Chapter 33

* * *

[Bronze League – Welcome to Gangnam Area.]

[This mission is a dungeon.]

“I knew it. I’ve been assigned to a dungeon.”

The moment Seong Jihan logged into the game, a message appeared notifying him of his dungeon mission.

[You have been summoned to the 8th passage of the ‘Conqueror’s Mausoleum’.]

The Conqueror’s Mausoleum had passages up to the 10th. While there were slight differences in the details of each passage, the overall difficulty of the dungeon was consistent, regardless of the passage number you were assigned to.

[Reach the lowest floor of the dungeon and secure the Conqueror’s Treasure.]

[Up to 5 parties can enter the dungeon’s lowest floor.]

As always, only the top 50% of players were recognized as having cleared the mission.

[You are not affiliated with any guild.]

[Your dungeon party will be assigned randomly.]

Seong Jihan, having been the first to be summoned to the 8th passage, waited for the rest of his party members.

Meanwhile, viewers began to join Seong Jihan’s channel one by one.

– Starting your game this early?

– Seong Jihan! Your viewer count might drop if you keep this up!!!

– Seriously, Only the complete noobs are watching now.

– Even the pros are sleeping at this hour, right?

Viewers, who initially grumbled about Seong Jihan playing so early in the morning, were taken aback when they saw the map.

– What? It’s a dungeon?

– He’s already reached level 15?!

– How many games did he play to get to level 15? Seriously impressive.

– If you get 1st place in 5 consecutive games, a level 2 becomes level 15? That’s insane.

BattleNet allows rapid progression up to level 10, but after that, leveling up becomes significantly slower. Especially since experience loss from defeats is substantial, players must rank in the top 50% to ensure growth.

But this monstrous rookie, Seong Jihan, reached level 15 in just 5 games. It was no wonder the viewers were flabbergasted.

– He still hasn’t joined a guild?

– Does this mean it’ll be a random party?

– Finally, his 1st place streak might break.

– Nah, you know how strong Seong Jihan is. He’s probably aiming for 1st place in the dungeon.

In the dungeon mode, where teams must cooperate to overcome challenges, if Seong Jihan were placed in a random team, would his streak of 1st place victories finally come to an end?

The viewers, perhaps hoping to finally view his status window, eagerly waited for the players to be summoned.

Then, suddenly, three players were summoned at once.

“Uh… our team got split.”

“We’re doomed!”

All three of the summoned players had equipment with a black eagle emblem on it.

Their attire alone made it evident they were from the same guild.

The group, consisting of two men and one woman, exchanged glances and sighed heavily.

“How come it had to be the Support that is missing?”

“Looks like the Support got stuck in a survival map meant for them.”

From Level 15 onwards, the BattleNet matchmaking system prioritized guild members to allow for coordinated team play.

However, exceptions always existed.

In this case, one of the party members got stuck in a solo map, leading to a separation in the team.

The players, members of one of the top guilds, the ‘Black Eagle’, wore gloomy expressions.

“Ah, this is terrible! I was just one level away from reaching level 25. Why now of all times?”

“Ugh, I wonder if we’ll even make it to the top 5. But… wait… is that…?”

The players, who were lamenting their fate, suddenly exclaimed,

“It’s.. it’s Seong Jihan!”

Upon spotting Seong Jihan, who was summoned as a supporter, their faces instantly lit up.

“We’re saved!”

“If we’re in the same team as Seong Jihan, we’ll definitely be in the top 5.”

“Just top 5? Aren’t we going for 1st? Haha!”

Seong Jihan’s feats were well-known to all users in the Bronze League.

A monster dominating the league.

Teaming up with him? Not only would they be in the top 50%, but even 1st place seemed attainable.

‘Sorry, but I’m kind of glad we’re missing a supporter.’

‘Level 25! Level 25!’

While they were relieved and celebrating, there were also those who were rather disappointed.

– If it’s the Black Eagle Guild, they won’t be a troll like last time.

– Well, they’re not top 10, but they’re still a pretty high-ranking guild.

– Ah, another 1st place today.

– Damn, reaching 200k subscribers seems easier now.

The majority of viewers, who had been hoping for him to slip from 1st place and show his status window, were understandably let down.

Unlike the previous time, it seemed this team would genuinely put in an effort.

– Mr. Seong Jihan, You’ve been working hard since early this morning ♥ Could you open your DMs? If you do so, Take-chan will send you a dazzling donation ♥

– He’s always so eager, even in the morning.

– At least he has a job, right? We’re watching this early, aren’t we the weird ones?

-Shut up, dude!

“Hello, Mr. Seong Jihan!”

“We’re players from the Black Eagle Guild.”

“We’re looking forward to playing with you! Oh, and I’ve subscribed to your channel!”

The three summoned players extended their hands for a handshake with welcoming smiles.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Seong Jihan.”

Seong Jihan greeted them warmly, returning their handshake.

[The game will begin soon.]

After a quick exchange of greetings, an alert rang out, prompting the group to start strategizing.

“Let’s go with the usual formation: our warrior in the front, the archer in the middle, and the mage, along with Mr. Seong Jihan, in the back. How does that sound?”

The Black Eagle Guild member proposed this basic four-person formation. It was a tried and tested method from countless dungeon runs.

Moreover, with Seong Jihan, the wildcard, they would have robust support from the rear.

However…

“Thank you for considering me, but I think it’s best if I take the front.”

