The Novel’s Villain

32. Kim Emperor

There weren’t many people in the world who could stop Jin-woo. Perhaps only the Devil who could not be resurrected or the other high-ranking Emperors. Jin-woo thought so too, but there were more. They were those whom Jin-woo gave affection to. Everyone recognized Jin-woo at once. It was quite troublesome, but when Rundalf, Crazy Demon, and Luna looked at him with sparkling eyes, he had no choice but to join them.

“This way, you won’t get caught!”

Luna then paused the broadcast for a while. She took out some things and promptly gave them to Jin-woo. It was a voice changer item and a helmet to cover his face. She also brought out basic equipment for the tanker’s duty. It was F-ranked full body armor, characterized by its very heavy weight. It offered a strong sense of suffocation.

Jin-woo looked at Rundalf. It was because he seemed to know Luna well.

“How did you meet?”

“Well, a lot has happened.”

It seemed like a very complicated story. Jin-woo could see Rundalf adoring Luna, and the same was true of Crazy Demon. Anyway, he decided not to ask as they seemed to be getting along well. Rundalf knew that this place wasn’t fictional, while Crazy Demon said he didn’t care about it. The two of them quarreled, but their expressions looked solemn when Luna turned on the broadcast again.

‘They care a lot about their images, huh?’

Jin-woo also opened the chat window. Se-yeon also implemented a broadcast interlocking mode, keeping the interface very neat. Viewers couldn’t see the chat window or broadcast-related interface floating in front of Jin-woo or Luna. It was purely for immersion. Se-yeon did a good job of keeping those details alive. Her abilities were more awesome than expected. Most of all, she prepared in advance everything Jin-woo could ask for.

ChocoCookieChips: Oh! Finally, a four-person party!

Lanto: Who is that? It should be an F rank.

Acela: It’s hard to find a tanker, but as expected of Luna.

CatLuna: It’s now airing on SBC. But Luna’s party seems to be more fun.

LowerLimit: I made a reservation, but I won’t get it until four months later.

It was quite fun to watch the chat window. Jin-woo had no tanker skill, but it was okay to just walk around barehanded. After all, he was an Emperor with a higher rank than the Maze itself.

“Emperor, here… ah!”

Luna called Jin-woo Emperor, and she was a little embarrassed. However, she soon corrected her expression and introduced Jin-woo to the viewers.

“He is the tanker that we worked hard to recruit. His nickname is… E-Emperor.”

“…I am Kim Emperor.”

It was a very typical game nickname. Jin-woo lifted the huge shield casually as he heard this. Of course, he didn’t feel any weight at all.

Chocolateman: Wow! Look at him. [Sponsor]

TwoComeOffice: Even Darin couldn’t hold that one, but he’s holding it with one hand.

lms233: He’s awesome.

HoshiLee: Isn’t he the official number one tanker?

‘Umm, somehow.’

Looking at the reactions in the chat room, he felt somewhat pleased. Rundalf and Crazy Demon were also enjoying the reactions. Although they didn’t broadcast it separately, they seemed to be used to it because they ran MeTube channels. Crazy Demon also opened the New Sword Master TV on MeTube. However, as people became more familiar with the name Crazy Demon, subscribers were low.

“Let’s join too!”

Luna said so with a bright smile.

Lanto: It would be perfect if Maze also joined.

Bedding: Maze seems to be perfect for an archer or thief.

WhoamI: Then it would be a twisted expedition.

Santo: A complete physical party member, haha.

They followed Luna to the central square. Most of the people who completed the tutorial were here, war clouds hanging over them. They all looked nervous. It might be natural since everyone had to grow again from the beginning once they died. However, it was surprisingly acting as an addictive factor. This was because they could deeply feel comradeship, and most of all, it made them tense. The disappearance of a character made by paying a lot of money offered them a lot of tension.

“Tsk, tsk. They’re all just rookies.”

“So are you.”

Rundalf and Crazy Demon kept arguing while Bread Jam came up on the podium. He was wearing the best equipment he could get in the Village in the Beginning.

‘He also enhanced it.’

The enhancement was also quite good. He wasn’t the party leader for no reason.

“Yes! I’m out on the site. Everyone seems to be in a solemn mood! Ah! I wear the same equipment as the others. For the first time in the world, we are showing viewers a live situation!”

Reporters were also seen at the fringes. Of course, overseas fans were also watching. It was said that SBC’s ratings were skyrocketing now, and the number of viewers online was huge. The interest was beyond the League Guild. Bread Jam gave a formal speech. As a broadcaster, it was worth listening to in its way.

“We are strong!”

“Wuoooooooo!”

“Let’s go!”

