[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 196
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Investors V
Sometimes, when reading regression stories, this scenario pops up:
- Magician, your true talent is actually in swordsmanship.
- Impossible! Me? Born into a prestigious family of magicians, and you're telling me I'm a swordsmanship genius?
- And also a muscle genius.
- Hmm, did you just say that my posture was the ‘Perfect Squat of the Forgotten Era’? I was merely sitting down and standing up!
This is the so-called "Our Child Has Changed" cliché.
In previous episodes, these geniuses didn't fully realize their potential due to biases, discrimination, poverty, or bad luck. The regressor gave these supporting characters one-on-one training sessions, and thanks to that, they became true experts.
As a regressor who’s done plenty of personal training, I’ve nurtured quite a few exceptional members. In fact, I secretly pride myself on being better than any other regressor in this field.
But we need to approach this with the brain of a scientist rather than the heart of a liberal arts major.
Now, what exactly does the adjective "quite a few" refer to in numbers?
- Saintess, Seo Gyu, Tang Seorin, Cheon Yohwa, Sim Aryeon, Lee Hayul, Yoo Jiwon, Let's Go.
What a shocker. Only 7 people!
Of course, depending on the episode, you could add or subtract about five more names. But still, it's less than 15.
In my view, most regressors are gravely mistaken. How do they plan to change the world with such a small elite group?
Sure, changing the lives of 15 people is a great achievement. But that's still just the scale of a small to medium business owner. Apple has over 150,000 employees.
You're just scratching the surface with these human lottery tickets that have a guaranteed future? That's just basic. Like buying Bitcoin—it's something you "obviously should do."
The real important thing is the societal system.
Reorganizing the entire workforce in a healthy way to support the small number of experts.
This is what I would call the ultimate goal of a regressor.
"I will invest directly in the Kingdom Project that the top DMs are currently developing."
After returning from the writers' retreat at Dalmaji Hill, I immediately convened the Regression Alliance.
Noh Doha, whose life is practically overtime, met me with a face drenched in exhaustion.
"DM? Aren’t they those casino junkies who hook up with fairies in their dreams so they can have sex with their ideal partners?"
Oh my god. To think this is the current understanding of the ruler of the Korean peninsula!
I tremble with rage every time I expose Noh Doha’s ignorance and prejudice to you all. Please spread the word about Noh Doha’s disgrace far and wide.
"Ahem. Please refrain from such slander about the only growing industry in the market right now."
"Has this man’s brain gone rotten from dreaming of the Three Kingdoms a few times? Why are you suddenly freaking out in the middle of the night about investing in DMs?"
I calmly explained the potential of the Kingdom Project.
It didn't take long for Noh Doha's expression to change.
"...Hmm. If you remove the DMs and tutorial fairies, it's basically like a 'virtual reality world.'"
"Exactly."
"I see. A place where you can freely build up experience in defeating anomalies and exploring voids... It does sound plausible."
[Isn’t there a big risk?]
The Saintess, who was participating in the video conference remotely from Yongsan, questioned.
[After all, the Ten Clans and Meteor Shower were real anomalies that once existed. If you transfer their data into a virtual reality, it could end up causing the entire other world to be invaded by voids like our reality. I think this will just expand the activity range of the anomalies. Besides, there's a high likelihood that new anomalies related to 'virtual reality' will be created.]
"You're right. There will definitely be side effects."
I nodded.
"But the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Let's try it at least; if the side effects become too much to handle, we can stop in future turns."
With Warren Buffett's heart for Coca-Cola stock, I decided to invest in the Kingdom Project.
Starting the very next day, I began managing the 'risks' that the Saintess pointed out.
Among all risks, the most foolish one is the human risk—human-caused disasters.
I summoned Tang Seorin and Cheon Yohwa to the 1,200-meter depth of the cafe hideout to address the human resource issue.
"Huh?"
"Ugh."
They arrived with light steps, but upon seeing each other, they frowned openly.
The atmosphere became tense. It was a battle of pride between the magicians who represented white magic and black magic, incantation magic, and necromancy.
Thus:
[Explore the Kingdom in crisis and save the world of humanity from the void!]
