“Haah, this is difficult.”
Raul recalled the situation at the time of Bae Dohyun’s death.
After over six months of gathering information and probing the Guild Alliance’s underbelly, he finally got his chance. He managed to sneak attack the guild at a temple in the Holy Empire and obtained three mythical-grade items.
However, as if they had been waiting for it, the suited thugs barged into his home. And then, just before he died, there was a mention of a ‘Chairman’ in the phone call.
The general assumption was that the Chairman of a company connected to the massive Guild Alliance had intervened.
“It’s hard to conclude definitively. The Chairman doesn’t necessarily mean the head of a company.”
There were several factions within the Guild Alliance at the time. There were guilds supported by corporations, guilds supported by political groups, state-led guilds, and consortium guilds formed by various individuals. It was common for each faction to call its leader a Chairman.
And then there was another variable.
“Not necessarily a Korean.”
Connect was a global game accessed by people worldwide. The guilds making up the massive Guild Alliance had diverse nationalities. Moreover, connect’s headquarters was based in Korea, attracting many global corporations to the country at that time.
Ultimately, it was only possible to narrow down the suspects based on a few clear clues. The most definite was the suited men who dealt with Bae Dohyun on that day.
The memory was so vivid that he clearly remembered each of their faces.
“The problem is that their ages were in their late twenties to early thirties. The one who seemed in charge was in his late thirties.”
That meant that by now, those men would be only in their early to mid-teens. Even if they were found now, it would be meaningless as they would only start working under the mastermind in about 14 years.
Raul had been scouring the internet to find the person who would now be in their twenties, but with no significant results. It was guessed that if they could kill so casually, they would have had brushes with juvenile detention or be involved in crime from a young age.
“There seems to be no one with a similar appearance in the police or prosecutor’s database.”
Considering they didn’t appear even in advanced browser photo searches, it was more likely they were white-collar individuals who had stepped into the organization later on.
“Anyhow, they’ll be caught soon.”
Raul was much more proficient than any netizen investigators, so they would eventually be tracked. If they narrowed down to possible groups, it would further limit the scope.
“It wouldn’t have been easy to pinpoint my location back then.”
Since playing Connect, Bae Dohyun had frequently moved his residence. Initially, it was to protect his privacy due to his popularity as a streamer. But around the mid-game, when he started clashing with guilds more overtly, things changed.
It was no joke; some players began viewing Connect as another reality and sometimes committed real-life violence (현피). Bae Dohyun was not immune to these threats.
Guilds that couldn’t beat Bae Dohyun in the game started threatening or pressuring him in real life, forcing him to move whenever his personal information was exposed.
And when state authorities and major corporations began to make moves, the situation got worse. As a public figure (a famous streamer and ranker), he wasn’t subject to overt terrorism, but organized harassment began.
Eventually, Bae Dohyun spent a significant portion of the money he made from Connect on his safety and protection.
“In the end, I had to go to great lengths, living in safe houses like a spy…”
Using underground routes and experts, he hid in ways that ordinary people could never discover, but it didn’t work. The ones who attacked Bae Dohyun clearly surpassed the level of ordinary companies.
“And then, there were those final words.”
“Bring me just the head.”
Unless it was a maniac collecting heads as trophies, he began to think that the rumors at the time might be true.
– There is a technology to access Connect using the brainwaves of a deceased person.
Whether it’s true or not, the fact that such rumors were circulating means that there might really be people attempting to implement such a concept.
In summary, we are looking for a company or organization with the technology level capable of analyzing a Connect access capsule. Additionally, a place with enough information power to find the well-hidden Bae Dohyun. Lastly, a place related to the suited men Bae Dohyun remembers.
We need to find those who meet these conditions.
Of course, there is no certain guarantee that we can find them, and even if we do, they may not be the real culprits. Also, while Raul’s previous life might not be known, in this life, they haven’t harmed him yet.
“But honestly, it’s none of my concern, is it?”
If the culprit isn’t identified by the time Raul anticipates, he planned to make all those who are candidates pay for their crimes. Some might say it’s too severe, but—
In the previous life, the Guild Alliance did not have any grudge or rightful reason to torment Bae Dohyun. They simply trampled him because he got in their way.
They only acted to make their own profit, which meant that they trampled or took from others. The key is that they had the power to act that way.
So Raul planned to do the same to them. From the victim’s perspective, it might seem unfair, but isn’t that also what life taught him?
“In any case, just wait until I catch you. I’ll utterly destroy you.”
He resolved to make them pay for their crimes both within Connect and in real life. Clenching his fists, Raul reaffirmed his determination.
***
The player migration proceeded smoothly.
As Raul predicted, the players who had been stranded in the Free City for 2 months despite being unshackled welcomed the move to First Territory. The top rankers were starving for new hunting grounds and adventures without much choice.
Late starters also preferred competition in a new area rather than staying in the already crowded Free City. Out of the over 50,000 applicants, only 10,000 players were selected to enter Calix Castle.
Shuung.
With a blue flash, a large magic circle activated, and after the light vanished, about 30 people appeared.
“Alright, the group that just arrived, please proceed to Exit 3-B for processing!”
