The Final Boss Has Returned 158

Chapter 158

“Phase 3?”

Phase 3, the advent of turbulent times.

Vice Chairman Shin Jeong-hyeok, the very person who pulled the trigger, was standing at the border of the Great Forest, his face contorted in a frown.

Behind him, the forces of Simseong Iron Stars, who were supposed to launch an attack simultaneously with the declaration of war, and the reinforcements from Xiongmao eSports stretched endlessly.

“What in the world is this…?”

“The path to the ending has opened, Boss.”

As Vice Chairman Shin Jeong-hyeok trailed off, Axe King Paul, who was standing next to him, added his words.

Shin Jeong-hyeok’s eyes narrowed at his words.

The fact that Ard Saga was a game with an ‘ending’ was already common knowledge, even before he started playing the game seriously.

Eugene saw the ending of the previous game and received a reward of 100 billion won!

Shin Jeong-hyeok remembered the news that had even caught the attention of those who didn’t play the game because of the amount.

“This is going to be a headache.”

Shin Jeong-hyeok’s brow furrowed.

Shin Jeong-hyeok.

What he wanted was just a simple war.

A swift and precise war to eliminate Drakan before the Aerial Mobile Fortress was completed.

But the opening of Phase 3 was beyond what he had hoped for.

A sudden ending bait, out of the blue.

The fact that bait that could tempt almost every user in Ard World would be thrown… It was beyond Shin Jeong-hyeok’s expectations.

“But we can’t call off the war now, Boss.”

Paul said to Shin Jeong-hyeok.

He was right.

It was impossible to pretend that nothing had happened.

It wasn’t just this side that wanted war.

Drakan.

He was definitely looking forward to war as well.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been encroaching on the territory little by little under the pretext of ‘developing’ the Great Forest.

Even if they offered a truce to Drakan, the probability of him accepting it was low.

Therefore, now that war had been declared, they had to see it through to the end with Drakan.

“Right.”

Shin Jeong-hyeok cleared his dizzy head after listening to Paul.

Anyway, as Caesar said, the die was already cast, and the Rubicon River was right in front of them.

The only option left for him now was to cross that river.

Shin Jeong-hyeok organized his thoughts and said in a low voice.

“Tell them to attack.”

Shin Jeong-hyeok’s order was quickly relayed down through Axe King Paul and Assassination King Layla, and the waiting Iron Stars army immediately charged towards the Great Forest.

Thus began the war.

▄ ▄ ▄

On the surging sea.

A grand fleet was moving across the endlessly stretching sea where nothing but the horizon could be seen.

A large fleet of numerous escort ships surrounding a massive aircraft carrier… whose enormous size immediately caught the eye, was majestically cutting through the sea and moving forward.

Among them was the Ghost Fleet, the fleet of the Undead.

The flagship of this grand fleet, composed of various warships, was the Steelwing.

The Steelwing, the flagship of the Dark Alliance’s navy.

On its wide deck, Drakan was frowning.

‘Phase 3?’

A translucent information window about Phase 3 was floating in front of Drakan’s eyes.

Normally, he would have simply memorized the contents and erased it, but Drakan hadn’t erased the information window yet.

That’s how shocking the information about Phase 3 was to him.

‘The path to the ending has finally opened, but the problem is the method.’

Drakan read the information window once again.

He already knew that the path to the ending had opened.

The problem was the method.

Only the hero who unifies the continent and pacifies the turbulent times can sit on the throne.

Drakan felt a familiar feeling from this sentence.

‘It’s the same as the Overlord Quest.’

The Overlord Quest he had undertaken in the previous game!

The purpose of Phase 3 was completely identical to that quest, which presented the absurd goal of unifying the continent.

‘It came out too early.’

The problem was that Phase 3 had appeared much earlier than he had expected.

He hadn’t yet gathered enough power to oppose Eugene and the Five Eyes.

In such a situation, the appearance of Phase 3 had momentarily shaken Drakan.

Drakan pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and erased the information window in front of him.

Worrying wouldn’t suddenly solve the current situation.

‘I need to speed up the plan a bit.’

The plan to divide the Five Eyes.

He needed to speed up the plan that he was originally supposed to carry out slowly, Drakan thought, shifting his gaze to the horizon.

The sea breeze, which he had endured endlessly, enveloped Drakan’s body.

▄ ▄ ▄

It wasn’t just the warring parties who were shaken by the information about Phase 3.

The apex of Ard World, a top-ranked player.

Hero Eugene.

He, too, was shaken after receiving the information.

Lightwing Entertainment Building in Gangbuk, Seoul.

The lights were brightly lit in the conference room there, and all the members of the Lightwing Guild, including Eugene, were gathered in that place.

Even though there were only five members, they were the ones who could practically control the fate of Ard World.

“Phase 3 has finally opened.”

In the midst of the silence, it was Eugene who broke the silence first.

“That’s right.”

Verda nodded at Eugene’s words.

Phase 3, the path to the ending.

The path to the ‘ending,’ which Eugene and the Lightwing Guild had been aiming for since the start of the Ard Saga Second service, had finally opened, and it was a significant event for the Lightwing Guild.

“I must see this ending as well.”

Unlike his usual indecisive appearance, Eugene’s eyes shone with determination as he looked around at his colleagues.

The ending of Ard Saga Second.

