The Living Dead and the God of Scams
Tae-hyun was fully prepared to venture inside with the dark intention of pocketing both the Adamantium and whatever legacy the wicked dwarf had left behind, but the dwarf miners were absolutely horrified and tried to stop him.
"You mustn't, Your Majesty!"
"A trap designed by a dwarf with malicious intent is incredibly dangerous! That bastard Bekelf was already notoriously wicked and vile to begin with!"
"Wait, didn't you just say a moment ago that Mr. Bekelf was a good dwarf?"
"Hey, it's common courtesy to speak well of the dead, you idiot!"
The dwarf miners bickered among themselves, but they were in complete agreement on one thing: entering a place rigged by a wicked dwarf was pure madness!
Even the Underground Alliance Goblins looked deeply reluctant.
"Your Majesty. There is an old goblin proverb: 'Do not even exchange words with dwarves...' No, wait, that's not it. What was it again?"
"When insulting a dwarf, insult his beard?"
"Ah! 'Never enter a fortress that dwarves have claimed first!'"
"That's the one! That's it!"
"Your Majesty, as you can see, any place prepared by dwarves is fraught with danger!"
Goblin Rangers were experts in all kinds of traps and petty tricks. Tae-hyun hadn't brought them along from the Underground Alliance for nothing. And yet, even they were this terrified!
"Isn't it a bit embarrassing for goblins to be scared of dwarven traps?"
The goblins flinched at Tae-hyun's words, but they quickly averted their eyes and began making excuses.
"*Cough, cough.* It's not that we're scared of dwarves, per se... It's just that going too deep is a bit dangerous..."
"To be honest, we don't really like the underground that much."
"..."
With two races that usually hated each other's guts joining forces to stop him, even Tae-hyun began to hesitate slightly. Is it really that dangerous? But Lee Da-bi spoke up resolutely.
"Let's go in. Even if it's dangerous, I'm sure you can handle it, Tae-hyun."
"Exactly, Senior! Since when did you care about stuff like that? It doesn't suit you at all!"
"...Ji-su, you didn't just insult me, did you?"
Tae-hyun was slightly taken aback. While Jeong Su-hyeok and Choi Sang-yun were more neutral or cautious, Lee Da-bi and Yu Ji-soo were extremely aggressive. They were the definition of offensive players! It made sense for Lee Da-bi, who used to run the Power Warrior guild, but Yu Ji-soo used to be so timid...
Does Pandemonium Online really ruin people's personalities?
Carbanog remarks that she probably caught it from a certain someone.
Ah. Is it Lee Se-yeon?
......
"Well, that's true. Since when did I ever care about stuff like that? Even if there are traps, it's not like we're dealing with an Ancient Giant."
Having returned from the Demon Realm and survived being chased by an Ancient Giant, Tae-hyun had become remarkably easygoing. As long as it wasn't on that level, it was perfectly fine!
"Still, just in case... Hmm, actually, never mind. Cain isn't here, so I'll have to go in alone."
Tae-hyun had instinctively reached out to drag Cain along as usual, only to realize that Cain wasn't with them.
"Senior, I can go with you," Jeong Su-hyeok offered.
"No. Your HP isn't exactly high either, so it's a bit risky."
As it happened, except for Cain, the rest of his teammates all had relatively low HP. Not only was Yu Ji-soo a ranged physical damage dealer, but Jeong Su-hyeok was a mage, and Choi Sang-yun was a glass-cannon damage dealer... Ironically, Lee Da-bi, who started as a merchant, had the highest HP among them! Under these circumstances, Tae-hyun couldn't easily bring them along when exploring unrevealed dungeons or terrains. If even one of them died, the consequences would be devastating.
"It's fine. I have my summons."
"-?!?"
"-Master?!"
"Haha, it just means I believe in you guys."
"-Th-that's what you meant, right? We always believed in you."
"-...Master... Why do we feel so incredibly anxious?!"
Thud!
Well, that's a flashy start.
The moment he stepped inside, a thick steel arrow flew at him from the side! Its bluish gleam made it obvious that it was coated in poison.
"-Master! Watch out!"
"Heukheuki, instead of wasting time shouting, couldn't you just block it for me?"
The dungeons in Pandemonium Online were incredibly diverse; not all of them were filled with monsters. Some dungeons had absolutely zero monsters and were composed entirely of traps! To clear such places, players who specialized in trap disarming had to be brought in. If someone tried to brute-force it relying solely on their high HP, they would find themselves logged out in the blink of an eye.
If one of those trap-specialist players saw Tae-hyun, they would probably stare in utter disbelief, wondering what kind of monster he was. Because...
Evaded successfully.
Evaded...
Tae-hyun didn't even bother trying to dodge. If he reacted to every single minor attack, he might fail to react when a truly lethal trap was sprung. Armed with an evasion rate backed by his absurdly high Luck stat, Tae-hyun was the ultimate counter to trap-heavy dungeons. While other players had to meticulously "strategize," Tae-hyun simply "blitzed" through. The speed was on an entirely different level!
Still, it's not like there's zero danger.
Tae-hyun's Luck stat was undoubtedly a powerful weapon, but it wasn't without its weaknesses.
I need to watch the floor.
Traps that caused the entire floor to collapse beneath him—those were a massive headache if triggered. There was no dodging those. There might also be weapons cursed with unavoidable hexes, but...
Those are rare, and Carbanog can warn me in advance.
Carbanog confidently tells you to leave everything to her.
Carbanog would easily detect and warn him about any such unusual magic beforehand.
Crash! Rumble! Swish!
Evaded successfully...
Evaded successfully...
Luck has increased!
"Ugh, give me a break."
