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Chapter 312

“B-But, Director, Chul-Soo is...”

“I know, I know. I get what you are trying to say.”

Eliminating an innocent Player without just cause was not an option, especially if that Player was a Streamer with a massive following.

“And that is why this situation has become this problematic; everyone chose to look the other way, unwilling to take responsibility,” Verpalto continued. He was a striking figure with two horns on his head. His black horns and fierce appearance, combined with his title as the director, were enough to intimidate the GMs in Seoul. “I will take full responsibility for what comes next. It just so happens that the guy is working on something interesting.”

He was already aware of Jin-Hyeok’s efforts to activate the Banyan Tree Dungeon.

“Let’s help him to ensure the Banyan Tree Dungeon can be activated,” Verpalto said.

“B-But, Director...”

“Enough with your buts!” Verpalto angrily raised his voice. “From now on, the word but is forbidden here... I know. I am aware that it’s a Dungeon not meant to be activated at the Earth’s level yet. Who doesn’t know that? Then, why don’t you all, who seem to know so much, try to prevent this imbalance?”

“...”

“Do you think we can just stick to principles and end up out of favor with Arvis? Who will support our System then? Do you think your salaries fall from the sky?”

Operating the System required a significant number of resources, most of which came from Arvis. The rulers of Arvis did not welcome the emergence of beings with too much power. The growth rate of the Earth Server was considered excessively rapid.

“Are you unaware of the complaints about fairness from the other Servers? The higher-ups are getting an earful.”

“...”

“Our authority allows us to make all settings artificially. Come up with the optimal methods to eliminate Chul-Soo.”

Directors had substantial powers, which meant that the staff was about to get busier.

“It seems Chul-Soo will indeed attempt the Dungeon by himself. Our analysis suggests that facing Chul-Soo with a single strong enemy is much more effective than doing the same with numerous weaker ones,” one of the GMs said.

This conclusion was based on the analysis of numerous videos of Chul-Soo’s previous battles. The GM continued, “Therefore, it might be best to remove the trivial floors with weak monsters and settings boldly. We should concentrate all our energy on the boss room.”

This concept was known as the Law of Difficulty Conservation, which existed in Dungeons. It meant the total difficulty level of each Dungeon was fixed. In other words, if a Dungeon’s total difficulty was 100, it had to be distributed among floors so that the sum of all the distributed difficulties was 100.

“However, if we put all the difficulty into a single Empress of Hell, there would be various penalties...”

“You mean, you want to put all the difficulty on the Empress of Hell?”

“Well, it’s hard to give you the exact number, but it might be around 80.”

Although the difficulty of a Dungeon was fixed at 100, the difficulty distribution could make the Dungeon twice or half as difficult. Concentrating all difficulty on one boss monster naturally made the Dungeon feel easier.

“Do everything you can to concentrate everything on the boss monster. I will take full responsibility and approve it,” Verpalto said.

The staff had to work overnight. The newly appointed GMs were already overwhelmed, and forcing artificial settings only added to the workload.

The deputy director of the Seoul Management Bureau cautiously asked, “Director, are you sure this is alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if Chul-Soo somehow allies with the Empress of Hell?”

Verpalto smirked. “You don’t know Chul-Soo at all.”

“Pardon?”

“Chul-Soo is obsessed with fighting. Only a warrior would recognize the madness in his eyes. He has a peculiar tendency to obsessively keep his promises to his viewers. That is why he will definitely attempt the Dungeon by himself.”

The deputy director nodded. His understanding of Chul-Soo was similar. ‘Yet, I can’t shake off this ominous feeling...’

Dealing with Chul-Soo usually brought unease. As the deputy director struggled to calm his nerves, Verpalto continued. “Moreover, he has a unique ability to assess his opponents. He will realize immediately that the Empress of Hell is much stronger than him. What do you think Chul-Soo will do then?”

There were only two options: a surprise attack or run away.

“Do you think that madman will flee?” Verpalto asked.

“It doesn’t seem likely.”

That left only the surprise attack as an option.

“Fortunately, he possesses quite impressive Skills like Instant Kill and the Song of the Black Tiger. So, he will choose to execute a surprise attack.”

Convinced by Verpalto’s confidence, the deputy director was a little persuaded.

‘He knows far more about Chul-Soo than I thought.’

With clear analysis and evidence, the deputy director felt more at ease about the plan. Even though he had not personally met Chul-Soo, the director’s detailed knowledge was impressive. It seemed only someone with such insight could be a director. This time, they could finally address the source of the balance disruption, Chul-Soo.

“Don’t worry. With that eye of his, the moment he sees the Empress of Hell, he will rush in, completely entranced.”

***

Jin-Hyeok accepted the fact that the boss room could appear this quickly, but he had not expected the actual boss monster to reveal herself so fast. A heavy air settled over the area, and an immense aura of oppression emanated from the Empress of Hell.

