Chapter 89: Chapter 89

Märchen Kingdom.

Jeong-Hoon, who had entered the capital, was resting at an inn for a while.

‘It’s a bust.’

Honestly, he wasn’t feeling very good.

This was because all the Random Enhancement Stones had turned out to be duds, with none of them being Rare grade or higher.

“…Crazy bastard.”

Next to him, Ha-Jin was looking at Jeong-Hoon as if he were a monster.

The reason was simple.

Jeong-Hoon, who had entered the game much later than him, had almost caught up to his level.

“I was lucky.”

“…So why does all that luck go to you?!”

The level difference between Ha-Jin and Jeong-Hoon was only 5.

Moreover, Jeong-Hoon had recently joined Ho-Yeong.

It was said to be as hard as threading a needle to get into a renowned guild, but Jeong-Hoon had joined Ho-Yeong very easily.

And he had even been promised exceptionally good treatment.

It was so damn enviable…

Even if they were friends, it would be strange if he didn’t feel any jealousy.

“That’s why you’re saying we’ll be traveling together from here on, right?”

“…Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Jeong-Hoon had called Ha-Jin to the Märchen Kingdom.

“So what are you planning to do now?”

“I’m thinking of making a strategy video.”

“Huh? A strategy video?”

Ha-Jin tilted his head.

“Yes.”

World Com was already full of strategy videos.

Strategies for hunting monsters in each dungeon.

Strategies for defeating boss monsters, which became significantly more difficult from level 151.

How to find hunting grounds suitable for level 151.

How to win in fierce competition for spots.

And so on. The videos were very diverse.

But the strategy videos Jeong-Hoon wanted weren’t like that.

‘Things that haven’t been revealed yet.’

He wanted to reveal elements that would be revealed in the far future in advance, so that users could grow faster than before his return.

“Aha, so you’re saying let’s try broadcasting?”

“Broadcasting?”

“Yes! Live broadcasting! If it goes well, we could make a lot of money!”

“No, money shouldn’t be the goal.”

Jeong-Hoon’s goal wasn’t money.

‘We need to suck up the honey that they’re trying to take.’

In the future, several honey routes would be revealed.

They were so good that when those routes were revealed, many users would flock to them to try and get the honey.

Up to level 150, there were practically no honey pots except for opportunities, so he hadn’t thought about filming, but things were different now.

But from level 151 onwards, there were definitely honey pots.

Jeong-Hoon wanted to reveal those routes to the world so that many users could grow faster than before his return.

That way, when the game and reality merged, more people would be able to survive.

To see the END that he so desperately longed for.

‘It’ll all be mine anyway.

From levels 1 to 150, Jeong-Hoon had taken all the opportunities that they were supposed to have.

Of course, there were many more opportunities left, but there was no need to rush.

“It’s a shame… I have a friend who’s great at making videos.”

“Videos?”

“Yeah. You know Dae-Hwi, right?”

“Yeah.”

Jang Dae-Hwi.

He was five years older than Ha-Jin and they were cousins.

“Dae-Hwi is working as a YouTube editor. He’s amazing at video editing!”

YouTube.

These days, YouTube, like World Com, was full of New World videos.

If other game videos got 100,000 views, New World videos boasted an average of 2 to 3 million views.

As a result, many users who enjoyed New World were earning income through broadcasting instead of working.

“Then you manage the YouTube channel.”

“Me?”

“Yes. And you get half of the profits.”

“Really?!”

“Have you ever seen me lie?”

“Not really.”

Jeong-Hoon was the type to always keep his word.

“Of course, if there are any profits.”

“…I knew you’d say that.”

YouTube had been a red ocean for a long time.

It was profitable if you became popular, and in the case of New World, the entry barrier was low thanks to the smart lens program, so everyone was doing YouTube.

Therefore, to become popular on YouTube, you needed something truly stimulating, otherwise, it was impossible to succeed.

Everyone’s ideas were pretty much the same, weren’t they?

Even people with brilliant minds would eventually run out of ideas, so there were countless YouTubers who shine briefly at the beginning but then disappeared.

“Just trust me this once.”

Jeong-Hoon was confident.

There were 2 billion users playing New World.

He was going to reveal honey pots one after another, so could they really ignore that?

“Ah, there you are.”

