GAVS30

Chapter 30 Lost Land (13)

Rikel was dead.

But it wasn’t something that could be summarized so simply.

Rikel had held the title of Royal Court Mage.

Even within the original game’s storyline, he wasn’t meant to be defeated by a player—he was supposed to be killed by Albedo later on.

In other words, he was a character outside the bounds of player influence.

Which was why Team Leader Joo Hyunseop, watching the scene unfold, let out a short, incredulous laugh.

“He’s completely insane.”

Phantom had just done something that should’ve been impossible.

A completely unpredictable outcome.

Joo Hyunseop had prepared for all kinds of contingencies, but this was one thing even he hadn’t foreseen.

“Still, thank goodness we had a backup. Can’t believe he actually pulled it off.”

He glanced at Assistant Manager Kim Woojin.

That morning, Kim Woojin had casually brought it up:

‘What if Phantom kills Rikel?’

It had sounded absurd at the time.

But just in case, they’d asked Genie.

“Genie, what are the odds of Phantom defeating Rikel?”

– Based on current performance data, the probability is approximately 1.2%.

A mere 1.2%.

But for someone who understood probabilities, that wasn’t low at all.

If it were truly impossible, it would have been a string of zeroes after the decimal point.

And since Genie predicted outcomes based on available data, that meant if Phantom wasn’t yet showing his full capabilities, the probability could’ve been even higher.

With that in mind, Team Leader Joo Hyunseop had drawn up an emergency plan just that morning—on the off chance this exact outcome occurred.

“Thank god. We nearly had to shut the server again right after launch.”

Kim Woojin beamed, clearly proud his prediction had come true.

“Looks like I might get to go home on time today.”

The moment he said it, the entire office froze and turned to stare at him.

Team Leader Joo included.

“You’ve said the forbidden words.”

“Huh…?”

Kim Woojin just tilted his head, clearly confused.

But the flag had already been triggered.

[Unbelievable Achievement!!]

[You have defeated Royal Court Mage Rikel. The scenario will now progress at a faster rate.]

[Reward: ‘Gabriel’s Will’ obtained.]

[Reward: ‘Ancient Jewel (Der)’ obtained.]

[Ding! Level Up!]

[Main Quest ‘Protect the Ring’ has been updated.]

[Main Quest has changed to ‘Eradicate the Demon Worshippers’.]

“He actually took down Rikel…”

Even Albedo stood dumbfounded, his expression frozen in shock.

The viewers were no different—they erupted into frenzied excitement.

Wait, players can kill Rikel??

That’s some next-level super craaaaaack gameplay.

BRB gonna go learn dagger throwing.

Y’all think this is easy? Landing a throw like that is insane lol

He’s basically a Dagger Master at this point hahaha

Just having the guts to attempt that is nuts. If he failed, it would’ve been instant death.

┗ Risk: damnation. Reward: salvation.

┗┗ And he ascended to gaming nirvana!!

┗┗┗ No words… that was just god-tier…

While everyone was going wild over Dojun’s insane play…

He stood there awkwardly, clearly waiting for something.

“Ahem. Looks like we got some new items in the reward window? ‘Gabriel’s Will’? ‘Ancient Jewel (Der)’?”

The viewers, noticing the unfamiliar names, immediately began spamming chat.

Never seen either of those before.

Super curious about the item options—gonna show us?

Hah, you think Phantom would ever show us for free??

┗ Watch him say ‘Donate if you wanna see’ LOL

┗┗ Wait, that’s probably exactly what’s happening hahaha

┗┗┗ So that’s why he’s twisting like a worm on screen!!

★★ ‘Zhonya’sKangminClock’ has donated 100,000 won! ★★

[Show us the item stats!!]

“Ahhhh~ Kangmin, you’re back again!”

A 100,000 won donation.

But the moment Dojun saw the donor’s nickname, he instantly recognized it—this was the same guy who had tried to snipe him last time.

Grinning mischievously, he shook his head.

“Hmm… This is probably the first time these items are being revealed, right? The last time, after beating Count Bderen, someone paid 500,000 won to see the loot, if I remember right.”

Kangmin, he’s saying your offer’s too low lmao

You really thought you could get it for just 100k?? Phantom’s market value has skyrocketed, bro!

“Bring at least 500k, peasant.”

This man’s a money demon fr 😂

Watching all this unfold in real time, Zhonya’sKangminClock—aka the guide YouTuber known as StrategyDoctor—scowled.

“This maniac… 500k just to see an item?”

But he knew Phantom had revealed the loot for that price before.

So begrudgingly, StrategyDoctor upped the offer.

★★ ‘Zhonya’sKangminClock’ has donated another 100,000 won! ★★

[Fine, here.]

Mission amount received: 500,000 won total.

StrategyDoctor, desperate for item data, waited impatiently.

But then, Dojun made a strange comment.

