The Final Boss Has Returned
Chapter 125
Seocho-dong, Simseong Town.
Inside the building that housed the headquarters of the Simseong Group, a massive meeting was currently underway in its grand conference room, led by Sin Jeong-hyeok, the crown prince of the Simseong Group.
The highest seat in the conference hall.
There, Vice Chairman Sin Jeong-hyeok was seated.
Standing beside him was his chief of staff, who assisted him around the clock, and behind him, seated facing each other along the long conference table, were the guild members of Iron Axes Guild from America and Shooting Star Guild from Europe.
“Welcome to Korea.”
It was Sin Jeong-hyeok who first broke the silence of the conference hall.
Sin Jeong-hyeok!
He had acquired two of the Nine Great Guilds through the immense wealth of the Simseong Group.
His original goal had been to acquire all three guilds, including Xiongmao Esports, which dominated the western region of Ard World, excluding JDG and Five Eyes.
However, the Xiongmao Group, a Chinese conglomerate and the parent company of Xiongmao Esports, rejected Vice Chairman Sin’s acquisition proposal, so unfortunately, his wish could not be fulfilled.
But unlike Xiongmao Esports, Shooting Star Guild, representing Europe, and Iron Axes Guild, representing North America, which had no particular parent company and operated through sponsors, fell into Sin Jeong-hyeok’s grip after fierce behind-the-scenes negotiations. Truly, in a capitalist society, there was almost nothing impossible with money.
No matter how much they boasted as Over Rankers and members of the Nine Great Guilds in Ard World, they could not refuse the sweet temptation offered by the established powers dominating the real world.
“Korea. I’ve heard it’s the homeland of esports. Coming here like this, I feel quite moved.”
The first to open his mouth in response to Sin Jeong-hyeok’s words was Paul, the guild master of Iron Axes Guild and a famous Over Ranker known by the moniker “Axe King.”
A Black man with a solid, muscular build even in reality at 190 cm tall, Paul spoke with a smile.
The homeland of esports!
That’s right.
From the birth of esports until now, most star gamers had come from Korea, and that remained true even now, when the virtual reality game Ard Saga had been released and dominated the gaming market.
Because the top ranker of Ard Saga, Yujin, was Korean.
Unlike Paul, who was exchanging pleasantries and laughing cheerfully, another Over Ranker seated across from him—the Assassin King, Leira—spoke to Vice Chairman Sin in a polite but businesslike voice.
“Mister Sin. What is the reason you’ve summoned us?”
The two great guilds representing Europe and North America respectively!
Moreover, unlike other forces who were lords of a single region, these two guilds coexisted in a single region called the South, secretly engaging in behind-the-scenes competition.
They had been rivals competing for hegemony over North America, Europe, and the South. Leira was curious about the reason this man had bound these two guilds with money and turned them into a household under one roof.
Of course, she already knew that Sin Jeong-hyeok had terminated the contract with Simseong Milkyway Guild, which had fallen from its position as one of the Ten Great Guilds.
Stripped of even the right to use the name “Simseong Milkyway,” the guild disintegrated entirely, and its remnants were absorbed by JDG, which had conquered the North together with Drakan.
In such a situation, it wasn’t surprising that Sin Jeong-hyeok had acquired guilds to replace Simseong Milkyway.
The problem was why he had gone so far as to blow an insane amount of money to acquire both guilds simultaneously!
Receiving that question, Sin Jeong-hyeok smiled.
“There is exactly one thing I want from you.”
Having finished speaking, Sin Jeong-hyeok took a deep breath to calm his trembling heart, then spoke again.
“Kill Drakan, that bastard, and furthermore, bring ruin to JDG and Jeil E&M!”
Sparks flew from Sin Jeong-hyeok’s eyes as he said this.
Sin Jeong-hyeok.
He wanted to make Drakan, JDG, and furthermore Sin Ha-yeon, who had dared to wound his pride, pay dearly—no matter what the cost.
If Drakan had been an ordinary person, Sin Jeong-hyeok could have used his wealth and power to ruin him so thoroughly that he would want to leave Korean society. But unfortunately, Drakan was surrounded and protected by Sin Ha-yeon, who was of the same chaebol class, so he couldn’t attack him in reality.
Therefore, what remained was to thoroughly crush Drakan and his group inside the game.
That was exactly what Sin Jeong-hyeok was thinking.
“That’s impossible for now, Boss.”
Hearing that, Paul showed a troubled expression.
“That guy’s right. We might have been able to in the past, but we can’t recklessly touch Drakan now that he’s become an Over Ranker.”
Leira agreed with Paul’s words.
She was right.
Drakan!
If it had been before he ascended to Over Ranker, perhaps, but touching him recklessly in the current situation after his ascension was close to a battle with little chance of victory, even with the two guilds eating from the same pot now.
At the negative answer, Sin Jeong-hyeok’s brows furrowed mercilessly.
“What’s the reason?”
“Are you seriously asking because you don’t know, Boss? Their forces are stronger than ours. Drakan isn’t alone. By his side are JDG and Ignis, Jeil E&M’s named streamers, and his fandom, and decisively, the users and powerhouses of the Dark Alliance. Fighting now under those conditions means certain defeat.”
Paul kindly summarized for his employer why it wouldn’t work.
As he explained, even now with the two guilds combining their strength, Drakan’s side was still stronger.
JDG!
Led by the Over Ranker Ignis, their forces were considerable after conquering the North following the East, and the powerhouses and users of the Dark Alliance followed Drakan.
