The Count’s Youngest Son Is A Player - Chapter 262
Episode 262:
Dark conference hall.
A hologram projector projected at the front of the conference room filled one side of the room with various information.
“…This is the status of the ‘Fake Apocalypse’ that has progressed to date.”
When the briefing ended, those attending the meeting all fell silent.
The faces of the attendees were spectacular.
Ahn Jin-won, President of the Republic of Korea.
Prime Minister Jeong Seok-yoon.
Choi Gil-jun, leader of the ruling party.
Opposition leader Kim Baek-min.
And even several presidents who attended as representatives of each minister and business community.
It literally felt like the giants that run the Republic of Korea had gathered together.
“Whoa…this prophecy is too accurate to be called fake.”
The President sighed.
“Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. “What is the energy security situation?”
“I’m still holding on. But if the current trend continues… the country’s key industrial complexes may come to a halt within five years.”
Murmur.
About 30 people attending the meeting spoke to the people next to them with serious faces, as if they were agitated.
The reason they are currently gathered is because of the ‘fake apocalypse’ prophecy related to ‘Connect’.
Long before the advent of virtual reality game connect.
The leaders of each country received a visit from someone.
Alex Song, now known as the chairman of Connect Co., Ltd., was the protagonist.
The problem is how he visited.
There was no prior appointment.
midnight.
He passed through the official residence, which was under strict security, without any interference.
CCTV’s latest security system, security dog.
Nothing worked and there was no trace of him coming in or disappearing…
The birth of the multinational company Connect Co., Ltd. began with the visit of that man.
Of course, I wasn’t threatened or exploited.
Alex showed certain information and items to each leader, and they could not reject Alex’s offer.
It was too much advanced technology and dangerous information to do that.
The technology was part of the ‘Connect Capsule’, which seemed difficult to realize at the time, and the information was a prophecy called the ‘Fake Apocalypse’.
-An abnormal phenomenon will occur on Earth. It will be difficult for people to adapt to unpredictable climate changes, and natural disasters will continue to occur. Part of the scientific civilization that led to human development will be lost, and many humans who cannot adapt to new changes will be eliminated.
If you want to prevent the extinction of humanity, connect to Connect. You will find the answer there.
At first, I thought it was just common apocalyptic nonsense spread throughout the world.
I just approved Connect Co., Ltd. because I wanted the technology.
But as time passed, some started saying that it might not be just nonsense.
Already, a number of elderly people and children were dying or being hospitalized, unable to withstand the extreme temperature difference.
In reality, there is not much difference from the average temperature.
Additionally, the number of natural disasters that occur every year has increased more than ten times compared to before the advent of Connect.
Now, it has become a natural occurrence for typhoons and hurricanes to occur even in spring and fall.
And now, it has been 3 years since Connect was connected.
The energy efficiency of all electrical appliances on the planet has plummeted by about 30%.
It was not a temporary phenomenon and the cause was unknown.
A phenomenon that suddenly occurred one day.
And that one day.
“…It’s not a coincidence, is it?”
“I’d like to think so, but the circumstances fit too perfectly for it to be a coincidence.”
The conference room screen displayed certain dates and changes since that day.
“As you can see, the number of people detecting abnormal temperatures has skyrocketed since the launch of the Connect first connection scenario [Birth of Chaos]. Immediately after the second scenario [Kingmaker] was released, the rate of natural disasters increased threefold. And now.”
The screen changed and a connect notice appeared.
“With the start of [Scenario: Geumjeok opening-invasion], energy efficiency plummeted.”
“ha.”
It really could have been a coincidence.
However, there were too many things to do just by chance with the information organized in order.
“Are measures for energy shortage standing still? Get out on the street right now! “More than half of personal electric vehicles are parked in parking lots.”
“If electricity prices continue to skyrocket, it will be difficult to meet production costs. “If export routes are blocked, our companies will go bankrupt one after another!”
“Why not reexamine nuclear power plants scheduled to be shut down even now? “If we do not prepare reserve power even now, more people will collapse due to abnormal temperatures.”
Many opinions poured in, but the content remained the same.
Electricity production must be increased as much as possible.
Because it is still winter, electricity usage has not increased much.
The efficiency of gas boilers also decreased, but not at the level of electricity generation.
But if it becomes summer when the days get hot…
‘It must be hell.’
Air conditioner usage was reaching an all-time high.
Without backup power, power supply restrictions may have to be implemented.
“First of all, we will adjust our policy to secure as much electricity as possible. “But you all know that this is just a stopgap measure, right?”
Everyone nodded at the president’s words.
“Chief Secretary. “What happened to the inquiry I made to Connect Co., Ltd.?”
“yes. A written reply arrived in the morning. “I’ll put it on the screen.”
Inquiries sent to the actual headquarters, not the headquarters in Seoul.
And a reply came in the name of Chairman Alex Song.
The faces of the attendees changed after checking the reply.
“Such insolence! “What do you think of the representative of a country?”
“This is ridiculous. Are you really planning on imitating a prophet?”
If we shorten the reply with various modifiers, it is as follows.
-The prophecy continues without change. And I have nothing else to say. As I said before, find the answer through ‘Connect’.
The President looked at the angry faces of the attendees and quietly opened his mouth.
“As you can see, he doesn’t seem to have any intention of cooperating in resolving this situation. It’s time to take action. Chief of Security?”
“yes. “Assuming that the prophecy was true, we developed several measures.”
The screen has changed.
“first. The goal is to find the real headquarters of Connect Co., Ltd. and obtain information from Chairman Alex Song. “He would know best about what is happening.”