Thousands of screams echoed through the village. The atmosphere was pretty good too. When Bread Jam charged, everyone in the great party rushed after him. A dungeon appeared as they climbed the large stairs connected to the village. As the interior of the Maze continued to change, it wasn’t known what dungeons would appear until climbing the stairs.

Players just thought it was a log-like system that changed in real-time. Therefore, improvisation according to individual ability and situation was more important than strategy. If the middle boss was conquered, it was expected that dungeon clearing would accelerate after that.

ChocoCookieChip: Oh, look at the tension. [300,000 won donated! Huge support!]

“Oh! ChocoCookieChips! Thank you! Transform into your lovely Luna! Whoosh!”

Luna, who received the donation, gave a spectacular reaction. Rundalf looked at Luna with pleased eyes, and Crazy Demon nodded. The two looked used to such sights from Luna.

“…”

Luna flinched slightly after catching Jin-woo’s gaze. It was because she read his eyes hidden in the helmet. Luna was now a professional broadcaster rather than a Goddess.

‘F-for the sake of world peace.’

Luna sent such a message with her eyes, but it didn’t work on Jin-woo.

SBC: Luna, have some confidence.

SalaryThief: Tanker Emperor is embarrassed. Haha.

CuteLuna: Tanker Big Bro, I think I know the look on his face, lol. Seeing it directly like that. Lmao.

Doreck: Please do that too. [500,000 won donated! Huge support!]

It was the fate of an Internet broadcaster to react under any circumstances.

“Thank you for your great support, Doreck. Cutie, cutie…”

There was a stark difference between watching it on the monitor and watching it directly. However, it was bearable once you got used to it. The donated money was used for the peace of Heaven and the Middle World and the development of the Sacred Ground. Of course, there was also a lot of money for personal use.

“Let’s go, too!”

Luna responded vigorously. He was just going to look around the village, but it turned out like this. Jin-woo looked back to where Rundalf and Crazy Demon were having a fierce argument.

‘I’ll have to get out in the middle.’

He thought it would be better to pretend that he lost his life in the middle. Jin-woo sighed a little and took the lead with his huge shield. Jin-woo was a heavy tanker. The exploration party had started in advance, and Jin-woo’s party went up the stairs last. As they climbed the stairs, the large entrance slowly pushed aside, revealing another entryway.

The large entrance was where the exploration party headed in.

Yandere: Oh! Hidden route?

HappyLuna: Letzgo!

HintNerd: Go to the hidden route! [30,000 donated]

RealTime tv: All exploring parties are dying. It seems more fun here than SBC. Bread Jam was the first to die LOL The reporter died, and the SBC accident broke out LOL.

Lanto: Bread Jam is a complete troller. It’s crazy over there. Expedition party what? They are just idiots. The monsters are much more than them.

The SBC reporters who were dispatched also seemed to have died. The Maze, suffering from a constipation nightmare, was also great. Numerous traps that proved difficult to overcome showed up. Jin-woo’s party eventually decided to go the hidden route. The number of viewers began to increase rapidly. This was because the viewers who watched SBC and Bread Jam’s broadcasts flocked in. Rundalf and Crazy Demon also took the concept seriously. Both loved the attention.

The hidden route was dark. A long passage appeared with a dreadful trap installed. Luna sensed danger with her divine magic.

“I-it’s a trap!”

“Hmm, I’ll have to step forward as a wizard.”

“What are you talking about?!”

There were a lot of holes in the wall and a lot of buttons on the floor. Jin-woo walked slowly with his shield.

‘We could speed it up if we do an overseas service. What if we add an interpretation function to the login device… is that too much?’

Jin-woo was lost in thought. There was, of course, no sense of crisis. This trap was like a breeze to him.

“Ah! E-Emperor!”

Jin-woo walked slowly and went into the trap alone.

Bang-bang! Whoosh!

A bunch of arrows aimed at Jin-woo, and thorns came up from the floor. A huge metal ball on a chain hit Jin-woo’s body. Only after feeling a small shock did Jin-woo leave his thoughts. Looking back, Luna’s pupils were shaking. More than a million viewers were watching in real-time. Of course, the Emperor of Gold was still working. It understood the concept much more deeply than Jin-woo.

The trap was cleverly twisted to make Jin-woo stand out. When it came to directing, as expected, no one could match the Emperor of Gold. It was even incomparable to special effects such as CG.

Kwazzk!

Jin-woo first pulled out the arrows and thorns stuck in his armor. A strong man’s aura blew out. Even though he was covered with a helmet and armor, an unknown charm still flew out. His back looked unusually wide.

[The Emperor of Gold has taken over the lowest level dungeon of the Maze.]

