What is a Prime Spot?
In Pandemonium Online, dungeons were endless. Naturally, some were highly efficient, while others were terrible.
A dungeon where the monsters were high-level but easy to kill, or where their sheer numbers made them perfect for mob-herding—these were the hallmarks of an efficient dungeon. And among those, the absolute best of the best were known as prime spots.
Dungeons famous for being prime spots were always teeming with players. There was even a saying that securing just one prime spot made running a guild as easy as pie...
"Don't you think we've stumbled upon an incredibly good spot?" Lee Se-yeon said, her voice filled with wonder.
To think that a place they had scrambled into just to escape an Ancient Giant would turn out to be such a prime spot. This was exactly why Pan-On was so much fun. You could never predict what would happen next.
"It's definitely a great place to farm EXP and grind skill proficiency... but isn't the difficulty a bit too high?"
"That's true."
One of the key requirements for a prime spot was its difficulty. No matter how good the rewards were, if it was too difficult, players wouldn't be able to sustain their hunts there.
Still, I managed to level up my swordsmanship skills quite nicely here... Maybe I should bring idiots like Cain here to train later.
It was the perfect environment for a player like Cain, who was severely lacking in control. Currently, Cain relied on raw stats and skills to fight rather than mechanical skill. As a tank, he could get by half the time just by standing firm without any fancy footwork, but Tae-hyun wanted more from him.
If Cain heard this, he would have shrieked in horror: Hey! I'm already giving it my 100%! What more do you want from me?!
"What do you plan to do once we clear this place?"
"...What about you?"
The two stared at each other, testing the waters. It was Lee Se-yeon who conceded first.
"Do whatever you want."
"What...?! Is this a tra—"
"If you ask me if this is a trap, I'm going to curse you."
"...Did you know that the word 'hamburger' originated from Hamburg?"
"That's actually a common misconception... No, wait. That's not the point! I'm letting you have it because you helped me out a lot this time. Just do whatever you want."
"..."
"Oh, come on! Stop doubting me! When have I ever tricked you like that!"
When Lee Se-yeon yelled in frustration, Tae-hyun flinched. Didn't you do it all the time?
Carbanog states that, based on its keen intuition, it would be wise for you to keep your mouth shut right now.
—That bastard Archisus. He's still not coming out. Get out here already!
Just as Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon had anticipated, the Ancient Giant was waiting outside. He had cunningly smashed the cave entrance to make it look like he had vented his anger and left, only to hide nearby! But with Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon determined to stay put, there was absolutely nothing the Ancient Giant could do. All he could do was wait!
Even his patience had its limits. As time ticked by, the Ancient Giant grew increasingly irritated.
—That bastard Archisus! What an incredibly annoying piece of work! I should have crushed him the moment I saw him!
The old sayings were never wrong. There was an ancient giant proverb that went, Beat down Archisus first, and now he finally understood why it existed. The pest was as slippery as a rat!
—Sniff, sniff... Wait. What is this disgusting stench...?
The Ancient Giant sniffed the air. A foul, familiar odor drifted into his nostrils. This smell... it was the stench of demons!
—Are you sure he came to the Zaion Mountains?
—Yes. I asked the others, and there's no mistake.
The Ancient Giant strengthened his stealth magic, concealing his massive frame even further. He had already been hiding to ambush Tae-hyun the moment he stepped out, so the demons had absolutely no idea an Ancient Giant was lurking nearby.
—But still, it's Archisus we're talking about. I have a bad feeling about this.
—I understand. I feel the same way. But the bounty is simply too massive to ignore. The Demon Dukes seem to have made up their minds, haven't they?
Furneus and Adad had placed a massive bounty on Tae-hyun's head. He was now a man with a bounty coveted not just by players, but by demons as well! They had even promised rewards just for information on his whereabouts. Tempted by the prize, the demons had begun to mobilize.
Fighting Archisus was terrifying, but tracking him down and merely reporting his location was a risk worth taking!
—By the way, is that rumor true?
—Which rumor? The one about Archisus boiling and eating demons for breakfast? That one's probably fake. He most likely boils them for dinner. Demons are far too greasy to eat first thing in the morning.
—Not that one. I heard Duke Furneus had his castle stolen...
—Ah, that rumor. I didn't believe it at first either, but when I visited the site, the castle was completely gone. Not a single stone was left.
—I mean, what kind of idiot do you have to be to get your entire castle stolen? Is he a complete dumbass?
—Some foolish demons said exactly that in front of Duke Furneus and had their very souls frozen solid. No matter how much of a dumbass he might seem, he still has more than enough power to slaughter us, so watch your mouth.
—Whew, to think we have to deal with someone like Archisus... Besides, is it true that Duke Edaor joined hands with him?
—It must be. The rumors are everywhere. Even for a demon, that's sheer madness. Joining hands with Archisus!
Duke Edaor, who hadn't actually done anything of the sort, was suddenly branded as Tae-hyun's accomplice. The deception had worked flawlessly.
—Oh, right. There's also a rumor that Archisus possesses an incredible treasure.
—You mean the stolen castle?
—No, not that. You must absolutely never repeat this to anyone else...
—You can trust me.
It was the most meaningless promise one could make among demons. However, the older demon was dying to gossip, so he continued anyway.
—They say that during the chaos, he stole the Staff of the Archdemon and fled.
—!!!
The Staff of the Archdemon! It was a name that commanded absolute authority among demons, as it was the weapon once wielded by an Archdemon who had sought to conquer the entire Demon Realm.
Of course, the one Tae-hyun possessed was a fake—a decoy crafted solely to sow chaos between Furneus and Adad. But now that the rumor had spread, the demons had no choice but to believe it.
—If we can secure that staff along with his head, the reward will be multiplied several times over!
