The Final Boss Has Returned 195

Chapter 195

Eugene and Drakan!

Their confrontation, watched by over 3 billion viewers worldwide, a clash that held the fate of human civilization in the balance, ultimately ended in Drakan’s victory.

The moment Drakan triumphed over Eugene in the war, sat upon the Throne of Light, and dyed the Holy City, and furthermore, the entire Ard World, in darkness……

All the users of Ard World, as well as people all over the world, cheered.

“Drakan!”

“Long live Drakan!”

“Long live the Dark Alliance!”

The Fourth Industrial Revolution!

It was a cheer for the cause Drakan championed, for the rosy future presented by countless media outlets, esteemed scholars, and global figures, finally becoming a reality instead of a dream.

Of course, there was resistance from some groups who were concerned about the advancement of technology. However, the voices that desired the progress of human civilization were overwhelmingly dominant, and above all, the established powers that lead the world desired the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Therefore, their resistance failed to create any significant impact and was simply forgotten.

Thus, five years have passed since the final holy war between Eugene and Drakan.

Five years.

If a decade is enough time for mountains and rivers to change, then five years, a period neither short nor long, could be considered enough time for them to change halfway.

However, it was more than enough time for Drakan to change the entire world after he acquired management rights of Miracle Entertainment and ascended to the position of CEO.

Dr. Kim Hong-gi, whose illness had worsened, passed away less than a month after Drakan became the CEO of Miracle Entertainment. Drakan mourned Dr. Kim Hong-gi and, according to his will, sealed his remains within a charnel house.

Afterward, Drakan, who had become the chairman, faithfully fulfilled the promises he made during the press conference.

Miracle Entertainment officially registered patents for artificial intelligence technology and developed a virtual reality OS, distributing it as an open platform.

And so, after five years, human civilization had completely transformed, to the point where the phrase “the world has changed” was an understatement.

▄ ▄ ▄

Seoul Special City, 2032.

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, where Miracle Entertainment is located, was undergoing truly dazzling development.

Not only were skyscrapers so tall they seemed to pierce the sky being endlessly erected, but augmented reality programs compatible with holograms and smart glasses were installed everywhere in the city.

Furthermore, the sight of Strong AIs, nearly indistinguishable from humans, and androids equipped with robot ethics principles replacing human labor, serving customers, or taking care of pets and children had become a completely ordinary part of everyday life.

People now wore smart glasses, the next-generation smart device that allowed them to access virtual reality and augmented reality anytime, anywhere, and freely browse the web, make calls, and even play games directly through their thoughts, instead of smartphones, which had become relics of the past.

“Hey, did you see that smart lenses are coming out? Miracle Group is releasing them, right?”

“Lenses? Wow, it would be awesome if lenses came out. But isn’t that just a rumor?”

“They’re saying they’ll unveil a prototype at the Miracle Expo this time, and there’s already been an internal leak.”

Downtown Seoul, 2032.

Under the cityscape illuminated by holographic neon signs and flashing holographic billboards like stars in the night sky, a group of students riding electric kickboards and smart mobility devices equipped with fully autonomous AI were chatting.

Beside the students, unmanned cars and unmanned bikes, also equipped with fully autonomous AI, were running with passengers.

Even though only five years had passed, driving manually had long become a relic of the past, sought only by enthusiasts who wanted to experience the thrill of driving.

“Hey, wanna go to my place and play a round of Heroes of Legends 2 after the Miracle Expo later?”

“I want to try the new game that came out, the Call of Battlefield remake, yeah, that one. I heard it’s a remake of an old classic console FPS, coming out in VR for the first time, I’m really looking forward to it!”

“FPS games are all the same.”

“No, they’re not! My uncle said it was fun!”

The high school students in their uniforms were arguing about which game was more fun while riding their smart mobility devices.

Drakan.

After he opened the virtual reality OS as an open platform, countless game companies, not just Miracle Entertainment’s Ard Saga, started endlessly releasing games of various genres based on their existing IPs.

And so, virtual reality devices had long replaced past console game machines, PCs, and smartphones.

The era had arrived where not only MMORPGs but also MOBAs, FPS, MORPGs, strategy simulations, TCGs, and even dating sims and adult games were released solely on the virtual reality platform.

It wasn’t just the game market that underwent change.