[The great directing begins.]

*[B] Cinematic Production

The Emperor of Gold was also an attention whore. It must like it since over a million people were watching. Jin-woo couldn’t think of anything to say.

“…The trap is gone, so let’s go.”

When he said that, the chat window exploded.

Blowfishman: Crazy. LOL, He’s so cool! [70,000 won donated]

WoahGreat: He looks tough.

TyphoonCaller: What a real man. [23,000 won donated]

lee2321: Look how swagged out he is. [12,000 won donated!]

rose112: I fell in love even though I’m a man. [100,000 won donated]

As the donations exploded, Luna blinked and looked at Jin-woo. Then she lifted her thumb.

‘Emperor! That’s it!’

‘Umm?’

‘Just do that!’

Jin-woo nodded slowly when Luna glanced at him. As many people were watching, Rundalf and Crazy Demon, who were trying to play well, had no choice but to feel uncomfortable. After all, all the attention was already focused on Jin-woo.

“As expected, he’s the best tanker!”

Luna wrapped it up with a smile. The hidden route had a completely different atmosphere from the existing dungeons. The monsters were even more bizarre and tenacious, and their numbers were considerable. After all, the Emperor of Gold made it that way. Strong enemies were needed for proper directing.

Keeeeeerrrghh!

Kuaaaaargh! Crrrrck!

Bizarrely distorted zombies and beast skeletons showed up.

Chocolateman: Look at the monster design. It’s crazy.

SweetHoneySauce: It’s awful. It’s like a horror movie. I don’t think I can go there.

Oh Yang-ri: Rundalf casts his magic. Crazy Demon is going crazy, lol.

Pegasus: Wow, it’s a perfect movie.

Crazy Demon and Rundalf showed off their cool looks and faced the monsters. Jin-woo moved forward with his shield. As they proceeded slowly, they entered a huge space. As soon as they moved inside, the door closed. Darkness rapidly grew around them.

Luna created a sphere of light with her divine magic and floated it around.

Hurrrrrrr!

Monsters came from all directions. There was no comparison with before. The monsters were simply rushing in waves, and it didn’t end there. A huge skeleton engulfed in yellow flames appeared, breaking through the floor.

‘That…’

Just looking at it, it wasn’t the middle boss who would appear on the lowest floor. The Emperor of Gold must have dragged it. Jin-woo raised his shield. Once these many people were watching, he thought he should do his duty as a tanker. Luna cast a blessing spell.

“There! There is an exit!”

There was an exit ahead. The huge middle boss was running with the monster army, breaking the floor.

Tomhaas: Isn’t this a crazy game?

DamnGame: Run away! Run! Quickly!

LunaHart: Oh my, lol The directing is crazy. I’m getting goosebumps.

MarinadeSauce: Hurry up! Backbackback!

ScrewedEye: They’re so dead LOL.

The floor was collapsing because of the huge middle boss. Monsters that were too terrible to fight were running around with bizarre sounds. They were only for display, but it was full of tension.

“Uahahahaha! Good!”

“You madman! Stay behind!”

Rundalf shouted at the rampaging Crazy Demon. Rundalf defeated the monsters that rushed from the side with his magic, and Crazy Demon moved splendidly to smash the rest. Jin-woo broke through the path while those two stopped the monsters from coming up from behind.

“Kyaaaaa!”

Luna was also running like crazy.

Lantern: You’re almost there!

PotatoMan: Come on! Run, Luna!

Luman: Run!

LikeMaze: I can’t watch because I’m so nervous

kima2312: No!

Directed by the Emperor of Gold, it was amazing! It was when they reached right in front of the exit. The floor in front of Luna cracked, and Luna was isolated. Rundalf and Crazy Demon tried to approach her, but they couldn’t afford to defend themselves from the monsters that were flocking to them. Jin-woo looked at Luna and nodded.

‘It was troublesome, but it worked well.’

It seemed that he could just get out naturally. Jin-woo turned around and jumped to Luna. He grabbed her and threw her towards the exit. All of a sudden, the floor from where Jin-woo was standing to the exit had disappeared.

Rannon: Oops! Emperor Bro…

Slump: Oh, my God…

Jobman: Run! No!

LikeMaze: Gosh.

The viewers watched Jin-woo’s broad back.

‘I’ll stay here! Go on!’

It had that sort of atmosphere. Jin-woo looked at the middle boss, then he grabbed his shield and jumped right into the middle of the fray. The moment he bumped into the middle boss, the shield burned, and the area around them collapsed. It was a lavish production.

“Emperor!”

