Chapter 66 : The Talk of the Town, Taebaek Lee (3)
Chapter 66: The Talk of the Town, Taebaek Lee (3)
“Ugh…….”
I opened my eyes while clutching my forehead.
The blurry haze covering my vision gradually came into focus.
As I blinked like a crucian carp caught on a fishing hook, the world slowly became clear.
A moment later, when I was finally fully awake, a dumbfounded mutter escaped my lips.
“Where the hell am I?”
Everything around me was pitch black.
As I looked around in confusion—
The lights suddenly blazed on.
Damn it, what bastard turned on the lights without warning?
Even so, I forced my eyes to adjust.
The darkness that had shrouded my surroundings faded away.
A trash can at my feet overflowing with discarded design documents.
Energy drink cans monopolizing an entire corner of my desk.
Sticky notes plastered all over the edges of my monitor like illegally constructed buildings.
I was in an office.
Which meant...
I'd fallen asleep face-down at my desk.
Only then did my mind gradually clear.
Right.
I was on night duty today.
I'd been buried in overdue paperwork and must've nodded off.
Since I was always sleeping at the office, the Business Division Manager constantly scolded me.
“Is this company your Inner Chamber?”
Every time he said that, I wanted to yell, Go screw yourself, and punch him in the face...
But...
I was just another salaryman collecting my monthly paycheck.
I didn't have the guts.
Besides...
At this company, the Business Division was the one with all the power.
The Development Division was beneath them.
Not that our company was unique.
Every game company worked the same way.
Apparently, we were the ones who prepared the ingredients...
While they were the chefs who cooked and sold the final product.
It was such ridiculous nonsense that I couldn't even be bothered arguing anymore.
Do people avoid shit because they're scared of it?
Yes.
Yes, they do.
Now I finally understood why people loved web novels and webtoons so much.
In the real world, you had to grit your teeth and endure everything.
But inside your own fictional world...
Violence solved all your problems.
At this rate, maybe I should transmigrate into a game too.
That academy-themed mobile game the team next door was developing looked pretty decent.
Its name was Miracle's Blessing M, wasn't it?
Apparently, some anonymous investor had poured a huge amount of money into it, and they'd been all smiles ever since development began.
I was jealous.
Painfully jealous.
That was exactly why I'd been cursing nonstop lately.
Me.
A descendant of Toegye Yi Hwang!
Smack, smack.
I slapped both cheeks to drive away the remaining drowsiness.
After steeling myself, I straightened my posture.
“There's no point envying someone else's game, Taebaek. You know that. You're barely keeping your own head above water.”
It had been three months since Raken's 2077 launched.
The turbulent launch period had passed, and things were finally beginning to stabilize.
Around this point...
Players' opinions usually started taking shape.
Until now, I'd avoided reading reviews under the excuse of being busy.
But the time had finally come.
I couldn't keep looking away forever.
I had to listen to the players.
Accept their feedback.
Improve Raken's.
With trembling hands, I moved the mouse.
The cursor wandered aimlessly like a mouse that had lost its home.
“Relax. Don't chicken out.”
The cursor lingered around the Namuwiki tab for a while...
Then finally stopped at its destination.
⎯⎯⌜Operator Menu⌟⎯⎯
Game: Raken's
Developer: Taebaek Lee
Genre: Open World Action RPG
Release: 2024 ??/??
Rating: Under Review
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
“…Huh?”
Why did the wiki tab look like this?
“Operator Menu? And why's the developer listed as Taebaek Lee instead of the company name?”
That was strange.
It felt oddly out of place...
But I dismissed it without thinking much of it.
Looking back...
That definitely wasn't like me.
Perhaps because everything about the current situation already felt so vague...
The uneasiness quickly faded.
Resting my chin on one hand, I leaned closer to the monitor.
Someone had once joked,
“At this rate, you're going to get sucked into the screen.”
The memory suddenly crossed my mind.
