A High-Level Warning

If you compared them by viewer count, there wasn't really much to say. Even if Tae-hyun just created a channel and did absolutely nothing, fans from all over the world would flock to it, asking, "Is Kim Tae-hyun doing anything?" But... that was just because he was who he was!

"We upload guild videos from time to time too, Kim Tae-hyun. We know how to do it."

"Oh. Really? That's a relief. I was about to explain it to you."

'...'

'He thinks we're total country bumpkins...!'

There was a reason the Black Rock Sect members didn't broadcast what was happening on the island. First of all, their guild was a small, tight-knit social guild, so they rarely made their quests public.

Quest broadcasting was a double-edged sword. While it could garner a lot of attention, it also made you a target for stream snipers. If someone snatched away a quest you had spent months trying to clear, you would cry tears of blood!

For similar reasons, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠top-tier rankers like Tae-hyun usually avoided live streaming. Of course, they wouldn't get attacked on this island, but...

'Seeing what happened to Silved makes you think twice, right?'

'Yeah, definitely.'

Silved had been targeted so brutally.

From Silved's usual rivals to the old rankers who hated seeing a rising ranker's name gain value, along with other competitors—they were all sharpening their blades, waiting to catch him.

How dare he try to sneak his way into the Ancient Empire University! Unforgivable!

Having witnessed this, there was no way the Black Rock Sect could openly advertise their location. If they made a mistake, they would end up in the exact same boat.

"Can't we just declare that we have no intention of entering the Ancient Empire University and then ask for rescue?"

At Tae-hyun's suggestion, the Black Rock Sect members nodded. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Indeed, if they said, "We have absolutely no interest in entering the Ancient Empire University! Just rescue us!" it would probably work.

People's suspicion and jealousy would vanish...

"No. I plan on entering the Ancient Empire University, though?"

Silved spoke up proudly. He had no intention of letting this opportunity slip. Since he had suffered this much, he might as well reap the rewards!

"...Did you leave your brain somewhere?"

"Do you really think Kim Tae-hyun would allow that?"

The guild members stared at Silved as if he had lost his mind. Did this bastard eat something weird?

"N-No, if we just return together, it counts as me bringing you guys back, right? You'll get to share the qualification too!"

"We'd probably have to go all the way to the King together."

"And we want to part ways as soon as possible, not keep hanging out with you."

"Are you guys even rankers?! Why do you have zero ambition?!"

Silved cried out in sheer disbelief. By definition, a ranker was supposed to be greedy enough to snatch away other people's quests. Yet, for some reason, the Black Rock Sect members were acting as if their sole goal in life was to part ways with Kim Tae-hyun the second this quest was over.

Their expressions practically screamed: It was awful being with you, and let's never meet again!

'Why is this guy counting his chickens before they hatch?'

Tae-hyun found it puzzling, but he didn't bother pointing it out. After all, everyone was free to delude themselves.

"Just call people over already."

"Got it. What category should I put the stream under?"

"Isn't it Ocean, Sailing?"

"Is it?"

Personal broadcasting in Pan-On was incredibly competitive. With players from all over the world streaming, a half-baked concept wouldn't even register on anyone's radar.

Looking at the ocean-related streams, many of them shared the same vibe—streams started by people who were genuinely lost and had no idea what they were doing! Naturally, these streams had zero viewers, or at most, one.

"What kind of crazy stream is this?"

A player browsing through the streams chuckled at an absurd title. If a ranker gets lost, they're not a ranker! That's beginner stuff...

'Are they just pretending to be rankers?'

Clicking on the stream without much thought, the player was startled by the massive size of the ship. And then, they were shocked once more by the people on deck. That was...

"That's Kim Tae-hyun?!"

Around the same time, a video feed began broadcasting on Tae-hyun's official account as well.

Because people had been tricked so many times by rumors like "Kim Tae-hyun went live!" "Really?" "Of course it's a lie," they didn't fall for it easily. But this time, it was the real deal. Tae-hyun was actually broadcasting from the deck of a ship.

Tae-hyun, who was supposed to be running around nimbly with a sword, was instead walking around like a mage, radiating a sinister aura from his entire body. People were baffled. Did he change classes in the meantime? If it were anyone else, a class change would be a possibility, but not for Tae-hyun. It made absolutely no sense for the Pope of the Archisus Church to switch to a class from another order! ...Wait, actually, with him, was it possible?

Regardless of their reactions, Tae-hyun addressed his viewers.

