Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Trials' Arena Game Proposal
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After finishing the ninth Trials' Arena and the players returning to reality, about twenty days had passed.
Once some time had gone by, Hae-jin went to meet CEO Kim Min-soo along with Manager Kim.
This was because Fantasy Life had officially launched at the start of the month.
Kim Min-soo reported on it.
"Huge success!"
"Looks like everything's going well."
"Exactly! Seventy percent of Steampunk's gamers have signed up for Fantasy Life! Considering it's just getting started, we might even snag all of Steampunk's gamers!"
Steampunk.
It was a platform system that allowed gamers worldwide to easily buy and play games.
Most gamers were signed up there, and seventy percent had already joined.
It was nothing short of a success.
Hae-jin chuckled at CEO Kim Min-soo's excited report.
"Anyone would think you were the CEO of Games or Page, not Enter."
"Well, I kind of am now!"
"Yeah, fair enough."
Hae-jin shrugged.
Kim Min-soo had originally been the CEO of Chocolate Enter.
But Hae-jin was the real owner of Chocolate Enter, and he'd even handed over operations and management of Chocolate Games and Chocolate Page to him, so yeah, he was a CEO.
As they celebrated the success, the excited CEO Kim Min-soo called out to Hae-jin.
"Oh, major shareholder!"
"Yes?"
Hae-jin wondered why he was suddenly calling him.
To the puzzled Hae-jin, CEO Kim Min-soo asked,
"Want to give it a try sometime?"
"Fantasy Life?"
"Yes."
"Nah, I'm good. Reality's fantastical enough already."
"Ah......"
CEO Kim Min-soo sighed at Hae-jin's words that reality was more fantastical.
He knew exactly what Hae-jin meant.
It referred to awakening as a Player and getting dragged into the Trials' Arena.
Players were living a reality more fantastical than Fantasy Life because of it.
Hae-jin shrugged at CEO Kim Min-soo's reaction.
"I figure virtual reality games can wait until I finish this damn Survival Game I'm stuck in."
"Got it."
"Oh, and could you ask Chocolate Games about preparing a single-player virtual reality game, not just online ones?"
"A single-player VR game?"
"Yes."
"What kind......?"
CEO Kim Min-soo was puzzled. They'd just commercialized Fantasy Life and hit it big, and here was Hae-jin asking to develop a new game when they should be focusing on this one.
To such a CEO Kim Min-soo, Hae-jin revealed the name of the game he wanted developed.
"The name would be 'Trials' Arena'."
"'Trials' Arena' as in......"
People in reality called it the Survival Game, but most knew its real name.
The 'Trials' Arena' Hae-jin had just mentioned was exactly that.
But when Hae-jin suddenly brought it up, CEO Kim Min-soo trailed off.
Hae-jin nodded to him.
"That's right. The name of the Survival Game we're Players are going through."
"But turning that into a game......"
Plenty of people had already lost family, friends, or lovers in the Trials' Arena.
Making a game out of it could invite backlash.
Hae-jin knew exactly what CEO Kim Min-soo was worried about.
He spoke as if to say not to worry.
"Just use my name."
"Sell your name, major shareholder?"
"Yes. Say that I, the strongest Player, requested it to honor the surviving Players and let ordinary people experience what Players go through. It'd be training for Players and an experience for non-Players. Make it called a 'simulation' instead of a game."
CEO Kim Min-soo rested his chin in thought at Hae-jin's explanation.
It might not draw as much criticism as he'd feared.
But there was a problem.
"But, major shareholder."
"Go ahead."
"To do that, we'd need perfect knowledge of the Trials' Arena, including things that haven't happened yet, right?"
CEO Kim Min-soo could accept developing a single-player VR game based on Trials' Arena.
Intentions?
Hae-jin was willing to take the heat.
But planning-wise, how?
A single-player VR game modeled on Trials' Arena.
Per Hae-jin's intent, it had to replicate what Players went through, but only nine of the thirty arenas had been revealed so far.
Sure, development time would allow adding a few more by then.
Still, there were clear limits.
Hae-jin chuckled at that.
"The known Trials' Arenas so far are plenty. Add new ones later as updates, like fresh content."
"Even just the known ones are enough?"
