The game created by the Irene School had a significant impact on the culture of the Other World.
It made the mustached old man a friendly buddy,
And turned self-discipline, like martial arts training, into a daily routine.
Among these, “Eternal Fantasy” really influenced a lot of things.
It was all about “coolness.”
Vroom! Vroom!
“Jiren bro! What do you think of my ride?”
“This is the latest bike ‘Akers MK1’ that just came out!? It’s so popular it’s selling out! How did you get this!?”
“JYJ introduced me to a connection.”
First, Sky made a stylish appearance, racing through the city on the two-wheeled vehicle [bike].
Designed to resemble a horse to fit the Other World, this vehicle began to capture the hearts of the 20-somethings, establishing itself as a symbol of youth among young people.
While various magical transportation tools like carriages and carpets already existed, many men chose the bike.
Because it was “cool.”
There was also a change in the design of one of the magical tools, the staff.
“Mineva, the staff design has changed.”
“Yes! Lord Herness, I replaced it because this gun is more convenient for protection. What do you think? Does it suit me?”
“Well… if you like it, it must be fine.”
The wizard’s staff, a magical tool, typically refers to an item that assists a wizard’s magic.
Even grand master wizards could use magic without a staff,
But knights, warriors, and mercenaries—those who used magic but weren’t wizards—relied on the staff’s help.
Knights often used the staff as a catalyst, inserting it into swords or spears.
Then some people, inspired by the gun from Eternal Fantasy, began to make staffs in that shape.
There was no other reason. It was just “cool.”
However, when they tried using guns, they discovered an unexpected strategic advantage.
“Hey! Using a gun is way faster than casting spells!”
Those who used magic like in Eternal Fantasy with the form of a gun found that this method was much quicker.
Magic is a world of images,
By mimicking Vincenzo’s rapid fire from the game, they found that using magic was much faster than using swords and spears.
Thus, a new magic combat meta and essential skill for guards, “Rapid Fire” combat method, was discovered.
Of course, “coolness” didn’t always bring good outcomes.
Apollon from the Zeus Guild was back in action, surveying the newbies after a long time.
“So, is this the new recruit?”
“Yes!”
“What’s your main weapon?”
“Greatsword!!”
“Again!? ”
Apollon felt like he could lose it.
Because every single new recruit was a warrior using a greatsword.
Mercenaries took on various tasks, with monster hunting being the most common.
Therefore, it was typical to create parties of 3 to 5 members, distributing roles as [frontline, backline, support].
However, this time, every new recruit had a greatsword.
Moreover, veterans of the game suddenly declared they would switch their main weapon to a greatsword.
“Are you guys crazy!? A party with five greatswords doesn’t exist!”
“But…”
“Because it’s ‘cool’!”
Apollon’s head throbbed from their words.
He recalled the culprit behind this trend.
“Ha… Yuren, this brat has messed with me…”
“Coolness” didn’t always yield positive results in the world.
*
Additionally, Eternal Fantasy had a tremendous influence on the Other World.
A genre that combined fantasy with sci-fi elements, represented by machines and guns, emerged.
Countless novels and games followed, and fantasy became a popular genre among people.
The most significant change was in the style of protagonists in creative works.
Where once perfect hero-type protagonists dominated fairy tales and literature, characters with weaknesses who overcome them began to appear.
People became enthusiastic about protagonists relatable to their own weaknesses,
And the catharsis felt when these weak protagonists evolved heightened the enjoyment of the works, drawing audiences in even further.
Critics referred to the era when countless masterpiece games and literary works appeared as the “Age of Growth.”
Of course, this growth didn’t always unfold positively.
“Hey, what’s that bandage on your left hand?”
“Oh, this? I’m trying to seal the black magic sleeping in my left hand.”
The so-called “Sky Syndrome,” where ordinary individuals believed they had something special, began to trend.
This phenomenon started to spread to the priests of the Irene School, who created Eternal Story.
Seeing priests babbling nonsense with their gun staffs or wrapping their hands in bandages due to Sky Syndrome, Yuren sighed.
“Those guys… they’ll probably end up kicking the ceiling with a blanket in a few years.”
The following year, shock-absorbing magic was cast on the dormitory ceiling of the Irene School.
Sky Syndrome was established as an Other World term, symbolizing adolescence.
*
Two months had passed since the release of Eternal Fantasy.
Eternal Fantasy achieved record sales in the gaming industry.
Especially with a massive income from secondary sales.
Figures of Tina and Aerith, Sky’s greatsword and bike, etc.,
The sales of game merchandise hit astonishing numbers to the point that Edward Consortium established a separate game merchandise division, apart from Sylvia’s direct game department, due to the immense profits.
And with this, the final contract was successfully concluded.
“With this, we’ll finalize the transaction for 2,500 pyong of land in the southern region.”
“It was a good deal.”
Using money earned from the game, our Irene School gradually invested in real estate,
Successfully purchasing all the land surrounding the southern village.
This area was classified as a territory, making it difficult to buy,
But thanks to solving the Blue Shock problem, we could purchase it cheaply from the Minister’s Office.
“It really feels like a dream.”
“It truly does. To think all this visible land is ours… it’s hard to believe.”
The Master, Jiren, and I glanced around from the roof of the old castle, where we started.
What was once merely scenery now belonged entirely to us.
“What are you planning to make here? A prison? Don’t tell me you’re planning to farm?”
“Farming sounds great! I’m sure strawberries will taste amazing if we grow them.”
With their words, I smiled.
“Let’s grow strawberries too. We have plenty of land, so there will be enough space for farming.”
“Is that so?”
I looked around.
The buildings of the Irene School and villages, now three times larger, and the Irene Arena, still bustling with challengers, were visible.
While this alone could already be considered a fun village, I wanted to make it even more enjoyable.
“I’m planning to create a village here. A village solely for enjoying the games we made, where we can also develop those games.”
“A village!?”
“A village, you say?”
“Yes, I’ve seen such a place in my past life. It will surely be fun.”
*
Days later…
I received another piece of news I sought as a reward for resolving the Blue Shock.
“Long time no see, Yuren.”
“Mineva, it’s been a while. Your contact means…?”
“Yes, I believe I’ve found the person you mentioned.”
After the Blue Shock, I asked Mineva to investigate.
In games like Speed Rabbit and Unreal Fighter from the Magus Society, there was a definite scent of a real developer.
However, that scent had disappeared in the subsequent games.
Based on my past experiences in a gaming company, that usually meant one of two things: either the ‘real developer’ had resigned, or they lost power due to internal political struggles.
Either way, it was lucky for me.
If someone had that level of skill, they would surely quickly prove their worth and get recruited by Yura Republic or another school.
Quickly bringing that person here would greatly help the game development of the Irene School.
“I found something interesting in my investigation. Just as you described, I found someone fitting that profile. A key player in game development who got pushed back and left the Magus Society during the Blue Shock incident.”
“He left the Magus Society?”
“Yes, it seems he caused quite a stir before leaving.”
Mineva explained how he exited the Magus Society.
He shouted at someone who could be considered the tower of the Magus Society and quit—
Her explanation reminded me of my childhood in my previous life.
I recalled shouting at a garbage boss who issued a suicide order and quitting back then.
Ah, I was so young then. Ha. Ha. Ha.
“So what’s that person’s name?”
“It’s [Sora Otooz]. He is said to reside in Union, the capital of Yura Republic.”
That day, I prepared for a journey to Yura Republic.
Let’s go hunting… no, let’s go headhunting.
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