The Count’s Youngest Son Is A Player - Chapter 103

Episode 103

“Haa….”

Raoul closed his eyes, resting his forehead on his clasped hands.

There was none.

No matter how hard he searched the list, he couldn’t find the name he was looking for.

He then frantically went online and searched through all the personal information he had, but there was no trace.

‘Yes, I guess so. ‘It’s a natural result.’

Bae Do-hyeon.

Bae Do-hyeon, the last solo player who reigned as a top player in Connect in his previous life and struggled against power until the end.

He, Raoul’s predecessor, did not exist in this world.

There was not a single piece of data related to him left in Connect or on Earth.

What should you do if you happen to encounter your past self?

Should I involve him in the plan or pretend not to notice?

I have been thinking and worrying a lot.

But it ended up becoming a meaningless worry.

Now, no one remembers the human Bae Do-hyeon.

Again.

A small drop of water flowed from Raoul’s eyes.

‘What is it? It’s a good thing, right? Is there any reason to be sad? ‘It’s a good thing that the biggest variable has disappeared!’

I tried to console myself, but the tears that flowed endlessly did not seem to stop.

Even if he was an orphan.

Even if it was a life with few close friends.

No matter how alienated and difficult life was.

It was his life.

As if to deny it, the fact that there wasn’t even a trace left meant that there was no place for him to return to.

‘Shit. Did you really have to do this? ‘Did you think I would suddenly want to go back to Earth?’

Raoul swore at someone he didn’t know who he was.

Yes, to be honest, Raoul really wanted to meet Bae Do-hyun.

Although he himself was not successful, there were many things he wanted to do through Bae Do-hyun in this world.

This time, I really wanted to find my biological parents, whom I was never able to find in my previous life.

By sponsoring Bae Do-hyun, I wanted to show the world that even poor orphans can succeed.

I really wanted to see people be happy by finding someone they love and starting a family in real life, not in a game.

‘Was it all just useless regrets?…’

Maybe it was a psychological vicarious satisfaction of compensation for wanting to fix a failed past.

“Whew…”

Raoul let out a deep sigh and wiped away the traces of his tears, erasing all the lingering regrets he had worked so hard to keep.

‘Now this is really the only thing left for me.’

I thought maybe there was a way to return to Earth, but it was meaningless.

Because now everything that is important to him is here.

This made his goal even clearer. If you target his family and territory, he won’t forgive you, even if it’s a former friend.

In order to protect this place, even if I have to turn all of the players into enemies, I will do so.

After strengthening his resolve, Raoul’s head began to turn quickly again.

‘The absence of Bae Do-hyun… is a good thing from my perspective.’

Now that I look back, I realize that when I was Bae Do-hyeon, I was a very picky person.

His personality was exclusive and he had a pathological dislike for those in power and those with vested interests.

He seemed to have a hard time trusting people, was self-centered, and had a lot of complaints about society.

‘If you look at it this way, it looks like you’re completely full of shortcomings and socially unfit.’

If he had not had talent and had not encountered the game called Connect, he would have lived a life closer to a loser.

But on the other hand, I had a sense of justice that I could not tolerate when I saw injustice, and I also had the tenacity and confidence to push through to the end once I had made a decision.

The courage and spirit of challenge that do not shy away from difficult situations led him to the top position at Connect, and he also had the prudence to think at least three times before taking any action.

If he had been a victim and a social misfit with no abilities, he would not have been able to rise to the top, even in the game world.

From Bae Do-hyun’s perspective, what if he meets Raoul now? And if Raoul offers his hand, will he take it?

‘Phew. He probably didn’t even pretend to listen, swearing that he was an unlucky bastard with a silver spoon.’

Bae Do-hyun of the past and Raoul of the present were the same yet completely different people.

It is said that the environment changes a person, and when I put myself in the shoes of Raoul, who was born and raised as the son of a prestigious family, and was loved and raised, his once harsh personality changed to become softer.

I used to find it difficult to be with people, but now I feel awkward being alone.

Unreasonable hatred and fighting spirit toward those with power and those in power have also subsided.

‘If someone sees me, I won’t have anything to say even if they call me a naeronambul.’

Some might criticize him for being reincarnated as a golden spoon and gaining a taste for money and power.

But Raoul didn’t care. Because he just made the most of what he was given and moved toward his goal.

The gaze of those around you, someone’s jealousy, the tears of the weak, the circumstances of your enemies.

These things had no influence on Raoul’s choice.

This is because I realized what is important through one failed life.

‘The story becomes easier without Bae Do-hyun.’

It will take a great deal of time for Bae Do-hyun’s know-how of directly acquiring skills to be revealed to the world.

The difference in skill between Bae Do-hyun and the other rankers, who had completely mastered the skill, was so great that it was overwhelming.

In that case, it was safe to say that there would be no player who could stand in Raoul’s way for the time being.

The true value of players shines after rankers acquire skills in earnest and begin to use their unique characteristics.

