The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Chapter 258: Arsilan's Conspiracy (6)

Translator: DreamscribeThe Lord of Fear trusted Jinwoo completely.

It might have seemed odd that his behavior had suddenly changed and that he had become a loyal retainer, but for Erosion beings, transforming into an entirely new existence upon Promotion was a common occurrence.

Their disposition shifted to match the symbols, Authorities, and concepts they had ascended into. On top of that, there was no reason to suspect him.

They were beings born together at the dawn of creation, and those of higher rank could see through those of lower rank. While they could not perceive every single thing, distinguishing between sincerity and deceit was easy.

Once bound to a faction, one became subject to various constraints, much like how the Erosion beings on the Soul Moon could not reveal their weaknesses. For a subject to harm their Lord was, from the very beginning, impossible.

That is, unless the one currently before the Lord of Fear was not Jinwoo.

Having barely shaken off the buzz, the Lord of Fear gazed at him with serious eyes.

"Truly, a magnificent Artifact."

"I gave the servants only low-grade items. The moment the finest products come in, I shall present them to my Lord. When my Authority grows, I shall widen the conduit and offer even greater treasures."

The Lord of Fear nodded and stretched out her hand. Immense Authority condensed, and something was generated. It was a crystal formed from concentrated Authority.

It contained power so vast that a True Magic Stone could not even be compared to it.

"Take it."

Jinwoo received the crystal and examined it.

Within the crystal, something shimmered as if a star were trapped inside, and a gray nebula swirled around its surface.

The moment he held the crystal in his hand, information flowed naturally into him.

[Transcendent Grade] Superior Authority Stone

A gem in which the power of Authority has been crystallized.

Only Lords and Higher Entities can create Superior Authority Stones.

Absorbing it strengthens one's possessed Authority, and it is used as currency among Erosion beings.

Erosion beings too conducted trade over territories, servants, and Authority. Treasures of mortals were useless to them, so they used Authority Stones, formed by condensing Authority, as currency.

'Oh!'

It seemed he could use this to strengthen the Authority he possessed. As the Soul Moon grew, Authority grew naturally along with it, but there were limits.

'Not just strengthening....'

With a Superior Authority Stone, it seemed he could even use the Soul Moon to create new Authorities. The Authorities used by Higher Entities would be too much, but those at the level of the lower Authorities used by servants seemed feasible.

The Higher Entities possessed a considerable amount of these Authority Stones. They were the products of having devoured countless dimensions.

'Makes me want them.'

They were the results of terrible sacrifices, but if used for the salvation of the Dimensional Realm, it might offer some small consolation to those lost souls.

"The other Lords will have heard the news as well. There will be considerable interference from here on."

The Lord of Fear had come to possess the sole conduit leading to the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. Moreover, he now had a subordinate who could continuously supply Artifacts from the Higher Dimension, so serious interference from the other Lords was inevitable.

"Would you entrust that matter to me? I have not attempted it until now, but using the Authority Stone you have bestowed upon me, my Lord, I believe I can manifest a new Authority."

A very good idea had just come to Jinwoo.

It was a method by which he could obtain Authority Stones and easily evade interference at the same time. He did not know if it would work, but even if it failed, there would be no loss whatsoever.

"Do whatever you wish. I trust you. No one shall be able to harm you. Never forget that I am always behind you."

When Jinwoo bowed his head, the Lord of Fear nodded with a satisfied smile. She seemed to have something more she wanted to say, but she was making an effort to maintain her dignity.

"Would you care for something sweet?"

"If that is your wish, then so be it."

Jinwoo pulled out a chocolate bar and handed it over.

The Lord of Fear, having eaten the chocolate bar, shuddered all over.

"Just as you said, when one dons the body of a mortal, one can truly savor the taste!"

"A small amusement, nothing more."

"Indeed. Amusement...."

The thought of the Higher Entity whom he had named the Lord of Despair came to mind, and so he had given it a try. The tale of achieving a miracle through the power of love was worthy of being called a legend.

The body the Lord of Fear currently wore was an Avatar extruded from her massive main body. The difference from the Lord of Despair was that most of her will had been transferred over.

"I shall grow even further from here on, so that I may offer even finer Artifacts."

A bright smile!

The Lord of Fear was smiling!

She ate so heartily that it was a joy just to watch.

Perhaps she could be tamed through food?

That thought suddenly occurred to Jinwoo.

