Putting Wind in Their Lungs

"Leviathan is a monster that spams wide-area attacks like crazy!"

"That's true, but I'm sure he'll handle it just fine on his own, won't he?"

"Exactly. It's not like we can even interfere anyway."

The executives were acting incredibly relaxed, clearly because it wasn't their nephew on the line. Su Ning wondered if he should just fire and replace this entire batch of executives at some point.

"...If I am held responsible, I will make sure to include your names as well."

"O-Oh, come now. Why would you say that? Please don't take it that way."

"We will send rankers to escort him."

"...Fine. Do that."

Pulling rankers right before a battle was a burden, but now was not the time to be picky. If his nephew got logged out of the game, several people in this room might get logged out of real life!

The documentary covering the Nitinger raid was released to immense anticipation. At first, some people reacted skeptically, saying, "Isn't it just a bunch of edited gameplay footage? What's so interesting about that?"

However, those doubts vanished the moment it was released.

Overwhelming excitement! The vivid realism, incomparable to older games, combined with all kinds of spectacular magic and monsters, delivered a shock more intense than most movies.

Most powerful of all was the story. No matter how good the visuals are, they mean nothing if the story is weak. The film naturally explained the people who staked their lives on Pan-On, and what kind of players they were.

Anecdotes of famous players dating back to Pan-On 1 made viewers marvel and laugh. On top of that, the Pan-On League was currently in full swing, drawing massive attention! Since famous league players had made appearances in the Nitinger raid, people interested in one side naturally became interested in the other.

The production team, who had been anxiously waiting for the reception, erupted in cheers. The response was several times better than they had ever imagined! Even the streaming platform that funded the production was astonished by the explosive success.

"We had no idea it would get this many views..."

"I think we can start filming the next project right away."

Amidst dozens, even hundreds of movies and dramas being uploaded, this project achieved the monstrous feat of taking the #1 spot under the "Documentary" label! No matter how popular Pan-On was, and even though Kim Tae-hyun was a top-tier star player, absolutely no one had anticipated a reaction of this magnitude!

"Weren't there a few more pitches submitted?"

"Yes. We put them on hold, but..."

"Let's review them again. With this level of popularity, we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should jump right in... Oh, what about this one related to the Guild Alliance? It looks like it would be highly popular in China."

An executive who knew very little about Pan-On spoke up after looking only at the proposal. He didn't really know what the Guild Alliance was, but the description made it sound incredibly impressive.

Whoever wrote this proposal had clearly sold their conscience and soul! But to someone who knew nothing about Pan-On, it was impossible not to look at this and think, Oh, this is amazing! After all, it didn't technically lie!

"Uh... that seems a bit exaggerated..."

"They might get some views in China, but their popularity everywhere else is rock bottom. It's better to prioritize something else."

Fortunately, there were people in the meeting who actually followed Pan-On. No matter how they looked at it, that pitch was terrible!

"Is that so? Then how about the Paran Guild? Their story is quite legendary too... starting from the very bottom to become one of the top guilds..."

"...Wait a minute. Who the hell wrote this proposal?"

"I think we need to track down whoever wrote this and beat them up..."

Whoever it was, they were clearly trying to ruin the company! The executives who knew Pan-On vowed to make the author of that proposal write a formal apology letter.

"Right now, the safest bet is the League. I think we can get something great out of a League-related project..."

"Indeed, there's no esports league quite like the Pan-On League right now."

The first season of the Pan-On League was drawing to a close. It was a season so successful it was hard to believe it was only their first! With astronomical viewer numbers, major corporations scrambling to buy ad slots, and even massive esports organizations—who had previously snorted, "If you don't put us in the 1st Division, we're not participating"—now begging, "Even the 2nd Division is fine, so please just let us in!"

The competition among corporations for ad space during Pan-On matches was so fierce that rumors claimed it was on an entirely different level compared to traditional sports advertising.

"But isn't the official Pan-On broadcast already covering the League? And they're doing all sorts of content, not just the official matches..."

Striking while the iron was hot, the popularity of the Pan-On League had led to a wide variety of broadcasts. After a single match, there would be analysis shows, prediction shows, player interviews, talk shows featuring team head coaches...

"We focus on the team, not the matches. From their very beginning to where they are now. Dedicated fans won't be able to resist."

"That sounds excellent. Then, of course, it has to be Team KL?"

"Wouldn't Team KL be the absolute best choice? Their story is just so dramatic..."

Other major esports organizations were incredibly popular, but none of them carried a story as dramatic as Team KL. A small-scale team created by the players themselves, crushing giant gaming organizations and running rampant at the top of the league!

The teams competing in the 1st Division were all massive organizations. They possessed everything: vast capital, long histories, and massive infrastructure! Against such giants, Team KL, winning purely on the raw mechanical skill of its players, was nothing short of a legend.

"Since Team KL must be thrilled with this massive success, they'll surely agree to a new shoot immediately."

"Of course. It's great promotion for the team as well."

