Game Director from Hell

Chapter 97: Angel – 2

Regardless of the medium, if it contains a narrative, there are certain propositions that must be adhered to. The consistent flow and a central theme are crucial.

Of course, given that the essence of mass media is the enjoyment of the masses, an attitude of trying to teach something should be avoided. It shouldn’t be esoteric or unconventional.

From the start, what I mean by flow and theme was a simpler concept. Basically, maintain the axis of “what is this about.”

From that perspective, Identity is a classic hero’s journey. The protagonist, E-40, goes through awakening through a special encounter and saves the world—a story like that.

The reason for pre-emptively capturing the attention of the players before the priestess’s subjugation of the apostles was to quickly show the mentioned plot and make the players imagine how it will unfold.

Now, let’s talk about methodology.

How to portray the protagonist’s narrative?

Even in the previous life, this part was quite easily answered.

“Prophecy.”

As is often the case with classic hero’s journeys, it is enough to show that this character was born with a heroic destiny through the mouth of a divine being.

For that, the priestess and Chapter 2 were necessary.

Now, what word will be used to refer to E-40?

The answer has already been found.

“Angel.”

Appearing in the most fearsome form, offering a warm hand that brightens the world more than anything.

He was none other than an angel adorned with a smile.

Three days have passed since that day.

The priestess sent away the wandering farmer with a sword and prepared for a secret meeting with the imperial tax official.

It was a very demanding task.

Her unwavering faith, which she had never doubted since her student days, wavered every time she met the tax official.

The long scriptures said.

Our Lord always watches over us and sheds light on our happiness for our sake.

But in reality, it was not so.

At least the people in this village, who sweated and toiled, were not properly rewarded for their labour.

They were people who deserved better treatment. Also, they were always positive individuals who fulfilled their duties with a positive mindset.

Yet, they were not receiving the reward for their efforts.

No matter how high a disciple she might be, doubts arose.

Why is the world like this?

The priestess groaned, and the pain was still the same today.

“Oh, priestess. This year, you have harvested the blessings of the empire!”

The stern-faced tax official stroked his mustacho with a satisfied look.

The priestess nodded.

“I greet the laborer of the empire!”

“Sure, sure. Where should I look…”

The priestess felt like his flesh was being torn away.

How could the hand of the tax official counting the wealth look so malicious?

She tried to suppress the bitter feeling.

But it wasn’t easy, and the priestess was engulfed in the thought that she might be a wicked person doubting the will of God.

That’s when it happened.

Thunk, thunk.

Footsteps echoed in the underground passage.

The tax official and the priestess were both surprised.

And the moment they confirmed the owner of the footsteps emerging from the darkness, both were struck with horror.

“Sm-smile! A knife! The highest-grade criminal!!!”

The echoing voice of the tax collector resounded.

The priestess’s astonishment was even greater.

The reason was that she already knew the man with a smile in front of him.

‘A wanderer?!’

Although his face had changed, the sword and attire he carried were as the priestess knew.

A top-class criminal capable of changing even his face!

The priestess trembled in fear.

―Priestess! Take cover behind me!

The tax collector stepped forward with a club in hand.

The wanderer, E-40, rushed toward the tax collector.

He was strong.

―Gaaah!

The tax collector groaned in pain as he rolled on the ground.

The priestess felt her heart pounding.

Though he didn’t seem like a bad person, could it be a misunderstanding?

Was the devil indeed wearing the kindest mask, as the scriptures say?

As he pondered, E-40 turned the priestess around and roughly shook her.

―Ouch!

The priest cried out in surprise, but the pain wasn’t as intense as expected when she fell to the ground.

Only now did she realize.

‘He was just pretending to harm me!’

A conjecture came to mind.

Until he left, he had undoubtedly tried to help the village, even though he gained nothing from it.

However, for a criminal like him, helping others might have backfired.

Hence, this alternative approach.

‘If he pretend to harm me, He will become a solo tax plunderer!’

The priestess was engulfed in unknown emotions.

Meanwhile, the tax collector, regaining consciousness, blew the whistle sharply.

―Highest-grade criminal! Knights, fight!

Four knights rushed out from the corridor’s end.

The priestess’s heart dropped at their cold expressions.

E-40 puffed up his shoulders, exuding malice.

Clang! Clang!

He menacingly tapped the ground with his sword, swirling his foot.

The tax collector strained his voice.

―Hey! Priestess! Do something to protect the taxes! If not, you’ll be just like a criminal!

E-40 charged at the tax collector and the knights.

The result was astonishing.

―Ugh!

E-40 tossed them around like wolves among sheep.

Even to the priestess, who knew little about fighting, she seemed like an incredible force.

‘Could he really be the legendary farmer?’

At the same time, a phrase flashed through her mind.

The sensation of thunder striking his whole body, waking her up.

