At this time, I accessed the game from the waiting room. I wasn't the only one. Park Muyeol, who came after me, also connected. I immediately sent a whisper to him.

-Jackson: Where are you?

-Park Muyeol: The place we trained the other day.

-Jackson: Wait. I'll be there soon.

I immediately left the lord's office. Behind it was the small lord's castle. I was just a baron, but I was still a lord. I didn't want to be too extravagant so I ordered them to make the castle small.

“By the way...”

The surroundings were bustling. I seemed to know the reason why. In the dark night, the soaring lights shone like stars that illuminated the world. If my guess was correct, then this was probably...

-Crystal: Father!

Then Kim Sujeong's whisper arrived. There was no reason to ignore it. I was grateful for her hospital visit so I was happy to answer.

-Jackson: Yes. Have you been well?

-Crystal: Big trouble!

My eyes changed the moment I heard her words. It was Kim Sujeong so I couldn't guess how serious it would be.

-Jackson: What's the matter?

-Crystal: Ah, really! This foolish bear has eaten a Star Fruit! I wanted to show it to Father first. Ah!

Foolish bear? Who was she talking about? Someone had eaten a Star Fruit. As expected, people who ate the Star Fruit had already started to appear. I was going to have to move a bit faster.

-Crystal: Where are you? I will take this bear to see you.

-Jackson: I am in Metheus. Come here and get in touch with me.

-Crystal: Yes. I'm going right now!

Kim Sujeong's whisper cut off. She seemed to be in a very urgent mood. No, who the h.e.l.l was the bear? There were only question marks in my mind. Hrmm. I would go to Park Muyeol first...

-Joseph: Elder.

s.h.i.+t.

-Jackson: What is it?

-Joseph: I just saw the breaking news. Is this perhaps...

Joseph's words trailed off.

I seemed to know what he was thinking now. I also had the same idea. Perhaps this was the same disaster that Kang Jaeseong had talked about. It was the precursor.

-Jackson: Is the light of the Star Fruit rising from where you are too?

-Joseph: As expected, you thought the same. I contacted Aren and had him send the soldiers. If there is a Star Fruit at the place where the light is s.h.i.+ning then be sure to secure it. Additionally, the dark light...

-Jackson: The Pandora fragments.

-Joseph: I'm worried. If a user knows about its power...

-Jackson: First, let's only think about what we can do.

-Joseph: I understand. We'll collect the Star Fruits and Pandora pieces before getting back in contact with you.

-Jackson: Yes.

Thus, I finished exchanging whispers with Joseph. I could only let out a light sigh. “I think things are going to happen very urgently... Ah, whoops. Where is my mind?”

I hurriedly ran over to Park Muyeol's location.

* * *

Shortly thereafter, I was able to meet Park Muyeol.

“Why were you so slow? Did you swallow maggots?"  

“Don't nag. My head really hurts right now.”

“How annoying.”

I waved my hand and walked past as I ignored Park Muyeol's nagging. Behind me, Park Muyeol followed. “You just came. Where are you going?”

“I'm going to meet Kerenos.”

“Ah, that spear guy?”

Kerenos was in Windia, but he had returned to Metheus not long ago. Therefore, Kerenos was now in Metheus. I replied, “Yes. Additionally, go somewhere with me while you're here.”

“Where are we going all of a sudden?”

“You will know later.”

“Annoying b.a.s.t.a.r.d. You are always like this.”

We were able to meet Kerenos soon after. Not surprisingly, Kerenos was very busy right now.

“Old man? What brings you here? Not right now...”

“Whatever. How many troops are available now?” I interrupted Kerenos' words since the situation was too urgent.

“It is around 3,000 people.”

My eyes widened slightly because the number was higher than I expected. He had already gathered so many soldiers? It seemed that Metheus had developed a lot.

“You seem surprised. Cough. This is all due to the hard work that the Sylphid Knights and I did by devoting ourselves to training and nurturing soldiers...”

“Shut up. Why brag in front of me? Tell the soldiers to go and gather the Star Fruits emitting light all over the continent. Additionally, contact Windia and tell Edward the same thing. It is urgent so hurry.”

However, Kerenos blinked like he didn't understand the situation. I was frowning when he asked a strange question, “How important is it?”

“Enough that all the money you bet on gambling will fly away.”

“...I will move like the wind.”

Kerenos operated the wind and literally disappeared like the wind. There was a remnant of magic power in his place. It was pure green wind magic power.

“Hmm. I can't help but feel that he is very similar to Jeonghyun,” Park Muyeol murmured from where he was watching with crossed arms behind me. I couldn't deny it so I nodded.

“Yes. He is exactly like my second son.”

“Is he good at gambling?”

“He seems to be better at it than my second son.”

“Yes. Well, as long as he doesn't lose money.”

