Starting from Me (1): Shame Gauge Fully Charged
I ended up watching [Dragon Lord, Black Dark Dragon Lee Hoyeol: Roaring Toward the World] from start to finish, all while muttering about exploring that ridiculous thing.
That's not me.
It's not me. It has to not be me.
Thanks to my endless muttering, I regained my sanity and could finally evaluate my interview from an outsider's perspective.
I'm just plastering gold all over my face...!
Even listening again, there wasn't a single wrong word. It was just overflowing with potential for misunderstandings.
Especially since I declared that the Black Dark Dragon was only part of it.
As I scrolled through the posts, it felt like I'd gone right back to square one.
You know, back to those days right after awakening as a player, when I took down Count Ascura.
I thought I'd made a ton of progress, but the level of wild overestimation pouring in hadn't changed a bit.
"No matter what position I hold, I must never forget my roots."
My speech patterns are rooted too. Even the level of embellishment is straight out of the beginner days, Grandfell.
But that interview—no, exploring that ridiculous thing—took up no small amount of time.
I hurriedly opened a portal to the Zero Mountains.
The coordinates: Zero Mountains, Giant Alliance outpost.
"!!!"
A portal appearing out of nowhere. And me emerging from its glow?
The Giant Alliance players had no choice but to be shocked.
Dilated pupils, gaping mouths, frozen actions.
In that split-second silence, the only sound was...
...the narration about me playing from the players' smartphones.
It was just as I'd expected, but it still hurt.
But as always, I couldn't let it show.
So I brazenly opened my mouth.
"It seems preparations are complete."
"...Ah!"
The moment my words fell, a response came.
Nam Cheolmin pushed up his glasses and hurried over.
Is it because I've resolved to reclaim my roots?
Nam Cheolmin, whom I'd met in that first rift. Facing him again brought back those beginner feelings.
Oh yeah, he said he was quitting smoking. His complexion definitely looks much healthier than back then.
"We've been waiting, Grand Commander!"
That damn "Grand Commander" title...
'Hoyeol sounds too plain, so he likes it better?'
I wanted our nicknames to go back to how they were too.
But unlike back then, I was carrying way too much now.
In comparison to Black Dark Dragon, Grand Commander was actually tame. For real.
Grateful for it, I asked.
"How's the progress on conquering the Zero Mountains?"
"Thanks to your attention, Grand Commander, we're pushing through faster! Of course, the Zero Mountains are so vast that..."
"I understand. It's land no one would recommend to anyone."
This wasn't empty consolation.
There might be recommended levels no one should attempt, but the Zero Mountains had no conquest rate at all.
Still, there was a rough gauge.
One hundred thousand caves. Out of them, the Giant Alliance had discovered only eight so far.
Including the [Sea of Lava] I'd found, that was still less than ten.
Even if Cheonha Tongil and Shining had found a generous fifty...
Fifty out of a hundred thousand...
A conquest rate of just 0.05%.
Sure, I'd conquered what you could call the final content: a dragon.
But that conquest was in a whole different direction.
Nam Cheolmin scratched his head and continued.
"Thank you for understanding! Taemin and the others are waiting at the vanguard. Meanwhile, I've been racking my brain on how to maximize your forces' efficiency..."
People's talents truly vary wildly.
He was so sloppy back then.
Nam Cheolmin hadn't stood out much as a player.
But as an analyst, he was viewing situations from all angles.
Of course, things didn't always go as planned.
As we neared the vanguard, an ominous vibe hit me.
"Hold on, Grand Commander."
It wasn't some massive presence radiating aura.
It's tense.
I could tell just from the players' faces.
Guess it really was serious.
They hadn't even noticed my footsteps.
What the hell happened?
The question was short-lived. I understood immediately.
They clearly had no headspace for anything else.
Red banners. Cheonha Tongil players facing off against Nam Taemin, Hisagi, Leoni, and the Giant Alliance masters.
Cheonha Tongil—I thought they'd already scored one of their "one stone three birds" goals.
Soon, the Cheonha Tongil members turned.
"What the hell are those bastards?"
Nam Taemin's mutter sent Nam Cheolmin rushing forward.
"Taemin, what's going on?"
"Oh, hyung. It's not... Wait, Hoyeol?!"
"Tch. Making the Grand Commander wait—my apologies."
"...Sigh."
Nam Taemin, Hisagi, Leoni—reactions varied wildly for a moment.
Then Nam Taemin spilled the details.
"Cheonha Tongil barely talks to us normally."
I knew about their closed-off nature.
But not talking to other guilds at all?
Nam Taemin tilted his head.
"They think they're the center of the world or something? Their noses are so high up. We were baffled too. They barge into our zone outta nowhere and ask if we've seen them before. Like, aren't we seeing them right now? What bullshit is that?"
Nam Cheolmin adjusted his glasses and said,
"If they think of themselves as Cheonha Tongil... they wouldn't ask if you'd seen them just now or not. Something must've happened inside Cheonha Tongil. Enough that they're urgently hunting for the culprit internally."
"A rift inside Cheonha Tongil...?"
"Huh? How'd you know, hyung?"
