Mollu may have been the first to discover the Easter egg, but that alone didn’t end the challenge.
The World 23 production team had hidden a total of 23 Easter eggs and secret routes within the game.
The challenge would only conclude once all of them were discovered, and the champion would be determined based on the quantity and importance of the discoveries.
Simply finding the most doesn’t necessarily mean you win. The more a find is tied to the game’s hidden story or has been intricately crafted by the development team, the higher the score it will receive.
In the end, the person with the highest score would take first place, followed by second and third.
Thus, the enthusiasm in the challenge didn’t wane even after Mollu found the first Easter egg; rather, it burned even brighter.
It was only natural to wonder if the Easter eggs really existed at all, given how many people had been fruitlessly searching in the metaphorical desert. But at the very least, their existence was now confirmed — thanks in no small part to Mollu’s surprising but ingenious method of discovery.
That alone was enough to inspire other streamers to think, “Why can’t I do the same?”
As a result, the ATX monitor room was once again bustling with festival-like energy.
“Mollu truly is the Goddess of Luck, just as I’ve said. For some reason, I had a feeling she was going to be key.”
The team leader, who recently had been praised for his refreshed demeanor despite being exhausted, now looked radiant. It wasn’t surprising considering his work of several sleepless nights was finally shining brightly.
Moreover, his efforts exceeded expectations, earning him a salary far beyond anything he imagined from the company’s CEO. Truly, it was like stepping onto a smooth road to success.
Though he owed his wife an apology for his absence, in his mind this journey had begun the day he first discovered Mollu and decided to collaborate with her.
Artists call it a muse — the symbol of inspiration that fuels their creativity.
Mollu was that figure to the team leader.
“Excuse me, Team Leader.”
“Haha, yes, our dear Kim Dae-ri.”
The deputy manager, still unaccustomed to the team leader’s high spirits, coughed nervously before speaking.
“About that tweet you posted… The one saying Mollu is a goddess?”
“Yes, that was my genuine feeling. What’s wrong?”
“I heard Mollu didn’t like it…”
The deputy manager showed the team leader his phone.
In the live stream, Mollu could be seen clearly pressing the dislike button on the mentioned tweet with an expression of obvious discomfort — an expression, it must be added, that was stunningly beautiful, albeit in a different sense.
“Hmm, was she terribly embarrassed?”
The deputy manager sighed inwardly, watching the team leader scratch his head thoughtfully.
How did this normally composed person suddenly become so fixated?
Certainly, the marketing was better than expected, but…
‘Is this the Mollu Effect?’
The deputy remembered an article he had read on a community forum: once hooked on Mollu, there’s no way back. He had dismissed that notion back then, chalking it up to just the usual talk.
But here was a concrete example right in front of him.
‘Seems like Team Leader is caught in it, though in a different sense.’
The deputy thought it was more akin to being a simple fan. It didn’t match what the community claimed about the mysterious, deeper process of being captivated by Mollu.
After pondering for a moment, the deputy shook his head.
No sense worrying. If Team Leader wanted to turn into a crazy fan or anything else, that was his business. If the results were good, everything was fine.
The deputy himself was eagerly anticipating the upcoming bonus payments. It was only natural for the team leader to be swept away too.
“Monitor 3, Streamer Tex. Easter Egg #3 found.”
“Monitor 7, Streamer Papijoa. Entering Hidden Route #4.”
The staff in the monitoring room relayed news from various locations continuously.
Following Mollu’s early discovery, other streamers were gradually uncovering Easter eggs and hidden routes over time.
“Still no news from Mollu?”
“Yes, nothing since yesterday.”
“That’s… unfortunate.”
Though Team Leader’s tone clearly expressed disappointment, the deputy nodded in agreement.
‘She seems overwhelmed by the excessive hype.’
Without intending to, the deputy had accurately gauged Mollu’s feelings.
He anticipated that if Mollu won this challenge, her already high popularity would skyrocket to unprecedented heights.
‘Sometimes taking a break isn’t such a bad thing.’
And even if she did, there was no way her reputation would take a hit.
Kim Dae-ri, a genuine and devoted fan of Mollu, thought that this would be an opportunity for her to rest.
But as always, the world never runs as planned.
For five consecutive days now, I have continued playing World.