Luna shouted so, but there was nothing to be seen from the inside. Rundalf shook his head, patting Luna, who had flopped down. Crazy Demon also had a sorrow-filled expression on his face. Both were convinced that Jin-woo was fine. Anyway, they were acting with all their might. The same was true of Luna.

ColdNoddlesFlavoredCookies: T.T

Iwanttodoittoo: Tanker Big Bro T.T

Ramen Storm: Emperor Bro, you’re so damn cool… [50,000 won donated]

WelcomeTo: Luna will remember the Emperor. [200,000 won donated]

Calint: Press the X to pay your respects. [500,000 won donated]

It also appeared in real-time search keywords on large portal sites.

1. Tanker Kim Emperor

2. New World Emperor

3. Maze Luna TV

4. Emperor

Jin-woo’s popularity rank continued to rise.

‘You’re wonderful, my Lord Emperor!’

Luna’s lips twitched. The Emperor’s sacrifice was rewarded by a huge donation.

* * *

Jin-woo, who got down to the basement, took off his armor. He was at the bottom of the lowest floor of the Maze, lower than even the central control room.

“Was there a place like this?”

The dungeons close to the Village of the Beginning had already been thoroughly examined, but this was his first time here. He looked around and saw ruined dungeons. There was a big hole in the dungeon, and he could see some letters from the Middle World.

‘It’s a dungeon recently recovered from Middle World.’

When he checked it with the Magic Eye of Information, he confirmed it. It should’ve been returned to its original place, but he wondered why he found it underground like this. It seemed that the coordinates were out of alignment.

‘Maybe it’s because it’s constipated.’

Jin-woo nodded, thinking so.

* * *

Choi Hee-yeon visited Jin-woo’s home, but he wasn’t there. When she met Yoo-na and asked her, she said that he was currently inside the Maze in the Sanctuary. She wanted to go to the Sanctuary but was hesitant because she was afraid that she would be a nuisance. Thus, Choi Hee-yeon returned to Choi Family’s Sword School with a gloomy expression.

As she was sighing, she heard through Yoo-na that Jin-woo appeared on Maze & Luna TV. Choi Hee-yeon’s heart pounded when she heard that the Sword Master and Chairman Lee Hee-jin also appeared there together.

‘It’s like…’

It was somehow like a family reunion! As the two developed a friendship, maybe they would make their grandson and granddaughter…

Choi Hee-yeon managed to calm her pounding heart. She had difficulty operating her smartphone to access the Maze & Luna TV.

[Khahahaha! Die!]

“G-Grandfather?”

The man who appeared to be the Sword Master was beating down monsters while swinging his fists like crazy.

[Ignorant bastard.]

[What? You money ghost.]

The Sword Master began to quarrel with a wizard who appeared to be Chairman Lee Hee-jin.

Hello: LOL, these two are real enemies.

LeafWrappedRice: Didn’t they both say they had grandchildren?

Hying: That’s what I heard, too, lol. If they know each other, they must also be family enemies even in real life lmao.

“Ah…”

The moment she saw the chat, Choi Hee-yeon dropped her smartphone on the floor.

Pound! Pound! Pound!

She then hurriedly headed towards the Sword Master’s room.

Shrrrrk! Slap!

When she opened the door and went inside, he was lying on the bed, wearing a login device.

“…”

Choi Hee-yeon looked at the Sword Master and sighed. Let’s calm down. After all, he was still her grandfather. It was when she barely calmed her anger while thinking so…

“Kh-khfufu. Hehehe.”

The corner of Sword Master’s lips twitched, and he let out a laugh.

Snap!

Choi Hee-yeon’s eyebrows twitched. As she looked at Sword Master’s face, she carefully sharpened the ink stick and raised a brush. Then, she engraved Chinese characters repeatedly on his face with a heart full of resentment. After that, she calmed down a little. She returned to her room and watched the broadcast.

She could see that the Sword Master secretly adored Luna. The same was true of Chairman Lee Hee-jin. Choi Hee-yeon hesitated for a moment, and then she joined the chat.

IDon’tCry: Luna VS Choi Hee-yeon (Knight)

It was something like that. Her heart was pounding again because it felt like she had committed a crime.

God Luna: LOL I like Luna. She’s cute

ColdJudgment: Choi Hee-yeon is okay, but Luna is more friendly. She’s adorable!

ChoiSwordLeeMyungjin: Isn’t Choi Hee-yeon a little scary? She’s hard to approach. Luna is cuter!

Chubby: Don’t be distracted, guys! Focus on the broadcast. Luna, you’re cute!

“Ugh…!”

The reality was harsh. Choi Hee-yeon fell to the side.

‘I’m cute too…’

She then fiddled with the floor for no reason.