The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

A dark conference room. The front of the room was filled with holographic projections displaying various pieces of information.

“…This concludes the current progress report on the ‘Fake Apocalypse.’”

When the briefing ended, everyone in attendance fell silent. The attendees were an impressive array of individuals:

President of South Korea, An Jinwon.

Prime Minister, Jung Seokyun.

Ruling Party Leader, Choi Kiljun.

Opposition Party Leader, Kim Baekmin.

And several ministers and CEOs representing various corporations. It felt like a gathering of the giants who moved South Korea.

“Whew… Calling it ‘fake’ seems too accurate for a prophecy.”

The President sighed.

“Vice-Prime Minister of Economy, what’s the status of energy procurement?”

“We’re holding on for now. But at this rate… within five years, the nation’s key industrial complexes might come to a halt.”

Murmurs filled the room. The 30 or so individuals in the meeting exchanged serious looks and whispered to those beside them. The reason for this gathering was the prophecy known as the ‘Fake Apocalypse’ connected to ‘Connect.’

Long before the virtual reality game Connect appeared, the leaders of various nations received a visit from someone. The visitor was Alex Song, now known as the chairman of Connect Company.

The issue was the method of his visit. There had been no prior appointments. In the dead of night. He had passed through the heavily guarded premises without any hindrance.

CCTV, state-of-the-art security systems, guard dogs. None of them activated, and no traces of his entry or exit were left behind. The multinational corporation Connect Company was born from that one man’s visit.

Of course, there was no coercion or leverage involved. Alex showed the leaders some information and items, and they couldn’t refuse his proposal.

The technology was part of what seemed like an impossible concept at the time—the ‘Connect Capsule,’ and the information was the prophecy now known as the ‘Fake Apocalypse’.

An abnormal phenomenon will occur on Earth. People will find it hard to adapt to unknown climate changes, and natural disasters will continue to follow.

Some of the scientific advancements that led humanity forward will be lost, and many unable to adapt to the new changes will be eliminated.

If you wish to prevent humanity’s extinction, connect to Connect. The answer will be found there. At first, it was dismissed as the ravings of a common doomsday prophet.

They approved Connect Company. merely because they coveted the technology. However, over time, the notion that it might not just be nonsense began to spread.

Already, many elderly and children were dying or being hospitalized, unable to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations, even though the actual temperature differences from the average were not significant.

In addition, the number of natural disasters occurring each year had increased more than tenfold compared to before Connect appeared. It had become normal to expect typhoons or hurricanes even in spring and autumn.

And now, three years into Connect’s existence, the energy efficiency of all electrical devices on Earth had plummeted by about 30%. It was not a temporary phenomenon, and the cause was unknown.

The changes had occurred suddenly, starting from a specific day. And that specific day was…

“…Is this a coincidence?”

“I’d like to think so as well, but the timing is just too perfect to be a coincidence.”

On the conference room screen were various dates and the changes that followed those specific days.

“As you can see, after the first connection to Connect and the initiation of the scenario 『Birth of Chaos』, the number of people detecting abnormal temperatures skyrocketed. After the second scenario 『Kingmaker』 was unveiled, the incidence of natural disasters tripled. And now…”

The screen switched to show an announcement from Connect.

“With the start of the scenario 『Forbidden Zone Opening – Invasion』, energy efficiency has plummeted.”

“Sigh.”

It could genuinely have been coincidental. However, with the sequence of events laid out in front of them, there were too many elements that couldn’t be ignored as mere coincidences.

“Do we have a plan to address the energy shortage? Just step outside and see! Over half of the personal electric vehicles are sitting idle in parking lots.”

“If electricity prices skyrocket, we won’t be able to match production costs. If our exports are blocked, our companies will go bankrupt one after another!”

“How about reassessing the nuclear plants slated for shutdown? If we don’t prepare backup power now, more people could collapse from the abnormal temperatures.”

Many opinions were voiced, but they all shared the same core message. Maximize electricity production.

For now, the electricity usage hadn’t increased drastically since it was winter. Although the efficiency of gas boilers had decreased, it wasn’t to the extent of electrical generation.

However, if the weather heats up in the summer…

‘It will be hell.’

Air conditioner usage had already been breaking records. Without backup power, they might have to implement power supply restrictions.

“For now, we will adjust our policies to secure as much electricity as possible. However, we all know this is just a temporary measure, right?”

Everyone nodded at the President’s words.

“Chief Secretary, what’s the response from Connect Company?”

“Yes, we received a written reply this morning. I will display it on the screen.”

The inquiry had been sent not to their Seoul office but to the real headquarters, and the response came under the name of Chairman Alex Song. The attendees’ faces turned grim as they read the reply.

“This insolent… What does he think of our nation’s representatives?”

“Incredible. Does he really intend to play the role of a prophet?”

Stripped down to its core, the reply was:

The prophecy remains unchanged. And I have nothing more to add. As I said before, find the answers through ‘Connect’.

The President, observing the attendees’ enraged reactions, spoke calmly.

“As you can see, that man doesn’t seem interested in cooperating to resolve this crisis. We need a plan. National Security Advisor?”

“Yes. Assuming the prophecy is real, we’ve come up with a few strategies.”

The screen switched.

“First, we need to locate the real headquarters of Connect Company and obtain information directly from Chairman Alex Song. He likely knows the most about the current phenomena.”

“Great. Let’s dispatch special forces immediately!”

“There’s no shortage of excuses to detain him. Why haven’t we apprehended him already?”

