God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 230: Episode _A Hero is Made in Turbulent Times (2)

Chapter 230: Episode 230_A Hero is Made in Turbulent Times (2)

2.

Upon returning to the Black Mage Order, the Specialists were finally given their quest.

“Prove your worthiness to succeed the leader.”

For Kang Yeseul, it was a job change quest. For Jeong Seolah and Jeong Hyeonsu, it was a sub-quest. But even as a sub-quest, its weight was nothing like an ordinary one. The quest rank was S, and the reward was none other than the key to unlocking Act 3 of the main scenario.

They couldn’t help but swallow nervously.

Yeseul cautiously asked, “How do I prove it?”

“We will observe your abilities.”

The answer was always the same. Unwavering. The stubbornness of an old man who had spent his entire life researching black magic, combined with the steel-like demeanor of a subordinate who had served the Great Black Mage, left no room for them to break through.

“No, I mean, you have to give me at least a rough idea of what I need to show you.”

“That is a path the next leader must find for herself.”

Yeseul was speechless.

Even looking at the quest description was no help. It simply said to prove her qualifications to sit on the leader’s throne. It was frustrating. After two months of hardship, they had finally reached level 100 and were ready to start the quest in earnest, only for the quest to be like being told to navigate a maze without even being shown the entrance.

“Ugh. You old geezer. Just you wait. Once I become the leader, I’m going to work you to the bone first.”

“Do as you wish.”

“Ah. Was I being too much like Simin?”

“Stop talking nonsense and let’s just go,” Hyeonsu said.

But they couldn’t give up just because they didn’t know the way. How could they, after coming this far? Why had they spent two months doing nothing but hunting?

Wasn’t it to inherit the position as the disciple of the Great Black Mage, contribute to plunging the continent into darkness, become a big name in the game, and make a lot of money?

Making money was Simin’s main interest, but the chaebol kids weren’t entirely uninterested either. The rich always want more. Having gotten involved with Simin, they had already invested a considerable amount of money in 『Fantastic World』. And they knew all too well that in a global game with 30 million concurrent users, the profits from reaching a position that could move the entire continent were not something even a chaebol could ignore. They didn’t need to experience it to know. A glance at the Rich Territory’s revenue was enough. They understood why people in 2D games had been so desperate to monopolize castles and rule over server users, even through oppression.

So, although she glared, she didn’t complain or quit the quest. They left for now.

It wasn’t that there was no way forward, nor was it an unfairly difficult quest given only to them. 『Fantastic World』 was fair to all its users.

...Fairly unfair, that is.

"Let’s think this through," one of the Specialists said.

This was another world, after all. The inhabitants of the continent had no obligation to be kind to players. They weren’t required to explain anything. If anything, adventurers were like refugees from some uncivilized land. They should be grateful they weren’t chased away on sight. This was especially true of the black magic mages, who would gladly kill someone if it meant raising their dark magic power by a single point.

They had to think, to reason it out. Before they put their heads together, the three of them opened the guild chat.

*

"What?" Yeseul asked.

"We need to find a way to prove ourselves," Seolah explained.

"Simin, hurry up and tell us," Yeseul pressed.

Simin, who had been lounging on a bed softer than any in a five-star hotel with the Princess, scowled. "What, do I owe you something?"

"Not exactly, but this is for everyone’s benefit, isn’t it, Simin? So hurry up and spill," Seolah said, her tone firm.

"...My, my, Yeseul’s gotten bold, hasn’t she?" Simin quipped, though he knew they were right.

While the Specialists were primarily motivated by self-interest, their efforts also benefited him. Of course, that didn’t give them the right to make such brazen demands, but Simin knew he would end up helping them regardless.

’Hmm.’

It was simple: his potential gains far outweighed theirs. It was a matter of scale. The only thing the Specialists had invested was the job class Yeseul had luckily obtained. If things went south, they could just go back to hunting discreetly, avoiding the continent’s NPCs. They had done it before, and their playstyle didn’t require them to own a territory.

Simin, however, had bet almost everything on this. He had pushed a fake Saintess—a golden dragon—into the Grand Temple. If his connection to the Specialists was exposed, his relationship with the Temple would be severed, he’d be stripped of his title as the Emperor’s son-in-law, and he could be hunted for the rest of his days. He might not care, given how much he’d already earned, but having already counted his future earnings by the truckload, could he really accept that?

Absolutely not.

’Just think of how much I’ve invested.’

The money he’d poured into his various schemes wasn’t just a few million dollars. Though he’d recouped it all and then some through other means, Simin only ever remembered what he spent. It was a painful expense.

Finally, he put his mind to it. Tilting his slightly weary head, ideas began to pour out. It wasn’t a difficult problem.

’A way to prove she has the qualities to lead the Black Mage Order, huh?’

He instantly thought of over two hundred effective methods. The time he spent thinking was merely a process of selecting the best one. Soon, he spoke. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, wondering if he should really say it, but he didn’t stop himself.

"Massacre."

"Huh?"