‘If the world has forgotten Bae Do-hyun, I will let you know again.’

Bae Do-hyun’s empty seat. Raoul decided to get it back.

* * *

About 15 days after Connect launched its service, a piece of news shook the community.

[Connect unofficial first event held! First Guild Academy Cadet Recruitment Announcement]

The free cities of the Kingdom of Ruben attracted attention with their unprecedented support for players.

Now, with most new players choosing the Kingdom of Ruben, the First Guild, which was at the center of its support policy, established a player-only academy and posted a recruitment notice for cadets.

Recruitment targets are all players who have completed the first job change, regardless of branch, and the number of recruits is 600, 150 from each of the 4 branches.

The training course is a 3-month course and is completely free of charge.

Academy graduates are awarded honorary guild membership and can be given priority assignment to quests or missions related to the First Guild.

Additionally, you can use various stores and facilities under the First Guild at a low price, and additional points are given when recruiting guild members in the future.

Some cadets who graduate with top grades are specifically eligible to take the official guild membership exam.

It is said that if you become a formal guild member, you will be provided with exclusive equipment, a salary based on your rank, and sponsorship to advance to advanced training levels according to your job.

The scheduled recruitment date is February 1st and the application deadline is…

-It’s crazy~ Everyone is screaming~!!

-I guess I should pack my bags and go to the Kingdom of Ruben right now.

└Tsk tsk. It’s already too late. When was it officially confirmed that you cannot leave the Free City area?

└I praise myself profusely for boarding the portal to Mira a week ago.

└Ah XX. Isn’t that too much? If you push it like this, the balance will be lost!

└Yes, the next black cow will appear~

-The first guild was really great. Has anyone visited the guild branch? The facilities are amazing~ The welfare is amazing~ The colors of the guild members are amazing~.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. I definitely plan to join the guild for now.

└Yes, I won’t pick you. I’m going in.

└LOL. Those idiots who can’t even get into the academy are talking nonsense. There is unofficial information that students have already been selected for admission. Everyone, wake up from your dreams.

└You have become a great conspiracy theorist. What do they know that makes it already an internal matter? Don’t keep reminding me of the Korean entrance exam! If the game speed goes that way, your blood pressure will explode and you won’t be able to survive.

-I definitely have to apply for this and see. Benefits are benefits, but if you fail this time, you can think that you have no chance. The competition rate this time is approximately 5 to 1. When recruiting next quarter, the competition rate is expected to be approximately 50 to 1.

└This is ㄹㅇ. Connect Co., Ltd. said that it will select 3,000 people every week from now on. Is it likely that the number of users will exceed 40,000 in three months?

└Oh let it go. Why are you holding this sweet event now? Shouldn’t it be fair after gathering more users?

└If you criticize me, go directly to the First Guild and complain. This is not an event run by the management.

-Are you watching the Connect management team? In good words, please hold events in countries other than the Kingdom of Ruben. Otherwise, we will invade the real headquarters!

└Yes, you will be cut at the entrance.

└Connect management will have no power? If you look at the initial notice, it says that you cannot intervene except in special cases. They might be racking their brains and discussing solutions right now.

└It is said that the lights at Connect headquarters have not been turned off since last night.

Various connect-related bulletin boards were heating up.

Players who were already connected to Connect were already exchanging information about the anticipated entrance exams. I couldn’t see anyone saying they wouldn’t apply.

And the majority of prospective players who had not yet obtained access to Connect succeeded in blowing up the website of Connect Co., Ltd. by sublimating their envy into dissatisfaction.

Connect management once again confirmed that direct intervention in the activities of NPCs in the game was impossible and attempted to calm prospective players by saying that various events were planned in the future.

However, the dissatisfaction of prospective players who felt relatively deprived showed no signs of cooling down.

Eat.

Raoul looked at the bulletin board and burst into laughter.

Now and then, players’ dissatisfaction and distrust toward the game management seemed to have remained the same.

In Raul’s view, running a game was no different from politics. No matter how good an event you prepare and balance patches, it is impossible to satisfy all players.

If you hold an event for new players, established players will say something, and if you hold a difficult event, new players will whine.

Even if there is a giveaway event that benefits all players, those who get relatively little are dissatisfied.

In the real world, even if they are dissatisfied, they cannot keep their mouths shut due to the power of those in power and vested interests, but in the game they think they are equal, so they do not tolerate even the slightest complaint and go to the management.

However, this did not mean that Raul was siding with the management team.

Because there are only a very small number of games that actually operate normally.

In the first place, the management team is selected by a developer aiming to maximize profits, so it is realistically impossible to operate in a balanced manner.

I just briefly felt sorry for the Connect management team who were gathered in the conference room and struggling to come up with a solution.

However, Raoul soon stopped laughing and glared at the Connect Co., Ltd. homepage with cold eyes.

‘Let’s not forget. They are my enemies.’

For Raoul, Connect’s management was just an enemy.

(Continued in the next part)