5.

Han Simin was just an ordinary user.

Looking at his track record, one might think he had been waiting his whole life for 『Fantastic World』 to launch. He acted like some kind of expert, succeeding at every turn and carving his name into history with a playstyle that ran completely counter to everyone else’s, as if mocking them.

In reality, very few of his actions were meticulously planned or carried out with firm conviction; most were impulsive and instinctive.

Of course, underlying it all was a bedrock of confidence that he would succeed. His innate judgment and guts were more than enough to make his successes look like skill rather than luck.

But if you looked closer, it wasn’t because he had some grand design.

At the end of the day, Han Simin was nothing more than a perfectly ordinary twenty-six-year-old Korean man who had finished his mandatory military service and was now in the reserves. After his accident, even in other games, he had never been the type to plot and scheme to dominate servers. He was just a regular guy, scrambling to scrape together enhancement costs, upgrade items, and earn enough to cover his living expenses.

That was why this kind of situation felt so unfamiliar.

When had he ever played politics in a game? 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

『Fantastic World』 was his first time, and the politics he’d engaged in while turning the Demon King into the Heavenly King had come with conditions that let him do basically whatever he wanted.

But that was no longer the case.

His foundation looked endlessly solid, yet in truth, it was endlessly fragile.

In fact, if you asked the viewers who had been watching his journey, or looked at the popular posts on the community boards and his personal channel, it was shockingly flimsy.

—Honestly, he’s only gotten this far because he’s Simin.

—For real. I’m a fan, but even I have to say, if anyone else did this, they’d just be a world-class piece of trash who sold out their country.

—People probably don’t think much of it because it’s just the Demon World and the continent, but try imagining it’s Korea and Japan, lol. Didn’t Simin basically drag the Japanese Emperor over and put him in the Korean President’s chair? And now Kenji’s out there shouting “Long live Korean independence!” like he’s channeling Kim Gu. On the surface, it looks like Kenji’s invading the continent, but if you look at what’s actually going on, this comparison is closer, lol.

Up to the point of obtaining his territory and driving the black magicians from the continent, everything had been to Han Simin’s credit. No one could nitpick his achievements.

But then he had somehow ended up in the Demon World, joined hands with the Demon King, clashed with the Heavenly King, and fled back to the continent to survive. Afterward, for his own selfish gain, he had framed the Heavenly King as the Demon King and had him cast out.

From the perspective of the continent’s inhabitants, that was absolutely unforgivable.

Through his scheming, Han Simin had become a continent-wide hero that no one could deny, and his territory had been recognized as a massive kingdom.

Now that the truth was coming out piece by piece, all that remained was his downfall.

Everyone agreed on that.

Which was why disputes had broken out.

—How the hell is that like Korea and Japan? Why are you spouting dumb political crap in a game thread?

—Lol, why so serious? I’m just making a comparison.

—What country are you from, you punk? Let’s take this offline.

In any case, only one thing mattered.

For the first time, events were progressing faster than Han Simin had anticipated, and in this situation, Kenji was finally revealing his true capabilities.

Even though he hadn’t stepped forward personally, the armies gathering to march on the Rich Kingdom were enough to make Han Simin’s expression twist. While he stood before a war where no one knew what might happen, Kenji was calmly expanding his influence without lifting a finger.

6.

In the early days of 『Fantastic World』, there was a saying.

“Class advantage, my ass. Your class is secondary; in the end, it all comes down to the player. In a game where the guy who levels up fastest and grabs the content first owns everything, having a good class is just a pipe dream. You get strong later? How the hell are you going to beat a high-level user who’s already maxed out, monopolizing high-tier monsters, and decked out in Special and Legendary items? Lol.”

That sentiment was even stronger because this wasn’t just a game, but another reality.

If Han Simin, who held two Legendary-grade classes, hadn’t been the one whose name was echoing across the continent, that perception might well have become gospel by now.

And it wasn’t exactly wrong.

However, the moment Kenji returned, he went on a rampage, as if to prove that saying was bullshit.

Or perhaps he wanted to show that the era had changed.

Already a top-tier ranker in terms of level and in possession of a Legendary-grade class, Kenji flaunted a presence so overwhelming that other classes didn’t even dare compare themselves to him.

Han Simin had known this for a long time, having felt it in his bones while watching the Buffer. But his influence couldn’t compare to Kenji’s, whose flashy skills were being broadcast to viewers and users alike.

On the community boards and among the countless people who studied 『Fantastic World』 even if they didn’t play, perceptions and talking points began to shift.

—Is this for real...?

—He soloed a level 130 Special Named raid, lol.

—Isn’t that the one a ranker guild of level 100+ players barely killed with a 12-man party?

—He totally targeted it, lol. Went straight for that raid.

—He still killed it, though.

—God-Kenji. A guy soloed what took twelve level-100+ users to bring down, lol.

—You know what we call this? Class advantage.

—What class advantage, lol. His gear’s busted and his control is insane.

—But seriously, the ranker guild guys weren’t lacking in control or gear, and if the gap is still this big, doesn’t that mean your class is what ultimately matters in 『Fantastic World』?

