Return of the Final Boss – Episode 61
JGN!
A broadcast station called one of the twin pillars of cable gaming networks alongside SBC Games!
If SBC Games was a latecomer, JGN was the historic station that had launched Korea’s—no, the world’s—first gaming-dedicated broadcast channel and led the commercial rise of esports.
Although its prestige had weakened with the emergence of new media like Arde Live, its influence had merely shrunk; it had not disappeared completely. Above all, with the solid parent company Jeil E&M at its back, it was still very much alive.
When I arrived in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do, and got out of the black sedan, I looked at the building that housed JGN and let out a smirk.
‘It’s been a while.’
The logo design was different from the past, but whether it was SBC Games or JGN, both were stations I had frequented constantly in the old days.
Six years ago, when I was still gaming, things like Arde Live didn’t exist, and internet broadcasting was still unfamiliar, so gaming channels held virtually absolute influence. That was why I, too, used to sell my quest videos and war footage to them for money. Though now, that was just a memory of the past.
It was in that very moment, as I was recalling those old memories.
“Sir Drakan, shall we go in?”
A gentle voice spoke from beside me.
It was Shin Ha-yeon.
As a third-generation chaebol heiress, she should have been quite busy, yet she had made time on the day of my interview and even mobilized her luxury sedan to bring me here.
Was this repayment for closing out the naval decisive battle well?
Thinking that, I shook my head.
Anyway, it was because I had no reason to refuse her goodwill.
As usual, she was gazing at me with a smile in her eyes, and I nodded at her words.
“Let’s do that.”
I turned my gaze from Shin Ha-yeon, who smiled at my words, and looked once more at the JGN building, grinning.
JGN!
In this broadcast station steeped in memories from when I was a top ranker in the past, I would once again announce to the world that the Iron Monarch Drakan had returned.
* * *
The moment I entered the JGN building, I was greeted by a middle-aged man who kept bowing his head repeatedly while smiling at me—none other than JGN’s president, Kim In-seong.
A former gaming commentator, he was a living legend who had been there since the very birth of esports at the turn of the century right up to the present day past 2020.
“Oh my. Thank you so much for making time in your busy schedule to come here.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
I shook the hand President Kim extended.
Unless it was for that Yujin, it would have been unthinkable for a broadcast station president to come out and greet someone for a measly user interview.
These days, although traditional media’s influence had been declining due to new media like internet broadcasts and social media, a broadcast station president still commanded considerable authority.
The reason such President Kim had come out personally to greet me was just one.
“Long time no see.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Executive Director Shin.”
It was because of Shin Ha-yeon standing behind me.
To President Kim, the presence of Shin Ha-yeon—the absolute power of Jeil Group who held countless subsidiaries beneath her feet—must have felt like an emperor.
President Kim kept bowing to Shin Ha-yeon, who was young enough to be his own niece.
Then Shin Ha-yeon spoke to President Kim in a cold voice.
“Are the broadcast preparations finished?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Good.”
At her words, President Kim’s face relaxed slightly, but at her following words, his face stiffened so subtly it was hard to notice, then immediately smoothed over again.
“I trust President Kim has handled things splendidly on his own, but still, since it is our Sir Drakan’s first broadcast debut, I thought I should observe personally. Is that alright?”
“Of course it is fine. Executive Director Shin’s presence is always welcome.”
“Since he says so, it is alright if I go with you, is it not, Sir Drakan?”
Shin Ha-yeon looked at me again and smiled as if asking permission.
I smiled at her words and answered.
“Of course.”
At my words, the smile on Shin Ha-yeon’s face grew brighter.
And so, she and I followed President Kim’s guidance toward the studio where filming would take place.
After arriving at the studio, I fastened the collar of the suit I was wearing after a long time, sat down, and soon the broadcast began.
The MC handling my interview today was Yu Hye-gyeong, who had been active as a caster in various esports leagues in the past.
She was one of JGN’s famous casters and had her own fanbase; above all, I had occasionally run into her when hosting programs at JGN six years ago, so she was someone I already knew.
As expected of a veteran, Yu Hye-gyeong threw various questions at me, sprinkling in wit here and there, and I answered her questions skillfully with a smile.
Internet broadcasting might be a different story, but cable broadcasting was familiar to me since I had appeared on it a few times during my days as a top ranker.
Anyway, during the interview, I revealed quite a lot about my life story, and when I told the story about how I could not pay my debts and ended up on a distant-water fishing vessel, Yu Hye-gyeong showed an expression of genuine surprise rather than a broadcast concept.
“Then I suppose it is about time we call out our surprise guest.”
“Surprise guest?”
I feigned surprise and asked back.
Surprise guest!
It was a concept where an unexpected guest was invited during the interview to have a conversation together, but the modifier “surprise” was rather meaningless—I already knew who the surprise guest was.
But it was precisely because of that my heart was pounding.
“Don’t be surprised. It is Sir Yujin!”
That was right.
The “surprise guest” of my interview was none other than Yujin.
His impossibly handsome face appeared in the studio.
I looked at that face—so handsome one might mistake it for being polished—and smiled.
Yujin!
The idea of casting him in my interview had been mine.
The public’s attention and buzz focused on me right now were clearly benefiting me.
But I knew.
How volatile issues were in today’s world!
That was why, to keep their attention focused on me and furthermore to make them support me, I needed to use Yujin, who already stood at the apex.
He had coincidentally donated ten million won to my broadcast for some reason I did not know, so I could create a plausible pretext for inviting him to my interview under the excellent excuse of asking him why.
Yes, that was exactly it. The reason I had invited Yujin to this studio.
He was the final boss I would eventually have to topple to seize hegemony over Arde World, the enemy who had sent me to a distant-water fishing vessel, and the very sight of him made my desire for revenge boil like magma inside a volcano.
