Chapter 260: Chapter 260

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 260

[Rease’s Level 1,100 Death Knight Subjugation Process Revealed! - Part 1]

The first part of the video was uploaded.

As soon as it went live, subscribers with notifications enabled swarmed in like bees, and the view count began to skyrocket.

Within just 10 minutes of being uploaded, it surpassed 1 million views.

It seemed viewers were too engrossed in watching to leave many comments.

“Wow, the response is insane!”

“Hyung! The last video surpassed 2 billion views. This much is expected.”

Even though Ha-Jin was blurred out in Part 1, he still made an appearance.

Ha-Jin grinned ear to ear, feeling like a star.

Bong-Goo, sitting next to him, was just as pleased.

Every video he appeared in seemed to become a massive hit.

“Alright, let’s move on to Darvis.”

After checking the early reactions to the video, Jeong-hoon stood up without hesitation.

“Huh? Can’t we rest a little longer?”

Ha-Jin wanted to observe the rising view count a bit more.

“We’ve rested enough. Time to get moving.”

Jeong-hoon, having ensured they’d had ample rest during the video editing process, showed no mercy.

“Hyung-nim! What’s your plan once we get to Darvis?”

Darvis.

Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo had never been there before. Their levels had been too low.

“Hmm, I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”

Jeong-hoon, having experience in Darvis, feigned ignorance since the other two were total rookies.

“Isn’t it time you told us now?”

“Told you what?”

“You’re over Level 500 now!”

“That’s right… Hyung-nim, your level is nearly 200 higher than ours now.”

Before subjugating the Death Knight, Jeong-hoon’s level had started with a 4.

But when they reunited after the subjugation, it had jumped to 5.

Ha-Jin, stunned by this absurd progression, asked how it was possible, but Jeong-hoon had brushed it off, saying he’d explain later.

However, Ha-Jin was persistent.

What on earth had Jeong-hoon done to achieve such a massive leap in levels?

“I made a bet.”

Jeong-hoon finally revealed the truth.

“A bet?”

“Yeah, with a Transcendent.”

“Wait… Transcendents? Those are the ones who keep showing up in the dungeon, right?”

“Exactly.”

“How did you even end up making a bet with one of them?”

“It’s a long story. But thanks to that guy, I managed to surpass Level 500.”

“Whoa… Should I try making a bet too?”

“You’d have to wager your soul. If you lose, you die.”

“…What the hell, you lunatic!”

Ha-Jin’s face turned ghostly pale.

The thought of Jeong-hoon risking his life on a bet had never crossed his mind.

At the same time, he was furious at his friend’s recklessness.

“That’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”

“No matter what, once you’re dead, that’s it. You get that, right?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I know.”

“And yet you risked your life? Do you think your life is a joke?!”

Ha-Jin, now furious, was practically shouting. If his mother had overheard this…

The thought alone was horrifying.

“Anyway, just keep this whole thing a secret, okay? I’m not going to risk my life again.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“Yes, absolutely. Trust me on this one.”

“…Fine. If you’re that adamant, I won’t say anything else.”

Ha-Jin wisely chose to drop the topic.

Jeong-hoon gave a soft smile and patted Ha-Jin’s shoulder.

“Thanks.”

***

At the same time.

James Marcus was watching YouTube with Amelie Reina.

Even with the world turning into a game-like reality, YouTube continued to function without issue.

“They’re saying the Death Knight reached Level 1,100?”

The channel they were watching was none other than HoneyTube, run by Jeong-hoon, the same man James had failed to recruit as an ally.

A new video had just been uploaded to the channel, showcasing the subjugation of a Level 1,100 Death Knight.

“What?! How does someone go from Level 250 to Level 1,100?”

James Marcus stared at the screen in disbelief.

“Also… the monsters in the video all seem to be over Level 300.”

“……”

As Amelie Reina pointed out, every monster swarming in the Archer’s City shown in the video was at least Level 300.

That alone made it clear the Death Knight couldn’t possibly be stuck at Level 250.

James Marcus focused intently on the video.

