The Final Boss Has Returned
Chapter 37
Arde World.
A vast world sharing the same breadth as Earth.
For now, only a single continent existed in that world.
A massive continent bearing an area nearly identical to that of Pangaea, the supercontinent said to have existed on Earth in the distant past.
The so-called Arde Continent, or simply ‘the Continent’—the very land that served as the main stage for Arde Saga.
At the southernmost tip of that continent stretched a sea.
Upon that vast ocean floated a single, massive vessel.
A sail billowing in the wind.
Emblazoned upon that sail was a pair of pure white wings of light—the symbol of the Lightwing Guild.
The Lightwing Guild!
The strongest guild, shining at rank one in the current Arde World Guild comprehensive rankings, was now sailing southward.
At the bow of the Lightwing Guild’s sailing ship as it advanced toward the southern horizon, there stood a man.
A melancholic beauty. A towering stature with the proportions of an eight-head figure, and an appearance that suited the term “face genius” perfectly—a transcendent, handsome man with overwhelming visuals!
The user who stood at the pinnacle of Arde World, Yujin, silently gazed at the hazy horizon far in the distance like a figure in a painting.
“Yujin.”
From behind him, a woman approached.
Long, pointed ears characteristic of the elven race! Golden hair fluttering in the sea breeze! With her snow-white skin, she was a beauty—a member of the Lightwing Guild and Yujin’s companion, the elf archer Sharp.
“Yeah, what is it, Sharp?”
When Yujin turned to speak, Sharp’s face flushed crimson like a sunset.
Sharp averted her gaze, fidgeting with her fingers.
“W-Well….”
The moment she met Yujin’s gaze, her mind went blank; only after lightly slapping her own cheek with her palm could she finally say what she had wanted to.
“…The entire internet is talking about Drakan, that human. They’re saying he’s stealing the spotlight. What are you going to do?”
Drakan!
His actions had been far more sensational and radical than Yujin and the Lightwing Guild had predicted.
Not only had he drawn users into the battle to reclaim Lawless Port, he had burned the city down, poured astronomical funds into that burnt city—of course—and now had even called forth merfolk who had never once appeared before!
It was only natural that the users’ attention—the gaze of all Arde World—was focused on Drakan.
Of course, it had not yet reached a level worth the attention of Yujin, who stood at the apex beyond the heavens, but it was true that he was charging upward with frightening speed.
“Is there any need to worry?”
“Even though that human has the Jeil Group behind him, and might even become the Dark Apostle later?”
At Yujin’s words, Sharp continued with a frustrated expression.
The Dark Apostle!
The adversary of the Hero mentioned in the legend of Leonhardt!
The speculation that Drakan would eventually reach that position, which had only existed in the legends of Arde World, through the linked quest he was currently undertaking had all but solidified into certainty after Analysis King released his analysis video.
The revival of the Dark Empire was no different.
“You know it too. Right now, we can’t check him. Until the source of the Great Upheaval that struck Arde World over a decade ago—the origin of the Gates—is identified, Manshinjeon and Bokmajeon are in a tacit ceasefire.”
“But still!”
“We do not artificially intervene in the flow of Arde World. We do not punish users arbitrarily without justification. As long as Drakan has not crossed the line, I too must keep to the line.”
With that, Yujin fell silent.
Yujin had absolutely no intention of violating the principles he had established himself.
The Ironblood Alliance. The Guild Coalition.
And Drakan.
He wanted to show the world that he was different from those who had ruled Arde World through control six years ago.
And Drakan had not yet crossed the line.
His actions were not so different from those of other users who had been called promising prospects.
Of course, if he truly rose to the position of the Dark Apostle as Analysis King had analyzed, then someday he would have to face him in a rematch as they had in the past but…….
At least, that time was not now.
The anomalous phenomena that had appeared in Arde World after the Great Upheaval.
Until all of that was resolved, Manshinjeon and Bokmajeon—light and darkness—had to maintain a tacit ceasefire, a state of cold war.
“Still, I just… somehow feel uneasy.”
Looking at Yujin, Sharp let out a sigh.
Drakan’s current position was, at best, that of an elite prospect.
Compared to Yujin—the apex and the very sun of Arde Saga—he was an endlessly feeble existence, less than an ant!
That was the standing Drakan currently held.
But it was all too obvious that he would not remain in that position forever.
In Arde Saga Second, his growth speed and expanding influence were terrifying enough to render the six-year gap meaningless.
Even taking into account that he had started the game carrying the name value of a former top ranker and Yujin’s past adversary, what he had achieved in the short time since his return was enormous.
If he continued to grow at this rate, perhaps he might reach the position of an Over Ranker, rising to a level that could become a threat to Yujin and the Lightwing Guild.
That was what Sharp was thinking.
Of course, even then he wouldn’t pose a great threat to Yujin and the rest of them, but the very fact that Drakan would rise that far—and moreover, stand against Yujin as the Dark Apostle—was something Sharp found displeasing.
