Chapter 15

Chapter 6

The Main Character of the Incident

11:33 PM.

Lim Cheol-ho, the CEO of S.A Group and former head of the Satisfy development team, was, as usual, working through the night. Satisfy, a game enjoyed by a staggering 2 billion users, constantly faces countless variables. The overall flow of Satisfy changes, whether slightly or significantly, depending on the actions of those 2 billion users. If errors were to occur at any moment, maintenance would be impossible. Therefore, Lim Cheol-ho always strives to build a more perfect system.

'Not even a single error is allowed.'

He was so focused on his work that he only realized the phone had been ringing for over 40 seconds when it finally caught his attention. It was a call from the operations team.

"What's the matter?"

(Quest B408 has been triggered. Please authorize an emergency executive meeting.)

Lim Cheol-ho's mind raced, and he recalled the information about B408 stored in his memory.

B408.

It is the code name for an S-rank hidden quest that only activates when specific conditions are met.

'The reward for clearing B408 was a second job, right?'

This means that the user who clears B408 will gain an additional job. It could even be the first time in Satisfy that a user has two jobs.

However, the higher the reward, the higher the difficulty. B408, in particular, had a very unique quest content. The user had to be trapped in a sealed space for about 200 hours in Satisfy's time. This not only had a significant impact on the real world but also posed a high risk of severe psychological damage to the user.

One of the reasons S.A Group had the authority to view users' personal information was because of quests like B408.

"I authorize it. I'll be there soon."

Lim Cheol-ho immediately stopped his work and headed to the meeting room. Upon arrival, he unfolded the documents placed on his seat. The information about the user who triggered this quest was neatly organized.

"Amazing. A Mongolian?"

Originally, Mongolia was the 10th richest country in the world in terms of resources, but it lacked the technology to extract and utilize them. However, after breaking away from communism, the Mongolian government established diplomatic relations with many countries and actively attracted foreign direct investment (FDI).

From then on, countless countries and companies entered Mongolia, including the South Korean government and South Korean companies. They called Mongolia the 'land of opportunity' and began investing. As a result, a massive influx of foreign capital flowed into Mongolia.

However, after the change in government in the 2010s, FDI began to slow down due to the sudden changes in policies. Several years later, when the government changed again, Mongolia tried to revitalize FDI, but it had already lost trust.

Ultimately, the Mongolian government's plans did not materialize as intended, and Mongolia remained a developing country until the 2030s.

However, things are different now.

Starting from the 2040s, the advanced countries' science and technology advanced by leaps and bounds, and the world economy flourished. As a result, FDI in Mongolia regained its vitality. The Mongolian government was also cooperative, and through a successful process, Mongolia is now firmly among the ranks of advanced countries.

However, the nomadic nature of Mongolians has not changed. Most Mongolians have not adapted to the benefits of materialism. They still yearn to roam the steppes.

As a result, Mongolia has become one of the countries with the fewest Satisfy members. According to statistics, in advanced countries, over 60% of the population are Satisfy members, and many jobs have been created through Satisfy-related businesses.

However, in Mongolia, only 3% of the population are Satisfy members. For Mongolians who yearn to roam the steppes, being trapped in a small capsule is an intolerable act.

'A 3% miracle.'

Dambu Alenbatar, a 25-year-old with a hard-to-pronounce name, was a level 127 Orator. It was already astonishing that he had reached level 127 as an Orator, a class weak in combat, but the fact that he was Mongolian was even more unbelievable.

'He must have focused on leveling up through quests. By leveraging the characteristics of the Orator class, he managed to obtain quests that are difficult for ordinary people to get relatively easily. It's an effective playstyle.'

As Lim Cheol-ho finished reading the documents, the executives, who had been called out of their sleep, began to trickle in. Some of them reeked of alcohol.

Lim Cheol-ho focused on Yoon Sang-min, the executive director known for his obsession with cleanliness. Seeing Yoon Sang-min appear with disheveled hair and a disheveled appearance, he couldn't help but laugh.

"I always thought you would comb your hair even in the middle of a war, but I was wrong. Yoon Director, are you weak against sleep?"

The other executives, who had the same thought, chuckled.

"Finally, we've found Yoon Director's weakness!"

"Haha, indeed. I was starting to suspect that you were a robot because you never bled even when pricked, but it's a relief to know you're human."

Thanks to Lim Cheol-ho's joke, the atmosphere lightened. After a good laugh, the executives were now fully awake and alert.

'Using me as a scapegoat, huh?'

Yoon Sang-min, his face red, gestured to Yoon Nahye, the team leader.

"Are all the headquarters executives here? Are the Mongolian branch managers and executives also present?"

"Yes. I will connect the video call immediately."

A holographic image appeared in the center of the large round table, showing the branch manager and executives of S.A Group's Mongolian branch. They greeted Lim Cheol-ho.

