The Final Boss Has Returned 23

Chapter 23

It was only natural that the eyes of every user in the conference room would be focused on Drakan, who declared with certainty that he possessed the brilliant strategy to overcome this difficult situation.

That’s how hopeless the current situation was.

As Drakan said, unless the Pirate King was a fool, he would have undoubtedly sent reinforcements, and a considerable force at that. If the enemy, reinforced by these troops, forced urban warfare, victory could end up being a pyrrhic one.

Drakan lightly brushed aside the gazes directed at him, looked directly at Shin Ha-yeon, who was smiling, and said,

“We just need to turn the city into ashes.”

What erupted from Drakan’s mouth was a strategy far removed from ingenuity or brilliance, a truly crude and absurd one.

Burn the city!

At that preposterous idea, the users in the conference room began to stir, and Ignis, as if representing them, looked at Drakan and asked in a bewildered voice,

“Into ashes, sir?”

“If the urban environment works to their advantage, why should we leave it intact? We can just wipe it out.”

Hearing Drakan’s words, Ignis replied with a slightly surprised expression.

“I never thought I’d hear such words from you, of all people, the one who prioritizes his own interests above all else.”

Ignis was surprised.

Burn the city? For an immediate victory, it was certainly a viable option.

However, the objective of the quest Drakan received was recapture!

In other words, it meant that upon completion of the quest, the control of Lawless Port Granado would be transferred to Drakan himself.

But what was the point of receiving control of a city reduced to ashes?

Not only would it cost an astronomical amount to rebuild Lawless Port, but it would be no easy feat to calm the agitated residents with all sorts of stats hitting rock bottom.

Moreover, war costs money.

Not just money, but an enormous amount of money.

So, to spend a fortune destroying the city and then spend even more to rebuild it?

From Drakan’s perspective, this was a choice that could only be made by a madman, a scenario where the cost far outweighed the benefit.

If one considered the aftermath of victory, not just the victory itself, it was a choice that should never be made.

It would be better to push the army into the city even if it meant heavy losses.

Furthermore, who was the man standing before them?

The infamous Drakan, the ultimate egoist, second to none when it came to selfish gameplay!

The fact that Drakan’s playstyle was extremely selfish was already common knowledge, practically a given, ever since he exploited users and reigned supreme under the pretext of waging war in the previous game.

The fact that such a Drakan would make a choice that would clearly put him at a disadvantage was unbelievable to Ignis, so he asked again,

“Why did you make such a choice, sir?”

“The enemy will think the same way as you. That Drakan, the selfish man who only cares about himself, the man who hates losing more than anything, would he really burn the city at his own expense? That’s what they’ll think. The foundation of strategy is to outwit your opponent.”

Drakan replied with a smile.

The foundation of strategy is to outwit your opponent!

It was a very fundamental but effective point.

However, that alone couldn’t explain why Drakan made such a choice, so Ignis continued to speak to Drakan.

“But even waging war costs money, and destroying the city like that will cost even more to rebuild. This will not only result in the cost outweighing the benefit, but it will also mean a significant loss for you even if you win. You could end up with a victory that’s no better than a defeat, filled with nothing but wounds.”

To Ignis’s explanation, Drakan replied,

“Of course, that might be the case. But you haven’t forgotten that the main force of our army is not NPCs but users, have you?”

At Drakan’s words, Ignis’s expression relaxed as if he had realized something.

It was because he had grasped the hidden meaning behind his words.

Looking at Ignis’s face, Drakan continued speaking with a smile.

“It’s nothing new, but every user here only has one life. Unlike the previous game, there’s no such thing as resurrection. If you die, everything that user has built up is gone.”

Drakan’s words caused the users to stir once again.

In Ard Saga Second, a user only has one life!

That absolute truth resurfaced once more.

That’s right.

If they died in this war, it was simply over.

Their character would be permanently deleted.

The weight of death was different from the previous game.

It was a consequence on a completely different level compared to the previous game, where you just dropped some items, lost some experience, and couldn’t log in for two days.

Of course, despite that, the more than 50,000 users gathered here had come all the way to Argan Village, accepting even such penalties, believing in the power of the massive guild JDG and the odds of victory, to enjoy the fun and thrill that could not be experienced in reality, or because their resentment towards the Pirate Alliance was that great and deep.

Of course, among them were users who thought they could somehow grab some scraps by joining the quest since so many people were gathered, and those swept up by the crowd mentality, but that was the situation nonetheless.

“And the enemy’s main force is not users but NPCs. If we, with our main force being users, engage in urban warfare, which inevitably results in heavy casualties, against an enemy whose main force is NPCs, well, I don’t need to say more about what the users will think, do I?”

However, if too many casualties occurred, it was obvious that public opinion would turn against them.

Ignis looked at Drakan with a smile.

Urban warfare!

Urban warfare inevitably leads to heavy casualties.

And as Drakan said, their main force was users, while the enemy’s main force was NPCs.

When the two forces clashed, it was clear which side would suffer in the court of public opinion.

