A Walking Disaster and a Bold Misunderstanding

"That sounds like a good deal."

"Right? It's an offer that came in for the other Team KL players as well."

Tae-hyun himself wasn't particularly greedy for money, but the other players were different. Especially Cain—or rather, players like Cain—would perk up their ears and their eyes would sparkle the moment they heard about an advertisement.

"A sports equipment ad? I can do that! I'll go shoot it right now!"

"A coffee ad? Can't I just shoot it as my in-game character? I'll just drink a potion that makes me handsome! Let me do it!"

"A women's underwear ad? Well, I can wear it too..."

"Stop it, you crazy bastard! You money-crazed player!"

Of course, there was nothing wrong with this kind of greed. Sponsorships and advertisements were a major source of income for professional players. Tae-hyun did his best to pass along any incoming ad proposals to the other players.

In truth, what the advertisers wanted most was Tae-hyun himself, but the other players were plenty famous now too. They might have been the "chicken instead of a pheasant," but these chickens were no ordinary poultry!

"By the way, Cain, would it be alright if we photoshopped Kim Tae-hyun into the video with you?"

"...Is it not allowed for me to just go alone?"

"Ah, no. It's not that you're the problem, Cain... but isn't it better for everyone if we do it this way?"

"Ugh. Well... Tae-hyun did say it's fine to edit his gameplay footage for ads instead of him appearing in person, so I guess we can just request that."

"Wonderful! The concept we have in mind is you walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Kim Tae-hyun like close friends... doesn't that fit our insurance company perfectly? Your friendship is famous, so it'll definitely generate a lot of buzz."

"Uh, Kim Tae-hyun doesn't put his arm around my shoulder, though?"

No matter how money-crazed Cain was, he felt something was off. Usually, insurance commercials were supposed to convey reliability and peace of mind, right? If Kim Tae-hyun and Cain appeared together, it felt like it would only evoke the anxiety of one abandoning the other at any moment.

However, the insurance company didn't seem to think so.

"That doesn't matter. Come, let's go!"

"No, I really don't think this is it. We're going to get slammed for false advertising... I'm not taking responsibility, okay?!"

Of course, the ad was a massive success. Cain understood it even less.

Why are people actually touched by this?

While Cain was the type of guy who would advertise for the Guild Alliance if they paid him enough, he didn't shoot ads constantly. If he accepted every single offer, his body wouldn't hold up even if he ran around all week.

"Sob... they told me this ad was for an organization that helps working-class people...!"

"...You do know that was a loan shark commercial, right?"

"What?!?! Those bastards...!?"

"Su-hyeok, if anyone tries to contact this guy without going through our agent, report it immediately. He's a walking disaster."

"B-but they looked like such kind people...!"

While ads were great, slowing down their in-game leveling would be putting the cart before the horse. Thus, Tae-hyun focused on ads that could be made using existing gameplay footage. Naturally, he also paid close attention to corporate image! Why else would he pay a premium to hire an agent? It was precisely to manage things like this. Player management was also part of an agent's job.

"The other players must be pleased. Especially Cain."

"Hahaha..."

Vincent laughed, but he wasn't laughing on the inside. Ironically, the player Vincent put the most effort into managing was Cain. At first glance, one might think he should focus his energy on Tae-hyun, the biggest star...

But Tae-hyun was a player who required absolutely no hand-holding!

Vincent, who had seen countless players throughout his career, was thoroughly impressed by Tae-hyun's meticulous self-discipline. Among all the players he had managed, those with such rigorous self-control could be counted on one hand. Usually, when players became popular or achieved good results, they tended to get a bit lazy, but Tae-hyun maintained his daily routine without wavering in the slightest.

And that wasn't all. Even without Vincent's advice, Tae-hyun had a clear vision of how to lead Team KL. The fact that he had immediately rattled off dozens of instructions the moment they signed the contract was proof of that! On top of that, he rarely asked the agent for personal favors.

Famous players often knew they held all the cards and would make all sorts of unreasonable demands of their agents. It was absurd, but catering to these whims was also considered part of an agent's skill. Demanding rare concert tickets, VIP passes to major sporting events, or asking to be gifted a luxury car they liked.

Yet, despite being the most famous player in Pandemonium Online, Tae-hyun had none of those demanding traits. Vincent wanted to hold him up as an example to other spoiled players.

The other players, while not quite on Tae-hyun's level, were still diligent and decent. They weren't the type to go out of their way to cause trouble.

But Cain was different.

He's way too gullible!

Because of those incredibly thin ears that perked up at literally any proposal, Vincent the agent was constantly nursing a headache. He was a unique kind of troublemaker, unlike any player Vincent had ever dealt with in his career. Thank ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠goodness Vincent had been granted full authority over his contracts...!

"Engraving a logo on our gear is definitely doable. Where did the proposal come from?"

"It's not just one or two places... If there's a specific brand you want, we can pitch to them. If it's you, Mr. Kim Tae-hyun, any company would gladly consider it."

"...I received this kind of proposal."

"Let's engrave them right now!"

Lee Da-bi's eyes sparkled as she spoke. Getting paid advertising fees just for engraving a company name on their gear! To think such a wonderful opportunity existed in this world.

"If we secure more space from the left side to the top, we can fit several..."

"I think that's a bit much."

"Senior, how about Yuseong Life? Or Yuseong Card?!"

Tae-hyun paused to imagine himself playing Pandemonium Online with the name "Yuseong" plastered across his back.

Hmm. I feel like the old man's blood pressure would spike and he'd collapse.

While they were debating, a player came running from the distance.

"Pant, pant, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pant..."