From Archer’s City to Warrior’s City, he tried to catch every detail.

What quests were completed, how the monsters were defeated—he didn’t want to miss a thing.

Eventually, the footage reached the border of Warrior’s City.

At last, the Death Knight subjugation began.

[Lv. 1,100 Death Knight (Awakened)]

Just as the video title indicated, the Death Knight had indeed been elevated to Level 1,100.

“This is unbelievable… But how are they going to defeat it?”

Level 1,100.

An absurd number that made it hard to even imagine a way to challenge it.

It was easier to accept if the level weren’t displayed, like with the demon they’d previously defeated.

But how were they supposed to take down something with such a clearly overpowered level?

James Marcus didn’t respond to Amelie Reina’s question, his full attention locked on the video.

“Ugh!”

Shockingly, the Level 1,100 Death Knight was defeated with almost laughable ease.

“What… was that…?”

James Marcus, stunned, rewound the footage.

No matter how many times he replayed it, the Death Knight fell in a single strike.

“Does this even make sense…?”

“I don’t know… I have no idea what’s going on either.”

The video ended with a teaser promising a detailed explanation of how to defeat the enemy in the next part.

└ Wow… A Level 1,100 boss went down that easily?

└ So we need to take that thing down to move on to Darvis?

└ Do you think we can do it too?

└ It should be possible if we meet the conditions. But if it’s that quick, can it really be called a strategy…?

└ You idiot, they said they’ll cover the strategy in detail in Part 2.

└ We just have to wait. If you rush in unprepared, you’ll lose your life.

The comments had a point.

That wasn’t a strategy.

It was sheer domination.

Nothing else could explain it.

“They made it to Darvis. Shouldn’t we head there too?”

According to the video, the path to Darvis had been closed off again. To reopen it, the only way was to defeat the Level 1,100 Death Knight.

“…Let’s wait for now. They haven’t arrived yet.”

“Who’s coming?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

James Marcus was waiting for someone.

Not long after, people began to arrive one by one.

“Hello.”

The first to appear was Sophia Stephanie Agaret, a Dark Mage from France.

She was someone James had met before during the subjugation of the Colossus, Ursus. While their connection had been limited to that encounter, James had somehow managed to recruit her.

“I reached out to people who weren’t already tied down. I’ve got quite the network.”

James smiled mischievously.

“Well, calling them allies might be a stretch, but it’s better than having no one.”

Sophia replied with a displeased expression.

She hadn’t wanted to join in the first place, but the fight against Ursus had made her keenly aware of her limitations. She had no choice but to accept James Marcus’s offer, knowing that her power alone wouldn’t suffice.

“Anyway, thanks for agreeing.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t join because I like you.”

The next to arrive was Louis Verdan, another survivor of the Ursus subjugation.

During the battle, Louis had worked alongside Amelie to heal others, displaying even greater healing abilities than the Inquisitor herself.

And it wasn’t just Louis Verdan.

Liu Xiaolong.

Rick Boyd.

Paul Raymond.

One by one, a considerable number of individuals accepted James Marcus’s recruitment.

***

“Splitting up?”

Jeong-hoon, Ha-Jin, and Bong-Goo had made it to Darvis.

At this point, Jeong-hoon proposed that they go their separate ways from here.

"Yeah. Just head to the places I mentioned," Jeong-hoon replied, handing each of them a note.

Ha-Jin's note pointed him to the Naobi Duchy in the north.

Bong-Goo's note sent him to the Valderman Marquisate in the west.

“Uh… So all I have to do is go there?” Ha-Jin asked.

“Yeah. There’ll be an NPC waiting. Just complete all the quests they give you.”

This opportunity wasn’t a shared one—it was first-come, first-served. Unlike the hidden opportunities Jeong-hoon had discovered so far, this one didn’t require elaborate searching. By completing the quests, the rewards would come naturally.

Jeong-hoon intended to give this opportunity to Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo.

“Got it. I’ll head to the place you told me about,” Ha-Jin said, nodding.

“Boss, I’ll return here as soon as I’m done,” Bong-Goo added.

