Ares recalled the incident in the previous meeting where he ran wild after learning that Minhyuk signed a huge contract without telling them. Despite him lashing out in anger, Minhyuk calmly and confidently explained his points one by one. However, the most surprising fact was…
Buzz, buzz—
“What?! We can eat the dishes made by the Food God if we complete the kingdom quests?!”
“Are you telling me that I can also get an EXP buff from a buffed dish too?!”
“Kyaaa~ I’m so glad I moved to Beyond the Heavens Kingdom!”
…only one week had passed since the meeting, and the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom was already starting to become crowded with players.
‘I also want to be of help to Beyond the Heavens.’
Ares began to reflect on himself.
‘Genie checks on the cats’ anus but she is the vice guild master of Beyond the Heavens. Elpis dances and cries to children’s songs but he is the shield of the kingdom. Locke might be ugly but he is the one hailed as the Dog Slaughterer. Kaistra does the dishes but he is the owner and master of a divine beast. Aruvel writes erotic novels but he is unusually strong.’
Everyone was acting strange and Ares did not know why they were acting that way. As he walked and pondered like that…
“Mister Ares~ These are the golden sweet potatoes that I grew myself, would you like to try some?”
…a woman, who was busy working on the field, rummaged through her basket and handed a piece of golden sweet potato to Ares.
‘From what I heard, many of the citizens of Beyond the Heavens Kingdom are farmers.’
They were the immigrants from Rocard Kingdom, a kingdom of farmers. These citizens of Beyond the Heavens Kingdom had always tried to share their harvests to the executives, knights, and ordinary soldiers. Every time this happened, Ares would always try to refuse it in a chic and slick manner.
“It’s alright…”
But then, it suddenly hit him. He wanted to serve Beyond the Heavens Kingdom but he was ignoring the citizens of that kingdom? Minhyuk was someone that was generous and kind, someone that could embrace anyone in his kingdom, regardless of their status or race.
Hence, Ares picked a piece of golden sweet potato that was as big as his own fist, albeit with some unwillingness.
‘Actually, I can’t understand them. Everyone from Beyond the Heavens Kingdom, from the citizens to the executives, love and enjoy the Food God’s dishes. However, ordinary rankers had always chosen to eat beef jerky or bread to fill their fullness stat.’
It was a fact. Ordinary rankers always believed that keeping their bellies full inside the game was just so they could maintain their characters and not collapse from the fullness reaching zero. Ares could not understand but he still peeled the skin of the golden sweet potato, as the still-warm and steaming golden flesh of the sweet potato appeared in front of him.
‘Well, it looks really delicious.’
The woman looked at Ares expectantly as he took a big bite of the sweet potato in his hands. With the sweet potato still warm and steaming, Ares had no choice but to roll the still steaming bite of sweet potato. However, the unmistakable deep sweetness and the smooth texture of the sweet potato in his mouth was superb.
“…”
He was left speechless from the unexpected taste.
‘What’s this…’
Ares had never tasted sweet potato as delicious as this in his life.
‘No, could sweet potatoes really taste like this?’
As the question floated in Ares’ head, he took another one, two, three, four bites of the sweet potato in his hands. He ate everything so fast that he even choked.
“Cough. Is there something to drink?”
“Here, try some dongchimi.”
The woman handed a bowl of cold dongchimi covered with a thin layer of ice to Ares, who immediately gulped it down. The sweet potato that got stuck in his mouth and throat was immediately washed down by the refreshing dongchimi.
“Kghhk…” Ares let out an exclamation unknowingly. Then, at that moment…
[You have eaten a ‘Golden Sweet Potato’, a special product developed by the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom.]
[Eating a golden sweet potato will give your character a special effect. This will only be applied once.]
[Your STR and STM has increased by +1.]
“…?!”
Not only did it taste good, it could also raise two of their stats! Most of the items that permanently increased stats could only be traded with an exorbitant amount of money. However, that was not important now. What was more important was…
“Are there more of this sweet potato?”
