Chapter 45
My First Interview: A Joyful Experience
My very first interview was an incredibly delightful experience.
It felt more like a chat about Akare than an actual interview, didn’t it?
I got so carried away that I blurted out things that didn’t even need to be said.
Well, it was fun, wasn’t it? Let’s have a drink!
By the way, the topic of Yas was buzzing in every community.
One of those unnecessary comments was about the maximum affection value’s secret.
Yas.
The sight of the reporter, who was completely taken aback and unsure of what to do upon realizing that this was actually possible, remains vivid in my mind.
“Yas is really that good…?”
Of course, that’s just human instinct, primal desire.
But if one were to voice their base desires openly, would that make them a beast rather than a human?
In that sense, the community surely seemed to be filled with beasts.
“You can’t know unless you’ve actually done it.”
That, if sex truly is as great as they say.
Does it provide pleasure that could numb one’s rationality?
Even considering the anonymity, how could people get so bold about their instincts?
Having never actually experienced it myself, I found it hard to say for certain.
Of course, I could easily find out if I used the power of creation.
But I wouldn’t want to delve into someone else’s records just to gain that experience.
“Is it all just talk about Yas?”
Even after some time, the chatter dominating the community hadn’t changed.
Affection, Yas, and Raven.
Indeed, Raven was a captivating character.
What could be done to make people go wild over a character like Raven?
That was the crux of my constant pondering, the conclusion of which led to the very creation of Raven.
“Ugh…”
If I continued to explore the community further, I felt my mind would be contaminated.
‘Just in time, Sweet is streaming.’
Sweet, who hadn’t joined the Major Corporation Party due to personal reasons, had finally emerged after days of silence.
Despite having personal issues, avoiding consecutive streams was crossing the line.
I wasn’t the only one who thought so, and public sentiment towards Sweet was furious.
―――
???
“Hey, really? Is the girlfriend rumor true?”
“Those crazy bastards are loud, even though they didn’t watch before!”
“Let’s go do Yas with Raven!”
?????
―――
Not even a peep in the blazing chatroom.
Then, just like that, the stream’s category changed to Akare.
“Ah, ah! Hello, everyone.”
―――
“What do you mean, personal reasons?”
“No way, are you saying you did Akare by yourself?”
“Where is this guy?”
“What’s up with the bed?”
―――
Ignoring the questions flooding in, Sweet opened the affection tab.
The first thing that caught the eye was Raven’s affection value.
At the highest level, ‘Destiny,’ perfectly filled affection gauge.
The queen-sized bed visible in the background created a strangely harmonious scene.
“I’m a bit late because of personal circumstances.”
Sweet wore a victorious smile.
In an instant, the chatroom paused before rapidly flooding with comments.
“Guys, hold on.”
There’s an old saying about fanning the flames in a burning house.
Sweet, instead of suppressing the spread of chaos, fanned the flames even more, aggravating the viewers.
Maximizing a smirk, Sweet further provoked the audience.
“Oh man, I could burst out laughing. Your reactions are just too funny!”
Like someone who just returned from a great adventure.
Despite all the curses and insults, Sweet remained entirely composed.
“Guys, I think I’ve figured out what love is.”
Comparing the time when Raven was making sacrifices to now was like night and day.
Back then, his presence radiated a vibe that could wipe out everything.
Now, he seemed to exude a genuinely positive energy.
“Leave a review? What, is this some travel tale?”
Could a person change this much? I found myself questioning more and more.
What exactly is this Yas that could lead to such a dramatic transformation?
There’s no paradise where one escapes to.
That saying I saw somewhere rang true.
Dodging the Yas frenzy in the community, I came to streaming, only to find Sweet’s returned broadcast riddled with Yas comments.
GG. I surrender.
Deciding to call it a break, I entered the capsule.
***
The calamity that struck the PC gaming industry.
Within this sphere, Akare had garnered quite a reputation.
After the advent of virtual reality and capsules, PC gaming rapidly declined.
Nonetheless, the industry wasn’t entirely doomed yet.
While revenues shrank and the number of concurrent users plummeted,
If you think positively, only half had been taken away.
But what could they do?
They had once tasted a level of competition that was unmatchable.
An overwhelming gap.
The only way to bridge that gap was one thing:
To drag down the thriving rival instead of advancing on your own.
And Akare was a game developed in South Korea.
Avoiding South Korea’s laws was impossible.
