The Final Boss Has Returned 12

Chapter 12

Steel Monarch Drakan’s return caused a huge stir.

Renewal of the 6th place in the Tutorial Comprehensive Ranking!

98% contribution to the Tutorial Dungeon strategy!

His overwhelming performance from the beginning garnered attention, and the highlight of his actions was the meeting with Eugene.

[I said I’d do it. That promise. Why, don’t you believe me? Should I write you a contract?]

[We’re not close enough to shake hands yet.]

The video of the meeting with Drakan, uploaded to Ard Live Eugene’s official channel, quickly recorded high views and became a topic of conversation among people.

[Look at the way Drakan talks; What kind of manner of speech is that to God Eugene-nim?]

[Wow, I’d give anything to shake hands with Eugene-nim, but he throws it away lol His temper hasn’t changed;]

[Drakan? Who is that guy? Even if he was famous in the past, isn’t he washed up now?]

[Ah, you know Drakan! He’s truly a son. of. a. bitch!]

[Is that promise believable? That Drakan will keep his promise? The guy who can’t live without control?]

[He must have some ulterior motive. I don’t believe it.]

Most of the numerous comments on the video of their meeting praised Eugene and cursed Drakan, questioning his intentions.

To them, Drakan was a villain of the highest order, and it was true that they couldn’t easily believe the promise made by such a villain that he wouldn’t repeat his evil deeds.

Rather, since he accepted Eugene’s promise too readily, more people believed that Drakan had some other scheme in mind.

However, unlike the Ard Live Eugene channel comment section, which was mostly dominated by Eugene’s hardcore fandom, the so-called ‘Infinite Eugene Church,’ the public opinion on ‘Ard Forum,’ a large game community that deals with Ard Saga, was not entirely favorable.

This was because the opinions of some users, who had a lot of antipathy towards the Infinite Eugene Church, if not Eugene himself due to their excessive fanaticism, exploded.

[Look at the Yoo-quis going into praise mode again, it’s disgusting;;]

[I don’t hate Eugene, I hate the Yoo-quis, really. The Yoo-quis are ruining Eugene’s image]

[Even though he controlled things a bit, he didn’t act like a goody-two-shoes like Yoo-jin…… At least he didn’t have malicious fans like Yoo-quis…… Drakan-nim…… I miss you……]

Of course, Eugene was still the top and top-ranked player in Ard Saga, and his fandom was much thicker than most idol fandoms, so when Eugene’s fandom saw Eugene being criticized, they joined the keyboard warrior battle, causing Ard Forum to go into overdrive, to the point where it lagged.

[They’re criticizing him like he’s going to die because their cult leader refused to shake hands lol What’s so great about that handshake? Does Yoo-jin have gold on his hands?]

[So, is it normal to refuse a handshake? It’s so rude lol Eugene-nim humbled himself firstㅋㅋ]

[What do you mean humbled himself? Yoo-jin is more rude. Does he own Ard? What’s with him talking about evil deeds and stuff]

[Did Yoo-jin beat you up or something? You’re so twisted. This is why it’s pathetic to see low-level bastards criticizing high-levels ㅋㅋㅋ]

[Am I lower level than you, noob? Have you ever caught a boss? I bet you’ve only seen it on broadcasts ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Speaking of high levels, I fought Drakan in the first game. You seem to have not played the previous game, but if it was the previous game, you would have had to pay 100 gold each time you entered the dungeon as an entrance fee because of Drakanㅋ It’s pathetic how people who don’t even know Drakan act like hipsters and like him]

As negative and positive comments alternately topped the best comments and replies continued to explode crazily, Ard Forum became a complete mess, and as the keyboard warrior battle intensified, users eventually started asking about each other’s parents’ well-being.

And that situation was reported directly to Jeil E&M and Drakan.

▄ ▄ ▄

Right after accepting Shin Ha-yeon’s contract, my life changed 180 degrees on the spot.

“Please move into the Jeil E&M Content Hub. The preparations are all complete, so you can just come in.”

The first thing that changed was my residence.

Jeil E&M Content Hub.

This high-rise building owned by Jeil Group in Seoul housed accommodations for other Rankers who had signed contracts with Jeil E&M, studios for broadcasting, a restaurant that provided meals, a gym and a martial arts dojo for physical management, various convenience facilities and offices, and a management team that managed them.

The first people I met after moving into the Content Hub were the members of the Drakan Dedicated Support Team, dedicated solely to supporting me.

“Nice to meet you, Drakan-nim. I am Lee Ki-joon, the team leader of the Drakan Dedicated Support Team. You can call me Team Leader Lee.”

The conference room on the top floor of the Content Hub building.

