tease him and Yeon-ho.
And to top it all off, even the administrative staff would stare at Yeon-ho with dazed eyes whenever he walked down the hall.
He hadn't lost anything, but how could he not feel a sense of deprivation?
His body trembled, and just then, Yeon-ho sensed his gaze and turned his head.
“Hm? Mr. Ji-seok, are you leaving?”
Ji-seok flinched and answered.
“Ah, yes. I finished all my work...”
“Good work. What about Mr. Ho-su?”
“I'm just going to organize a few things for tomorrow before I leave.”
*You bastard!*
Ji-seok's eyes became bloodshot.
He couldn't stand his fellow new hire, who was not only much better at the job but also so full of motivation that he was voluntarily working overtime.
Look at that! A pleased expression was spreading across Yeon-ho's face!
'S-should I work overtime too?'
He suddenly felt self-conscious.
In reality, it was normal to go home after finishing your day's work, but it was starting to feel like something only a bad person would do.
Fortunately, Yeon-ho was the one to cut that line of thought short.
“Mr. Ji-seok, you can go home. You've adapted to the work now, so you need to rest and manage your pace. Everyone has their own way of being efficient.”
“Ah!”
*Twang—*
The heart-stirring words made him feel a small surge of company loyalty.
Whether he knew what Ji-seok was feeling or not, Yeon-ho was already leaving.
“Well then, I'll be on my way. Mr. Ho-su, don't overdo it either.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yeon-ho disappeared from his desk.
Ji-seok let out a sigh, *huu*, and looked at Ho-su.
Two months into the job, but he and Ho-su were still awkward with each other.
Even though they'd slept side-by-side in the duty room (sleeping quarters) quite a few times.
'Hmm...'
Since this on-time departure was so unexpected, he had nothing else to do. Maybe he should chat a bit before leaving.
“Mr. Ho-su, what are you looking at?”
He sidled up and asked, and Ho-su replied.
“Calibrating stats. The numbers get twisted when Gwanggaeto's Heart is combined with the Lionheart King's Head and the Bloodstone Axe.”
“Ah, Gwanggaeto was the core of the Ghost Horse build, right?”
“Yes, if I leave these stats as they are, the Ghost Horse build will become obsolete, so I'm fixing it.”
*He said he was a math major, and he really is thorough with his calculations.*
Ji-seok scratched his cheek and nodded.
The awkwardness returned immediately.
'What should I talk about?'
They were on the same team and joined at the same time, but how could they be so incompatible?
Just as he was sighing internally.
“Is the work manageable for you?”
Ho-su spoke first.
Ji-seok shrugged and replied.
“Ah, yes. I'm doing fine... How about you, Mr. Ho-su?”
“It's fun. Especially seeing the stats I set get implemented in the game.”
Ji-seok was surprised. A smile was spreading across Ho-su's lips.
The same Park Ho-su who always looked like a wreck, worn out from exhaustion!
'Wow.'
*That guy is serious about this.*
While he was thinking that.
“I want to do a good job. If we create something inferior to *Hellic 2*, which the Team Leader planned all by himself, then there's no reason for us to be here.”
At those words, Ji-seok's movements suddenly stopped.
'*Hellic 2*...'
What was there to say? The reason Ji-seok had joined this company was because of that one indie game developed by a team of just six people.
He then had another thought.
It was self-reflection.
'...Am I being helpful in making something better than that?'
He didn't know.
Two months into the job was a time when he didn't even know what he was doing.
But one thing was certain.
'...'
The fact that he wasn't approaching his work as seriously as Ho-su was.
The moment he realized that, his body moved on its own.
*Thud—*
Ji-seok put his packed bag down next to his computer and turned it on.
“Mr. Ji-seok?”
To Ho-su's question, Ji-seok gave an awkward laugh and replied.
“I don't have anything to do at home anyway, so I figured I'd work a little longer. Seeing you work so hard is motivating.”
Ho-su's eyes widened slightly before returning to their normal size.
“...I'll be done in about an hour.”
“Sounds good. I'll work for about that long too. Ah, would you be up for a drink afterward?”
“That's not a bad idea. See you in an hour then.”
“Yeah.”
*Clack, clack!*
The sound of keyboards began to echo from the planning team's area.
Ji-seok thought to himself the whole time.
'A game better than *Hellic 2*.'
Ho-su's words had created ripples within him.
A clearer goal.
It was good motivation.
'To be better than *Hellic 2*...'
*I have to work hard.*
Because even at this very moment, *Hellic 2* was making a name for itself on a new stage.
***
The best Chinese restaurant I knew in Pangyo.
The moment I picked up a piece of chili shrimp, Han Seo-rim spoke.
“The reaction in Japan is good.”
“Hm?”
“*Hellic 2*. It seems to be making quite a splash as soon as the news of the console version came out.”
So that's what she was talking about.
“It would be. It has a sensibility that they'd quite like over there.”
Fundamentally, it's a story about a mother and daughter, with a good amount of melodrama and twists, set against the backdrop of hell and with console-friendly controls. There's no reason for them to dislike it.
Above all, with the ultimate promotional tool of 'GOTY' attached to *Hellic 2*, even in an unfamiliar market, people would be willing to give it a try out of curiosity.
“It'll sell. It's a title that Sona is actively supporting, after all.”
I said, summarizing my thoughts.
But even as I said that, one thought still came to mind.
'In the end, we're just an opening act.'
At this year's E3 in 2012, despite entering the market with the title of Indie GOTY, *Hellic 2* was bound to be treated as a side show.