“You know… with inflation lately, everything’s getting expensive. Ramen, water, coffee, snacks… and with all the rain, even veggies cost a fortune…”

He wasn’t being direct, but StrategyDoctor got the message loud and clear.

“This son of a—he’s asking for more money!?”

SLAM!!

He pounded the table with his fist, furious.

But the reality was, he was the one desperate for that info.

He needed those item details more than Phantom needed the money.

★★ ‘Zhonya’sKangminClock’ has donated 100,000 won! ★★

[Yeah, everything is expensive these days ^^]

Total mission amount received: 600,000 won.

“Inflation really is a pain, huh. But honestly, these items… if I show them now, I’ll be the one losing out. Maybe if the offer was just a little higher…”

As Dojun kept hedging, StrategyDoctor’s face turned bright red.

“You money-grubbing maniac!!”

Despite his rage, he had no choice but to send more.

★★ ‘Zhonya’sKangminClock’ has donated another 100,000 won! ★★

[Will this be enough!?]

Mission total: 700,000 won.

At that point, he was convinced Dojun would finally reveal the items.

But—

“You know what? Maybe I just won’t show them. Feels like a waste…”

That was the moment StrategyDoctor realized he was being toyed with.

“You bastard!!! You’re playing me!?”

Just as he went to pull his donation…

★★ ‘DaggerBreath’ has donated 100,000 won! ★★

[Phantom’s gotten pricey, huh~ Is this enough?]

Additional donation received: total 1,000,000 won.

Dojun’s eyes widened at the new donor.

“Ahhh! Dagger hyung-nim!! Of course I’ll show you!”

Grinning, he immediately revealed the items and hit the mission complete button.

★★ MISSION SUCCESS! You have received 2.3 million won. ★★

◉ Ancient Jewel – Der

When attached to a weapon or armor, it can induce confusion in enemies.

◉ Gabriel’s Will

So damaged that its original form is unrecognizable, though it faintly radiates divine energy.

“Gabriel’s Will” had the exact same item description as the previously dropped “Raphael’s Breath” and “Michael’s Tear.”

Their purpose remained unknown.

But one thing was clear:

These three items are connected.

Anyone who had been following the game so far would have noticed it.

The real highlight, though, was the Ancient Jewel (Der).

Confusion effect? Wait a minute…

No way, that’s probably the final—

┗ Shhh!! People are watching!!

┗┗ I mean… pretty sure everyone already knows lol

Dojun read the chat and immediately realized:

This gem’s option is tied to the core mechanic no one’s solved yet.

StrategyDoctor’s eyes gleamed.

“That’s it. That’s the missing piece!”

His gaze sharpened.

“Deokbae!”

“Yes, hyung. I’m on it.”

His co-researcher, Deokbae, immediately jumped into the capsule to investigate.

Now the puzzle was clear:

Eliminate the demon worshippers, then use the newly unlocked Ancient Jewels to connect the pieces of the grand puzzle.

“Phantom may be in the lead, but his playstyle is just too difficult. Great for watching, not so much for others to copy.”

StrategyDoctor had no intention of trying to outrun Phantom.

Instead, he aimed to simplify the process and explain the path in a way anyone could follow.

“Just as expected—our views are climbing fast.”

There were still plenty of people who hadn’t given up on the 100 million won prize.

StrategyDoctor planned to cash in on their hope.

Even if he didn’t win, he could still profit—by latching onto the frontrunner’s strategy and monetizing it.

He was good at this sort of thing.

“Phantom, you’re too arrogant. If you hadn’t streamed, that 100 million would’ve been yours for sure.”

StrategyDoctor had no intention of losing.

And he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Suddenly, he picked up his smartphone and made a call.

Beep… Beep…

“Oh, StrategyDoctor! What a surprise. What’s the occasion?”

“Ah~ Manager Byun Wooseok, always working hard.”

The person on the other end was Byun Wooseok, a platform manager for SwitchTV.

“No need for flattery, just watching the show like always.”

“Come now, it’s thanks to you folks setting fair boundaries that SwitchTV runs so well. Even if streamers perform, the real backbone is the management.”

Byun chuckled, clearly pleased by the praise.

“You always appreciate us, StrategyDoctor.”

“It’s been a while since we last chatted, hasn’t it?”

“We met just two weeks ago. Among all our streamers, you take care of us best.”

StrategyDoctor had long nurtured cozy relationships with platform staff.

SwitchTV, for all its size, had a poorly built infrastructure. Fewer than 20 people ran the whole operation.

The key is, most of the power lies with the management leads.

StrategyDoctor had leveraged this well—lobbying behind the scenes for favorable treatment.

With their support, he’d risen to become one of the platform’s top streamers.

“Would you happen to be free tonight?”

“Hmm… Nothing on the calendar, I think.”

“Then how about that place in Gangnam you liked? The fun one.”