God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 259: Episode _The Great Gear Arms Race (2)

2.

Most people had tuned into Han Simin’s stream to see the second video, but in the end, the true highlight of the broadcast became the war scene that played out just before Epia and the Enhancer’s heartbreaking farewell.

The sheer scale.

The army stretching out so far the camera couldn’t even capture it all.

The sight of countless races uniting as one.

The demon forces, joined by the races of the continent who had betrayed their own.

Even if they had simply stood there facing each other with no background music, no one would have felt bored; instead, they all shared the heavy silence that seemed to press down on their very shoulders.

—This feels completely different from the black mages vs. Continental Army war.

—This is honestly the best movie of the year.

—Stuff like this should be at Cannes.

—This is insane. Seriously. What are BetaGo’s limits?

—I’ll be honest. I straight-up pissed myself watching this.

No commentary was needed.

The video had run for over six hours, yet not a single person complained that it was boring.

From beginning to end.

From the sweet romance that opened it to the war action that anyone, young or old, could enjoy.

Some people did grimace at the brutality born of its realism, but they were already somewhat acclimated to Fantastic World, so no one rage-quit over it.

If anything, that part drew more praise.

It was so realistic that it was hard to tell whether it was staged or real.

That meant the immersion was that much stronger, and the people who had become the protagonists of this six-hour “movie” felt a much deeper sense of satisfaction.

As a result, users and non-users alike were busy talking about nothing but Han Simin’s broadcast, both in and out of the game.

“Man. It’s a shame. I really wanted to see what he and the Demon King talked about afterward.”

“Right? So basically, the hero who was Simin’s Legendary class predecessor was in that kind of relationship with the current Demon King?”

“Yeah. It’s insane. Does that mean his class story quest is tied directly to the Demon King?”

“What are the odds? He just happens to fall into the Demon World, happens to meet the Demon King, and that Demon King just happens to be the target of his class story quest?”

“Well, a Legendary class could have multiple story quests, but he really is insanely lucky. Imagine if he’d never gone to the Demon World. He might have quit the game without ever clearing his class story quest.”

“True. I wonder what the reward is. Has anyone ever cleared a Legendary class story quest before?”

“Dino’s in Kenji’s guild, remember? I heard he’s working on his Legendary class story quest right now too.”

“Oh, damn. That’s huge. Who’s going to clear it first?”

“Who knows. Dino’s doing everything privately, but I’d still bet on him. Kenji’s backing him with money. And Simin’s quest is tied to the Demon King, so it’s bound to be harder.”

“Eh, I actually think Simin will clear it first. Judging from what we’ve seen, the story’s going to progress through weapon enhancement, and that’s Simin’s specialty.”

“Dude, don’t even start. That was all low-level stuff. If you watch his recent streams, he’s suffering like crazy trying to enhance high-level gear. A weapon the Demon King uses has to be at least level 200. How the hell is he going to get that to +15? Even the previous Enhancer gave up at +12.”

“Yeah, fair point.”

Just like when a blockbuster movie opens and everyone talks about it, spreading the word by mouth—

This had an even bigger impact.

In Korea, ten million viewers was huge, but Fantastic World was played by people all over the globe.

Analysts were already saying that if Han Simin’s video hadn’t been locked behind a $200 paywall, it would have become the fastest and most-watched video in world history in a matter of days.

Of course, that didn’t mean a $200 video was suddenly going to be released for free.

’If you want to watch, pay up.’

Han Simin’s business philosophy didn’t change, and even with that barrier, he had become globally famous in just a few days.

People were clamoring to see what happened next in a side-story film, and while Simin himself wasn’t thinking about it at all, there was a massive push—both in public opinion and behind the scenes—to package the footage as a movie and submit it to film festivals without altering a thing.

At the same time, Kenji’s guild enjoyed a huge indirect promotional boost.

Class story quests, available only to Unique-grade and higher classes.

Never mind the rewards; they let you explore the origins of each class—each with its own reason for existing—and unlock the class’s true potential. And now there was a race.

Who would clear theirs first?

Caught up in this sudden blaze, Kenji and Dino both found themselves busier than ever.

And naturally, all this buzz reached the NPCs as well.

The one most interested in the story of Han Simin, the first adventurer from the continent to reach the Demon World, was, of course, the Princess.

“What did you say? My husband is in the Demon World?”

“Yes, Your Highness. It is said that he threw himself into the black mages’ magic circle during the war to stop its activation, and he succeeded. Thanks to that, the continent was able to prevent the black mages from opening a Gate to the Demon World, but...”

There were a few distortions in the middle, but in any case, the part about Han Simin’s “betrayal” had been completely scrubbed and turned into a touching tale of heroism.

“Father!”

The Princess ran straight to the Emperor.

The Emperor remained silent.

There was no way the Emperor hadn’t already heard what she had.

He groaned.

He had a headache.

’No wonder that bastard has been out of sight lately.’

