Episode 97
097. Pleased to Meet You
“……!”
The man who saw the result was momentarily speechless. Not only had the curse been lifted, but the item’s potential had been elevated by another level before being returned to him.
A low laugh escaped from within his robes.
“Haha… Indeed, she was right to recommend you.”
Seemingly satisfied, the man fastened the bracelet onto his wrist and then asked golden hand.
“I hear players freely engage in ‘streaming’… Is that happening right now?”
Geumson stared at him warily.
An outsider who referred to people as ‘players’ and understood the streaming system. He didn’t seem like an ordinary NPC.
“Well, yes, but…”
“Excellent. This will be a good opportunity to greet the many players.”
“Huh?”
Before golden hand could give a proper answer, the man removed his hood.
A black formal suit, neatly swept-back hair, and deep-set eyes.
The man bowed his head politely and spoke.
“Pleased to meet you. You must all still be enjoying yourselves, I presume? I am the Crown Prince of this nation, Bellian von Eirok.”
It was a somewhat peculiar greeting, but this was no time to dwell on that.
He was not one of the mediocre nobles occasionally seen in 《Lepione》.
Royalty.
And not just any royalty, but the Crown Prince, first in the line of succession to the Aerok Kingdom, had revealed himself.
The sudden appearance of the Crown Prince sent both the streaming chat and the surrounding players into a frenzy of astonishment.
‘The Crown Prince of the Ayrock Kingdom…’
golden hand, who had previously met Calis, the Third Prince of the Arcadia Kingdom, couldn’t help but be surprised by Crown Prince Bellian’s appearance as well. This was an NPC who had never appeared even once in his past life.
‘Well… there was no crisis in Airtos like back then.’
Indeed, the situation was markedly different from the 《Lepione》 of his past life. It seemed the crisis in Aertos had drawn even Crown Prince Bellian here. However, the Crown Prince’s interest seemed focused solely on Geumson.
“Player Golden Hand said it was free of charge… but I cannot simply accept an item of this caliber and do nothing. The pride of the royal family would not allow it. Wouldn’t you agree?”
His words were playful, as if he were a show host. He shot golden hand a suspicious smile and then stretched his hand toward the empty air.
“Having rushed here upon hearing of Airtos’s danger, I don’t have anything on me at the moment. However, I shall transfer all contribution points I acquire to Player golden hand.”
Players watching the stream merely scoffed at Bellian. Some didn’t even believe he was the Crown Prince in the first place.
└ What’s he gonna help with all by himself? What difference can one person make, talking like that?
└ Looking at him, you’d think he brought an army. Typical noble bragging…
└ Think we’ll fall for that again? We said not to trust 《Lepyon》 nobles! Even this so-called Crown Prince is like that. Is he even really the Crown Prince?
└ LOLOL the lip service is strong. The area around Airtos is already packed solid with monsters, how does he plan to help?
└ Is support coming via an airship or something? Still, he’s the Crown Prince, maybe he has something?
The players’ distrust flooded the chat. Their reaction was natural. It didn’t seem like the addition of one Crown Prince would significantly impact Golden Hand contribution. Regardless, a message appeared before Geumson’s eyes.
[The Crown Prince of the Ayrock Kingdom, Bellian, promises to transfer all contribution points he acquires to you.]
As soon as the message ended, Crown Prince Bellian spoke as if he had been waiting.
“Now, then… shall we begin?”
Bellian clenched his outstretched hand into a fist and lightly snapped his fingers.
Snap—!
At that moment.
The space behind golden hand tore apart as if splitting open, and a dark crimson fissure appeared. The rift expanded rapidly in an instant, soon stabilizing into a fixed form.
A gate in the air.
Its spectacular appearance, as if magic had been used, began to excite the players. Even if they didn’t understand it, it was a sight they had never seen before.
But there was one person sweating cold bullets upon seeing it.
Only golden hands.
Creeak—
Unknowingly, golden hands tightened his grip on the hammer in his hand.
His gaze remained fixed on the gate Bellian had opened.
‘A monster… gate!’
golden hand still hadn’t forgotten.
The gates that heralded the Age of Destruction.
That hateful gate had been opened by the Crown Prince’s hand.
And right in the heart of the Airtos battlefield.
For a moment, golden hand’s thoughts seemed to halt.
He never expected to see a ‘monster gate’ in 《Repion》.
Memories overlapped.
The hellish memories of the past superimposed themselves, and unbidden nausea threatened to rise. The smell of blood filled his nostrils—because Repion had bitten his lip. But he gritted his teeth, swallowed hard, and quickly tried to shout.
