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Chapter 65
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Hunting grounds, unlike dungeons, are usually maintained with a single channel.
If crowds form, additional channels are automatically created.
However, the areas of most hunting grounds are quite large by default.
So, the creation of additional channels was very rare.
At least, that was the case until recently…
The second gate, Doppelgänger pattern, crushed even the large company parties filled with the top 0.1% of talented players.
Most of the initial expeditions were already defeated at the first gate’s Forest Keeper pattern.
But due to the fundamental issue discovered by the large company party in this entire situation,
The hunting ground with the highest level range, Nature’s Foundation, was completely overcrowded.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all the expeditions had gathered solely to acquire level-80 equipment.
Eventually, two additional channels were created in Nature’s Foundation, but
Even that wasn’t enough, and disputes arose over the respawn points where monsters regenerated.
“This is chaotic.”
The situation in Nature’s Foundation, viewed through Observer Mode, was extremely chaotic.
The sight of countless players rushing to capture freshly spawned monsters was reminiscent of a zombie movie.
The influx of this many people was ultimately to obtain level-80 equipment.
Some were undoubtedly trying to use this opportunity to score level-80 equipment and make real money.
Huh? You’d think there wouldn’t be any money farmers among high-ranking players?
That might be a question someone could have, but
Money farming ratios were surprisingly high among the upper ranks.
Frankly, even the most widely distributed Nature’s Form was being traded for 500,000 won in real-money transactions.
Assuming you bought all four full parts, you’d make three million won.
Just by selling items acquired through simple hunting, you’d earn three million won?
That was an amount tempting even for regular players who weren’t originally into money farming.
“The best solution is to increase supply, but…”
In fact, a dungeon that dropped level-80 equipment already existed.
The problem was that unlike Nature’s Foundation, whose location was known to all players,
The dungeon with the level-75 boss monster, Passage to the Otherworld, had not been discovered.
Passage to the Otherworld was a dimension connected to the next boss raid, Corrupted Spirit King, in the Spirit Realm.
Clearing this dungeon would grant ownership of the passage, enabling dimensional travel to the Spirit Realm.
Of course, this was only possible after completing the entire storyline of Elderheim as part of the prerequisite quest,
And reporting the entire process to the emperor of the Empire.
Nonetheless, other than the Twisted World Tree raid, Passage to the Otherworld was the only place where the level-75 boss monster could be found.
It was regrettable that this dungeon, essentially a treasure trove, had not yet been discovered.
“Include drop rate adjustments in the relaxation list…”
For now, drop rate adjustments were absolutely off-limits, as it was end content.
When other content gets released, altering the end content later on
Would gradually involve reworking and relaxing the existing content.
This approach would help maintain the gap between casual or new players and the first expeditions.
Of course, as much as those expeditions enjoyed certain privileges, they’d need to be compensated appropriately.
“Leaving it as it is feels uncomfortable, though.”
History repeats itself. That phrase didn’t exist without reason.
It was reminiscent of the situation during the Obsidian Staff controversy.
A significant number of the early expeditions had already fallen to the temptation of high-value trades.
If it were merely pocket money, it might have been something to overlook,
But leaving it unchecked could ruin my healthy game.
Intervene? Doing so could cause unforeseen problems.
Neglect it? That would certainly have a negative impact on the game.
A frustrating situation where neither option seemed viable.
The best scenario would be for someone to discover Passage to the Otherworld.
I hoped, with all my heart, that it would be found as soon as possible.
With that thought, I left and returned to my office.
―――
Lee Hyun-woo. The first Bard.
A Bard could select one of various instruments as their weapon.
Violins, harps, guitars, etc…
Even pianos.
You might wonder, “How can a piano be a weapon?”
But Bards had a skill to summon their instruments.
It felt like a mix between a Mage and a Cleric.
Naturally, Lee Hyun-woo, who dreamed of becoming a singer-songwriter, chose a guitar.
The Bard. A class where performance determined effectiveness.
This applied to all classes, but
For Bards, it was especially pronounced.
Given the nature of Bards, who provided buffs and healing through music and songs,
A poorly performed piece significantly reduced its effectiveness.
Its support capabilities ranged from worse than a Cultist to better than a Cleric, making it an extreme supporter.
That was what a Bard was.
Naturally, Lee Hyun-woo, being highly skilled, was considered premium talent.
Numerous groups sought to recruit such premium talent, but
In the end, Lee Hyun-woo joined a party composed of streamers.
Although Lee Hyun-woo had little knowledge of online streaming,
The two professions—streaming and being a singer—were closely connected.
Wouldn’t there be synergy? That thought led to his decision.
Thus, Lee Hyun-woo worked as part of the streamer party for a while,
Rapidly growing in strength. Though not quite to the level of the first expeditions,
He became strong enough to be recognized as an aspiring member of the expeditions.
In retrospect, it was only natural.
Lee Hyun-woo preferred the vibrant world of Akare over the cold, silent reality,
And with streaming being a must-do in Akare, there was little else to engage in.
Eating? Akare. Bathroom break? Akare. Sleep and wake up? Akare.
As time spent in Akare surpassed that in reality,
His explosive growth speed was inevitable.
Currently, Lee Hyun-woo’s streamer party was exploring Elderheim.