It’s not just because of the challenge but also because the game itself is entertaining. The vast open map and the dense mechanics offer a fresh and unique experience every time I play.
I don’t foresee getting bored with this anytime soon.
Through various rumors brought to me, there’s always something to be heard through the cuckoo network.
“Tex found an Easter egg, and Papi entered a hidden route, as far as I know.”
These were the people I had ties with early in my streaming career.
And now, ironically, we are grouped under the name ‘Mollu Gang’, due to my increasing success.
“After repeatedly eating at a street stall to level up cooking, Tex ended up inheriting the restaurant…”
That’s Tex’s story, who managed to recognize an Easter egg thanks to an in-game notification system like mine.
[Upper X Skewer talk, okay.]
[Seems like the owner frequented that place.]
[Is it a great spot?]
[Seems famous.]
[Am I the only one who didn’t know?]
[Seems really good.]
[Great spot, except there isn’t one nearby.]
[Jeju folks haven’t heard of it though.]
Turns out this was a widely known anecdote. Some viewers recognizing it made me aware of its fame.
“Papi is said to have entered a hidden class. The name, ‘Sage?’ How peculiar.”
A hidden class not listed among typical professions; Papijoa seems to have accessed it through a hidden route.
“Climbing up a waterfall caused a celestial being to appear, who was amazed by her determination and took her on as a disciple? Or why climb it in the first place?”
[She says climbing is a hobby.]
[People have to do something, right?]
[Seems like she stumbled upon it by chance.]
[Luck is on her side.]
It seems you really can stumble upon such things by accident.
True, my case might be exceptional, but those who are finding hidden routes and Easter eggs now mostly go through similar processes.
It’s a good story from my perspective; it’s humbling to remember not to be overconfident.
[When will the stream moderator uncover their Easter egg?]
[This path Mollu opened up allows others to chase.]
[Clearly, she knows everything but chooses not to uncover it.]
[It’s obvious Mollu will be the eventual winner, with everything in her palm.]
[The racehorses can try, but the cheetah-like Mollu remains unbeatable due to her very nature.]
Hmm, clearly more time is needed for the hype to d*e down.
“I’m not intentionally ignoring it, I assure you. I’m actively searching.”
As I said this, I shook the jingling bag of coins I had with me. I felt something unusual might happen, but nothing appeared.
Seems there’s nothing here.
-The NPC Jack cries out.
-Please, just once. If you take this too, my beloved wife and rabbit-like son will…
“Yes, but that’s the cold-hearted nature of competition.”
My triumphant victory against Jack, the famous gambler of the casino, was undeniable.
Why is everyone so dramatic when it could have been me on the losing side and stripped of everything?
[It’s a scene I’ve seen before…]
[A digital casino? Yuk.]
[JJ indeed…]
[??? : Welcome to Mollu Land, the dreamlike kingdom.]
[The Flare community still doing well?]
[Is the stream moderator also really a competitor? Taking everything.]
“It was just good luck.”
Despite the viewer’s chatter of manipulation, humility, and even references to “Great King Mollu,” I could only respond with the cliches expected of such situations. Truthfully, it was all just pure luck.
Thanks to my win, my gold doubled. What can I use it for?
-Newspaper… Newspapers for sale…
-Would you like to purchase a newspaper from NPC Newspaper Girl?
My decision was not far off.
To promote the local economy, I approached the sniffling newspaper girl and decided to buy a newspaper.
-Please enter the quantity (Max: 99).
Since I got the money for free, why not just buy them all?
-Wow, really? You’re really buying them all?
The girl smiled brightly as she handed over the stack of newspapers. Seeing her joy was satisfying.
After she took the money and dashed off somewhere, likely due to urgent business, I placed the newspapers in my inventory.
Condition satisfied.
-You have purchased all the newspapers from the girl with money stolen from an evil character.
-A special event has occurred.
[Whoohoo!]
[Did our moderator do it again?]
[What is it this time?]
[Legendary condition! Sounds like promoting virtue and punishing vice?]
[Mollu always has a grand plan…]
I remained silent. I had no words left.
-Easter Egg: Secret contact method of the Informative Guild.
You have discovered the secret contact method for the Informative Guild, allowing you access going forward.
You are now under observation by the Informative Guild.
Just what kind of Informative Guild operates like this?
