The Final Boss Has Returned - Episode 43
I continued my explanation with a pleasant smile.
Exactly.
As I said, no one knew just how far along I was in my quest.
It was because I hadn't uploaded any videos.
When I had said this much, Ignis wore a faint smile, as if he had realized something.
As expected of the leader of JDG, he seemed worth his salt, catching on to the strategy I was about to propose.
"So, if I upload a video to my official channel, cutting it off precisely right before receiving the Pearl of the Abyss retrieval quest, and bait the other users into thinking my quest progress has stagnated, the bastards won't be able to resist taking the bait."
When I finished speaking up to that point, everyone's gaze focused on me.
I continued speaking without minding it.
"Those who take the bait like that will make contact with the mermaids and prepare to attack. And once our side reads that attack timing through our 'informant'......."
I rapped the table with a sharp tap and said,
"If we welcome the army of bastards charging in full of themselves, knowing nothing, with the traps we've laid in advance and the ambushes we've prepared! We can resolve both the quest and the Infinite Yujin Cult easily and cleanly! It truly couldn't be more like killing two birds with one stone."
Ignis, having heard my words, looked at me and spoke slowly.
"But if you upload the video, the enemies will also learn the quest's contents. What will you do if they choose not to attack immediately, and instead dig in at the palace underground—the quest objective—and wait for you, Lord Drakan?"
Ignis's objection was certainly a valid point.
"That could happen."
Therefore, I acknowledged his objection and continued my answer.
"But the odds of that are low. Those bastards will want to wrap this up before I level up and become an even greater threat, and before I catch on to the fact that they're scheming behind the scenes."
I answered Ignis while picturing the Infinite Yujin Cult's psychology.
Of course, as Ignis said, the option of them waiting for me existed, but I viewed that possibility itself negatively.
The Infinite Yujin Cult!
Because what mattered to them was cutting me down by any means before I could grow, not waiting around for me to grow stronger.
They knew that the more I leveled up, the more threatening I would become.
Besides, their quest interference was an underhanded scheme!
Considering that preparing for the Curse of the Abyss quest I had received would take at least three months if tackled by the book, even assuming there were no "informants," the chances of them keeping their backroom scheming hidden from me over a three-month preparation period converged on zero.
Furthermore, Rexas, the so-called East Branch Leader, was a named user who had fought at the vanguard of the Infinite Yujin Cult during the World Revolution in the past—someone whose name I had even heard!
Thus, he too would know me well, and he would surely know better than anyone that I excelled at dirty tricks.
He would also know that if they gave me too much time, I'd catch onto their schemes, so it was clear he would be thinking of wrapping this up as quickly as possible—before I could grasp the situation and prepare.
If my enemy were someone who didn't know me well, that would be one thing, but if my enemy knew me well, then it was only right to turn their perception of me against them.
Just as when I had dealt with Zak, the ruler of Lawless Harbor.
Though the odds of my guess being wrong were slim, even if they made such a choice, it didn't particularly matter to me.
"Well, if the enemies make such a stupid choice, we just have to launch an all-out surprise attack while they're focused on laying their own traps. They won't be prepared either, and our side holds the unexpected military power of the Kraken, after all. Besides, thanks to my ring's effect, I can summon the Kraken anywhere underwater, so taking a strategy of striking east while feinting west would work too."
Because I already had a Plan B prepared for that eventuality in my head.
Anyway, as long as we had an "informant" among them, I could flexibly turn their plans against them as the situation developed.
It was exactly the feeling of playing a classic game like "Star" with a maphack turned on.
Those Infinite Yujin Cult bastards would dance in the palm of my hand.
I might not know about the Infinite Yujin Cult with Yujin in it, but the Infinite Yujin Cult without Yujin could never defeat me.
Ignis nodded at my words, and Shin Ha-yeon smiled brightly and spoke.
"Lord Drakan is right. And if this matter is resolved successfully, we can use this incident to drag Yujin's reputation through the mud, so the result wouldn't be killing two birds with one stone, but three, or perhaps even more."
I nodded at her words.
She was right.
No matter how much the Infinite Yujin Cult bastards claimed to be an organization separate from Yujin, as long as they were his fandom, Yujin wouldn't be able to ignore their actions.
Of course, if I died according to their plans, the story would be different.
Even though public opinion of me had changed, there were still quite a few users who hated me, and they would voluntarily shield the Infinite Yujin Cult bastards who killed me.
Besides, although I had a fandom, it was one that had only just begun to stir; if I died, it would clearly lose its cohesion and scatter like grains of sand.
And in such a situation, their actions in killing me would undoubtedly be perceived as so-called "justice served" and "refreshing catharsis."
But what if I didn't die according to their plans?
And what if it was revealed that they were the ones behind the schemes?
There was no situation they would want to avoid more than that.
However, I intended to gift those Infinite Yujin Cult bastards that very situation they wanted to avoid—the worst possible future.
I spoke to Shin Ha-yeon while still maintaining my smile.
"Very good. Proceed just like this."
Shin Ha-yeon nodded in agreement with my opinion, and I smiled as I imagined the hellish moment the Infinite Yujin Cult would face.
Truly, it couldn't have been a more satisfying conclusion to the meeting.
* * *
Ard Live—Drakan's Official Channel!
The comment section of his channel, which had surpassed 500,000 subscribers thanks to the Lawless Harbor Recapture Battle, was unlike the past.
