The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Chapter 250: The Evil God's Constellation (3)

Translator: DreamscribeJinwoo began the buildup to unveil the "Evil God's Tower", which would serve as the main content for Episode 6. Simply uploading an intro video to reveal it wouldn't be fitting for Arsilan Saga.

Narrative and staging that matched the plausibility and setting were important.

"Erosion Headquarters…."

"To think they were making something like this!"

"Grrrrrr!"

The employees burned with rivalry toward Erosion Headquarters after seeing the Constellation System and Evil God's Tower.

The Salvation Headquarters employees naturally had their own work to do.

Jinwoo worked with the staff to build the quest line leading into the Constellation System and the Evil God's Tower, then patched it into Luzen. No update announcement was posted.

"It's up!"

"Heh! I can't wait to see it!"

"The Evil God seems to have a lot of angles we could make use of."

"Oh yeah? Then bring me a proposal. I'll review it and report it to the boss."

"Yes, sir!"

The mood among the staff was good.

It was a family-like atmosphere in the very best sense of the word. A company culture had settled in where people looked out for and respected one another, yet delivered a sharp word when someone slipped up or caused trouble.

At FS Games, anyone who muddied the waters never lasted long. At other companies, competence mattered most, but at FS Games, character mattered more than competence.

'The engine I gave them handles the skill side. No, actually, when you think about it, character itself is the greatest competence.'

Character itself could be called the greatest competence.

Jinwoo quietly stepped into the CEO's office. Various events were underway in Arsilan Saga, but Jinwoo wasn't involved in the slightest. Everything had been left to Han Yong-seon and the staff.

Thanks to that, he could focus on the Dimensional Realm.

Jinwoo moved to Luzen and searched for Heroes above Level 200. Thanks to the average level rising dramatically through the prologue war, there were now quite a lot of Heroes who had reached Level 200.

It had been cut down far shorter than the timeframe Jinwoo had projected before advancing into the Dimensional Realm. He decided he owed some gratitude to the Kalsus Dimensional Empire Army for their beautiful sacrifice.

To receive the Constellation Quest, a Hero had to break past Level 200 and reach a certain threshold of Honor and Achievement.

'Quite a few.'

A decent number of Heroes were in a position to access the Constellation Quest.

Jinwoo moved over to where Ella and Helby were.

The two were fully prepared. It was their first time participating in an Arsilan Saga main episode in a different form. Helby did have a prior record, but since that had been a secret, we'll just let it slide.

"The preparation seems a bit over the top…."

Ella had become a perfect Evil God's Avatar. Her tall stature and beautiful figure were barely covered by a black veil. Her hair rippled in midair, and from behind her back, countless tentacles formed of blades and pincers extended outward in long, reaching lines.

She had been packed full of Sacred Power, with Jinwoo's own Sacred Power layered over that. Helby had also been upgraded.

Countless red eyes were embedded in her greatsword, and the faces of screaming people were etched into it like patterns. The cloak attached to her thick armor let out shrieking wails every time it swayed.

"Well…."

It was a horrific sight, but it did have the advantage of being perfectly immune to Erosion. On top of that, since it was linked to the dimensional ship and the Mage Tower, it could grant all sorts of effects.

Everything Ella and Helby wore was S-rank or higher.

'Tiris must have helped.'

That explained why she hadn't been visible during the Constellation System tests. Tiris had been researching ways to make use of the Evil Karma that had accumulated on Jinwoo.

It really was an interesting attribute.

Though it was a bit sad that the owner of that Evil Karma happened to be himself.

In any case, use every usable thing and enrich Arsilan Saga. That was Jinwoo's unwavering principle.

Now it was time to launch the quest!

Jinwoo sent a message to the Heroes who had surpassed Level 200.

[The Evil Karma of the Dimensional Realm grows deeper.]

The Heroes who had been sweeping up the Kalsus Dimensional Empire Army or exploring Luzen stopped what they were doing at the Information Window that suddenly appeared. The Information Window was different from usual.

It was stained black and rippled horribly.

When touched, black smoke clung to the fingertips, and the message melted away, dripping down to the floor in heavy drops.

SIZZZZZLE!