In this room filled with long tables and chairs, I sat in the highest seat, looking at the members of the dedicated support team, including Team Leader Lee Ki-joon.

“Our Drakan Dedicated Support Team is composed of the best experts in each field, and we will spare no effort to support you until the day you reach the top, Drakan-nim.”

Team Leader Lee’s voice, filled with pride, was not a lie.

The support team included people you might expect, like video editors and marketing managers, but it also included experts in areas I hadn’t even thought of, like a health trainer and a Kendo instructor.

The total number of the Drakan Dedicated Support Team gathered in this way was twenty.

Twenty people gathered to support only me.

“We will handle all external tasks from now on, so Drakan-nim, you can just focus on the game.”

An environment was created where I could focus solely on the game.

Jeil E&M Executive Director Shin Ha-yeon.

It was the moment I realized the fearsome power of the wealth possessed by this third-generation chaebol heiress.

“So, what’s the reason you called me? Is the introduction of the support team over?”

“No, it’s not.”

Team Leader Lee shook his head at my words.

He adjusted his glasses and turned on the projector to display the presentation screen.

What was shown in the presentation were captures of the best posts and comments from the Ard Forum.

“This is the current public opinion of the users.”

The public opinion, which I hadn’t had time to look into due to being busy with the contract and other things yesterday, was clearly posted in the presentation.

“It’s not as bad as I thought.”

I muttered as I looked at the presentation.

As I said, it wasn’t.

Public opinion wasn’t as bad as I thought.

Contrary to my expectation that it would be solely focused on praising Eugene, users were fighting over the video of me and Eugene meeting.

The ratio was split evenly as if someone had cut it with a knife.

“That’s right.”

Team Leader Lee nodded and said at my words.

“Eugene himself, from a personal perspective, is a flawless person with no scandals. But his fandom is not.”

“You’re talking about those Infinite Eugene Church bastards……”

I said, recalling his fanatical followers.

Infinite Eugene Church!

They existed six years ago, and their existence was one of the many reasons why I lost to Eugene.

Six years ago. Leading the Guild Alliance, I suppressed the complaints and backlash of general users with the powerful force and overwhelming power that stemmed from the united organizational strength of the Iron Blood Alliance and the Guild Alliance.

Of course, the general users were much larger in number, but they had no focal point or organization.

Because of this, they were no match for the Guild Alliance, which had definite power, a systematic and unified organizational structure, and a well-organized command system.

Before Eugene, there were users who occasionally resisted my rule, but they failed to generate as much of a response as Eugene and were quickly subdued. This was because they focused solely on personal resistance without garnering the support of general users.

However, the situation completely reversed with the appearance of Eugene.

Eugene’s overwhelming popularity created countless followers both online and offline, and these followers soon formed a fandom called the ‘Infinite Eugene Church’ and began to organize themselves in the form of a fan club.

Until then, I had underestimated their danger.

And when Eugene started the Rebellion Quest, the Infinite Eugene Church joined forces with some small and medium-sized guilds to build a united organization called the Revolutionary Army, similar to the Guild Alliance. Numerous general users who were dissatisfied with the Guild Alliance joined, and the size of the Revolutionary Army grew exponentially.

The resentment of the general users that had been suppressed until then!

It met the catalyst called the Infinite Eugene Church and was organized under the name of the Revolutionary Army, finally exploding.

The moment when the iron fortress called the Guild Alliance collapsed and I fell!

I could never forget that time.

“Yes. As you may know, the public opinion about the Infinite Eugene Church you remember from the past and the current Infinite Eugene Church is quite different.”

Team Leader Lee said so and moved the presentation forward using the wireless remote control.

Information about the Infinite Eugene Church, neatly organized, appeared on the screen.

“While the Infinite Eugene Church of the past was the vanguard of the revolution against the Guild Alliance and the hope of general users, the current Infinite Eugene Church is drawing a lot of backlash from users due to blind and excessive praise and deification of Eugene, a sense of elitism as Eugene’s fandom, the prohibition of criticism against the Infinite Eugene Church and Eugene, the comparison and belittling of Eugene with other Rankers, and so on.”

“In short, they like Eugene but hate the Infinite Eugene Church.”

“Exactly.”

I smiled as I listened to Team Leader Lee’s answer.

Wherever there is light, there is shadow, and wherever you go, there are people who say NO when others say YES.

Even Eugene, who seemed so perfect, had limitations and gaps because he was, after all, human.

Since controlling each and every member of a fandom is near impossible, this could be seen as an inevitable result.

“So, you’re saying we should exploit that gap?”

Team Leader Lee nodded at my question and answered.

“That’s right. We will target those users to change public opinion and create a fandom for Drakan-nim.”