“Ah. Of course. Here, help yourself,” the woman said as she handed her basket of sweet potatoes to Ares.
Munch, munch, munch, munch—
Ares’ eyes were opened to a new world. The sweet potatoes from Beyond the Heavens Kingdom were so delicious that it could make anyone that tasted them cry. But then, Ares’ hands patted the bottom of the basket.
Pat, pat, pat—
‘There’s no more…?!’
Ares ate all five of them in an instant!
‘I want to eat more…!’
Ares hurriedly chased after the woman, following the road that she passed through earlier. After seeing the freshly harvested sweet potatoes, Ares reached his hands toward them.
“Mister Ares! You can’t touch them!” The woman shouted, an unusual and overwhelming energy bursting out from her body and restraining Ares’ movements, “There have been more than a few people that acted like Mister Ares and ate hundreds of sweet potatoes and potatoes in a day…”
“Is, Isn’t there something that can be done?”
Ares was the leader of Ares Guild, one of the four great guilds but he bowed his head and asked sincerely. However, the woman and the other farmers remained firm and unyielding, “No. However, we can pay you with them if you help us in harvesting.”
“…Okay,” Ares agreed.
‘Do I really have to help in harvesting?’
To be honest, he was a bit reluctant. But what could he do? He could not stand it, he wanted to taste more of that sweet potato. So, he used his skill.
[Self Blessing.]
[Your AGI will increase by 40% and you will maintain your STM for 30 minutes.]
Ares used his skill and ran swiftly with the hoe, digging the sweet potatoes and potatoes that he passed by.
“…Wh, what the hell?”
“Who the hell is that man?”
Ares was one of Korea’s best fighter players. Although his specialty was in kicking, his body was built differently from the ordinary rankers.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump—
On top of his fast speed, Ares did not get tired of digging the sweet potatoes and potatoes. Even his yield was nearly six times that of others.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump—
When almost thirty minutes had passed…
[You have acquired 1 DEX.]
‘What is this? I only worked in the field but I acquired a DEX point?’
DEX was also a very important stat for a fighter. For every point they have in their DEX, they would be able to gain a +1 effect in their physical attack and defense. This was important for every close combat class player, as they would have an increased damage effect the more points they had in DEX.
[You have acquired 1 DEX.]
[You have acquired 1 DEX.]
[…acquired 1 DEX.]
Only then did Ares realize, ‘The-the people of Beyond the Heavens Kingdom are not strange people after all!’
This was the reason why Genie, who only looked at cats’ anuses, Best Selling Author Aruvel and Elpis were strong! It was because they cultivated themselves! Ares decided to do the same thing. He spent three days working on the fields alone while munching on golden sweet potatoes and potatoes.
In that amount of time, Ares was able to increase his DEX by 70.
‘This is fun! This is really fun! Hahaha!’
Then, Ares thought about how the members of Beyond the Heavens Kingdom were giving their all in promoting the kingdom. On the other hand, here he was, only doing something for himself. He felt a bit sorry for them.
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‘I hope I can help them just a bit. Maybe I should do a broadcast too?’
Ares turned on his cameras and started broadcasting too while farming. He did not even turn on the comments. He just silently dug up the sweet potatoes and potatoes while wearing his straw hat, eating some snacks, and drinking some makgeolli with the farmers.
“Wahahaha! Makgeolli is the best!”
However, something strange happened. The number of viewers, which were initially low, that were watching his broadcast started to increase at a rapid rate.
The viewers that were living their day-to-day life filled with exhaustion began to feel a sense of comfort from Ares as they watched him drink some cold and refreshing water while wiping his sweat with the towel on his neck and looking up at the skies.
Actually, all of them thought, ‘Why am I watching this?!’, but they still kept on watching the broadcast despite themselves. The ratings of his broadcast went up just like that and even reached a level that was almost the same as Minhyuk’s mukbang.
That was right. Ares finally found his place in Beyond the Heavens Kingdom.
Meanwhile, In Minhyuk’s office.