When the spilled liquid struck the ground, it bubbled and bored deep pits into the floor. The Heroes flinched and stepped back.

[A dimension sank into the abyss and became a bubble, and its stars vanished without leaving anything behind. This Evil Karma has at last awakened the Evil God from a slumber spanning billions of years.]

Their vision gradually began to turn black.

There were many other Heroes around the Named Heroes, but only those with the qualifications could see this message.

[The Evil God, awakened from a long slumber, desires the balance of dimensions. The Evil God, enchanted by the light and darkness of Arsilan, watches over you. With Arsilan's light and darkness, perhaps the Evil Karma may be purified and the order of the Dimensional Realm preserved.]

[The Evil God invites you.]

"Invites?"

"The Evil God…?"

"What the…."

The Named Heroes were flustered, but they weren't given time to think. The Evil God's invitation was compulsory. It was a bit different from the gentle way Arsilan Saga had progressed up to now.

The liquid that had dripped from the Information Window onto the floor was still bubbling. The liquid became a pool, and something shot out of it to seize the ankles of the Named Heroes.

"Urk?!"

"Eek!"

It was a black hand studded with red eyes. The black hand dragged the Named Heroes downward. The other Heroes beside them gaped in shock at the sight.

"Ah, aaah! Somebody pull me up!"

"Huh? Holy crap!"

The Heroes grabbed onto the Named Heroes' hands and tried to haul them back, but it was no use. In an instant, the Named Heroes sank into the black pool and vanished completely.

The remaining Heroes were left standing there with blank expressions.

"What the heck?"

"L-let's post it on Arsilan Worlds first."

"Y-yeah."

The Heroes immediately posted videos and photos to Arsilan Worlds.

The Named Heroes who had sunk into the black pool could see the entire Dimensional Realm at a glance. It felt as if they were drifting through the Dimensional Realm itself.

Countless dimensions shone brilliantly, but the Bubble Dimensions made up of dead dimensions just formed an abyss, looking as though they might dissolve at any moment.

"Is that…, a tower?"

"Huh? NorthernGrandDuke?"

"Hm?"

"Haebyul's here too."

The Named Heroes all knew each other well.

They were all representatives of territories or guilds, and since they tackled the high-end content, their paths crossed often. In the recent prologue war too, they had cooperated for quite a long stretch of time.

It might have turned into something like a casual meetup, but this wasn't the situation for that.

"Wuwaaah?!"

"We're falling!"

"Ughhh!"

A massive tower set within that abyss came into view.

The Named Heroes fell toward the massive tower like comets. Just before they could slam into the tower, a veil unfurled and wrapped itself around all of them.

The place where the Named Heroes arrived was a strange space.

Beneath their feet were starlight and galaxies in abundance, while the sky was occupied by the Dimensional Realm. Thanks to the bright starlight, everything around them was rendered crisp and clear.

Jinwoo moved there along with Ella and Helby and watched the Heroes from that spot. Ella and Helby didn't appear right away; they held off for a little while to build the mood.

"Oh? Sis!"

"So you made it here too."

"Yes?"

"Everyone here is a top-tier ranker, so I figured you'd be among them."

"Oh? I guess so."

LifeHunter, Jamshik, and the other famous Named Heroes were looking around.

-wtf is going on?

-Probably something Evil God related....

-Only rankers got summoned so is this, like, ultra-endgame content?

-Tbf, until we crossed into the Dimensional Realm, most events had been newbie-focused.

The mood in the chat was serious.

Most of the Named Heroes were streaming. Everyone here was earning money and living well through Arsilan Saga.

A little while passed like that, and then the ground rippled. It rippled as though starlight were rolling in, and stars began to rise upward.

"These are… stars?"

Haebyul gazed at the star that had floated up into the air. When she touched it with her finger, it erupted on the spot in a brilliant flash of light. It looked like watching a supernova detonate.

"Th-they really do look like stars."

"Oh! Guys, if you pop a big enough star, it turns into a black hole!"

"That's wild."

A few of the Named Heroes reached out and carefully rested a star on their palms. They could feel its fierce heat. Looking closely, they could even see planets orbiting that star.

It was an experience that made them feel as though they had become gods.

-uh...?

-Haebyul already blew that one up earlier....

