Chapter 2: Creation – 2

The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep.

The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Thud thud.

The carriage shook violently, as if it had run over a large stone.

As a result, the pain in my buttocks intensified.

“Damn it….”

As expected, I don’t like the real fantasy world.

That’s why I created the virtual world of Rudera.

However, the Rudera interface, the magical device needed to enter that world, requires stability during use, so it was impossible to connect while riding in a roughly moving carriage.

For that reason, I had no choice but to endure the pain in my buttocks, the nausea, and the boredom while lying sprawled out in the carriage.

To ease the sick feeling in my stomach, I looked out the window into the distance.

That seemed to make me feel a little better.

Feeling somewhat more comfortable, I recalled the early days of Rudera’s creation.

The first time Rudera, this virtual reality magic, was created was a full ten years ago when my body was about ten years old.

After being threatened by the red dragon Carthesia, I used the numerous artifacts and magic she gave me to develop Rudera.

A world close to my ideal, full of dreams and romance, like the ones I had seen in novels.

I also added various fun elements, inspired by the virtual reality games from my past life, for Carthesia to enjoy.

When I first completed the setup and presented Rudera to Carthesia,

“As expected, human, it seems I made the right choice in entrusting this to you!”

She smiled brightly after enjoying Rudera’s world for a while.

“If there is something you want, speak. If you wish, I can give you the vast wealth I have accumulated, or I could become the guardian dragon of your family.”

“No, thank you. I didn’t do it expecting a reward.”

I did it to survive.

Besides, the treasures I had already received were more than enough.

They were even a bit too much to handle.

“Rather, I am curious about something.”

“Hmm. What is it?”

“You could create this world yourself, couldn’t you? Why did you teach me the magic and give me so many treasures to create it?”

Dragons can use a special magic called Dragon Speech and possess a Dragon Heart that allows them to wield unlimited magical power.

If the purpose was to enjoy a virtual world for entertainment, wouldn’t it be easier to create it yourself rather than having me do it?

“Is that what you mean?”

Carthesia nodded slightly, understanding my question, and continued.

“I also tried to use the magic you created.”

“Pardon? Then why…”

“But I couldn’t use it. I tried having the Guardians, the elves I protect, and the Empire’s mages use it, but none of them could.”

That means…

“This magic is a special magic that only you can use in this world. I don’t know the reason yet.”

Because I created the magic?

Or because I’m from another world?

A magic that only I can use.

It was a very complicated and subtle feeling.

“But if I find out that fact, I could threaten you with the existence of this world, couldn’t I? Why would you tell me such a thing…?”

“Hmph.”

Carthesia scoffed as if it was nonsense.

Was she implying that such threats meant nothing to her?

Or maybe she saw me as someone who wouldn’t actually do such a thing.

In either case, it was a display of the seasoned composure one would expect from an ancient dragon who had lived for thousands of years.

“……”

She froze in place.

After a brief silence, a bead of sweat suddenly trickled down her face.

“……I hadn’t thought of that.”

The sweat started to trickle more noticeably.

It was a reaction I hadn’t expected from her at all.

I began to think that perhaps she wasn’t as terrifying as I had imagined.

“I’m just joking! I value my life too much to do something like that. Haha.”

“Th-that so!”

She sighed in relief and patted her chest.

“Regardless, your role is crucial. I won’t spare any support necessary to advance that world, so speak freely.”

“In that case…”

Maybe it was the relief from surviving the dragon’s threat.

Maybe it was because I started to feel a strange sense of kinship with the dragon in front of me, despite her having kidnapped and threatened me.

At that moment, I made a fateful mistake.

“I have an idea to make Rudera’s world more interesting.”

I suggested distributing devices granting access to Rudera across the continent to increase the number of users.

NPC, Non-Player Character.

These are characters that can’t be controlled by the player.

In non-online, conventional console games, the world is usually filled with these NPCs.

The world of Rudera, which I created, was also completely populated by NPCs I had set up.

NPCs that moved according to my will.

A world where I could control everything as I desired.

In that world, I was like an omnipotent god, but there was a problem.

Because everything went my way, or perhaps because the actions and thoughts of the NPCs couldn’t surpass what was in my head, this world wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be.

So I recalled the online games from my previous life.

Games where numerous people could connect simultaneously, meet, and have fun together in a shared world.

If such unpredictable entities participated in the game, I thought I could feel the same enjoyment as in my previous life!

With that thought, I decided to spread Rudera across the continent.

To distribute the magical devices granting access to this world.

“Mass-produce and distribute the magical devices, you say.”

Carthesia rested her chin in her hand as she listened to my story.

“Is that… difficult?”

“No. It’s entirely possible. There’s nothing this ancient dragon Carthesia cannot do. But… why do you want to do such a thing? Wouldn’t it sully this world with lower beings?”

“Because it would introduce unpredictable elements that I can’t control.”

“Unpredictable elements?”

“You must have experienced countless amusements, so you must know that if you can control every situation, it’s not fun. Isn’t it most enjoyable when unexpected events occur and you have to deal with them?”

“……Indeed.”

Carthesia nodded as if in agreement with my words.

“Alright. Let’s do as you say.”

After that, Carthesia utilized various routes to distribute the connection magic tool across the continent.

Thanks to the actions of the ancient dragon, no one knew who the owner of Rudera was or who was spreading these connection devices.

Even if the beings of this world were ignorant about games or virtual reality, I thought it might still gain some popularity.

I never imagined it would spread this much over the course of ten years.

‘The Imperial Guild declares war on the Republican Guild!’

‘Gold prices in Rudera surpass those of the continent!’

‘The Pope of the Holy Kingdom mentions a hidden item in his New Year’s address, urging all believers to seek it for Deus!’

‘Who is the master of Rudera? A being capable of shaking the entire continent! Considered to be the most influential person in the future!’

These were the articles I read in the newspapers after Rudera started being distributed.

Only then did it hit me.

What have I done?

Did I release some kind of poison into this world just for the sake of entertainment?

Rudera had become the most important entity on this continent, and I was now in a position where I had to manage that world.

Moreover, I was in an extremely dangerous situation where it would be catastrophic if my identity were exposed.

“Hahaha! As expected, you haven’t changed! It’s so much fun to have a world full of so many miscellaneous things! I’m glad I believed you!”

Although Carthesia enjoyed this chaotic situation, would she still protect me if things went wrong later?

…Hopefully, she wouldn’t be too absorbed in Rudera to help when it really mattered.