"I'll get in touch with them."

However, Team KL's response was cold.

"NO."

"?!?!"

"Why?!"

"Was there... some kind of misunderstanding? Did they not like our terms? Ask them what they're unhappy about!"

Vincent, acting as the team's agent, wiped the sweat from his forehead as he replied.

"Well..."

"Well? What is it? Were they unhappy with our video? Was there an issue with the documentary? Did the production crew do something rude?"

"Could they be unhappy about a streaming platform expanding into film production?"

"No... it's not that..."

"Just spit it out! Tell us plainly!"

"They said... it would put silly ideas in the players' heads and distract them from the matches... I'm sorry."

"..."

"What does 'getting wind in their lungs' even mean?"

"Is it... a Korean proverb?"

"Mmm. The location is definitely cursed."

Tae-hyun, who had rushed back, groaned. The massive bulk of the giant beast monster was visible even from afar!

The Leviathan was a colossal beast that truly lived up to its legendary name. Every time it shifted its body in the ocean, it felt as if the very horizon was trembling!

"Have all the players evacuated by now?"

"Aside from those who lingered too long and got sucked in, everyone has made it to land. It seems that once you get sucked in, you're transported to an entirely different dungeon."

"If we want to strike it from the inside, do we have to hold our ground at its mouth?"

Tae-hyun checked the community board videos. The players who had been closest and dragged into the dungeon were already uploading live streams.

The dungeon inside was pure chaos. The Leviathan's stomach was incredibly vast and dark, with no end in sight, and all sorts of things swallowed by the beast were constantly emerging. In a place where pitch-black seawater flowed, nothing that appeared would be surprising.

Demons from the Demon Realm were a given, and all kinds of bizarre monsters popped out whenever they felt like it, leaving the players facing them completely flabbergasted. The most dangerous part was the threat of their ships being destroyed. Inside the Leviathan's stomach, where the waters whipped around at a terrifying speed, if their ship went down, it was truly game over. Players desperately searched for islands to climb onto or new ships to board.

"Wow. That looks like a great place to level up."

"..."

"..."

At Tae-hyun's words, the others stared at him in sheer disbelief. Seriously, how could he say that after seeing this chaos?

"Why? It's perfect for leveling up."

"W-Well, sure. I suppose a dragon's lair is also a great place to level up."

"It's also a great place to die."

With all kinds of monsters spawning and the terrain shifting every second, it was a perfect environment to truly hone one's skills! Or so Tae-hyun thought, while everyone else stared, thinking, Wow, what kind of nightmare dungeon is that?

"So? When do we start the attack?"

"Well..."

Tae-hyun looked around. Though put together in a hurry, it was a formidable lineup. Starting with the Archisus Artillery, who had been roaming around clearing out monsters, to the Power Warrior Guild—whose ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠members were a bit unhinged but possessed undeniable combat power. On top of that, they even had the warriors of the Garuda Kingdom, who could fight while flying.

But Tae-hyun did not let his guard down.

It's suspicious that a monster like that appeared so suddenly in the first place.

If this was the work of a Demon Duke, they wouldn't have just sent a single beast out on its own. What if they had other traps prepared?

They might try to backstab us once the Leviathan raid begins...

"Should we search the surrounding area just in case?"

"Yeah. Let's do that first."

Since there were plenty of players around, starting with the Power Warrior Guild members, Tae-hyun ordered a thorough sweep of the area. Demons might be hiding nearby!

"U-Uh? What? Why aren't they fighting?"

"Did they spot us?!"

The secret escorts sent by the Guild Alliance were thrown into a panic. The people who had gathered to raid the Leviathan were suddenly conducting a search of the surrounding area instead of attacking.

"Fall back! We can't let them spot us. Is your Stealth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠still active?"

"They won't find us! You don't need to worry!"

True to their role as secret escorts, the party consisted entirely of players with exceptionally high Stealth skills! If it weren't for Su Ning's nephew, they would have had absolutely no reason to be suffering here. The rankers swallowed their tears in silence.

We're suffering like this all because we have the wrong guild leader!

Damn it. No matter how good the benefits are, next time I join a guild, I'm going to think twice.

"Party leader?"

"What?"

"...They keep heading straight toward us. Is something wrong?"

"What are you talking about? How could those guys possibly detect our Stealth?!"

The ranker snapped back, offended. Given the level of the Stealth skill he had painstakingly raised, there was no way he would get caught by a basic search party.

"But they really seem to be coming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right this way..."

"Aren't those Archisus Church NPCs? They look like priests."

Seeing the priest NPCs casting magic up ahead, the party members grew tense. Surely that won't pierce our Stealth, right?

"Hmm. It would be wise to set fire to this area as well."

"Understood, Father!"

"...Set fire to what?"

"N-No way, are they...???"

The guild members watched in absolute horror as the players began rummaging through their bags to pull out bombs, while the Archisus Church priests cast buffs on them.

Are those... those crazy bastards seriously going to...?!