Chapter 71: Chapter 72: Prepration

When it comes to E3’s standing in the current gaming industry, it can be described as unparalleled and at the pinnacle.

Well, it’s a massive gaming event with all three major console game companies from around the world participating, so why wouldn’t it be?

Of course, the fact that E3’s format restricts general attendees and follows a corporate invitation system might be a problem, and it could even face the threat of closure in the future, but that’s a matter for the future.

At this moment, E3 is undeniably the top gaming show.

In particular, the 2013 E3 created ripples of influence that can’t be adequately described with the term “historic.”

“The simultaneous unveiling of the PS4 and Xbox One.”

If you were to point out the most shining period when many highly anticipated titles led by the 8th generation consoles were released, it was during this time.

Because of that, the preparation was crucial.

Leaks were also a part of that process.

[The response is quite positive. As expected, highly anticipated titles live up to their expectations.]

“You’re too kind.”

[We’ll proceed with the booth according to the specifications in the written proposal. Oh, and about the trailer for the conference…]

“It’s nearly finished. With a few more adjustments, we should be able to show it within this month.”

[Understood.]

What Rewind needed to focus on was the public demo version and the trailer for Hellic 3 that would be revealed during the conference.

Debugging was all that was left for the demo version.

The trailer and gameplay footage only needed minor adjustments.

Everything was going smoothly with the preparations.

[I’ll contact you as soon as there are any further updates.]

“Understood. Then…”

Click.

And so, the phone call ended.

It was already 7 PM.

Today is Friday.

“Sunbae, are you leaving?”

“Yeah, I won’t be able to work out today.”

“I heard. But more importantly, they said the company will be closed over the weekend.”

I nodded.

It was a well-deserved break after surpassing the critical point of Sony’s demo evaluation.

Machines break if you run them without stopping, so why wouldn’t people?

I had to give the employees a break, and I needed one as well.

Taking a moment to refresh was necessary. That was my decision.

“See you next week.”

“Yes.”

Han Seorim left work first.

I also tidied up my desk and left.

That’s how I arrived home.

“I’m here.”

Not at my own home, but at my parents’ house.

“What brings you here? Have you eaten all the side dishes?”

“Yes.”

I ran out of side dishes at home.

…The fridge of a single man is filled with his mother’s side dishes.

***

Sometimes I have dreams.

Just like when I was creating my previous work, the process of working on a project continued in my mind until I fell asleep, and the memories from that time would resurface in the form of dreams.

This time, the scene I saw was like that.

Amid the thickets of the fourth trial, a night with a crackling campfire, splitting firewood.

Suddenly, the soldier said.

Do I really deserve this punishment? There are times when I think that.

His face was quite dark.

The soldier held the firearm in his soot-covered hand.

The Spartan said to him.

Stop the abominable deeds.

His voice was quite resolute.

Don’t regret it. Regret diminishes the value of what you’ve protected.

The soldier opened his eyes wide in surprise, then burst into a low laugh.

At that moment, the paladin and the barbarian returned from their scouting mission.

What’s so funny that you’re laughing?

It’s nothing.

It’s bland.

I looked at the four people sitting around.

Up to the fourth trial, they had all collapsed at least once.

Anyway, this place was such a miserable and dreadful space that I thought they would have fallen if Ithey had been alone.

Yet they were still moving forward.

In my judgment, it was because they weren’t alone.

Because they could support each other through the same despair they shared.

They were forming a strong bond with each other to an extent that was hard to believe, given that they had tried to kill each other the first time they met.

I want some fruit.

I’ve read about it in history books. In your culture, nobles indulged in the luxury of chewing and spitting out expensive fruit, right?

It’s the neighbouring town.

They were born at different times, in different places, and had different positions.

The only thing that was the same was the path they had walked and the reason they had come here.

In summary, they had formed a relationship where they supported each other through the same hardships.

If I were to put it into words.

Have a drink. Well, it’s just water, though.

They became comrades.

I want to drink alcohol.

Do barbarians even know the taste of alcohol?

I know it better than a little child.

…Who said that?

Stop it, when people from the past gather, they should probably know better.

The dream was running towards its end like that.

