Hyun-soo cannot forget the Ballas domain.
When he first visited Ballas, it was on the brink of ruin.
Indeed, some nobles were arguing that Ballas should be abolished.
Having seen it for himself, Hyun-soo understood why such talk was prevalent.
The domain had been thoroughly exploited by an inspector named Books, and Lord Belin had been reduced to a puppet.
However, much had changed since Hyun-soo’s visit.
Once known as the domain of blacksmiths and headed towards decline, the blacksmiths there had received Hyun-soo’s teachings and started producing far superior crafts than before.
Additionally, the visit of a popular YouTuber with one million subscribers led to a sudden influx of customers.
It would be a lie to say Hyun-soo had no affection for the place.
After all, it was through his efforts that the blacksmiths there had grown.
But he thought it was an unavoidable part of his journey.
Then, Barad had said, “I will grant the Ballas domain to Count Hyun-soo.”
Those words made Hyun-soo’s heart race.
All guild masters ultimately wanted to secure a territory for a reason:
“To secure tax revenues and obtain infinite financial power.”
Barad then added, “However, Lord Belin’s approval is required. It’s a necessary procedure. If she refuses, we might need to consider another territory.”
Barad was not a tyrant.
Belin was clearly in place, and Hyun-soo could not just forcibly replace her.
‘Indeed, that makes sense.’
Hyun-soo was fully convinced.
Suddenly, he remembered meeting Belin before leaving Ballas.
-Become a noble. I believe you have that power. And when you have risen high, please return to Ballas. Depending on the kind of noble you become, I will share the domain’s stake with you.
Hyun-soo was merely a commoner when he left Ballas, and this had happened just a few months ago.
After receiving this offer from her, a quest had appeared.
Hyun-soo had just revisited this quest.
[Hidden Quest: Noble]
Grade: S
Requirement: Belin must communicate her consent
Reward: A stake in the domain
Penalty for failure: Lowest favorability with Belin.
Description: Lord Belin’s faith in you is firm. Return to this domain in response to that faith.
It was a fresh sentiment.
Surely, when Hyun-soo received this quest, he had wondered when he might become a noble.
Moreover, unlike the quest description suggesting he would not become a lord but rather obtain a stake in the territory.
And the content at the end of the description was striking.
“Return to this domain in response.”
Hyun-soo would return there as a completely different person.
“My expectations for you are high.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
After greeting Barad, Hyun-soo looked around.
Other nobles also looked at Hyun-soo with expressions of anticipation.
Soon, Hyun-soo greeted Barad again and then left the audience chamber.
“Let’s see…”
As Hyun-soo gained the title of count, numerous notifications rang out for him. However, due to his shock and because he was in the presence of the lord, he couldn’t quite grasp the content of some notifications at first. Later, Hyun-soo checked them:
[As a count, you can designate a personal emblem.]
[The designated emblem can be applied to guild members, estate residents, soldiers, and knights.]
Hyun-soo thought, ‘Oh…?’, realizing how splendid it would be if the soldiers and knights bore this emblem.
[You have acquired the title of Count.]
(Count)
Multiple Titles
Rank: A
Special Abilities:
– Charisma increase by 10%.
– Receive respect from those of lower rank, and you can also impose punishment for a just cause.
– Your words will carry more weight as a viscount.
– You will receive proper respect anywhere in the kingdom of Goyard.
– You can announce the appearance of a count.
– Known for your high negotiation skills, you can activate a special appearance notification for three days.
Description: This title is given to users who have achieved the rank of count in the kingdom of Goyard.
Although the title felt somewhat formal, Hyun-soo didn’t mind it. He planned to leave the prisoners in the capital for now. Before heading to the Ballas estate, he had other places to visit, and Ballas estate was not yet fully confirmed as his territory. Just as he was leaving the castle, Hyun-soo stopped.
[The wolf’s egg reacts.]
‘Oh?’
It seemed the wolf’s egg was nourishing itself from various achievements made by Hyun-soo.
Perhaps this recent negotiation added to its nourishment.
Hyun-soo wondered how much more nourishment he had earned, waiting for the notification.
***
The virtual reality game Ares is serviced in over 100 countries. With one-third of the population playing, it truly feels like a second world. Additionally, there are branches in various countries that even the mighty Lee Se-jin cannot influence. Lee Se-jin’s face darkened during a video chat involving branch heads from the top 30 countries dominating Ares’s market share. In the case of the Korean server, Lee Se-jin participated.
The US branch head, John, spoke from across the screen:
-The Korean server will face the Chinese server. The ingenuity of Korean players, once called the strongest in gaming, is anticipated.
Lee Se-jin almost let out a sigh. All world servers are currently separated by continents, much like Earth itself, hosting over a hundred countries. Users continuously seek new content, and each server wants to explore more of the world. Thus, a server merge, which would eventually happen, required content to entertain the users before the merge. This content was the Continental War.
The Continental War involved a narrative where one country invades another, and only the most stable countries among Ares’s dozens were allowed to participate.
In reality, the Continental War involves dozens of countries, and Korea was matched against China through a computer draw. The exact details are still unclear, so it’s not yet confirmed how it will proceed. One thing for certain is that NPCs will not participate, and only a predefined number of players will take part.
‘The only certain thing is that there will be attackers and defenders,’ thought Lee Se-jin.
Since China became the attackers, they would initiate the invasion, and Korea, as the defenders, would be responsible for defense. Typically, defenders have an advantage, so to balance it out, “attackers are allowed 10% more players.”