Internet websites were partially replaced by cyberspace, a virtual reality space. In places like online shopping malls, people could now access virtual reality, try out products directly, try on clothes, and make purchases on the spot.

Internet lectures were the same. One-on-one virtual reality lectures became possible, allowing students and instructors to interact as if they were facing each other in reality. In the case of office work or knowledge work, controversy arose when companies took advantage of the different time scales between reality and virtual reality, making employees work 18 hours in virtual reality while only working 6 hours in reality.

Students preparing for exams could now watch lectures anytime, anywhere, and it became standard for them to study in virtual reality study rooms where they could extend their 24-hour day more than three times.

However, there were still many people who felt resistant to the idea of replacing compulsory education and higher education with virtual reality. Therefore, with the exception of a few alternative schools and cyber universities, classes were still conducted offline as a principle.

Truly, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution had changed everything about human civilization.

Drakan.

He kept his promise.

[Five years have passed since the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Now, most industries are almost fully automated due to the introduction of artificial intelligence. Due to this industrial automation and the accompanying unemployment, the National Assembly is currently seriously discussing the implementation of a basic income system. The advantages of the basic income system, which is already being implemented in some local governments in Gyeonggi Province, are……]

Listening to the news flowing from the street billboards, the three high school students rode their smart mobility devices.

“Oh, there it is. Seoul Convention Center!”

The high school student in the lead pointed to a skyscraper towering majestically in the heart of Seoul.

The Seoul Convention Center, like other skyscrapers in Seoul, was brilliantly sparkling, covered in neon signs and holograms.

That was the Seoul Convention Center.

It was the venue for ‘Miracle Expo,’ the world’s largest single-company hosted exhibition encompassing games and virtual reality devices, hosted by Miracle Entertainment Group, the world’s leading company.

“Let’s go to Miracle Expo!”

The three high school students rode their smart mobility devices straight into the Seoul Convention Center.

[Do you want to connect to the AR Space ‘2032 Miracle Expo’?]

Just as the high school students entered the Seoul Convention Center, parked their smart mobility devices in the parking lot, and got off……

The same message popped up simultaneously in the smart glasses’ view of the three high school students.

AR (Augmented Reality) Space.

It was a versatile technology used for everything from events to military training and education, where an augmented reality space built in a specific area was loaded and displayed on smart glasses.

“Connect.”

[Connecting to the AR Space ‘2032 Miracle Expo’.]

As soon as they said “Connect,” the reality displayed on their smart devices changed in an instant.

Monsters that would only appear in fantasy movies and spaceships that would only appear in science fiction works were flying over ordinary high-rise buildings, and handsome and beautiful NPCs of various races appeared in their smart glasses’ view throughout the spacious venue.

The monotonous gray walls of the venue were painted in colorful, dazzling colors, and advertisement videos related to games and virtual reality devices were being displayed.

The high school students were not surprised by the augmented reality, or rather, mixed reality technology that completely changed the reality displayed in their eyes.

This was because it had become their everyday reality.

“I heard Drakan-nim is coming to the Ard Saga Third ending event today?”

“I know.”

“That’s why I booked a real-life ticket instead of a virtual reality ticket. The ticketing competition was insane.”

The three high school students chatted as they headed towards Hall 1, the largest venue at the Seoul Convention Center, where the main events of Miracle Expo were held.

Drakan.

In this era, his name was the name of the most respected figure in the world.

And for good reason. If Drakan had been defeated in the final holy war in Ard World five years ago……

This dazzling development of human civilization, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, would not have happened.

For humanity, who had become unable to live without virtual reality and artificial intelligence technology in just five years, it would have been a tragedy.

▄ ▄ ▄

Hall 1 of the Seoul Convention Center, where the main events of Miracle Expo were held.

Countless real-life spectators had gathered to see him, who was scheduled to appear at the Ard Saga Third ending event.

These days, many events were held simultaneously in virtual reality, so there were often fewer real-life spectators than virtual reality spectators. However, Miracle Expo was the opposite.

The pioneer of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the beacon of human civilization, the world’s greatest innovator, a figure listed as a hero in all textbooks worldwide, the world’s richest man, in other words, a legendary figure with countless dazzling titles, practically the father of modern civilization.

Drakan, the chairman of Miracle Entertainment Group!

This was because he participated in every Miracle Expo event.

Including the real-life audience watching the stage, and the even larger number of people connected through virtual reality, the number of spectators who had logged in just for this event reached hundreds of millions, both in reality and virtual reality.

