The news of the “Dune Demo” being available for free spread among gamers like a plague.

Countless gamers lined up, holding unused crystal balls to get a copy of the Dune demo, and that line sparked yet another effect.

“What line is this?”
“They say you can get game magic for free.”
“Free!?”

While gaming had become a popular culture, it was still not a cheap hobby by otherworld standards. But free access?

There’s a saying that even a dead corpse will resurrect if it’s free, and so the inhabitants of this world also loved free stuff.

Even those who never played games decided to grab the Dune demo using the unused crystal balls.

This resulted in a positive effect of increasing the number of gamers, but it also led to disasters.

“Uwaaaah!!!”
“Why did you bring such a brutal game for the children!?”
“No… I didn’t know it was like this!!”

Just like in North America where the terms “Super Mario” and “Nintendo” symbolized gaming, in this world the most iconic image associated with gaming was the masterpiece of Yuren, the face of the Irene School: [Super Thomas].

Many people mindlessly grabbed the Dune demo without a clue and started the game in front of their families and children.

What appeared before the eyes of those who expected a bright, fairy-tale game was violence and bloodshed from a game where you shoot demons in hell, leaving an unforgettable memory for many children.

Later, one child would turn that memory into music, pioneering a new genre called “death metal,” but that’s another story for another day.

Of course, most gamers were aware of what Dune was before getting the demo.

The Edward Consortium advertised Dune like this.

The poster featured a ‘Dune Guy’ clad in armor made of futuristic tech hunting demons with a chainsaw and shotgun, alongside a catchy tagline:
[Demons have resurrected in future Earth. Only you can become a Dune Slayer and protect humanity from them.]

With a tagline that felt like a poster for a 90s B-movie, it was remarkably fitting when considering Dune’s gameplay.

And importantly, this world was at a point of cultural development. Emotional sophistication was stuck at a 90s level, and that was just about right.

The real issue was the gamers’ adjustment to firearms.

Unlike the familiar spears, swords, and magic, guns were a foreign weapon to the people of this world.

Although Eternal Fantasy introduced it, that game was turn-based and failed to deliver the sensation of using a gun.

Dune was the first real gun game, and this aspect remained uncharted territory even for Yuren.

And those who picked up a gun experienced…

Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom!! Hyaaaah!!

“Yeah! Die, demon scum!!”

They felt a new world open up before them.

Tetric, Super Thomas—great games, truly fun yet wholesome.

But they lacked that primal thrill of violence.

Male gamers in their twenties particularly felt something was missing while playing those games.
“It’s fun, but somehow…”

It was undoubtedly fun and addictive, but at the same time, there was a sense of emptiness.

They say one doesn’t know what they want until they see it.

Today, many male gamers would come to a clear realization of what it was they felt was lacking.

Boom! Boom!!! Bang!! Bang!!! Bang! Kaboom!!! Kyaaaaaa!!!!

“Ha ha ha ha!!!! Those dying demons look like trash!!!”

Guns, shotguns, chainsaws—these were the first varieties of weapons they had ever seen, but they faced no issues.

The goal was crystal clear: they would hunt those demons using these tools.

With each gunshot, demons were riddled with holes amidst deafening bangs.
With every shotgun blast, demon heads exploded.
Swinging the chainsaw, demons were split in half, spraying blood everywhere.

Yes, they were waiting for this.
This is what they wanted.

Bang! Bang! Woooooosh!!! Hyaaaah!!!!

“Die!!! You demon scum!!!! Aaaaamen!!!!!”

Those who wanted a game full of blood and guts were completely captivated by Dune’s brutal charm.

They wanted to plunge into a world forever hunting demons.

But wasn’t there something they forgot?
What you’re playing is…
“A DEMO.”

[The demo ends here. Please purchase the full version.]

“What… what is this!?”

The Dune demo offered just 2 stages and allowed multiplayer for only a single match per day.

With a rush, one could clear it in about 30 minutes.

Of course, that was expected. This was a free version, after all.

In fact, allowing one multiplayer match per day was a considerate gesture from Yuren.

But such consideration only tormented the gamers.

“Uwaaaah!!!! This is so torturous!!!!!”
“Please sell it now!!!! I’d buy it for double the price, just let me play!!!!”

The Dune demo played with the gamers’ hearts, leaving them feeling incomplete,
with 5 days still left until the actual release.

In a fit of desperation, gamers took drastic measures.

“Excuse me, what are you doing?”
“I’m lining up to buy Dune.”
“But Dune comes out in 4 days.”
“I know.”

They were camping right outside the game store, determined to be the first to buy Dune.

Starting with just 1-2 people, the line grew each day, swelling to dozens of people by the third day, signaling a concerning situation.

In the city, it was manageable, but in rural villages, being outside at night could lead to encounters with wild monsters.

If left unattended, unforeseen incidents could happen, leading the Edward Consortium to decide to release Dune a day early.

A historic moment where a game was released early due to unprecedented popularity.

“What do you—”
“Shut up and give me Dune!!!!”

On the day Dune was released a day early,
the witnesses at the game store would remember the scene like this:
“It’s like demons buying the game where you hunt them.”

Those weary from waiting immediately purchased Dune and dove headfirst into its world.
Of course, one particular individual was among them.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
[Arga – Win]

“Yeah!!! This is it!!! I wanted the thrill!!!!!!”

Arga was a tester and supporter of Dune, providing numerous contributions.
However, after prototype testing, Arga had refrained from playing until the release.

He feared that if he played too much beforehand, he wouldn’t enjoy it as a gamer when the real game launched.

Enduring months of painful waiting, Arga genuinely wept tears of joy as he experienced the much-desired deathmatch mode with countless gamers, feeling he was born at the right moment.

*

“Yuren! The Zers Gamer is here this month!!”
“Oh really? Let me see!?”

With a rating of 9.4, Dune started off smoothly.
But what about the magazine reviews?

I looked at the Zers Gamer’s Dune review that Sora brought.

[This time, the Irene School has pioneered a new genre known as FPS. Where does their end lie? We pay tribute to their constant new challenges.]
[Experience a new action game with guns as a new weapon. It’s twice the fun when played together.]
[The demon inside me whispers to hunt demons.]

Pleased with the anticipated review scores, I satisfiedly closed the magazine and concentrated on the party.

The Irene School was hosting an all-night game party to celebrate Dune’s release.

“Here we go! This time, the Red Team will definitely win!!”
“Where to!!”

The priests were split into Red and Blue Teams, eagerly enjoying deathmatch mode in Dune.
The sight of them shooting pellets at each other’s heads made me fondly reminiscent of the happy (?) scenes I witnessed back in the PC room of my past life.

“By the way, Yuren, are we okay?”
“What do you mean?”

Sora looked uneasy as she spoke to me.

“Dune is fun, but it might be a bit too violent, so there might be some complaints…”

“That’s probably true, which is why we incorporated ‘that’ into the story.”
“Is that… is that going to be okay?”

Dune might be the most violent game we’ve made, perhaps even the most brutal among all games released to date.

Compared to the simple dot graphics of the original Dune, we had developed Dune with graphics on par with Dune 3, intensifying its brutality. I worried about the criticism it might receive.

“It should be fine; we’ve got them on our side.”
“Them?”

I recalled those from afar.

Unexpected allies who provided us with great support,
and the most reliable sponsors who could resolve the issue of Dune’s violence.

They were none other than…

“A… men…”

The Krea Cathedral.