Lim Cheol-ho responded and began the meeting.

"The agenda for this meeting is to ensure the safety of the Mongolian user, Dambu Alenbatar, who has triggered the B408 quest. This is a task that Park Branch Manager must take charge of."

Park Eun-hyuk, the branch manager of S.A Group's Mongolian branch, had already prepared in advance upon learning that the B408 quest had been triggered by a Mongolian user.

"I have traced the IP address of Dambu Alenbatar's Satisfy connection and confirmed that it matches the address registered in his member information and his current residence. In case of an emergency, we have secured the cooperation of the Mongolian government to dispatch medical personnel and police immediately. Lastly, during the quest, Executive Director Jang Hyuk and the security team will monitor Dambu Alenbatar in real-time."

His quick and efficient measures satisfied Lim Cheol-ho, who nodded without a word.

Seeing this, Park Eun-hyuk offered his opinion.

"The Mongolian branch sees this quest as an opportunity to expand the market. We will leak some of the quest information to the media. The fact that a user who could potentially be the first in Satisfy to have two jobs is a Mongolian will be widely reported by the global media. This will naturally serve as publicity. Mongolians will witness in real-time how one of their own becomes a global star through Satisfy, which will generate significant interest and goodwill towards the game."

"Oh, that's a great idea. Once there's interest and goodwill, the number of people who will try Satisfy will increase."

"We must also buy out the major media outlets in various countries, especially Mongolian media. If the media portrays Dambu Alenbatar as a monumental figure, it will boost Mongolians' pride and maximize the publicity effect."

Most of the executives were in favor of this plan.

However, a few were skeptical.

"But is there a guarantee that Dambu Alenbatar will succeed in the quest? If he fails and becomes a laughingstock after the whole world pays attention, it could have the opposite effect."

Yoon Sang-min, who had already tidied his hair, shook his head.

"Whether the quest succeeds or fails is irrelevant. Even if he fails, highlighting that he is the first user to obtain an S-rank hidden quest will still elevate him. However, it would be more dramatic if he succeeds. As long as Dambu Alenbatar doesn't log out and persists, the quest will definitely succeed. Yoon Nahye, have you analyzed the probability of Dambu Alenbatar's quest success?"

"Yes."

As Yoon Nahye responded, her team members distributed newly prepared documents to the executives. The Mongolian branch executives also received the documents via email.

After a moment, the executives, having read the documents, frowned.

"What is this? The success rate is only 9%?"

Yoon Sang-min was bewildered.

"W-What is this?"

Clearly, Yoon Sang-min found it hard to accept.

"Isn't B408 a quest where the player is inevitably rescued by a hidden NPC? Dambu Alenbatar is in excellent health. If we ensure his protection from the outside, the possibility of him logging out mid-quest is minimal. If he doesn't log out and persists, he will be rescued by the hidden NPC and complete the quest. Why is the success rate so low? I predicted at least an 80% success rate."

"That's... that's..."

Just as Yoon Nahye was about to explain,

"Ha ha ha ha ha!!"

Lim Cheol-ho, who had been silent, suddenly burst into loud laughter. Everyone was startled and turned to look at him.

Noticing the attention, Lim Cheol-ho clicked his tongue.

"You're all so impatient. Shouldn't you read the document thoroughly before asking questions?"

"..."

Stung by Lim Cheol-ho's rebuke, the executives read the document carefully. They were shocked.

Even Yoon Sang-min crumpled the document in frustration.

"Is... is it him again...?"

The normal scenario for the B408 quest is as follows:

A user with high reputation builds maximum affection with the residents of Winston. During this process, the user learns about the evil deeds of the Winston lord and the Mero guild. If the user genuinely empathizes with the Winston residents and becomes truly angry at the Mero guild and the lord, the Winston residents will give the user the quest "For the People of Winston."

When the user accepts this quest, the main story begins.

The user attempts to meet Count Stain but is powerless against the guild and the lord's army. Unable to escape Winston, the user is eventually captured and imprisoned in an underground dungeon.

At this point, the quest "For the People of Winston" changes to the "Waiting" quest. If the user accepts this, a "Mysterious Righteous Knight" NPC, who has been hiding in Winston for some reason, learns of the user's situation and rescues the user after 200 hours.

Through this event, the user forms a bond with the "Mysterious Righteous Knight" and learns the knight's true identity. The user then embarks on a journey to help the knight. If the user completes all the subsequent quests, they receive rewards beyond imagination.

However, due to a variable, the quest is not unfolding as planned.

The variable is that Dambu Alenbatar shared his quest information with another user.

As a result, the "Mysterious Righteous Knight" NPC has become irrelevant, and the related follow-up quests are likely to be abandoned.

