Chapter 1324

“Huh? Cheon Woo-Jin’s father... is the chairman of the beehive?”

Tae-Sung was genuinely shocked. He knew Cheon Woo-Jin came from a wealthy family, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he was the son of the chairman of Hive Games Entertainment.

Tae-Sung turned to Cheon Woo-Jin and asked, “I-Is that really true?”

“Yup,” Cheon Woo-Jin replied with a shrug.

“Seriously? Really?”

“Why would I lie to you about something like this?”

“Well, you have a point, but still...”

“Well, you know that the identity of the chairman of Hive Games Entertainment is strictly confidential, right?”

Cheon Woo-Jin was right. To this day, the identity of the chairman of Hive Games Entertainment has never been made public.

The mysterious chairman had always remained completely shrouded in secrecy, and Oppenheimer had been acting as the face of the company.

“I wanted to tell you earlier, but it was classified. Sorry, I couldn’t tell you anything.”

“Well, I guess it happens.”

Surprisingly, Tae-Sung did not get angry at Cheon Woo-Jin. After all, he understood that Cheon Woo-Jin was not the type of person to go around bragging about his father.

‘So that’s why this guy had so much money...’

Tae-Sung finally understood where Cheon Woo-Jin’s enormous wealth came from.

Since he was the son of the chairman of Hive Games Entertainment, it would be strange if he were poor.

“Nice to meet you. Shall we take a seat?” Cheon Jong-Ho offered.

“Thank you,” Tae-Sung replied with a courteous bow.

He sat down with Cheon Woo-Jin and Cheon Jong-Ho, drinking coffee while chatting about various topics.

During that time, Tae-Sung heard a brief account of Cheon Jong-Ho’s life.

Cheon Jong-Ho was born into a wealthy family, studied at a prestigious high school in Gangnam, and then he went on to study engineering at Seoul National University[1].

Afterward, he continued his education at MIT, where he stumbled upon cryptocurrency and made a fortune. With his newfound fortune, he dropped out of MIT and started a game development company.

A few years later, he succeeded in developing the Doppelganger Algorithm and used it to develop the virtual reality game, Brave New World.

‘Wow... He was the very definition of an elite. Not only was he born lucky, but he even put in the work into it. No wonder he’s different.’

Tae-Sung enjoyed listening to Cheon Jong-Ho’s life story, as it felt like he was having a front row seat to the biography of a successful individual being read by that individual themself.

”Thank you for getting along with my son. He mostly grew up in the United States, so he doesn’t have a lot of friends in Korea,” Cheon Jong-Ho said with a warm smile.

“No, sir. He actually helped me out most of the time. I really owe him big time,” Tae-Sung replied.

”Is that so?”

”Of course! He was the one who saw my potential. Your son has quite a good eye for people.”

”Hahaha! I’m glad if you put it that way.”

Tae-Sung enjoyed his time talking to Cheon Jong-Ho.

After all, chatting with the man who created Brave New World, the game that turned Tae-Sung’s life around, was bound to be fruitful and exciting.

They continued chatting without realizing the passage of time.

It was then.

“So, what do you plan on doing now?” Cheon Jong-Ho asked.

”I... plan to take a break for now,” Tae-Sung replied.

”Hmm...”

“For the past five years, I've been running without looking back. And even before that, all I did was play BNW for almost two whole years. The game was the only thing I did for seven years, so it’s about time I took a break.”

It was indeed time for him to take a break, as he was exhausted both mentally and physically.

He had given his all to protecting the world inside BNW, so it was time for him to slow down now that he had cleared the main scenario of the Fantasy Server.

“I have reached the max level too, so there’s nothing else for me to do.”

Tae-Sung had achieved all there was to achieve in the Fantasy Server. Not only in the game, but he had also achieved all there was to achieve as a pro gamer in the real world, too.

Now, it was time for him to focus on living as Han Tae-Sung—something that was long overdue.

“I understand. And thank you for all your hard work.”

”Thank you for your kind words.”

“No, the honor is ours. You are the icon of the game and the protagonist of the Fantasy Server. As the chairman of Hive Games Entertainment, I express my sincerest gratitude to you.”

”It was my pleasure.”

”And I hope you continue to get along with my son, Woo-Jin.”

”I will definitely.”

With that, Tae-Sung established a personal connection with Cheon Jong-Ho, who was the founder of Hive Games Entertainment as well as Cheon Woo-Jin’s father.

***

Just because Tae-Sung had defeated the Creator did not mean that the story of the Brave New World’s first server, the Fantasy Server, had come to a close. This was the thing that set Brave New World apart from other games.