A vast natural landscape, untouched by human hands.
Even just taking in the scenery felt like a cleansing experience for the mind.
Even if leveling wasn’t the sole objective of an RPG,
There were countless ways to enjoy Akare.
“Hey, look, there’s a squirrel.”
At Lee Hyun-woo’s words, the two female streamers turned their heads.
“Oh my, oh my.”
“How could it be so cute and adorable?”
“Isn’t that a bit much?”
The reactions were so over the top that it seemed excessive.
Lee Hyun-woo’s streamer party consisted of two women and two men.
As the two female streamers gushed, the male streamer who had been observing them quickly mimicked Lee Hyun-woo.
“Wow, there’s a chipmunk over there too.”
“Uh… yep.”
“Wow, really?”
The contrasting responses immediately deflated the male streamer.
As if nothing had happened, the streamer party moved forward.
“Wait a moment.”
At Lee Hyun-woo’s words, everyone stopped walking.
“Don’t you hear something?”
“A sound?”
The streamers closed their eyes and focused their hearing.
But they couldn’t hear anything.
“It’s like… the sound of the wind calling.”
“Oh my, that sounds so romantic.”
If the male streamer had said something like that, the response would probably have been, “Middle school syndrome hits you late as an adult, huh?”
Well, what could they do?
The person saying it was an alpha male.
Lee Hyun-woo ignored the two female streamers gushing beside him and started walking in the direction of the sound.
“…Let’s follow him.”
The streamers exchanged glances and then trailed behind Lee Hyun-woo.
Swaaah—!
The place where Lee Hyun-woo stopped walking was a lake.
A lake with a massive waterfall.
“Was there a terrain like this here?”
“Wow. This would be a great spot for camping.”
“It’d be perfect if there was alcohol in Akare.”
While the streamers shared their thoughts,
Lee Hyun-woo, who had led them here, kept his gaze fixed on one spot.
“What are you staring at so intently…?”
“That waterfall is fake.”
“Pardon?”
How do you know?
Before anyone could ask, Lee Hyun-woo moved.
Approaching the waterfall, Lee Hyun-woo slowly reached out his hand.
After submerging his hand in the waterfall for a moment, he pulled it back slowly.
Not a single drop of water clung to his hand.
“What the heck?”
The male streamer, unable to believe it, copied Lee Hyun-woo’s actions.
The results, of course, were the same. The two female streamers tried as well, but it was no different for them.
“How did you know the waterfall was fake?”
Unable to hold back her curiosity, one of the female streamers asked Lee Hyun-woo.
After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Lee Hyun-woo replied in a low voice.
“The sound of the waterfall only comes from above.”
In other words,
He had realized the waterfall’s sound wasn’t consistent
from quite a distance away.
“You could tell from that far?”
The streamers all stared at Lee Hyun-woo with disbelief.
Feeling their attention, Lee Hyun-woo scratched the back of his head.
“What I heard was the sound of the wind…”
“Oh, right. It wasn’t the sound of the waterfall?”
“…That wind sound continues beyond the waterfall.”
“That’s even more incredible!”
The streamer party exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
Throwing their bodies beyond the fake waterfall, they revealed a massive cave.
Inside were collapsed gangplanks and torches with faint embers, evidence of human activity.
Beyond the dim light was a dense darkness.
Ding—!
A system message appeared.
[Would you like to enter the dungeon ‘Passage to the Otherworld’?]
It was the moment when the mysterious Passage to the Otherworld was unveiled to the world.
―――
This issue was resolved quickly before it could escalate further.
Luckily, a streamer party discovered Passage to the Otherworld during a broadcast.
When news spread that the dungeon’s boss, Dimensional Guardian, was level 75,
a significant number of players who had been crowding Nature’s Foundation moved to Passage to the Otherworld.
Unlike raid bosses like the Ancient Necromancer or the Twisted World Tree,
players quickly defeated the Dimensional Guardian.
Thanks to this, the supply of level-80 equipment became stable.
Additionally, global service officially began,
receiving an overwhelmingly positive response.
The peak daily concurrent user count exceeded 30 million.
A major American streamer’s broadcast of Akare reached 500,000 viewers.
It was a huge hit.
The structure ensured its success.
The atmosphere was festive for everyone, but
of course, there’s no such thing as something loved by “everyone.”
There were always people who would disdain something as universally appealing as Akare.
Political correctness.
A tumour that any game offering global service couldn’t escape.
“Ugh…”
“Why is Raven a pretty white man or woman?”
“A game that epitomizes racial discrimination.”
“A lack of gender freedom, utterly nonsensical.”
Opinions like these dominated the discourse.
Their target of concentrated criticism?
“It’s exhausting.”
It was me.
Abroad, my real-life identity wasn’t widely known yet.
As a result, my virtual reality appearance was enough to make me a target.
Should I endure this?
Wouldn’t it be better to just endure?
While deliberating internally, I smirked.
Endurance always leads to illness.
Using the official account of Record Eye, I responded to the most prominent critic.
@Records_eye
– You seem to have a lot of complaints.
@Records_eye
– If you don’t like the temple, the monk should leave.
@Records_eye
– If it bothers you, don’t play and get lost.
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