Max Talent Player

He still didn’t know what it was, but what was important was that he had grasped a ‘clue’. Because even with just a clue, the attention of the Guardians was sufficiently piqued.

“That means the Predator Tree Colony isn’t just an ordinary place you clear and forget.”

There was another element involved—CEO Song Kiyoung, who was contracted with the Golden-Horned Dokkaebi. The key that could save the Golden Sovereign had appeared in the Predator Tree Colony.

‘That’s not all.’

The Predator Tree Colony was special in many ways.

‘I can generate a Predator Tree Colony with my [True Ruler of the Predator Tree Colony] title.’

A Player, generating a field? That was way out of the bounds of common sense, of conventional wisdom. There were many oddities involved.

“Understood,” said Senia. “But does that have anything to do with the Tome of the Divine Sword Physique?”

“I’ve been given the location of a slumbering Tome of the Divine Sword Physique.”

“Where is it?”

“Plum Blossom Island. In the Centipede Cave on the island.”

“The Centipede Cave… That’s the place where you acquired the map of the Predator Tree Colony you mentioned earlier.”

This conversation wasn’t really just between Kim Hyukjin and Senia. It was pretty much feeding information and messages to the Guardians in the form of a discussion.

“Isn’t it strange? There are two identical Centipede Caves in two places, and two Predator Tree Colonies in two places. Clearing one Centipede Cave led to discovering the Predator Tree Colony, where a big secret was hidden within. The two gates weren’t just one and done—they’ve continued to influence me all this time.”

“That leads one to think that some kind of secret is hidden in the Centipede Cave Gate.”

“If what I’m predicting is right, yes.”

About three minutes had passed.

“Approximately two minutes are left in the Pause authority.”

“After I clear this place, I’m heading straight to the Centipede Cave on Plum Blossom Island.”

“Understood.”

There was a mountain of things to do, but the Centipede Cave jumped straight to the top of the list. He just had a feeling that was what he needed to do. The reason why he told Senia he was immediately going to the Centipede Cave was a ‘teaser’ of sorts for the Guardians.

‘If… there’s a big secret hidden in the Centipede Cave and Predator Tree Colony, and the Guardians hear about it, it’ll pull in a lot of Guardians.’

The more keen the Guardians were to watch, the better. Creators of unique content were bound to be cherished.

“The Pause authority has one minute left.”

Hyukjin nodded. The scenario would continue where it left off. Before he could do anything else, he first had to finish the ‘Battle of Hansan Island’ quest.

One minute passed.

[The Pause has ended.]

* * *

* * *

Jackson smiled good-naturedly. The ‘Compass’ had been swiped right out of Song Junghye’s Inventory, disappearing without a single trace.

“Is that so? Hahaha. We’ve been had.”

“You can laugh in this situation?”

“What else can I do? The one who lost it is you, Miss Song Junghye.”

Jackson was still wearing a good-natured smile, but it made Song Junghye flinch. A smile was on his lips, but there was faint rage in his eyes.

“Well, we can’t do anything about it now.”

Jackson shrugged. The pressure that had squeezed Song Junghye for the slightest moment faded, so short-lived she thought she just imagined it.

“We’ll find ourselves in a naval battle. We need to find the opponent’s flagship and kill the commander on that ship.” Jackson rattled off an explanation, almost as if he already knew the ins and outs of this gate. “Their ship has considerable resistance to ranged attacks. The System explanation is that the ship possesses an outstanding shield due to weathering prolonged battle between warships.”

The guild members of the Blood and Iron Lion listened closely to Jackson’s words.

“A ranged attack isn’t completely out of the question, but our ultimate goal is the enemy commander. Only by killing the commander will the Immortal Fleet collapse.”

The Poisoned Dagger, Jung Sangchul, stepped forward. “So we need to get into close combat somehow and kill him.”

“If we can get there, yes.”

It was quite the distance. The naval battle scenario had already begun.

“After a certain amount of time, the flagship and enemy commander will change. That’s the inherent challenge of this gate.”

Jung Sangchul asked, “Does that mean that if we can’t make it to the commander and kill him in time, we’ll have wasted our time?”

“Yes. With the Compass, we could have immediately found the enemy commander, but unfortunately, because Guildmaster Song Junghye lost it…”

“I didn’t lose it. It was stolen from me. Jackson.”

“Ah, right. Stolen. Well, in any case, it doesn’t change the fact that the Compass is gone.”

Song Junghye’s eyebrows twitched.

‘Son of a bitch.’ Jackson’s words sounded like ridicule in her ears. ‘Both Kim Hyukjin and Jackson, I don’t like either of them.’

She resolved to one day inherit Sungshin, nurture the Blood and Iron Lion into an industry giant, and then crush both Jackson and Kim Hyukjin. For now, she would make full use of Jackson’s ability. The man was a truly competent explorer.

“I prepared a little something for getting close.”

Jackson took out a capsule-like object from his Inventory and tossed it into the sea, where it turned into a modern motorboat.

“This is a high-performance motorboat. It will block most attacks with a shield and can carry a max of four people.”

The members of the Blood and Iron Lion paid close attention. They hadn’t thought Jackson would have such a thing in his Inventory. He was indeed a shockingly capable explorer.

