Chapter 246: Chapter 246

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 246

After hanging up the phone, Jeong-hoon thought about James Marcus.

The face of the man who had betrayed him before his regression.

If it were up to him, he would’ve liked to strangle him right away. But it was necessary to find out when exactly Marcus had started coveting power.

“If he had been planning this from the very beginning…”

Then, he would crush him in advance.

[“Whoa, whoa, Master. Relax your expression a bit.”]

[“Yeah, if you go in like that, a few people might not make it out alive.”]

As Mukho and Anima pointed out, Jeong-hoon’s expression was as menacing as it could be.

In the past, he had been betrayed by those he had spent a long time with.

Now, the ringleader who had brought together those traitors wanted to meet him. How could he possibly feel any goodwill toward that?

“Anyway, this is his second attempt to approach me.”

The first had been before his regression.

The second was now.

Jeong-hoon got ready quickly and headed to Jang Dae-hwi’s house.

Ha-jin, who had been informed, was waiting outside Dae-hwi’s house with Bong-goo.

“Jeong-hoon! You’re here?”

“Yeah. But why are you waiting out here instead of going in?”

“Oh, I called Dae-hwi hyung, and he said he was cleaning up. So, we’re waiting outside for a bit.”

“I see.”

After about ten minutes, Jang Dae-hwi opened the window.

“All done. You can come in now.”

With his permission, Jeong-hoon entered Dae-hwi’s house.

“Hyung, Ha-jin told me James Marcus reached out. Is that true?”

“Yeah. He said he wants to meet some of the people featured on HoneyTube.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Specifically, he wants to meet HoneyOne—you, to be exact.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I guess he got interested in you because of everything you’ve shown in the videos so far.”

This was something Jeong-hoon had expected.

James Marcus’s ultimate goal was recruiting allies.

It wasn’t that he was particularly interested in HoneyTube itself but rather that he was intrigued by Jeong-hoon and had extended the invitation because of that.

“You haven’t responded yet, right?”

“Of course not. I wanted to hear your opinion before deciding.”

“Good. In that case, send a reply saying we’ll meet.”

“You’re going to meet him?”

“Yes.”

The influence of HoneyTube was beyond imagination.

It had surpassed 100 million subscribers, and in South Korea, not knowing about HoneyTube was enough to be labeled clueless.

During this process, prominent guilds and even the South Korean government were trying to make contact with HoneyTube.

“They must think we have some kind of detection ability because we keep finding honey repeatedly.”

Ordinary people might find it once, if at all, yet HoneyTube consistently uncovered honey.

Now, if HoneyTube were to meet with James Marcus?

If that became known, the impact would be immeasurable.

Of course, the meeting would proceed in complete secrecy, so that wouldn’t happen.

“Got it. So, we’re agreeing to the meeting?”

“Yes. But we’ll decide the time and place.”

“Okay!”

***

“James, there’s a reply.”

“Really?”

James Marcus’s face lit up as he checked the monitor.

Just as he was told, a response had arrived from HoneyTube’s editor.

The reply was surprisingly positive. It stated that they would confirm the schedule and contact him again.

“Do you really plan to recruit these people as allies?”

The voice belonged to a young woman in her early-to-mid 20s, Amelie Reina, who had accompanied James Marcus this time.

Her current level was 443, and her class, Heretic Inquisitor, was a hidden one among priest professions.

Despite her class, she was also known as the Saintess, a title that reflected her status as a high-level player.

However, her feelings toward HoneyTube were far from favorable.

“Because of this channel, I still haven’t completed my fifth job advancement.”

The last stage of her fifth job advancement quest required her to identify and judge 1,000 heretics. But how was she supposed to meet such a high number?

Even after the game's elements began to manifest in reality, increasing that count was no easy task.

Simply targeting players in reality didn’t contribute to the count. Instead, she had to engage NPCs to fulfill the quota.

If HoneyTube hadn’t meddled, she would’ve already completed her fifth advancement.

“Yes,” James replied confidently.

“…I don’t like them,” Amelie responded with clear distaste.

“Why not?”

“Because of HoneyTube, I haven’t been able to finish my fifth job advancement.”

