TL: SWAN
PR: Freak_Guy
https://mythscans.com/
Deus Ex Machina – Ragnarok.
Shortened as Demrock.
Demrock, which received praise as the most perfect and intricate VR game in history, quickly captured the attention of all gamers. And it was more than just simple interest.
Despite being a VR game, the realism and artificial intelligence exceeded all expectations, skyrocketing to the top of the game rankings within three days of its release.
[Ragnarok]
[Deus Ex Machina]
[Demrock Skill Recommendations]
[What is Gacha?]
The real-time rankings were always filled with Demrock.
The game was a money-making machine.
More precisely, it had tremendous potential to make money in the future.
There had been no game that garnered more attention than this one.
That’s when the *Dark Gamers appeared.
Those who made a living through gaming. They were commonly referred to as “rice-eating users.”
“This could make a lot of money.”
Do-Hyun was one of those people.
It wasn’t always the case from the beginning.
He stumbled upon a huge screen displaying a Demrock advertisement by chance and out of curiosity, gave it a try.
He discovered a hidden talent for the game, he didn’t even know he had and became inclined to become a Dark Gamer.
But even so, he could confidently say that he made money through gaming.
[Kaiser – Rank 1]
[Ten Years Old – Rank 2]
[Kkukkudakkukku – Rank 3]
[Swordmaster – Rank 4]
[Purple Flavor – Rank 5]
[Judge – Rank 6]
…
Despite starting later than other high-ranked players, he managed to secure the top spot.
Furthermore, he wasn’t just a high-ranked player.
With extraordinary physical skills, genius combat sense, and exceptional adaptability to any situation or matchup, there was nothing lacking in his abilities. That’s why he was often referred to as an unprecedented genius in history.
Numerous people asked him the same question.
How is it possible? How can they become like him?
Do-Hyun’s answer to those questions was always the same.
“Battle tips? Um… Can’t you see them?”
“….Excuse me?”
“When the opponent attacks, dodge and seize the opportunity. Then you can definitely avoid getting hit and strike back.”
“……”
The interview video titled “God’s Deception” spread widely.
It became a well-known story for anyone familiar with Demrock. Despite the anger caused by the extreme deception, there was a sense of sincerity in Kaiser’s response, as if he truly couldn’t understand why someone would ask such a question.
-If it’s Kaiser, he can do that, right…?
Hahaha, yeah, if you dodge and strike back, you won’t get hit and you can hit them. Who doesn’t know that?
-If it were someone else, we would have cursed at them. But since it’s Kaiser, no one can refute what he says.
-Kaiser is a god. Kaiser is a god. Kaiser is a god. Kaiser is a god…
-Ah, these Kaiser fanatics again.
Ironically, people were even more enthusiastic about Kaiser because of his remarks.
He was regarded as the god of Demrock.
The reason people cheered for him went beyond his overwhelming genius.
While that was the most prominent characteristic, his numerous strategy guides played a significant role as well.
Although the majority of the guides were incomprehensible, providing instructions like “dodge here and strike around this time,” at least the skill trees were genuine.
And those skill trees were like a lifeline to the players.
-Kaiser’s new skill tree is out.
-Oh, amazing! Once again, he created a meta with non-meta skills. Should I apply them to my skill tree for boss battles? It’s simply amazing…
-This game is truly dependent on Kaiser. If it weren’t for him, it would have failed long ago.
-Well, it’s a bit addictive in a weird way.
-Yeah, that’s gambling addiction. You should go to the hospital.
In a game where even skills had to be obtained through gacha, Kaiser’s skill trees were a beacon of hope for players.
Trusted and reliable Kaiser skill trees became a common saying.
A talent bestowed by a god.
The embodiment of VR games.
The creator of metas.
A genius.
Countless adjectives were attached to his name.
Truly the days of glory. But everything has an end.
Even Demrock, which was burning brightly, would eventually collapse, and Do-Hyun was well aware of that fact.
“Oh, this is too much.”
However, he didn’t expect that day to come so soon.
