Chapter 112: Invitation (2)

“……How long do I have to keep doing this, Master?”

Kneeling with her hands raised high, the guide asked.

“Until you reflect on your actions.”

“…………That’s unfair, Master. I did it for you.”

There was a playful tone in her voice, and I couldn’t help but chuckle in response.

Apparently, she wanted to see me surprised.

But who in their right mind would pull off something that could shock an entire continent just for that trivial reason?

…Well, she’s not exactly human, though.

“More importantly, have you finished the mini-game I asked you to make?”

!!!

“Oh, that? Yes. I’ve completed the basic system, and I’ve also incorporated the title system you requested…”

The guide maintained her punishment posture as she answered.

***

As I reviewed the new game system that the guide had created, I glanced at the screen beside me to check the community’s response.

The conflict between servers was intensifying faster than expected.

Thanks to Dua, it was somewhat contained in the raids, but the root problem hadn’t been solved.

It seemed I would have to intervene somehow.

The issue was that the conflicts stemmed from complex factors, including players’ real-world identities and interests, making it impossible to resolve solely with in-game elements.

“I hope this system can help quell the conflict to some extent.”

The new game system was originally designed to foster communication and camaraderie among players.

At the very least, it might delay further disputes.

***

A message instructed the GM to post an announcement in the community that a new game would be created and released through his powers.

Although the GM was asleep, his latent powers in his dreams continued to expand the world of Rudera.

What a formidable god he was.

The Demon Lord, after posting the announcement in the community, decided to try out the newly added game.

The moment she pressed the “Start Game” button, her vision went dark, and she was transported to an entirely different space.

“…I can’t move.”

She attempted to move her legs to assess her situation, but they felt as if they were stuck in place, anchored to the ground.

Calmly, she examined her surroundings.

In front of her were images arranged in a 7-by-7 square, each adorably depicting elves, humans, dwarves, beastkin, and demons—the five races.

Above them, a time gauge was gradually depleting.

‘Did the announcement say the game would take about 60 seconds?’

That must be the remaining time.

The Demon Lord extended her hand and selected an elf image.

Then, she swiped her hand to the side.

Bang!

The elf image swapped places with a demon image next to it, then exploded. The score on the nearby scoreboard increased simultaneously.

“I think I’ve figured out how this works.”

02

01

00

Time’s up!

As the time gauge ran out, she returned to her original location.

***

Ding.

• You’ve obtained the ‘Pop Master Novice’ title.

“A title…”

The system window notified her that she’d acquired a title.

Come to think of it, she remembered something about titles mentioned in the announcement. Hm…

She tapped on the title, and a prompt asked if she wanted to equip it.

Upon further inspection, it seemed that displaying a title would make it visible in the messaging feature or status screen within Rudera, allowing other players to see it.

Though it didn’t offer tangible rewards like stats or skills, it seemed to fulfill the players’ desire for honor.

The Demon Lord opened the system window to check the list of available titles.

Martial God, Hero, Sword Emperor, Emperor, Tyrant…

They didn’t provide any effects, but they were impressive titles sure to captivate the players’ hearts.

As she continued to scroll, a particular title caught her eye.

[Demon Lord]

A title symbolizing the king of demons.

It was fitting for her.

But there was another reason it had seized her attention.

“…”

The title, in bold and italicized font, gleamed in a dazzling array of colors.

A glowing title!

How could anyone resist that?

The Demon Lord quickly checked the acquisition conditions for the title.

[Record 1,000,000 points 666 times for the first time on the server]

What score did I just achieve?

Is it even possible to reach 1,000,000 points within 60 seconds?

But she had to try.

After all, it was a title that glowed in multiple colors.

Time’s up!

As the game ended, the Demon Lord was ejected back outside.

Through several attempts, she realized that she could inflate her score using the combo system.

“Looks like I can do it with practice.”

With her transcendent senses and intelligence, it seemed feasible.

Moreover, it was an achievement that had to be completed as the first on the server.

There was no time to waste.

The Demon Lord pressed the button to re-enter the game, but—

• Insufficient stamina.

“……Stamina?”

Only then did the Demon Lord realize that playing the game required a special currency.

It was a red, heart-shaped item.

In the system window, it was labeled as ‘Stamina,’ with five provided as the default, and one recharging every three hours.

“Is it… meant to be done slowly?”

Although she didn’t fully understand the purpose of this time restriction, she figured there must be a reason.

So, retrying immediately wasn’t possible?

The Demon Lord frowned.

Waiting several hours to play another round?

How long would it take to earn the title at this rate?

She tapped on the heart-shaped icon, wondering if there was any way to acquire more stamina.

Ding.

• Would you like to send an invitation message to acquire stamina?

“…Invitation?”

The messaging window in Rudera was suddenly filled with invitation messages.

Although this content offered no tangible rewards—only titles—the popularity was immense.

First, it was enjoyable content that didn’t require combat, appealing to countless players across new servers.

Second, the reward of honor proved immensely valuable to the players.

Considering the noble families who venture into battlefields and duel to the death for mere prestige, the effect of a shining title displayed alongside their names in Rudera was tremendous.

This was true even for beastkin.

Most of these titles were limited, available only to those who achieved them first, which heightened the response.

‘Plus, there’s no cash-shop option in Rudera Pang.’

With no pay-to-win elements, the only ways to obtain stamina were waiting or sending invitation messages.

Players who rarely sent messages found themselves spamming invitations for stamina, drawing even more players due to the flood of messages.

As a result, the continent was gradually overtaken by Rudera Pang.

The community, once filled with arguments over server differences, now brimmed with stories of Rudera Pang.

‘At least I’ve doused the urgent fire.’

While it didn’t solve the underlying conflict, it bought some time.

‘And the messaging feature has become unbelievably active.’

Unlike reality, Rudera’s messaging function wasn’t widely used.

Some focused on its ability to communicate regardless of location, but most people in reality didn’t engage with such technology.

‘Although, considering that, the community was actually very active.’

Driven by the scramble for stamina, players started sending invitations all over, and in the process, they grew accustomed to the messaging feature.

Ding.

“…Hm? A message?”

At the sound of the notification, I opened the message window.

The content and sender were entirely unexpected.

[Rudera Pang]

[Vernier has invited you! Check it out now! —The Martial King]

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“……Ah, Father?”