But that did not mean I had no reason to use him.
To defeat him, I intended to stop at nothing, of course, and use anything I could.
Even if that something turned out to be the very target of my revenge.
For revenge, I needed to distinguish between public and private matters and set aside petty personal feelings for the moment, and that moment was now.
I calmed my heart, which was pounding with surging vengeance, and took a deep breath inwardly.
Finally, Yujin opened his mouth and spoke to me.
* * *
“Nice to meet you, Sir Drakan.”
Yujin extended his hand to Drakan first and looked at him.
When the offer first came from JGN for him to appear as the “surprise guest” for Drakan’s interview, Yujin’s colleagues had subtly tried to dissuade him. However, after much thought, Yujin decided to participate as the surprise guest.
The reason he had donated ten million won to Drakan’s broadcast and decided to participate as an interview guest was only one.
To determine whether Drakan’s change was real.
Drakan!
His steps since returning after six years were completely different from the past.
The past Drakan, who had stopped at nothing for his own gain, and the Drakan after his return walked completely different paths.
A Drakan who shared his quests with ordinary users!
A Drakan who worried about the damage to users and destroyed a city while accepting his own losses!
Who could have imagined that?
The pinnacle was when Drakan himself, in a behind-the-scenes video he uploaded, had argued: “A city reduced to ashes can be restored as much as you want if you spend money. But the hearts of users? They are hard to move even with billions of gold.”
Yujin had been shocked watching that video.
Of course, his colleagues including Berda, who had watched the video, claimed those remarks were uttered through highly sophisticated political calculation inside Drakan’s head, but Yujin was half-convinced.
Drakan!
The one who knew him best in the world was none other than himself.
Yujin was confident of that.
To Yujin, Drakan was the greatest enemy he had ever faced in the game until now.
Be it the Mad Dragon that had been sealed away for being too dangerous, the Demon King who descended with ambitions of invading the earth, or Apocalypse the Harbinger of the End, the final boss of the previous game!
He had said this in interviews externally and to his guild comrades internally multiple times: that Drakan was the most difficult opponent to face compared to any other powerful enemy.
Drakan, the Iron Overlord who ruled the continent!
A top ranker who had reached the pinnacle among Arde World’s users through individual might alone!
On the other hand, when Yujin himself received the rebellion quest and faced Drakan, he was a user who had just barely risen from promising prospect to the ranks of rankers.
Objectively comparing their combat strength, it was truly like striking a rock with an egg.
In that situation, to defeat Drakan, Yujin had to analyze him from head to toe, and through that process, he came to know Drakan better than anyone else.
Drakan!
He was a man who never cared about the gaze or reputation of anyone except himself.
And his preferred method was to seize control of organizations through overwhelming power and the authority derived from it, and likewise crush enemies through overwhelming force.
That was why Drakan was able to control hunting grounds and mines, and levy heavy taxes to squeeze out war funds for his goal of unifying the continent.
But now, such a Drakan not only shared quests with others without any compensation but also worried about others’ circumstances?
‘It’s absurd.’
Yujin thought.
He did not know what had happened during those six years, but it was absurd!
But that was as far as it went.
Though it was absurd, Yujin could not yet judge whether his heart had truly changed.
Above all, the opinion of Berda, the brain of Lightwing Guild who had always been smart and guided him to do the right thing—that “Drakan made highly political remarks to win public opinion”—also held some validity, he thought.
After that, when the Infinite Yujin Church scandal broke out and he went to apologize to Drakan according to his principles.
Yujin was surprised once again.
Drakan!
Because he had surprisingly stepped forward first and apologized.
The word “apology” popping out of Drakan’s mouth was undeniably a first, and a momentous event that Yujin could not have even imagined.
Because he was a man who would never apologize, especially for something that was not his fault like this Infinite Yujin Church scandal.
From that moment, Yujin thought.
Perhaps Drakan had truly changed his ways.
To confirm that, Yujin donated ten million won on Drakan’s broadcast, and finally responded to the interview guest invitation to stand in this place.
Yujin extended his hand first and thought.
‘He said we were at least at the point where we could shake hands.’
The moment he recalled what Drakan had said when they first met in reality.
Drakan grasped Yujin’s hand.
“The pleasure is mine. Glad to meet you.”
Smirk.
Drakan smiled.
Yujin!
At the thought of exploiting Yujin down to his very marrow, Drakan was elated.
He could already see a storm of reactions pouring down clearly before his eyes.
Having just shed the label of a mere promising prospect and risen to the ranks of star users, he would use Yujin to solidify his position into something as firm as solid bedrock!
Drakan resolved thus and stared at Yujin.
The two people with such different thoughts exchanged perfunctory greetings, greeted the MC Yu Hye-gyeong as well, then sat down, and the interview resumed there.
“Sir Drakan.”
The one who spoke first the moment they sat down was Yujin.
Yujin faced Drakan’s gaze looking straight at him.
Whether in the past or now, Drakan’s eyes and expression revealed no emotion whatsoever.
“I have one question.”
“Speak.”
At Yujin’s words, Drakan smiled as if showing favor and focused on Yujin’s mouth.
Yujin.
He had been the one to call him here, but he did not know what question would pop out of the guy’s mouth.
Because Drakan himself was the one who knew Yujin best, he had drawn up a list of predicted questions Yujin might throw at him, but even that he could not guarantee was perfectly accurate.
Of course, he had called Yujin to this spot because he had judged that the risk was worth taking.
Therefore, Drakan focused all his nerves on Yujin to give an appropriate answer, and finally Yujin slowly threw a question at Drakan.
“What do you think about the evil deeds you committed in the past?”
And Drakan, receiving Yujin’s question, laughed inwardly.
Because the very first question on his predicted list for Yujin had come out.