Golden Goblin (5)
Before the launch of Second Ares.
People around the world were intensely curious about what Ares would be like after Server Integration.
And what would be the most important aspect of Second Ares.
At Lee Se-jin's press conference, where the largest crowd of reporters had gathered.
One reporter raised a question.
"What do you think is the most important thing in Second Ares?"
The most important thing in Second Ares.
It was a question that players who had enjoyed First Ares would be dying to know the answer to.
"Preemption."
"Preemption?"
"Yes. Second Ares is filled with truly endless new content. You'll reach new places, discover materials you've never seen before, and encounter unexpected beings. Preempting all this boundless content... that will be an incredibly important matter."
Why would something as trivial as preemption matter so much?
The reporters who had thought that soon grasped Se-jin's meaning.
It was important. Tremendously so.
If ordinary players preempted it, they could sell that information for a fortune.
And for high-level players or top rankers, it would allow them to grow even stronger based on what they claimed first.
Ares in particular rewarded such feats.
First, pioneer, inaugural entrant.
They all received special rewards.
Thus, preemption was an enormously vital factor in Ares.
A woman stumbled out of her capsule in a daze.
Her name was Yongwol.
"No...!"
She clawed at her hair.
She had been forcibly logged out by Hyun-soo and dropped her team and armor.
"Why did it have to be that of all things...!"
She had dropped other items too.
And those were tied to the 'preemption' Lee Se-jin had mentioned.
Yongwol had obtained it during her adventures in First Ares.
Clever as she was, she had no doubt it would let her monopolize information and preempt everything in Second Ares.
'It's something even money can't buy!'
What despaired her most was that the one who picked it up was Hyun-soo.
It was a map.
The map was called 'Map to Meet a New Race'.
But absurdly, it didn't guide to any path or reveal what race it led to.
In other words, it was unappraisable.
Yongwol had once shelled out a fortune to visit China's top appraiser.
Even that appraiser had failed to appraise the map and said this:
'There seem to be two ways to appraise this map.'
'Two ways?'
'Yes. First, reach the conditions the map desires. Simply put, it means hitting a certain level. New race. Just looking at it, this screams content for well after Second Ares opens, right? You'd probably need over level 450.'
'And the second?'
'The seal on this map appears to have been placed by that unknown new race. The one they call. The someone they desire. It should unlock when you reach that person.'
'Someone they desire? That's practically impossible.'
'Correct. You'll need to meet the level requirement. But Lady Yongwol, this thing's value can't be measured in money. Every player knew someday a new race would appear. Preempting it defies common sense.'
Back then, Yongwol had agreed.
New materials, resources, monsters, dungeons they possessed.
The value was immense.
And Yongwol knew.
'Hyun-soo won't be able to unlock it anyway.'
Truly petty thinking.
But she didn't know.
That the map was linked to Hyun-soo's achievements.
You have executed the rebel leader, Sword Master Roman.
You have acquired 1,119,004 EXP.
Hyun-soo had grown even stronger.
Four levels at once, in the blink of an eye.
This power would help him better defend his Atlas.
Notifications related to the rebels followed as well.
All 2,103 enemy combatants who joined the rebellion have been annihilated.
18 soldiers and 3 knights from our forces have fallen.
This is a miraculous feat.
Contribution points are accumulated per Territory War system.
You have acquired 75,031 contribution points.
The king's heir has executed the rebels, restoring peace to the kingdom.
It was a greedy rebellion no citizen desired.
Citizens' trust in the king's heir surges dramatically.
You have acquired 300 Fame.
You have acquired 120 Overwhelm.
Dropped gold increases by 10%.
Soldiers and knights' acquired EXP increases by 10% and is applied.
All guild members' stats upgrade from +3 to +5.
You have acquired 5 in all stats.
The heir's position grows firm and solid.
However, more enemies will target you.
Roman's words were reiterated by the notifications.
More enemies targeted Hyun-soo.
But his Atlas had become more fortified.
Average values are assigned upon battle end.
Soldiers have leveled up by an average of 6.
Knights have leveled up by an average of 2.
A staggering number of level-ups.
Moreover, most of the current forces were soldiers who had once slumbered in Atlas.
They had followed a saintly king who once dominated the continent.
They saw Hyun-soo walking the same path but had harbored unease about combat.
Naturally so.
Combat involved life and death.
Yet allied casualties numbered fewer than 20.
Of course, they didn't know it was a gift from Kabel—they attributed it to Hyun-soo and Nel's brilliant strategies.