Hisagi and Nam Taemin shot back. I felt the same.
Deducing that from one sentence? No wonder he's the analyst.
Nam Cheolmin laid out his reasoning.
"The Cheonha Tongil players had a movement speed buff active. It's a skill that eats massive mana to maintain, so they avoid using it in combat. Purely for talking to us Giant Alliance folks."
I nodded slowly.
Keep your mouth shut, and you're halfway there.
Player psychology—even Grandfell of the world couldn't read it fully.
Me, Lee Hoyeol? Not confident there either.
I had plenty of experience clashing with demons, high-level monsters, and Arcana natives.
But direct player conflicts? Rare.
In that sense, reassuring to have them.
With Gaon, Inazuma, Berserker's Giant Alliance at my back.
Of course, relying on others' experience clashed with my pride.
So I spoke.
"With me here, no need to worry."
Yeah, I'd let them go this time since the timing was off.
Don't expect the same next time, Cheonha Tongil.
Since you've made it one of your 'one stone three birds' goals.
They'd squeeze out results somehow—and me and Grandfell would make sure of it.
Anyway, my words made Nam Cheolmin chuckle softly.
The analyst's sharp senses...
Did he laugh at my shamelessness?
But Nam Cheolmin looked at me and continued.
"Sorry. It reminded me of something similar you said when we first met. Feels nostalgic... Makes me think you've never lost your roots, Grand Commander!"
Yeah, that sounded like something I'd say back then.
Hisagi narrowed his eyes and murmured,
"The Grand Commander's roots that even I don't know..."
Nam Taemin and Leoni chimed in.
"No clue. You?"
"Dunno. But better than you."
...What were these three even talking about?
Then I saw Leoni shrug oddly and it clicked.
Why is it brighter faces in the order I met them...?
First rift conquest: Nam Cheolmin.
Then Leoni.
Then Nam Taemin and Hisagi...
I sighed inwardly.
In the end, it's the pride that's the problem.
Childish, all of you!
Grandfell.
You're spreading your chuunibyou pride like a contagion.
Making everyone compete in childishness like middle schoolers?
You've got a lot to answer for, seriously.
Spreading chuunibyou—no, pride—not just in the Arcana continent but reality too...
To pay for that, I'd have to hustle even harder.
"As I mentioned before, to maximize your forces, Grand Commander. Our Giant Alliance will tackle three caves at once."
Perfect plan in that sense.
Triple the work means no time for stray thoughts.
I recalled the appropriate levels for the hundred thousand caves.
[Appropriate Level: 800]
[Appropriate Level: 750]
[Appropriate Level: 850]
One alone was tough, but three simultaneously?
Even for me, I couldn't slack on tension.
No, rationally, it felt a bit overwhelming.
Because.
Mana consumption won't be a joke.
Three caves at once.
Simultaneously.
The biggest reason?
"Since you're the Grand Commander, you can manifest portals connecting caves! Using those lets us conquer efficiently without splitting forces!"
Exactly.
Thanks to my magic manifestation entering the realm of the [Ridiculous].
But from experience, mana drain would be insane.
[First World Tree's Blessing] was active, but it didn't boost max mana.
Basically opening portals from rift to rift.
And depending, Giant Alliance players would use them too.
Just thinking about it makes my legs shake from mana exhaustion.
However.
This kind of overestimation?
Familiar territory for Grandfell.
"A flawless plan."
The arrogant words aside.
Now it was time to turn that overestimation into reality.
By paddling furiously beneath the calm surface.
Cheonha Tongil.
Gulp—downing a [Intermediate Mana Recovery Potion] like water.
Its value rivaled decent gear, but no choice.
After [Swift Footwork] for speed, now [Stealth] too.
Stealth
The Giant Alliance claimed ignorance of their whereabouts.
Hard to believe.
They wouldn't vanish without reason.
Not one, but ten parties defying the lord's summons.
Not rebellion.
The lord would've noticed any conspiracy of ten.
Definitely external forces.
Cheonha Tongil, who declared hegemony.
Who'd view them unkindly in the Zero Mountains? Plenty.
Giant Alliance especially.
'Those beast and snake bastards.'
Since Gaon and Inazuma days, Nam Taemin and Hisagi had suffered under Cheonha Tongil.
They'd harbor grudges.
Opportunity to show true colors? Overflowing possibility.
We even confirmed it moments ago.
Giant Alliance had amassed serious forces.
Of course.
No signs of battle.
The missing ones? Not Five Stars level, but renowned powerhouses in Cheonha Tongil.
Too pristine for a fight.
But all's well that ends well.
Especially info.
Even a mere mishap would aid the lord.
So Cheonha Tongil players hid, waiting for Giant Alliance moves.
And encountered.
"...?"
Clack—
Something unexpected. No, beyond specs.
He spoke.
"Eavesdropping rats by day."
...Don't flinch.
"If you can't distinguish day from night."
No way he spotted stealth from this distance...
"Eternal night wouldn't be bad either."
No.
Eternal night?
Such confident words meant.
"...!!!"
He—Lee Hoyeol—had definitely pierced our stealth...!!