Chapter 351: Under the Sun, In the Shadows (2)

Crown Prince Alberu Crossman took a slow sip of his tea. The warmth slid down his throat as he silently reached for a cookie.

Crunch—

His gaze shifted to one of the two translucent windows in the room.

...And somewhere, in a completely different place—

<RMPAG>: Raising My Precious Absolute God

This was the first virtual reality game that simulated reality with such advanced technology that no subsequent competitor had been able to match it. Within the game, this world was known as New World.

The <New World Forum> was an “official” site recognized by RMPAG Inc., although other popular communities existed, such as <NW-Tab>, <New World Bulletin Board>, and <RMPAG’s World>. This game, with its base of millions of players around the world, had almost the entire population of Earth 3 captivated.

<It’s official! Only 20 hours until the update!>

At this moment, the official RMPAG community, <New World Forum>, was in a frenzy.

<My hands are shaking after waiting a day.>

Countless new posts were being uploaded by the second.

<Is this the first time there’s been a major update?>

<Yes, yes. It’s the first time.>

<There were minor updates, but this is the first time it’s been done with a day of disconnection.>

It was the first major update since RMPAG’s launch—an overhaul being carried out by ㈜Transparent, the game's developer. A full day of server disconnection had been announced.

Naturally, users were getting excited.

With hundreds of millions of players, the news of the update made headlines across the globe. Even general news channels—not just gaming networks—were running in-depth segments analyzing what the update might bring.

Earth 3.

It was as if RMPAG had dominated it.

The main reason for so much excitement was,

<Hey, who will be the first to create a kingdom?>

[The Great First Step.]

The fact that players could finally create countries.

Click.

Alberu Crossman tapped a post that caught his attention.

==============

<Hey, who will be the first to create a kingdom?>

Right now, there are three high-level players who say they’ve received the mission to found kingdoms, right?

The God of War of China.

The Water Witch of Sweden.

The Black Lion of Arsea (Jungle Union).

Which one of them will be the first?

==============

Below, over dozens of comments were posted.

==============

- Crazy. I’m telling you, none of those attention-seekers will do it.

- Yes, yes. It’s true. Those who seek attention to the point of revealing their country.

- No, they say that those who reveal their country have the backing of their country. Besides, they’re all guild leaders and have many followers, right?

- Hey, hey. None of them are in the top 10.

==============

Alberu paused for a moment at a comment that caught his eye.

Crunch.

The high-level players who revealed their identity are among the top 100, but none of them are in the top 10, who are considered the best.

==============

- No, no. If you look closely, it seems that the kingdom mission is granted according to the ranking of the high-level players. I think the system has given the mission to the players it considers capable of forming a power, so that they can prepare.

==============

“That’s right.”

Alberu nodded.

==============

- But won’t there be many high-level players, or even among the top 100, who have hidden themselves? I think there are more players hiding than those who show themselves like those attention-seekers.

- It’s true. Frankly, there are many players among the top 10 who haven’t revealed their country or identity, right?

- Will the number 1 have received the kingdom mission? I’m very curious to know.

==============

The number 1 player.

It’s Ahn Roh Man.

He had never revealed his identity. Compared to the other high-ranking players in the top ten, there was almost no information about him.

Crunch.

Alberu chewed another cookie.

==============

- Anyway, I think those who have received the mission will be at least the top 100, or guild leaders.

- Won’t it be some normal player?

- That’s impossible. Even if they had received it, if they’re not in the top 100 or don’t have power, they won’t be able to complete the kingdom mission.

==============

Crunch.

==============

- Hahaha, how funny—

==============

One comment caught his attention. That comment continued with a series of responses.

- Hahaha, how funny. Right now, it’s not the time to be interested in who will be able to create the first kingdom. First, we have to think about the possibility of creating a ‘kingdom’.

==============

“That’s right.”

==============

- What’s the power situation in New World? Excluding the eight evils or the mysterious places we can’t access. In the accessible areas, what’s the situation? Even without counting forces like kingdoms, empires, or race unions, there are few ownerless lands. Do you really think someone can take territory away from one of these factions to create a kingdom? In my opinion, the only one who has a chance is someone in the top who gets a pact with the Empire to obtain a free city and turn it into a recognized duchy. Otherwise, this mission will take at least 5 to 10 years of gameplay.