“Ah…”

James Marcus quickly understood.

He had developed an interest in HoneyTube and had watched all their videos, including those featuring the Märchen Kingdom.

One of them had a thumbnail that read:

[A single quest can raise your level by 3?]

Because of that video, Amelie still hadn’t completed her job advancement. It was no wonder she harbored resentment.

“Either way, I’m against this.”

“I get it. But you must admit, that YouTuber’s detection ability is insane.”

“Even so…”

“If he joins us, we’ll gain an even greater advantage.”

“….”

Amelie couldn’t refute this.

How many videos had they uploaded so far? It was far too many to dismiss as mere coincidence.

That meant he likely had a unique ability to detect rare opportunities. If he were to join their ranks, they could discover untapped opportunities and significantly accelerate their growth.

“Any word from Alessandro about Sophia?” James asked, changing the subject.

Sophia Stephanie Agaret, a mage class player ranked number one in France, was another individual James was trying to recruit.

Alessandro shook his head.

“You know how she is. Sophia’s temper isn’t exactly mild.”

Sophia, having also been a professional gamer, was acquainted with both James Marcus and Alessandro Bryden.

For that very reason, they knew she wouldn’t be easy to recruit as an ally.

“Still, we have to keep trying.”

Those with power needed to unite. Only then could they thoroughly prepare for what lay ahead.

***

After some deliberation, Jeong-hoon sent James Marcus the date and location.

The chosen location was a dungeon.

Jeong-hoon intentionally selected it so that, in case he sensed anything suspicious about James, he could deal with him immediately.

“Isn’t this dungeon a bit too dangerous?”

“Sir, the monsters in this dungeon are level 360.”

Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo hesitated in front of the dungeon entrance, reluctant to go inside.

The dungeon was 30 levels above their own, and they had yet to complete their fourth job advancements. The difficulty of the quests made them time-consuming, and failure had delayed their progress further.

“In that case, why don’t you two just focus on your advancement quests?”

Even Jeong-hoon’s mother had been absent from home, busy with her own advancement quest.

Though Jeong-hoon wished she wouldn’t overdo it, she couldn’t stop mid-way; otherwise, she’d have to start over from the beginning.

“Heh, but how can we miss meeting James Marcus?”

“Exactly! When else would we get a chance to see someone like him?”

Despite the dangers, Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo prioritized meeting James Marcus over their advancement quests.

He was a superstar of New World, and the opportunity to meet him in person felt like an honor in itself.

“...Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“What is it?”

“Yes, sir! Speak your mind!”

Jeong-hoon fell silent for a moment.

While he would’ve preferred not to bring these two along, their persistence had left him with little choice.

“I want you to keep an open mind about whatever conversation I have with James Marcus.”

“An open mind…?”

“What kind of conversation are you planning to have?”

“Who knows? We’ll see how it goes.”

Jeong-hoon gave a cryptic smile as he stepped into the dungeon.

***

Once inside, Jeong-hoon immediately began clearing the surrounding area.

Slash.

“Krrrrk!”

“Kiieeek!”

The monsters, each level 360, were no match for Jeong-hoon’s Heavenly Demon Annihilation Sword and were effortlessly cut down.

“Wow…”

“Sir, I think you’ve gotten even stronger than before.”

Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo couldn’t even track Jeong-hoon’s movements properly.

Watching level 360 monsters fall so easily made it clear how vastly Jeong-hoon’s strength had grown.

“All right, let’s get ready to greet him.”

The time to meet James Marcus face-to-face had finally arrived.

Jeong-hoon took out a table and chairs he had purchased with points and set them up.

Not long after, the entrance portal shimmered, and three figures emerged.

“Wow…”

“J-James Marcus…!”

Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo recognized him instantly, as did Jeong-hoon.

The face he hadn’t seen in a long time was noticeably different from what it had been before his regression—clean and youthful.

The once-wrinkled skin was now firm, and the long scar that had stretched from his left eye down to his jawline was gone, replaced by smooth, pale skin.

His sharp features were striking, eliciting admiration from anyone who saw him.

It was no exaggeration to say that his looks contributed significantly to his popularity as a superstar.

