A Very Convincing Fake
For a long while, people on the forums had been buzzing about the "mysterious, highly skilled player who suddenly appeared." In the midst of the chatter, one user put forward a conspiracy theory.
Players like Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon had become global star players because of that tournament. Even for foreign gamers who didn't know Pan-On 1, it was the tournament that cemented the perception of: "Kim Tae-hyun of Korea? Ah, that guy who was flying around in Pan-On!"
However, not everyone loved that tournament. There were quite a few players who hadn't participated, thinking, "I'm too busy leveling up," "It's just a tournament in Korea, what's the big deal?" or "It's better to raise my ranker standing in the meantime." Those players couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. If only I had participated...!
People fell for this plausible conspiracy theory. It really felt like a meticulously calculated plan. To clear the training grounds of multiple orders in a single day—someone must have prepared this with extreme precision!
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Regardless of these reactions, those with vested interests responded differently. Namely, the pro-gaming team scouts and the massive in-game guilds! They were determined to track down this mysterious player.
"As if it isn't hard enough to find good players these days. All the good ones are snatched up instantly. Find out who this player is."
"There's a rumor that they're a prospect being raised by another gaming team..."
"You can't believe every rumor! Do you know how we got fooled by rumors during Kim Tae-hyun's time? What? 'Signing with the New York Lions for the highest amount'?"
"T-That wasn't just us, everyone else did too..."
The scout felt wronged. Honestly, who could have guessed that Kim Tae-hyun would suddenly establish his own gaming team? The ones who suffered the consequences were the scouts.
"Kim Tae-hyun? Honestly, our team can't catch him. We've received reports that the New York Lions' scouts have already made their move."
"If he rejected offers from ST Five and KG Wizard, there's only one explanation. He's definitely joining an overseas team."
A report submitted with absolute confidence based on the information they had gathered! And because of it, they were thoroughly chewed out by their superiors.
"Don't make excuses! What did you say? You said Kim Tae-hyun was definitely going overseas! That's why we didn't make an offer. If we had known, we could have at least tried!"
"Ugh..."
The tragic fate of a salaryman! Even if Kim Tae-hyun had received an offer, he likely would have rejected it, but the scout couldn't argue further in front of his boss.
A similar situation was unfolding within the major guilds.
"Who on earth is this?"
"I'm sorry. We haven't been able to identify them yet."
"Check the players who were nearby and get a description of their appearance. We've practically taken over the Auston Kingdom, but we have to treat this as just the beginning. In the Central Continent, there are not only kingdoms but also massive guilds that refuse to listen to us. Why do you think they don't listen? They probably think the Auston Kingdom is too far away to be a threat. We can't let our guard down. We need to recruit any player who can be an asset immediately, before other guilds snatch them up."
"Yes, sir!"
"Once the unification of the Auston Kingdom is complete, Lord Su Ning will ascend as king. No other competitor stands a chance against him. And this is only part of the plan."
A top-secret plan was underway within the Guild Alliance. It was a scheme to make Su Ning the Emperor of the Central Continent. Of course, this was a long-term plan projected over several years, and it currently lacked realism. However, Su Ning and a few of his closest confidants were serious about executing it. If they succeeded, the rewards would be on an entirely different dimension compared to any tournament or ranker standing.
To achieve this, they first had to eliminate competitors within the Guild Alliance and unify the Auston Kingdom. There were players and minor guilds fiercely resisting even now, and among them, the most insanely rampant guild, as well as that suddenly appearing Lich bastard who was still holding out within the Guild Alliance's territory... None of them were easy opponents, which was why the Guild Alliance always welcomed strong players.
The Guild Alliance was particularly popular among Chinese players, largely thanks to the core executives, including Su Ning.
"Next year—we will finish the unification of the Auston Kingdom within next year!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Ah, and what about Alcott's rescue?"
"It is currently underway, but... well..."
"That clumsy fool. We can't just leave him, but he's causing trouble for so many people."
A core executive close to Su Ning grumbled. The assassin Alcott! He was one of the prominent, poster-boy rankers of the Guild Alliance. The problem was that he wasn't particularly loyal to Su Ning (he wasn't even Chinese, to begin with), and recently, he had been seen hanging around with Tae-hyun, which displeased many. To top it off, he had clumsily gotten himself dragged away to some bizarre place all by himself!
Yet, they couldn't just ignore him. Unlike ordinary guild members, Alcott was too famous. If they didn't rescue him, rumors would start spreading immediately. Ultimately, the Guild Alliance executives formed a rescue team to retrieve Alcott.
"We obtained a map from the auction house, but it's incredibly far away... It's a place you can only reach by traveling far southwest from the Prica Continent. We are currently securing a ship capable of long-distance voyages and preparing to depart."
"Is the map reliable?"
"Yes. It's a trustworthy seller."
"Fine. Bring that guy back quickly. Phew..."
"Still, isn't this our chance to be the first to enter the Exile?"
