Chương 112: Interlude 5 - Who Is Dead?

A full weekend spent with family, and everyone already wants a vacation to Europe… Hyunwoo sighed as he took the elevator back to the top floor of Wind Virtual's headquarters. Breaks were said to be relaxing: a good way to unwind stress. Hyunwoo found the opposite to be true. Whenever his work phone was off, he just couldn't stop the silent doubts whispering somewhere in the back of his head, nudging him to just take one quick look at how his game was doing.

His break had been pleasant, like any day he got to spend with his two daughters, but he looked forward to returning to work. Taking breaks during the launch of an expansion really wasn't healthy for the mind. His own mother called him a workaholic. She claimed that the company would make the same amount of money even if he stopped investing so much into "quality upgrades." It wasn't about money, though. No game in the world was like Wonderwind. When a game company made money, they satisfied shareholders.

When Wonderwind made money, Hyunwoo satisfied his playerbase. For as long as he was the CEO of the company, Wonderwind would stay as the best game in the world. His mother didn't understand the satisfaction of watching an event unfold perfectly as planned The elevator doors opened, and Hyunwoo entered the office: the modern one Seoul had to offer. He smiled at the statue of a human sized Endlich they'd set up in the middle of the office last year. That was from an old event; they needed to replace it.

Kim Jae's seat was closest, and he usually greeted Hyunwoo with a bow. Today, the man flinched, keeping his stare on his computer. No greetings at all came. Hyunwoo glanced around. Similar reactions filled seats—like that of his youngest daughter, face smudged with chocolate and silently avoiding eye-contact, after Hyunwoo found the sweets cabinet considerably emptier. Ji-soo approached him, and before saying a word, she bowed.

"Welcome back." The tense air made it to his chest in the form of a slight squeeze.

"Thank you, and hello." He smiled, but Ji-soo didn't return the gesture.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Ji-soo glanced at her colleagues, who looked like they were rooting for her to say something.

"A slight… error has happened in the progression of the expansion."

"Ah…" Hyunwoo said.

"What is it? Is Zenith Protocol progressing too fast? Or… did Shaltar's bridge get passed?"

"Yes, the bridge has been passed a while ago," Ji-soo said, still avoiding his eyes. Hyunwoo nodded.

"I was afraid that would happen. Is it Assassin A again? This shouldn't be a catastrophe. He's free to open up the entire map. It's not like two players can make a difference in quest progression. They'll still struggle to find a bondsmith." Ji-soo's mouth opened, then shut.

"About that…"

"Yes?" Hyunwoo said.

"Don't tell me they've bonded with spirits." Ji-soo said nothing.

"Even that is fine," Hyunwoo said.

"I won't blame you if they've obtained a spirit. It's suboptimal, but those two are clever players."

"They have indeed bonded with spirits…" Ji-soo said. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Hyunwoo began to feel something in his stomach.

"Ah... that might grow into an issue, but we have no reason to panic. It's not like they can conquer any one of the castles as a duo." He expected Ji-soo to be relieved from that, but she still looked afraid of saying something. She was one of his best employees. He'd never seen her so distraught about anything.

"Or…" Hyunwoo asked nervously, "is there something else?"

"Shaltar is dead." Hyunwoo's face went blank. What? He must have misheard. Carefully, he asked, " Who is dead?" Ji-soo's face cringed back as she continued.

"Veyra and Assassin killed Shaltar and her knights. They obtained all the spirits and are currently on their way to a bondsmith. They've both passed level three hundred." Hyunwoo's throat dried up, words struggling to come out.

"And… This isn't a joke?" he asked.

"It's not," she said. His mouth hung open, feeling lightweight. The office was getting blurry. He collapsed on the lounge's couch and held a hand on his head. Ji-soo stood around awkwardly.

"How?" Hyunwoo asked, his tone dead.

"How is that even possible?" Min-lee brought coffee. Iced and dark, just how he liked it. He accepted it.

"They used an item, sir," Ji-soo explained.

"An item that dealt one percent maximum health damage every second. We… forgot to add a maximum damage cap." Hyunwoo's eyes went out of focus as he stared at his coffee in silence, holding it with both hands. He took a sip. Iced dark coffee didn't necessarily taste good, but it tasted strong with a punch to wake him up even on the worst mornings.

"Did they at least livestream the fight?" Hyunwoo asked.

"No," Ji-soo said.

"Nobody in the community knows what has happened. Zenith Protocol has just now reached the bridge."

"So they've cleared the whole castle, killing the final boss, before the area has even been discovered." Ji-soo looked like she wanted to wince.

"Yes." She stood respectfully with her hands behind her back like a general sharing news of war. Hyunwoo felt like he'd seen the same scene in movies—except he was the leader who just received news that he'd lost the war.

"The situation is certainly suboptimal," Ji-soo continued, speaking faster, "but after running calculations, we believe this is not the end of the world. The expansion can still continue. If anything, this could end up being very interesting. Granted, we might need to contact Assassin A and Veyra and hope for their cooperation."

"Elaborate."

"After Shaltar is defeated, the players with the most spirits are eligible to be crowned as the castle's King or Queen," Ji-soo said.

"Veyra and Assassin will own a castle soon. They'll gain control of Shaltar's remaining forces. However, due to the odd order of events, Aetherdale is still an enemy of all other castles in the expansion. The union to destroy Shaltar's reign will still proceed. Aetherdale just has different leadership now."

"What are you suggesting?" Hyunwoo asked.

"Veyra and Assassin have replaced Shaltar," Ji-soo said.

"Quite literally. If the two take control of the castle and start commanding NPCs, Shaltar's castle will continue operating as it has. The expansion can continue as planned—only, with a different final boss."

"So you're suggesting that Assassin and Veyra could replace Shaltar as the final boss of the event?" She bowed.

"Yes. If we let the expansion continue without intervention, I believe there's a high chance of exactly that happening. Conquering Aetherdale away from Veyra and Assassin will still be a satisfying experience for the playerbase." Hyunwoo leaned back, rubbing his chin. He sighed.

"Leaving a role like that for Solo Mage is a recipe for disaster, Ji-soo." From her expression, it looked like she agreed. She just didn't believe there were other options. Why today… Hyunwoo thought. Could his week have started any worse?

"What level are they now?" Hyunwoo asked.

"They have both surpassed level three hundred, sir."

"And what about Zenith Protocol?" Hyunwoo asked.

"What level is FireBrand?"

"He is at level two hundred and ninety," Ji-soo said.

"Only Dragrath is higher than Assassin or Veyra at level three hundred twenty-two." The coffee wasn't helping as Hyunwoo leaned his head on his hand. Weakly, his voice coming out as a whisper, he spoke toward the floor.

"And how the fuck is that maniac at level three hundred twenty-two?"

"He is clearing the castle of Clamad, sir."

"So not only has Shaltar fallen to two players, a solo player is also about to obtain the first lesser castle." Ji-soo gave a quiet and nervous, "Yes." A headache pounded his head. He took another sip of coffee. Then he chugged it down in one go, face wrinkling from the taste. He stood and took a step toward his workstation.

"Boss?" Ji-soo asked.

"If the expansion is screwed, let's at least capitalize on the mess," Hyunwoo said.

"Dragrath might refuse publicity, but Assassin seems to like fame. I'll send them an offer. Everyone, back to work!"