—Is that so?
—Pardon?
—If you were to get your hands on that staff, would you really hand it over instead of keeping it for yourself?
—...Well, the thought did cross my mind...
—Hehehe. Exactly. Everyone is thinking the same thing.
There were countless demons who only wanted to find his location without fighting him. But deep down, every single one of them was harboring a secret ambition. If I can somehow get my hands on the Staff of the Archdemon...
...I might be able to become a Demon Duke myself!
What was a Demon Duke anyway? If you grew strong enough to usurp an existing Duke's territory, you became the new Duke.
Listening to the demons' chatter, the Ancient Giant scowled. This had been giant territory since the dawn of time, yet these outsiders kept crawling in. It was time to teach them a harsh lesson!
—Other groups must be heading this way too, so let's hurry. I have no idea why there are so many demons in the Auston Kingdom lately...
Because Adad had enticed black mages to establish portals in the Auston Kingdom, demons traveling from the Demon Realm to the continent were using them as a highway. As a result, the demon population in the Auston Kingdom was skyrocketing.
With a sudden rustle, the Ancient Giant deactivated his stealth and towered over them.
—!!!!
—A-A giant?!
—Don't panic! We can take him down with magic! Giants are weak against magic!
—...You insolent little pests!
The Ancient Giant's eyes flared with fury. How dare they lump me in with those common giants?
Boom! The moment the Ancient Giant swung his fist, the demons finally realized they had made a grave mistake. This thing was on an entirely different level!
—T-That's an Ancient Giant!!!
—The Zaion Mountains... Ah! The Ancient Giant!
It had been so long since they last visited the continent that they had completely forgotten what kind of place the Zaion Mountains truly were! Terrified, they scrambled to escape, but there was no way the enraged Ancient Giant would let them go.
Crack! With a single squeeze of his monstrous hand, their bodies were instantly crushed by his overwhelming strength!
—Infernal Soul Clone!
One of the demons sacrificed half his HP to barely escape using a skill.
—There's no way the two of us can handle him!
—But we have no one to call for help!
—You idiot. We don't need to ask them to help us!
The demon smiled slyly and shot a spell into the sky. It was a signal flare, reporting that they had found Archisus! Seeing the signal, nearby demons began flying toward them like mad, hoping to swoop in and steal the credit. However...
—Pests! A swarm of flies!
—?!?!?!
What awaited them was the fury of the Ancient Giant! The two scheming demons grinned and shouted:
—That Ancient Giant says he's going to slaughter every last demon! Let's take him down together!
—I thought you said Archisus was here?!
—Did I? Oh dear, I must have misfired my spell!
—...You bastard...!
The other demons gnashed their teeth as they realized they had been tricked, but the Ancient Giant had no intention of showing mercy.
—It doesn't matter how many flies gather. The result is the same. I will crush you all.
—Arrogant giant... Pierce him!
The demons swarmed from all directions, relentlessly stabbing at the Ancient Giant. However, his ancient hide deflected almost all of their attacks.
[Infernal Magic has failed to penetrate...]
[...]
[...]
—You are the arrogant ones. Even the gods faced us in person, yet mere dregs of the demon race dare defy me? Bring me a Demon Duke!
With those words, the Ancient Giant slammed his fist down. The demons shrieked and scattered in all directions.
—Run!
—There's a cave over there! Take cover in there!
Scurrying frantically, the demons spotted the cave entrance that had been partially collapsed by the recent shockwave and rushed inside. Surely, the giant wouldn't be able to squeeze in there! Seeing this, the Ancient Giant panicked.
—Stop! You fools! There is something extremely dangerous inside there!
—Ha! That Ancient Giant is just as stupid as the rest of his kind. Did he really think we'd fall for a cheap trick like that?
The demons who made it inside scoffed at him. It was as absurd as a cat worrying about a mouse.
—You wretched pests... I will chew you to pieces before I even touch Archisus...!
However, that provocation had thoroughly enraged the giant. The demons had somehow managed to leapfrog past Archisus to become his number one target—a feat not easily achieved!
—He might try to follow us, so let's head deeper inside.
—Right! There's no telling what that brainless brute might do.
With that, the surviving demons began to venture deeper into the dungeon.
"As for me, I'll just memorize the coordinates and use it as a training ground later."
It was a classic Tae-hyun response. Lee Se-yeon nodded.
"And if your team wants to use it, feel free."
"!" Lee Se-yeon's eyes widened. He was just giving away a prime training ground like this? "Really?"
"You know I've always hated people who claim ownership of a dungeon just because they got there first."
"Ah..."
Lee Se-yeon understood immediately. There was a legendary video from Pan-On 1 that always came up whenever Tae-hyun was mentioned.
—This spot belongs to our guild.
—Your spot? Do you mean your grave?
Stab, stab, stab!
After that, any guild that had crossed paths with Tae-hyun in Pan-On 1 never dared utter the words "this is our spot" in front of him again.
Hmm. She seems to be in a good mood, doesn't she?
Carbanog nods, agreeing with your assessment. However, it wonders why you are asking such a question.
Time to finish what we started.
The treaty with Lee Se-yeon, the Emperor of the Asbian Empire! Last time, the negotiations had been ruined when some clueless goblins crashed the party, shouting, "Your Majesty! Let's kill the Emperor!" but...
This time, it felt possible! Lee Se-yeon had chosen to help him rather than attack when he was at a disadvantage. The stage was perfectly set.
"Lee Se-yeon."
"Yeah?"
"There's something I want to say."
Tae-hyun's sudden seriousness caught Lee Se-yeon off guard. What is it? What is he going to say?
"O-Oh...? What is it? What do you want to talk about?"
"Why don't we form an alliance?"
"...S-Sure."