With Siegfried defeating the Creator and clearing the fourth main scenario of the Fantasy Server, he brought freedom to the world.

No longer was the world bound by the Creator’s will, but rather, the sentient creatures living in it could now forge their own destiny.

In other words, Siegfried’s role in this world was done.

The world will would continue to progress as if nothing had happened, and countless events would occur.

Just like before, some of these events will shake the world, adding new content to the game.

However, if there was one thing that was guaranteed, then it was the fact that Siegfried would most likely no longer be the protagonist of those scenarios.

Of course, just because he had defeated the Creator did not mean that the whole world was back to normal.

The Void's collapse destroyed nearly a third of the continent along with it. The areas the Void had engulfed were in a twisted spacetime, and this phenomenon gave birth to tens of thousands of dungeons.

Countless Adventurers jumped into these dungeons to clear them and save the NPCs trapped within them, and that became one of the first new contents added to the game after the Creator’s demise.

But that was not all...

The world was still in turmoil, as the vast territory of the Marchioni Empire had been fragmented into smaller kingdoms, and each of these kingdoms waged war against each other in a bid to secure more territory for themselves—and ultimately, supremacy.

The continent had entered into a warring period, where nations would rise and fall.

With the chaos caused by this age of turmoil, a new hero would surely appear to quell the confusion.

And this was the biggest strength of the game, Brave New World...

The artificial intelligence running the game could add almost endless content, and anyone could be the protagonist of the game. In short, the Creator’s demise did not signal the end of the Fantasy Server, but rather, it was a new beginning for it.

Siegfried was well aware of that fact, which helped him make up his mind.

”I believe I have contributed more than enough to this world.”

He attended the first general assembly after defeating the Creator, and here he made an announcement.

“Our empire has fought to safeguard the peace of this world. We shed blood and tears, fighting without expecting anything in return. In that process, we have lost countless brothers and sisters while continuously persevering even in the face of distress.”

“...”

”We have done more than enough. We will... no longer sacrifice ourselves for this world, and that is the same for me, the emperor. From now on, I will solely focus on taking care of my family and my people.”

Siegfried paused for a moment before announcing his decision.

”In lieu of that, the Proatine Empire will reduce its territory, close our doors to outsiders, and will not involve ourselves in the affairs of others—provided that our allies are not in danger. Instead, we will focus solely on our internal affairs.”

“May Your Imperial Majesty’s will be done!”

“May Your Imperial Majesty’s will be done!”

“May Your Imperial Majesty’s will be done!”

The officials present all replied in unison, raising their voices in support of Siegfried’s decision.

The Proatine Empire no longer wanted to involve itself in wars or protect the world at its own expense.

The sudden expansion in territory and population caused various social problems within the empire, and the lack of social infrastructures was only making the problems worse.

On top of that, the numerous wars they fought came at the expense of massive casualties, so their military manpower had also taken a huge hit.

Despite emerging victorious against the Marchioni Empire, the Proatine Empire was at a state where they would not even be able to properly manage their own territories even if they solely focused on internal affairs.

Thus, nobody objected even after Siegfried had declared that the Proatine Empire would close its doors to the world.

With that, the Proatine Empire fully focused on its internal affairs, and its emperor, Siegfried, too, focused on managing the empire.

’Ugh... I can’t tell if I’m a gamer or a civil servant. Did I start playing this game to do paperwork?’

Siegfried was mentally suffering from his new routine. He would log into the game, review the documents submitted, and stamp those he approved with his seal.

Due to the sheer volume of documents he had to process, he had to dedicate almost all of his time to it.

On top of that, he also had to do his duties as the head of his household.

”Shall we go on a trip tomorrow? What about going to the beach?”

”That sounds great!”

Siegfried made sure to spend time with Brunhilde and go on dates with her, and he also made sure to spend time with Verdandi, reading her storybooks, before he logged out from the game.

”Hey, Hamchi. Do you wanna go fish?”

”Kyuuu! Sounds good!”

He also did not forget to spend time with his soulmate, Hamchi.

“Please allow me to pour you a drink, Master!”

”Go ahead! Hohoho!”

Once in a while, he would do his duties as a disciple and serve expensive liquor to his master.

He spent almost all of his time within the Proatine Empire doing mundane tasks day in and day out.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

Five days a week, eight to ten hours a day—just like a civil servant.

Despite his repetitive schedule, he was not bored with it.

In fact, he actually liked it.

After all, this was another way for him to enjoy the game he loved.

Grinding experience points to level up, fighting enemies, and farming items was not the only joy in a game like BNW.