Ignoring it, I focused on the display.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⌜Contents⌟⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Overview
Details
Systems
-3.1 Difficulty
--3.2 Equipment
---3.3 Transportation
Evaluation
DLC
-5.1 Release Status
Controversies
Commercial Performance
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
I clicked the Equipment tab first.
All kinds of cybernetic implants were neatly categorized.
Whoever had written all this...
They'd put in an incredible amount of effort.
At the same time...
I couldn't have been more grateful.
This kind of player enthusiasm was exactly what kept underpaid developers like me going.
“Equipment wasn't my department, so I don't know much about it... but there were this many? This goes beyond simple cybernetic implants. Full-body cyborgs can't be far off.”
Then...
One piece of equipment caught my eye.
Para Blade.
“Why is this here?”
Wasn't this page supposed to list only player-usable equipment?
That was Human Butcher Shohei's exclusive weapon.
Players couldn't use it.
“……Guess it isn't completely accurate.”
Mistakes happened.
Without thinking much of it, I clicked the next tab.
Transportation.
Something was wrong there too.
“Why is Red Hare listed here?”
The Para Blade could've been an honest mistake.
But Red Hare?
That felt intentional.
Someone really needs to fix this.
Thinking that, I spun the mouse wheel rapidly.
Beneath the desk...
It practically felt like an earthquake.
My legs were shaking so violently that crumpled papers spilled out of the trash can.
After taking a deep breath...
I cautiously scrolled down.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⌜Recent Evaluation⌟⎯⎯⎯⎯
Generally Positive / 65%
======================
Three Months After Release
The general consensus is that the game is fairly enjoyable.
Immediately after launch, optimization issues, bugs, and rating-related controversies resulted in poor public reception (……).
However, it appears that the Operator has consistently listened to player feedback, with continuous post-launch patches reducing much of the dissatisfaction.
Since the game's systems had already received favorable reviews from the start, player attention naturally shifted toward the story and worldbuilding.
The prevailing opinion is that the expansion of the game's lore has felt natural (……).
However, opinions remain divided regarding the imbalance of power between the MegaCorps that dominate Lake City, Raken's primary setting.
There are two main reasons for this, listed below (……).
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
If one of my teammates saw my face right now...
They'd probably freeze.
Then whisper,
“Did you see Assistant Manager Lee's face? Did someone reject his confession or something?”
My complexion had become that pale.
Even the company's opinion of me is something else...
Suppressing my headache, I scrolled further.
The cursor felt unusually heavy.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
The distribution of the Ten Wings, considered the world's greatest military forces, is too uneven.
Players appear to view this setting as significantly undermining the checks and balances that should naturally exist between rival MegaCorps.
In particular, concerns have been raised that having two Ten Wings within the Kergel Magic Tower constitutes a severe balance issue.
▶︎ However, perhaps acknowledging this concern, Patch Notes [1.9.1] transferred Dojon Muyachi to the Daeseong Group.
Daeseong had previously been the only MegaCorp without a Ten Wing, but this recruitment significantly strengthened its military power.
Attention is now focused on how the other MegaCorps will react.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Did I make this patch?
“Hmm……”
I folded my arms and thought for a moment.
Then...
A lightbulb went off in my head.
“Right. I patched that just a few hours ago. I already forgot. Must've been because I fell asleep.”
Still...
The update had been reflected incredibly quickly.
It was practically instant.
A dedicated fanbase is forming. That's a good sign.
The opinions were divided...
But generally favorable.
I'd considered that patch a risky move.
Apparently...
It worked.
Smiling slightly, I continued reading.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
The Kergel Magic Tower, a long-standing MegaCorp project, is accelerating.
This appears intended to accommodate Korean players who prefer rushing through the main questline.
However, as mentioned above, the prevailing criticism is that it damages the worldbuilding and setting that had originally received strong praise.
Considering this is a console game centered around its story, decisive measures appear necessary.
▶︎ Unfortunately, the developers don't seem to recognize the problem yet.
What a shame.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
I frowned.
What happened?
Things were going so well, weren't they?
The more I read...
The more it felt like I was developing bipolar disorder.
But...