"Everyone. While I did start this stream to ask for help, there is something I must say first."

-?

"Looking at both the island and the surrounding sea... the difficulty level here seems exceptionally high."

Given the state of the island, the nearby waters were unlikely to be a walk in the park. Moreover, since he had heard that the Idergo Cult was coming to rescue them, he couldn't let his guard down.

"So, even if you are a ranker, I think it's best if low-level rankers don't come. Only high-level rankers should..."

The rankers (who considered themselves low-level) flared up in anger. On the other hand, ordinary players who had no intention of participating in the rescue admired his words.

Tae-hyun hadn't actually mentioned Level 300. He wasn't even Level 300 himself, for goodness' sake! He had simply warned them not to come if they didn't want to die in vain, but people twisted his words in their own absurd way.

The blatant disrespect from the public infuriated the relatively low-level rankers even more. Honestly, if it was Kim Tae-hyun looking down on them, they could understand. He was a top-tier ranker who had surpassed Level 300, maybe even Level 350, and was probably charging toward Level 400. But the keyboard warriors talking trash in the chat were probably mostly under Level 200! Who were they to look down on anyone...!

Tae-hyun had only started the stream to broadcast his location as clearly as possible, but it ended up pouring gasoline on the rankers' pride. They were now fired up and ready to set sail!

"..."

"..."

"T-Thank you so much for attending?"

"It's no trouble at all."

The host stared awkwardly at the video screen. This was the All-Star Super Player, a global audition program where talented judges from esports teams worldwide gathered to recruit new players!

...But currently, Tae-hyun was in no position to attend in person. He was stranded on a ship in the middle of a vast ocean, so how could he possibly participate?

Thus, Tae-hyun had simply stepped out of his capsule, turned on his webcam, and joined the broadcast. Seeing his real-world self on screen rather than his in-game avatar was quite a refreshing sight.

'That bastard Kim Tae-hyun looks pretty much the same inside and outside the game.'

Though his real-world face looked slightly more fierce...

Su Ning thought to himself as he scanned the room.

The show was a massive success. Although there was still a long way to go, the initial response was undeniably explosive. The entire world was reacting with wild enthusiasm!

Initially, many had scoffed, saying, "Since a Chinese corporation is hosting it, they'll probably only pick Chinese players, smh." However, those complaints had largely vanished thanks to the diverse lineup of participants from all over the globe.

Thanks to this, the Chinese media was pouring out endless praise.

...Of course, there were still some people hurling insults in the mix, but that was unavoidable.

Thanks to this, the investors were satisfied, the Guild Alliance members were satisfied, and Su Ning was absolutely thrilled. The funds they had lost due to the outbreak of war in the Auston Kingdom could easily be recovered now!

"Wow. How are there so many people gathered here? It's not even the opening ceremony."

"The crowd isn't thinning out at all, even as time passes."

The guild members shook their heads in amazement. Even though it wasn't the opening ceremony, people flocked to the plaza like clouds on broadcast days. Even if they tried to recruit members for the Guild Alliance, they would never be able to gather a crowd of this scale.

"...Those motherfuckers..."

"Do they have no shame?!"

They had graciously allowed them to set up shop, and now they were badmouthing the Guild Alliance's own stores! The guild members were furious, but they had to hold back. They couldn't risk upsetting Tae-hyun while the event was underway. It was already a well-known fact that Power Warrior and Tae-hyun were close.

Once the preparations were complete, the host spoke up.

"The first test was a massive success!"

The Ancient Empire Training Tower in Nodranche had received a much better response than expected. At first, everyone was dying, leading to worries like, Is this show going to flop? But as they kept throwing talented players into the meat grinder, successful candidates began to emerge one by one, and easier strategies started to form.

To be honest, the path Tae-hyun had paved was a strategy that was nearly impossible for others to replicate...

'I should try clearing the upper floors when I go back later.'

"We are even more excited to see what kind of test our esteemed judges will propose next!"

"...?!"

The judges, who had been sitting quietly, looked up in shock. Wait...! If you raise the bar that high...!

'Do you have anything in mind?'

'I-I was just planning to have them do a time attack in a dungeon owned by our gaming organization.'

'I was just thinking of sending them to the Arena...'

Another guest sitting nearby smiled and chimed in.

"Surely, the prominent figures gathered here wouldn't have prepared a boring test, right?"

"Exactly! Now, I'm sure everyone is ready!"

"..."

The countless players gathered in the plaza began to cast intense, expectant gazes toward them.

'We're screwed...!'