Some would play the game just to tend to their small garden, while others would live as merchants selling various wares at their shop. Everyone had their own way of enjoying the game, and this was the beauty of virtual reality.

Siegfried, too, wanted to play the game in that way, taking it easy and doing the things he loved. He wanted a peaceful life in this world that he loved, surrounded by the people he loved.

Meanwhile, the Annihilation’s Grasp and Siegfried’s Will Armor Set was placed beside his throne, collecting dust after being neglected for so long.

Why were they collecting dust? Well, the answer to that was simple. Siegfried no longer needed items. If a situation where he needed to fight arose, he just needed his bare fists to resolve things.

While he was vacationing in the southern region of the continent, a colossal kraken attacked them, but he dispatched it with just a single punch in his swimsuit.

He had reached a realm where he no longer had to rely on items.

While he was enjoying his newfound life...

“We have a problem, hyung-nim! At the eastern region of the continent is—”

Seung-Gu rushed in, bringing grim news.

”Nah, I’m not interested. Don’t bother telling me about it,” Siegfried replied, waving his hand as if shooing him away.

”B-But—!”

”I know you need my help, but forget about it.”

”But still...”

”It’s not my place to get involved. Sure, things will get easily resolved if I go, but what’s the point of that?”

”Huh?”

”I’m retired now. My era is over, so it’s now time for the new generation of gamers to step up.”

”What do you mean by that?”

”What will the others do if I keep solving all the problems?”

”That is...”

“A hero is born from troubling times. The only way for a new hero to emerge is for me to mind my own business.”

That was the reason Siegfried no longer got involved with things, did not raid any of the dungeons, and simply stayed cooped up in the Proatine Empire.

He wanted to leave the game content for the other gamers to enjoy.

Besides, it wasn't like he would feel the thrill or get excited even if he jumped into battle now.

”You should get going. Aren’t you one of the main protagonists who will lead the next generation?”

”Hyung-nim...”

“Anyways, I’ll get going now. I have to help Verdandi with her homework.”

***

Six months had passed since then.

Tae-Sung finally got married to Yong Seoul-Hwa at a small private wedding in a retreat house in Gangwon Province.

Only their family members and a few close friends were invited, and the reason they chose to have such a small wedding was simple. Both of them were ultra-wealthy individuals. They were so wealthy that they could throw the most extravagant and lavish wedding in the history of the world if they wanted to do so.

They could rent a whole five-star hotel and spend millions on the wedding decorations alone without it making a dent in their bank accounts.

However, Tae-Sung and Seol-Hwa decided otherwise.

Rather than spending money on extravagance, the couple decided to help the needy instead. Both of them had so much money that spending it on materialistic things no longer brought them any joy.

Hence, they decided to just have a small wedding surrounded by friends and family instead.

An hour before the wedding...

”Hey, Han Tae-Sung!”

Cheon Woo-Jin called out to him.

”Let’s go take a look if everything is in order before the wedding ceremony starts.”

”Huh? Why, though?”

”We have to check if all the decorations are in place and all. There are so many things to do!”

”But isn’t that mostly done by women...?”

”Hey, they’re busy doing their hair and makeup right now. Don’t forget about dress fitting too.”

”Oh? Really?”

”Let’s go.”

”O-Okay...?”

Tae-Sung followed Cheon Woo-Jin to the yard where the wedding ceremony would be taking place.

The whole yard was decorated with beautiful flowers, but it was far from extravagant or luxurious. It was the same decor most would find at an ordinary wedding, which was befitting of a small wedding like theirs.

However, what Cheon Woo-Jin said next was something that caught Tae-Sung completely off guard.

”Hey, Han Tae-Sung.”

”Yeah?”

”You have guests.”

”Guests? Was anyone else invited?”

”Why not see for yourself?”

”Eh?”

”Look over there.”

Cheon Woo-Jin pointed at the area where the groom’s guests were seated.

’I wonder who he’s talking about...’

“...!”

Tae-Sung froze on the spot because...

”M-Master?!”

He saw an old man wearing a top-of-the-line branded suit, but the shocking part was that he looked exactly like Deus. He was sitting at the seat usually reserved for the groom’s father.

Badump! Badump!

Tae-Sung’s heart began to race, and a chill ran down his spine.

”H-How is Master h-here all of a sudden...?”

That was not the only surprise...

”Kyuuu! Congratulations on your wedding, owner punk!”

Hamchi suddenly appeared beside Deus and waved at Tae-Sung.

”W-What the heck?!” Tae-Sung shrieked in horror and fell on his butt.

Deus and Hamchi.

Both of them were beings who weren't supposed to exist in reality. They were supposed to only exist within the virtual reality game, Brave New World, yet they were standing before him in reality.

