Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 133

[Client Update Announcement]

Hello, adventurer.

The update for Deron Online is scheduled for September 27th (Wednesday).

[New Area Added: Ruthless Wilderness]

[New Content Added: Gold Rush]

[New Equipment Added]

[New Quests Added]

Deron usually rolls out major updates in two stages.

After about three months since the initial expansion pack, a follow-up update is added, aimed at elevating users’ specs overall before the next expansion pack is introduced, which includes an area to obtain items that are roughly at the same level as raid equipment.

This update for the Ruthless Wilderness will fulfill that role.

Frowning at the announcement posted on Deron’s homepage, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of discomfort.

Ruthless Wilderness. A familiar area name. In another world of Deron, this area was introduced as a new expansion pack.

But what about now? It’s not an expansion pack. It’s been significantly downsized to just a few core contents.

Of course, I am aware that this world of Deron is completely different from the Deron I know, yet it’s hard to shake off the odd feeling.

What concerns me is the earning of gold.

With the addition of the new area, although the new equipment may be slightly inferior to raid gear, they still provide viable alternatives.

There will be fewer people running raids, and the sporadic guests that used to visit the 85 dungeon will all vanish.

I need to completely revise the routine I had set up until now.

The raid party currently active might even enter a resting phase.

Yet, this also represents an opportunity. I focused on the newly added content, [Gold Rush].

Perhaps I could really make a fortune.

Yeo – [Helena!]

Before logging off, I searched for Helena.

Lately, her login times had been quite low; perhaps she was busier than before.

Thanks to that, I could farm without any interruptions, but it was different from before since quite a bit of time has passed.

It had been about two months since I borrowed money from her.

The total gold I had managed to gather was around 65,000 gold.

Helena – [Yeah.]

Yeo – [Where are you?]

Helena – [Trading in the village.]

Usually, Helena would stand in the village trading with other users for long periods unless she had something important to do.

Rumor had it that most of the gold for sale ended up in her hands.

Thanks to that, gold prices supposedly didn’t drop significantly, right?

I licked my lips and confidently began to type in the chat.

Yeo – [I’ll pay back 65,000 gold!]

I couldn’t repay everything, but paying back a portion would lighten the weight on my heart.

However, there was no response from Helena.

What could be the reason?

After waiting for a while, puzzled, I discovered that her online status had changed to offline.

Could it be that she had an urgent matter to attend to?

I fiddled with my cheek and logged off the game.

After all, I could meet her anytime. When she logs in next, yes, when she logs in tomorrow I’ll pay back the gold.

With that thought, I logged off the game.

*

On the day of the update for the Ruthless Wilderness.

The new concept map attracted many salmon users.

Those who had taken a break returned and wondered if they could join a guild, but there were already 300 members full and many waiting in line. I couldn’t accommodate them.

“Let’s go!”

“Urrang!”

Tack-tack – tack-tack – tack-tack

After logging into the game and handling the basics, I immediately began to run with Urrang.

The newly added area, Ruthless Wilderness, could only be accessed via boat.

Users trying to fly over on their gryphons were swept away by the strong winds and became fodder for fish.

It was a developer’s whim to make us take a boat to reach the new area.

The port city was already bustling with many users setting sail.

Watching that, I couldn’t help but recall a scene from a Western movie about heading out to pioneer new lands.

It wasn’t exactly an inaccurate expression. The newly added Ruthless Wilderness was certainly designed with that concept.

Gripping my pounding heart, I set sail on a large ship.

Twuang!

As the enormous ship that fell from the sky revealed itself, everyone’s eyes were drawn simultaneously.

I puffed out my chest and began walking confidently.

It was time to transform from an ordinary Blood Demon King to a magnificent and ruthless pirate, the Blood Demon Pirate King.

“Urrang!”

The moment Urrang jumped onto the ship, I donned my pirate hat costume in perfect timing.

“Hmmm…”

The faint scent of salty ocean air and the distant cries of seagulls triggered my pirate instincts.

But I held back. Raiding now would only waste time.

The captain boarded the ship; thus, suitable crew members were also necessary.

I quickly sent messages to Hwarang, Helena, Iyap, and the Snow Mage.

Yeo – [Crew members, are you all ready?]

Hwarang – [I’m already in the Wilderness area!]

Helena is not currently online.

Iyap – [Are you going to play pirate again, Guild Leader?]

Snow Mage – [Yes! I’m on my way!]

I clicked my tongue while reading their replies.

While I couldn’t help Helena, why were the others reacting this way?