His Luck stat, which really didn't need to go any higher, had increased yet again! Arrows and spears flew from all directions. Boulders rained down from above and rolled up from below. There was even magical mist being sprayed at him. That bastard Bekelf...! It was a good thing he was already dead, because if he weren't, Tae-hyun would have killed him himself!
Traps, traps, and more traps. Navigating a dungeon with nothing but traps was a grueling chore. Even if he knew he wouldn't take any damage, just watching traps trigger endlessly in front of him was mentally exhausting.
"...Honestly, I wasn't that worried, but at this point, I kind of wish something would actually show up."
Carbanog tells you not to jinx it.
But contrary to Carbanog's warning, absolutely nothing appeared. Only after winding through a long, twisting corridor did Tae-hyun finally spot a door in the distance.
You have successfully bypassed countless traps without taking a single point of damage!
Reputation has increased.
Luck has increased.
Hey!!
"..."
Stop raising it already...!
Screeech—
The door will not open!
Strength stat is insufficient.
......
Carbanog asks what you plan to do.
Huh? I'm going to break it.
Before the thought even finished, Tae-hyun swung his hammer! Crash! The thick iron door was instantly pulverized. Immediately, a scream echoed from inside.
"W-who goes there?!"
"?"
Hearing a dwarf's voice from within, Tae-hyun was bewildered. Did someone get here before me? No... through that trap-filled corridor?
You have discovered the dwarf Bekelf!
Quest <Find Bekelf> Completed.
Reputation has increased...
......
"..."
"..."
Tae-hyun and his summons were utterly speechless. So, this bastard Bekelf was actually alive?
"Golgol-i."
"-Yes, Master!"
"Pull out a weapon. Something that won't kill him instantly."
"W-w-wait! You barbaric, violent human!" Faced with Tae-hyun's bloodthirsty tone, Bekelf failed to read the room and shrieked, "This is the territory of the Galkard Dwarf Kingdom! This is no place for a mere human like you to run wild!"
"-Master, how about this one?"
"That's too strong, it might one-shot him. Got anything else?"
"-But Master, your attack power is just so high..."
Completely ignoring Bekelf's shouting, Tae-hyun casually conversed with his summons. This display was infinitely more terrifying.
Your Speech skill is exceptionally high!
Bekelf is terrified by your Threaten skill!
"A-are you listening?! I hold the position of Elder in the Galkard Kingdom, and dozens of dwarven warriors follow my command! If you lay a finger on me, the consequences—"
"Stop lying, you friendless, family-less dwarf!"
Whack! Tae-hyun picked up a nearby wooden club and smacked Bekelf over the head.
"-Nice shot, Master!" The summons, who had been on edge while braving the traps, cheered in unison.
"I already know you have no friends, no family, and even forged your own will, you bastard!"
"H-how... how do you know that?!" Bekelf, who had no idea what had transpired above ground, stammered in utter shock.
As Tae-hyun raised the club once more, his summons hurriedly held him back.
"-Master! If you hit him one more time, he might actually die! You must calm down!"
Carbanog tells you to relax! Relax! Inhale! Exhale! Take deep breaths.
...Carbanog. That actually makes me angrier.
Tae-hyun lowered the club and spoke. "Bekelf, I arrest you in the name of the Galkard Kingdom. If you wish to lighten your sentence, you'd better tell me the location of the hidden Adamantium and the weapons right now!" The latter half of his sentence was driven by 100% pure self-interest.
Bekelf retreated with a terrified expression. Then, gritting his teeth, he snarled, "Do you think I will let myself be captured, outlander...!"
"Are you going to try something? Your traps won't work on me, you know." Tae-hyun was genuinely curious. Did Bekelf still have some hidden trick up his sleeve?
Carbanog reports that she doesn't detect anything unusual.
"Take this!" Bekelf pulled a small statuette from his chest pocket and brandished it toward Tae-hyun.
The target attempts to inflict a Curse!
You are the Pope of the Akisus Church. The Curse has no effect.
"O Akisus! Punish this insolent fool!"
"..."
"..."
......
A name that left Tae-hyun, his summons, and Carbanog completely speechless!
Misinterpreting their collective silence, Bekelf burst into boisterous laughter. "Bwahahaha! As expected, the curse of Lord Akisus is incomparably powerful! It is not too late! Fall to your knees! Otherwise, a terrifying misfortune will consume you all!"
"Ugh, stop it, you're embarrassing me." Tae-hyun covered his face in sheer second-hand embarrassment and swung his club. Why on earth are all the followers of Akisus like this?! Even Carbanog seemed to pity Tae-hyun, remaining completely silent.
Thwack!
"H-how?!"
"What do you mean 'how'? I'm the Pope of that very Akisus Church."
"...?!"
Bekelf was even more shocked. "Did... did you come to answer my prayers?"
"-Stop talking nonsense!" Sick of listening to him, Yong-yong flew over and smacked him with his wing. Bekelf screamed as he rolled across the floor. "-It's because of bastards like you that Gold Dragons like us are always misunderstood! People think we got scammed by Akisus!" Yong-yong beat Bekelf, his voice thick with pent-up resentment.
If the followers of the Akisus Church had been even slightly respectable and normal, Gold Dragons would have been looked at with respect, as if people thought, Ah, they must have had a good reason to form a contract. But because every single person who contracted with Akisus was a complete lunatic, the Gold Dragons were always looked at with pity, as if to say, Poor things, they got scammed by Akisus...
"Stop it, Yong-yong. Sigh..."
It was the definition of karma!
If I bring him back, won't the dwarves misunderstand us? If a traitor who tried to ruin their kingdom turned out to be a follower of Akisus, it certainly wouldn't do wonders for the Church's reputation.
Carbanog suggests keeping quiet about it and just dragging him along silently.
I was thinking the exact same thing, Carbanog.
After all, some truths were better left hidden!