”W-What’s going on here...?” Tae-Sung stammered in sheer disbelief.

Deus glared at him and roared, ”What are you standing around there for?! You dared to get married without inviting this great one?! And you call yourself my disciple?!”

”M-Master?!”

”Ha! They say it’s useless to raise a child with love. It was meaningless! It was all meaningless!”

Tae-Sung was so shocked that he was at a loss for words.

’W-What’s going on here? How is this even possible? Why is Master here? And Hamchi too?’

As if seeing Deus was not shocking enough, Hamchi continued squeaking Kyuuu! Kyuuu! beside him, making it impossible for him to think.

‘Don’t tell me... Was the virtual world real, too? Is that how Master and Hamchi traveled dimensions and—‘

”Bwahahaha!”

Cheon Woo-Jin suddenly burst out laughing.

”Wow! It’s a success! A huge success!”

”You should’ve seen the look on your face, Han Tae-Sung! Did you see a ghost or something? Kekeke!”

”Oh wow, I didn’t think you were this naive.”

His friends, who were hiding nearby, suddenly appeared one after another.

”W-What? What’s this all about?” Tae-Sung asked, still confused.

He retreated a few steps backward while still trying to make sense of the situation.

”See? I told you this guy would fall for it, didn’t I? This guy is an irredeemable addict and should just live in the virtual world. Only someone as addicted to the game as this guy would fall for a prank like this. Kekeke!”

”I agree! Bwahaha!”

Both Cheon Woo-Jin and Seung-Gu burst out laughing.

”A p-prank...?” Tae-Sung muttered, tilting his head in confusion.

”Hey, Tae-Sung. We really got you good this time, didn’t we?” Cheon Woo-Jin asked with a smirk.

”W-What happened...? What was that just now?”

”Isn’t it obvious? They’re paid actors! Keke!” Cheon Woo-Jin said, pointing at both Deus and Hamchi.

”A-Actors...?”

Cheon Woo-Jin walked over to Deus and Hamchi. Then, he said, “Thank you for your hard work.”

”Oh, it was an honor.”

”It wasn’t that difficult. Hehe!”

With those words, the actor posing as Deus took off his fake beard while the one acting as Hamchi took off his costume.

”I had no idea technology had advanced this much. I told them to make it as similar as possible, no matter how much it would take, but I really didn’t expect it would look this similar.”

”Huh...?”

”Do you have any idea what I went through preparing this prank? I had to do a whole audition and even commission the best Hollywood props team.”

”Ah...”

”I spent a ton on this, but it was money well spent! Kekeke!”

Tae-Sung finally realized what was happening.

The best people working in Hollywood would definitely be capable of transforming someone into Deus. Disguising someone as Hamchi would be a bit more challenging, but they had more than enough materials from the game to recreate a costume that looked exactly like him.

Most would think that Cheon Woo-Jin was just wasting money, but he did not care about trivial things like that as long as he managed to pull a proper prank on Tae-Sung.

”Then all of this was...” Tae-Sung muttered. Then, he flashed an icy grin and said, “You prepared quite an interesting prank.”

”H-Hey, Han Tae-Sung? What’s with that grin? H-Hold on! It was just a prank, man!”

Cheon Woo-Jin realized something had gone wrong after seeing Tae-Sung walk toward him with that icy grin.

A prank? Sure, it was all fun and all.

The preparation was so perfect that Tae-Sung had been completely fooled by it, making it a resounding success.

However, Cheon Woo-Jin had underestimated the price he had to pay for doing such a thing.

”Yeah, that was a good one. I admit it,” Tae-Sung said, cracking his knuckles and walking toward the trio—Cheon Woo-Jin, Seung-Gu, and Chae Hyung-Seok.

They really got Tae-Sung good—so good that he almost fainted from the shock. In fact, he could have nearly suffered a heart attack on his wedding day because of this devious prank.

”You guys sure have it easy these days, haven't you? I‘m going to mark this day not as my wedding anniversary but your death anniversaries!”

Tae-Sung caught the trio and beat them up.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

He beat them up so badly that they instantly regretted their actions.

Unfortunately for Chae Hyung-Seok, he was the first to get caught and was forced to eat the most knuckle sandwiches among the three.

”Kieeeek! Kwueeek!”

”Time for some long overdue beating!”

”I-It wasn’t me! It was Cheon Woo-aaaack!”

“You’re all equally dead today!”

The trio paid a heavy price for the prank—a very real prank—they had prepared.

1. Seoul National University or SNU is often considered to be the most prestigious university in South Korea. ☜