"Yes. Trials' Arena has countless job classes, abilities, and more. Make it roguelike so players can experience them all. I'll handle the game planning and IP based on that."
"You, major shareholder?"
"Yes. Send what I make to Chocolate Games. If they say no, drop it. If they think it's viable, go ahead."
"Hmm, but if you say to do it......"
CEO Kim Min-soo was already raking in massive profits from the companies thanks to Hae-jin's guidance.
Even if it flopped, trying it wouldn't hurt.
'No, would it even flop if the major shareholder pushes for it?'
So far, Hae-jin had called every shot perfectly, and everything succeeded.
Reading that on CEO Kim Min-soo's face, Hae-jin said,
"This has some personal indulgence on my part, so Chocolate Games might push back. If so, ditch it boldly."
The reason Hae-jin said that was simple.
Thanks to inheriting everything from Joo-hyuk, he had more free time in reality than in previous regressions.
So, unlike past lives, he'd been sneaking in hobbies here and there.
Namely, 'novels.'
Hae-jin had always dreamed of being a fantasy novelist.
But after becoming a Player, he had no time.
Even with powerhouse Joo-hyuk's support, coming back from Trials' Arena meant rest was priority from a normal person's view.
Joo-hyuk covered all living expenses anyway, so Hae-jin alternated between efforts to grow stronger in reality and rest.
But this time was different.
Inheriting everything from Joo-hyuk meant no need for those past efforts.
Sure, taking over Joo-hyuk's leader role added party member duties.
But they handled their own stuff, so he didn't need the full month before the next Trials' Arena.
Various incidents kept popping up, so he'd just been jotting down hobby notes without full focus.
'But that phase is over now.'
That phase was over.
The 'phase' Hae-jin recalled was squeezing in scribbling time.
As mentioned, clearing the ninth Trials' Arena took quite a while.
During that, he'd gathered party members, taught them what they needed, invested hidden crime funds via CEO Kim Min-soo to balloon assets while succeeding his businesses.
Beyond business, he'd even taken on a national villain crime task force.
Now, everything was settling in.
So Hae-jin thought he'd seriously try writing a novel.
'Well, more autobiography than novel?'
More autobiography than novel.
That fit.
The planning document he was handing to CEO Kim Min-soo for Chocolate Games was a novel manuscript and related settings.
To others, it might look like a novel, but to Hae-jin, it was the product of all past lives thanks to Joo-hyuk.
But Hae-jin overlooked one thing.
'It can't become a prophecy book.'
It couldn't become a prophecy.
Meaning, for the new content 'Trials' Arena' via CEO Kim Min-soo, he wouldn't predict uncleared arenas for updates.
That could rob his current party of advantages they needed.
So, purely reveal up to the Trials' Arenas that happened in reality.
Still plenty for varied content.
'Countless jobs, skills, gear, and developments per situation, all different.'
That's why a roguelike single-player VR game worked.
Not just Trials' Arena either.
If commercialized focusing only on clearing them, content would dry up fast.
So Hae-jin planned to add one more content to the 'Trials' Arena' game.
'If they have to play reality too, the volume will be insane.'
That's how Hae-jin planned 'Trials' Arena'.
With that in mind, he said,
"I'll compile the materials and send them before the deadline. We'll talk then."
"Understood."
"Yes."
After that meeting with CEO Kim Min-soo, Hae-jin returned home, then met him again at the end of September, before the tenth Trials' Arena.
To hand over the planning document for the new single-player VR game.
More precisely, a novel manuscript on Trials' Arena content and extra settings.
The settings volume for the game was surprisingly massive, and CEO Kim Min-soo felt dizzy looking at the USB data.
"So all this is settings?"
"Plus a manuscript for web novel content."
"Heh heh......"
CEO Kim Min-soo was floored.
He'd expected some modest data, but the amount Hae-jin sent was enormous.
Seeing it, CEO Kim Min-soo said,
"We'll have to send this to Chocolate Games for review."
"Yes, do that. You can report back next month, right?"
"Hmm, next month should work."
"Then we'll meet next month."
"Yes, got it."
Afterward, Hae-jin parted ways with CEO Kim Min-soo.
And it arrived.
October 1st, 2030.