“Next on the list, we have the in-game workshop availability. Players can now co-own land and buildings within the industrial zone to establish their own workshops. However, owning a workshop comes with responsibilities. It requires an innovative concept approved by the headmaster, followed by a deposit of two thousand merit points. Additionally, to ensure each workshop receives the attention it deserves, at least five players must band together to get one.”
Victor envisioned a future where players could enlist the natives as their workforce. However, for the time being, they would have to rely on their own resources. Fortunately, manpower was not a concern, given the rapid expansion of the player base every few weeks.
“The next two points are about the new and newly upgraded buildings. First, the Alchemical Hall is quite self-explanatory, and as the name suggests, it’s a facility for Alchemists to concoct potions and elixirs. Furthermore, as players progress, they can acquire side professions such as Alchemist; this will allow players to create their own unique potions and elixirs. Isn’t that amazing? This facility also sells potions and elixirs of many varieties, but we can expect it to be available down the line.”
He opted to keep the existence of “Gender-Changing Potion” under wraps because there was no reason to reveal it now. If players were to learn that there was such a potion available for sale, it could potentially incite uproar among them. And while the players’ enthusiasm was good, the risk of misuse was too great. It was essentially a double-edged sword. Maybe he should instead create a milder version of the potion with temporary effects, lasting perhaps a day or less. But for now, it remained an idea for another time.
“Continuing on, we have exciting news about the Nexus Tower — it has been upgraded to level 2. Some of you might not be aware that certain buildings in our game can be leveled up; this was a hidden mechanic until now. More details on this feature will be shared soon.”
“Back to the Nexus Tower, those of you who have visited recently were likely impressed by the enhancements inside. The tower now houses twenty-five incubation pods, which is an increase of fifteen pods. This expansion means that fifteen more players can be incubated and join the game concurrently. This upgrade is part of our ongoing efforts to increase the total number of players and address the long waiting respawn cooldown.”
Victor had actually taken another detour after visiting Eleanor’s workshop to check the Nexus Tower. Impressively enough, it had expanded significantly, now 1.5 times larger than before, boasting two floors and a total of twenty-five incubation pods. As if that weren’t enough, all the acolyte robes and other clothing within had been magically replenished!
This news left him thoroughly satisfied since he wouldn’t have to worry anymore regarding the dwindling supply of acolyte robes. Nevertheless, there remained a necessity for an industry focused on repairing the currently used ones and crafting new ones in case the current stock proved insufficient.
Other than this fact, he discovered that there was actually a basement floor with a new facility inside it. The facility was called “Bloodline Transmuter,” and Victor could put in the blood essence of a powerful magical beast to be inserted into players’ or anyone else’s bodies. This must be the one that caused a certain player to become a Bloodline Magus.
“Alright! Let’s dive into the last and perhaps the most thrilling point that I’m sure everyone’s waiting for: the in-game accelerated time flow. I know, I know… many of you have been complaining about not having enough time to fully engage with the game, especially with the ever-increasing tasks each update brings.”
“That is why we’re implementing this cutting-edge system within the gaming capsule, and we’re beyond excited about it. You no longer have to worry about not having enough time to do missions or learn magic in the game. This new feature accelerates the in-game time relative to real-world time, allowing you to accomplish more within shorter real-life periods with a 2:1 ratio.”
“Are you excited after reading this news? Of course you are! And as much as I’d like to join you all in exploring these new features, alas, my work keeps me grounded in reality. But I’m excited to see how you all use this new capability to maximize your endeavor in the game!”
Obviously, Victor’s narrative was total bullshit. What maximizing players’ in-game time to do missions? It felt more like an intensified form of slavery, wrapped in the guise of gameplay mechanics. But no matter how smart these people were, they wouldn’t be able to figure it out because, after all, it was just a game to them.
Plus, what would be better than giving them a carrot-on-a-stick method?
“That covers all the main points of this update. Typically, I would conclude here, but there are a few additional changes worth highlighting. For starters, you can now track the academy’s grade and its progression value points on the official website. By completing specific missions and contributing to the development of the academy, you’ll see these progression points increase. Accumulating enough points will elevate the academy to the next level, unlocking new buildings and additional features.”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“We introduce this system to give you clear goals and add motivation for engaging in missions. It is designed to enrich your involvement in the game’s community and development. Remember, the academy will always become a pivotal part of this game, no matter what stage of the game it is.”
“Guess I will end the fourth installment of the dev diary with this. I sincerely hope this update fills you with excitement and adds to your enjoyment of the game. Happy gaming!”
“And enter.” Victor uploaded the entire thing to the forum, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips. “There we go. Phew…” He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stretched his back, eliciting a few creaking noises from his bones. This dev diary had turned out to be his longest yet due to the fact that there were a multitude of topics that needed to be addressed.