Yeo Min-Ji arrived in Märchen Kingdom just in time.

“Did you get it?”

“Yes. This is it, right?”

Yeo Min-Ji held out the camera.

“Wow! Isn’t this the camera they use for broadcasting competitions?”

Ha-Jin immediately recognized the camera.

“Yes, it is.”

“Wow… Not a smart lens, but you’re going to film with this?”

“Bingo.”

“That’s really amazing. I’m speechless.”

Ha-Jin clicked his tongue.

Is this what they call “the tail wagging the dog”?

“Jeong-Hoon must have a plan.”

Yeo Min-Ji defended Jeong-Hoon and sat down on an empty chair.

Jeong-Hoon tilted his head and opened his mouth.

“Aren’t you going to train?”

“I’m curious about how you’re going to film. If you don’t mind, can I come with you?”

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Go train. Your Critical Hit proficiency is still lacking. If you want to regret it at a crucial moment, you’re welcome to come along.”

The most important virtue for a martial artist was diligence.

For her, who lacked proficiency, repetitive training was not an option but a necessity.

“…I’ll go train.”

In the end, Yeo Min-Ji couldn’t go with him and returned to the training ground.

* * *

Jang Dae-Hwi, Jang Ha-Jin’s cousin.

He was a professional editor belonging to an MCN company.

‘World Network’, which specialized in taking care of New World YouTubers.

That was the name of the company Jang Dae-Hwi worked for.

Recently, he had a concern.

‘Please change my editor. I really can’t stand it anymore.’

This was because he had been flooded with requests from the YouTuber he was in charge of to change his editor.

However, it wasn’t easy to ignore it because the YouTuber had 1.12 million subscribers and each video he uploaded got 400,000 to 500,000 views, making him a top-tier YouTuber.

“Hey, what’s up? Did Han-Beom ask to change his editor again?”

Lee Hak-Song, an editor and colleague, approached him.

He was a friendly editor who often communicated with other YouTubers in the company besides his own, and had a good reputation.

“Yeah. He said he doesn’t like my video style…”

Han-Beom had asked to change his editor and said he would hire one himself.

“Wow, really? Honestly, Han-Beom got to where he is today all thanks to you, didn’t he?”

Han-Beom had formed a relationship with World Network when he had 110,000 subscribers.

Honestly, the deal almost fell through because there was a big difference in scale compared to other YouTubers in the company, but Jang Dae-Hwi actively pushed for it and succeeded in signing the contract.

And Jang Dae-Hwi became Han-Beom’s dedicated editor, editing his videos and giving him relentless feedback on his broadcasting style.

“I’m also at fault.”

Jang Dae-Hwi had been forcing his philosophy on Han-Beom to lead him to success.

“You’ve been working overtime every day too.”

“Haha, anyway, I’m going to grant Han-Beom’s request.”

“Huh? Then who are you going to take charge of?”

“I don’t know… I’m thinking of taking it easy for a while.”

“…Okay. I respect your choice.”

“Thanks.”

Ding-

At that moment, a notification popped up on KakaoTalk that he had opened on his monitor.

[Jang Ha-Jin: Bro! What are you doing?]

It was a message from Ha-Jin.

“Then I’ll go get some coffee.”

“Aren’t you drinking too much?”

“It keeps running out even when I recharge.”

Lee Hak-Song tactfully left, and Jang Dae-Hwi chuckled and typed.

[Me: At the company now]

[Jang Ha-Jin: Bro, are you busy with editing today?]

[Me: Hmm… I was busy until today, but I think I’ll be free from tomorrow.]

He was going to quit being Han-Beom’s dedicated editor.

[Jang Ha-Jin: Wow! That’s great. Bro, I’m thinking of opening a YouTube channel and uploading some videos, can you edit them for me? I’ll pay you well.]

[Me: Suddenly?]

[Jang Ha-Jin: Yeah. Not many, just 2 or 3 should be enough.]

[Me: Hmm… Why YouTube all of a sudden? Are you short on money?]

[Jang Ha-Jin: That too, but I have some good content.]

[Me: Send me a video you’ve filmed first. I’ll decide after seeing it.]

[Jang Ha-Jin: Okay]

The place Jeong-Hoon and Ha-Jin headed to was a temple located in the capital.

