©NovelBuddy
I Made a Game Featuring Constellations-Chapter 130
The First Enhancement Quest to Improve Investor Perception Amid Game Character Performance Inflation
The first target was [Wisdom].
Although each investor, excluding Gaizerus, had their own character they wanted improved, it was impossible to create a quest targeting all of them at once.
The first step was to decide on the character to be targeted.
Amidst the investors, [Wisdom] presented a wish token.
This became the justification that none of the other investors could contest.
Moreover, since the impact on the divinity of the first character improvement was unknown, [Wisdom] persuaded everyone to start with a character that was not widely known as being based on her own story, namely [The Girl in Love, Versia], and observe its progress.
With [Wisdom]’s persuasion, she gained the approval of all investors, and the first character improvement target became the character inspired by her, [The Girl in Love, Versia].
In fact, while other early characters were directly tied to each Constellation’s story, it was not widely known that Versia’s story was based on [Wisdom]’s past.
Thus, unlike other Constellations, it was said that even if her divinity were to change, it would not cause a problem.
However...
‘It hasn’t been revealed that I am actually For, so I wonder if my divinity could still have an impact, even if I wasn’t supposed to be affected.’
There was a slight sense of confusion.
Although [Wisdom] had mentioned it, she must have something else in mind.
So, when we were about to create an enhancement quest for her, [Wisdom] spoke up.
“Your Highness, may I use the story I’ve thought of for this one? I want to observe how the players’ perception works through the story.”
It was a story created for her.
If anyone could properly affect divinity through the game, it would be her.
I readily agreed.
Thus, the story she proposed was the one unfolding before my eyes now.
“So, we meet again, my... Prince.”Out of nowhere, [Wisdom]’s story began to collapse, with the necessity of erasing memories to preserve that world.
At first glance, it might sound like a tragic lovers' story, but considering that Versia’s story was based on the experiences [Wisdom] and I shared, it was, in fact, an embarrassingly intimate tale.
"It's so sad, I'm crying...""Do you really think we'd cry over this forced melodrama, you bad [Guardian]? ...It's too sad! Give us back our Versia! Give us back the memories we shared!""What Versia said was meaningful. Let's try to understand it."‘I was worried that if the [Versia Faction] did too much, there would be even more players who disliked her, but it seems to have worked.’
Every detail, from the background to the lighting, had been carefully crafted by [Wisdom].
If the reviews had been bad, I would have felt sorry for [Wisdom].
***
"Did you say goodbye well?"
"......Guardian."
The Crown Prince found himself standing in the middle of the [Akashic Archive].
Versia, who had been with him, was now gone, replaced by the Guardian.
It all felt like a mere illusion, as if everything that had just happened was but a dream.
"I had no choice. If I had waited any longer, the world would have been erased."
...I know.
I understand that the Guardian had no choice but to do it.
But the Crown Prince still found it incredibly hard to accept the reality.
He looked down at the pendant still in his hand.
An item he had received the first time he met her.
It was an object filled with memories of her.
He could still feel the lingering scent and warmth of Versia.
"......The reset is complete. Would you like to go in?"
The Guardian extended the book toward him.
The Crown Prince took it in a daze.
"Versia..."
The Versia he knew was now gone.
The person he had known had been erased, and she had returned to the time before they had ever met.
Could he endure it when he faced her again...?
The Crown Prince was filled with fear.
The moment he would meet her again, someone who no longer remembered him.
What if he couldn’t hold on and broke down?
What if he showed a side of himself he should never show in front of her, not knowing anything?
But the Crown Prince extended his hand.
It wasn’t an easy decision, but it had to be done.
He had to make sure she was doing well in the reset world.
With trembling hands, the Crown Prince opened the book.
The light from the book swallowed him.
Swoosh!
Before he knew it, the Crown Prince found himself standing in the middle of a busy street, with people passing by all around.
‘......It’s there. That place.’
How could he forget?
The world of Versia, the one he entered to resolve the laboratory issues and to deal with the Abyss’s intervention.
It was this very street.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
He had expected the starting point to be the laboratory, but instead, a completely different landscape had appeared, and he had been shocked by it. He still remembered it clearly.
‘Because at that time....’
Thud thud.
"Uh... excuse me..."
The Crown Prince turned around.
A ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) small girl touched his shoulder.
It was Versia.
‘She found me.’
"Did we meet somewhere before?"
"Did we meet somewhere before?"
The past memories seemed to overlap.
The time when he had met Versia, who had forgotten all the memories of the laboratory, and they met here.
She lived happily as a student at the academy, forgetting the horrific memories of the laboratory.
At that time, he was a little sad, but he was happy.
She seemed to be living happily, free from those painful memories.
But now, the Crown Prince felt like he was about to burst into tears.
The adventures he had shared with her.
The dates they had enjoyed together.
The conversations they had shared.
The love stories whispered through [Akarchive Talk] until the night passed.
All the memories he had with her, which had helped him endure his tough life as the heir to the Empire, she no longer remembered.
"I had a date with a prince in my dream... and that prince looked exactly like you..."
"......."
The Crown Prince couldn’t bring himself to speak.
"......Why aren't you saying anything?"
"......?"
Suddenly, Versia's mood changed dramatically.
"Did you really think I wouldn’t remember you? I told you that I wouldn’t forget you, right? Did you think I forgot you?"
"How, how could that be!"
"Even if the world changes, I told you I wouldn’t forget you...."
Versia's eyes were now filled with tears, glistening as they welled up.
"Versia!"
The Crown Prince hugged her tightly.
"I’ll never let you go again! Never again!"
***
The world of Versia had been reset, but naturally, since it was Versia's enhancement quest, her memories weren't erased. She became the only character within the reset world who still remembered the player.
According to what was known to the players, the reset had been diverted just before the world collapsed because she had come into contact with the "Pre-Guardian" player, an entity of the [Akashic Archive].
The truth was that the Guardian had intentionally completed the reset, excluding only Versia's memories, but this part was still not revealed to the players. It would be addressed later when the narrative about the "Guardian's shift, who values the preservation of the story but is affected by the player's influence," was fully unraveled.
During the process of the world's collapse, Versia reaffirmed her love for the player, and the power she had been given under the title "Fruit of Love" in the main quest underwent a new awakening. Through love that transcended the world, she became a being that broke free from the confines of the story.
[The Girl Who Will Never Forget Love, Versia]
Upon completing the quest, the character held by the player also underwent an enhancement. When the player performed a battle with her buffs applied, a bonus hit called the "Fruit of Love" was added, dealing true damage equivalent to a portion of the total damage dealt by the player.
This served as a balance adjustment to ensure that she didn’t get overshadowed by the [Guardian] while still maintaining a distinct role.
Since the enhancement quest appeared, the usage rate of the [Versia] character increased significantly. It was unclear whether this was due to her performance or the story's impact, but it had clearly gained attention.
"Princess, how is the analysis on the divine power progressing?"
"Perfect... but I think it will still take a little more time."
"I see."
Understanding the results of the first case was important to proceed with the next investors. If it was possible to enhance her without distorting the divine power, this enhancement quest could potentially grant special powers to the investors in the real world as well.
Though the analysis wasn’t perfect yet, they were moving forward.
"Your Highness."
Just as I was pondering what to do for the next enhancement quest.
"Your Highness, have you ever wondered why the recognition of 'Guardian' hasn’t been established as a form of divine power for you?"
"...What?"
"Do you mean why I haven't become a god in the form of the Guardian?"
...Wait, what?