With the RvR system unlocked and users split into two factions—the Alliance and the Coalition—no matter how much smaller their population was compared to the Coalition, the force commanded by Drakan, the leader of one “faction,” was not something that could be surpassed merely by two guilds uniting.
“Hoo.”
Hearing that explanation, Sin Jeong-hyeok coldly quelled his surging fury.
Their objective military strength was insufficient.
Sin Jeong-hyeok wasn’t stupid enough to fail to understand that much.
While he occasionally tended to let his emotions get ahead of his reason, he wasn’t so foolish as to throw everything away because of emotion.
‘As expected, I should have acquired Xiongmao Esports.’
Xiongmao Esports!
Had he succeeded in acquiring that guild, whose scale of members was impressively massive befitting the name of China, a guild sponsored by China’s Xiongmao Group!
Thinking that far, Sin Jeong-hyeok shook his head.
The Xiongmao Group, their owner, had declared they wouldn’t sell even for billions. No matter how wealthy Sin Jeong-hyeok was, there was no way around it.
If they had been a domestic company, he might have been able to do something with the Simseong Group’s power, but unfortunately, the Xiongmao Group was a Chinese company, so that was impossible.
“I will provide as much support as needed. It doesn’t matter if it takes time, so make sure you destroy everything about Jeil E&M.”
As he said this, Sin Jeong-hyeok’s hands trembled.
Someday.
Yes, if they promised a future date, he would give anything.
If only he could destroy Drakan and JDG, and furthermore Jeil E&M!
Sin Jeong-hyeok suppressed his ugly jealousy and inferiority as he made that vow.
And the two Over Rankers watched his display with expressions of interest.
* * *
After Director Kim’s words, a cold silence descended.
It was I who broke it.
“This is clearly an act targeting me.”
Vice Chairman Sin Jeong-hyeok!
I had already heard information about him from Sin Ha-yeon during the previous war with the North.
A man who had harbored an inferiority complex toward Sin Ha-yeon from childhood until now—someone you could call pathetic!
If he had been an ordinary person, he might have just been pathetic, but he wasn’t an ordinary person. He was the successor to the massive chaebol Simseong Group.
And that must have been what created the current situation.
“It is not only you, Lord Drakan.”
Sin Ha-yeon approached my ear and whispered in a sweet voice.
“He is likely aiming for everything I have in Ard World. Truly, a consistently pathetic man since childhood.”
Hearing Sin Ha-yeon’s words, I smiled.
She was right.
Given Vice Chairman Sin’s personality, it was unlikely he had blown that much money just to deal with me alone.
The true target of his inferiority complex was none other than Sin Ha-yeon!
The final goal must be the great kingdom called Jeil E&M that she had built in Ard World!
“Truly, it’s been a while since I’ve met such an adorably scheming opponent.”
At my words, the smile on Sin Ha-yeon’s lips deepened.
The scale had grown compared to the previous work.
At least back then, no chaebol had gotten involved in the picture.
But the essence hadn’t changed.
Interfering with quests, obstructing my achievements, and eventually declaring war.
From the previous work to Second, it was a scheme I had experienced to the point of tedium.
“So, what will you do this time?”
Sin Ha-yeon’s question pierced my ear like a song.
I responded by drinking the bottled water on the table.
“First, unless they’ve gone mad, they won’t declare total war on us immediately. Our side’s military strength is overwhelmingly superior.”
Two guilds competing for hegemony over the South had become one body!
It was impactful enough that the Nine Great Guilds had been reduced to Eight, and the military strength of the new guild born from that merger would clearly be massive enough to rival one of the Five Eyes. But that didn’t mean they could defeat me through war.
If they declared war on me, who could wield the power of the entire “Dark Alliance” faction, they would have no choice but to be miserably defeated.
“If they declared total war on us, I’d rather be thankful. But unless they’re fools, they clearly won’t do that. Then again, we don’t have a justification to declare war first either.”
In the previous work, it was possible to start a war without justification, but Second was different.
It hadn’t been for nothing that the Spear King Rio, who had fallen by my hand, had spouted such nonsense as “upholding justice” in his declaration of war video.
In the current world where Yujin dominated Ard World, a war without justification would not only fail to gain user support but also carried the risk of receiving Yujin’s “request for a ceasefire,” which was essentially an order.
From my perspective, where I cared about user support more than anyone, a war without justification was a strategy that absolutely must not be chosen.
Moreover, the main story of Broken World was currently in full swing.
With Colony conquest, which was taking root in the world, as the highest priority, there was no need for unnecessary infighting between users.
But that didn’t mean there was reason to sit still and take the beating.
“After conquering the East Colony, the best course for now would be to use the Dark Elves to seize the Southern Great Forest, and in that process, subtly provoke the enemies who have taken the South and lure them into attacking us.”
Dark Elves!
Using them, an allied race that had joined the Dark Alliance, to spread the Dark Alliance’s influence throughout the Southern Great Forest.
That was the strategy I had devised.
The Southern Great Forest was an important region.
If the enemies rebelled against the native Dark Elves continuously expanding their territory in that forest, war would break out immediately. If not, we could devour the entire forest. Either way, it was profit for us and loss for them.
Reaching that thought, I smiled, and Sin Ha-yeon, seeing my expression, gently took my hand and smiled back.
Now, it was time to seriously execute the decisions made in the meeting within Ard World.