The Ultimate Sacrifice

"Cain! Cain! Cain! Cain!"

The gathered crowd chanted his name, tossing him up in the air in a victory toss.

"Put me down... you bastards...!"

"Cain, you were absolutely amazing!"

"R-really?" At Ha-yeon's words, Cain grinned foolishly, practically melting with joy.

Watching this, Choi Sang-yun and Jeong Su-hyeok clicked their tongues in disapproval.

This guy was just crying about how he was going to die a second ago...

Is it just me, or does watching Cain romance someone make your stomach turn?

You too? Same here.

If Tae-hyun were to date someone, they would probably celebrate, crying, "This is a miracle! That monster is actually dating!" But for some reason, seeing Cain in a relationship just made them incredibly jealous. Even though both miracles were of a similarly impossible difficulty!

"You two seem really close!"

"...We are not close!" Cain blurted out instantly at the MC's question. He worried that if he said they were close, a scandal might break out and harm Ha-yeon's career. Already, headlines like [Shocking! Five Girls' Ha-yeon dating Team KL's Cain?] were flashing through his mind.

"Not close? Wow. Saying you're not even close is a bit..."

"!?" Cain winced at the MC's remark. Now that he thought about it, he didn't need to deny it that harshly!

Ha-yeon looked at Cain with a slightly pouting expression. Cain stammered, completely missing his chance to correct himself.

N-no...! That's not what I meant!

"We are close! No, that's not it! It's just, you know... that thing!"

"What thing?"

"We're close, but not super close, but it's not like we have a bad relationship either... It's a bit delicate..."

Watching him ramble incoherently, Choi Sang-yun and Jeong Su-hyeok smiled with deep inner peace. Ah, this was the stuff!

"You want me to use you as a bomb...?" Tae-hyun asked to double-check. He thought the guy might have eaten something bad and lost his mind.

But he had heard correctly.

"Yes!"

"...Why???"

Did they believe that self-destructing would send them to Archisus's heaven? Well, considering Tae-hyun's track record...

—Archisus looked at me! He stared right at me!

—No, he didn't! He was looking at the bomb!

—He turned his head and looked straight into my eyes!

—He was looking at the demons he's going to exploit!

...It wouldn't be surprising if fanatics like that actually existed. In fact, weren't the Archisus Artillery already basically fanatics? It was only a matter of time before people willing to blow themselves up started appearing.

Carbanog nodded solemnly. The future of the Middle Realm is dark indeed!

However, the player volunteering to self-destruct wasn't actually a fanatic like Carbanog thought.

This is my chance!

A chance to blow himself up... No, a chance to get everyone's attention!

There are way too many players here anyway! Even if I try my hardest, I might not even find a single Phoenix feather, let alone the Phoenix itself. But if I blow myself up, I can be the main character of this stream!

Because Tae-hyun had turned off his stream again, hundreds of thousands of people were dying to know how the quest was going. Only the players running their own personal streams here were having a blast! But with over hundreds of players competing, standing out was surprisingly difficult. He had to do something eye-catching!

Besides, thanks to the Death Penalty Prevention Scroll I got last time, I can afford to die once! If I blow myself up now, I can milk this content for months!

A single logout in exchange for massive attention, followed by months of content milking!

—I'll show you guys something crazy!

—You see, when I became a bomb, it was truly the opportunity of a lifetime...

Just thinking about the potential titles made him giddy!

"No! I'll do it! Kim Tae-hyun! Turn me into a bomb!"

"No, me! Me!"

"!!!"

Once one person stepped forward, the other quick-witted players caught on.

This bastard...! Trying to steal the spotlight all for himself!

How underhanded!

Naturally, Tae-hyun was just dumbfounded.

"The death penalty is no joke. Why are you guys so eager to blow yourselves up?"

"I have a scroll! I can afford to die once!"

Isn't that a waste?

Resurrection-related scrolls were highly sought after and could be sold for a fortune...

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I don't really have a use for a bomb right now."

"Is it really something only Cain can do?"

"...No, that's not it. With so many of you here, throwing one human bomb isn't going to change much. I have something much better. Tell me, are you guys okay with sacrificing yourselves in a different way?"

"A different way?"

"Well... as long as I get attention..."

"Huh?"

"N-nothing. Anyway, any other method is fine!"

"Oh, perfect."

Tae-hyun was delighted that he could finally use Sacrifice of Archisus for the first time. He had been wondering when he'd ever get to use this crazy skill, and now the perfect opportunity had presented itself!

"Who wants to go first—"

"Get out of the way, you bastard! I'm doing it!"

"No! I stepped up first!"

"Kim Tae-hyun! Let's decide by level! Pick the one with the highest level!"

Watching the players fight like rabid dogs to be sacrificed, Carbanog shook his head. Why on earth do they want to do that so badly?

Sacrifice of Archisus!

Flash!

The players gathered there had been wondering what he was up to, only to gasp in sheer shock as the buff was applied. This... This was...?

"W-what is with these stats???"