“That’s good. “Let’s dispatch special forces right away!”
“Anyway, aren’t there plenty of excuses to detain him? “Why have you left him alone until now?”
Several politicians raised their voices.
But that was realistically impossible.
“I’m sorry, but Chairman Alex Song’s location has not been specified. “There is a place that is believed to be the headquarters of Connect Co., Ltd.”
A world map appeared on the screen, zooming in on a part of the Pacific Ocean.
However, because the clouds were strangely gathered together, it was impossible to confirm them on satellite.
“The U.S. military had already planned to dispatch ships several times to search and seize Connect. But the results all failed. Recently, one leaflet was dispatched, but it is said that it could not even approach the area and just hovered in place before being withdrawn. It is said that if you go near it, your electronic devices will stop working, and even if you enter the actual sea area, you will be out at some point. The U.S. military even called it the ‘second Bermuda Triangle.’”
The attendees’ mouths fell silent.
It was realistically difficult for Korea to succeed on its own in something that even the world’s most powerful U.S. military could not do.
“I will keep trying, but I think it would be better not to have any expectations. The second option is to find the answer in ‘Connect’ like the prophecy. If we estimate the scenario so far…”
The security chief’s briefing continued for a while.
And the very next day.
A special law was enacted and a certain amount of Connect connection capsules were allocated for military personnel and companies.
* * *
‘hmm. ‘Is this what you expected?’
Raoul understood the movements of the government and companies through the Connect bulletin board and First Company reports.
There was nothing surprising about it since there was a similar trend in my previous life anyway.
There was now a high possibility that a new guild alliance centered on military and government conglomerates would emerge.
And that simultaneously, not only in Korea but also around the world.
In particular, in the case of China, there were even plans to force players to join national guilds.
‘Of course, Connect Co., Ltd. will use their weapons to thwart the provision of capsules.’
Even so, in the end, many players will end up living in a guild that they do not want due to the government’s threats to appease, practical problems, etc.
‘To prevent that, we established First Company.’
Originally, talented players who would have been taken to the national guild were secured in advance, and devices were put in place to ensure their safety.
‘Even if it’s not perfect, this will be enough.’
They were just a kind of insurance.
In any case, it is too late to create a new association, whether it be a country or a company.
This is difficult to reap the influence of the First Guild, which is established throughout Connect.
The problem was on the other side.
‘The scenario progressed too quickly.’
Originally, [Scenario: King Maker] would have been completed in the middle of the fourth year since the launch of the Connect service.
But now, just three years have passed.
It was natural that the number and level of players were lower than in the previous life.
‘No, isn’t that really true?’
The level of the top rankers could actually be seen as superior to their previous life.
He passed on considerable know-how to players in the Purple Guild and partner guilds.
And as disputes between guilds decreased, rankers focused on growth.
But even so, it wasn’t enough.
Raoul opened the connect system with a worried expression.
[Notice]
Congratulations. [Scenario: Kingmaker] was successfully completed thanks to the active participation of players.
-Connect A new king of the four kingdoms has been born.
-Now the kingdoms begin to move actively to respond to the crisis at hand.
-The central army moves, forces are reorganized, and the risk of gate break is lowered.
-The birth rate of Connect residents who have found stability increases.
-The new kings were impressed by the players’ performance. Treatment of players will be improved.
-But this does not mean the continent’s crisis is over. Get ready! A new crisis is approaching.
-A new scenario is emerging.
This was the announcement made after the civil war ended a few months ago.
And a new scenario began at the beginning of this year.
[Scenario: Geumseok opening-invasion]
Commentary: There are four Geumdoes on the Connect Continent.
Monster Forest of the West.
Ice Mountains of the North.
The elemental jungle of the east.
Devil’s Sea area in the south.
A problem has arisen with the Geumyeok, which was protected by an ancient seal.
The kingdom’s gates were managed, but the gates within Geumyeok continued to erode.
The weakened seal no longer functions as it should, and monsters that have lost their territory due to the gate are being pushed out to the border of the Geumdo area.
Geumyeok’s barrier has become too weak to block monsters.
Be prepared!
If we cannot stop the invasion of wandering monsters, humanity may be deprived of its realm of life again.
-[Warning] Many high-level monsters that are difficult for players to handle will appear. Cooperate with Connect’s residents as much as possible to stop the invasion.
-[Caution] This scenario is a linked scenario. Secure as much contribution as possible for future scenarios.
A monster wave from Geumyeok that started not long ago.
For some time, this wave will continue to invade the human kingdom.
Of course, we were thoroughly prepared for that.
Monster Forest, a golden area in the west.
In the past, the role of the Ashton family was to block the monsters that flowed from there.
Depending on the scenario, a monster wave unrivaled in the past was launched, but the combination of a stronger defense line and dozens of masters prevented it from causing much damage.
‘Because other kingdoms are also doing well.’
The new kings did not ignore the temple’s warning.
Moreover, the influence of the Purple Association and the First Guild, which gave strength in the battle for succession to the throne, was greater than expected.
The head of the First Earldom with over ten masters.
A powerful person behind the association who can move hundreds of thousands of players.
Because this title made it impossible to ignore Raoul’s remarks.
Thanks to this, humanity was coping well despite the unprecedented large-scale monster invasion.
‘In my previous life, about 1/4 of my entire territory was taken away and then regained.’
This time, although the defense line was temporarily pushed back, the territory was not taken away enough for monsters to settle down.
‘The next 15 days.’
If you can survive that time, the monster invasion will end.
And what follows…
Raoul’s face flushed with strange anticipation.
(Continued in the next part)