It just so happened that the recent biggest issue was Akare’s affection system.
Only those who had verified themselves as adults could experience it, but
What kind of country is South Korea?
A country that regulates adult content for adults.
Naturally, Akare’s progression could only be an eyesore for certain groups.
That specific group was already prepared to target Akare.
[Akashic Record Gallery]
―――
[Title] Crazy Bastards Are At It Again!
(Link to article about Akare censorship)
It’s the Ethics Committee again, those bastards!
Upvotes 1682 Downvotes 61
―――
[Comment 1067]
Are they really censoring the thing between Raven and Yas?
Nah.
Are the Ethics Committee idiots? Now they target Akare?
[Info] The Ethics Committee has always been a bunch of fools.
―――
Excessive realism leading to regulation of violence and obscenity.
“Combat in virtual reality greatly increases human aggression,” said the psychologist.
It was a cliched routine they had never failed.
Truly a bluff.
This meant just one thing.
The complete downfall of the Akashic Record.
Yet public opinion wouldn’t drift according to their intentions.
―――
[Title] But why is there suspiciously little response from the National Assembly?
(Meme of the Ethics Committee being lambasted in a female community)
Even the female communities are mercilessly critiquing the Ethics Committee now!
Raven the Prince is getting censored and people are furious, LOL!
Upvotes 2058 Downvotes 61
―――
[Comment 1426]
Breaking news) All communities are uniting, LOL!
“Unity for all genders is Shin Ro La.”
“Something… something is happening.”
“Raven is indeed attractive.”
“Hey!”
“No, ahh, damn it!”
―――
It’s often said in Korea that 2D characters have more rights than real people.
Looking at the stirring public sentiment, it seemed that saying was indeed true.
The moment they attempted to regulate the 2D character, Raven, all communities united.
And they began to pummel the Ethics Committee, sabotaging their festival.
―――
[Title] Breaking News) Petition to Abolish the Ethics Committee Surpasses 1 Million Signatures, LOL!
In just one day, it easily surpassed 1 million, LOL!
The fastest ever recorded achievement for 1 million signatures.
Was the theory of 10 million concurrent users on opening day real?
Upvotes 2361 Downvotes 60
―――
[Comment 1125]
Honestly, it’s because the Ethics Committee pulled some spectacularly stupid moves.
“Right?! LOL!”
“Those guys are just clueless.”
“It looks like they received kickbacks before making the decision.”
―――
Akare had already established itself as a game enjoyed by the entire nation.
Aside from that, Akare was a game containing technology that implemented the first virtual reality.
The first virtual reality.
Aurora might have only developed a game with it,
But in reality, virtual reality resembled a dream technology with infinite potential.
Countless nations, including several developed countries, were sending unconditional love calls to the Record Eye.
It was a stroke of luck that the Record Eye was even in “Korea.”
And they dare to mess with the Record Eye, which is peacefully existing?
If the Record Eye were to defect overseas because of this incident?
When weighing virtual reality technology against the Ethics Committee, you could see which side came out heavier.
Of course, the scale would tilt toward virtual reality.
“Hmmm…”
Watching the proceedings unfold, I rested my chin on my hand while tapping the desk with my index finger.
Even during my days in the Other World as a hero, there were always those who slandered me.
Though often the Crown Prince would personally handle such matters, given his busy schedule with work,
I felt wrong asking him for this trivial task.
“I’ve got a good idea.”
The moment for the anticipated second half roadmap showcase was drawing near.
The Ethics Committee, who had already provoked my ire, was half-dead from the public’s rocks of criticism,
But just because they had wronged me didn’t mean those actions would vanish entirely.
It was obvious they wouldn’t reflect on their mistakes, no matter how harsh public rebuke was.
They’d brush it off as just bad luck this time.
There needed to be a proper imprint of the issue.
That I wasn’t just a passive victim.
***
The moment of the second half roadmap showcase arrived.
The Major Corporation Party gathered at Master Kim’s house to watch the showcase.
The VTuber, Suzuka, had to miss it—
Or rather, she didn’t!
Instead, she appeared on Master Kim’s stream, wearing a lovely bunny mask.
“Everyone, I look good in this, don’t I?”
Suzuka waved at the slightly awkward camera.
“Today, we have a new area and… what else?”
“The new area is that elf hometown thing.”
“Ah, Elderheim.”