There was no other reason.
'Because *End of Us* was announced.'
A masterpiece of the era, released in the twilight of the PS3.
One of the industry's undisputed best-sellers, whose name always comes up when discussing the greatest console games.
An unbelievable monster that would sweep the awards in 2013, beating out GTV5.
A legendary title that came to represent its era.
Though its reputation was tarnished by various issues with its sequel, all of this was an undeniable fact.
It was happening right now.
Only a single trailer was revealed at E3.
But its impact was already blazing like crazy and becoming a hot topic, even here in Korea where the console market's influence is low.
How could we even approach its stronghold?
For at least a few years, until the new *Legend of Link* came out in 2017, there wouldn't be another game that swept the awards so thoroughly...
'...No.'
Come to think of it, there was one.
'Was Valhalla's new game in '14 or '15?'
I remember Alid Russo's new game, which had just as much impact as *End of Us*, being announced the following year.
When I think about it, this industry never runs out of masterpieces.
Anyway, putting aside such idle talk, *Hellic 2* was the opening act for this year's E3.
Of course, it wasn't on the level of insignificant dust.
Thankfully.
'*End of Us* releases next year, *Hellic 2* at the end of this year. For now, *Hellic 2* is getting attention because its release date is closer. There shouldn't be any major problems pulling in sales.'
The console version of *Hellic 2* will be released late this year, around the same time as the PS3 Super Slim.
Meaning, even as an opening act, it could produce tangible results.
I decided to focus only on that point.
There was no need to tremble with needless anxiety.
“Alice's model came out quite well. It'll be especially popular in the Japanese market. It's a market where you can basically use moe elements as a selling point.”
“Yeah, there's been a lot of talk about that.”
Han Seo-rim replied, swiping through her smartphone.
*That's an addiction.*
Just as I was thinking that.
“But it looks like you really don't know, do you.”
“Hm?”
“No, it's fine if you don't know.”
*What's with her?*
As I was wondering, Han Seo-rim put away her smartphone.
“Let's just eat. Oh, when does our team start working? The staff are just lazing around.”
“Enjoy it while you can. Soon you'll be screaming for a break.”
“Wow, so vicious. The owner of that sleeping room is going to change.”
“Duty room.”
“Whatever. It's a sleeping room.”
*She doesn't understand the importance of names.*
I was about to say something but stopped.
It had been a while since I'd seen Han Seo-rim without her smartphone, and I didn't want to get on her bad side for no reason.
I just ate my food.
And so, a day in July was passing.
***
Seo-rim, due to her recently reduced workload, left work early and was now lying down at home.
Once again, she was looking at her smartphone.
Just as Yeon-ho had judged, a considerable addiction.
But, was this addictive behavior harmful to the studio? ...Not exactly.
After all, the only thing Seo-rim did while clinging to her smartphone was search for posts related to *Hellic*.
'Should I tell him?'
Seo-rim was deep in thought.
It was because of the issue in Japan.
From her subtle questioning during dinner, she'd gathered that Yeon-ho was judging the interest in *Hellic 2* based only on mainstream data.
In other words, he hadn't yet gotten close to the 'real reason' that Seo-rim knew.
“Hmmmm...”
Seo-rim stroked her chin and stared at her smartphone screen.
It was a recommended post from the game community she frequented.
The content was a scraped and translated collection of Japanese reactions to *Hellic*.
『(Source) LordofBlood_Bangbae: What the hell are the Japanese guys doing?
(A drawing of Yeon-ho cosplaying as Alice, posing with a slingshot)
How far is this cosplay pic going to spread...
Waiting4Hellic3: Oh, Yeon-ho...
CherryLipsJaehee: ???
S2PoppyS2: ...^^
ClearAsDay: Nicely drawn lol
zZ_Master_Zz: Fk..
ILoveSpaceWar: Oh my god...
SweetBelfGuy40: What,,is,,the,,world,,coming,,to,,,such,,,a,,lewd,,,thing,,!』
Seo-rim read the post carefully one more time.
That was it.
Yeon-ho thought the interest in *Hellic* in Japan was due to factors like the GOTY award, but in reality, *Hellic* was gaining attention because bizarre fan art like this had become a meme.
This wasn't all.
If you went over to the Japanese communities, Yeon-ho's cosplay picture had been transmuted into all sorts of strange fan art (dancing gifs, winking pics, magical girl Yeon-ho pics, etc.), setting the communities ablaze.
Of course, there were those interested in Alice and the butterfly itself, but they were a tiny minority.
The word-of-mouth spread of *Hellic* was due to that infamous 2009 G-STAR picture being resurrected as a fresh new trend in another country.
'Should I tell him?'
Seo-rim thought for a moment, then made her decision.
'...Let's just bury it.'
*No need to be the one to stick my neck out.*
Some truths in this world are best left covered up.
[Save image?]
Of course, she didn't forget to save the picture to look at whenever she felt down.
Finally, Seo-rim put away her smartphone.
And closed her eyes.
With the thought that tomorrow would be just another ordinary day.
***
...However, unfortunately, there are no eternal secrets in this world.
“P-President! Look at this...!”
The next day, A-yun (pure evil) showed the problematic picture to Yeon-ho, her eyes sparkling.
Yeon-ho's expression began to change.
Seo-rim thought to herself.
'Wow...'
*So he's capable of making a face like that.*
It was the most dynamic expression Seo-rim had seen on Yeon-ho's face in the four years she'd known him.
The Abyss (2)