Shining dimly on those who were enjoying a moment of peace in a dark hell.

“Yeonho! Stop sleeping and wake up!”

With his mother’s voice.

***

Waking up in my room feels like a rare occurrence. The walls are covered with game posters, and the bookshelves are packed with old game packages.

It’s been two months since I returned home, and it feels different from the house I grew up in, but I’m comfortable with the change.

I’m sitting at the dining table, eating a home-cooked meal.

“Yeonho, you’ve been in the news and all,” my mom says.

“Is that so?”

“Oh, our son has become famous. And you know our neighbour’s son, Jinwoo? He passed the judicial exam.”

My mother’s face has become brighter.

It seems like she’s been getting skin treatments with the allowance I send her.

The main topic of conversation is about the mothers in our apartment complex and their various feuds and conflicts, which I can’t quite relate to.

My father is in the living room, watching a baseball game. He’s busy chewing on his nails.

I suddenly think of Han Seorim.

His gaze is fixed on the 80-inch TV on the living room wall, which I bought.

In that moment, the opposing team hits a home run.

“Ah, those damn guys!”

Thwack! My father’s remote control bounces off the couch and springs up.

As I watch all of this, I can’t help but voice the question that has been lingering in my mind.

“But, Mom.”

“Yeah?”

“What is that up there?”

I point to the frame on top of the living room cabinet.

Since I was a child, it has been like a family history museum, displaying our family photos chronologically.

It’s there.

“It’s your photo.”

My photo (Alice cosplay and composite).

“But I’m not a blonde.”

“Your face is your face.”

I felt embarrassed.

The family history museum in our home had evolved into a new form.

If only it had stopped there.

“They say you look great in it. Even the relatives who visit during the holidays love it.”

…The holiday season has come to an end.

I suddenly regret it.

“I should have stayed at home.”

I should have avoided working during the holidays.

I can hear my drunk uncle’s voice as if it were echoing in my ears.

“Hey, Yeonho, are you running out of chili? It’s okay! It’s okay! Kids these days change that sort of thing all the time! More importantly, have a drink with us!”

I became afraid of the holidays.

***

The holiday has passed.

Now, all the employees of Rewind have returned to their positions.

Ayoon was no exception.

Since the last company dinner (where she ended up going home with Yeonho because she got too drunk), it was her first day back to work. After a good rest, for some reason, she felt full of energy.

“We don’t have any big events until June. Myungkyu, focus on debugging the demo version. Seorim, you can start working on the next chapter slowly. And next up is Ayoon.”

“Yes!”

“It’s your exam period, right? You’ve worked hard. For the time being, pay attention to the sound effects.”

Ayoon nodded with a smile.

“Yes!”

She enjoyed these relaxed moments.

There was no pressure at work, and juggling school life wasn’t that difficult for her.

Of course, Ayoon knew that she was the only one with this kind of freedom.

It was evident in the recent meetings.

“We have only two months left. We need to go to the USA for E3, so keep your schedule clear for that time. Probably the team will include us, Gilsang, and a few more staff members. Sony will support us with booth management.”

Yeonho was quite busy with E3-related matters.

In addition to his other work, he was also in charge of directing the game, making it seem like he needed more than one body.

The others were no different.

Seorim was, as always, deeply engrossed in her work, while Myungkyu had once again become the owner of the nap room.

Only Hyeji and Yumi had no major tasks, so they were taking it easy.

Yeonho was wrapping up the meeting.

“Well, that’s it, then…”

That’s when it happened.

Beep! Beep!

Myungkyu’s phone suddenly made a sound.

“Oh, sorry. I forgot to turn off the alarm.”

Myungkyu said, opening his phone.

Ayoon understood what was going on and exclaimed, “Oh!”

“Million Order!”

It was a mobile game for collecting cute characters that the guild master is addicted to these days.

Myungkyu seemed to be playing it as well.

Yumi and Hyeji also joined in.

“What’s going on?”

“Uh? What’s this, Myungkyu Myungkyu-oppa?”

“Oh, well…”

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

It was then that Ayoon noticed the change in Myungkyu’s expression.