Several politicians raised their voices. But it was not realistically feasible.

“Sorry, but we haven’t been able to pinpoint Chairman Alex Song’s location. We do have a suspected location for Connect Company’s headquarters.”

The screen displayed a world map, zooming in on a spot in the Pacific Ocean. However, an unusual cluster of clouds made satellite verification impossible.

“The US military has already attempted multiple times to seize Connect Company. facilities. But all attempts failed. Recently, they dispatched an entire fleet, but they couldn’t even approach the vicinity and ended up circling back. Any electronics malfunction near the area, and even when they do manage to enter the waters, they suddenly find themselves back outside. They’ve started calling it the ‘Second Bermuda Triangle’.”

Words failed the attendees. If even the world’s strongest military couldn’t succeed, it was unrealistic to expect South Korea to do so independently.

“We’ll continue trying, but don’t hold your breath. The second strategy is to find the answers through ‘Connect’, as the prophecy suggests. Based on the previous scenarios…”

The National Security Advisor’s briefing continued for some time. The next day, a special law was enacted, and a certain number of Connect capsules were allocated to the military and corporations.

***

‘Hmm. As expected?’

Raul kept track of the movements of the government and corporations through Connect’s bulletin board and the reports from First Company Inc. There wasn’t much to be surprised about, given that similar trends had occurred in his past life as well.

It was now likely that a new guild alliance centered around the military, government, and large corporations would emerge. And not just in South Korea, but in various countries simultaneously.

China, in particular, had plans to forcibly conscript players into state guilds.

‘Though Connect Company. will likely thwart that with capsule supply control.’

Nevertheless, many players would end up in guilds they didn’t want due to state coercion, pressure, and real-life issues.

‘That’s why I founded First Company Inc.’

He had preemptively secured talented players who would have otherwise been dragged into state guilds, and had set up measures to ensure their safety.

‘It’s not perfect, but it should suffice.’

They were essentially an insurance policy. After all, even if states and corporations formed new associations now, it was too late. The reach of the First Knight Order was already deeply entrenched in Connect.

The real issue lay elsewhere.

‘The scenario progression has sped up too much.’

Originally, 『Scenario: Kingmaker』 was supposed to conclude midway through the fourth year of Connect’s service. But now, it had barely been three years. Naturally, the number and skill level of players were lower than in the previous life.

‘Or maybe not entirely?’

The top-ranking players were arguably stronger than they had been in the past life. Significant know-how had been imparted to players in the Purple Guild and allied guilds. And with fewer guild conflicts, the rankers had been able to focus on growth.

Yet it still wasn’t enough.

Raul opened the Connect system with a contemplative expression.

『Notice』

Congratulations. Due to the players’ active participation, 『Scenario: Kingmaker』 has successfully concluded.

New kings have been crowned in the four kingdoms of Connect.

The kingdoms are now proactively addressing imminent crises.

Central armies are mobilizing, factions are realigning, and the risk of gate breaks is decreasing.

The birth rate among the now-stabilized residents of Connect is increasing.

The new kings have been impressed by the players’ achievements. The treatment of players will improve.

But this doesn’t mean the continent’s crisis is over. Prepare yourselves! A new threat is approaching.

A new scenario is brewing.

This was the announcement that had come out a few months after the civil war had ended. And at the beginning of this year, a new scenario had begun.

『Scenario: Forbidden Zone Opening – Invasion』

Explanation: The Connect Continent has four forbidden zones.

The Monster Forest to the west.

The Ice Mountain Range to the north.

The Elemental Jungle to the east.

The Demonic Seas to the south.

There has been a problem with the ancient seals protecting these forbidden zones. While the kingdom’s gates were managed, the gates within the forbidden zones continued to erode.

The weakened seals can no longer fulfill their roles, and monsters losing their territories due to the gates are being pushed to the forbidden zone boundaries.

The barrier of the forbidden zone has become too weak to stop the monsters.

Prepare yourselves!

If the wandering monsters’ invasion is not stopped, humanity may lose its living territory once again.

-『Warning』 Many high-level monsters that players may find hard to handle will appear. Work as closely as possible with the residents of Connect to fend off the invasion.

-『Caution』 This scenario is a linked scenario. Maximize your contributions to prepare for the scenarios that will follow.

The monster wave from the forbidden zone began not long ago. This wave will continuously invade the human kingdoms for a while.

Of course, thorough preparations have been made against it. The western forbidden zone, the Monster Forest.

It was the role of the former Count Ashton to fend off the monsters flowing from there. The scenario had triggered a much more powerful monster wave than in the past, but with a much stronger defense line and dozens of Masters, it was being managed with minimal damage.

‘The other kingdoms are also holding their own.’

The new kings did not disregard the temple’s warnings. Moreover, the influence of the Purple Association and the First Knight Order, which backed the ascension battles, was more significant than expected.

The head of the First County, which boasts over ten Masters. A backer who can mobilize hundreds of thousands of players. These titles ensured that Raul’s words could not be ignored.

As a result, humanity was handling the unprecedented large-scale monster invasion well.

‘In the past life, they had lost about a quarter of their territory before reclaiming it.’

This time, even if the defense line wavered momentarily, they were not losing enough territory for the monsters to establish themselves.

‘Just fifteen more days.’

If they could endure that time, the monster invasion would end.

And what would follow…

Raul’s face lit up with a peculiar anticipation.

(To be continued)

TL’s Corner:
Will Connect be connected to the real world? Is that why it’s called Connect? Because it is the bridge that will help humanity in facing the incoming catastrophe?