A total of four Players boarded the ship, including Jung Sangchul and Kang Woongmin.

“We’ll go and destroy the enemy commander,” barked Kang Woongmin.

But just then, Jackson’s smile faltered. His ever-constant smile suddenly stiffened.

Song Junghye picked up on it. “What is it?” she asked tersely.

“...”

“What’s wrong?”

“I-It’s nothing.” Jackson smiled again. “I’d like us to clear this quickly, but safely.”

Now, there was no point in clearing ‘quickly’.

‘Giantgod Guild… has already cleared the gate.’

That was unexpected, even to Jackson. No, this was overwhelmingly outside of his expectations. Jackson could feel that this independent gate had already been cleared once. And of course, the team behind it was Kim Hyukjin’s.

‘How?’

Had they used a ranged attack? That was the fastest way.

‘No. It’s not possible for Players in the current beginner period.’

It might be possible. Maybe it could be done if three or so ‘tome’ items bearing unprecedented power—the ones called ‘divine tomes’—were brought together in one massive burst.

‘There are very, very few people who have tome items at this point in time.’

He did get the feeling either Jo Sunghyun or Choi Sung-gu had absorbed a tome. It was already amazing for a guild to have one tomed person.

Jackson smiled bitterly.

‘There goes the first clear reward…’

The first clear reward was none other than ‘Immortal Fleet’, a sovereign-exclusive skill that could summon the Immortal Fleet. With that power, a sovereign was nigh-undefeatable by any Player on water.

Jackson already knew.

‘Guildmaster Kim Hyukjin has obtained command over the Immortal Fleet.’

After quite some time, the four Players finally succeeded in killing the enemy commander, and the ‘Battle of Hansan Island’ quest was cleared.

Song Junghye was unable to conceal her happiness.

“Well done, you four.”

They had pulled it off faster than she expected. The flagship hadn’t changed a single time. As expected, her subordinates were remarkable.

[Distributing clear rewards for the Immortal Fleet Gate.]

She received a few rewards, rewards that made Song Junghye certain that something had gone awry.

Outside the gate, she rounded on Jackson with an expression of anger.

“Didn’t you say there would be an incredible reward?”

“There was. But it was taken away.”

“How can that be? We immediately killed the enemy commander. Are you sure you weren’t lying to me?”

But just then, she heard a voice. It was the rude prick Kim Hyukjin.

“He wasn’t lying.”

“...Guildmaster Kim Hyukjin? How is it that you’re here?”

He shouldn’t have been able to clear the gate yet, but he was outside.

“Looks like we were about three seconds faster.”

In truth, it wasn’t just three seconds, but almost one minute faster. Song Junghye’s face reddened at the words.

“You’re the one who stole my compass, aren’t you?”

“Compass? What’s that? That’s a thing?”

Hyukjin feigning ignorance made Song Junghye’s rage grow.

“Tell me straight out! You stole it, admit it! You son of a bitch!”

Hyukjin wagged his finger. “You’ll invite trouble by accusing people without evidence. There are many onlookers. Is this really okay?”

Hyukjin was already using Cognitive Dissonance. The Gwanghwamun Plaza Raid was still ongoing, and as a result, there were many reporters on-site.

“Don’t you think it’s better to devote yourself to protecting the innocent citizens of Gwanghwamun Plaza and boost the Blood and Iron Lion’s image rather than to quarrel with me here?”

“...”

“If you insist on continuing, it’ll be a blow to Blood and Iron Lion’s status. You’ll be super angry when people cuss you out as fools who couldn’t do a thing.”

Giantgod was different from Blood and Iron Lion. People didn’t know much about Giantgod and didn’t expect much from them. But Sungshin’s Blood and Iron Lion Guild was well-known, and that fame came with certain expectations.

Song Junghye clenched her teeth.

“You damn little…”

The compass was one thing, but he had also stolen the first clear reward. Whatever the hell he did, she had the feeling he had cheated her.

‘I’ll crush you for sure.’

Song Junghye whirled around, then gave a command to the guild members of Blood and Iron Lion.

“We’re tidying this place up.”

Since things had played out this way, she at least had to farm some honor.

“Help the innocent civilians and wipe out all the damn monsters.”

* * *

After rebuffing the meddling Song Junghye, Kim Hyukjin went to the real issue at hand.

“Jackson. I heard your conversation with Miss Song earlier.”

Song Junghye had said this: “Didn’t you say there would be an incredible reward?”

Which meant it was highly likely Jackson had already known of the existence of that ‘incredible reward’. Hyukjin was truly curious.

“Did you know exactly what kind of reward would be given by the Immortal Fleet Gate, Jackson?”

If so—

“How did you know?”

And—

“Do you also know when, where, and how it’ll be used?”

The Immortal Fleet would make a huge splash in the Bali Naval Battle. That was where Song Junghye’s fame took off. If Jackson already knew about the Immortal Fleet and purposefully brought Song Junghye here, it would mean that Song Junghye accruing merits in the Bali Naval Battle was something Jackson had devised.

His questions were different, but the true meaning was the same.

‘Did you truly puppeteer Song Junghye in the past?’

Jackson shrugged.

“Well, alright. I’ll be honest.”

The Great Explorer Jackson began to speak.