“Alright. Stay safe out there.”

With that, Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo departed for the locations indicated on their notes.

Jeong-hoon, now alone, didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he settled nearby, waiting for someone.

That someone was his mother, Yeo Sunwoo, and Yeo Min-Ji. He had contacted all of them, and they were expected to arrive soon.

Before long, his mother arrived first, followed shortly by Yeo Sunwoo and Yeo Min-Ji.

He handed notes to them as well.

“Isn’t it dangerous for each of us to act separately?” his mother asked, concern evident on her face.

Jeong-hoon shook his head with a reassuring smile.

“It’s fine. This isn’t like Rease, where monsters are swarming everywhere.”

Darvis was a stepping stone for growth, a place perfectly suited for honing skills.

“Alright. If you say so, I trust you.”

“Yes. Let’s all regroup here after completing our quests.”

After sending them off, Jeong-hoon turned toward his own destination: a small village in the east called Vern.

[What are you planning to do here?]

“I’m going to find my own opportunity.”

Darvis was like a treasure trove.

In his previous life, Jeong-hoon had entered Darvis far too late, missing out on everything it had to offer. But now was different.

With no one else here yet, he could monopolize the opportunities if he acted quickly.

The reason Jeong-hoon had chosen Vern was simple.

‘The best opportunity in Darvis is right here.’

Although he felt a little sorry for his mother, Ha-Jin, Bong-Goo, Yeo Sunwoo, and Yeo Min-Ji, the best opportunity was something he intended to claim for himself. He needed it to ensure his future plans went smoothly.

As Jeong-hoon approached Vern, a man stepped out to block his path.

“Hey, this village doesn’t allow outsiders. So why don’t you turn around while I’m still being polite?”

===

[NPC Information]

- Name: Maurice

- Level: 350

- Class: Villager

===

For a mere villager, Maurice’s level was absurdly high.

‘Of course it is. Vern isn’t just a village; it’s an experimental site.’

A place dedicated to human experimentation, no less.

The experiments in Vern were carried out mainly on kidnapped individuals or purchased slaves. The number of lives lost during these experiments was incalculable.

‘They’re vile enough to experiment on anyone, regardless of age or gender.’

Even children under the age of ten were frequently subjected to experiments and died as a result.

"Seven Deadly Sins."

Jeong-hoon summoned the Seven Deadly Sins.

"...Why call me out after so long?"

The entity looked ravenous, its face filled with hunger.

“Sorry. It took me a while to find some prey for you.”

“Prey?!”

The Seven Deadly Sins’ eyes gleamed as it scanned the surroundings, eventually locking its gaze on Maurice.

“You… you bastard! You’re a Dark Mage?!”

Maurice’s face turned pale as he stumbled backward, his voice trembling in fear.

Jeong-hoon stepped forward with precision, employing the Heavenly Demon Lord’s Steps, and grabbed Maurice by the collar.

"Dark Mage? What nonsense are you spewing?"

“I-I’m sorry! Please, spare my life!” Maurice stammered, unable to form coherent sentences.

The chilling killing intent radiating from Jeong-hoon’s eyes had Maurice frozen in fear. He couldn’t even process Jeong-hoon’s movements earlier—they were beyond his comprehension.

"No, that’s not happening," Jeong-hoon said coldly.

Even if Maurice was just an NPC, Jeong-hoon couldn’t overlook someone who treated human lives as disposable playthings.

"Bon appétit!"

The Seven Deadly Sins licked its lips hungrily as it approached Maurice.

[Absorbing stats...]

Despite struggling desperately in Jeong-hoon’s grip, Maurice was helpless as the Seven Deadly Sins drained his stats.

By the time it was done, Maurice’s stats had been reduced to a pitiful 5 across the board, leaving him weak and trembling.

Of course, his suffering didn’t last long.

“Guhhk!”

Jeong-hoon silenced him with a swift strike to the neck, ending his life instantly.

"Alright, let’s head in."

Without sparing Maurice another glance, Jeong-hoon brushed his lifeless body aside and made his way into the village.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]