Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 418: Facing and Protecting (5)
‘Raising My Precious Absolute God.’
The first virtual reality game in human history, boasting hundreds of millions of concurrent users after achieving global success.
Something that had gone beyond a game to become a culture, and by now, another ‘reality.’
Great First Step.
That was the season theme the game had put forward when it rolled out a major update in New World.
Anyone could build their own kingdom in New World.
Founding a nation.
At that name, the hearts of hundreds of millions of users pounded.
New World had already had far too much to do as it was.
“A large-scale war is different!”
And on top of that, just imagining users taking center stage, confronting either other users or NPCs—how exciting had that been?
<But isn’t it kind of boring?>
But perhaps the excitement had been too great.
===================
-There really aren’t that many obvious changes compared to what I expected.
-Of course there aren’t. Hey, no matter how many users there are, we’re still only a tiny fraction of New World.
-We’re not that tiny, are we?
-Whatever, we’re not even united, are we? How are we supposed to fight kingdoms and found a nation right away?
-Great First Step is seriously long-term content. Even if things move fast, it’ll probably be next year before we even start hearing news that some faction has risen somewhere.
===================
There had not been as much visible change in New World as expected.
Of course, plenty of top-ranked users and alliances were trying to build up power beneath the surface, but—
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-Other than Rank #1 supposedly becoming the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire, there’s basically nothing, right?
-But even that’s a mystery right now. The news suddenly stopped.
-Exactly. They said they were holding the Crown Prince investiture ceremony, and then all news just vanished.
===================
Even the news about Rank #1, which people had at least been looking forward to, had gone quiet.
That was only natural.
Outside New World.
At the top floor of the Sun Building, located in the center of the capital of Roan, a nation in the Third District.
CEO Choi Sun Hee of Sun Co., who was holding a tablet and watching the situation unfold, spoke calmly.
“Because he’s the president.”
Rank #1 was currently President Anlomann.
Glance.
Her gaze shifted toward the muted television screen.
<Will the fight between President Anlomann and Transparent Co. affect not only the prosecution, but even the global economy?>
The controversy regarding Transparent Co. that President Anlomann had exposed.
Over that fight for the truth, President Anlomann’s side and Transparent Co. were now fighting like mad.
“The reality is that Transparent Co. is trying to bury it somehow.”
And Anlomann—
“He’s rampaging like a madman.”
He was acting like someone with nothing left behind him.
<President Anlomann: “Honorary Chairman Han Taeksoo should voluntarily appear before the prosecution. Transparent Co. must also release all of the museum’s research materials. If they do not, then our side will release all of our information to the entire world.”>
Because this was a battle of momentum.
“And Transparent Co. isn’t staying still either.”
<Transparent Co.: “This is all part of President Anlomann’s bigger plan for reelection. Releasing Transparent Co.’s research materials would reduce corporate value, and everything happening right now is clearly pressure being directed at Transparent Co.”>
Transparent Co. had consistently acted ignorant of the controversy and avoided answering it, while insisting that everything was simply Anlomann’s threats and pressure.
“...The problem is that those threats are working better than expected.”
<Transparent Co.: “If this continues, there is a strong possibility that the normal operation of ‘NaSoJeol’ will become impossible.”>
A great many people reacted to those words.
They could hardly do otherwise, because the Third District had spent a very long time enduring monsters appearing and destroying places all over the world, leaving behind countless scars from war.
Materially and mentally alike.
Of course, by now, much had been restored, measures against monsters had been established, and empowered individuals were being trained, but—
“...A utopia.”
And in the middle of all that, the New World that Transparent Co. had unveiled was, quite literally, a new world.
You could live a new life in a new world.
That fact alone had drawn people into New World.
Culture, economy, even faith.
New World was affecting countless areas.
For many people, that new world was a source of comfort.
But what if they might not be able to have that anymore?
“That cannot be allowed.”
Transparent Co. had dismissed President Anlomann’s claims as completely absurd nonsense.
They experiment using human souls?
They worship the God of Chaos?
Does that even make sense?
Calling virtual reality gaming the pinnacle of advanced science, Transparent Co. had even denounced Anlomann’s claims as fiction.
“...Transparent Co. really is something.”
They ignored it even with evidence out in the open.
Instead, they claimed that the attack on the museum had been an act of terrorism by public authority, and demanded that the prosecution investigate it.
“...Transparent Co.’s reach goes further than expected.”
The prosecution, the National Assembly, the courts. Transparent Co.’s hands had reached everywhere.
“Anlomann has less than expected.”
Because many people had left his side, judging him to be fading power.
“That’s why he’s rampaging even harder.”
President Anlomann and his close associates were tearing into everything with even more force than when they fought monsters in the past, like people with no path left behind them.
Part of that was because his term was not long from ending, and he wanted to bring things to an end somehow before that happened.
“But he also needs to draw attention.”
That reason was a large one too.
Ding!