—If you don’t know anything about this game, just shut up. When the conditions are that similar and one side barely kills it with twelve people while the other beats it down solo without breaking a sweat, the answer’s obvious.

—Yeah, I bought two Special-grade classes right before this video dropped. ^^

As the political situation on the continent shifted, so did the trends and perceptions.

Back when level was king and wars and PK were the norm, class hadn’t mattered that much.

At best, mages and archers had the advantage of being able to deal damage more safely.

Even when the Legendary-grade Archmage Dino was active, many had argued that his power came not from his Legendary class, but from the fact that he was a mage—a special class to begin with.

However, as the meta shifted toward raids, and as the era moved away from synergy with NPCs and toward pure stat comparisons between users, people naturally began to consider every single factor, even the last 1% needed for a raid.

And Kenji, who proved through his video content what was best in this new era, couldn’t help but shock the player base.

On top of that, the real-world cash he poured in gave him wings.

—What the hell. He wasn’t wearing that cloak yesterday.

—It even looks different. That thing looks busted.

—Holy crap, that’s where that went, lol. A guy I know was mining today and bragged that he sold that for $130,000. Said some crazy bastard bought a Special-grade cloak on the spot. I was so jealous.

—His ring looks different too, doesn’t it?

—How does he get new gear several times a day?

To some, he became an object of envy.

—Ugh, I’m so burnt out. Fuck. What’s the point of grinding levels for a year and a half without sleep to kill Named monsters? Some guy just rolls a good class and wipes everything solo. Even if I spend a few hundred thousand dollars on gear, the efficiency is on a completely different level.

To others, he became an object of jealousy.

And to Han Simin, he became an object of resentment.

Facing a war, Han Simin ground his teeth.

*

That was one thing, but reality was another.

The Rich Kingdom had expanded tremendously, and the hundreds of thousands of troops closing in from all directions were not something Han Simin could just shrug off and casually delegate to his aide.

If it had still been just the Rich Territory, it might have been fine.

The territory was already packed with defensive measures prepared for threats that could wipe it off the map entirely.

However, after expanding into a kingdom, he hadn’t reinforced the new walls or magic circles.

It had been a hassle, and the kingdom hadn’t been complete for very long.

Which was why the fire really was at his feet.

’But is there really any need to risk my neck to defend it when it’s not bringing in a single coin?’

The question crossed his mind for a moment, but still, having it was better than not having it. Someday it might bring in at least a little money.

More importantly, if he was pushed out here, there would be no coming back.

The Rich Kingdom was his symbol.

If it fell, everyone would pounce as if they had been waiting. Every person on the continent, from NPCs to users, would brand him as trash and attack.

’Shit. No way that day’s actually going to come, right?’

Just imagining it was horrifying.

Logging into the game only to have to fight every user around him the moment he spawned.

At the same time, it made his heart race a little.

In a way, it felt like he would finally be really enjoying the game.

But giving up the kingdom he had worked so hard to build for that thrill was out of the question.

He would defend it.

And he would profit from it.

’I should be able to make some money if I sell everything.’

For that, he issued a summons.

For the first time in a while.

“Everyone, gather up. Bring your gear.”

*

The first step is always the hardest. The vanguard always has it rough. Drawing your sword is the moment of hesitation.

But once a few kingdoms rose up, once the Empire stood still and the Temple lent its aid, not only other kingdoms but also territories hoping to grab a share all raised their armies and joined in.

From their perspective, this could only look like a golden opportunity with no risk.

The Rich Kingdom, the kingdom of the continent’s hero with Han Simin at its core, had only just been created. The only reason other kingdoms had been wary was because it had been under the Empire’s protection. Now that that was gone...

The power it possessed was pitiful in the face of the hundreds of thousands of troops now gathered.

On top of that, there wasn’t a soul on the continent who didn’t know that looting it would be profitable.

The Rich Territory Theme Park.

The Rich Casino.

The statistics showing that the profits from those two places ranked in the top five among all tourist attractions on the continent were famous.

Thus, it didn’t take long for the countless armies to reach the Rich Kingdom.

Since this was a war where no casualties were expected, they had pushed their march without worrying about fatigue.

All to secure a slightly better position.

They had no intention of standing at the very front, but they had to be the first to charge in and claim the credit when the gates opened, when the walls collapsed, when they saw a safe opening.

The gathered armies’ morale soared.

With that many people, it was impossible for it not to.

“Waaaaaaah!”

“Uwoooooo!”

“Demon King, withdraw!”

“The traitor of the continent must be judged!”

No one had told them to, but everyone shouted.

Judging by the mood alone, it wouldn’t have been strange if Han Simin had already been torn to shreds.

Overnight, from hero of the continent to traitor!

At this spectacular reversal, dark clouds gathered in the sky.

The sunlit sky darkened, and naturally, the eyes of hundreds of thousands turned upward.

A massive dragon was there.

It hadn’t suddenly become night.

Two enormous dragons were simply blocking out the sun.

And standing atop them was Han Simin.

He was wearing a headband shaped like demon horns.

“Man. A hero suits me better than a villain,” Han Simin grumbled, clicking his tongue. “Why does it keep drifting this way?”