This means the number of Chinese players will be 10% higher than that of Korean players.
“Let’s discuss more about the Continental War later,” said Lee Se-jin, as the exact timing hasn’t been decided yet. It could be as soon as one to two months, or up to six months to a year.
After ending the video chat, Lee Se-jin sighed.
“Can Korean players respond well?”
As the representative, Lee Se-jin stands at the center of fairness. That doesn’t mean he isn’t also a citizen of his country. The power difference between Chinese and Korean players was too great.
“It’s not that Korea lacks capable people.” It’s because of the population. Both countries can only have a selected number of participants participate. Because of the limited numbers, only the best players from China will take part. The difference between the top 100 Korean players and the top 100 Chinese players—whose country has more than 20 times the population—was enormous.
“A few strong players could potentially change the game.” Strength is like that. Just as a single knight from the kingdom of Goyard, Bella, could defeat twenty knights. If there’s an overwhelmingly strong individual, the story changes.
Then Lee Se-jin remembered one player. “It’s not yet time. He’s still lacking.” In Lee Se-jin’s view, this player might just be one of the high-rankers within the top 100. “But, what if he continues to grow in the remaining time?” And if…
“If he becomes the first player to achieve a legendary status?” Master Hyun (現). If that happens, the story might change. But it’s just a small hope of Lee Se-jin’s.
Of course, Hyun-soo is just one legendary creation away from earning the right to challenge it. Literally just having the right to attempt it. He must overcome another test first.
For now, Lee Se-jin decided to set aside his expectations.
Then, [The wolf’s egg completes nutrient absorption.]
Lee Se-jin looked puzzled. As far as he knew, the wolf’s egg still had several days left for nutrient absorption.
“Could it be…!?”
Lee Se-jin had been unable to pay attention to player Hyun-soo due to the Continental War storyline. First, he checked the negotiation skills that Hyun-soo had developed.
[Player Hyun-soo achieves a 227% negotiation skill.]
“What…?” This was beyond the realm of possibility.
Skill. Luck. Fateful encounters. A maximized sense of gratitude. A myriad of factors converged to create an astonishing figure. This figure brought about a result:
[The wolf’s egg has achieved a nutrient absorption rate of 112%.]
Lee Se-jin swallowed dryly. A nutrient absorption rate of 80% in the wolf’s egg would result in the birth of a legendary Fenrir-class wolf. And at 80%, or rather, when it exceeds 100%, a divine beast might be born. It was truly unknown. The choice is in the hands of the supercomputer, Ares. Lee Se-jin wiped his face.
‘What will the supercomputer Ares choose?’
Normally, Ares’s decisions align closely with Lee Se-jin’s; their judgments match about 90% of the time. He awaited the decision of the supercomputer Ares.
‘If it goes as I think, Ares will….’
Soon, a notification popped up.
[Supercomputer Ares intends to designate the being within the wolf’s egg as a legendary monster.]
‘As expected….’
It was similar to Lee Se-jin’s thinking.
‘For a user to control a divine beast… it’s a difficult task….’
Even a legendary wolf like Fenrir reaches level 400. But a divine beast surpasses that. Now a level 290 user controls a divine beast with immeasurable strength?
‘Instead, the user Hyun-soo might be overwhelmed.’
Yes, it would be disappointing for Hyun-soo, but it was unavoidable.
Then.
[Supercomputer Ares reverses its decision.]
“……?”
Lee Se-jin looked puzzled. Such cases were rare even for him. Reflecting back, the notification had stated, ‘intends to designate.’
‘Why?’
Why reverse the decision?
‘What are you trying to do, Ares?’
Hyun-soo couldn’t possibly control a divine beast.
Why reverse it?
Soon, the reason became clear.
[The third divine beast chooses user Hyun-soo.]
Lee Se-jin was astonished.
‘A divine beast chooses a user?’
A single divine beast is more valuable and grand than five legendary monsters.
And such a beast chose a user?
‘Could it be because Hyun-soo is a God Blacksmith?’
No, Lee Se-jin soon realized the reason.
‘The astonishing negotiation skill….’
Hyun-soo had accomplished what seemed impossible, and the wolf’s egg had been observing it all.
But the problem was how Ares would resolve this dilemma. Soon, a notification came through:
[Ares has found a new solution.]
[The third divine beast will be born as a growth-type divine beast.]
[Growth-type divine beasts will evolve alongside their owner.]
“This is a method that existed. Perhaps it is the most ideal way.”
Lee Se-jin felt relieved at the idea of abandoning the notion that a fully matured entity would be born. The meeting of Hyun-soo, who had not yet become a legend, and the divine beast, still essentially a fledgling.
Lee Se-jin smiled slightly.
‘User Hyun-soo has taken a step closer to being a variable in the Continental War.’
And Lee Se-jin was most curious about one thing.
‘When will this creature hatch?’
***
[The wolf’s egg has achieved a nutrient absorption rate of 112%.]
‘This is really good, isn’t it?’
Hyun-soo had come to understand that achieving over 100% meant obtaining something very beneficial. He thought the wolf’s egg would behave as usual, demanding to be stroked with brazen audacity.
But it wasn’t so.
[The wolf’s egg is grateful for being in your embrace.]
[The wolf’s egg cherishes you.]
Hyun-soo smiled unwittingly. He was curious about what kind of creature would emerge from inside and when it would be born. Soon, a notification arrived:
[The wolf’s egg will hatch within 96 hours.]
Crack—
Cracks started to form on the egg.
Cliche Novel 