-Oh nooo! Slaughterer! How cruel!

Haebyul was flustered and faltering.

"That is the world as a god perceives it."

An enchanting voice rang out.

The Dimensional Realm hanging in the sky split apart, revealing red eyes. The red eyes gazed down upon the Heroes. Under that gaze, they felt a coldness as though they had been plunged into the deep sea, along with a pressure that bore down on their entire bodies.

When the eyes shed tears, a woman appeared from within them.

She was one of the two beings who had ended the war.

"The Evil God's Avatar…!"

"Sh-she's beautiful."

"Ohh…."

Terrifying yet beautiful.

Those were the most fitting words to describe the Avatar.

"Big sis! I love you! You're gorgeous!"

The instant one of the Heroes shouted that, a tentacle attached to the woman's back lashed out and blew his head clean off. Every single person here was a Named Hero of Level 200 or higher. And yet that Named Hero hadn't even managed to react.

A tentacle sprouted in place of the dead Hero's head, and he rose back to his feet.

"Huh? Wh-what's this?"

"Urgh!"

"Th-that's gross."

The Hero, now sporting a tentacle where his head used to be, examined his own status.

[You have dared to utter a frivolous remark before a great being. Your sin is exceedingly grave. The tentacle head shall remain for 3 days.]

"Oh, ohh! This is awesome."

He spun his tentacle head around like a propeller or used it like a hand. It looked fairly useful. That said, there wasn't a single Hero who wanted to end up like that. For one thing, it was just too horrific.

"I am the Evil God's Avatar, and the first Constellation of the Dimensional Realm. You have been chosen as Constellation Candidates."

-Constellation?

-Wait, THAT Constellation?

-wth is a Constellation?

-It's a thing.

-Yeah but what IS it? Somebody tell me!

Every Hero focused on the words of the Evil God's Avatar, Ella.

Ella carried the mood far better than Jinwoo had expected. She was beautiful, but a sharp aura bled off her, as though she might cleave the Heroes apart at any second. Because of that, the Heroes couldn't bring themselves to ask questions carelessly.

"This is the Evil God's Tower. Those who have suffered tragedy across various dimensions climb this tower in order to change their own fate."

The tentacle attached to Ella's back stretched out long and struck the ground. The pincer at the tip pulled something up from the floor. It was an Information Window buried in sticky, viscous liquid.

The Information Window split apart like dividing cells, multiplying into hundreds, thousands. Ella gave a benevolent smile and enlarged one of the windows.

A man whose body was covered head to toe in scales was holding a crude spear, fighting goblins. He was enduring the goblins' blows with his hard scales, but it didn't look like that would last much longer.

"This one's name is Husakken, of the Shars Race, from the water-formed Sharn Dimension. Due to a concept that devours all things, the being you call Erosion, the Sharn Dimension was lost. In the moments just before the dimension vanished, Husakken, through his resentment and fury, was able to reach the Evil God's Tower."

The Heroes watched Husakken.

He was thrashing desperately to become stronger. Wounds piled up on his body, but he did not give up. They could feel a resolve about him, the kind that would sooner choose death than surrender.

"For a brief time, I shall grant you the Avatar's Eye."

In an instant, Ella's tentacles jammed sharp needles into every one of the Heroes' eyes. The Heroes flinched and clutched at their eyes. Then, once they saw the Information Window, they were left all the more astonished.

Because the detailed information of those who were fighting so desperately within that window now came into clear view. Each of them carried their own story, and each held some very small possibility.

"If you were to become Constellations, you could help them grow. That is to say, you could designate your own Constellation's Avatar. The more your Avatar grows, the more benefits you, in turn, shall reap."

Beyond that, additional details rose up before the Heroes in the form of Information Windows. The eyes of the Heroes who read through them trembled violently.

"Constellation!"

"Whoa! Nice!"

"Raising an Avatar would help liberate the Dimensional Realm too."

"This'll be fun."

-Whoa! Constellation!

-So we give 'em skills and items and stuff?

-Raising one well would be so satisfying.

-Is this only for high-levels?

The Heroes were thrilled.

New content always set their hearts racing. They had thought that just about everything had already come out and there was nothing left that could feel truly fresh, but this Evil God's Tower effortlessly shattered that notion.