[LV???/Empress of Hell/?/?]

It had been a while since Jin-Hyeok had encountered an opponent whose details were all displayed in red. This made him realize one thing.

‘The Empress of Hell from before my regression must have gone easy on us!’

Or

‘The current Empress of Hell has been made much stronger than the one from before my regression!’

Back then, Jin-Hyeok had fought the Empress of Hell with all his might, only to fall victim to her psychic curses. The Empress of Hell was particularly renowned for her mental attacks. Even now, although she had yet to use any mental attacks, the overwhelming pressure in the room was palpable.

‘She is incredibly powerful.’

A voice resonated in the room. “You have trodden foolishly.”

Click, clack.

The sound of high heels striking the ground echoed. Bizarre monsters lay prostrate on the ground, holding their breath as if in reverence. Jin-Hyeok intently listened to the Empress of Hell’s words.

‘Thinking back, I used to just attack right away.’

Everyone back then was too exhausted, and there was no room to listen to what the Empress of Hell had to say. The boss monster had appeared, and they had rushed to attack first for survival. Reflecting on the experience made things a bit clearer.

‘Back then, we were like wild animals caught in headlights.’

They were like wild animals that would bare their teeth or flee when someone tried to help them.

“What is your name?” the Empress of Hell asked.

Caught up in his memories, Jin-Hyeok felt his heart race. ‘Now that I think about it, she asked the same question back then.’

He had thought it was just a preset line for the boss monster. This preset line was often interpreted as when the enemy was preparing to attack—the most vulnerable and weakest moment an enemy had before entering combat.

‘Should I launch a surprise attack?’

With Instant Kill, Song of the Black Tiger, and even God of Luck on his side, pouring all his strength into one attack could potentially work. Even if today ended up being the final battle, it seemed worth the effort.

‘Just thinking about it excited me!’ Battling such a formidable opponent was in itself a profoundly happy and enjoyable affair.

‘But...!’ It was a momentary consideration, and he quickly regained his composure. Having just managed to gather his wits, he could not afford to go mad again. ‘I am a Streamer!’

Had he been the Sword King, he might have charged in immediately, but now he was a Streamer. Every event needed to naturally encompass a narrative. Even if it meant fighting, engaging in conversation was undoubtedly the right choice for a Streamer, regardless of whether it would put him at a disadvantage later on. For the sake of good content, he knew to overlook an opponent’s weakness.

“My name is Kim Chul-Soo. I am pleased to meet the Empress of Hell once again.”

The Empress of Hell stopped in her tracks. “Have we met before?”

Jin-Hyeok incessantly racked his brain, considering how to produce even better footage and create more interesting content. His head was filled with thoughts solely about content.

“You are the ruler of the Fourth Hell, the Purgatory Queen Gahi. Do you not remember me?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

***

Verpalto, who was monitoring the Dungeon, urgently summoned the deputy director and a few staff members. “Is Chul-Soo acquainted with the Empress of Hell?”

“Not to our knowledge.”

“Are you sure we have been thorough in our monitoring?”

“We have done our best within our capabilities.”

Verpalto frowned. He wanted to ask if they truly believed doing their best within their capabilities was enough to survive in this harsh world. However, there wasn’t time to delve into that now.

“So, is Chul-Soo lying right now?” Verpalto asked.

“It seems likely.”

“Seems. Likely. These are all guesses. Your reports are wonderfully crafted, truly top-notch crap, aren’t they?”

“We are sorry.” The deputy director felt terrible as well. The frustration of only being able to offer conjectures due to a lack of precise information was overwhelming.

Verpalto then seemed to relax, casually propping his legs on the desk. “The Empress of Hell can see through people and learn their weaknesses, past life stories, and even past and future. That’s what makes her so terrifying.”

Hell was a Server where the difference in abilities between males and females was pronounced. The Empress of Hell was the absolute ruler who had conquered the Fourth Hell.

“I see. That makes sense!” the deputy director said.

“Of course, the Empress of Hell summoned to the Banyan Tree Dungeon is not her true form, so there are limits to her abilities. But she should easily see through a lie as simple as Chul-Soo’s. So, the moment he lied, it was all over.”

The deputy director felt he could trust the director this time. ‘He is so knowledgeable about the Empress of Hell!’

Hell was a Server shrouded in many secrets. Even the deputy director had not known that the Empress of Hell of the Banyan Tree Dungeon was the absolute ruler of the Fourth Hell. Yet, the director was aware of her detailed abilities. Although his prediction that Chul-Soo would immediately attack the Empress of Hell was incorrect, the deputy director believed in his superior. He knew it was tough to get everything right, even for the director.

‘Okay. This time, the director must be right!’