Chapter 450

[▶Realistic Score: 0.6]

Designing the interface on the Resonance Engine was a piece of cake.

Was the saying “Virtual reality is invincible, and AI is God” just a coincidence?

[▶Creating Wilhelm Village.]

By adding a game mode on top of the open world through dialogue interactions.

I expanded the world based on the architecture styles of pre-made buildings and the map.

I assigned backgrounds, personalities, goals, and behavioral patterns to the NPCs and gave them varying entropy values.

Guards had low values since they couldn’t leave the castle gates, while street bards had high values.

The remaining detailed backgrounds were entrusted to ‘ASI Hibirisu.’

As the game slowly began to take shape, one question arose.

“Should I include music too?”

In the final assignment, music isn’t really a grading factor.

Well, if it’s too quiet, I could use AI-generated music, but I’d prefer something fitting for the situation.

So I hurriedly called Dan Ni El, who attends Korea University’s music department.

[Hello? Whoa NaeMe! Long time no see! Have you been well?]

We exchanged greetings and caught up on each other’s lives.

“Could you make a few BGM tracks for my project? Just a couple, like three or four?”

[Of course, if it’s for NaeMe. When do you need it by?]

“The final presentation is in two weeks, so I’d appreciate it if you could get it to me before then.”

[Time’s a bit tight… Do you have any gameplay footage? I need to know the general vibe of the game to work on it.]

“I don’t have any yet, but I’ll play it today and send it to you by tomorrow.”

[Okay! I’m excited to see the game NaeMe made!]

Thus, the alpha test was conducted ahead of schedule.

I contacted Adella, who returned to Korea a month earlier to attend school, and called her into virtual reality.

[Adella has logged in.]

“Yawn, I was planning to sleep in on the weekend. It’s morning here.”

“Could you check my project? It won’t take long.”

“A game? Ah, did you resolve that nonsensical gun yet?”

“I added a setting where I was summoned to another world just a day before being discharged from the military.”

“Yikes, that’s horrible! Are you the devil, older sister?”

“I have two types of bullets: particle bullets and magic bullets. Particle bullets can be supplied by mining minerals, and magic bullets let you break barriers or cast spells remotely.”

This was the most challenging part of the coding.

In an open world, it’s tough to create rules that violate the laws of physics without AI’s help.

I set it so that the projectile would forcibly move along with the magic field around it, and I fixed minor bugs to ensure it wouldn’t violate different rules at the boundaries.

“Anyway, the goal is just to see the ending, right? Alright, I’ll finish this up quickly.”

Adella rolled up her sleeves and boasted.

Meanwhile, I opened a game portal in the middle of the private room.

In the atmosphere that felt like being sucked into a storm of time and space, Adella glanced at the portal’s name and murmured.

“Huh? What’s this? You still haven’t decided on a title?”

[NoName_OpenWorld_Programming_Final_Project_ReallyReally_Really_Final(3)_WhatShouldBeTheTitle.exe]

“Just play it and come up with one.”

“Sure, so what’s the goal of this game?”

The goal of the game…

Life is a series of choices and decisions.

If there is death at the end of life, then the game has an ending at its conclusion.

“To see the ending.”

Adella smirked and grasped my shoulders with both hands.

“Then let’s go, older sister. I’ll reveal just how shabby the game is.”

“Do as you wish.”

A faint warning message flickered into view within the portal, brushing past us.

[▶NPCHYBRIS NOT FOUND]

“Lucky for Hibirisu.”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing.”

I shook my head and took Adella’s hand, pulling her into the game.

* * *

“Father, I’m going out!”

The cheerful voice of a girl echoed across the landscape.

In a small village on the southern continent of Wilhelm, surrounded by green hills.

The sky was overcast with dark gray clouds.

It had been several days since she had seen proper sunlight, as the green-haired girl murmured while walking through the village.

The small shops had a faint presence, as if they barely existed, with raindrops seeping into the glass windows, draining the village of its vitality.

Using the dim light of a lamp, she passed through the fog.

On the walls, graffiti written by doomsayers in black charcoal was noticeable.

[If scattered, live; if gathered, die.]

The girl Hibirisu smiled bitterly.

Being able to write means at least you’re an intellectual.

If such intellectuals firmly believe in the end of the world, the anxiety of the common people must be unimaginable.

Yet, Wilhelm still maintained its village form well.

Many elderly residents were reluctant to leave their hometown where they were born and raised.

It wasn’t a monster-infested area, nor had it suffered from great wars.

Consoling herself that the situation was better compared to other regions she only heard about through rumors, Hibirisu climbed the mountain.

At the midpoint of the hill, wild strawberries were in full bloom.

She picked the fruits and put them in her basket, but the strawberries kept rolling down the slope.

“….? Oh, the basket!”

Realizing that she had left her basket at home, Hibirisu sat down on the ground in despair.

As an alternative, she gathered her apron and placed the strawberries on top of it.

Although her smooth legs were fully exposed, that was fine.

It would already be dark by the time she went down the mountain.

Rustling—

Suddenly, she heard a presence nearby.

“…!”

Hibirisu was startled, turned around, and widened her eyes.

A cute squirrel had just spat out acorns from its mouth and fainted.

“Hey, you startled me, Mr. Squirrel.”