The object of anticipation for the gathered crowd was only one person.

Drakan.

As if to meet the expectations of the crowd, the MC on stage shouted.

“You’ve waited long enough, everyone! Now, Drakan-nim will be entering.”

The moment the MC’s voice reached the crowd……

“Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

“Drakan! Drakan!”

“Drakan-nim!”

“Long live Drakan-nim!”

“I fought wars, hunted, and did all sorts of things with Drakan-nim in Ard World back in the day, you know?”

“Stop lying.”

“Ah, you don’t believe me. It’s true.”

“Drakan!!”

Cheers loud enough to shake the venue filled Hall 1.

And finally, he appeared on stage.

A sharply dressed man in a neat suit.

It was Drakan.

Drakan smiled faintly and waved his hand in response to the crowd gathered to see him.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Drakan-nim saw me! He made eye contact with me!”

“Are you sure your smart glasses aren’t broken?”

“Drakan-nim!!”

Once again, deafening cheers erupted.

Drakan sat down in his prepared seat, looking around while listening to the cheers.

“Now, let’s begin today’s main event, the Ard Saga Third ending event.”

Ard Saga Third!

Countless virtual reality games were being released, but if you were to pick the most fundamental virtual reality game IP, all gamers would choose Ard Saga.

Despite the numerous virtual reality games that had been released, Ard Saga still held the throne of the virtual reality MMORPG world, boasting an unrivaled world size, an elaborate worldview that felt like looking into another world, and endless content to explore!

The Ard Saga series had undergone another evolution from Second to Third, firmly maintaining its position as the king of virtual reality MMORPGs.

Above all, Ard Saga was not just a game.

Virtual reality and artificial intelligence, the foundation of modern civilization!

It was the game that sparked the opening of that technology, the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It was the game where the legend of Drakan, who had ascended to the position of a living legend, personally stepped forward and defeated the anti-technology terrorist Eugene, who was trapped in the anachronistic delusion that virtual reality and artificial intelligence were harmful and tried to regress human civilization, leading to the next stage of human civilization’s development.

It was because of this story and its fundamental nature that the Ard Saga series could still hold the number one spot in MMORPGs, even if other genres were different.

“First of all, the ending of this Ard Saga Third concluded with the ‘Return of Light’ ending, unlike Second, which ended with the ‘Descent of Darkness’ ending. Drakan-nim, would you mind giving us your opinion on this?”

Ard Saga Third!

Set five hundred years after Second, Ard Saga Third ended with the ‘Return of Light’ ending, the opposite of Second, where Drakan himself had seen the ‘Descent of Darkness’ ending.

And Drakan, who had the highest authority and control over the AI Miracle, already knew the identity of the user who had seen the ending.

Thinking of that user’s appearance, Drakan spoke with a big smile on his face.

“You’re asking me this knowing I’ve quit the game, right? Well, as the ending user of the previous game, if I had to add a word, I’d say I’m feeling a bit mixed about the fact that light won instead of darkness.”

As soon as Drakan finished speaking, cheers erupted, as if it had become an annual event.

Drakan waved his hand while sitting down and continued speaking.

“Anyway, tell the ending user to come up.”

“Understood. ‘Light Mask’ Jin-nim, the ending user of Ard Saga Third, please come up to the stage!”

Light Mask Jin!

He was the user who had seen the ending of Ard Saga Third.

Jin was a legend in the game, having cleared the end stage, ‘Gehenna World,’ with only one masked companion, and single-handedly defeating the mid-boss, the ‘Four Lords,’ as well as the final boss, ‘Overlord.’

As Light Mask Jin came up on stage wearing his mask, cheers and applause erupted, although not as much as for Drakan.

“Jin!”

“Light Mask Jin!”

“You’re really taking off your mask today, right!”

“He looks handsome just from his neckline, doesn’t he?”

However, true to his name, ‘Light Mask’ Jin always wore a mask, so no user knew his true identity.

Even his only companion, a female magician, also wore a mask, making it even more difficult to know their identities.

Only one person knew their true identities.

Drakan.

Drakan watched the masked man with the familiar physique come up on stage, stood up from his seat, and extended his hand to him.

“Nice to meet you, Light Mask Jin.”

Jin hesitated, looking at Drakan’s outstretched hand.

Drakan, seeing Jin’s slightly flustered appearance, added with a sly smile.