“Myungkyu-hyung?”

Twisting mouth corners, trying to maintain a poker face but with trembling eyelashes, and a voice that seemed lower than usual.

Ayoon had seen a similar expression before.

It was none other than the one she had seen in the morning drama her mother used to watch.

-“Honey, at this hour?”

-“Who is that person?”

The expression of a husband who had just found his wife in bed with a stranger.

Yeonho’s eyes, watching the gacha game, were filled with a similarly dark emotion.

***

Before you knew it, it was June.

The gaming community was buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming grand festival known as E3.

Of course, there were also some people feeling down.

『(Chit-chat) WaitingforHelic3: Does anyone have E3 tickets?

It’s a gaming expo… why don’t I have tickets…』

E3 was fundamentally an event with limited attendance for the general public. Despite being a festival that garnered worldwide attention, the number of tickets sold was quite limited, making participation far from easy.

It was not surprising that no one in the community seemed to have acquired tickets.

『

Lord of Bangbae District: Give it up.

zEternal: If you knew this, you should have done gaming broadcasts… Famous streamers get direct invitations to E3, you know.

┕ClearWithoutT: Do you even know that all streamers dont get invited?

┕zEternal: ?

SweetBlueElves41: It’s really sad…』

Normally, the sadness wouldn’t be this deep.

The reason for this sombre atmosphere was, without a doubt, the leaked information about Hellic 3.

The series had always provided great satisfaction whenever a new instalment was released, and this time, the anticipation was even higher than usual.

『WaitingforHellic 3: What’s the plot of Hellic 3?

Since the stories of Alice and the Butterfly have concluded, they probably won’t be in it, but I think the warden will appear, right?

Based on the hidden ending spoiler, it seems like the monster who met the guardian will be the protagonist. What do you guys think?

CherryLipsFlower: It seems like he’s the protagonist, right? The subtitle for Hellic 3 is Sinister Sword, after all.

BrokeSwordTester: This time, it looks like he’ll only use a sword as a weapon. They might overhaul the entire system.

┕WaitingforHellic 3: Considering Hellic 2 for consoles, they might have made significant changes to suit the consoles this time.

┕ClearWithoutT: Coming soon.』

As the title remained the only official information available, speculations about the game were running wild.

One thing was for sure, though: in this world, you didn’t know anything unless you personally looked into it.

In the end, the main topic was E3, or more precisely, it was about individuals who would bring back meaningful information from that festival.

“(Information) Lord of the Vampire in Bangbae-dong: Helic User Attending E3 Revealed.

It seems that both James Han from the United States and Yuka from Japan are definitely participating.

If the demo version is released, do you think they will share the information?

WaitingforHellic3: Damn, it’s James the scoundrel! He wont be sharing anything.

┕WithoutT: Yuka-chan is also there.

┕WaitingforHellic3: Who the heck is that, you weeb?

┕Lord of the Vampire in Bangbae-dong: A droplet of mucus.

┕WaitingforHellic3: Ah.”

In the midst of the community’s confusion with various speculations about Hellic, information about past E3 events, and even debates about which internet broadcaster is the best, a hero emerged to restore order.

“(Chatter) S2PoppyS2: I will be attending E3!

(Invitation picture)

I will post a summary post with information when I return!”

One of the resident users in the community, ‘S2PoppyS2,’ suddenly revealed an invitation picture, and naturally, the comment section exploded.

WaitingforHellic3: …How did you get it?

A question with bated breath, and an answer came.

“S2PoppyS2: I’m a gaming journalist^^7!”

This was the moment when ‘S2PoppyS2’s identity was revealed.

WaitingforHellic3: I believed in you!

┕zChonHanSu: Check out that change of stance.”

During this chaotic time, some individuals arrived at Incheon Airport, ready to embark on a journey to LA.

Gilsang chuckled and said, “Ayoon, you have to take off your shoes when you board a plane…”

“A what…?”

“…”

E3 had begun.

***

Immediately upon arriving at LA Airport, something was seen.

“Welcome here!!!”

Aldred Russo came to the airport once again.

Beside him, Ayado Goro was adjusting his glasses.

/RomanceMTL