"Do it all. Curses. Plagues. Arson. Destruction. The Black Mage Order has a dark reputation, so showing them something like that would be perfect."

A brief silence followed Simin’s words. The Specialists also paused. It was a natural human reaction. Even in a game, those words were conditioned to evoke revulsion from a young age.

"We’ll give it a try," Seolah said.

"Right. If you feel squeamish, don’t take the lead. Just have the black magic mages do it. It’s their job to prove themselves anyway," Simin advised.

"Understood."

In truth, it wasn’t a major issue. Countless human rights organizations around the world still condemned the unregulated murder and criminal acts in 『Fantastic World』, but it hadn’t escalated into a societal problem. In fact, real-world crime rates had actually decreased. This was partly due to stricter punishments for crimes as times changed, and partly because Goggle Inc. had implemented numerous countermeasures for such issues. Besides, most people, even those with dark thoughts, would use a game to vent rather than ruin their actual lives. Ultimately, it was a personal problem. Simin didn’t give the order lightly; he, too, could see the NPCs as people.

But the Specialists agreed.

"It’s not like this is our first time PKing."

"We’re too experienced to feel guilty about this stuff."

They had been slaughtering NPCs in games without a second thought for years. The fact that they were data, composed of zeros and ones, hadn’t changed. The only difference was whether it was 2D or 4D.

With that, the Specialists headed back to the Black Mage Order. At the same time, Simin rose from the Princess’s bed.

"My lord, where are you going?" the Princess asked.

"Oh? I’ve just received some important information."

"You have?"

"It seems the black magic mages are about to make their move again. His Majesty might grow worried, so I must go and suppress them beforehand."

"Oh my! As expected of you..."

"Yes. I’ll be back later. And about the donations..."

"Oh, please. Don’t you worry. There won’t be any problems."

"Good. Thank you."

Simin also began to move with purpose.

3.

An emergency was declared.

"Your Majesty, may I borrow the Royal Knights?" Simin asked the Emperor.

The Emperor was silent.

"I’m going to go take the heads of some black mage bastards."

The Emperor remained silent.

It was an emergency for Simin alone, acting as if he were the sole hero defending the continent.

"I’ll be taking them, then?"

Still, the Emperor said nothing.

Leaving the Princess’s chambers, Simin went straight to the Emperor and politely requested the entire Royal Knight Order. A speck of conscience pricked him midway, so he decided to take only ten. Then, he headed directly to the Grand Temple.

"Your Holiness, I need a unit of Holy Knights and some priests."

The Pope looked at him, confused.

"I came straight from my territory. The Saintess has received an oracle."

The Pope’s eyes widened.

"Soon, darkness shall be scattered across the continent. Stop the four darknesses!"

Such audacity, to invoke the name of a god so casually! After selling out the Emperor, selling out an invisible god was nothing. The Pope gave him a strange look, but Simin didn’t flinch. Deceiving someone like the Pope was all too easy.

"Oh? Did Your Holiness not hear it as well?"

"I..."

"I naturally assumed you had heard it since Hyegi did, so I rushed here, ignoring all protocol. Ah. You didn’t hear it. My apologies. In that case, I’ve been far too abrupt."

"No, that’s not it. Of course, I heard it as well."

It was a simple battle of wits. And so, regardless of anyone’s true intentions, an elite unit—a collaboration between the Imperial Palace and the Grand Temple—was formed. They headed south, passing through the Rich Territory.

*

The Princess was leading the project, but all reports went to the Emperor. It wasn’t because he didn’t trust her; he trusted the Princess more than anyone on the continent. In terms of political acumen, she was like a reflection of the Emperor in his prime—a perfect successor to the infamous tyrant. Of course, he had to think twice when comparing her to that damn adventurer she married, but he wasn’t secretly receiving reports out of mistrust. It was simply procedure.

Every single coin spent from the imperial coffers was reported to the Emperor. He usually skimmed over the minor expenses, but this project was for preserving the peace of the continent’s people, so he gave the report a cursory glance.

"Hm?"

That’s when he saw it—the project overview and its execution plan.

"Fully funded by the Imperial Palace, project lead is the Princess, and the manager is Simin?"

It wasn’t strange. After all, Simin had proposed it, and the Princess was carrying it out. His status as the Emperor’s son-in-law had been certified across the continent, so his qualifications weren’t an issue. What was strange were a few specific words.

"Is there no specific amount listed from the Rich Territory?"

"No, Your Majesty. The Princess stated that after using funds from the imperial treasury, any amount from the Rich Territory would be considered additional costs," the Knight Commander reported.

The Emperor fell silent.

The moment he heard the truth of the matter, the Emperor’s brow furrowed.

"I will find out the amount of donations collected in the Rich Territory," the quick-witted Knight Commander immediately offered.

But the Emperor shook his head. "No. Leave it."

For some reason, he didn’t want to know. And what good would knowing do?

"The Princess will handle it well."

He would rather curse Simin than direct his anger at the Princess. A father’s boundless love filled the Emperor’s office.

*