The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Rumble.

Bang! Rattatat!

Flames roared behind the collapsed iron wall.

“Damn it, is this the end? Everyone, retreat!”

Swish, flash!

Teleportation magic circles and portals flashed, swallowing people up.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

Giants pushed through the remnants of the iron wall. These were the Gigant, the dwarves’ piloted war machines.

“Hahaha! Look at them flee!”

“Never come near us again, you imperial scum!”

Buzz.

As the Gigant were deactivated, a stout dwarf emerged.

‘Have we finally reached this point?’

Tar’o, the Great Chief of the Black Anvil Tribe, looked at the iron fortress with deep emotion. With this, all major underground cities in the northern ice mountains had returned to the dwarves’ control.

They had finally reclaimed the legacy left by their ancestors. At that moment, a dwarf messenger came running and shouted.

“Great Chief! The human allied forces on the surface have also captured all the imperial outposts!”

“Woohoo!”

“A perfect victory!”

Hearing the news, the dwarf warriors raised their hammers and magic guns to the sky, shouting triumphantly.

‘It was truly the best decision.’

Great Chief Tar’o stroked his beard, which reached down to his waist, with a broad smile. Raul had unexpectedly visited their underground city.

Since allying with him, everything had been going smoothly. Rare items, materials, and resources that were hard to come by were sufficiently supplied by Raul’s First Knight Order.

With those resources, the weapons and combat machines they refurbished were enough to defeat the imperial humans, and now they lacked no strategic resources. The dwarf race had successfully settled in Connect.

And from Raul’s perspective, there were no losses.

The growing interaction with dwarf artisans had significantly improved the skills of the artisans in the First Knight Order, and both sides’ combat capabilities increased due to the different techniques applied to their equipment.

Moreover, players cheered for the high-quality, artistically crafted dwarf-made weapons. As a result, the First Trading Company and workshops enjoyed immense prosperity.

‘It’s been a while since I last saw Count Raul’s face. I wonder if he’s making good use of what we made for him, hehe.’

Great Chief Tar’o gulped down the cool ale acquired from trade with the First Knight Order and silently wished his human friend well.

*

“Lady Melish, the outer defensive line has been breached again.”

“Only the final defensive line within the protection of the World Tree remains!”

Where did it all go wrong?

High Elf Melish continued to caress the World Tree sapling, which gave no response. Shortly after the Fairy Queen and the fairies disappeared.

The steadfast support of the World Tree had halted its activities. While the existing blessings and barriers remained, their reach did not expand, nor did their power recover.

This led to catastrophic consequences.

The silence of the World Tree, which used to control the elemental monsters and elemental traps in the Eastern Forbidden Zone’s Elemental Jungle.

This meant that the forbidden zone could no longer exert its power as a forbidden zone. Additionally, as the World Tree’s power vanished, the Spirit Tree clusters withered away.

Even the birth of natural spirits became difficult. This resulted in a sharp decline in the elves’ combat capabilities.

‘If only they had responded a bit sooner!’

The current situation might not have deteriorated this far. Upon realizing the anomaly, the elves’ first action was not to fortify their defenses.

-This is surely a human ploy!

-The Fairy Queen has colluded with humans!

-Find the Fairy Queen and the humans immediately!

The elves made the foolish choice to try and revert the situation that had already unfolded. Some elven superhumans and warriors left the Elemental Jungle to search for the fairies and Raul’s party.

And they never returned.

The elves’ power was effective in the areas blessed by the World Tree within the Elemental Jungle or forests. The harsh world of Connect was unforgiving to elves accustomed to the limited terrain of the Elemental Jungle.

Like salt thrown into the sea, the elven reconnaissance teams dissolved away. While the elves were scrambling, the empire and players seized the moment.

“The jungle has changed! Elemental monsters aren’t respawning and the elemental traps are quiet!”

“This is the perfect chance to reclaim the settlement! Summon all guild members!”

The player guilds, who had been pushed back by the elves, reinforced their power through alliances and re-entered the jungle.

Elven forces in the outer areas not covered by the World Tree’s blessing were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of players. Seeing the results, large guilds, which had been suppressed, pounced like hungry beasts.

Dismayed by the seemingly endless hordes of players, the elves had no choice but to retreat repeatedly.

“His Majesty is furious! We must seize the Elemental Jungle!”

The imperial forces, momentarily paralyzed by the complete destruction of their expedition command, countered by deploying even more superhumans and soldiers to make up for their blunders.

This coincided with a full-scale assault by the player guilds, leaving the elves overwhelmed by human attacks from all sides.

Within just 6 months, the elves lost approximately 90% of the Elemental Jungle to the humans. Although the loss of territory was severe, their forces did not suffer too greatly.

This was due to the elves’ superior individual abilities and the ease of retreat inherent to the jungle’s terrain. Ultimately, they managed to hold onto the Town Tree formations centered around the World Tree.

This was thanks to the still-present blessings of the World Tree and a concentration of their now reduced forces. However, no elf would see this as a relief.

They were now completely surrounded by the empire and players and isolated in the Elemental Jungle. The World Tree had stopped growing, and no new spirits were emerging.

Moreover, outside their territory, humans were eagerly waiting for the elves to come out.

‘If only we had shown more goodwill to the Fairy Queen, would the situation have turned out differently?’

