The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

If it was really possible to use Connect’s abilities on Earth….

‘Why didn’t I feel that in my past life?’

He had some guesses.

First, Bae Dohyun spent almost all his time living inside the capsule. He only exited the capsule to inject nutrient solutions for meals or to meet people for broadcast-related issues.

Perhaps he didn’t have enough time to notice any physical changes in reality. If not that, the forcibly delayed scenario progress might have been the cause.

‘In my past life, Earth’s anomalies didn’t manifest as severely as they are now.’

As the scenario progressed rapidly, Earth’s anomalies were also progressing rapidly. Even with the same scenario progress, the intensity of the changes was much stronger, which might have caused significant stimuli to the human body.

For whatever reason, Kim Ilwoo’s change hinted at many things. Whether this change was limited to Ilwoo or would appear in all players was something to observe in the future.

‘If that happens….’

Raul’s mind began to spin quickly.

*

Boom, boom, crash!

Waaaah!

The commotion was such that it was hard to believe they were inside the Forbidden Scenario. The sounds of drums, trumpets, gongs, and various other instruments shook the forest.

And countless players, moving in formation with shields in front, marched slowly. The line was so long that its end could not be seen.

“Wow, it’s been so long since we’ve had a large-scale quest! My whole body’s itching.”

“So what? It doesn’t look like we’ll get much chance to fight anyway.”

“What’s wrong with that? We’re gaining experience and earning money just by shouting and walking. Plus, if we’re lucky, we might even get a share of the pioneering reward. Sweet deal, right?”

“I guess you’re right.”

Two players in the middle of the formation glanced around as they chatted. No matter how they turned their heads, there wasn’t a spot without people.

“Hey, how many people do you think we have here?”

“Probably. According to the rumors on the community, it’s close to a million.”

“Whoa…. I heard the level cap was 30, but that’s still a lot. Amazing.”

“Didn’t they release the new year statement recently? With the production of the entry-level capsules, the number of concurrent users exceeded ten million. Makes you wonder why they didn’t release the entry-level versions earlier.”

“I heard the entry-level capsules have a lot of limitations. The synchronization rate is low, and the automatic feeding and fatigue recovery functions are restricted.”

“Man, that’s just luck of the draw. Even if it’s a bit pricey, the premium version is still the best.”

The introduction of the entry-level capsules had sparked much discussion in the community. Some people complained about the lack of functions, saying it was like discriminating against people.

However, the demand for capsules still exceeded supply. It had been a while since the global population surpassed 10 billion.

Even if 10% of that population had the infrastructure and financial capability to enjoy games, that would be 1 billion people. In contrast, only 10 million units were distributed.

That’s just 1%.

So, the community was overflowing with posts demanding capsules, regardless of whether they were entry-level or not.

Additionally, some of the entry-level capsules were being sold, not just distributed through a lottery, so those who could afford it often chose to purchase rather than leave it to chance.

In any case, at this rate, it was only a matter of time before Connect’s concurrent users surpassed 100 million.

And now.

Far more players than they had imagined were walking through the western Forbidden Zone Monster Forest.

「What’s the current situation?」

「1.5 million players, excluding the reserves, and 500,000 territory soldiers have been deployed.」

「5,000 First Knight Order knights and 3,000 knights from the Marquis Ashton Family, excluding those assigned to defend the territory, have also been deployed.」

「Master-level commanders and high-circle mages of 6th circle or above have been placed as well.」

Through guild communication, the progress of the operation was being reported constantly. Operation 『Tidal Wave』, deploying a massive force of over 2 million troops.

Even more forces were mobilized than during the Kingdom Civil War, but the primary goal of Operation Tidal Wave was not war.

「Purple Guild and elite cooperative guild members, secure the frontier immediately!」

「Yes, Master!」

「Understood, my Lord.」

The Purple Guild and cooperating guild leaders connected through separate communications began to act on Raul’s orders. The current operation was taking place in the eastern part of the Monster Forest.

It was the southeastern entrance bordering the Marquis Ashton Family’s territory in the Forbidden Zone. During the previous pioneering scenario, Raul thoroughly pioneered and established a defense line in the southeast adjacent to the County.

However, the Marquis Family only pioneered the entrance and built a long defense line stretching north and south.

The reason was simple.

「Sector a-02. Discovered a Rhino tribe. First Knight Order knights pushed back the charging Rhinos, and startled by our numbers, they fled westward in a hurry.」

「Sector B-05. Encountered five Minotaurs. They fled westward, overwhelmed by Master Davison’s presence.」

「Sector k-07….」

「Sector f-21….」

Reports kept coming in endlessly.

Although the targets and locations varied, the contents were very similar. They encountered monsters and drove them away.

That’s right.

The goal of Operation Tidal Wave was to drive the Forbidden Zone monsters to the west, creating an artificial monster wave (tidal wave).

The currently deployed force of 2 million was forming a long defense line from north to south, advancing west simultaneously. NPCs couldn’t enter unexplored areas, so the elite members of the Purple Guild and cooperative guilds were securing new frontiers in real-time.

As the secured territories were expanded, forces pushed the monsters out while players tackled them. When players faced medium to large high-ranking monsters that were difficult to handle, the First Knight Order’s knights and superhumans stepped in.

They formed a human wall and pushed forward, so even the powerful monsters of the Forbidden Zone were forced to retreat.

During this time, Raul was…

Crunch! Squelch.

“Gwaaaargh….”

A 5-meter-tall dragon-type elite monster, 『Red Drake』, collapsed to the ground with a mournful cry.

“…Is this it?”

When he cut open the Drake’s belly, a goddess’s statue popped out.

“I need to hurry. There are still three more left.”