“Everyone, prepare for battle—”
He tried to yell.
To warn everyone about the monsters that would pour out from there.
But a familiar voice stopped Geumson’s words.
“Kyahat! Of course, I can’t miss out on a battlefield like this! Our super ace, Golden Hand! Long time no see!”
The first to burst out of the gate was a woman in grease-stained work clothes.
Not a monster.
It was Ravi, the head of the Magical Engineering Division.
Behind her, dozens of massive combat golems moved with heavy footsteps.
Thud—
Thud—
Thuuuud—
The ground shook faintly from the movement of the combat golem legion alone.
└ Wow, what’s that? A golem legion?
└ Crown Prince class is OP! OP!
└ Wait! That’s… a player? Huh? It’s Choi Jin-woong!
└ What? The Asura Guild? Why is the Asura Guild coming out from there?!
Following the march of the combat golems, hundreds of players poured out, shouting war cries. Emblazoned on their chests was the distinct emblem of a red serpent.
Choi Jin-woong, Master of the Asura Guild, who had remained silent despite Kang Moo-jin’s exploits, had appeared at Crown Prince Bellian’s event.
“We can’t let something like Yeokcheon run wild. Asura Guild! All members, engage! Wipe them all out!”
Under Choi Jin-woong’s command, the Asura Guild members charged at the monsters with ferocious momentum. Their appearance was overwhelming enough to instantly shift the tide of the battlefield.
Finally, from within the gate, dozens of heavily armored knights marched out in orderly ranks. At their head, a flag bearing the crest of the Aerok Kingdom fluttered.
“By order of His Highness the Crown Prince, we have come to aid Airtos! All forces, charge!”
The royal knights.
Among them, the face of Changgwi Yeom Tae-hoon was also visible. He seemed to have properly joined the royal court.
In the dizzying situation, golden hand spirit was completely dislodged. Allies had stormed out from a gate where monsters should have emerged.
Crown Prince Bellian spoke to golden hand, as if anticipating the stream chat’s reaction.
“Will this be sufficient assistance?”
The Crown Prince’s nonchalant words sparked hope in the players.
Despite hunting monsters like mad, their numbers never seemed to decrease. Daunted by the overwhelming numbers, players had begun sensing defeat.
The reinforcements called by the Crown Prince were more than enough to boost the players’ morale.
The battle began anew.
“Waaaah!”
“Reinforcements! Real reinforcements are here!”
“That’s… isn’t that the Asura Guild? Insane! Why is the 2nd ranked guild coming out from there?”
“Look at the golem legion! How many are there?! So a golem legion really does exist. It’s my first time seeing it!”
“Even the Royal Knight Order…! We can win this! We can win! Let’s go! I’m definitely getting into the top 100!”
The hope that had filled the players’ eyes was reignited.
Overwhelming reinforcements pouring in like a ray of light onto a battlefield shadowed by defeat. Their appearance was enough to instantly lift the dwindling morale.
[Airtos Defense Battle morale has risen to ‘Highest’.]
[All players’ Attack Power and Defense Power increase by 10% for 12 hours.]
Along with the system message, the players, as if by prior agreement, readied their weapons and roared.
“Let’s go! Let’s smash the heads of those damn monsters!”
“If Yeokcheon is holding the east, our Asura will block the west!”
“Huh, the knights and golem corps are heading north… so we’re on the south? golden hand-brother! Trust in us!”
The battlefield’s composition was instantly reorganized.
The Yeokcheon Guild held the East Gate.
The Asura Guild held the West Gate.
The Royal Knight Order and Golem Legion held the North Gate.
And Golden Hand, the remaining players, and Airtos’s wizard Corps took charge of the South Gate.
The four fronts, formed naturally, began blocking the crimson wave of the monster assault in their own ways.
‘To think Choi Jin-woong was connected to the royal court… And coming through a gate?’
It was an unbelievable situation. It seemed odd that Asura’s Choi Jin-woong had been quiet while Yeokcheon’s Kang Moo-jin was active. Apparently, he had been secretly building connections with the royal family all along.
An event that hadn’t happened in his past life. Just as Kang Moo-jin had grown by clearing a different route by subjugating the ‘Nightmare King’, it seemed Choi Jin-woong had also forged his own path to power. Solely by his own strength, without Geumson’s help. Truly, the name ‘Brain Demon’ Choi Jin-woong was well-deserved.
“The atmosphere is quite heated. Indeed, the power of players is unpredictable and thus entertaining. Well, they are easily influenced, after all.”