Ella looked over the Heroes, then opened her mouth once more.

"As I have said, you are still merely Constellation Candidates. To become Constellations, you must prove your qualifications."

The Heroes nodded.

Proving qualifications was something the Heroes were accustomed to. Gathering materials, maybe, or hunting monsters? But their assumptions were completely off the mark.

When Ella glanced to the side, a massive castle rose up from below. Helby appeared alongside the castle.

"Here, you will undergo training to become Constellations. The Constellation exam is scheduled for two weeks from now, so I hope you will all study diligently."

Haebyul cautiously raised her hand. Ella granted her permission to speak.

"S-study? What sort of exam, exactly?"

"A written exam and a practical exam."

"Huh?"

Going from talk of the Dimensional Realm and Constellations straight into the words "practical and written exams" felt strange.

Most Heroes had abilities skewed heavily to one side, so it was necessary to restore at least a little balance. Training suited to their now-matured souls was also required. It would be a tremendous help as they advanced toward becoming Transcendents.

[The Constellation Sanctuary has been created!]

That massive castle was the Constellation Sanctuary.

[Constellation] Become a Star!

You have been invited by the Evil God and granted the opportunity to become a Constellation. This is the result of your swift growth thus far, by which you have come to harbor beautiful light and darkness. Yet you are far too inexperienced to ascend to the seat of a Constellation. To be of aid to your Avatar, knowledge and skill across many fields are essential.

At the Constellation Sanctuary, accumulate various forms of knowledge and technique, and become a Constellation.

Conditions: A Hero who has reached Rank C in Honor and Achievement, and Level 200.

Duration: 14 days

Rewards: A Constellation's seat, Dimensional Realm Achievement Points, 2 Avatar Selection Tickets, [A] Evil God's Treasure Chest,

The Constellation Quest appeared.

When Helby gestured, the door that had been blocking the Constellation Sanctuary began to slowly open. Helby looked to be in a good mood, getting to hand out trials for the first time in ages.

"If you fail this exam, you will be able to try again when the next batch of Constellation Candidates is summoned."

When Ella raised her hand, black lettering began to be engraved above the Constellation Sanctuary.

[Congratulations! Constellation Candidates! Welcome to orientation!]

Inside the Constellation Sanctuary there was a parade ground. There were also barracks, no, rather, a dormitory.

"Orientation?"

"Orientation…."

"This feels exactly like…, a boot camp?"

-Orientation, seriously....

-A-aaaaaaahhh!

-My head suddenly hurts.... [TL: 입소 (Orientation) specifically evokes memories mandatory korean military enlistment.]

Chat messages could be seen convulsing at the word "orientation".

Once they were gathered there, Helby appeared and glared at the Heroes. When she extended a hand, all of the Heroes' equipment was stored away into their Inventories, and Constellation Candidate uniforms were issued in its place.

"Silence."

At Helby's command, everyone stopped talking.

"Welcome to your new lives as Constellation Candidates. This Constellation bears the responsibility of guiding you down the path to becoming Constellations yourselves. Depending on how you conduct yourselves, this Constellation may become an angel, or a devil. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Yes!"

The Heroes flinched, then reflexively barked their answers at full volume.

"I hear these Constellation Candidates come from a place called Arsilan. Fire off a vigorous battle cry at the front for 10 seconds, loud enough to reach all the way to Arsilan from here!"

"WAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"GYAAAAAAAGH!"

It was a method uncomfortably familiar to the point of giving one a headache.

'In any case, it'll be good for them.'

Jinwoo nodded as he watched the sight.

Jinwoo had loaded most of the skills that existed in Arsilan into the Constellation Sanctuary. They could be accessed through the vast library housed inside.

He had designed it so that anything matching a person's disposition and aptitude could be learned with ease. This Constellation Sanctuary would be a great help to both the Heroes and to the Avatars they would eventually choose.

'If we pass, we'll be the 1st-gen Constellations.'

'Getting eliminated here would be seriously humiliating.'

'We'd have to come back alongside the 2nd gen….'

They absolutely had to pass!

If they got dropped here, they'd be too embarrassed to ever show their faces again.

The Heroes nodded to themselves with that thought in mind.

*****

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