Raul, storing away twenty weapons, turned and exited the dungeon. Despite it being an S-Grade dungeon, it took him less than two hours to clear it. Due to the Forbidden Zone restrictions, S-Grade frontier pioneering still required Raul’s intervention.

Though there were rankers in the Purple Guild who had reached the superhuman stage, they were deployed to secure A-rank frontiers, not S-Grade ones. It wasn’t a matter of feasibility but rather a decision to match the operation’s timeline.

‘My skills have definitely improved.’

Raul’s level had already surpassed 140, reaching the master high rank. Not only that, but the proficiency in his swordsmanship and psychokinesis had surpassed Advanced Level 9, nearing the master rank….

Dungeons in the Forbidden Zone could no longer hold Raul back.

「Clear at Sector B-01. Proceed with troop entry.」

「Yes, Master. Based on the current progress, it seems we have about 5 hours until the next checkpoint.」

「Copy that. Ensure the formation doesn’t break, Bernard.」

「Leave it to me.」

The person issuing integrated orders from the operation headquarters was Bernard, the First Knight Order’s general manager.

Having coordinated several large-scale operations of this nature, his handling of matters was impeccable. Bernard’s support was pivotal in allowing Raul to operate freely without overseeing the headquarters personally.

“Alright, let’s head to the next point.”

Operation Tidal Wave was progressing smoothly.

*

“Chwii-chwik! Close the gates, chwii-chwik! The monsters are coming, chwii-chwik!”

At the center of the Monster Plains. The Orc tribe, settled near a river flowing eastward, was engulfed in chaos.

Despite being a medium-sized tribe with over ten thousand members, they couldn’t stay calm when facing the colossal number of monsters swarming from across the river.

“Summon the warriors, chwii-chwik! Inform the warriors on the front line too… chwii-chwik.”

Unfortunately, they were at war with the human empire in the north, and nearly half of their warriors were conscripted. While sufficient for hunting and basic village protection, their numbers were inadequate to deal with such an unprecedented crisis.

Splash, splash!

Small monsters that knew the water paths crossed the river at shallow points, while medium and large monsters simply walked across the riverbed, crossing the boundary.

Gwaaaaar!

The roars of monsters and beasts filled the plains, and the barricades made of earth and wood were too fragile to protect the Orcs.

“Flee, chwii-chwik! While the warriors buy time, have the women, children, and elderly escape, chwii-chwik!”

The warriors held the collapsed defensive walls with their bodies, buying a little time, but the slow-moving elderly Orcs were swept away by the monster wave….

Numerous Orc villages situated in the eastern part of the Monster Plains were instantly overrun. Hearing the news, small to medium-sized Orc tribes began migrating westward.

Had they clustered together as they did when they first arrived at the Monster Plains, it might have been different. However, already spread out into distinct tribes, regardless of their numbers, they lacked the organization to withstand the monster wave.

“Let’s evacuate, chwii-chwik. Until the warriors return from the war, chwii-chwik. Surviving is the priority, chwii-chwik.”

“It’s regrettable to leave our home, but chwii-chwik. We can always come back, chwii-chwik.”

The Orc tribes, accustomed to a nomadic lifestyle, didn’t have a strong attachment to their villages or lands. Some large tribes decided to hold their ground, but it remained to be seen how long they could withstand the monster wave once isolated from the smaller tribes.

*

Northeast direction of the Monster Forest. Walls built with bones, reinforced with wood and earth.

Yawn.

The ones yawning on top were soldiers of the Empire.

“Yawn. Even amidst the war, it’s quiet here, thank goodness.”

“Right. I was worried we might get dragged into the war with the front lines expanding.”

“They say the Kingdom forces have entered the Monster Forest, but they won’t come this way, right?”

“According to the scouts, there were only monster hordes even a long way southeast. We just need to keep watch quietly and head home.”

“That would be nice.”

However, their hopeful wishes were shattered by the roars of approaching monsters.

Graaaar!

Crack! Thud!

“Th-that’s! Sound the horn!”

Bwoooo!

The monster wave reached the Empire’s frontline small fortress. Though it had much sturdier walls compared to the Orc villages, the situation for the Empire’s fortress wasn’t much different.

“Of all times, when the knights are away!”

The Empire was also suffering from depleted resources and manpower due to the ongoing war. Moreover, elite knights wouldn’t be stationed in a small fortress that wasn’t on the front lines.

Crash!

“Ahhhh!”

“Help me!”

The wave of monsters surged like a tide, effortlessly breaking down the Empire fortress’s walls.

*

Clomp, clomp, clomp.

Bwoooo!

Boom, boom, boom.

Players marched with carefree expressions, unaware of the results their advance was creating. After nearly fifteen days of continuous marching, everyone seemed to have grown accustomed to it.

“Wow, is it really okay to gain so easily like this?”

“Right? Even small guilds like ours can now own a frontier!”

“But will they really give away such fertile land?”

“Hey, it’s the First Knight Order. Are you doubting Count Raul?”

“N-no, not at all. It just seems like everything’s going too smoothly.”

“If you say that, our guild members who got logged out will feel bad!”

“Sorry. But still, for a quest of this scale, this little loss is almost like getting it for free.”

“It’s not exactly free. And we’re not the owners of the frontier either. Not that I’m complaining, though.”

Over the past fortnight, the monster herding operation proceeded more smoothly than expected. But that didn’t mean there were no casualties.

Monsters with a nasty nature that cared neither for numbers nor opponents. Large monster hordes forming tribes.

Extremely powerful creatures that even knights could not easily handle. Various variables led to battles, and many players were sacrificed in the process.

However, the rewards and the promising future awaiting them were worth those sacrifices. Of course, a real war was also on the horizon.

Clomp, clomp, clomp.

Thus, the human wall cut through the Monster Forest, and finally, the Monster Plains revealed themselves.

(To be continued)