The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

The war in the Forbidden Zone was intensifying. There were two main fronts where the Empire had actively intervened:

The Western Forbidden Zone’s Monster Forest and the Eastern Forbidden Zone’s Elemental Jungle. Though the Empire had a presence in the Northern Ice Mountains, it was with smaller units rather than a large force.

Their focus seemed to be on solidly defending the pioneering sites they had already secured, rather than aggressively attacking the Dwarven cities.

The Southern Demonic Seas was similar. It appeared the Empire found the maritime challenges insurmountable and wasn’t escalating their efforts there.

‘There haven’t been significant changes at the barrier either….’

This meant the Empire’s invasion routes were limited to two fronts. And in those two fronts, the Empire was engaged in a back-and-forth struggle.

“Reporting! The Empire’s forces have pushed back the Orc army in the northeastern Monster Plains!”

“What’s the status of the stronghold? Did they manage to secure it?”

“It looks like they’ve started building a temporary fortress. But it’s uncertain if they can stabilize it.”

“That’s to be expected.”

Most battles on the northern front ended in the Empire’s favor. While the Orcs had superior numbers, the Empire excelled in elite units.

Moreover, their lack of numbers was compensated by Demonic Soldiers—captured and turned Monster or Orc warriors—and Undead summoned by Necromancers from the barrier.

In terms of casualty ratios, the Empire had a clear advantage. Yet, despite their victories, the Empire gained little in terms of tangible footholds.

Anytime they tried to establish a stronghold on the plains, a massive Orc army would inevitably swarm the area. The Orcs operated not under a unified command but as an alliance.

Five major tribes held separate command structures, each managing subordinate medium and small tribes. Even if the Empire won a battle, they would be forced to retreat once a large reinforcements contingent of Orcs arrived.

The Orcs didn’t take their losses lying down either. Elite Wolf Rider units from the major tribes occasionally raided the Empire’s forest-based strongholds.

The swift mobility and destructive power of these units, which included transcendent-tier Orc warriors, were hard for the Empire to counter effectively.

‘In the end, most of the Empire’s northern forest strongholds are in tatters.’

With both sides relentlessly attacking each other, there was no time to properly maintain their walls. This continuous cycle of mutual destruction further escalated both sides’ casualties.

Raul meticulously observed these skirmishes, collecting invaluable data. The size of their forces, the identities and levels of their commanders, the quality of their soldiers, and details about their strongholds.

The vast amount of intelligence gathered with the help of players specializing in reconnaissance was accurately reflected on the battlefield map.

“At this level, we should have no problem taking them on.”

“With the increasing influx of players, there’s no longer any reason for us to be outmatched in terms of manpower. Besides, players have more than one life, so we have the upper hand even in a war of attrition.”

As they finished assessing the enemy, the commanders on the First Knight Order’s side also grew confident. Combining the superhumans of the Marquis Ashton household with those of the First Count’s family, they were in no way outmatched.

Moreover, the knight forces that had grown through the First Knight Order were powerful enough to claim to be the strongest on the continent.

The problem of lacking troops, once thought to be the biggest issue, was being resolved as players who completed their second profession change continued to join and expand the army.

And finally, Raul made a decision.

“Begin ‘Operation Tidal Wave’ as soon as the unit formation is complete. Everyone, prepare for battle mode. This is an all-out war!”

“Yes, Master.”

A large-scale operation to determine the hegemony of the Monster Plains began to stretch.

*

Meanwhile, Raul, having given his orders and returned to his room, gazed out the window at the city, lost in thought. The Calix castle of the First County.

The small castle that once had a population of only fifteen thousand had now grown into a great fortress accommodating hundreds of thousands. The four-layered expanded walls now included a vast urban area, various facilities, and farmland.

Dozens of portals connected to each territory and base continuously spewed out players and residents. Outside the walls, the place was bustling with soldiers in training, cavalry units dispatched for gate duties, and carriages commuting for commerce.

‘A lot of time has passed…. Looking back, it seems I’ve come this far in the blink of an eye.’

When Raul first opened his eyes in this body, he felt hopeless. The youngest member of a weak and impoverished family with nothing to his name. Even that family was on the path of extinction.

But he overcame all those ordeals, not only saving the family from crisis but also establishing his independent house. Now, he was a lord reigning over more than a million residents, and the practical ruler of an association moving millions of players.

Knights numbering as many as those in an entire kingdom offered him their loyalty, and countless superhumans awaited his orders to protect his back.

‘But this is not the end.’

Though he had achieved much, it could all vanish like a sand castle. The scenario flowing with this world of Connect was still uncertain. Even as five years had nearly passed since he opened his eyes again.

Finally, a clue was discovered. Raul’s blue eyes sparkled as he recalled the recent system message.

-You have met the special conditions.

-Providing information about 『Final Scenario: Mediator』 to player Raul.

-To become a candidate for 『Final Scenario: Mediator』, certain marks or qualifications are required.

-The more marks or qualification conditions you have when the final scenario starts, the more advantageous it will be.

-Marks and qualifications are hidden within the scenario. Move for Connect’s sake. Qualifications will follow naturally.

-The selection of final candidates will be determined by the progress of the 『Forbidden Scenario』.

He had always been curious.

What was the end of this scenario?

Why did Connect draw in beings called players into this place?

It seemed like the day to find that answer wasn’t far off. And one more thing.

Why were nations and large corporations so desperate to get involved in Connect?

He had never seriously thought about it in his previous life. He had simply believed that greedy corporations wanted to monopolize the vast market of Connect.

And at that time, he didn’t have the luxury of such thoughts. Connect was everything to Bae Dohyun, and he was too busy fighting alone against large guild alliances and empires that wanted to take his haven away.