Acting for the sake of others.

It would undoubtedly be a salvation-like gesture.

Moreover, turning the most wicked sin into a virtuous act would be terrifying to onlookers.

―Ah… Aah…!

The priestess quietly recited a passage from the prophecy.

‘Entering the lowest place and saving this land with the most fearsome appearance, he is truly my noblest angel!’

The words of the current emperor of the Empire, referring to himself.

But it was wrong

The priestess felt immense relief and joy as she looked at E-40.

“I wasn’t wrong!”

It was the Empire that was wrong. They were the sinners who, under the pretext of equality, robbed the fruits of labor. Salvation came not from fear but from a heart that loved others enough to turn the muck upside down.

“Ah! Run! Call for reinforcements!”

Tax collector and knights fled in panic.

The priestess looked on as E-40 approached slowly, extending his hand. There was no trace of enmity in his smile.

“Run!”

The priestess, trembling, took E-40’s hand. Tears welled up in her eyes. She realized that closing her eyes was not a sign of devotion; it was just a way to turn away. Perhaps the Empire, afraid that a faithful soul would see the truth, had covered its face with this mask.

But it didn’t matter now. Tears, as hot as fire, rolled down her cheeks.

Finally, it happened.

Thud!

Her closed eyes fell from her face. She had freed herself from the torment of years.

A radiant smile engulfed the priestess.

A fearsome angel, who had suffered at the lowest point, raised his sword high.

Hmph!

Without a sound, he exhaled and celebrated victory.

The priestess had an important skill in the game: “Divine Magic” using sacred power. In the previous life, there were several combat skills related to magic, and in this life, she planned to expand on that.

“Healing and protection contribute to the village’s security and plant growth,” he thought.

Recently acquired content related to farming would also be enhanced. By raising the sacred concentration in the village, efficiency in tasks like mining would increase. Additionally, she would introduce magic equipment in crafting, giving special effects to equipment based on statistics.

In terms of abilities, that was the end. Other than that, he planned to give the priest character a devout personality, fitting the setting of meeting the protagonist and regaining her smile.

The dialogue during recruitment would go like this:

“I want to follow the angel! Even if I release this treasure to the village as various funds without them knowing, living with a smile in this world is impossible! I want to support the angel by his side!”

The seized treasures by the tax collector would be used as various funds for the villagers, unbeknownst to them.

The scenario in Chapter 2 was well-crafted. At least, it would appeal to the cliché charm of “E-40 saving the world as a smiling angel.” After finishing the outline, she provided detailed references for the illustrations to Han Seorim.

Then came a question.

“But why is the priest a woman? Aren’t priests usually men?”

“Should we worry about such things in fantasy?”

“Well… I was just asking.”

“Blind Saintess is like a promissory note. Memorize it if you don’t know.”

“What nonsense is this?”

Sigh, this is why you can’t be a non-nerd. There’s never a sadder moment than when Han Seorim lacks otaku culture knowledge.

Anyway, it was one of those moments when Han Seorim looked at me as if I were a strange person, and I just shook my head.

“Boss, there’s a call from Director Yang.”

A call from Yang Gilsang.

There shouldn’t be anything to discuss at this time.

Moreover, there was no separate discussion about work during lunchtime.

With a sense of curiosity, I went to Yang Gilsang’s office.

Then Yang Gilsang, with his bangs down, greeted me and said:

“Now we should start doing that.”

“That?”

“The presentation. We need to let people know what game we’re making.”

“Um, isn’t it a bit early for that?”

We’re still in the early stages, with modelling implementation being the focus on the village side.

The main story part is just starting, led by the duo working hard in the modelling department.

It’s burdensome to have a presentation at a time when there’s nothing substantial to show.

“At least we can pull out a trailer and do the presentation.”

Saying that, Yang Gilsang shook his head.

“Not that kind of full-fledged marketing.”

Drrrk, Yang Gilsang turned the monitor towards me.

Then I saw something.

“Project Presentation?”

“Yes, we’re working on two projects, right? Identity and Demon’s Relic.”

“Right?”

“We’re going to explain what games we’re making right now, in a simple way.”

“When you say explain…”

A smile appeared on Yang Gilsang’s lips.

And, to my surprise, he said something quite astonishing.

“Live streaming. Internet broadcasts are popular these days, right? If the boss communicates with users through a broadcast and introduces the content, then edit the video and upload it, it will be promoted without much cost, don’t you think?”

There was a small burst of excitement.

Now it’s only 2015.

At a time when the ripple effect of internet broadcasting is not that great, real-time communication marketing is even more distant.

Nevertheless, Yang Gilsang is already preparing for that stage.

“What do you think? Doesn’t it seem worth trying? Boss, let’s put on a good mask. It’s about communication.”

Communication with users.

A quite appealing phrase.

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