“Today, there are a total of 13,000 foreigners that migrated to the kingdom.”
“…???”
“Around 4,000 of the players are clamoring to do farmwork.”
“…???”
“Your Majesty, this is a very good thing. These people would do their best to grow better tasting crops and perhaps even develop crops with better special abilities.”
“Super lucky?”
***
The release of the main advertisement was just right around the corner. As the time approached, plenty of articles had been published and released around the world.
[Athenae’s second era is just right around the corner and we can expect countless major and minor updates. The main trailer is said to be two hours long. Is it like a blockbuster movie?]
[The revision of the main scenario of the advertisement had been requested by the Beyond the Heavens Kingdom.]
[According to the interview with Screenwriter Kim Pil-Soo, the person in-charge of writing the scenario, he would carry out legal actions against Joy Co. Ltd. ‘The scenario proposed by Beyond the Heavens Kingdom is ridiculous…’]
[Netizens have high expectations for the trailer to be released tomorrow.]
In the end, the scenario was completely edited. Because of that, many of the viewers expressed their concerns and doubts.
[Kim Pil-Soo is Korea’s best screenwriter. But Beyond the Heavens Kingdom had completely revised his scenario…?]
[But I don’t think Screenwriter Kim Pil-Soo is a good choice? He’s a writer that’s an expert on romantic comedy.]
[But what would Beyond the Heavens know about writing a scenario? Hahaha. I’ll definitely watch how the main trailer fails tomorrow and make an in-depth review!]
[I heard that a lot of people have moved to Beyond the Heavens Kingdom. Will they leave after watching the main trailer tomorrow?]
[They’re doomed. GG.]
[That’s a bit too much…]
[Athenae’s doomed…]
The Continent Integration would have the biggest impact compared to all of the events and updates that they had issued so far. However, countless people were already expressing their discontent and disappointment.
The next day, three hours before the trailer aired, inside one of the conference rooms of Joy Co. Ltd….
Baaaaaaaang—
“You can’t even tell me the name of the screenwriter?! Explain why you changed my scenario!!!!”
Kim Pil-Soo, the one who was originally in charge of the scenario, was running amok.
Kang Taehoon looked at him with a bitter smile on his face as he said, “I’m the only one who knows who the current screenwriter is. No one heard who he was except for me. Despite the screenwriter’s high prices, he only asked for 500 million won from Joy Co. Ltd. He even promised to pay a billion won if the scenario failed. On top of that, even after we have told you that your scenario did not fit ‘Athenae’’s trailer after our review, you still ignored us and continued to push through with that, right?”
“That…”
”Ah. Since you have demanded it so much, I have asked for Minhyuk’s understanding and even asked for his phone number. How about talking to him directly?”
Kang Taehoon felt his head throb. Kim Pil-Soo had kept on asking for a call with Minhyuk. Fortunately, Minhyuk was kind enough to accept his demands.
“Just know one thing,” Kim Pil-Soo said, glaring at everyone in the meeting room, “This Athenae trailer is doomed to fail.”
Kim Pil-Soo angrily dialed the number on his phone after receiving it from Kang Taehoon.
Clack—
[Hello. This is Kang Minhyuk.]
“This is Screenwriter Kim Pil-Soo. Why the hell did you change the scenario?!!!”
The reason why Kim Pil-Soo was seething with anger was because someone that did not even know how to write dared to touch his scenario and even changed it completely.
[Because it doesn’t go well with Athenae’s main trailer. This was something that everyone from Beyond the Heavens Kingdom has agreed upon and was also approved by our screenwriter.]
“Which part?!”
[…Do you really not know?]
There were plenty of stubborn writers and Kim Pil-Soo was among them, perhaps even ranking at the top.
[The continents were at war against each other and it’s filled with plenty of romance in between? Of course, it doesn’t matter to me, but if I watched that trailer then I would definitely not play the game.]
“What the hell do you know about writing a scenario?! You f*cking bastard, you…!”
