“Huff! Huff!”

A few hours later, Plague, who had been enjoying life at a luxury seaside resort, became a fugitive running desperately for his life.

“That devilish bastard...!”

The mysterious person who had ambushed him on the beach was monstrously strong.

After successfully infecting a significant chunk of the Marchioni Empire’s population, Plague became extremely powerful. Despite this, he couldn’t overcome that mysterious assailant.

Not only did the assailant absorb every virus Plague had released, he would even drain Plague’s life force bit by bit whenever they exchanged blows.

Plague had no choice but to flee in order to survive.

‘I... I have to get to my master,’ Plague thought.

With that decision, he tried to escape toward the Proatine Empire, where Siegfried was, but the assailant was a step ahead of him.

Whenever Plague went, the man would already be standing there, waiting at the warp gate. It was as if the man already knew that Plague was trying to escape to the Proatine Empire.

After getting battered and broken, Plague finally slipped into the thick, dense jungle to hide. Though he had been bested again and again, at least, he managed to survive and keep running away.

‘Damn that bastard... Just you wait. I’m going to tell my master everything when I get to him, and he’s going to teach you a lesson!’

Clinging stubbornly to his faith in Siegfried, Plague kept fleeing to survive. He believed that no matter how strong the mysterious assailant was, there was no way he could possibly be stronger than his master, the devil himself, Siegfried von Proa.

***

After completing the quest Bright Sun in the Sky Above, Tae-Sung logged out to take a break. These regular breaks were a big help in maintaining his career as a pro gamer, as if he spent all his time in the game, then he, Han Tae-Sung, would inevitably wither away.

Every now and then, he would take three or four days completely off from gaming. After his usual morning routine, Tae-Sung went out with Yong Seol-Hwa to Gangwon-do. It had been a while since they had enjoyed some private time together, so they decided to go on a short trip.

Of course, his bodyguards were trailing closely behind them.

“Wow! This is mulhoe[1] is so refreshing!”

“Right?”

“Yeah!”

“I used to come here often with my mom and dad when I was little.”

“I see...”

“Let’s all come together next time.”

“Huh?”

“Like a family trip, I mean.”

“Ah!”

“You haven’t been able to spend much time with your mother and sister lately, have you?”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Then make some time for them! Don’t just work all the time!”

“Okay.”

Tae-Sung couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude and affection toward Yong Seol-Hwa, who even cared for his family.

‘She’s a really good person,’ he thought.

He felt that way every time he went on a date with her.

As corny as it sounded, she looked like a pure spirit to him. Aside from the occasional fierce side she showed when dealing with her father, Yong Tae-Pung, she was nothing short of perfect.

With that in mind, one particular word kept surfacing in Tae-Sung’s mind these days.

‘Should I ask her to... marry me?’

Lately, Tae-Sung had been completely smitten with Yong Seol-Hwa that the thought of spending his whole life with her kept popping up in his head.

Of course, most married men would warn him that this is the moment he should take a cold shower and think twice, but he was so deeply in love that he would not heed their advice.

While Yong Seol-Hwa went to the restroom, Tae-Sung quietly spoke to his head bodyguard.

“By any chance...”

“Are you going to ask about marriage?”

As usual, the sharp bodyguard had already guessed what Tae-Sung was about to say.

“Eh? How did you know I was going to ask about that?”

“It was written all over your face, Young Master.”

“R-Really?”

“You were going to ask what married life is like, were you not?”

“Y-Yeah, I was.”

“It’s hell. The later you get married, the better.”

“Is... Is it really that bad?”

“Do you know what the best feeling in the world is? It is when my wife goes to visit her family.”

“...”

“She has not gone much lately, so I am dying these days.”

“Hahaha...”

The man’s expression showed just how tired he was of married life.

“Of course, I am just joking.”

“Huh?”

“When I come home from work and see my daughter asleep, I feel something that I cannot put into words. My wife might be fierce, but thinking of her as my lifelong partner makes her much more precious than before.”