Even the Saintess, Amelie Reyna, who stood beside him, had been swayed to join him as the third member of his group, largely due to his charm.

“Are you the owner of HoneyTube?”

James Marcus directed his question to Jeong-hoon.

Jeong-hoon gave a small nod.

“Yes. And you’re James Marcus?”

“That’s right. But may I ask why you chose a dungeon as the meeting place?”

“No particular reason. I just want to keep this brief.”

Jeong-hoon’s tone made it clear he had no interest in small talk.

This attitude caused Alessandro Bryden and Amelie Reyna to frown. Jeong-hoon showed not the slightest hint of courtesy.

Yet, James Marcus only laughed heartily and took a seat across from Jeong-hoon.

“Very well. Let’s cut to the chase. I have a proposal: I’d like you to join our group.”

“A group?”

Jeong-hoon feigned ignorance, tilting his head slightly.

“That’s right. I want to end this game.”

“End the game?”

Jeong-hoon smirked inwardly. As much as he wanted to rip that mouth apart, he suppressed the urge.

“That’s correct. If this game has become our reality, then there must also be an ending to it.”

“Not ending the game—more like aiming to seize power, isn’t it?”

“...?”

“Why else would you only recruit people who are useful? You’re clearly trying to build a cartel.”

Jeong-hoon gave a sly grin, carefully watching James Marcus’s reaction.

James, startled, waved his hands in denial.

“No, absolutely not! That’s not my intention at all!”

“Then prove it.”

Jeong-hoon retrieved an artifact: a crystal orb he had purchased with points.

The orb, designed to uncover truths, worked by discerning whether spoken words were true or false.

“Place your hand on this and speak. Let’s see if your intentions are genuine.”

“…Fine.”

James Marcus placed his hand on the orb.

Jeong-hoon asked again, “Let me repeat the question. Do you sincerely want to end the game?”

“Of course.”

As James answered, the color of the orb began to shift.

‘If it turns green, it’s the truth. If it turns red, it’s a lie.’

If the orb turned red, Jeong-hoon would have no hesitation in eliminating him on the spot.

However, the orb didn’t turn red. Instead, it shifted to green.

Jeong-hoon narrowed his eyes.

‘The truth?’

The orb indicated that James Marcus was speaking honestly.

Seeing the color change, James Marcus smiled faintly.

“Now, you can trust me, right?”

“Hmph, for now, I’ll take you at your word.”

Indeed, changing one’s mind is easy.

Perhaps at the beginning, James Marcus truly wanted to end the game with pure intentions.

But, after tasting power, it was likely that his goal became clouded.

“For now?”

James Marcus tilted his head in confusion.

“Well then, I guess I’ll give my answer. I refuse.”

There was no immediate reason to attack him, so Jeong-hoon decided not to.

His ultimate revenge was to see the end of this game, wiping out all the power these individuals had gained.

Of course, if someone like Lee Hwa-rang or Sa Jae-hyeok strayed down a strange path, things might change.

“Wait, can you at least tell me why?”

“It’s simple. Because I can’t trust you.”

“Can’t trust me?”

James Marcus glanced at the green-glowing orb.

“I’ll believe that you’re not trying to form a cartel and seize power. But that doesn’t mean I trust you, James Marcus.”

“…I see.”

“No matter what kind of show you put on, I won’t be swayed. So, let’s end the conversation here.”

Without hesitation, Jeong-hoon stood up to leave.

At that moment, a Fire Spear shot toward him, and Jeong-hoon quickly turned his head to dodge it.

The Fire Spear embedded itself in a tree behind him and immediately ignited in flames.

Fwoosh—

“Alessandro! What are you doing?!”

James Marcus shouted in a panic.

“James, shut up. Are you telling me to tolerate this attitude?”

Alessandro gritted his teeth.

Even though they were the ones making the proposal, he couldn’t overlook Jeong-hoon’s defiant attitude.

He was going to give this arrogant fool a lesson he wouldn’t forget.

“Hey, you attacked first?”

With those words, Jeong-hoon drew out Leviathan, a broad grin spreading across his face.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]