Shouldn’t they rush over to me when such a magnificent and powerful captain calls?

The last response from the Snow Mage was the only one I found satisfactory.

After sending Urrang back through Reverse Summon, I waited for a while. Hwarang, Iyap, and the Snow Mage came to my ship.

Though I said that, they clearly wanted to sail with me.

“Ahoy~!”

“Ahoy~!”

If someone were to ask me who matched me best in the guild, I could confidently say it was Snow Mage.

This word “Ahoy” was something she taught me.

It has a catchy ring to it, and I sometimes exclaim it in real life.

“Captain! What’s our destination for this voyage?”

“You asked well. This time, our destination is the newly discovered area, Ruthless Wilderness.”

“Wow…! Ruthless Wilderness…!”

The Snow Mage’s reactions were always fantastic.

I crossed my arms, nodding, and gave Hwarang and Iyap a hint.

The two, standing awkwardly at the back, exchanged glances before slowly opening their mouths.

“Wow… it’s the Wilderness…”

“I can’t wait.”

That was truly a draining response.

Anyway, it was time to depart now that the crew had gathered.

“Set the anchor! Spread the sails! We’re heading to the new area!”

“Ahoy!”

Only the Snow Mage answered excitedly to my command.

Iyap and Hwarang swiftly moved to set the anchor and adjust the sails.

Flap-!

Though this voyage had only three crew members, my eagerness was greater than ever.

Getting absorbed in the game. At that moment, I became the perfect pirate captain.

The ocean had long fallen into my hands. Yes. I had conquered everything.

Yet this craving in my heart still needed to be fulfilled; I needed something new.

Leaving the sea behind, I set my sights on land. To a new area that no one had yet conquered.

That was the purpose of this voyage.

“Captain! Dolphins are appearing ahead!”

“Wow…!”

At the Snow Mage’s words, I rushed forward to lean over the bow.

To my delight, a group of dolphins leapt from beneath the waves.

To encounter dolphins just as the journey began; I was incredibly lucky.

Dolphins encountered during the voyage would bestow beneficial effects upon the ship.

Whooshhh-!

The ship began to move faster than before. It was truly an exhilarating speed.

“Captain!!! Enemy alliance ship on the right!”

“Hmm…”

Turning my head at the Snow Mage’s words, I spotted the enemy alliance ship speeding towards us.

But I shook my head.

“It’s just a waste of time. We can fight once we reach the new area.”

“What immense mercy! Truly the Captain!”

The enemy alliance ship also seemed to avoid a fight. It turned away from us and began to distance itself.

It was a weakling’s retreat but a wise decision.

I nodded, smiling.

I continued to sail on. The weather at sea changed several times in a day, accompanied by storms and heavy rain, but it could not hinder my journey.

“Ah! Captain! Land is visible ahead!”

Just as the Snow Mage said, I rushed to the front of the ship, leaning over the railing to see a large port and the city behind it.

We had arrived at the new area [Ruthless Wilderness].

Waiting for the ship to approach the harbor, I shouted.

“Everyone, disembark!”

There was no need to fuss with sails and anchors in a clumsy manner.

I shouted to my crew and jumped off the ship.

Thud-!

Superhero landing.

A very stylish and perfect landing position.

Just after I jumped down, my crew jumped off behind me.

“This is it. The new land.”

“Indeed!”

As I stood up and adjusted my pirate hat, I surveyed the city.

The large area serving as a harbor was filled with buildings that looked straight out of a historical drama set.

The carts visible in the streets, the stables, and the tavern.

A place where the romance of men came alive.

[Pioneers’ City – Gold City]

As the name suggested, it was a place reeking of money.

I licked my lips and raised my right hand.

At that moment, a massive ship, the Black Leviathan, gliding toward the harbor came into my view.

“Having arrived, shall we go explore?”

Hwarang said that, attempting to leave.

However, my next words made him halt.

“Hwarang.”

“What?”

“I need a skilled gunman.”

“…”

I gazed at Hwarang. I know him. Though he’s a perfectly foreign version of myself from another world, I’m sure I would understand him better than anyone else in this world.

In that moment, Hwarang reacted.

He pulled out the pistol from his waist and twirled it with his fingers.

“I promise a high reward.”

Swish-

The gun that was dancing in Hwarang’s hand smoothly slipped into his holster.

Then he quietly glimmered his eyes.

“Guilld Leader… you’re not planning anything weird again, are you? Did you watch some Western movie yesterday?”

Iyap’s question went unanswered.