It was a familiar face. One of the World Tree Rankers, Quadro!

"Kim... Kim Tae-hyun! Save me!"

"Oh. You guys are still alive?"

Tae-hyun stared at Quadro with a surprised expression.

"......"

"......"

"Well, you sounded so pathetic that I figured you'd get caught soon."

At Tae-hyun's cold words, Quadro wept inwardly. This... this cold-blooded, heartless bastard...

"So you came to the Valley? Good thinking. The Guild Alliance or the Midas Guild won't be able to run wild here."

"!"

Quadro's eyes widened. Come to think of it, that was a brilliant idea...!

"Instead, the Power Warrior guild ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠members will try to catch you."

"True."

"????"

Quadro was utterly confused. "Wait, aren't the Power Warriors and the Guild Alliance hostile to each other...?"

"That's that, and money is money. If we can get paid by the Guild Alliance, there's no reason to throw away the opportunity."

This flexible pragmatism was the hallmark of the Power Warriors!

"So, why did you call me? To ask to stay here? You don't really need permission for that. Oh, by the way, if you're looking to buy land, we have some plots left..."

Tae-hyun casually tried to pitch the land near the Vampires and Giants. Currently, vacant plots in the Valley were selling like hotcakes. The Power Warrior guild members who had bought land early on without much thought were shedding tears of joy, crying, "Holding... holding was the answer...!"

Yet, even in the midst of this boom, there were areas people avoided. The sectors where the Vampires and Giants resided! The Vampires stayed in the dark, shaded areas on the outskirts of the Valley, while the Giants climbed up the mountain range behind the Valley to build their mud huts. It was the exact opposite of the highly popular, well-maintained plaza district in the inner Valley.

I need to unload these plots early.

"No... it's not that! They're captured right now!"

"So they got caught. Well, what can you do? Just respawn. Try harder not to get caught next time."

"Not them! They were captured by the Spirit King!"

"???"

Tae-hyun was puzzled. What Spirit King?

Meanwhile, Quadro rambled on, trying to explain.

"So, the Spirit King suddenly claimed they were my subordinates and captured them. But then a fight broke out between them and the bounty hunters over who was closer to me, so the Spirit King captured both sides?"

"Yes! You'd know if you watched our stream!"

"Why would I watch your stream?"

"......"

Quadro's eyes grew moist. It was a fair point, but hearing it stated so bluntly still hurt...!

"Anyway, come help us right now! We can wipe out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠those bounty hunters in one go!"

"Hmm... hold on a second."

"?!"

"Isn't this a trap?"

Tae-hyun immediately began whispering with his companions. Why would a Spirit King he had never even spoken to try to help him? It felt like they were trying to lure him out by any means necessary...

Could it be a trap?

To try and summon him even knowing he was the Avatar of Archisus—this was undoubtedly an assassination attempt!

With Carbanog in agreement, Tae-hyun's suspicions flared even brighter. Far from stopping him, the rest of the party nodded along.

"It definitely seems like a trap."

"Why else would they leave those guys alive? They must have done it to lure you, Senior."

"Chilling. The Spirit King... as expected of a Spirit King, his schemes are no joke. We almost fell for it."

The poor Spirit King, who had done absolutely nothing, was suddenly branded a master villain!

"Kim Tae-hyun! I'm telling you, we have to go!"

"Quadro. You've been deceived."

"...??"

"Why do you think the Spirit King didn't capture you? He clearly spared you to use you as bait to lure me."

"N-no, I think you're overthinking this..."

"How did you manage to get here?"

"I got permission from the Spirit King to bring Kim Tae-hyun... but I had to leave all my gear behind... gasp!"

Quadro gasped as realization struck. It really was suspicious! Why would the Spirit King want to summon Kim Tae-hyun so badly? He hadn't realized it then, but thinking about it now, it was incredibly fishy.

"B-but if we don't go, the guys over there..."

"Well, they'll just have to survive on their own."

"...I guess that works!"

Quadro quickly made up his mind. He had already lost his gear once; losing it twice wouldn't make much of a difference. It wasn't even that valuable anyway... His life was more important!

Such was the friendship of the World Tree Rankers—thinner than tissue paper.

"Sir Cain, you are truly magnificent."

"Fufu. I am rather impressive. ...But why the sudden praise?"

Cain, who was heading toward the Erance Kingdom alongside the 4th Prince, paused at the sudden compliments from the knights.

"To march so boldly down the main highway despite having so many enemies. It means you do not fear foes who lack honor, does it not?"

"Your noble bearing is truly admirable, Sir Cain."

"...!!!"

Only then did Cain realize what he was doing. He was boldly marching straight through the Oston Kingdom!

In his haste to reach the Erance Kingdom as quickly as possible, he had taken the route directly through the Oston Kingdom. Now that he thought about it, he had been incredibly reckless. There were countless guild members who held a grudge against him...

In fact, the players who spotted Cain on the road gasped and began whispering among themselves.

"Is that really Cain?"

"He has extra arms, so it must be him."

"Wow, Cain is amazing. He doesn't give a damn about the Guild Alliance. What a real man."

"He doesn't even spare them a glance."

"Cain doesn't even spare a glance for the Guild Alliance!"

"Cain said he doesn't care about the Guild Alliance?"

"What? Cain said the Guild Alliance wouldn't stand a chance even if they were reborn?"

"Is it true Cain said the Guild Alliance wouldn't stand a chance even if they regressed?"

The rumor that Cain was boldly marching through the Oston Kingdom to reach the Erance Kingdom spread like wildfire. It would have been stranger if it hadn't!