And even a small danger was still a danger.
Cutting it off before it grew larger was what Sharp thought, but she also knew well that Yujin would never accept such an opinion of hers.
That was why she spoke to him like this—to at least remind him to be cautious.
Indeed, the man she loved—Yujin—was kind but overly rigid, honest to a fault, and so frustrating that he sometimes looked like a pushover.
But it was precisely because of that that she liked him, Sharp thought.
Looking at such a Sharp, Yujin smiled.
“Don’t worry needlessly, Sharp.”
Having received Yujin’s smile, Sharp’s face turned red like a beet.
Yujin placed his hand atop Sharp’s golden hair and slowly stroked it as he spoke.
“Something like stolen spotlight can be recovered easily enough later with the mid-campaign settlement video for the campaign quest I’ll be undertaking.”
“O-Okay, I got it. I w-won’t… Ah, I won’t worry!”
Under his gentle hand stroking her head, Sharp’s heart beat as if it would burst, and Yujin looked at her with a bright smile.
* * *
Underwater Field!
I was currently riding atop a giant sea turtle, racing through that unfamiliar field together with Nereus—a place I had only visited a handful of times even in the previous game.
The sea turtle’s riding comfort was abysmal.
A riding sensation like that of a sedan driving on an unpaved road!
Had it not been for the underwater adaptation enhancement option on the Ten-Thousand-Year Coral Ring, I would have been getting motion sick underwater by now.
While astride the turtle’s shell, I gazed at the underwater scenery whizzing by as I held a whispered conversation with Shin Hayeon.
[The entire internet is talking about you, Drakan-nim.]
[The merfolk—no, because of Analysis King?]
Analysis King!
A streamer who had surpassed one million subscribers on Arde Live, and one of the most famous influencers among Arde Saga users.
‘An influencer… The world really changed a lot during those six years I spent on a fishing boat.’
Influencer!
The world was changing so fast that a concept unheard of until six years ago had newly emerged.
Anyway, the rising buzz around me was a good thing.
The greater the prominence, the greater my influence would become.
[That’s right.]
[What’s the reaction on Yujin’s side?]
[They’re quiet for now. It’s highly likely they won’t move going forward, either.]
[I suppose it’s because of the main story.]
Main Story!
There were largely two narrative threads that could be called the main story of Arde Saga Second.
The first was the Dark Apostle-related quest I was currently undertaking!
Since it was almost certain that the end of this quest was the revival of the Dark Empire, it was safe to say that my rising to the seat of the Dark Apostle and opposing Yujin, the Hero, was inevitable.
Of course, in the history of Arde World, attempts to revive the Dark Empire had occurred more than once or twice, and each time the forces of light had crushed the forces of darkness in the initial stages before they could gather their strength.
But right now, the forces of light—Manshinjeon—could not hinder me.
That was because of the second main story—the Great Upheaval.
Until the Great Upheaval, the anomalous phenomena, and the Gates were resolved, light and darkness were in a tacit ceasefire!
That background setting was so well-known that I hadn’t even needed to investigate it separately.
Of course, while it was called a ceasefire, it was practically no different from a cold war, but regardless, it meant that time had been given to me.
Yujin!
Time to catch up to him.
[I’ll take good care of Lawless Port. Please focus on your quest, Drakan-nim. If you need anything, tell me anytime.]
[I’ll do that.]
With those words, I ended the whispered conversation with Shin Hayeon.
“We will soon arrive at our destination, Contractor.”
The moment I finished whispering with Shin Hayeon, Nereus spoke with impeccable timing.
The destination Nereus spoke of was Aqua Haven—the refuge of the Golden Scale Tribe, the merfolk led by the merfolk prince Nereus after the fall of the merfolk kingdom.
Having heard Nereus’s words, I gazed forward.
Aqua Haven!
The sight of that city, said to have been built by the Golden Scale Tribe to escape the mermaids’ invasion, began to appear in the distance.
A massive valley formed in the deep sea where even light could not properly penetrate—within the depths of that canyon, beneath a translucent barrier, buildings made of clam shells and stones came into view, a city softly glowing like a pearl in the darkness.
It was a city of the underwater races that had never been revealed even once across both the previous game and Second.
The sea turtle carrying me, Nereus, and the merfolk accompanying Nereus swam swiftly, passed through Aqua Haven’s translucent barrier, and stopped at the city’s entrance.
[You have discovered Aqua Haven.]
[First Discovery Bonus!]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[All stats have increased by 10.]
[Fame has increased by 1,330.]
[You are the first traveler to set foot in an underwater city.]
[Aqua Haven is the final city built anew by Nereus, Prince of the Merfolk, who led the wounded Kraken and the merfolk of the Golden Scale Tribe after defeat in the final battle.]
[It is a city where only the Golden Scale Tribe dwells among the eight divided merfolk tribes.]
[It is a city protected by the Kraken. However, the Kraken is currently wounded and unable to act. Please receive a quest from Nereus.]