“Oh, right. That! I bet they’ll introduce something related to elves, right?”
Pagu’s guess was actually quite reasonable.
An undisclosed secret class.
A new class scheduled to launch.
One of those could very well appear alongside the new area update.
“Master, have you been to Elderheim?”
“No, I never even got to step inside.”
“I imagine we won’t be able to enter until after it gets updated.”
The main story was currently at a stop during “Proof.”
Destroying the Object of Ruin alongside Raven.
Since the Elderheim update wasn’t available yet, furthering the main story or leveling up seemed impossible.
In the Empire, high-level users above level 60 who had undergone their second awakening had no hunting grounds or dungeons to level up in.
“Let’s begin.”
As the timer displayed on the official broadcast reached zero,
The screen transitioned, revealing Aurora’s figure.
– Hello, I am Aurora, the Director of the Akashic Record.
With Aurora’s signature outfit and laurel crown, it was evident this was virtual reality.
– Today, we’re supposed to present the roadmap for the upcoming second half updates… before…
With an emotionless expression rare for her, the voice continued in a monotone.
– I’m afraid we have some bad news for everyone who loves Akare.
Bad news?
The Major Corporation Party, surprised, held their breath, waiting for her next words.
– Recently, several issues have occurred, haven’t they? Regarding Akare.
“Ah.”
With Aurora’s statement, all four simultaneously sighed.
Several issues.
Anyone involved in the community couldn’t be ignorant of that.
– The Akashic Record is a domestic game, and we must comply with domestic laws.
The Major Corporation Party instantly grasped it.
Nuclear bomb incoming.
No, something even bigger is coming.
– As much as I’d like to avoid this, it wouldn’t be fair for us to receive special privileges…
*Snap!*
Aurora snapped her fingers.
At that moment, a massive screen behind her activated.
[ Affection System Revision ]
– This time, we’re looking to revise the most problematic affection system.
*Snap!*
Aurora snapped again.
[ Affection ‘Destiny’ Cutscene Deletion. ]
[ Affection ‘Destiny’ Exclusive Interaction Deletion. ]
[ Affection Skinship Interaction Restrictions with NPCs. ]
No more Yas with Raven.
No more intimacy with Raven.
This was nothing short of a death sentence.
– Avatars will also be affected.
*Snap!*
[ Avatar ‘Shining Summer Night Swimsuit A’ Revision. ]
[ Avatar ‘Shining Summer Night Swimsuit B’ Revision. ]
The most popular swimsuit avatars had been changed.
The before and after versions of the swimsuits shown on the screen were certainly different.
The skin exposure had been reduced by over 80%, making them hard to even refer to as swimsuits.
– Excessive violence was also an issue.
*Snap!*
[ Combat ‘Blood Splatter’ Changed to Green. ]
[ Combat ‘Limb Destruction’ Mosaic Treatment. ]
[ Combat ‘Physical, Magic Strikes’ Mosaic Treatment. ]
Imagine green blood splattering during battle,
And mosaics being placed over the severed limb.
There was absolutely no way to maintain immersion.
In a game that thrived on its incredible realism and immersive experience,
Now there was a barrier against that immersion; what irony could capture this?
– “Too grotesque monsters? This encourages discomfort and repulsion.”
[ Monster ‘129 Types’ Model Change. ]
The change in monster modeling that made players feel like they were actually fighting real monsters.
There were so many that only parts were visible on the screen, but it invoked a collective sigh from the viewers.
It felt like everything transitioned from dark fantasy to a kiddie show.
– What do you think?
“Uh…”
“Uh…”
“Ugh…”
Upon Aurora’s question, Master Kim, Sweet, and Suzuka swallowed their breaths.
Only Pagu, who had been silent, inhaled deeply and then shouted loudly.
“Damn those Ethics Committee bastards… Ugh!”
“Calm down, Pagu!”
“Huh.”
“Wow… I have no idea.”
Who, and how, would rectify this situation?
Just as everybody watching the official stream had this question on their minds,
Aurora’s mouth curled into a slight smile.
– These patches won’t be applied in the next updates.
? ? ? ?
Simultaneously, question marks appeared over the heads of the four.
– But they may be applied someday, right?
If a truly problematic situation arises.
At Aurora’s follow-up statement, everyone fell into a state of shock.
Even the streamer who was watching along. The users tuning into the official stream.
Everyone.
The only one with a joyful smile was Aurora.
