Chapter 78
After two days of sick leave and vacation, I returned to the company.
But there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
In exchange for two days of sweet rest, an enormous amount of work came pouring in.
The reason was the upcoming Offline Event.
Only two weeks remained.
Fortunately, Yumi had diligently filled in during my absence, so there were no mishaps with the schedule falling behind.
After two weeks of hard work from all team members, including me,
Reverse Arcadia's first Offline Event.
It was the day of the <2016 Reverse Arcadia Spring Festival>.
It was early in the morning of the day Reverse Arcadia's Offline Event was to be held.
As Jaehyeon left the Hotel, pulling a suitcase filled with various items, anticipation stirred within him.
He had worked his fingers to the bone for the past month just for this day.
Reverse Arcadia's first Offline Event.
As the first event for the most popular Mobile Game in Korea, it garnered immense attention.
The interest was so intense that all event tickets sold out in just one minute, setting a new record.
Jaehyeon had originally planned to attend as a General Participant, but he couldn't get a ticket, so he had to switch to Booth participation.
Of course, competition for Booth participation was also fierce... but thanks to his accumulated reputation, he was able to get through the competition without much difficulty.
However, the good memories ended there.
With his Outsourcing slots still full and his Booth submission work overlapping,
For a month, Jaehyeon had to live a life consisting of nothing but eating, drawing, and sleeping, no exaggeration.
Even now, recalling that time makes his teeth chatter... , but participating in this event was worth all that hardship.
Thinking so, Jaehyeon glanced down at the carrier he was pulling.
150 copies of a doujinshi he'd printed as a “safe bet” were inside the carrier since it was his first time participating in a booth.
Besides that, it was filled with merchandise like scroll posters and tapestries.
Pulling the satisfyingly full carrier, he made his way and soon arrived at the Entrance of the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Arena, the Event Venue.
Jaehyeon arrived at the Event Venue at 9:30 AM.
Since Booth participants could enter a participant Event Venue an hour earlier than General Participants, they saw busy preparations happening everywhere.
Among them, what particularly caught his eye was the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Arena's signature Triangular Structure.
Reverse Arcadia Illustrations were now displayed on those iron structures, which usually had nothing attached.
The Triangular Structure itself, connected to the dome Ceiling, was enormous, making the Illustrations look incredibly powerful.
Tearing his eyes away from the structure, he looked around, and everything was a sight to behold.
Throughout the Central Plaza, desolate-looking guide signs evoking Reverse Arcadia were being set up,
Cars adorned with Reverse Arcadia Illustrations, known as 'itasha,' were lining up for display on one side of the Central Plaza.
Besides that, there were tents for Experience Zones, food trucks preparing for business, and various photo zones.
It truly looked like they were pouring money into it, as if to give back everything they had earned to the Users.
“It really did succeed, didn”t it...'
He had participated in other game events and festivals a few times, but none had been on such a grand scale.
As he walked around, taking in his surroundings, he soon arrived at his assigned Booth location.
It was a vantage point, the first thing one would see upon entering the arena interior.
“My luck”s good this time.'
Jaehyeon smiled, feeling a premonition that things would go well, and began arranging the merchandise he'd brought in his booth.
This was about 30 minutes before the festival was to begin <F1>, seriously</F1>.
***
Day 1 of the Festival.
I was observing the Event Venue from the Second Floor Control Room of the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Arena, where the festival was being held.
The current time was 12:30 PM.
As if to prove that over 100,000 tickets for two days had sold out in just one minute,
Even though only two hours had passed since opening, the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Arena and the Plaza were already bustling with people.
Participants were rushing to their favorite Booths, while others were frequenting the Experience Zones to win prizes.
Still others were grabbing an early meal from food trucks, and many were having a good time with cosplayers.
It was truly a grand spectacle where everyone, regardless of age or gender, was enjoying himself or herself through the single theme of Reverse Arcadia.
Should I call it moving to see such a sight at an event I had organized myself?
More than just sales, it felt like a game I had created was being recognized by the public, which made it even more special.
The games I made at ND Soft *Before Regression* had high sales, but they never achieved this kind of widespread popularity.
However, Yumi bursting through the door soon shattered my emotion.
“D-Director...!”
Yumi burst into the Control Room with a pale, shocked expression.
Surprised by Yumi's appearance, I asked.
“What's wrong?”