The first problem arose eight months after the game’s release.
Demrock encountered a fatal issue.
-What the hell? Why is the entire system based on gacha? Isn’t it too much?
-Yeah, even the probabilities are terrible.
Everything in the game was based on gacha, as expected from the start. But it was tolerated because of its popularity and other outstanding aspects.
The problem arose with raids.
-Isn’t raiding the point of the game?
-The pinnacle of RPGs is raids.
As with most VR games, raids were not easy to accomplish.
You needed proper equipment, leveled characters, and precise control. Furthermore, you needed connections to succeed in raids.
It was the essence of RPGs.
-Raid rewards aren’t like this.
-Have you ever spent millions just to obtain five consecutive bricks as raid rewards?
To become stronger, you had to participate in raids, and to participate in raids, you needed well-matched equipment. But the rewards obtained after struggling through raids were just bricks?
As a gamer, there was nothing more disappointing than that.
-That’s why *snake oil salesmen are scary.
-Do you still beg for bricks by spending money?
Amidst all the dissatisfaction, countless players left the game.
From those who played for money to regular users, within a year of its release, the rankings plummeted. By the second year, even the hardcore players struggled to maintain their positions. And by the third year, even finding a hardcore player became difficult.
A game that no longer made money.
A game where mentioning it caused people to wash their hands rather than shake hands.
A diluted game!
Why bother playing such a f**king failed game?
It had been a money-making game from the start, and Do-Hyun had held the top rank for a long time. However, these people, who had already been top-ranked players since the beginning of Do-Hyun’s journey, were not significantly different in terms of combat abilities.
Thanks to them, he had received a lot of help. But now…
“Goodbye, failed game!”
As the game approached its end, just like any failed game, Demrock’s service was terminated.
While looking at the sudden announcement, a wry smile escaped Do-Hyun’s lips.
“I’ve been wishing for this f**king game to fail multiple times… But it feels strange now that it’s actually happening…”
I looked to the side and saw a buffed-up guy with purple skin, resembling a wiggly Afro-haired pig.
He was one of the top players, ‘Purple Flavor.’
An old-timer who never missed a day from the game’s launch until now.
He was an old maniac who was so passionate that he even jokingly created a ‘Perfect Attendance Award’ with his fellow veteran players by the bonfire.
His gaming skills were mediocre, but he possessed unbelievable financial power and put in a lot of effort to farm items.
“People used to say he was a real estate *mogul. Although…He denied it to the end, ‘”
He used to be that kind of old-timer, but looking at him sitting in front of the campfire, he looks quite sad.
In response to his muttered words, a man with a sturdy appearance, ‘Sword Emperor,’ nodded as he raised his hand above the campfire.
“I agree. Apart from being a game of luck,it’s fun and I don’t understand why it’s failing.”
“Could that be the problem? Even a tiger leaves its skin when it dies, but a dragon leaves bricks, and you handled it pretty poorly.”
“…Did you really have to break the mood like that?”
“Well, it’s not entirely wrong.
Can’t even curse a soon-to-disappear crappy game?”
“The person wearing a masquerade mask and a suit, while bantering with Swordmaster, is ‘*Kkukkudakkukku.’
Known for speaking without certain consonant sounds in his speech pattern, like ‘ㅍ’ (p sound),however he’s also famous for his impeccable physique and casually dominates everyone.
“You’re not going to take off that mask until the end?”
“…Cut it out with that yo. You might be in your twenties, but it’s still cringy.”
“Well, you still lack dignity in your speech.”
“What? Want to play a round like old times?”
“Tsk. You, who only knows how to trash talk…”
While Do-hyun maintained his rank as number one, they were top-ranked players from the start when Do-hyun began playing, borderline rotten.
Their actual combat abilities don’t differ significantly.
Thanks to them, he had received a lot of help…
Do-hyun, looking at them with a bitter expression, muttered, “It’s a shame.”
“…”
There was a moment of silence. They sat around the bonfire, deep in thought, as if reminiscing about something. Eventually, Purple flavor was the first to speak.