“So then, marriage is a good thing...?”

“The later, the better.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Hahaha!”

Tae-Sung couldn’t understand what he was saying, as he was still single. It was as if he was hinting that it was the best thing in the world, but to delay getting married for as long as possible.

Being a bachelor, Tae-Sung couldn’t grasp the meaning at all.

“But if you have already made up your mind, then I suggest you go for it. I believe the greatest suffering in life is regret.”

“Hm?”

“If you think you will regret it later for letting Miss Seol-Hwa slip away, then I do think it is something you have to go through with.”

“Ah...”

“You are more than capable, Young Master. I think it is best to follow your heart.”

Just as he said, Tae-Sung was financially capable of getting married anytime he wanted.

Men his age were struggling even to buy a house, so most would usually focus entirely on building a career. Rather than dating or getting married, they would work hard to climb the corporate ladder in hopes of earning enough to start a family.

However, Tae-Sung was different from them. He had already accumulated wealth in the trillions, so he had the financial freedom to get married whenever he wished.

On top of that, Yong Seol-Hwa was rich, too, so there was no financial burden at all.

‘Should I ask her...?’ Tae-Sung pondered. His love for Yong Seol-Hwa had grown so much that he wanted to propose to her right now if he could do so.

***

“Wow! Do you see that, oppa? Isn’t it beautiful!”

“Yeah, it really is.”

Tae-Sung spent a romantic evening with Yong Seol-Hwa at a famous spot in Gangneung called Anbandegi Village[2], watching the stars.

The stars that could hardly be seen in Seoul gathered together to form a vast sea of stars until they resembled the Milky Way itself. Tae-Sung couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with emotions as he watched the stars with the woman he loved.

‘I should set a proper date one of these days and—’

Just when he was thinking that it was about time he proposed...

“Oppa?”

Yong Seol-Hwa sitting with him on the car trunk and sipping coffee suddenly said something unexpected.

“Should we...”

“Hm?”

“...Get married?”

“What?!” Tae-Sung shrieked.

He was so shocked that he nearly lost his balance and fell backward.

“M-Marriage...?” he stammered.

“Yeah.”

“S-So suddenly?”

“You don’t want to...?”

Yong Seol-Hwa’s face visibly dimmed.

“N-No! That’s not it!” Tae-Sung exclaimed, frantically waving his hands. Then, he explained, “It’s just... it’s so sudden!”

“Really?”

“Yes! It’s just all too sudden...”

“But what do you think about it, oppa?”

“Well, the thing is...” Tae-Sung hesitated for a moment. Then, he finally answered, “I’ve been thinking about the same thing recently.”

“Oh? Really?”

“Yeah. I’ve had that thought for some time now. And I was just waiting for the right moment to bring it up,” he said with a smile.

“I see...”

“But I never imagined you would be the one to bring it up first. That’s why I was so surprised.”

“Ah, I see.”

“But yeah, I feel the same way. I want to marry you.”

After saying those words, Tae-Sung pulled Yong Seol-Hwa into a tight embrace.

“Let’s take it step by step and take our time.”

“Okay, oppa.”

And so, beneath the brilliant night sky shimmering with countless stars, Tae-Sung and Yong Seol-Hwa promised their future together.

They were no longer just a couple now—they were two people in a relationship with marriage as their goal.

***

A few days later...

“I have received an unusual report that might require your attention, sire.”

The moment Tae-Sung logged into BNW, he was greeted by Ninetail.

“What is it?” Siegfried asked.

“We have lost contact with Plague,” Ninetail replied.

“What?!”

Siegfried was shocked by the report.

Plague had been given the important task of unleashing a plague outbreak in the Marchioni Empire, so he had been in very regular contact with the Proatine Empire.

Since he was Siegfried’s slave, a system was in place so that his whereabouts would always be reported, no matter what he was doing or where he was.

Yet Plague had suddenly disappeared without a trace?

Something had to have gone wrong...