“Don't provoke it from the side. His heart is shaking because of Seohui.”

“Tsk. If he gambles, then I'll hit him with a stick.”

“Yes, I will ask you. I am old, so my waist aches when I kick these days.” 

“Kuhaha! Choi Chuntaek is admitting that he is old, old! Hahaha!” Park Muyeol's laughter spread through the training ground.

I still couldn't adapt to his laughter. I wondered how his voice was so good. Perhaps he would've done really well if he had been a singer. His personality was unique, he played well, and he had a different temperament.

“Ah, my ears are going to fall off! Did you swallow a hwatong?"   

I cried out as I blocked my ears. It was a timid revenge for his earlier remark about me eating maggots. I swallowed maggots while Park Muyeol swallowed a hwatong.

“...It is dull. By the way, where are we now?” Park Muyeol asked.

I took out the return stone and opened the portal. The s.p.a.ce on the other side distorted and formed a blue vortex.

“What? You want to go back to that pit of fire?”

“Yes. It is boring to go alone.”

“I can hear weird noises. Why go back?”

“I want to look for the cloud elemental.”

Then I threw myself into the vortex. Park Muyeol followed. The portal swirled counterclockwise like a rewinding clock and fell apart. A leaf fluttered and fell.

* * *

At Union's headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul...

The PvP finals for the World Compet.i.tion had begun. It was overshadowed by the breaking news that Union had arranged a surprise event. Right now, they were excitedly watching the finals, but the audience would know sooner or later. These lights meant Star Fruits.

“Sigh. What day is it today? I have no energy at all.”

Yoo Minseok returned after meeting Joseph late at night and covered his face with both hands as he took a deep breath. Dark circles had settled under his eyes. Today was a very tiring day, both mentally and physically.

'It is ridiculous.'

It was an error that Union didn't know about. It occurred simultaneously all over the continent. An event in the game that the operators didn't know about was now unfolding in front of Yoo Minseok's eyes.

“Light has come up from the Parta Princ.i.p.ality! There are eight!”

“There are 12 from the North Pole!”

“A total of 16 lights had appeared in the East Continent!”

“The magic city of Oz!”

“The sea...!”

It was really crazy. How could this happen unless the game went crazy? For the first time, Yoo Minseok became anxious. Perhaps Joseph's sign of disaster had already begun.

“What is going on?” Just then, Lee Seokjun came in and hurriedly asked. His face was full of indescribable emotions. His brow was furrowed and he seemed very uncomfortable.

“I'm sorry. The cause is unknown. It occurred all of a sudden...”

“Saying that now!” The silence was broken by the sudden shout and for a moment, everyone's attention focused over here. Lee Seokjun realized he had drawn too much attention, took a deep breath, and calmed his body and mind. He told Yoo Minseok in a quiet voice, “...I'm sorry. I was too agitated.” 

“No. I fully understand.”

“Hmm. So the cause is unknown? Are you sure?”

“...Yes. We really don't know. The lights believed to be the Star Fruits are continuing to soar into the sky. Players will start fighting around those lights. Additionally...”

Yoo Minseok paused. He hesitated over whether to say it or not.

“What else?”

“That...”

“Talk to me without hesitation.”

Yoo Minseok took a deep breath. The story he would tell now wasn't about the Star Fruit. It would be about the Pandora pieces. It was the story that Choi Chuntaek had told Joseph and Joseph had told Yoo Minseok. Before that, there was something he wanted to check. It was the whereabouts of Lee Geonmyeong. “Before that, are you in touch with the chairman currently?”

“Father? No, I haven't been in touch with him for some time. Why? Do you have something to say to him in a hurry? He isn't good at answering the phone so I can't get in touch with him very often...”

“...No, it's fine.”

Yoo Minseok slowly closed his eyes. The ominous feeling was becoming worse. Maybe it was really Chairman Lee Geonmyeong doing this...

Lee Seokjun told him, “I will leave a message with my father.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you have anything else to say? It will be troublesome if you hide something from me.”

Finally, Yoo Minseok decided to reveal it. He couldn't tell Lee Seokjun everything because it wasn't clear yet. However, he thought that his actions would become more comfortable if unexpected situations happened and Lee Seokjun understood the circ.u.mstances to a certain extent.

“Department Head-nim.”

“Yes.”

“From now on, listen to my words and don't dismiss them lightly.”

The story that could be the delusion of a madman slowly emerged from Yoo Minseok's mouth. It was a story about an old man who rose to stardom in South Korea and was struggling in a place no one knew. It was the prelude.

[1] The word for maggot can also mean a slow person

[2] A term used in ancient Korean for a weapon that fires arrows or bullets using gunpowder. Seems to be implying that it is something loud so another example could be, 'did he swallow a foghorn?'

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