Choi Sun Hee turned at the notification sound from her phone and checked the message.
<Ma’am, I’ve set the appointment.>
Ding!
<Ma’am, should we keep buying?>
Sun Co.
It was not a corporation whose name was widely known to the public.
If anything, it was more famous among corporations.
Because it was a giant spender sitting on an enormous amount of cash.
“President Anlomann did well.”
A smile formed at the corners of Choi Sun Hee’s mouth.
Whenever the stock price falls, buy as much Transparent Co. stock as possible.
Arrange meetings with shareholders and institutions, and make as many allies as possible.
Cale Henituse.
He had told Choi Sun Hee to remain hidden in the shadows and aim for control of Transparent Co.’s management.
And because we need to carry out work inside New World, if variables arise in the situation, cooperate well with President Anlomann and the vice president and proceed accordingly.
At present, there were a total of three forces in the [N O V E L I G H T] Third District that could be called allies.
Sun Co., clutching money in its hands.
President Anlomann, who possessed legitimacy and power.
And finally, their ally inside Transparent Co., Vice President Lee Mi Jung.
“Hm?”
CEO Choi Sun Hee’s eyes, which had been on the tablet, shook.
“Huh?”
===================
-What the hell? What is this video that that attention-whore bastard just uploaded?
===================
Starting from that post, messages began rapidly flooding the New World community.
Great First Step.
That episode had felt more sluggish than expected, and people had not really sensed any major changes.
And just as they were keeping themselves entertained now and then with stories about things like the World’s Best Martial Arts Tournament or a newly emerging quest in the Western Empire—
<Hey, did you see the video Mad Attention Whore uploaded?>
Mad Attention Whore.
New World began heating up because of the video he uploaded.
With an inexplicable sense of foreboding, Choi Sun Hee immediately checked the post.
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<Hey, did you see the video Mad Attention Whore uploaded?>
Keeping this short.
Mad Attention Whore.
Go into his channel and watch the video right now.
Holy shit, you have to watch this. Something is happening.
===================
She checked the comments.
===================
-...Wow, this is basically a movie. No, is it even possible to fight on this scale?
-How far the hell has that attention-whore bastard gone now?
-The Demon Realm.
-That’s not what he was asking, ㅡㅡ
===================
The Demon Realm.
Choi Sun Hee paused at those words.
Until now, she had occasionally heard how things were progressing through Alberu and Rosalyn.
She knew they had gone to the Demon Realm now.
“Hm.”
Picking up another tablet, Choi Sun Hee searched for Mad Attention Whore’s channel and watched the latest video.
There were three videos uploaded in total, and all three were quite long.
They did not even have proper titles.
“.......”
Choi Sun Hee started the first video.
There were no subtitles.
There was no introduction and no explanation of any kind.
He had simply uploaded the raw footage in sequence, completely unedited, exactly as he had recorded it.
But Choi Sun Hee did not have any time to judge that unprepared video at all.
“Ah.”
Lord Raon appears.
Thump. Thump.
Choi Sun Hee’s heart pounded.
She kept the video playing while scanning the community.
She checked the comments on the video too.
The video’s view count was climbing rapidly.
-Wow, what is this scale? This is insane.
-There was an episode like this in the Demon Realm?
-There was something like that under the Death Precipice? Oooh. Should I try going there?
The comments had been light at first.
-It’s a dragon! A ridiculously cute dragon!
-Huff, huff, baby dragon. Huff, huff, I’m going to the Demon Realm to see the baby dragon.
-Oh. Who’s that swordsman? He’s crazy handsome. Totally my type.
But gradually, the comments began to change.
-The saintess of the Order of the Sun God? The saintess? The saintess??
-Sir Voltien shows up too.
-Holy shit, is that attention-whore bastard not even afraid of dying? He’s sticking his head out and looking down! But what is that down there? What’s unfolding?
They really did change.
Especially the moment they saw the quest that had appeared for Mad Attention Whore and his close friend.
-...It’s asking us to save the game?
[Can you help save this world, this reality, this game?]
The moment that quest window appeared.
Some troublemakers showed up.
-Hey, maybe even the game knows that lunatic Anlomann bastard is trying to shut New World down!
-Yeah yeah, Anlomann needs to crawl out of his old hero act already and face reality. That washed-up old man needs to get out.
-LOL, hey, Anlomann’s young. And handsome.
-So that means you’re going to overlook Anlomann going after Transparent? Screw Anlomann, I hope he dies!
But the atmosphere soon changed.
-Wow.
-The scale... insane.
-No, who are those people? No, who is that man?
-Is combat like that even possible?
-There are that many powerful people we’ve never even encountered?
A battle unfolding on an overwhelming scale.
-...But it feels way too real.
The appearance of the revived sacrifices, and the scene below the gorge captured by Mad Attention Whore in all his manic frenzy.
The sights of people dying and being torn apart.
And within it, the fanatical madness of the Order rising up.