The newly arrived players found themselves in a small square surrounded by high walls. No one else was in the square, approximately half the size of a school playground, and guidance was provided through a magic screen and loudspeakers installed on the front wall.
Instead of the extinguished magic circle, small magic lamps lit up the path to 3-B.
“Wow, this is state-of-the-art!”
“It feels completely different from the Free City!”
“What kind of teleportation magic circle is designed like a fortress?”
The players shared their impressions with friends as they walked along the designated path. Soldiers were stationed atop the walls, monitoring their movements. Additionally, various weapons such as crossbows and ballista aimed at the square, alongside larger weapons installed along the walls.
“Is it to prepare for enemy invasions?”
Hwaryang Guild Master Choi In-hyuk looked around the walls and clicked his tongue. Given the visible weapons, there were likely numerous traps or hidden mechanisms around the vicinity. Despite the ease of disabling a teleportation magic circle with simple coordinate disruption spells, the thorough preparations intrigued him.
At the path’s end, marked 3-B, a large bastion stood with a shimmering translucent curtain flowing underneath it.
“Welcome to Calix Castle, players. Please proceed in turn and present your ID received in the Free City to the scanner on the right.”
The ID was brought close to the magic circle engraved on a sleek stone column, and a holographic wave scanned the player’s body.
“Player Max Myer identified. Please proceed to the next area.”
With a shrug of his shoulders, the black player walked through the translucent curtain. After undergoing several stages of ID verification and document processing over about an hour, they finally stepped into the real Calix Castle.
Bustling.
They arrived at Third Plaza in the First Outer Castle. The vast plaza, neatly finished with stone, was bustling with numerous residents and players moving around.
“Those who applied for migrant accommodation, please come this way!”
“If you did not choose accommodation, you should visit the 『First Player Association』 building by tomorrow morning.”
Officials, who seemed like public servants, kindly guided the players who had completed the entry procedures. Choi In-hyuk, the guild master of the Hwaryang Guild, and his party, who had arrived in advance, were guided to a different sector than the general players.
“This is the guild house assigned to the Hwaryang Guild. Apart from basic furniture, nothing else has been set up, so please purchase whatever you need.”
“Wow.”
“Is this really our guild house?”
“Amazing!”
In front of them stood a large mansion comparable to that of a noble estate. The distance from the gate to the main building seemed almost 50 meters, with a well-maintained garden in between. The garden, with its fountain and blooming flowers, looked majestic at a glance. On either side of the garden, small forests were created along the fence, with a small pond hidden within. Additionally, besides the three-story main building, there were two separate annexes, along with a training ground and swimming pool at the rear.
Even Choi In-hyuk, the guild master of Hwaryang Guild, usually not one to show much emotion, couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Is this really the guild house provided to Hwaryang Guild?”
“Yes. The Lord instructed us not to spare any support for cooperating guilds. Also, isn’t Player Choi In-hyuk the top graduate of the second batch of the First Knight Order Academy? We paid extra attention because of that.”
The official even hinted that apart from the Purple Guild, this was the best guild house available.
“Of course, you understand it’s not entirely free, right? If the rent is delayed or if the guild contribution ranking drops below a certain level, it may have to be handed over to another guild.”
“That will never happen!”
“No way! We won’t lose it.”
Before the master Choi In-hyuk could answer, the guild members were in an uproar. They had no intention of giving up such a guild house to others. The rent was much cheaper than each guild member using a luxury inn room individually. Though it didn’t quite measure up to the First Knight Order’s branch, it was hard to find a mansion of this level even in the Free City. Even though it was leased, just having such a mansion was enough to make other guilds and players envious.
“Guild master, can we go inside and look around first?”
“Can we film a video and upload it?”
“When will the rooms be allocated?”
Seeing the excited guild members bouncing around, Choi In-hyuk could only give a wry smile.
“This feels like being completely tied down by the ankles.”
He had a goal of making the Hwaryang Guild the best guild in Connect. For this reason, he had declined the offer to join the Purple Guild and gathered his peers to create an independent guild. It seemed it would take considerable time to break free from the influence of the First Knight Order.
“Oh, by the way, Master Choi In-hyuk. The Lord mentioned that he would like to have a separate conversation with you after the cooperative guilds’ meeting in a few days. If you have any suggestions, you might want to organize them beforehand.”
“The Lord said that?”
Choi In-hyuk’s eyes sparkled. Unlike the first batch, Raul couldn’t attend the second batch’s graduation ceremony as he was in the process of taking over the magic tower in the Leslie Kingdom.
“This is a good opportunity. The owner of the First Knight Order and First Territory, Viscount Raul. I have to see for myself what kind of person he is.”
Whether he liked it or not, Raul was currently the most influential figure to Connect players. Having his support would undoubtedly give them a step ahead of other guilds. Moreover, the player community speculated that Raul’s real identity was the ‘Main Scenario NPC of Connect’, meaning he was at the center of the upcoming scenario updates.
“In other words, staying close to him means gaining access to scenario quests faster than anyone else.”
Choi In-hyuk’s mind was racing with thoughts of securing a connection to Raul. And it wasn’t just Choi In-hyuk; all the masters of the cooperative guilds moving into Calix Castle were racking their brains to win Raul’s favor.
(To be continued)