NoveLight ™
“This part feels a bit lacking in execution.”
I tapped my fingers on the invisible keyboard floating in the air.
“Constellation, could you give me a little help?”
As I conveyed my intention, the holographic video before me shifted instantly.
[Dreamteller asks if this looks better now.]
A message from the Constellation appeared.
“It’s perfect,” I replied.
Tap tap tap!
Unlike the developers back on Earth, who used to complain endlessly about how certain features were impossible to implement, my Constellation got things done in a flash.
Falling into this world had its perks, but this was undoubtedly my greatest stroke of luck.
Hoooaahhh…
After spending three full days focused entirely on quality assurance, I finally let my exhausted body collapse onto the bed.
[Dreamteller pats you on the back, saying you’ve worked hard.]
“No, you’re the one who worked hard, Constellation…”
I smiled faintly at the message that popped up before my eyes.
This new world I’d landed in, the continent of Reiphania, was home to countless Constellations.
Each of them was a legendary hero who had achieved incredible feats, ascending to divinity.
But my Constellation, [Dreamteller], was far too adorable to fit that image of grandeur.
For me—a poor commoner now stuck in a magic academy—she was nothing short of a savior.
Without her, not only would it have been impossible to create an Earth-style game in this dull world, but I’d likely be struggling just to survive day-to-day.
[Dreamteller chatters excitedly, saying they can’t wait to see the reaction when the game launches.]
“Me too.”
It wasn’t just the games I missed from Earth.
I longed for the community that surrounded them—the interactions between players, the forums where experiences were shared, the camaraderie.
I wanted to dive back into that culture of shared enjoyment and mutual excitement.
Over the course of a year, the Constellation and I poured everything we had into this game.
Combining Earth’s innovative concepts with the divine powers of a god of dreams, this game had the potential to upend this entire world.
I let my heavy eyelids close, praying for its success.
***
Reiphania’s largest magic-powered community hub was Aperaio.
This platform consisted of countless subcommunities dedicated to various topics. Among them was a particularly sizable one focused entirely on games: Magitech Game Gallery.
It was a typical day in Magitech Game Gallery—filled with nonsensical chatter unrelated to gaming:
Despite the platform’s name, the gallery was always alive with discussions that had little to do with games.
But then, a post appeared:
Title: Today’s Insane-Quality New Game
The post introduced a new game and included a few screenshots.
Title: Akashic Archive
“A game where you can collect and use characters based on Constellations. It’s run on its own platform, and it’s totally free!”
The comments rolled in:
At first, it seemed like another post that would quickly be buried in the noise of the community. But then…
Suddenly, the post became a hot topic, spreading like wildfire through the community.
With its free accessibility and the straightforward magic-device setup required to play, the game’s buzz grew rapidly.
In no time, the new game Akashic Archive began pulling in users by the thousands.
***
[It’s a success! We’ve already hit 10,000 users!]
Dreamteller pumps both fists into the air, bouncing with excitement.
“It’s a success. Congratulations, Constellation.”
I smiled as I watched the real-time user graph skyrocket at a near-vertical pace.
This was a virtual reality game brought to life through the power of dreams, gifted by the Constellation.
Unlike the clunky illusion magic that could barely create a rudimentary VR experience, the game we created allowed players to dive directly into the game world the moment they launched it on their devices.
The game manifested inside the player’s dreams, creating a level of immersion leagues above the outdated magic-device games Reiphania had relied on until now.
Inside, I had woven together the visuals, mechanics, and content I had “borrowed” from countless games I had enjoyed in my previous life.
For the people of Reiphania—who had only ever experienced game technology equivalent to the 1990s or early 2000s on Earth—this was like stepping into an entirely new dimension.
Once they started, I was confident they wouldn’t be able to stop.
More importantly, my game was free to play.
This was the first time the in-app purchase model had appeared in this world.
Considering how much higher the percentage of people here were unwilling to spend money on games compared to Earth, this model made it far easier to spread the game like wildfire.
“When the money starts rolling in, the first thing we’ll do is build you a temple, Constellation.”
While we celebrated this early success, the real-time user count surpassed 20,000.
At the same time, subscriptions for efficient monthly plans and battle passes began to rise sharply.
Money was pouring in like a tidal wave.
Unlike ordinary games, where development and server maintenance costs cut into profits, this game had been built entirely through my concepts and the Constellation’s divine powers.
Every single coin coming in was pure profit.
[Dreamteller asks if this means they don’t have to eat dry bread anymore.]
[Dreamteller asks if they can now dip bread in sauce.]
[Dreamteller asks if they can drink juice now.]
…Just what kind of life had my Constellation been living until now?
Even in the divine realm, were they so poor that, without apostles or worshippers to offer tributes, they had to live like this?
And yet, despite my own poverty, they had never once demanded offerings from me.
Instead, they had poured their full power into helping my project.
My loyalty to this Constellation was growing by the second.
“Of course, Constellation. I’ll make sure you’re showered with tributes. Just wait and see.”
But things would be different now.
We were going to be rich.
***
In the lofty dimensions of the divine realm...
“Haaaaahh…”
A woman stretched languidly as she rose from a pristine white bed.
Though she had woken up, she remained motionless, staring blankly into the air. Suddenly, her brows furrowed.
“Divine energy… all of a sudden?”
The energy, a tangible manifestation of faith collected from worshippers and apostles, was the foundation for every miracle performed by gods.
And now, this divine energy—her source of strength—was increasing at an absurd rate.
She had done nothing. She had been sleeping. And yet...
“What… is this?”
The goddess, Ren, focused on the divine core within her being, seeking the origin of this sudden surge.
Streams of divine energy flowed into her from across the continent. These streams weren’t concentrated in one nation or group, but rather spread evenly across various regions.
The sheer scale was something she would expect to see only after her apostles achieved a crushing victory in a grand war.
Ren directed her divine sight toward the mortal realm.
What could possibly be causing such an unprecedented influx of faith?
“I cried because I want to marry Lady Ren!”
“Ren the Great!”
“Sorry to say, but I got Lady Ren on my first pull—is this good?”
“She’s my wife now.”
ㄴ “Nice pull!”
“Ren-Ren is my boo!”
Through the mortal realm’s forums, countless people mentioned her true name, Ren.
All these mortals had one thing in common:
“I nearly cried when Lady Ren saved us.”
“I didn’t realize how incredible she was until now.”
They had all played Akashic Archive, encountering a character named Ren.
How dare they…
Goddess Ren’s anger flared.
They had used her name without permission. Not just any name—her true name.
A god’s identity, perception, and authority are all tied to their name. For some unknown developer to tarnish that authority at their whim?
This was a crime worthy of divine retribution.
“….”
But as Ren gazed at the mortal realm, she hesitated.
She could smite the game’s creators immediately, wiping out the blasphemers who dared to misuse her name.
However, the widespread praise and faith she was receiving because of the game was undeniable.
The influx of devotion was… satisfying.
“…Perhaps I should try the game first.”
She didn’t fully understand what kind of game it was, but before delivering judgment, it wouldn’t hurt to experience it herself.