A Lie Has Turned Into Reality

“Life is so boring.”

I had to admit it—I was a hopeless attention-seeker.

Where was the old me, terrified of meeting people and content to hole up at home? That person seemed long gone.

With Soohyun’s move still a ways off, and no one else to meet, the time spent cooped up alone in my house felt unbearably lonely.

“Should I start a social media account?”

Maybe I could post something like, ‘Enjoying life in a great place with great people…’ and flex my wealth a bit.

…No, scratch that. Too cringy.

Then I thought about taking a trip, but the idea felt exhausting.

Ha, of course, there’s only one real option.

Tap.

As usual, I lounged on the couch, phone in hand, and logged into the Epic of Seven gallery.

What kind of event had they cooked up this time?

Probably more frustrating, luck-based nonsense, as usual.

‘Not that it bothers me.’

With money to burn, spending on a game was never an issue for me.

But Epic of Seven isn’t a single-player game; it’s a multiplayer mobile RPG. That means it thrives on competition and cooperation.

Interactions and community are the heart of the game. The more players there are, the more meaningful the content becomes.

So, how’s the game doing right now?

Title
When will this trash game finally shut down?

Body
Who even plays this game anymore? Spending a few hundred bucks isn’t even considered serious spending here.

Sure, the graphics are great, and there’s lots of content, but what’s the point if the devs are complete clowns?

Comments
Never even heard of this game. Stop mentioning dead games. Honestly, the game is well-made, but the devs ruined it. It was number one early on, but then the dev team messed it all up. What other game fights its own player base like this? Unreal.

A “dead game.”

That’s where Epic of Seven stands now.

The downfall began with the release of a single cash item: The Blessing of Enhancement.

This item, which prevents weapons from being destroyed even if enhancement fails, was the root of all the problems.

Like most RPGs, Epic of Seven had a weapon enhancement system that consumed in-game currency.

Enhancement was a major feature because higher enhancement levels significantly boosted weapon stats.

But it came with a catch: success was based on probability. At higher levels, failing enhancements could destroy the weapon or reset its enhancement level.

Then came The Blessing of Enhancement. For real money, players could ensure their weapon remained intact, with no loss in enhancement level, even after a failed attempt.

The game was doomed.

Ultra-enhanced weapons flooded the servers, completely destroying the balance.

‘Half the player base quit back then.’

The developers’ response? Even worse.

Instead of apologizing and offering solutions, they made a statement that would go down in infamy: “Since the level cap will soon be raised, your enhanced weapons will become obsolete anyway.”

It was an attempt to console players, but it only earned them ridicule.

That single line managed to alienate both paying and non-paying users alike.

Player departures skyrocketed, and revenue plummeted.

Now, the game is kept alive solely by desperate cash-grab events, as the developers try to squeeze out whatever’s left.

Still, the game’s solid core mechanics have kept it afloat. Hardcore players continue to pour money into it, propping it up despite everything.

The fact that Epic of Seven is still running proves that fun is the foundation of any game.

Despite the disastrous management, the game’s strong AAA-quality design has kept it in the top revenue rankings.

That said, it feels like the end is near.

The concurrent user count was indeed abysmal.

With fewer players, dwindling content, growing dissatisfaction, and even hardcore players beginning to leave, the situation was dire.

At this rate, wouldn’t they be announcing the game’s shutdown soon?

Feeling a pang of unease, I decided to post something serious for the first time in ages.

Title
Things are looking grim lately.

[Body]

Lately, the player exodus has been extreme, and the events are just recycled gacha traps.

Isn’t this a serious problem?

Should we send a protest truck to LeonPlay’s headquarters or something?

Could the game actually be heading toward a shutdown?

[Comments]

“I’m done with this game after the latest event. Time to find a life.”

“Same here. They don’t even see us as customers anymore.”

“If you hate the temple, leave the monk. Seems like the right move.”

“I’ve been holding onto this game out of pure nostalgia, but it’s time to let go.”

“It was fun while it lasted.”

“The public opinion is at an all-time low right now. To turn this around, they’d have to overhaul the game itself.”

I couldn’t help but feel uneasy as my thoughts spiraled into worst-case scenarios.

This game, Epic of Seven, might not have much time left before shutting down.