“A city reduced to ashes can be rebuilt with money. But what about the hearts of the users? It’s hard to move them even with billions of dollars.”

Drakan smiled.

He already knew the expectations the surrounding users had of him.

They must have wanted a brilliant strategy that would make even Zhuge Liang weep!

But unfortunately, Drakan had no intention of taking the difficult path when there was an easier one available.

Burning the city was the easiest and fastest method, so why bother thinking about other options!

If you lack strength, your mind suffers.

But if you have strength, your mind doesn’t need to suffer!

And right now, Drakan had strength, and there was no need to trouble his mind.

Moreover, Drakan was well aware of his own image.

Extremely selfish, unwilling to share even a single bean, a man who would suck the marrow out of a flea!

That was his image, and he was certain that the enemy, Jacques, would misjudge him based on that image, believing that Drakan would never burn the city.

The foundation of strategy is to strike at a point your opponent hasn’t considered.

Drakan was more than willing to painfully exploit Jacques’s weakness.

Burning the city was a strategy born from such calculations.

Furthermore, if he could minimize the deaths of users and sway public opinion in his favor……

If he could make this event a ‘successful event’ by doing so!

Drakan was more than willing to burn down a measly city.

He knew all too well, through his defeat in the previous game and Eugene’s victory, the destructive power of public opinion and the fact that public support was essential to reach the summit of Ard World and maintain that position for a long time.

“You shouldn’t be too fixated on the game.”

Hearing Drakan’s words, Ignis nodded calmly.

“I see.”

Ignis closed and opened his eyes.

He realized that Drakan had changed.

Unlike in the previous game, he was paying attention to public opinion and considering not just the variables within the game but also the impact his decisions would have on the real world.

If Drakan were the same person as he was six years ago, he would have unhesitatingly thrown the users into the city.

‘Drakan, I thought he was a washed-up has-been, but he was a hidden dragon.’

Ignis thought to himself.

He felt the need to revise his assessment of Drakan, the forgotten legend and loser of the past.

Drakan.

He was no longer a forgotten legend, nor a fallen villain.

He was a hidden dragon, a top prospect who had adapted to the present with frightening speed and was aiming even further!

That was Ignis’s current assessment of Drakan.

‘I think I understand a little why the Executive Director treats Drakan so well.’

Ignis acknowledged it.

It was because he felt, from the conversation just now, that Drakan was a user worthy of being treated well by Executive Director Shin Ha-yeon.

Looking at Ignis, Drakan continued speaking,

“Yes, that’s good. And, well, thanks for worrying about the city’s reconstruction cost just now. I appreciate it, but that’s not something we need to worry about.”

His gaze shifted back to Shin Ha-yeon.

Pointing at her, Drakan said,

“For our chaebol heiress, that amount is probably pocket change. Isn’t that right?”

Reconstruction costs.

It would undoubtedly be astronomical.

But that was from the perspective of gamers. For Shin Ha-yeon, the chaebol heiress, that money was practically nothing.

Hadn’t he formed an alliance with her, the chaebol, and signed a contract with Jeil E&M for this very reason?

Therefore, for Drakan, asking Shin Ha-yeon for the reconstruction cost was only natural.

Or rather, if she couldn’t even provide this level of investment, there would be no need to join forces with a chaebol in the first place.

That’s what Drakan thought.

However, unlike Drakan’s nonchalant and unabashed attitude in pointing at Shin Ha-yeon, Ignis and the other users present were all shocked.

It was because everyone in the room knew that Shin Ha-yeon was the third generation of the Jeil Group and the heir apparent to become the next chairman.

In fact, everyone gathered in this conference room knew that they were able to gather so many users thanks to Shin Ha-yeon.

Chaebol heiress.

Executive Director of Jeil E&M.

Heir apparent of the Jeil Group.

The pressure exerted by these three titles of Shin Ha-yeon was heavier than a mountain, and even the Over-Ranker, Flame Sorcerer Ignis, couldn’t treat her carelessly.

No matter how much Ard Saga Second had grown in stature compared to its predecessor, it was still just a game.

No matter how good you were at the game, the limits you could reach with just that were clear, and even an Over-Ranker couldn’t match the power of chaebols and politicians who held real-world wealth and authority.

Eugene!

Even he, who received a prize of 100 billion won for clearing the ending of the previous game and reached the pinnacle of Ard World, had power in the real world that couldn’t even compare to the toes of the established class, including chaebols and politicians……

There was no need to even mention the users below him!

Furthermore, Shin Ha-yeon wasn’t a spoiled chaebol heiress who acted recklessly relying solely on her wealth.

She was the legitimate heir of the Jeil Group.

And she didn’t just ascend to the position of heir.

She was a legendary figure who not only eliminated her older brother and younger brother through internal strife and sent them overseas but also broke the will of the current patriarchal chairman of the Jeil Group, who wouldn’t acknowledge a woman as an heir, and claimed the position for herself.

I alone am the honored one under heaven!

That saying perfectly suited Shin Ha-yeon, and Drakan’s attitude, not only speaking informally to her but also acting arrogantly as if he had entrusted her with the reconstruction costs, was beyond shocking.