In the end, the string of reason in Kim Pil-Soo’s head broke and he crossed a line that he should not have. Then, he heard a cold voice over the phone.
[Yes, there’s a contract. But Joy Co. Ltd. was not satisfied with what you presented so they terminated it and paid you the contract violation fee. So, what’s your problem? On top of that…]
Minhyuk’s voice turned fierce.
[…There was a scene like this during a war? Before Ellie and I join the war, I will look back at her and say these lines…]
Kim Pil-Soo had no choice but to turn silent as he listened to Minhyuk’s words. Everyone in the meeting room perked their ears up as they listened to the voice from the phone.
[Noona, after this war ends I want you to look at me as a man and not as a younger brother.]
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
A moment of silence enveloped the room. Actually, some of the people here were not given the opportunity to read the scenario. This was so they could prevent leaks.
But when they heard this line, all of the people present did a massive facepalm in their minds.
‘What a nutjob…’
‘Crazy shit. Who the hell would think of adding that kind of romance in the middle of a war? This is Athenae’s main trailer, do you think this is your regular Monday-Tuesday drama?’
“So?! What’s wrong with that line?! That nameless screenwriter of yours does not even know jackshit about the scenario! Huh?! Everyone is dying to see the romance between you and Ellie…!”
[I’m hanging up. Watch the trailer then give your judgment.]
Minhyuk ended the call with that.
Kim Pil-Soo’s face blushed as he said, “That line will definitely set the fire in everyone’s hearts!!!”
“Cough.”
“Cough, cough…”
“Hmm…”
Yes. It would definitely set fire… to Joy Co. Ltd.’s headquarters.
Kim Pil-Soo huffed as he waited for the trailer to air. Not long after, the trailer began.
‘This trailer will definitely fail,’ Kim Pil-Soo was confident in his judgment as he watched the video.
‘The visuals are good. After all, this is made in our country.’
A sour and moody expression continued to persist on his face, while exclamations rang from all over the room.
“Crazy…!”
“They did a really good job, right?”
“Especially the Beyond the Heavens’ guild members, their appearance definitely played a huge part. It’s like watching a Korean version of a Hollywood blockbuster movie.”
“It’s good, right?”
As time went by, Kim Pil-Soo’s expression stiffened.
‘What the hell??? Why is this so interesting?!’
More time passed.
‘What the hell?! Why am I getting goosebumps?!’
And…
‘The f*ck! What kind of out of this world video is this?!’
When the trailer ended, President Kang Taehoon turned to Team Leader Park Minggyu and asked, “What’s the public’s current reaction?”
“The response is explosive. It has reached an unprecedented level.”
“Based on the current reaction, how much net profit will Beyond the Heavens Kingdom get?”
“If the momentum continues like this, Beyond the Heavens will exceed more than six of our determined sections. The expected return is…”
Everyone gulped dryly as they focused on Team Leader Park’s words. With an incredulous look on his face, Team Leader Park continued, “…expected to be at 370 billion won.”
This meant that Joy Co. Ltd would rake in a huge amount of wealth.
“Waaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Let’s goooooooo!”
“Athenae’s Continent Integration is already a success! Hahahahaha!”
And among them, Kim Pil-Soo bowed his head while murmuring, “Where did things go wrong? Right! I understand now! I wrote the wrong lines. Minhyuk shouldn’t say those lines to Ellie!!!”
Kim Pil-Soo jumped up from his seat as he looked around the people present in the room. It seemed like he had only realized it. Everyone reigned in their joy for a moment as they looked at him.
‘Thank goodness, he finally understands. Since we unilaterally terminated the contract, we should also be accommodating and be understanding of his feelings,’ Kang Taehoon thought that he should be generous in his understanding.
But then, Kim Pil-Soo said, “Ellie, with a sentimental look on her face, looks beyond the walls while saying the lines: From now on, don’t call me noona! I want you to see me as a woman and not as a sister! Kgghk~”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
At that moment, everyone present in the room thought the same thing: Should I kill him right here and now?
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