The idea that a game I’d poured half my life into could disappear choked me with anxiety.

As I scrolled through the comments, one stood out like a glaring beacon:

“To save this game, someone would need to buy it, replace the dev team, and completely revamp it.”

“Who’d be crazy enough to spend money buying a dying game?”

Hold on a second.

What’s LeonPlay’s market cap again?

LeonPlay.

A mid-tier game company with a market capitalization of 70 billion won.

They’ve developed quite a few games over the years, but the only one still remotely relevant is Epic of Seven.

And even that is teetering on the edge of collapse.

Who would be insane enough to buy LeonPlay?

‘That insane person is me.’

The calculations were complete.

LeonPlay’s CEO, Choi Jaeyoung, holds 61% of the company’s shares. If I acquire those, LeonPlay will be mine.

Given the current state of the company, Choi would be hard-pressed to turn down an offer at a reasonable price.

Of course, I have no intention of running the company myself.

I’ll set the general direction and let a professional CEO handle the operations.

Just thinking about it made my heart race.

With a plan roughly sketched out, I grabbed my phone and made a call.

“Taewoong Group Strategic Planning Department, this is Manager Park Jisoo speaking.”

“Long time no talk. I need your help with something.”

“Yes, sir. I’m listening.”

“There’s a CEO named Choi Jaeyoung at a company called LeonPlay. I need you to arrange a meeting with him about acquiring the company. The sooner, the better.”

“Understood. I’ll get back to you shortly.”

The Taewoong Group’s Strategic Planning Department had assisted me during the Unilabs short-selling case.

As a direct heir of the Taewoong Group, most of my requests are handled without question.

Ahhh.

The cola was refreshing as I leaned back, scrolling through forums and chats to kill time.

Ring ring.

The phone’s vibration echoed loudly.

“Yes, this is Kim Sungwoo.”

“Sir, the meeting with CEO Choi regarding LeonPlay’s acquisition has been scheduled.”

“When is it?”

“The day after tomorrow at 10 a.m. Please visit LeonPlay’s headquarters then.”

“Sounds good. Thank you for your help.”

“Of course. Have a pleasant day.”

As expected, CEO Choi was eager to sell LeonPlay.

No one in their right mind would bite this fast unless they were desperate to offload a sinking ship.

On the day of the meeting with LeonPlay’s CEO, Choi Jaeyoung.

I followed his secretary’s guidance to his office.

“Welcome, Mr. Kim Sungwoo. I’m Choi Jaeyoung, CEO of LeonPlay.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Choi. As someone who plays your game regularly, this is quite an experience for me.”

After the obligatory handshakes and formalities, we took our seats.

“Haha, I must say, I was shocked when I first received your inquiry about acquiring LeonPlay.”

Of course, he’d be surprised.

A savior swooping in to buy a failing company? It must’ve seemed like a dream.

“There’s something I’d like to address before we proceed.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“While LeonPlay is going through a difficult time right now, I believe our potential and vision remain limitless.”

Oh, spare me.

The plummeting revenue, operating losses, and net losses are clear evidence of this company’s decline. Potential? Vision? Please.

“Our current stock price is undoubtedly undervalued—”

“That’s enough.”

I cut off his stream of nonsense.

I wasn’t here to laugh and chat.

“You seem to misunderstand the situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not here to propose a deal. I’m here to deliver an ultimatum.”

His glare sharpened, but I couldn’t help but laugh.

Did this guy still not get it?

Thud.

I threw the documents I’d prepared onto the desk.

“You and your family have been busy, haven’t you?”

“What the hell is this?”

“Embezzlement, accounting fraud, insider trading, rigged item probabilities in your games… Shall I go on?”

His face flushed red, his eyes darting nervously.

“What… what do you want?”

I smirked.

Checkmate.

Taking my time, I delivered my verdict like a judge passing sentence.

“You have two choices: watch the company you’ve built crumble, or sell it and walk away with some money.”

“…”

“This meeting is only to inform you of these options. The choice is yours.”

After wrecking the game I’d invested my life into, did he really think he could walk away unscathed?

Unfortunately for him, I’m not that forgiving.

“So, what will it be?”

The choice is yours—but I wouldn’t take too long to decide.