* * *

When Jinwoo finished his conversation with the Lord of Fear and emerged into the Fog Domain, countless servants swarmed over and knelt before him. They were servants who did not belong to any faction. It looked just like a horde of ants swarming over crumbs of a cookie.

It was not just servants.

Higher Entities from other factions were also visible, and even a Lord had made an appearance. When the Lord of Destruction, with whom Jinwoo was already acquainted, approached him, everyone stepped aside as though the sea were parting.

"You have done quite the remarkable deed."

"I merely did what had to be done."

"Haha, the problem is that the others don't do what has to be done."

The Lord of Destruction gazed at Jinwoo as though seeing straight through him. Looking at Jinwoo's flawless state, he let out an admiring breath.

"You, perhaps, might even become a Lord. More importantly, I hear you possess Artifacts from the Higher Dimension?"

Greed could be felt from the Lord of Destruction.

At the mention of Higher Dimension Artifacts, the Higher Entities and servants all turned their eyes to Jinwoo. The Lord of Destruction had already seized some from his servants and sampled them.

"Indeed. I can obtain them periodically."

The Lord of Destruction wore an astonished expression.

When Jinwoo relayed the setup with which he had deceived the Lord of Fear to the Lord of Destruction, the Lord of Destruction was startled to such a degree that the entire Fog Domain trembled.

"However, they can only be obtained by paying a price. The Higher Dimension is... a truly mysterious place that my knowledge dare not presume to understand."

"Indeed. That is precisely why we too seek to unify this Dimensional Realm and ascend to the Higher Dimension."

If the Dimensional Realm were unified, it would become the Higher Dimension.

Whether that was true could not be known.

"My Lord has also said that, for the sake of that great cause, I must share my Authority."

"That Fear? Impossible. Surely this is all your own idea, is it not?"

"I am but my Lord's sword."

To anyone's eye, Jinwoo was a loyal vassal.

Even when a Lord saw through him, only sincerity could be felt. For the first time, the Lord of Destruction envied the Lord of Fear. The reason Higher Entities struggled to rise any further was that they had too much to lose.

The Authority they had built up.

The potential to become a superior being.

They did not want to bear the risk of losing those things.

But this sword of Fear that the Lord of Destruction beheld was different.

No matter how much Authority he lost, his loyalty would not fade. Thus, he could burn his entire being without a care for the expenditure of Authority.

"Sword... I see. It is precisely because your Lord exists that you can remain as the symbol of the sword."

A sword can only complete its concept when held in someone's hand. Jinwoo had not thought quite that profoundly, but the other had misinterpreted it on his own.

The other Lords also revealed themselves.

They were beings of such tremendous power that if they were to cross beyond the Fog Domain, the entire dimension would quake. Simply gathering in one place was enough for the shock of it to be transmitted beyond the Dimensional Barrier that the Kalsus Dimensional Empire had erected.

"How do you intend to share it?"

When the Lord of Destruction asked, Jinwoo quietly stretched out his hand.

Jinwoo intended to teach them the cruelty of 'games'. These were things he had not been able to attempt in Arsilan Saga.

Jinwoo pulled out a piece of content he had used before. It was the Gacha Machine he had used when bestowing traits upon the Reincarnated Heroes. He brought it out here, made it far larger, and added many features.

"Hmm...!"

"Indeed, that is certainly of the Higher Dimension!"

"A form I've never seen before...."

"Is it a sort of house?"

Various opinions were exchanged about the identity of this Gacha Machine. Because it had been designed on Earth, he could give the information that it was from the Higher Dimension.

"This is an Authority I have absorbed, connected to the Higher Dimension. By expending a cost, Artifacts from the Higher Dimension can be brought over at random. This time, with the Authority Stone I received from my Lord, I was able to attune it."

Jinwoo summoned one of the servants.

The servant ran forward, knelt down, and bowed its head.

"Insert an Authority Stone into that slot."

"My Authority Stone, you say?"

"Yes."

The servant melted down his Authority to create a Lowest Grade Authority Stone, then, with trembling hands, inserted it into the slot on the Gacha Machine.

Ding!

As the Gacha Machine powered on, dazzling light poured forth. The Fog Domain grew bright with its multicolored glow. The Lords watched with eyes full of interest, and the Higher Entities drew closer.

Earth's upbeat music began to play.

It was a dance track saturated with the concept of 'enjoyment'. The servants became intoxicated by the concept and began to sway their bodies without even realizing it.