“What happened?”

“We are not sure yet. He fought with an unidentified Adventurer on a southern beach of the Marchioni Empire and fled. But after that, his whereabouts became completely unknown.”

“An Adventurer?”

“Yes. And based on our assessment... It is highly likely that the Adventurer in question is none other than Beowulf.”

“What?!”

“It seems that he was acting under the orders of Emperor Stuttgart himself. He tracked down Plague, found him, and engaged him in battle.”

“What about the plague outbreak in the Marchioni Empire?”

“It is still in effect and is not showing any signs of slowing down.”

“That means Plague isn’t dead yet, right?”

“I believe so.”

“Find him as quickly as possible,” Siegfried ordered.

“Yes, sire,” Ninetail replied with a slight bow.

“We can’t let someone vital to our empire die. The Marchioni Empire haven't been able to invade us thanks to his plagues. We must protect him at all costs.”

“As you command.”

The plague outbreak ravaging the Marchioni Empire would subside the moment Plague died.

Once that happened, then Emperor Stuttgart would surely launch a full-scale invasion of the Proatine Empire. Emperor Stuttgart was most likely biding his time, just waiting for the opportune moment to strike at the Proatine Empire.

And that was something Siegfried was not going to allow to happen...

The Marchioni Empire was already riddled with numerous rebellions, and signs of its fragmentation were already more than visible.

The plague needed to continue for at least another six months to fully tip the balance in the Proatine Empire’s favor while completely wrecking the Marchioni Empire.

Thus, Plague was Siegfried’s most important strategic asset at the moment.

‘The time has come.’

Siegfried knew he would have to face Lee Geon sooner or later. If the one going after Plague was none other than Lee Geon, then a clash between them was inevitable.

Both Siegfried and Lee Geon had walked away unsatisfied from their first encounter, and neither was happy about the inconclusive result.

But things would be different this time.

Both had analyzed their previous battle thoroughly, reflected on it, and fully prepared for the rematch.

This second battle was without a doubt going to be very different from the last one.

Siegfried and Lee Geon...

The question of who was truly the world’s greatest BNW pro gamer between the two was going to be settled in that fight.

Of course, Lee Geon was barred from participating in any official matches, so he was technically not considered a pro gamer.

“Our intelligence bureau is still searching for Plague’s whereabouts. But we believe locating him is not going to be easy. Since he vanished within the Marchioni Empire’s territory, there is a limit on how many agents we can deploy.”

“I’ll go,” Siegfried said without hesitation.

“But—”

“I’m the only one who can rescue Plague. I have to go find him myself.”

“If Your Imperial Majesty goes personally, then I am certain he will be safe.”

“So, do you have any guess where he is right now?”

“Here,” Ninetail said, spreading a map and pointing at a specific location.

“Hm?”

“The warp gates in the vicinity have all been sealed, and the nearby statues of Your Imperial Majesty have been destroyed.”

“I see... That makes sense.”

“So if I were Plague, then I would have fled here.”

Ninetail pointed to a jungle in the southern region of the Marchioni Empire. It was not as vast as the Great Jungle in the south, but it was still about half the size of it.

“I cannot think of any other escape routes. The fact that he has not died yet means he must have escaped here.”

“Searching that place won’t be easy...”

“True.”

“But I’ll have to go anyway.”

Siegfried immediately set off to rescue Plague.

Badump! Badump! Badump!

His heart pounded wildly at the thought of Lee Geon. He was the infamous gamer once hailed as the greatest gaming genius this past decade.

And now, Siegfried was on his way to face him...

Rather than feeling anxious, his heart pounded wildly out of excitement. He was excited to see how he would match up to the man hailed as a once-in-a-generation talent.

1. Mulhoe is Cold Raw Fish Soup. It’s one of my favorite dishes—especially during summer. More info here: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=178685 ☜

2. Anbandegi Village is located 1,000 meters above sea level. It is a famous place for stargazing. More info here: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=184776 ☜