“Or should I say Hero Eugene?”

The moment Drakan finished speaking……

A chilling silence fell over the venue.

Hero Eugene!

The worst anti-technology terrorist in history, who tried to hinder the development of human civilization and obstructed Drakan’s path at every turn!

To think that he was the true identity of Light Mask Jin!

The crowd began to murmur in disbelief at this unbelievable reality.

Light Mask Jin’s body started to tremble, and then he laughed and threw off his mask, saying.

“It’s been a while, Drakan.”

Hero Eugene.

It was the moment his handsome face was revealed to all the users watching the event.

“It must have been quite difficult to see the ending. I know, because I made it with Miracle. But why did you go through all that trouble to come here?”

The atmosphere turned cold with the appearance of Eugene.

However, Drakan laughed cheerfully.

He already knew that Light Mask Jin’s true identity was Eugene.

Sparks flew from Eugene’s eyes at Drakan’s question.

Eugene.

He still hadn’t forgotten five years ago.

The day he was defeated by Drakan!

Eugene had learned from Verda, who had become his wife.

The dating scandal that had destroyed the Lightwing Guild.

The mastermind behind it was Drakan!

He had approached Eugene with a plan from the beginning and deliberately used the emotions and romantic relationships between the three people and himself to drive the Lightwing Guild to ruin!

He had destroyed Eugene’s family!

Eugene now knew.

“Your, your true nature…… To let everyone know, this was the only way. The internet, they wouldn’t believe me, so I had to meet you in person. To tell everyone, my true feelings.”

And that was the result of Eugene and Verda enduring hardships in Ard Saga Third to reach this point.

“I’m curious about what those true feelings are. Can you tell us here?”

“Of course! Drakan!! You, you are a villain. You tore our guild apart, manipulated us, betrayed Dr. Kim Hong-gi’s will, and deceived the whole world…… You’re just a sociopath who knows nothing but petty revenge!!”

Eugene roared as if in agony.

Eugene still couldn’t accept reality.

Drakan.

He had to remain the villain forever.

But everyone in the world, except for his wife Verda, praised Drakan as a legendary hero.

Whether he turned on the TV, looked at textbooks, accessed cyberspace, or even played games……

Drakan’s praises were endless.

“Everyone, everyone is being deceived! You are still deceiving the whole world!”

That’s why Eugene distorted reality to fit his own perception.

Drakan.

Just like he had done in the past, he was still deceiving the people of the world.

So, he, the only one who knew the truth, had to reveal that Drakan was a great villain, that he was deceiving the world.

But when he posted online, people didn’t believe him.

Instead, they criticized Eugene.

They said he wouldn’t even be able to use the internet without Drakan-nim.

That’s why Eugene chose the game.

Ard Saga Third.

He was lured by the promise of a 100 billion won prize and the opportunity to meet Drakan, the ‘Pioneer of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,’ at Miracle Expo as a reward for seeing the ending of Ard Saga Second’s sequel.

Drakan just looked at Eugene silently.

Eugene turned his back on Drakan and shouted to the crowd.

“Users! Look at that hypocrite up there. He is still……”

The moment Eugene shouted……

“Shut the f*ck up!”

“You anti-technology terrorist bastard!!”

“You unemployed piece of sh*t who wouldn’t even be able to play games without Drakan-nim, how dare you talk like that!!”

“How dare you appear before Drakan-nim?”

“Who’s deceiving who?”

“Who’s the hypocrite!!”

“Get the hell out of here, you son of a b*tch!!! We don’t need scum like you in Ard Saga!!”

Curses erupted from the mouths of the crowd.

In the modern world, Drakan was practically the new father of human civilization.

And now, an anti-technology terrorist, a has-been clinging to outdated delusions, dared to point fingers at Drakan, the living god of the business world, and spread baseless rumors to obstruct his path once again.

And the crowd gathered here, no, the people of the world, would never tolerate it.

Eugene’s face went blank as soon as the curses came back at him.

For the past five years……

Eugene had worked harder than anyone else to reveal Drakan’s true nature.

But still, reality, the public, the world, continued to turn away from him.

“Ah, ah, aaaaaahhhh!!”

Eugene clutched his head.

Drakan approached Eugene, put his arm around his shoulders, and patted him on the back.

Seeing this, the crowd’s excitement began to subside.

“As expected of Drakan-nim!!”