Hibirisu poked the squirrel’s cheek and burst into laughter.

When the squirrel finally regained its composure, it left the acorns behind and scampered up the tree, disappearing.

A brief meeting and farewell was all too short.

“@#*$@(&(#*$(#(@!”

“&@&$&@.”

This time, it was definitely the presence of humans.

She instinctively hid her body in the bushes.

Two girls, one pretty and the other doll-like, were squabbling as they came down the pathway.

“Someone who’s going to make a game didn’t even implement the spawn location properly?”

“Sometimes you forget when you’re doing it. There’s so much to consider while making it.”

“Yeah, but as soon as the game starts, there’s a falling angle? It’s a trash game.”

“… You do it yourself. I’m not helping you.”

“It’s a little brat! It’s a little brat! NaeMe is a little brat!”

They didn’t seem like bad people.

However, considering the time and place, it was an unsettling scene.

Hibirisu quickly cast a fear-inducing suggestion to make them leave first.

‘The back mountain of Wilhelm Village is a dangerous place infested with bandits and monsters. If you don’t leave quickly, you’re going to die.’

The girls suddenly stopped in their tracks.

A woman with cat ears on her head suddenly pulled out a metal rod strapped to her back.

“What could that be…?”

The question flicked through her mind in an instant.

Bang—!

A thunderous gunshot rang out, and resting mountain birds flew into the sky all at once.

A large hole was punctured in the tree behind Hibirisu, and embers crackled nearby.

Is it magic?

She didn’t even see the casting moment.

Hibirisu trembled in fear.

“M-Magician…”

A mysterious presence leading the world to its end.

Her stiff body crumpled forward.

* * *

Adella shook Hibirisu’s shoulder, who was foaming at the mouth and collapsed.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long to clear up the misunderstanding.

“I’m Adella, and this is NoName.”

Adella rubbed her reddened cheek and introduced herself.

She was still stinging from the slap NaeMe had given her for firing firearms carelessly.

“Ah! I’m Hibirisu! Did you come over the border? It’s my first time seeing your clothes.”

Hibirisu squinted her eyes.

What they were wearing was dull green patterned clothing, something she had never seen before.

“Ah, this is modern military attire.”

“Military attire? Ah… I’m sorry! That was rude of me! If it’s okay, I can take you to my house.”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, Hibirisu’s eyes began to glisten with tears.

“I heard from Uncle Berry that the war is serious, but I didn’t expect even a ten-year-old girl would take part…”

“Hahaha…”

“That little one has been through a lot, hasn’t she? Older sister will make you delicious wild strawberry potato soup when we go home later.”

“Get your hands away.”

NaeMe brusquely swatted Hibirisu’s hand away from her head.

Adella chuckled awkwardly and comforted Hibirisu.

“Our little sibling is quite precious, so please understand.”

“W-What does ‘precious’ mean?”

“Anyway, something like that. Oh, what a village!”

The landscape of the village came into view.

Hibirisu led the scruffy-looking boy soldiers towards her home.

In her front yard lay the fruit basket she had forgotten about.

“Father, I’m home! I brought a special guest with me today!”

Hibirisu’s chirpy voice rang out as she looked for her father.

A man polishing a shiny metal helmet in the living room turned his head sharply.

Hibirisu ran up to her father and hugged him while the man stood tall, indifferent.

With a build like a bandit and a large scar piercing through his eyes, Adella flinched.

“Who are you?”

“I met them in the mountains. They seem to be boy soldiers who escaped across the border. I want to let them stay for a day. You’ll allow me, right, Dad?”

Hibirisu spoke quickly in one breath.

Then one of his eyes darkened further.

“Go home. We don’t have a place to keep you.”

With his firm rejection, Hibirisu clung to him even more earnestly.

“Why, Father…? You’ve always said that helping others in difficult times is a virtue.”

“Do you even know who they are?”

“No, Mr. Brooks! Do you really need to know who they are to help?”

“Surely they’re not soldiers. I’ve never seen such military attire on the front lines. Don’t be stubborn, give them a piece of bread and send them off.”

Brooks crossed his arms insouciantly, dismissing his daughter’s earnest request.

Then glancing at Adella with a sideways look, Brooks stroked his chin a few times.

Feeling his gaze, Adella bowed her head slightly.

“Ha ha, hello there! No matter how rough the times are, if you could show a bit of kindness, I, Adella, will never forget your grace.”

“That cursed ear and tail.”

“This? I’m not a mere human; I’m a proud cat beastman. Do these people not know what beastmen are?”

“Are you a prostitute?”

“Eh?”

At those words, Adella went dumbfounded.

Hibirisu gasped in horror and quickly covered her mouth, while NaeMe spun around and flicked her fingers frantically in the air.

Adella’s face flushed crimson as she fumed.

“Are you just throwing accusations like that?!”

She pulled out a concealed dagger from behind her waist and pointed it threateningly.

“Reveal your true colors, you! Hibirisu, quickly bring a weapon from inside!”

“Yeah, come to the yard, you jerk! Let’s settle this once and for all!”

Through all this, Hibirisu could only watch in bewilderment.

NaeMe sighed deeply and scratched the back of her head.

[▶A total of 87 NPC language modules (violence grade) have been adjusted.]

“I thought I had it all perfectly set up, but there are always issues when you take a closer look.”