The news of Dambu Alenbatar's failure and imprisonment in the underground dungeon will now reach the user who received the quest information from Dambu Alenbatar.

And that user is...

"Grid..."

Exactly 12 days ago, a Korean user, by a series of coincidences, became the first to transition to a legendary class.

That user is Shin Young-woo.

"Even after transitioning to a legendary class, his level is only 21? How can anyone play the game like this? Impressive. His ability to not level up is truly remarkable. Getting the class transition quest was quite an achievement."

Yoon Sang-min disliked Shin Young-woo.

Checking Shin Young-woo's play history, it was clear that he had no talent for the game.

For such a person to have a legendary class was like a pearl in a pig's mouth. It was a waste of one of the few legendary classes.

'In my opinion, this guy will never become a top player. A person with no market value is consuming a huge content like a legendary class. And now he's about to consume another major content...'

Yoon Sang-min was certain.

'He's a poison. A fatal poison to Satisfy. His account must be permanently suspended before he causes more harm.'

However, Yoon Sang-min did not have the authority to manage user accounts. He could only seethe inwardly.

While cursing Shin Young-woo, Yoon Sang-min suddenly asked Yoon Nahye seriously.

"Is the quest success rate really 9%? Is there a 9% chance that this guy can rescue Dambu Alenbatar? That's absurd. In my opinion, the chance is 0%."

Other executives agreed.

"This number is definitely wrong."

"Right. I bet the supercomputer Morpheus is infected with a virus."

This quest will fail. There's no way a level 21 user can rescue Dambu Alenbatar.

The potential for significant publicity is lost.

Everyone felt disappointed.

However, Lim Cheol-ho was enjoying the situation.

'Being the main character in such major events one after another... After obtaining a legendary class, the only significant things he has done are crafting an epic arrow and successfully obtaining the class transition quest. But somehow, I have high hopes for this young man.'

If anything, his incompetence is so beyond comprehension that it's unpredictable.

He causes so many variables that it's entertaining to watch.

Lim Cheol-ho is prepared to enjoy the outcome of this quest, regardless of the result.

The other executives, especially Park Eun-hyuk and Yoon Sang-min, were frustrated.

***

I met Khan earlier than Furoi. I protected Khan's blacksmith shop and even supported his medical expenses. I am, in a sense, a great benefactor to Khan.

On the other hand, what did Furoi do? He just spouted a few words in front of Khan.

"But why!"

Why did Khan give the monumental quest "For the People of Winston" to Furoi instead of me?

He only gave me a 600-gold quest!

'Isn't it normal to give all the quests to me?'

If Khan were a grateful NPC, he would have transferred all his quests to me. But since he didn't, he must be an ungrateful NPC.

"I need to find a time to tell Khan the story of the crane that repaid a favor... or was it a magpie? Anyway, the content of that folktale. If he doesn't want to be called a worse bird than a bird, he should improve his behavior, right?"

The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get.

"For the People of Winston" is a crucial quest that determines the fate of Winston. So, Khan must have wanted to entrust it to someone he trusted the most.

But he chose Furoi over me!

Does that mean I'm worse than a stranger he barely knows?

"To trust a stray dog over me... Grrr!"

At a street stall near my house, I drank bitter soju and lamented my life.

My alcohol tolerance is only about one and a half bottles of soju, but today, due to my disappointment with Khan and jealousy of Furoi, I ended up drinking excessively.

"Kyaahh~!!"

By the time I finished my third bottle of soju, my heart was still aching, and tears were about to flow.

The more I thought about it, the more I resented Khan. I believed and trusted him as a friend during our time together, but he didn't trust me.

"Why didn't you trust me and give that great quest to someone else? Why... why! Jeez!"

It's supposed to rain for three days starting tomorrow, so I don't have to worry about going to work. I want to get drunk tonight.

I called the stall owner, an auntie, in a low voice.

"Auntie."

The auntie, who was slicing blood sausage, was startled by my call and stopped cutting.

I noticed that her eyes, meeting mine, were trembling slightly.

'...Is the lonely aura I'm giving off maximizing my charm?'

The loneliness in my eyes must be like a blizzard on Mount Everest.

Judging by her trembling eyes, the auntie must be scolding herself for being captivated by a young man her son's age and feeling confused.

'I am such a sinful man...'

It's a pity for the auntie, but coincidentally, I'm not interested in older women, especially married ones.

'I can't break up a family.'

I simply stated my request to avoid giving her false hope.

"Another bottle of soju, please. And refill the fish cake soup, and don't forget to add a piece of radish as a service..."

Bang!

The auntie stabbed the knife she was holding into the center of the cutting board. She then waved her finger at me, shouting.

"Young man, you're really going too far! You haven't ordered any side dishes while drinking three bottles of soju, and you've already refilled the fish cake soup nine times! And you keep asking for radish as a service! The