“Hakiya, you must feel quite disappointed. You researched this game more than anyone else.”
“Every time I watched you in battle, it was truly amazing. I might understand the theory behind it, but I wondered if this actually made sense… The term ‘deception of the gods’ didn’t come about for no reason.”
“Well, we did benefit from that his skill tree a bit. Usually, it’s either brains or brawn, but how did he have it all?”
As they took turns speaking, Kkukkudakkukku, who had been chiming in one by one, suddenly burst into laughter as if something had crossed his mind.
“But God is fair though, his luck is the worst among us, isn’t it? Haha.”
“Since you got all low level skills I guess you studied it to survive”
“A guy with no legendary-level skills being ranked number one? It doesn’t make sense, does it? If his luck had been just a bit better, he wouldn’t even have bothered competing with us, right?”
“After failing enhancement ten times in a row, I was screaming, ‘The world is out to get me!’ People must have seen that too. Maybe it was even circulating in the community as ‘The Cry of the Gods’ or something.”
“Hahaha! When you really think about it, he’s the worst guy.”
“Hmm… It was indeed the worst luck I’ve ever seen.”
Even Swordmaster, who had been silently listening to Purple flavor’s boisterous laughter, nodded his head.
Whether they were complimenting or cursing, it was hard to tell in their casual chatter, but Do-hyun remained composed.
He had heard enough of such talk.
Since it was a gacha game, discussions about Do-hyun’s incredible luck had been ongoing for a long time.
At first, it used to anger him. But at some point, he found himself chuckling when he heard it, and now, for some reason, he felt a strange mix of emotions.
Maybe it was because it was his first game, or perhaps it was the first time he had been so attached to something…
Was it because he felt that such a game was coming to a complete end?
“I don’t know either.”
After exchanging such conversations without much significance for about ten minutes:
[Hello. Deus Ex Machina – Ragnarok.]
[As scheduled, service termination will proceed. Thank you for being with us until the end.]
Reading the additional message that popped up, one by one, the veteran players stood up from their seats.
“…This is really the end now.”
“You’ve been through a lot. In this luck-based crappy game that might have had just two concurrent players.”
“If we ever meet again, let’s do it for real.”
Starting with Swordmaster, Purple flavor and Kkukkudakkukki, they logged out one by one.
In an instant, he was left alone.
Sitting alone in front of the bonfire, he couldn’t help but feel even more melancholic.
Farewell.
For a moment, Do-hyun’s gaze, which had been fixed on the night sky, was swallowed by an even deeper darkness. Instead of the chirping of insects, he heard the sound of his VR headset running, and he reached for the switch on the VR gear attached to his head.
Click.
[This game has been terminated.]
However, what unfolded on the screen was not the night sky but a brief message.
“…”
Only after seeing that message did Do-hyun remove his helmet and let out a short sigh.
_____________________________________
(TL/C:
1) The term “Dark Gamers” refers to gamers who engage in activities that are considered unethical or exploitative within the gaming community. They may resort to practices such as cheating, hacking, or exploiting game systems for personal gain.
2) “rice-eating users.” an expression that demeans gamers who make a living by exchanging in -game currency/items for cash through current transactions , or gamers equivalent to them. ‘Eat rice’ was shortened from ‘buying rice’ by selling items, and the new word suffix ~chung was added to it to demean a specific user group . The reason why the expression “buying rice while leaving delicious food alone” is used is that this expression was expressed in World of Warcraft , where the expression originated , and the expression itself of buying rice by selling items has a strong feeling that you are responsible for making a living through a game. I guess it’s because it’s good. However, as time goes by, unlike in the past, the ratio of non-exchangeable items increases rather than exchangeable items, and it is becoming more difficult
3) Snake Oil Salesman: Someone who sells and promotes deceptive marketing
4) Mogul: a person who possesses a great deal of power, influence, or wealth
5) Kkukkudakkukku: His name is the SFX of a chicken.