But Melish had no time to dwell on past regrets.

“Lady Melish! The barrier is weakening. The mana stones need replenishing….”

“Undead forces from the empire are attacking from the east…!”

“Terain’s scouting party hasn’t returned.”

All the news brought to her was grim. In the end, her options were limited.

“Call in all the elders and warriors. We will activate the ‘Complete Barrier of the World Tree’.”

“What? But that…!”

The war chief who received the command couldn’t continue his sentence. Activating such a large-scale barrier without a fully functioning World Tree meant potentially sacrificing lives.

And the ‘Complete Barrier of the World Tree’ meant completely isolating a specific area from the outside world.

“That is my decision. We must survive. As we always have from ancient times.”

“Yes, understood.”

Thus, the elves chose to confine themselves in an even smaller space. But with an incomplete barrier and a halted World Tree, how long could they truly endure?

Melish’s hollow eyes and sigh represented their uncertainty.

*

『Announcement』

The former inhabitants of the forbidden zones have returned. They are either striving to reclaim their former glory or struggling to survive.

Meanwhile, human kingdoms and empires claiming ownership of Connect long to seize the forbidden zones, and players are fighting to carve out their own territories.

The preliminary battles for the control of the forbidden zones have concluded.

The scenario 『Forbidden Zone Opening – Encounter』 has been completed.

This concludes all linked scenarios of the forbidden zone opening. However, every end is but a new beginning.

A new scenario 『Coexistence or XX』 begins.

『Scenario: Coexistence or XX』

Description: All forbidden zones in Connect have been opened. The ancient races have all made their return.

What remains now is to establish and unify a new order in Connect.

How you choose to deal with the newly emerged lands and races is up to you.

Will you wage war to seize what they possess?

Or will you join hands to explore new possibilities?

The next year will decide.

The future of the Connect continent will be shaped by your actions.

All systems provided by Connect will be unlocked.

Players or guilds who secure territories can declare ‘independence’. However, be cautious. The responsibility for your choices rests solely on you.

An unprecedented crisis is approaching. Soon, you will face pivotal decisions. Strive to improve yourselves to save the world.

A limited-time experience boost event will be held. We encourage you to grow as much and as efficiently as possible.

“We’ve finally reached this point.”

Raul muttered as he read the notification in front of him. The scenario following the 『Forbidden Zone Opening』 was totally uncharted territory.

There was no information; he had to rely solely on his intuition and experience. The recent passive stance of the First Knight Order, and Raul’s reduction in public activities, were all results of his caution.

‘Every decision I make could endanger not just my life but also the lives of my subordinates and comrades.’

But that was no longer the case. With the new scenario revealed, it was time to act accordingly. Of course, seeing the revealed scenario left him feeling a bit deflated.

Though it was worded in a roundabout way, essentially, it said, “Act independently and improve your skills for now.”

He felt almost overly cautious, but it wasn’t a wrong decision. Because there was another notification in front of him that no one else saw.

Congratulations. Player Raul has been selected as a final candidate for 『Final Scenario: Mediator』.

Verifying player Raul’s mark and qualifications.

Player Raul’s score is 93 points. (Protector of the Ruben Kingdom, master of the strongest guild on the continent, ruler of the western forbidden zone, ally of the Dwarves, and 36 others.)

You have achieved the highest score among the final candidates. You will be provided with the most information and conveniences in the final scenario. Prepare collaborators who can assist you in the final scenario.

Maximize your abilities before the final scenario. A formidable foe awaits.

Failure in the final scenario may lead to ‘destruction’.

Time remaining until the final scenario begins: 364 days, 23 hours.

What the final scenario entailed and who the final candidates were remained unknown.

But the atmosphere felt ominous.

‘The directive to prepare collaborators suggests that it may be a task too challenging to handle alone.’

So far, he could say he had done well. Honestly, except for the empire, Raul could confidently claim to have the strongest power on the Connect continent.

But, as the system warned, if he failed the final scenario, what would all that matter?

‘So, what I need to prepare is….’

Raul’s eyes began to shine.

***

As the new scenario announcement appeared, many on Earth grew tense. Especially the heads of state and corporate executives who were certain of some connection between Connect and Earth.

But the sudden change they anticipated did not occur.

“…What’s happening?”

“Weren’t the anomalies linked to the Connect scenario?”

“Should we consider ourselves lucky…?”

Government officials were puzzled but also relieved.

If progress efficiency dropped or severe climate change occurred, maintaining the current system would be challenging. Be it politically, economically, or even the very foundation of human science.

However, no one could fully relax. The calm before the storm. A breather before significant change. The fear it might be that kept everyone on edge. And there were always those who loathed uncertainty and anxiety.

“Ugh! Who are you?”

“Please, spare me!”

“What is the meaning of thi—, urk!”

It wasn’t happening in Connect. The number of players being unexpectedly kidnapped or going missing on Earth was rapidly increasing. And all this information was being relayed directly to Rabel, the genius hacker.

“Raul! They’ve made a move!”

Finally, the intricate web of information Rabel had laid out captured some activity.

The screen transmitted to Raul.

There, the faces of the men in suits, who had taken Bae Dohyun’s life in his past life, were clearly displayed.

(To be continued)

TL’s Corner:

Human traffickers… Tsk tsk.