“Oh, how the years have gone…” Victor reminisced, recalling the countless nights spent grinding for a rare piece of equipment in his favorite game. The memories filled him with a warm sense of nostalgia.
“You do realize that you sound like an old man, right?” Lizbeth remarked, casting a snippy glance his way.
Hearing that, Victor could only chuckle. “I may look young, but if you count my past life, I’ve lived for forty years.”
“Is forty years even a long time?” She tilted her head in confusion, as if genuinely puzzled by the statement.
Her question left Victor momentarily speechless.
He remembered that she had mentioned waiting for the academy’s successor for an incredibly long time. Compared to the millennia she might have endured, could forty years be considered long? Moreover, powerful Magi could live for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years. In such a context, forty years were indeed just a blink of an eye. Hmm, maybe I should change my perspective somewhat…
While mulling that over, Victor turned to look at the official website forum, now bursting with comments on the latest update announcement. “In any case, these netizens sure are a rowdy bunch. Look at how their messages pop up every fraction of a second, especially these highlighted posts made by players.”
Squadzell: “Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!! My eyes must be playing a trick on me! I just got the qualification for the game!! Mom, your son is at the peak of his life!! Woohoo!”
ProcrastinatingPanda: “How come you’re the first to comment when you had to check your email first?”
Hornycrab: “Nooo. I’m third now… 😭”
Prominence: “Congratz, mate @Squadzell. Your loyalty has finally been rewarded. [Celebration.jpg]”
Gigglebelly Grumblefart: “Shoot. This might just be the biggest update we’ll ever get for a long time! What’s more, we’ll be moving to the closed beta in the next update!”
Storm Bringer: “Is it finally here?! An economic update! This will change the game entirely as we know it! And there’s a brand-new dungeon — a pocket dimension at that! This is insane!”
ZeroXScyth: “Yup, not to mention that this update introduces a workshop feature. That sure is an interesting one.”
DigitalMagicianPatrick: “Does creating a troupe for magic performances count as a workshop?”
CookieMons: “I want to open a meat stall. Is that possible now that we have a tradable currency?”
ButaYaarou: “How about selling things that we couldn’t legally sell in the real world? I’m sure there’s a lot of ‘content’ worth selling. (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) #iykyk”
GiveMeTheNuclearCode: “You mean something like a d*j*n manga or…? Hehe…”
SirLaughsALot: “Ahem. Guys, let’s apprehend and beat up these degenerates before they do something heinous in the game!”
KuroUsagi: “Are you guys blind?! The highlight of this update is obviously the accelerated time flow! One day in the game is equal to twelve hours in real life. Do you ignoramuses know how much this will affect the gameplay?!”
Storm Bringer: “We’re just trying to ignore the elephant in the room because we almost fainted from excitement. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”
Indeed.
For them, the prospect of spending more time in an exciting “virtual” world while expending only half the time in the real world was like a dream come true — essentially extending their lifespans. Using their sleeping time alone already increased their active time by 30 percent, and with time in the game now accelerated by a factor of two, it effectively meant doubling their lifespans.
In everyone’s mind, this might as well be magic! Well, it is.
Speaking of which, Victor had granted qualifications to architects, designers, and other related professionals as planned. Now, he just had to wait for them to join the game and enhance the academy’s layout and architecture, ensuring it wouldn’t become a laughingstock among other Magi. Although, he would’ve preferred recruiting the necessary talents from this world instead.
“But it feels like I’ve forgotten something…” Victor held his temple in contemplation — his mind nagging that despite the big update, something was missing. Then it hit him. “Oh right, the introduction of the Ki-Warrior class…”
“You mean,” Lizbeth interjected with a question, confused, “you want the players to become Ki-Warriors as opposed to Magi?”
“Well, a new class update will enrich their ‘gameplay’ and maintain the façade of a game longer. However, we don’t have a viable breathing technique yet… I haven’t fully interrogated the Ki-Warriors working in the mine, especially their leader, Rowan.” Victor paused for a moment before making a decision. “Let’s put this aside for now and introduce it as a new class update in an intermittent update later.”
“That seems to be a wise choice,” Lizbeth agreed with a nod.
As a matter of fact, it was not all that rare for Magi to learn breathing techniques and follow a dual path. Magi from noble backgrounds often learned these techniques, as noble houses typically leaned towards training Ki-Warriors. This dual training wasn’t a bad thing because it provided them with physical strength and advantages over their peers. However, once they acquired a meditation technique, which was more powerful, they usually abandoned the breathing techniques since pursuing two paths consumed resources and time, with few advantages to speak of.
Victor hailed from a Magus family, so he wasn’t taught anything about breathing techniques, nor had he been interested in learning them in the past. Though it might not be a bad idea to learn one now that he had access to various resources and tools that could help him.
With that in mind, Victor concluded with a smile on his face, “I guess our next step has been determined.”