Only Dr. Kim Hong-gi and the five people here knew that the secret hidden in the ending reward was the inheritance of ‘Miracle Entertainment.’

“I can’t hand Ard World over to anyone else.”

Eugene said so, reaffirming his resolve.

Inheriting Miracle Entertainment didn’t just mean inheriting the company.

It meant inheriting all the rights to Ard World itself, including the super AI Miracle that operated Ard Saga Second.

And Eugene wanted to achieve the ending achievement, inherit Miracle Entertainment as a reward, and continue to protect the purity of Ard World, just like now.

He believed that if Ard World fell into the hands of others, especially a large corporation, the purity of this beautiful virtual reality world would surely be compromised.

Inheriting Miracle Entertainment.

That was Eugene’s ultimate goal, and it was a realm he could never compromise on.

And finally, the ultimate goal he desired had appeared before him, and Eugene was determined not to miss it this time.

“Currently, a war has broken out between Drakan, Xiongmao eSports, and Simseong Iron Stars. It seems that Phase 3 appeared as a result of this war.”

It was Verda who spoke next, following Eugene.

Verda calmly presented the information she had analyzed about the current situation.

Hearing that information, Eugene said,

“Verda, what do you think we should do?”

Verda’s face flushed slightly at those words.

Lately, she had been constantly suffering losses while clashing with Drakan, and anger welled up inside her every time she faced him.

She was worried that perhaps Eugene would be disappointed in her for continuously failing, and that she might be a burden to him.

However, the question just now made all the anxieties she had been harboring melt away like snow.

‘As expected of Eugene-nim, you’re so kind.’

Verda felt her cheeks burning hot and her heart pounding as she answered in a slightly trembling voice,

“For now, I think it would be best to observe the current situation.”

Observation!

That was Verda’s answer.

“Why?”

It was Sharp who questioned Verda’s answer.

Sharp.

She, who had golden hair even in reality, stared directly at Verda.

Verda smiled at Sharp.

She already knew that Sharp always questioned her suggestions without reason.

After more than six years of being together, it would be strange not to know.

“Xiongmao eSports, Simseong Iron Stars, and Drakan. All three are our potential enemies.”

Xiongmao eSports.

Simseong Iron Stars.

And Drakan, JDG, and Jeil E&M.

These three forces were all potential enemies of Eugene and the Five Eyes.

‘Especially Drakan, he’s the most dangerous enemy.’

Verda swallowed these words down her throat.

Drakan.

He was deceiving and tricking Eugene and the whole world with his meticulous and cunning behavior and media play.

She thought that there wouldn’t be many people in this world who knew his true intentions, including herself.

“There’s no need for us to intervene when our potential enemies are fighting each other and depleting their strength.”

Verda finished her explanation concisely.

Reaping the benefits!

That was the core of the observation strategy Verda was advocating.

All three were potential enemies, but a war had broken out that coincidentally involved all three forces.

It didn’t matter who won this war.

It was a clear fact that both the victor and the loser would suffer significant damage.

“But what if Drakan wins?”

It was Sharp who raised the question again.

“Drakan, that man. I hate to admit it, but he’s an expert in war, isn’t he? What if he wins without much damage?”

Sharp added.

Except for Eugene, all the members present disliked Drakan.

However, that didn’t mean they ignored or underestimated him.

Drakan.

Everyone here knew all too well how terrifying he was, how he was a war god, and how he was a capable and vicious man who perfectly suited the nickname ‘Overlord.’

If only luck had been slightly against them during the World Revolution.

It might have been the Lightwing Guild that was defeated. Drakan, the Iron Blood Alliance, and the Guild Alliance might still be ruling Ard World.

That’s how close the fight between Drakan and Eugene was in the previous game; it wasn’t a one-sided affair, but a nail-biting battle with an unpredictable outcome.

And from Sharp’s perspective, who vividly remembered that, she doubted whether things would go as Verda said.

Verda smiled at Sharp’s question.

“They have Xiongmao eSports on their side. This means that Chinese users, known for their overwhelming numbers, are hostile towards Drakan. Also, Vice Chairman Shin Jeong-hyeok holds a grudge against Drakan. He will bite Drakan until the very end, even if he loses.”

Verda looked alternately at Sharp and Eugene as she spoke.

“According to the information analysis, the strength of the two forces is equal, and their will to wage war is also strong. Even the great Drakan wouldn’t be able to guarantee victory or defeat in this situation, and he wouldn’t be able to end the war without suffering significant damage.”

Eugene nodded at Verda’s words.

Although he felt a bit uncomfortable calling Drakan an ‘enemy,’ he was someone they would inevitably have to cross swords with someday, now that the ultimate and non-negotiable goal had appeared before them.

Putting aside personal feelings and business matters, Eugene could distinguish between right and wrong and knew he couldn’t help him.

In that sense, Verda’s suggestion was reasonable and there was nothing particularly wrong with it, so there was no reason for Eugene to refuse.

“I think it would be good to do as Verda says.”

Not long after that answer came from Eugene’s mouth, the Lightwing Guild and the Five Eyes chose to remain neutral and observe this war.

However, neither Verda nor Eugene knew yet.

That Xiongmao eSports had already betrayed Simseong Iron Stars, and that the Aerial Mobile Fortress Voltaha was nearing completion.