Inside the transparent sphere where the capsules were kept, boxes were stored. The boxes tumbled this way and that, putting on quite a sight.

Everyone watched it attentively.

The moment the music reached its climax, one box rolled out along a rail installed on the Gacha Machine. It was a box that shimmered with a soft, gentle light.

"This is the box that contains the Artifact. The quantity is determined by the size of the Authority Stone. However, what will come out cannot be known until it is observed."

The Higher Entities nodded.

"Cannot be known until it is observed, you say...."

"A fitting rule for the mystical Higher Dimension."

"Truly, a remarkable rule."

When he called it a rule of the Higher Dimension, it seemed to strike them as something profound. Certainly, this Gacha Machine would appear to them as an extraordinary Authority. After all, it was the product of liberally applying Earth's concepts.

"This is yours. Open it."

At Jinwoo's words, the servant carefully opened the box. Then light burst forth from the box, and something floated up.

[2-Star] Convenience Store Jokbal

Jokbal that can be purchased at a convenience store in the Higher Dimension.

A decent taste.

It was jokbal sold at a convenience store.

Everyone who read the information fixated their gaze on the jokbal.

Compared to what had been revealed thus far, the concept of 'satiation' could be felt on an entirely different level.

"Eat."

The servant ate the jokbal.

"Uu, uuoooohhh!"

A universe unfurled above the servant's head. His whole body trembled as his consciousness soared into the heavens. Seeing this, the Higher Entities and servants swallowed hard.

"I shall share with you the information I have gained regarding this 'Gacha' Authority. Artifacts exist from 1-Star to 7-Star. And the Artifact becomes bound to the one who drew it."

If it passed into another's hands, it would turn to ash.

The Lord of Destruction stared at the jokbal, then shifted his gaze to Jinwoo.

"So it is purely luck, is it?"

"Indeed. It is luck into which no Authority can intervene."

"Do you mean that 5-Star can come out as well?"

Jinwoo shook his head.

"This Gacha Machine can produce from 1-Star to 3-Star."

"Then how does one obtain Artifacts beyond that?"

Jinwoo pretended to read information about his Authority for a moment, then continued.

"Enhancement Tickets for Artifacts come out of the boxes at a certain probability. Artifact grades can be raised using Enhancement Tickets. Enhancement has a probability of success, and as the grade rises, the probability of success decreases while, at the same time, the probability of destruction rises."

He did not disclose the probabilities.

There was no need to do so. This was not Korea, so there was no obligation to abide by any mandatory disclosure of probability information. Not disclosing the odds would make things all the more thrilling.

The Lords understood Jinwoo's explanation at once.

"It seems the Higher Dimension values luck."

"Perhaps because they are beings who have attained all things."

"Since all things in the world already belong to them, they must enjoy luck as a form of amusement."

"Out of the way! I shall try it!"

One of the Lords strode forward with majestic bearing.

He was the Lord with the largest body.

A Lord symbolizing all physical force, and he looked exceedingly arrogant.

When he took out a Superior Authority Stone and placed it into the Gacha Machine, the Gacha Machine emitted light and shook violently.

"Oh! What is this reaction?"

"My Lord has just performed a 30-Multi-pull."

"30-Multi-pull?"

"It means you have drawn thirty consecutive pulls."

Jinwoo respectfully bowed his head.

"With a 30-Multi-pull, a 2-Star Artifact is guaranteed. From the look of things, it seems a 3-Star Artifact has been drawn."

"3-Star!!"

When the Lord of Strength clenched his fist, space itself warped.

POP POP POP POP!

Fireworks burst from the Gacha Machine and celebratory sounds poured out. Then thirty boxes tumbled forth and piled up before the Lord of Strength. Among the boxes, there was one wreathed in brilliant light.

The size of the boxes and their contents had been enlarged to match the Erosion beings, but as the concepts themselves remained intact, there was no real difference.

"Congratulations. It is a 3-Star box. Your luck truly seems excellent."

"Good! Excellent! So this is the rule of the Higher Dimension! Truly a rule worthy of an Emperor!"

The Lord of Strength laughed heartily and cracked open one of the regular boxes.

When 1-Star food, potato chips, came out, he tore open the bag and tossed the whole thing into his mouth in one go.

There were even blanks.