"That's true, but it has to yield enough profit to be worth it."
Pioneering a new map! There were still many undiscovered, uncharted regions in Pan-On. Not just those with explorer classes, but all players dreamed of uncovering uncharted territories. Of course, it was easier said than done. There were reasons why these areas remained unexplored—either they were incredibly difficult to reach, or you died the moment you arrived...
The Exile shown on the map was located far to the southwest of the Prica Continent, which lay south of the Central Continent. Even if a new region appeared, there was no telling if the rescue team could survive there. For now, their sole objective was to extract Alcott!
However, there was one thing they were overlooking: the world was full of fake maps. Specifically, a Fake Map sloppily drawn by the members of the Power Warrior Guild! No one anticipated the unexpected events that would unfold because of that very Fake Map.
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You have been on a swaying ship for a long time.
Effect: All stats are significantly reduced.
"Ughhhhh..."
"Seriously, did they really... need to recreate... this kind of crap... so vividly..."
The seasick players of the rescue team groaned on the deck. Even in Pan-On, there was rarely any reason to sail for this long. They usually just cruised around the shallow waters near the Central Continent; they had never had to travel this far.
"Are you sure you're reading the map right?"
"I told you, I am!"
"Ah, we should've brought someone with the Advanced Navigation skill instead of just Intermediate."
"If you're so smart, why don't you navigate!"
"Why are you snapping at me?"
"Hey, calm down. Let's look for it again."
A few other ships could be seen nearby. It wasn't just the Guild Alliance rescue team; other rescue parties had set sail as well.
"Those guys are heading in a different direction. Didn't they read their map right?"
"I said, I read it right!!"
"O-Okay, I get it. I was just asking, why get so mad?"
The player acting as the navigator snapped in frustration. He had checked the map dozens of times, yet the others comfortably sat back and questioned him, asking, "Are you sure you're reading it right?" Do they have any idea how hard it was to get here!
"If we pass near this rock here..."
⊳ You have discovered the entrance to Arantis, the hidden underwater kingdom!
⊳ You have discovered one of the fallen ancient kingdoms, Arantis. Informing the explorers of the Central Continent of this fact will yield an incredible reaction.
⊳ Your Reputation has increased significantly!
"!??!?!?!?!"
"A-A-Arantis? What's Arantis?!"
The rescue team players were flabbergasted by this sudden stroke of luck. What on earth was this!
"You know... one of those fallen ancient kingdoms! The one that sank beneath the ocean! I read about it in a Pan-On lore book!"
"We found that?! Seriously?!"
One of the rescue team members was so overcome with joy that tears welled up in his eyes.
"C-Calm down. Let's go in carefully."
Gulp. Everyone swallowed hard. What would they find if they entered that ancient kingdom? If there was one absolute certainty, it was that as the first to enter, they would receive the greatest bonuses.
"Let's go!"
Splash!
"Huh? What are those guys doing?"
"Their ship is disappearing?!"
Another rescue party passing nearby was startled by the sight. The entire ship was sinking straight into the ocean.
"Hey! Follow them!"
"What is it? What's going on?!"
In their sheer excitement, the players completely forgot to keep it a secret. Consequently, rumors spread rapidly to the nearby expedition teams. Once a rumor started, it took off like wildfire. The news of a newly discovered underwater kingdom set the forums ablaze.
The words of a certain ranker were buried without a trace.
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"An ancient underwater kingdom was discovered? How on earth?"
"They said they followed the map we sold them...?"
"????"
"Whoever drew that map, raise your hand."
A few Power Warrior Guild members raised their hands, looking utterly bewildered.
"What on earth did you guys look at to draw that?"
"N-Nothing! We just randomly pointed at a spot in the far ocean and drew it!"
"And yet they actually found something?"
"Why the hell are you wasting your luck on something like that!"
The Power Warrior Guild members stamped their feet in frustration.
"We basically discovered it, but other bastards are reaping the rewards!"
"This cannot be forgiven!"
"You guys are my guildmates, but seriously, you're shameless."
One of the few guild members with a remaining conscience muttered, but the others paid him no mind.
"Let's go too!"
"How? We don't even have a ship."
"And we don't have the money to buy one either."
"What did you do with the gold you received as a guarantee from the last broadcast?"
"I lost it all trying to pull off a scam."
"..."
"No, we do have a ship!"
"What ship? Don't tell me you're talking about the Elder's boat?"
"..."
The guild member who had been read like a book blushed.
"Ever since he got kidnapped last time, I think the Elder has stopped trusting us."
"Well, can you blame him? He won't even let Choi Min-soo get near him, probably fearing he'll self-destruct."
The distrust had grown massive after the kidnapping and self-destruction incidents!
"But we can't just sit here! Let's find a way to convince the Elder and get his permission!"
"Alright!"
The Power Warrior Guild members scurried over to Chairman Yoo. The moment he heard their proposal, Chairman Yoo's face contorted into a deep scowl.
"...With you lot?"