[Organized by the National Road Management Agency, in collaboration with 36 major guilds, including Three Thousand Worlds and Baekhwa High School, this is the dream project!]
[Anyone can freely enter the ‘Kingdom’ by consulting the tutorial fairy.]
[Season 1 Raid Boss ‘The Ten Clans’ Appears!]
Countless banners appeared at Dream Casino, and numerous advertisements flooded SG Net.
"What? What’s that?"
"130 DMs participated in the production?"
"I wondered where that DM went, and they were making something like this."
"Dreaming without a DM, just with a fairy? Won’t that be less fun...?"
The release of the "Kingdom," a dream simulation created by the devotion of writers, the experience of returnees, and the cooperation of guild leaders.
The reaction to the Kingdom was explosive.
-Anonymous: No way, Kingdom is freaking awesome lololol
└LiteratureGirl: Is this the ‘sincerity’ of the DMs...? This is terrifying...
-KoreanVillage: For real, no joke, big thumbs up for those who are dreaming of the Kingdom while taking sleeping pills lol
-Anonymous: No, if they had this kind of talent, why couldn’t Korean game companies make a GOTY before the void came? Seriously, if this had come out back then, it would’ve crushed all other games!!
└Anonymous: 'Tutorial Fairy'
└Anonymous: Ah
Even the awakened were highly praising it.
Even the professionals who fought anomalies in real life recognized the "realism" of the Kingdom.
Of course, they did. Who provided the data, after all?
-Anonymous: Kingdom jerks! The Ten Clans have appeared in the southwest beyond the mountains!! Those guys are insane! If you don’t unite your armies to defeat the Ten Clans now, you’re totally screwed!!
└Anonymous: Yeah~ let the locals die~ I’m safe in the capital~
-Anonymous: Why does this unfamiliar medieval kingdom feel so familiar??
-dolLHOuse: Kingdom is a freaking hilarious mess of a nation on the brink of destruction. But the funniest part is that it’s still better than our reality.
└Anonymous: Oh...
In the dream simulation, the void hadn't yet destroyed humanity. It was just on the brink of destruction.
Even in this situation, the Kingdom’s NPCs were wasting time with politics, debating who was right or wrong, how safe the kingdom’s property market was, whether the ambitions of provincial figures were suspicious, or claiming they were pure humans while others were filthy beastmen.
-Anonymous: These crazy Kingdom jerks are still terrorizing each other over pure humans and beastmen in this situation lol
-Anonymous: “There are seven rebel factions in the provinces, and no matter how strong the Ten Clans are, they’ll just deplete the rebels anyway” (Actual quote)
-Anonymous: Ah, we can't dine with beastmen even if humanity is destroyed~
For the simulation participants, who lived in a world where nations had already been wiped out by anomalies, it was only natural to become deeply immersed.
The Kingdom’s NPCs lamented the state of politics, calling it the worst of times. But the simulation participants knew better than anyone.
They knew this was the last golden time to save humanity.
-Anonymous: Breaking news: The Ten Clans have wiped out the southwest and are now heading north over the mountains.
-Anonymous: I was a mercenary in the southwestern count’s territory, got taken out in two tentacle strikes. I just woke up to relay the news, then I’m going back to sleep to dream again.
-Anonymous: I’m thinking of creating a new character in the capital and joining the fight. Everyone, good luck.
└LiteratureGirl: Don’t respawn just anywhere. There are nobles in the capital who genuinely consider the Ten Clans a threat. They’re trying to persuade other nobles. Set your character as a citizen of this noble faction and respawn to support them.
└Anonymous: Oh, thanks, thanks
Even though it was the first time they had encountered a medieval fantasy kingdom, the simulation participants could see the Kingdom’s fate all too clearly.
They could see the future.
They knew the ending and acted accordingly. In this way, the humans participating in the Kingdom’s dream were practically no different from "regressors."
Indeed.
In the virtual training ground created by the DMs, people were rapidly leveling up as "pseudo-regressors."
It was a complete system that didn’t require me to guide or tutor them personally.
"Teacher!"
After Season 1 of the Kingdom ended, Cheon Yohwa ran up to me, her face flushed with excitement.
"The new recruits this time... they’re amazing!"
At last, the power of the Korean Peninsula began to grow rapidly.
[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]