It was true that his mind was more at ease when he didn’t see him, but if things were going to be quiet, they should have stayed quiet with no news at all, not news like this.

And on top of that, the story came packaged with proof that he had been a key figure in the war.

“Is it really true that he stopped the activation of the magic circle?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The adventurers have a means of communicating among themselves, and that is how the story was conveyed.”

The Emperor mused.

“At present, it is said that he has met the Demon King and is unraveling his connection to the Enhancer, one of the Five Heroes of old, in order to find a way back to the continent.”

The Emperor sighed.

The Emperor found it hard to believe.

That he had stopped the black mages’ magic circle leading to the Demon World?

From what he had been able to piece together, the high-ranking angel who had been fighting the high-ranking demon had suddenly vanished, darkness had fallen, and then everything had ended.

By all appearances, anyone would have said that the change had been caused by the angel.

But what could he do?

There was no one left who could testify.

Even the high-ranking angel was said to be with that man now.

And his daughter believed it with absolute conviction.

“Father, we must bring my husband back from the Demon World at once.”

“Princess, this is not something we can decide in such haste...”

“How can we just abandon a hero of the continent in the Demon World and pretend we do not know? That is unthinkable! If God were to hear of this, He would surely be enraged!”

“No, listen, Princess.”

“Father, you taught me from a young age that to rule the continent, I must clearly distinguish between public and private matters and know how to wield both the carrot and the stick. I am merely offering my opinion according to your teachings. If my personal feelings were involved, I would have already found a way to the Demon World on my own.”

The Emperor remained silent.

Even if she had thrown a simple tantrum, the Emperor would have been unable to win against the Princess. This, however, was far beyond that.

With a face more serious than ever, she radiated the aura of the next Empress. Her words, though aggressive for a subject addressing her sovereign, were so clear-cut and cool-headed that the Emperor couldn’t help but smile.

And she was right.

“The continent needs a hero, just as it did hundreds of years ago with the Five Heroes. Though they fulfilled their destiny by defeating the Demon King and driving out the demons, we must not let it end that way this time. We must save him, no matter what. Besides, my husband is in the Demon World right now, facing the Demon King and fighting for the peace of the continent. Are we to simply pretend we don’t see it?”

He did not respond immediately.

The last part sounded a bit like wishful thinking, but the Emperor still nodded.

For a long time now, the Princess had been mature and intelligent enough to inherit the throne. Even now, when she must have wanted to act purely on emotion, she instead weighed the possibilities and judged the value of the endeavor. That was more than enough.

“Then may I entrust this matter to you?”

“Yes. Please leave it to me.”

Along with the subjugation of the black mages, another mandate descended upon the continent.

Rescue the hero of the continent!

The continent’s key figures and adventurers once again gathered at the Imperial Palace.

*

The Princess was beautiful.

Ever since the curse had been lifted, she had begun to regain her original appearance, but now she was several times more beautiful than before. She was at that fresh, lovely age just before coming into adulthood, and she had fallen in love.

It was impossible for her not to be beautiful.

That was why everyone could only stare, transfixed, at the Princess standing on the Emperor’s dais. Heedless of their gazes, she cried out.

“A hero of the continent is trapped in the Demon World!”

The Princess would soon be the Empress, yet she did not speak down to those beneath her. Even so, her voice was filled with majesty—a charisma that made it impossible to take her lightly just because she was a woman or because she addressed them respectfully. If anything, that respectful manner, combined with her sheer force of will, made the distance between them feel even greater.

“We cannot go and rescue him. Not only do we lack a way to open a Gate to the Demon World, but attempting to go would only lead to meaningless sacrifice. However!”

In an instant, no one was left dazed by her beauty. The people gathered here were, at the very least, the continent’s top experts. This was an order being given to them, one they might have to risk their lives for. Otherwise, the Princess would not have summoned this specific group from so far away.

Furthermore, the Princess herself was overseeing this entire operation. It meant the Emperor had entrusted the matter to her. He trusted her, yes, but her methods could be completely different from his. All the more reason to be on edge. If they couldn’t keep up with her style, they would be left behind.

Amid the tension, she spoke.

“We can communicate and prepare. The adventurers will find a way to contact him and prepare a method to bring him back. To that end...”

As she spoke, a chill flashed through her eyes.

’The makings of a tyrant!’

Everyone swallowed hard. Now it was truly beginning.

“From this moment on, you will capture every black mage you encounter alive. Maim them if you must. As long as they are capable of thought, do whatever it takes to capture them.”

A heavy silence fell over the crowd.

It was a command that warranted their apprehension. The NPCs were stunned by her decision, and the Users drew a sharp, collective breath.

No one misunderstood her intent.

They were going to open a Gate to the Demon World, risking an invasion of demons, all to rescue a single hero.

They were awed by her decisiveness, but they all drew in their breath for one simple reason.

[Breaking News: Main Quest difficulty increased by 20000%.] 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Thanks to the Princess’s personal feelings masquerading as public service, all contribution points for killing black mages vanished without a trace.

*