[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-black-online":3,"chapter-black-online-black-online-chapter-259":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Black Online",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1462532,1913,"Chapter 259: Take the Stage!","black-online-chapter-259",259,"\u003Cp>Fang Raon stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The snow landed on the hood of his winter coat, a stark contrast against the dark fabric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of him, the snow fell sideways in the wind, and since it was already pitch dark, it was nearly impossible to see ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is exactly your plan, stupid brother of mine?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna followed him outside, wearing one of Opal’s old coats that was much too big for her, but it did the job of keeping her warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am going to talk to the players. They should be hanging out over at the inn by now, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said and started walking through the falling snow, and Anna quickly followed him, her oversized coat trailing behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly are you going to tell them? They are not going to follow you into a certain death, especially for free!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unless you plan on paying them all? But you are poor. So what are you going to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll just ask them to be part of something bigger than themselves. Aren’t you happy, Anna? We get to spend more time together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said jokingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already been an hour since they logged in, and under normal circumstances, he would be online only for another hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t definitely going to be done with this in just an hour, so he was going to be doing some overtime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I am definitely not going to get good sleep tonight.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon grudgingly thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am not coming with you to that place. It is suicide. And neither are you. I will stop you with force if I have to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I’ll fight you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon stopped walking, turned to look at his sister, and his eyes started burning with beautiful flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna looked at his burning eyes, and then she pouted, and she kicked him in the leg, but without any force behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just trust me on this, Anna. I thought you had faith in me. Trust me, this is going to be a night that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said with a grin and continued walking, and Anna kept following him with a stunned look on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t understand... why he was so confident about such a suicidal mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A while later, after trying to navigate through the snowstorm, they arrived over at the Winter Inn with honey-colored light flooding out of the windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Music blared inside. Shouting of players and clinking of glasses could be heard even from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good luck. You’re going to need it. These greedy, drunken players won’t listen to a word that you speak to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They only know three things—money, alcohol, and valuable items. You cannot offer any of them to them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can offer them glory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahahaha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna laughed, but it wasn’t because she thought it was funny, but because she thought that he was being completely ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glory? Pride? As if any of that mattered in the face of danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon pushed the door open and entered the loud inn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...This stupid weather. It is always snowing in this shithole. I can’t wait for the day when I reach the 6th floor. I’m never leaving that place!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Ah, 6th floor. I’ve seen pictures of that place. Beautiful bikini-wearing girls everywhere, a beach with clear blue water, and a never-ending party! I can’t wait to get there!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Hell yeah, brother! Maybe I can finally get a girlfriend... I’ve heard that some players have managed to get a local girlfriend!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Really?! Holy shit. I don’t mind some beautiful tanned local girlfriend action, that’s for sure!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players spilled beer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Local cleaners came to clean up the mess, and the waitresses tirelessly helped serve more drinks and food to the rowdy group of players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Apologizes, but all rooms are booked for the night!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The innkeeper apologized to a couple of drunken players—a man and a woman—they didn’t like the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then make some more room!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The angry male player shouted as he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend, and they wanted a room for some alone time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now they were told that there wasn’t any place for them to go!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"T-There is nothing I can do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The innkeeper apologized, but then the male player grabbed him by the collar, shaking him with frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eeek!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The innkeeper looked scared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workers in the inn didn’t know what they should do. It was dangerous to make an enemy out of a player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop that, honey... If you aren’t careful, you’re going to get banned from the village, and then you’ll be leaving me all alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girlfriend said with a giggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t care what happened to the innkeeper, but she didn’t want to be left alone, so she quickly warned him of the consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a scoff, the male player shoved the innkeeper against the wall and returned back to the table with his girlfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good luck~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna said and went to some corner table and sat down all by her lonesome, and some players looked over at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her beauty attracted a lot of attention. Some of them wanted to approach her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, Anna just glanced at them once, and they immediately looked away, intimidated by her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something about her... that was just so scary and dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Let’s do this then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon mumbled under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then saw that there were some locals on the stage. A band. Playing different instruments and singing with nice voices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they didn’t have microphones, they had to sing louder because of that, but it didn’t seem to matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon stepped onto the stage, and the band looked at him strangely and slowly stopped playing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take a little break, thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raon said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The band looked at each other with strange looks. They then nodded. And they went to the back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t want to go against a player, so they just listened and did what they were told to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the music gone, the players looked strangely over to the stage, and they saw that someone had taken control of the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A player. Just like them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What gives?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who the hell is he?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Why did he stop the music?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players were confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, please, can I get your attention?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t raise his voice, but his voice was powerful enough to make everyone stop talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The innkeeper. The waitresses. And even the cleaners looked over with confused looks on their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were wondering what the hell was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It looks like I’ve earned everyone’s attention. Now, how should I approach this topic?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon caressed his chin and saw that the players were getting impatient, as they already wanted to know what the hell he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Fuck it. I’ll wing it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugged his shoulders, and after clearing his throat, he started speaking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The guards of the Winter Village discovered an Ice Goblin colony not far from here. Thousands of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In due time, those Ice Goblins will turn their gaze to the Winter Village, and without a doubt, they’ll kill everyone here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that happens, it isn’t just the population of the 2nd floor that will be affected. It will be the entire player community.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the Ice Goblins take over the Winter Village, new players cannot access the tower and thus cannot progress in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’ll be a huge issue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he spoke, the locals had the strongest reaction. They looked shocked and scared. It was the first time that they had heard anything about this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players, meanwhile, frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It indeed sounded bothersome. But there were thousands of Ice Goblins, so they weren’t exactly sure what they were supposed to do about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them already planned to head to the 3rd floor as soon as possible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’d suggest that we take action first and get rid of the problem. We can’t just sit back and let that happen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players looked at him, but then they just scoffed and waved him off like he was some idealistic moron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell are we supposed to do? Thousands of Ice Goblins! Hello? There are barely fifty players here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’ll be a problem of the future. We’ll let the new players handle that problem. We should get the hell out of here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players turned rowdy and loud. Some of them jumped to their feet, planning to leave already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna watched with her legs crossed. She expected this to happen. Just like clockwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is a reward!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Fang Raon shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the word \"reward\" left his lips, the players turned quiet, and they raised their eyebrows in curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Reward? What the hell? Brother, don’t tell me...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna was the first to catch on to Fang Raon’s scheme, and she immediately had cold sweat run down her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’You’re going to trick them to participate? If you guys somehow survive, and they find out that there is no reward, they’ll kill you...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’But you don’t care.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna thought with a dark look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She realized that her brother had already planned to die.\u003C\u002Fp>",1563,"2026-06-06T02:35:08.438Z",1,"novelbin.me","e2202714e3531e92d40174777cd087d8dade74a7a62b55f21fc053019ef65933","black-online-chapter-260","black-online-chapter-258",270,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fblack-online-cover.jpg"]