==============

The player who continued writing in response to this comment, wrote another sentence.

==============

- We, the low-level players, should worry more about other content that will be updated. There will be many updates this time.

==============

Crunch.

Alberu stopped reading the comments.

“Who is this player?”

This player’s last comment caught his attention.

==============

- Expansion of the eight evils, addition of some fields. We have to pay attention to this. It means that more NPCs, more monsters, and more items will appear. It’s an opportunity for low-level players like us to become stronger. If we conquer the eight evils well, we could also have the opportunity to defeat the powerful people of each kingdom that dominate New World.

In reality, even the high-level players who were among the top 10 in New World were barely among the top 100 in the overall ranking of the strongest in New World.

That meant that there were already strong NPCs in New World. That is, there were beings that existed in that world.

==============

“Hmm. It seems he used his game ID as is.”

You could see the ID of the person who had written the comment on the bulletin board. Although they could write anonymously, some registered on the bulletin board and wrote with their ID.

==============

<Supreme Counsellor of the Universe)>

(Note: Can also be translated as: The Best Strategist of the Universe)

The bulletin board ID, for some reason—

Crunch.

It seems to be the name of the game account.

“Hmm.”

He seems like a helpful guy.

Should I look for him?

Alberu organized his thoughts and turned off the screen. Then, he turned his gaze to the remaining translucent window.

“It seems it will be difficult to return to Roan for a while.”

- It’s true.

Cale nodded towards Alberu, who was on the other side of the translucent screen.

“We haven’t installed the portal in the Black Castle yet.”

- Should we ask Ahn Roh Man for advice?

Cale, who let out a short laugh, asked Alberu.

“Are you serious?”

- Not at all.

Alberu smiled happily.

- My dongsaeng is my secret weapon. I can’t let them find out.

After sensing Ahn Roh Man’s unease, Cale and Alberu agreed to keep Cale’s identity hidden from him—at least until they could confirm his true intentions.

The Seventh Evil.

With the update, most of the members of Cale’s group registering in that area were treated as NPCs.

All except the Dragon Half-Blood.

- But it would also be problematic to hide too much information from Ahn Roh Man.

“I know.”

Cale had resolved to confront the Transparent Family—both inside the game and on Earth 3. But he knew that failing to inform Ahn Roh Man would only raise suspicion.

Ahn Roh Man resembled Alberu Crossman, but being older, he had more experience.

“As soon as the Black Castle portal is created, Rosalyn will assist you, Your Highness.”

- Will Rosalyn register as a normal player?

“Yes. You have that mission, right?”

He was referring to the hero mission. But he didn’t mention it.

- Hmm.

“I think it’s better for her to be a normal player.”

Cale smiled at the sight of Alberu, who let out a strange sigh when the topic of the hero was mentioned.

“Why? Don’t you want to do it?”

- You’re a very mischievous dongsaeng.

Alberu was annoyed that Cale, who knew what he was thinking, pretended not to know anything.

Cale shrugged.

“Don’t get hung up on the name. It’s just a tool to help you get what you want.”

At those words, which were spoken indifferently, Alberu shut his mouth tightly.

“I’m sure Your Highness is thinking, ‘That position doesn’t suit me. It’s not meant for someone like me.’”

Alberu thought that Choi Han, Rosalyn, and Cale were more suitable to be heroes.

- Damn.

Cale ignored those words. According to him, Alberu Crossman had a strange tendency to belittle himself.

“To be honest, in the game, I’m an insanely high-level villain. But aren’t you just a low-level rookie, Your Highness?”

Ha.

Cale smiled with a mocking smile.

- …

Alberu was silent for a moment and then smiled happily.

“!”

Cale stopped.

Even though it had been a joke,

‘Is this guy taking it seriously?’

Cale, who thought that the Crown Prince had become a game addict, quickly added.

“And that darkness is your power, Your Highness! Haha!”

- Haha! Right? My dongsaeng is really good at talking.

“Right? Hahaha—”

Cale, who was laughing, stopped laughing at the same time as Alberu, who had stopped laughing.