Waving them off, Seong Jihan confidently strode to the forefront.

“Do you all want to come in 1st place?”

“Of course!”

“Then just follow my lead.”

“….”

The others were momentarily stunned by his audacity.

But considering it was Seong Jihan saying it, it felt different.

After all, he was the one who had defeated the Flesh Golem, an extraordinary being beyond measure.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes? Yes…!”

As Seong Jihan entered the dungeon, the remaining party members followed closely behind him.

* * *

‘It’s so comfortable.’

The Black Eagle Guild’s warrior gazed at the back of Seong Jihan, who led the way.

Up until now, he had always been at the forefront, tirelessly protecting his party members.

Yet now, even in the potentially dangerous environment of the dungeon, he felt an unusual sense of ease.

‘Is this what it feels like to be carried?’

“Being carried” was a slang term used in gaming when one player, thanks to their exceptional skills, made winning the game feel effortless.

He never dreamed he’d experience this in BattleNet.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, from the ground in front of Seong Jihan, a mound of dirt rose, and humanoid clay soldiers emerged.

[Do not disturb his rest.]

[The Emperor is eternal.]

These were the ‘Guardians’, monsters that appear in the Conqueror’s Mausoleum.

These guardians were considered a major factor in the increased difficulty of the August’s Bronze Dungeon.

They were not only formidable individually, but when summoned in groups, their coordinated attacks were extremely threatening.

However…

“Go away.”

Bam!

With a casual fist extended by Seong Jihan,

The guardians shattered as if they were made of glass.

Perhaps they lacked any defense?

It wouldn’t be unreasonable for the Black Eagle Guild members to think that way.

But when the warrior, following behind Seong Jihan, struck the remains of a guardian with his sword, it sounded as if he was striking thick steel.

‘They’re so sturdy.’

Yes, it wasn’t that the guardians were weak; Seong Jihan was just overwhelmingly strong.

And just like that, each monster was obliterated with a single blow.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Traps within the dungeon were triggered, and arrows rained down towards Seong Jihan, who walked without caution.

But with a swift motion of his hand, the barrage of arrows halted mid-air and then dropped to the ground, powerless.

Thud! Thud!

‘What’s this… We’re not even needed.’

The warrior glanced at the scoreboard.

While other teams had only reached the 2nd floor, or were still struggling on the 1st, they had already made it to the 4th.

– Crazy, already on the 4th floor?

– This is going to end before my chicken gets delivered!

– Take it easy, will you?

– Look at the Black Eagle members, so clueless. LOL!

– Their compatibility is too good, isn’t it?

Indeed, the Conqueror’s Mausoleum was the easiest dungeon for Seong Jihan to conquer.

Even though powerful monsters and traps were abundant, there was hardly any need for teamwork or puzzle-solving.

All he had to do was overpower them.

It seemed like the game would easily end with Seong Jihan’s team in 1st place.

…

‘That can’t happen!’

Takeda, having recently woken up and still groggy, quickly gathered his wits. He transferred the funds he had received from the Neo Self-Defense Force’s Director to a sub-account and began his covert operations.

‘It won’t be as easy as last time with that Mage.’

Compared to Kim Gyuhyuk, who held a grudge against Seong Jihan, the current party members were players who valued each game as they were on the brink of reaching level 25.

Therefore, trying to manipulate them impulsively would likely fail.

‘But they… don’t really need to come in 1st.’

Sure, 1st place would be great due to the bonus Experience and GP.

But wouldn’t they still earn a significant amount of experience even if they came in 2nd or 3rd?

“Let’s see…”

Takeda quickly pulled up multiple screens, logging into various accounts: Sword King 898, Sword King 168, Sword King 747…

He then searched for the BattleTube accounts of the Black Eagle party members.

‘Just as I thought, almost no viewers.’

Being Bronze players, they naturally attracted less attention. Plus, it was early in the morning. There were very few viewers watching their gameplay.

‘What viewer mission should I use to delay them? How much… maybe 100,000 GP?’

In the Conqueror’s Mausoleum, while they were breezing through the current levels, the 7th floor would require the entire party’s cooperation to clear.

So, if he could give a mission to these three to somehow delay them…

As Takeda pondered the perfect mission, Seong Jihan’s channel showed that they were already preparing to advance to the 5th floor.

– Woh! Already on the 5th floor?!

– Seriously, a free clear pass.

– Why’s my chicken taking so long?!

‘What? Already… the 5th floor?!’

‘Mr. Seong, you’re too strong!’

If this continues, even if Takeda tries to delay them, there’s no guarantee he can stop Seong Jihan from taking 1st place.

Takeda became desperate. His initial plan to delay them was now unfeasible. It was time for a drastic measure.

‘I’ll take a gamble using the funds I got from the Director!’

Yes. After all, it wasn’t his money. He could… spend it all, right?

Still, as he thought this, his hands trembled uncontrollably as they typed

‘It’s… It’s fine, right?’

Tap! Tap!

Quickly, using the Sword King account, a viewer mission was created:

[Immediately commit in-game suicide to hinder Seong Jihan from achieving 1st place.]

A ridiculous mission for players aiming for their promotional match to level 25.

However, the reward listed below was even more absurd.

[Reward: 1,000,000 GP]

It was an amount equivalent to 10 billion won.

“Gasp…!”

The eyes of the three party members widened in shock.