“L-Look at this...! A t-terror threat post has been uploaded...!”
At this unexpected news, I immediately checked the smartphone Yumi handed me.
[Nickname: OO]
[Title: What's up with this bastard? He says he installed a bomb at the Reverse Arcadia Spring Festival?]
[Bluebird Link to the Terror Threat Perpetrator]
Normally, I'd just dismiss it as another attention-seeking troll spouting nonsense,
but this bastard even uploaded photos of the bomb he supposedly made himself.
It looks damn dangerous, so I didn't bring the photos. But check it out yourself.
[Comment List][Newest First]
-No way, is this real?
-He's crazy, that psycho lolol
-A bomb, my ass lolol. Do you believe what these idiots say?
Reply: I'm telling you, that bastard posted a proof photo of the bomb he made!
After reading the Gallery post, I started to feel cold sweat trickle down my back.
A Bomb Threat Warning was no laughing matter.
Moreover, this was outside my Expected Range.
That's because a similar incident did occur <F1>Before Regression</F1>, but it happened at least seven years later, in 2023.
It was too early to expect it, and the timing was suddenly so unexpected that I couldn't prepare for it at all.
Seeing my frozen expression, Yumi spoke in a cautious voice.
“Please check the Bluebird link too...”
Hearing that, I clicked the Bluebird link.
[*Hannnam Slaughter*]
(@HannaM69)
[Proof Photos of a Homemade Pressure Cooker Bomb]
I installed a bomb at the Reverse Arcadia Spring Festival on Saturday.
It will explode when the time comes. Look forward to it.
#ReverseArcadiaSpringFestival
#The_Whole_World_Is_Reverse_Arcadia
[Replies: 1324][Shares: 23k][Likes: 4k]
“That crazy bastard...”
Yumi flinched at the suddenly harsh words that burst out.
But my mind was already consumed by this incident, so I couldn't say anything to her.
This wasn't just any incident; it was a major one.
Given Korea's characteristic as a conscripted nation, the danger of a bomb naturally felt heavier than it did in other countries,
At this moment, with such a large crowd, if a bomb were to explode suddenly, it would undoubtedly lead to a catastrophe, making a request for event cancellation inevitable.
The Terror Threat Perpetrator must have been aiming for exactly this when he or she did such a thing.
As if to confirm my prediction, my smartphone began to ring in my pocket shortly after.
The Caller was the 112 General Situation Room.
I sighed deeply and answered the call, hearing a man's voice, presumably a police officer.
We have received a report that an explosive device has been installed at the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Arena, which you are currently renting. Are you available to speak?
“Yes, I am.”
Thank you for your cooperation. Have you checked the Terror Threat Post uploaded online?
“Yes, I just checked it.”
As the police officer continued to explain, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more.
In summary, it meant we had to temporarily suspend the event and search the Arena for a potential bomb.
...Understood. First, to prevent panic, I will have the Participants currently entering the Arena evacuated. After that, please deploy your personnel.”
[Understood.]
As the call ended, Yumi, who had been listening, stamped her feet anxiously.
“Should we put up an Event Cancellation Notice at the Event Venue...?”
“Wait, let me organize my thoughts for a moment.”
Event Cancellation?
This was an unavoidable force majeure.
It was an absurdity to continue the event when a terror threat had been made.
Before Regression, a similar incident ended as a mere happening with no bomb found, but there was no guarantee that would be the case this time.
However, I also felt that telling the Participants about the Terror Threat directly wasn't the right solution.
While some Participants might have already heard about the Terror Threat, most were unaware, judging by the current atmosphere.
If they were told they had to evacuate due to a bomb threat in this situation,
there was a high probability that the participants' panic would lead to an uncontrollable crowd.
Therefore, first...
“Yumi.”
“Yes?”
“Tell the Control Personnel that the festival has been cancelled and that they are to evacuate all Participants inside the Arena to the outside.”
“Understood!”
“And when evacuating them, absolutely do not mention any words related to bombs or terror. Tell them it's a Fire Safety Inspection. Understood?”
“I-I'll do that!”
Yumi rushed out immediately after hearing the instructions.
She seemed to have clearly grasped the urgency of the current situation.
After all the Instructions were given,
I watched the Control Personnel evacuate the Participants inside the Arena; then I too left the Arena.
There is a mountain of things to do from now on.
First... the Police.