- I suppose you’ve already figured out the power structure, right?

“Yes.”

Information about the eight evils.

About the three strong, the five medium, and the ten weak who dominate New World.

Cale had figured all that out while the update was taking place.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

- We’ll finish this later.

Cale, who had just put away the mirror that ended his video call with Alberu, opened the door.

“Rosalyn?”

An unexpected person was in front of him.

“Young Master, we can’t connect the portal like this.”

Twenty hours remained.

One day until the update ended.

“Something’s missing.”

The Black Castle portal was being created under Sheritt and Rosalyn’s leadership, with help from the God of Death and the Source of the World.

But there was a problem.

“What’s missing?”

Ha.

Rosalyn, who had sighed, said calmly.

“We’ve figured out how to obtain energy for the portal that connects the Black Castle to the game, and the strength to maintain it, through Neo’s lair, and we can implement it.”

She nodded at Cale, but her expression hardened.

“But the connection itself… is difficult.”

The most fundamental problem.

“We don’t know the structure of the game world.”

There are mages and dragons who know the structure of mana, and Gods who know the structure of portals. But no one knows the structure of the game.

“We need an expert in New World, in that system.”

Ah.

Cale realized what was missing.

“Would it be enough to bring in an expert on the RMPAG system?”

She let out a soft chuckle. A smile like morning dew on a rose appeared on Rosalyn’s tired face.

“That’s the right answer, Young Master.”

Cale spoke to Rosalyn, who understood just as well as Alberu—but in her own way.

“We need someone from the Transparent Family.”

“Exactly. Someone from ㈜ Transparent Corporation, especially an expert in the game system.”

“I’m sure there are people with grudges—or those who’ve been expelled.”

“Yes. Transparent will try to keep useful people, but those rejected are likely hiding.”

When Rosalyn finished, Cale smiled and said,

“Then we’ll have to go to Earth 3.”

With Ahn Roh Man’s help, finding an expert would be easy. He had worked with his parents, the creators of RMPAG, and surely knew the first-generation collaborators.

“Yes, we’ll probably need Ahn Roh Man’s help to find the right person.”

Rosalyn also considered it. With a satisfied expression, Cale replied,

“It would be better to go before the update, right?”

“It’s best to act as soon as possible.”

Cale nodded.

“Will you go personally?”

“Yes. I’m the right person.”

Rosalyn had researched portals thoroughly, and unlike Sheritt, she was free to move. Moreover, by registering as a player, she could help Cale avoid Ahn Roh Man’s surveillance.

“Good.”

Cale took the mirror out of his pocket.

“I have to contact the God of Death.”

First, I have to go to Earth 3 with Rosalyn, even if it’s for a while.

Of course, I’ll return to the Black Castle right away. With an expert.

“Young Master, we should also take Crown Prince Alberu. In passing. He’s the only player, right?”

Even though she already knew that Cale and his companions were in the process of registering in the game, Rosalyn said that with a smile, and Cale finally let out a short chuckle.

Rosalyn.

She’s quite cunning too.

“Hmm. It’s true. His Highness is the only player. Let’s go together when you have time.”

Of course, Cale, who nodded without flinching, was also quite cunning.

* * *

“Human, this combination is new!”

Cale, Rosalyn, Crown Prince Alberu, who was waiting for them, and Raon too, returned to Roan for a moment.

For the first time, the four of them were heading to Earth 3 together.

“But, for some reason, I think this combination is the one that scares me the most!”

Raon, seeing Alberu, who was smiling happily, Cale, who was smiling kindly, and Rosalyn, who was smiling confidently, flapped his wings and shouted.

“In any case, I think it will be a lot of fun! I think we’re going to win!”

Whoosh!

A black light, the power of the God of Death, enveloped them, and soon they headed to Earth 3, Roan, where President Ahn Roh Man was waiting for them.

Ah.

Right. We didn’t tell Ahn Roh Man we were coming.

...Well, a little surprise won’t hurt him.
-------
PR Thoughts💭 :

"Bro, Alberu just crunched a cookie and casually planned interdimensional espionage. ICONIC."

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Mayank]