The users, who had been murmuring about his notoriety, all shut their mouths at once.

A chilling silence descended upon the conference room.

‘Drakan, that bastard has no respect, does he?’

‘H-How can he say such outrageous things to Executive Director Shin!’

The sudden cold atmosphere!

Amidst it, the users rolled their eyes and inwardly cursed Drakan’s stupidity.

Regardless, Drakan looked at Shin Ha-yeon with a smile.

Shin Ha-yeon looked back at Drakan and smiled brightly.

She found this whole situation amusing.

After eliminating her older brother and younger brother and finally bringing down her father to claim the position of heir to the Jeil Group, no one in the world dared to challenge her.

That’s right.

She had finally reached the summit.

The summit she had longed for so much.

But the scenery at the summit she had climbed was less interesting than she had imagined and unexpectedly lonely.

Perhaps that’s why she became even more obsessed with the hegemony of Ard World, the future of content and media.

Ard World!

That beautiful world was the only realm she had yet to conquer!

And if she could seize control of that world, the future of content and media would practically fall into her hands!

Therefore, she initially offered an alliance to Eugene, the top-ranked player, but was not only rejected but also subjected to unnecessary idealistic and dreamy lectures and turned away.

And she realized.

Eugene. He and Shin Ha-yeon were like water and oil, completely incompatible and unable to compromise.

And to seize the hegemony of Ard World, the future of content and media, she had to defeat Eugene!

Therefore, Shin Ha-yeon used Jeil E&M’s funds and power to attract ranked and named players in order to end Eugene’s era, to conquer the last remaining unexplored territory, and to grasp the future.

Ignis and JDG were also among the forces recruited at that time.

However, the ranked players she had gathered were all unsatisfactory.

As Shin Ha-yeon herself had said, they were just well-fed pigs.

Their outward specs were impressive, but their spirits were weak, and they were incompetent individuals who lacked the will to rebel against the world ruled by Eugene.

Shin Ha-yeon was disappointed, but she didn’t give up on her desire to seize control of Ard World.

Ever since she was young, if there was something she wanted, she would obtain it by any means necessary.

Since she had claimed the position of heir to the Jeil Group in that way, Shin Ha-yeon couldn’t give up on Ard World.

On the contrary, the more impossible it seemed, the more her competitive spirit and desire burned.

The user who caught Shin Ha-yeon’s eye was Drakan.

He was a former top-ranked player who had been forced to work on a deep-sea fishing vessel because of Eugene, a user fueled by a burning desire for revenge against Eugene.

And the moment she met Drakan at the Sky Lounge of the Jeil World Tower, Shin Ha-yeon realized.

Drakan. He was the first formidable opponent Eugene had ever faced and the last one he had a head-to-head confrontation with, the antithesis and rival of Eugene, the icon who had dominated an era before Eugene.

The very man who, despite having his life ruined by Eugene, tenaciously paid off his debts while working on a deep-sea fishing vessel, earned money, and returned to Korea, only to start playing the game that had driven him to ruin once again.

The very man who didn’t hide his hostility towards Eugene when they met, openly mocked him to his face, and even refused to shake his hand.

The very man who was the only user capable of rebelling against the world ruled by Eugene.

Shin Ha-yeon smiled.

It was because of the joy of finally meeting a partner whose interests completely aligned with hers and the perfect candidate for rebellion.

After meeting Drakan, Shin Ha-yeon no longer felt lonely.

She no longer felt bored.

She enjoyed every single day.

It was because she no longer had to stand alone at the summit.

Drakan!

He was now with her at the summit.

That’s why Shin Ha-yeon didn’t mind whether he spoke informally or acted arrogantly as if he had entrusted her with money.

No. Rather, she thought that if he was her partner and the chosen candidate for rebellion, he should have this level of ambition.

Therefore, even at Drakan’s shocking words that stunned everyone present, Shin Ha-yeon didn’t even frown. Instead, she smiled brightly and, in a gentle tone that no one around her had ever heard before, looked directly at Drakan and said,

“You’re right, Drakan-nim. That amount is pocket change to me.”

At Shin Ha-yeon’s unimaginable reaction, all the users present were shocked, but Drakan didn’t even bat an eyelid.

Looking at Drakan, Shin Ha-yeon slowly approached him and said in a sweet voice,

“So, don’t worry about such trivial matters like money and just focus on winning. Understand, Drakan-nim?”

Hearing Shin Ha-yeon’s words, Drakan burst into laughter.

He wasn’t confident.

He was confident that he wouldn’t lose this war!

After laughing for a while, Drakan looked at Shin Ha-yeon and said,

“Lose? It seems like you’re the one worrying needlessly.”

At Drakan’s words, Shin Ha-yeon covered her mouth with one hand and burst into laughter.

He was always like this, and Shin Ha-yeon liked that about him.

Looking at Shin Ha-yeon’s smile, Drakan clenched and unclenched his fist.

Finally, it was time for war!

No, it was time to announce the official return of the Steel Monarch, Drakan.