But now, he was no longer alone. He had built a solid power base and had roots in the real world. His perspective on the world had changed since he reached a position of responsibility over many people.

The quality of information he could obtain was also on a different level compared to his past life.

‘Connect scenarios and the anomalies on Earth are linked….’

Such rumors existed even in his past life. There were many who speculated that Connect might not just be a world within a game.

Of course, there was no scientific evidence, and it was half-jokingly mentioned. But the fact that it could be true….

Information circulated by various government agencies, influential corporations, and research labs clearly indicated as much.

‘And Alex Song, the chairman of Connect Company. His existence is undoubtedly peculiar.’

The keyword extracted from the related information that Rabel hacked was ‘mage’. The chairman of a company handling the sophisticated scientific creation known as a capsule, and a mage.

Doesn’t that feel jarring?

Perhaps Alex Song was the only person who knew the connection between Earth and Connect.

‘But he won’t meet with me….’

Raul had already exchanged a few messages with Chairman Alex Song via email and messenger. He needed his help to manage the affairs of the First Knight Order and Earth’s First Company.

But regarding matters outside of business, he couldn’t obtain any information.

‘It felt like he wanted to tell me but couldn’t. Just like Master Caldenas.’

Master Caldenas couldn’t tell Raul anything other than swordsmanship. He mentioned that his memories of previous eras were under ‘restriction,’ so perhaps Alex Song was in a similar position.

Anyway, Raul had a rough idea of why governments and corporations were snooping around Connect. They hoped to find the cause or countermeasures for Earth’s anomalies in Connect.

And there was also the aim to uncover the secrets of Connect or the capsule.

‘Thinking that way, I can somewhat understand the bizarre behavior the large guild alliance showed in my previous life.’

What would be the most important thing for those who gained control or dominance in the game? It would probably be the scenario itself.

Being the first to clear the scenario, complete the quests, and see the ending. The original purpose of a game is to see the ending. However, the large guild alliance showed the opposite behavior.

They rigorously controlled the players and blocked the progress of the scenario. From any angle, it didn’t look like they intended to be the first to see the ending.

‘Maybe it was the influence of national governments.’

As the scenario progressed, Earth’s anomalies accelerated, so in reverse, they intended to halt the scenario progress to prevent the situation from worsening.

Thanks to that, the growth rate of players significantly slowed down, and rankers even completely stalled in their growth.

For over ten years, they clung to the Forbidden Scenario, and the anomaly’s progression did slow down. But was that truly the right answer?

Although Raul didn’t get to see the end result, he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good. And there was a reason he thought so.

*

A few days ago.

Kim Ilwoo visited his office alone. Since he often came for matters related to the Purple Guild, the association, or First Management Company, Raul thought it was another business visit that day.

However, what Kim Ilwoo brought up was something Raul did not expect.

“Mr. Chairman, actually, I came here because I need some counseling….”

“Counseling? Is it related to business?”

“Well, it’s hard to say if it is or isn’t. It could be considered a personal matter, too.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll counsel you as a friend. What’s the matter?”

After revealing the truth about Bae Dohyun, Raul decided to be friends, even in private, with a few members of the Purple Guild. Naturally, the first choice was his best friend from the previous life, Kim Ilwoo.

Though he was hesitant, he eventually agreed to be friends due to Raul’s persistent requests.

“Then I’ll speak comfortably. I don’t know if it’s just me, but… it seems I can use my abilities in reality.”

“…! What do you mean?”

Raul, who had been comfortably reclining on the sofa, was startled and leaned forward.

“Well, you see.”

Ilwoo’s explanation was simple. He had visited the company to handle routine tasks and headed to the training room intending to sweat a bit, just like usual.

Although his body didn’t feel vastly different, the weights he could handle were about 1.5 times heavier than usual. Moreover, he felt a tingling sensation and tried using his abilities as he did in the game….

“Did the abilities really activate?”

“Yes. Though it was very weak. It wasn’t a full doppelganger, just a single finger appeared. But still, isn’t this not supposed to happen?”

“…It shouldn’t.”

“Anyway, I was so surprised that I practiced activating my abilities in reality for a while, and I felt like I was getting better at it. So, I didn’t know what to do and you were the first person I thought of, so I came to see you.”

Raul, after organizing his suddenly complicated thoughts, asked.

“When did this start? Exactly when did this phenomenon begin?”

Ilwoo, rummaging through his memory, snapped his fingers as if he remembered.

“That’s right! It was shortly after I broke through level 100 and became an Advanced Doppelganger.”

Ilwoo was the first player to surpass level 100 and reach the realm of superhumans, aside from Bae Dohyun. Subsequently, rankers of the Purple Guild also began to complete their third job change (level 100) rapidly.

“For now, it’s better not to tell anyone about this. And I’ll prepare a separate space for you to practice manifesting your abilities in reality regularly. If your abilities have indeed manifested, you should be able to use them properly in case of an emergency.”

“Got it. It’s not like I wanted to reveal this right away either.”

“And immediately double the security for the rankers through First Security. Especially for those who have completed their third job change, I’d like you to inform them to avoid going out as much as possible.”

“Even if you don’t mention it, they hardly go out in reality anyway. But I’ll do as you say.”

“Thanks, Ilwoo. This might be something very important. If there are any further changes, please don’t hide them and let me know. Whatever happens to you, I’m on your side, no matter what. Anyone who tries to mess with you will have to deal with me. So don’t worry and act as usual.”

“Thank you for saying that. That’s really reassuring.”

After finishing the consultation with Ilwoo, Raul’s mind grew even more tangled.

‘Connect. What exactly are you…?’

(To be continued)

TL’s Corner:
Connect is connected to reality?
It’s like the abandoned plotline of overgeared.
And Praise the Orc also did this before.