"Have you ever seen a buff like this before?"

"N-no, never. Even an Archbishop couldn't give a buff like this..."

It was a level of buff they had never seen in their entire lives! It was so absurdly powerful that they were left utterly speechless. Their HP, MP, and recovery rates multiplied several times over, while their skill cooldowns were slashed to a fraction of their original times. Not to mention their various resistances, which skyrocketed to ridiculous heights.

"Everyone, move! We're breaking through the volcanic region before the buff runs out!"

At Tae-hyun's command, everyone snapped out of their daze and began to move. Right! They had to fight before the buff expired!

The players on-site were too distracted by the task at hand to notice, but the viewers watching the streams went absolutely wild.

Suddenly, the chat fell silent. The power was overwhelming! The players, who had been frantically overwhelmed just moments ago, were now driving the monsters back as if they were possessed. It was a terrifying momentum.

Additional notification windows popped up as monsters fell in rapid succession!

...With a wide-area buff of this scale, is there even a need to spend a fortune hiring high-level order NPCs?

If we just ask Kim Tae-hyun to come over once, sacrifice one guild member to get the buff... wouldn't that instantly win us any siege war?

The guilds currently focusing on territory wars were horrified by Tae-hyun's buff skill. This was truly... on a different ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dimension!

Above all, the most shocking part was that Tae-hyun didn't even have to fight himself; simply casting a single buff yielded this level of performance.

Gulp. The guild masters watching the broadcast swallowed hard in unison.

With the massive horde of monsters wiped out and the path through the volcanic region wide open, the players' eyes flared with greed as they began to rush upward. Some of the greedier players even broke their party formations to sprint ahead!

"Shouldn't we stop them?"

"Well, they left on their own, so they'll have to deal with the consequences."

After that massive clash, the monster population had plummeted. Because of that, a few players breaking off wasn't going to affect much.

At this point, it doesn't matter if our numbers dwindle. The players had already done their part!

— Master, shall we break through?

"Let's go. Lee Da-bi, are you ready?"

"Yes!"

Now that the number of flying monsters had also drastically decreased, there was no need to waste time. He planned to fly straight to the volcanic crater.

"Let's go!"

"W-wait, what...?"

"K-Kim Tae-hyun is flying!"

"Kim Tae-hyun! No, Lord Kim Tae-hyun! Play fair! How can you do this after putting up a bounty!"

"Yeah, exactly!"

As Tae-hyun soared up the cliffside with Lee Da-bi, the remaining players grew frantic. What if Kim Tae-hyun found the Phoenix first?

I absolutely have to join the Nodranche expedition...!

"Hurry! There are barely any monsters left, so we can just break through!"

"Summon your mounts! The flying monsters are mostly gone, so it's safe to fly!"

Some players desperately tried to chase after Tae-hyun.

"Kim Tae-hyun already got a head start! We'll never catch up."

"So we're just giving up?"

"No! Just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠because he went to the crater doesn't guarantee he'll find the Phoenix. Let's search somewhere else entirely!"

Some players decided to bet on a long shot and search other areas. After all, who knew what the future held? Perhaps those who went off the beaten path would be the ones to actually find the Phoenix.

Sadiq...!

— Sadiq!

Tae-hyun and Carbanog marveled in unison!

"Lee Da-bi, could you wait here for a moment? I think I should head in alone from here."

There was no need to drag Lee Da-bi in and have her take unnecessary damage.

"Don't worry. I have my other summons with me anyway."

— Master! You can count on me.

— Master, you don't really have to count on me that much...

The crater was massive. The surrounding area was barely visible due to the thick smoke and intense heat rising from below. However, one could easily tell there was an immense pool of lava churning beneath the central opening.

Divine Foresight.

Flash! Despite the poor visibility, Divine Foresight clearly illuminated the path. Step by step, Tae-hyun carefully approached the center of the crater.

The players who arrived late tried to rush in, but they recoiled in horror at the system notifications flashing before them.

"This fire damage is insane?!"

"Potions can't keep up with this! Is it even possible to survive in there?"

"If he's fighting in there... how is Kim Tae-hyun enduring it?"

"Are you stupid? Look at Kim Tae-hyun's level. I'm positive he's the first player on the server to surpass level 300. That's why his HP pool is so massive."

"..."

Tae-hyun, who was focusing intensely, almost tripped over his own feet at the chatter behind him. These bastards are distracting me...!

Splash!

"!" As he drew closer to the center of the crater, he heard the sound of something parting the liquid.

The Phoenix soared above the crater, flapping its blazing wings! Tae-hyun marveled at the sight.

Wait. Now is not the time to daze off.

He had to secure the feathers first! The feathers left down there...

...If I go down there, I'll die. It'll be faster to just catch the ones it drops.

The airborne Phoenix looked down at the players with an arrogant expression. It was a gaze befitting a divine beast looking down upon mere mortals!

But then, its eyes locked onto Tae-hyun, and it flinched in utter shock.

— Kieeeek!

"...Kieeeek?"