'I've never fought a battle like this in my life.'
'Overwhelming foes, crushed in one masterful stroke.'
'These artifacts are unprecedented—they protected me and felled the enemy.'
'Nothing but awe and respect.'
Troops' loyalty to you soars sky-high.
"It's an honor to serve you, my lord."
Hyun-soo smiled faintly at them.
And there was still more.
All soldiers and knights had gathered spoils.
One knight knelt and presented them.
"We are overjoyed to offer these spoils to you, my lord."
Sincerity shone in his eyes.
Spoils are excessive.
Spoils are consolidated.
Hyun-soo was stunned.
'This much...?'
An absurd quantity.
Hyun-soo didn't know, but considering who he'd faced, it was only natural.
Chinese players had crossed over for plunder, grinding their teeth, armed to the teeth with top-tier shiny artifacts just in case.
Territory Wars scaled gold drops with enemy strength, as did artifact drop rates.
And the rebels, led by Sword Master Roman, included scions of prestigious knight families—most wore fine weapons and armor.
You have acquired 979,401 gold.
Equivalent to 900 million won.
For the Golden Goblins, the artifacts stood out.
'Insane.'
One Legend above Legend from Fond.
One other Legend artifact.
Three near-Legend.
About 30 Unique.
Rares and Epics together numbered 200.
Plus Common-grade artifacts—the total value was astronomical.
Much of the gold would fund territory development.
Artifacts could be melted and reforged.
'A blacksmith's territory, after all.'
The synergies were unimaginable.
Atlas was now 20% stronger than before.
Then Hyun-soo frowned in puzzlement.
His inventory brimmed with junk.
Something among it was reacting to him.
He opened his inventory.
Amid the clutter, one item gleamed.
'Map to Meet a New Race...?'
He took it out.
The Map to Meet a New Race reacts to you.
Hyun-soo looked puzzled.
'Why react to me?'
But he knew the value implied by 'new race'.
'Could it be...?'
Hyun-soo had one expectation.
For a new race, people's minds jumped to two.
Dwarves and elves.
He'd welcome either of those staples.
Dwarves?
'I'm a blacksmith. I've always wanted to meet dwarves someday.'
Dwarves would likely show production methods distinct from humans.
Why that mattered.
'My skills have clear growth limits.'
Think of the world's top soccer player.
Even at their peak, they can't climb higher.
After that, it's condition and luck.
But learning new production methods meant new growth for Hyun-soo.
Second.
'Elves...'
He recalled Kassel Territory.
The land assailed by undead.
There, Hyun-soo recreated Ramas's bell to save it and received lowest-grade Oliharukon from Lord Kern.
'Legend-grade mineral Oliharukon is insane.'
Light, elastic, superb cutting power.
For example, his sword, Supreme Blade, was forged from top-grade Oliharukon.
And Lord Kern said his ancestors obtained it from elven lands.
Elven lands. Untouched by humans. What if Oliharukon lay there?
Hyun-soo gazed at his 4,000 troops.
'...An army armed with Oliharukon.'
Mad idea.
But it bore confirming.
'Might not be there.'
Ancestors got it from elven lands—no guarantee it littered the place.
Then.
You meet the qualifications to appraise it.
Hyun-soo checked immediately.
"Appraise."
The map to a new race is appraised.
Name changes.
Changes to Map to Elvenheim.
You meet only half the qualifications.
Path opens upon reaching a certain level.
Required level is much lower than for normal users.
"What?"
Hyun-soo wanted to ask in old slang.
'What's Elvenheim, you elf simp?!'
No path guidance, no race details.
A wave of absurd disappointment crashed over him.
'Still, lower level than others...'
Then.
You have saved the Small World Tree.
The connection revealed itself.
Small World Tree.
First discovered via Heavenly Spear Ben, a top-tier Legend material even among legends.
Ideal for spears and bows—the best in Ares, top Legend-grade.
But that was First Ares.
Hyun-soo had once hypothesized.
'Why "small" World Tree?'
Why not just World Tree?
The hypothesis materialized.
You learn of the true World Tree's existence.
The true World Tree calls to you.
Hyun-soo sensed it.
A new material vastly surpassing the Small World Tree existed.
At that moment.
Supercomputer Ares reacts to user Hyun-soo.
Se-jin watched supercomputer Ares's reaction with interest.
'It didn't react to Yongwol, but to user Hyun-soo. Why?'
Se-jin realized the supercomputer shared his own concern.
That concern appeared on the screen.
His people need not necessarily be human.