-Hey, didn’t they just say chaos?
And then someone noticed something.
-Didn’t they just say this was the descent of the God of Chaos?
-Huh? Come to think of it, didn’t the Order of the Sun God have some kind of connection with the Order of the God of Chaos?
-Hey, but isn’t the God of Chaos tied to Transparent Co. or something?
-...What is this. Is this really a game?
-Is the game system seriously, I mean seriously, asking us to save it?
The atmosphere was gradually becoming more serious.
And because the video was raw footage, the sense of immersion was even stronger.
-Ah, I’m crying. Who is that person? No, all by himself, ha—
-He saved them all. That person did. He’s an NPC, right?
-Holy shit, did the Hero of the Sun God just show up?
-...That hero looks like a user.
The sacrifices and the Order.
The outsiders who had come to smash the Order.
And alongside them, the small number of people solving all of it.
-Why am I crying?
-No, but if that God of Chaos thing is really the same as reality, and if the game system is really asking us to help, then? Damn... am I getting too immersed? No, but if that’s really true, then aren’t the NPCs over there fighting the God of Chaos right now to save the game?
-You’re not too immersed.
-We seriously need to think about this.
-Someone posted an analysis thread in the community. Go look.
As people began taking it seriously, a current started to form in which they no longer saw it as just one episode.
And as serious analysis posts started appearing more and more in the community, a strange atmosphere began to spread.
===================
<Isn’t a scenario like this possible too?>
What if Transparent Co. really has gone off the rails, and what was it, the God of Chaos? If they really joined hands with some rotten order like that and are carrying out biological experiments?
And if that means they’re also trying to control the game?
So isn’t the game system asking us to save it?
-Ehh. Realistically, the chance of the game system acting like that is extremely low.
-Yeah. I think so too. More likely some Transparent Co. employees are trying to save the game somehow because the company is going to hell, and they’re sending us a signal.
===================
The moment she reached that point, Choi Sun Hee made her decision.
“This is not the situation they intended.”
Mad Attention Whore. Because of that strange user, everything had now leaked out.
That was not what Cale wanted.
We needed to stay hidden from the enemy for as long as possible!
But it had already happened.
What had been exposed could not be helped.
“Then we use it instead.”
Yes, if this went well, they could join hands with President Anlomann’s side and make a move.
“...The Order of the Sun God.”
The appearance of the Order of the Sun God inside the game could not simply have happened for no reason either.
“O Sun God—”
CEO Choi Sun Hee had led Sun Co. while carrying on the will of the Sun God.
What she needed to do now was support Cale’s group as much as possible.
“But not everything can be exposed like this.”
As much as possible, whatever could be hidden had to be hidden.
“Our hidden trump card must not be exposed.”
What was the greatest hidden trump card they had right now?
The forces of the God of Chaos.
The Demon Realm.
The hunter family.
What was the one existence they were completely leaving out of the equation?
The answer was obvious.
“.......”
Choi Sun Hee immediately called one person.
That person must have been about to call her too, because the call was picked up right away.
-CEO.
“Vice President Lee.”
Vice President Lee Mi Jung.
A legendary figure who had started at Transparent Co. as an ordinary employee and risen all the way to vice president.
And also the one who had joined hands with Choi Sun Hee and Rosalyn.
Choi Sun Hee spoke to her, still remaining inside Transparent Co.
“You understand what happened this time, right?”
-Yes.
Lee Mi Jung had clearly grasped the danger of the situation too.
“We have to hide the game system.”
-Agreed.
Lee Mi Jung spoke to Choi Sun Hee.
-I’ll step forward.
The moment she understood the meaning of those words, CEO Choi Sun Hee swallowed hard.
“Vice President Lee, you do understand what that means, don’t you?”
-Yes. Transparent Co. is more shaken than ever right now.
Whether openly or secretly, Transparent Co.’s employees had been paying attention to the news coming in from outside.
The managers were trying to keep them under control, but the employees were confused by the horrific things Transparent Co. had done.
Most ordinary employees had never even been able to imagine something like that.
All they had ever had was pride in working for the best corporation.
-I heard that you, CEO Choi, have been buying up stock and persuading shareholders in order to hold a shareholders’ meeting.
Recovering management control.
-If I want to secure my place when that time comes, then now is the moment I need to stand at the front.
Vice President Lee Mi Jung truly was someone who understood how the current flowed.
-This works well. While we’re hiding the game system, we’ll also make it so that the line, ‘save this game,’ that appeared in this quest was something done by me, a few employees who follow me, and Mr. Park Jung Gyu from the operations team.
If it became that,
then the voluntary action of the game system—
in other words, the fact that the game system, which was as good as the World Tree or a god in New World, was on Cale’s side—could be hidden.
“If that happens, quite a lot of the employees may end up supporting Vice President Lee Mi Jung.”
-Yes. And it will also let me openly raise the banner of rebellion again