I couldn't exactly stop reading.
“…Haah.”
I leaned deeply into my chair.
Tilting my head back until it almost toppled over...
I stared at the ceiling.
Patching was like a seesaw.
Add weight to one side...
And the other side inevitably rose.
They'd identified the problem perfectly.
There wasn't even room for rebuttal.
But...
Sharp criticism like this...
Served as a compass for Operators like me.
Like a fisherman discovering a lighthouse in the middle of a pitch-black ocean.
“Alright.”
I leaned forward until my chest nearly touched the desk.
My fingers, clasped together as though praying...
Soon began dancing across the keyboard.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Title: This is the Operator, Taebaek Lee.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Only after exceeding the 5,800-character posting limit...
Only when the cursor refused to move any farther...
Did my hands finally stop.
The hallmark of a real man.
I didn't bother proofreading.
After running a spellcheck once...
I uploaded the raw post exactly as it was.
To summarize the contents...
Rumbleeeee!!
Chunks of plaster fell from the ceiling.
The energy drink cans decorating my desk clattered loudly onto the floor.
The trash can overturned, sending crumpled papers tumbling together with empty cans.
The world...
Earth...
Was collapsing.
The chair beneath me suddenly spun around by itself.
Almost as though it wanted to give me a wide-angle view of the world's destruction.
For an instant...
Panic seized me.
Then—
“Ah.”
I remembered.
This was a dream.
And...
My world wasn't Earth.
I wasn't Lee Taebaek.
I was Taebaek Lee.
The gap between reality and this fleeting dream rapidly narrowed...
Until the two completely overlapped.
My gaze returned to the monitor.
The screen had already gone dark.
The black display reflected a handsome face.
“…Every time I see you, you've got one punchable face.”
Chuckling to myself...
I closed my eyes.
It was time to wake up.
Time to return to reality.
To Lake City...
The world I had created.
To Raken's...
Where my words became the very laws of the universe.
[You have cleared Main Quest 2.0.]
[The bugs have been successfully fixed.]
[You have been awarded 6 Operator Points.]
[You have fulfilled the unlock conditions for a Medium-Scale Patch.]
.
.
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[＃1 Medium-Scale] 2.0.1 Patch Notes
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
㉿ Developer Comment
We sincerely thank all of our gamers for your valuable feedback regarding the power imbalance among the MegaCorps.
The development team also agrees that this issue can reduce overall playtime, and we have therefore implemented the following improvements.
In addition to adjusting the balance of power between the MegaCorps, further patches are planned to provide a more enjoyable gameplay experience.
◈ Main Patch
• The protocol for adjusting the power disparity between MegaCorps has been activated.
The impact of the Daeseong Group's recruitment of Dojon: Muyachi has significantly affected the stock prices of the other MegaCorps (……).
① Kergel
Corporate Nationality: China CN
Market Capitalization: 14,780 trillion ▼ 220 trillion
Ranking: 5th ▼ 1
Ten Wings: Myo (Three Talents), Hae (Seven Survivors)
② Siesta
Corporate Nationality: Spain ES
Market Capitalization: 28,790 trillion ▼ 310 trillion
Ranking: 3rd ▼ 1
Ten Wings: Chuk (Seven Survivors), Shin (Seven Survivors)
③ Haragusa
Corporate Nationality: Japan JP
Market Capitalization: 31,010 trillion ▼ 220 trillion
Ranking: 1st —
Ten Wings: Chuk (Seven Survivors), Shin (Seven Survivors), Sul (Seven Survivors)
.
.
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⑧ Daeseong Group
Corporate Nationality: Republic of Korea KR
Market Capitalization: 967 trillion ▲ 156 trillion
Ranking: 7th ▲ 1
Ten Wings: O (Seven Survivors)
〉〉 Auto-saving·····.
〉〉 Applying patch.
Tip: Medium-Scale Patches have an extremely wide area of effect and can only be applied while the Operator is in deep sleep.
Using them excessively or too frequently may instead produce adverse effects, so please exercise caution.