From blank boxes, Enhancement Ticket Fragments dropped. Gathering 100 fragments allowed one to form a single Enhancement Ticket.

"Uumm!!"

The aura of Erosion exploded from the Lord of Strength, and stars formed around him, coalesced from condensed Erosion energy. Those stars went supernova, shaking his surroundings.

"If even a 1-Star is like this, then a 3-Star, surely...!"

The Lord of Strength opened the boxes one by one. The box containing the 3-Star Artifact he saved for last.

The Lords and Higher Entities watched him open the box with intense focus. Watching them was rather entertaining. It wasn't for nothing that gacha broadcasts had once been so popular.

A culture that had disappeared with the arrival of Arsilan Saga was now being revived here in the Fog Domain.

Jinwoo prompted the servants to cheer along.

Each time a box was opened, the servants responded enthusiastically, and the Lord of Strength, seemingly in a good mood, flexed his entire body.

When he finally opened the 3-Star box, an extraordinary Artifact appeared!

[3-Star] Seasoned Fried Chicken

An Artifact enjoyed by beings of the Higher Dimension.

Its sweet and savory flavor is exquisite. When eaten together with the 2-Star Artifact 'Beer', one may experience supreme bliss.

A delicious aroma wafted through the air.

The scent, mingled with various concepts, stimulated the gluttony of the Erosion beings gathered here. The Lord of Strength gazed at the seasoned fried chicken with eyes full of rapture, then ate a single piece.

In that moment, a Big Bang went off inside his head!

He froze as though he had died. Only after some time had passed did he come back to his senses.

"Ha, hahaha! So this is the Higher Dimension! I have just briefly visited the Higher Dimension!"

A dense satiation, along with the flavor, welled up within the Lord of Strength's soul. Overcome by a fullness he had never felt before, he could not control himself. Most preciously, he wrapped the seasoned fried chicken in Authority to protect it.

The Lord of Strength looked at the other Lords.

"It is a shame that I cannot share this experience. Drawing a 3-Star in a single attempt, is it not proof that this body is close to becoming the Emperor?"

Oh?

The Lord of Strength was provoking the other Lords!

"If even a 3-Star is like this, then what on earth must a 7-Star be...?"

"That, even I do not know. Perhaps a truly magnificent Artifact? One that even my Lords might struggle to reach...."

Jinwoo's will was conveyed with a wistful touch.

The one who eats an Artifact that has reached 7-Star!

Surely fitting as proof of the Emperor who shall reign above the Lords!

The other Lords glared at the Lord of Strength with greedy eyes, then took out their Superior Authority Stones.

Jinwoo divided the lines by rank.

Simultaneous gacha pulls were possible.

Lines composed of Lords, Higher Entities, and servants formed before the Gacha Machine.

Jinwoo watched the Higher Entities as they did their pulls.

The Intermediate Authority Stones they possessed allowed for 10-Multi-pulls, and Lesser Authority Stones allowed for 5-Multi-pulls.

"Come on! Come on! Please...!"

When the Gacha Machine shook, a Higher Entity clasped both hands together and stared at the Gacha Machine with desperate eyes.

"Did it come? Did it come?"

The moment a box wreathed in light appeared, he was swept up in ecstasy.

"IT CAAAAME! I too am now the owner of a 3-Star Artifact!"

The Higher Entities around him gazed at him with envious eyes.

'Hmm...!'

They're definitely hooked.

Jinwoo had brought the gacha game into the Fog Domain where the Erosion beings had taken up residence. Tasting the thrill of gambling for the first time in their lives, the Erosion beings could not come to their senses. And Authority Stones, passing through the Gacha Machine, began to pile up in heaps aboard the Dimensional Transit Ship.

"I shall attempt a 100-Multi-pull."

"Hmm...."

"If one is to be of the caliber of an Emperor, must one not go at least this far?"

The Lords competed among themselves.

"Hm? I can feel something."

Jinwoo made a fuss as he looked at the Gacha Machine. Then the Gacha Machine began to pour out light.

[A certain amount of Authority has accumulated! The flow of the Higher Dimension grows stronger.]

*For a limited time, a Double Gacha Event shall begin!

*The Gacha Machine's luck increases!

Everyone looked at Jinwoo.

The Lords gazed at Jinwoo with great approval, and the Higher Entities' eyes brimmed with gratitude.

The servants were ecstatic.

This was the forbidden content prohibited in Arsilan Saga, the power of gacha.

*****

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