“Wow, he’s even hugging Eugene.”

“I want to be hugged too.”

“He’s got such amazing character.”

“Wow, what a heartwarming story.”

“Isn’t it a well-known fact that Drakan-nim has a good personality?”

“I’m going to take a picture of this and upload it on SNS!”

Instead, the crowd, as always, was enthusiastic about Drakan’s actions.

The legendary hero Drakan!

His generosity even embraced his past enemy, the anti-technology terrorist Eugene, who had crawled up to the stage in an unsightly manner to spread baseless rumors about him in pursuit of revenge!

The audience at the venue, as well as the audience watching through virtual reality, were taking pictures of this scene in real-time and uploading them on SNS.

[Chairman Drakan gives a warm hug to his “former rival” Eugene.]

[Chairman Drakan offers warm encouragement to Eugene who sought him out.]

[Anti-technology terrorist Eugene waits five years to spread baseless rumors about Drakan, but is met with Drakan’s warm encouragement.]

[Chairman Drakan, how far does his generosity extend?]

Soon, heartwarming articles with attached pictures of Drakan and Eugene hugging each other began to appear online.

Drakan manipulated the holographic smart watch on his wrist and showed Eugene the articles that portrayed their hug as a heartwarming story.

Eugene’s body trembled and his pupils shook as he saw the articles.

Eugene.

His world was crumbling once again, just like it had five years ago.

Drakan looked at Eugene, turned off the microphone around him for a moment, and whispered in his ear.

“I told you five years ago, my friend.”

“Wh, what do you mean?”

Drakan whispered with a smile to Eugene, who seemed to be mentally broken and asked back.

“I told you that you would have to live in a world created by a villain for the rest of your life.”

Upon hearing those words, Eugene froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

This was because the memory of that day, five years ago, the day of his defeat, resurfaced in Eugene’s mind.

Drakan looked at Eugene, patted him on the shoulder, turned on the microphone, and said.

“So, Eugene, my friend. Let’s work hard and live our lives to the fullest from now on. I just deposited the 100 billion won prize money for the Third ending into your account. Buy some delicious food with Verda.”

At Drakan’s words, Eugene stood there with a blank expression.

Five years ago.

The nightmare of that day kept replaying in Eugene’s mind.

Drakan stepped away from Eugene, contacted his security team through his smart glasses, and said.

“Security team. Please escort this gentleman home politely.”

As soon as Drakan finished speaking, the security team waiting below the stage came up and dragged Eugene away, who was still out of it.

Drakan watched this, laughed, sat back down, and sent a message to the MC through his smart glasses.

[It was just a happening, so move on to the next segment.]

The MC, seeing Drakan’s message on his smart glasses, skillfully changed the subject with a smile.

“Hahaha. Yes, there was a little happening. Now, for the next segment. It’s the interview corner where Drakan-nim will answer questions collected online and offline from people all over the world. May I proceed with the first question?”

“Yes.”

At Drakan’s words, the MC nodded and read the first question displayed on his smart glasses.

“‘Drakan-nim, I’m curious about the key to your success in life!’ This question was sent by ‘Park Yong-chan,’ a student currently on leave from A University.”

The key to success in life!

As soon as the question left the MC’s mouth, the audience’s attention was focused on Drakan, sitting on the podium.

The antics Eugene had just pulled and the words he had uttered had already been erased from the audience’s minds.

Drakan spoke, under the spotlight of the audience.

“The key to my success in life…… Well, there are many factors, but if I had to choose the biggest one……”

“Yes?”

The MC chimed in, and Drakan answered with a smile.

“It would have to be the deep-sea fishing vessel.”

Everyone, including the MC and the audience, laughed at Drakan’s jokingly remark.

The deep-sea fishing vessel and tuna fishing were no longer a terrifying nightmare that made Drakan’s hands and feet tremble and his vision blur just by thinking about them.

It had become a bittersweet memory, something he could bring up as a joke to lighten the mood at an event.

As Drakan reminisced about his time on the deep-sea fishing vessel, he smiled and looked down at his wife, Shin Ha-yeon, sitting below the podium, and his parents sitting next to her.

Shin Ha-yeon and Drakan’s parents waved at him when their eyes met, and Drakan thought as he looked at them.

This was the perfect happy ending he had unconsciously wished for when he disembarked from the deep-sea fishing vessel.

END