When Drakan's official channel had first opened, many people had mocked or cursed him.......
Recently, as Drakan's "fandom" had formed, the number of comments supporting him or looking forward to new content had gradually increased.
[When's the next video coming out?]
[Isn't this the first time merfolk have been revealed? I want to see the underwater quest video.]
The last video uploaded to Drakan's official channel was the very scene of Drakan meeting the merfolk prince, Nereus!
It was the exact situation that many users had witnessed at the docks of Lawless Harbor.
Thus, while Drakan's fans were waiting for the next video.
A new video was uploaded to his channel.
It was a video of Drakan arriving at Aqua Haven, the city of the merfolk, and receiving the quest from Nereus.
[You must revive the Kraken.]
[How?]
[As you know, the Kraken has suffered grievous wounds and fallen into a moribund state. As of now, it is uncertain whether it is even alive. To revive such a Kraken, a legendary-grade demon stone or an item possessing equivalent power is required.]
[Fortunately, a treasure equivalent to a legendary-grade demon stone, the Pearl of the Abyss, is sealed beneath the palace in Maro, our old capital. It has fallen into the mermaids' grasp for now, but the seal on the Pearl of the Abyss is not something the mermaids can easily touch. It will be arduous, but I would like you to go there and retrieve the Pearl of the Abyss.]
Along with Nereus's final line, the video ended as the quest information for "Retrieve the Pearl of the Abyss" appeared.
Drakan's video soon spread across the entire internet by his fandom, and before long, not only Ard Live streamers but also Ard forums and social media were filled with talk of Drakan's quest.
Streamers began pouring out countless speculations about Drakan's quest once again.
[Drakan, this quest... well. It won't be easy.]
[The rank is one thing, but an infiltration-related quest, and one where you infiltrate the heart of enemy territory at that, is tremendously difficult. Even the almighty Drakan will have quite a hard time this time.]
[In my opinion, Drakan's level is still low, isn't he? Anyway, since the quest has no time limit, I think he'll level up and spec up a bit before challenging it.]
Countless analyses and speculations poured out onto the internet, but the conclusion was simple.
It was not a quest that could be finished in a short period of time!
If tackled by the book, it would take at least three months!
That was what the vast majority of users thought.
[But can't he just bring another legendary-grade material item instead of the Pearl of the Abyss?]
[Is that someone's pet dog's name or what?]
[Jeil might support him, like with the city reconstruction funds~]
[Is Jeil's support infinite? Honestly, the reconstruction fund support was total favoritism. Do you know how much all that cost? I think they won't give Drakan any support until they've recouped every bit of the push they put in back then, lol.]
[I agree with the comment above. No matter how big the company, what management agency gives unlimited support? They have to show results to get more support. Honestly, I think this is the time for Drakan to show results commensurate with the support he's received, lol.]
[Come to think of it, speaking of legendary-grade material items, who bought that Thunderbird Horn?]
[I heard the Simseong Guild Master listed it at auction, and someone with a hidden nickname won it for 1 billion won in cash? Must be a golden spoon~]
Of course, there was a minority with different opinions, but since they were refuted on purely common-sense grounds, users presenting dissent no longer existed.
Honestly, it could be said that it was an unprecedented move for the Jeil Group to provide such massive support for the Lawless Harbor Recapture Battle.
The relationship between a management agency and the user under contract was one of mutual benefit, not one of one-sided handouts.
Because there was no investor anywhere who wanted to keep pouring water into a leaking barrel!
Well, if the agency were so small that Drakan alone was keeping it afloat, that would be a different story.
But Jeil E&M was a management agency boasting a scale so large it could be counted on one hand in this scene, befitting the reputation of a chaebol conglomerate!
The popular users and rankers affiliated with Jeil E&M were overflowing in number even aside from Drakan, Ignis, and JDG, so the majority of people thought there was no reason for Jeil E&M to focus its investment solely on Drakan.
Therefore, in Drakan's case, having received a large amount of support once, he wouldn't receive support this time.
People thought so, and in most cases, that was normal.
And all this information flowed into the Infinite Yujin Cult's East Branch.
"As expected, his quest appears to be one that will take a long time."
Rexas put on a delighted smile.
Someone raised their hand and spoke to Rexas.
"Branch Leader."
"Why do you call?"
"How about changing the initial plan?"
"How so?"
"The content of the quest Drakan received is to break the pearl's seal beneath the palace. Wouldn't it be better to dig a trap at the palace underground—the quest objective—and wait to catch him?"
The executive's opinion suggesting a disagreement to Rexas wasn't bad, but Rexas shook his head.
"No, it won't do."
"Why?"
"Speed is the lifeblood of this operation. The quest Drakan received requires at least three months of preparation alone. If we choose to lay a trap, we would be wasting at least three months until he arrives, and during that time, Drakan will surely catch on to the fact that someone is scheming behind the scenes. He is not such a foolish opponent."
Rexas spoke while looking at the executive.
Drakan!
Rexas hated him, but he did not underestimate his abilities.
Nor did he overestimate his own abilities.
Drakan could be said to be a man more skilled than anyone else in Ard World when it came to information warfare and dirty backroom schemes, and his ability to subjugate massive guilds through war and unify the continent was real.
To lay a trap for such a Drakan while giving him a lengthy period of at least three months?
This was truly no different from openly advertising to the opponent that we were scheming behind the scenes.