“What brings an outsider here?”

A paladin was personally guarding the entrance to the temple.

===

[NPC Information]

Nickname: Carmel

Level: 225

Class: Soul Master (3rd class)

===

A level 225 Soul Master.

A subtle yellow aura was rippling around him, emanating from his 3rd job advancement.

“I came to pray.”

“Pray? I’m sorry, but outsiders are strictly prohibited from entering the temple. Please go back.”

The temple of the Märchen Empire strictly prohibited the entry of outsiders.

There were exceptions.

Only those who qualified as paladins or priests with divine power could enter.

And one more.

Those who had helped resolve the temple’s grievances were recognized for their contributions and granted the right to enter the temple freely.

As proof, a question mark blinked above Carmel’s head.

[General Quest: Psyche Temple (1/4)]

Restriction: Users level 151 or higher

Final Reward: Temple Access

Description: Help resolve the temple’s grievances and gain the right to enter the temple.

The quest consisted of a total of 4 stages, and upon completing all 4 stages, the temple access restriction would be immediately lifted.

Jeong-Hoon accepted the quest.

“Is there really no way to enter the temple?”

“…Well, not entirely.”

“What is it?”

“Can I ask you a favor? If you help me, I’ll grant you access to the temple.”

Carmel held out a note.

The note contained threatening words about destroying the temple.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a note that’s been found recently outside the temple. It contains threats to harm the temple.”

“What about the culprit?”

“We haven’t caught them yet. We’re currently tracking them, so we should be able to catch them soon.”

“I see.”

Jeong-Hoon glanced at Ha-Jin.

A camera was floating above Ha-Jin’s head, filming them.

The camera had transformed into a small sphere and was filming them from various angles.

‘It’s being filmed well.’

Ha-Jin gave Jeong-Hoon a thumbs-up and a signal.

‘Okay.’

Jeong-Hoon nodded.

“If you don’t mind, could you help us track down the suspect who spread the notes?”

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

“Thank you! I’ll give you the notes that were found, so please track down the suspect using those clues.”

[Track down the clues on the notes.]

Jeong-Hoon and Ha-Jin returned to the capital.

“Hey, what’s the reason for doing the temple quest?”

The rewards for the temple quest were too meager compared to the effort required.

That’s why most users who came to Märchen Kingdom didn’t even attempt the temple quest.

Even paladins and priests didn’t change classes in Märchen, and instead did the quest in the Caneda Kingdom temple.

Therefore, the Märchen Kingdom temple could be considered a neglected temple by users.

“I feel like there’s something there.”

“Huh? Wait a minute! You feel like there’s something there?”

Ha-Jin’s eyes sparkled.

He knew this temple was trash.

But the problem was that Jeong-Hoon was the one who said it.

It was a statement made by the monster who was sweeping up all sorts of opportunities, hidden classes, and Legendary equipment, so he started to get interested even though he had no interest before.

“Let’s move first. Is the camera following us well?”

“Of course!”

“Okay.”

The place Jeong-Hoon headed to was an information guild disguised as a tavern.

The atmosphere inside was that of a normal tavern, and a few people were sitting at tables, sipping their drinks.

As they entered, a waiter in his early 30s approached them with a bright smile.

“Welcome! How many are you?”

“Two.”

Jeong-Hoon held up two fingers.

“Yes! Then please take a seat at an empty table!”

There were 7 empty tables.

Jeong-Hoon and Ha-Jin went to a table in the corner and sat down.

“This is the place, right?”

Ha-Jin asked in a whisper.

Jeong-Hoon nodded silently.

And soon after, the waiter came over with water and a menu.

‘It’s Jjamppong.’

The water served in a wine glass and the menu were a mix of Earth’s and the game’s worldviews.

Jeong-Hoon briefly opened the menu and then closed it, saying,

“Two Moonlight Sonatas.”

“…Two Moonlight Sonatas?”

The waiter’s face hardened slightly.

“We came here to drink that. Is there a problem?”

A sly smile crept onto Jeong-Hoon’s lips.

“…Please wait a moment.”

The waiter hurriedly retreated.

“What is it? Is it some kind of code?”

“Yes. It’s famous even on World Com. Moonlight Sonata.”

The condition for using the information guild.

It was to order Moonlight Sonata.

———-