A Surprisingly Good Idea
The other PDs were surprised when an idea better than expected came out. Wait, that PD came up with that? Seeing their reaction, the one who pitched the idea seemed to gain confidence.
"Exactly! Our station has run programs with all sorts of crazy concepts!"
"...Though quite a few of them flopped..."
"If it's too novel, it's bound to fail..."
The PDs muttered in mournful voices, perhaps recalling painful memories. Riding the wave of the Pan-On boom, the PDs had thrown out all kinds of ideas, but not many of them had survived.
"To be honest, I still don't understand why that show failed."
"Wasn't it because the visuals were just too terrible?"
"No, but it really was a wasted concept. I mean, the other one is doing so well."
"Alright, alright. Quiet down, everyone. So, what kind of quest or item would actually help Team KL?"
The director cast an expectant look around the room. Since such a great opinion had been voiced, surely a fresh, lively, and brilliant idea from the rookie was waiting?
"...Uh. I haven't thought of that part yet."
"......"
"......"
"...Well, it's a good suggestion, so let's develop it. Everyone, bring me one idea each. I'll hand out a special bonus to whoever comes up with the best one!"
At the director's words, the PDs' faces clouded with worry. An opportunity was an opportunity, but this was tough. What on earth were they supposed to bring?
"Oh. What's this?"
"What is it?"
"I got a whisper from that MBS PD we met last time."
"What did the whisper say?"
"He asked if we needed anything..."
"???"
The entire party looked bewildered.
"That's... a bit suspicious, isn't it?"
"Yeah. There's no way he'd send something like this for no reason."
"Let's block him."
"Come on, he's a broadcasting station PD..."
"Who cares? Even TV people can do shady things. Gasp! What if he's a spy bribed by our opponents?"
"......"
Team KL, worrying about useless things instead of practicing! But their anxiety was understandable. Tae-hyun looked around at his teammates and thought,
The team is doing too well. That's the problem.
Tae-hyun's original strategy for the Pan-On League was simply 'let's just make it to the top tier.' In a way, it was a natural strategy! While other teams focused entirely on the league with massive corporate backing, Tae-hyun's team did not. Flaws were bound to appear as the league progressed, so Tae-hyun planned to manage their points by conceding matches they couldn't win and securing only the ones they could. As long as they placed in the top tier, they would make the playoffs. Since the playoffs were a tournament format, they could reveal all their hidden trump cards there and potentially win the whole thing...!
...Or so I thought, but right now we're overwhelmingly in first place.
Undefeated! Even in the matches following the Beijing Fighters, Tae-hyun displayed flawless performance. Perhaps due to the disgraceful display of the Beijing Fighters, their opponents seemed completely half-hearted. It was an awkward state, as if they had prepared a five-tanker composition and then hastily canceled it! In such a state, they couldn't possibly defeat Team KL. Consequently, the only ones suffering were the teams facing Team KL. The Beijing Fighters were suffering from severe aftereffects after that disastrous match. Fans were raging, shouting, "This is why foreign coaches don't work!", "We bought all the foreign players he asked for, and this is what we get?!", and "Resign, Coach!" Meanwhile, the team's front office was sweating bullets, uploading apology letters...
The coach didn't seem incompetent, though.
From what Tae-hyun could see, the Beijing Fighters' other matches had run perfectly fine. He still didn't know why they threw so hard! Did the coach actually match-fix?? In any case, due to those aftereffects, the Beijing Fighters completely botched their next match as well, and it looked like they would continue to do so for a few more games. A defeat like that was bound to inflict severe damage, both externally and internally.
But rather than other teams, the real issue is our own.
Everyone was so tense because they were doing far better than expected.
—Is it really okay for us to do this well? What if we fall later...?
—I can't make a mistake! I absolutely cannot make a mistake!
He could feel those anxious thoughts swirling in their minds.
Well, keeping them from having those thoughts is my job.
Tae-hyun reflected. I need to run them even harder from now on! During the downtime between quests, he would make them do skill training so they wouldn't have time to think about anything else. That should do it, right?
Shiver. Tae-hyun's companions suddenly felt an inexplicable chill.
Pwoooooooo—!
"!"
The roar of the beast they had heard earlier began to sound much closer.
"Let's stealth!"
As Tae-hyun's party went into stealth, a colossal beast burst out from the distant sea.
"A mammoth?!"
It was a beast that looked like a giant elephant, but its sheer size and pressure were no joke. A powerful magical energy emanated from the tusks protruding from its front.
The beast controlled by the Ancient Beastmen, the City Destroyer, has appeared!
"......"
"......"
What kind of name was that?! Tae-hyun tensed up at the highly ominous name.
It doesn't look like it can actually deal damage to me... but it's still threatening.
In Pan-On, sheer size was a weapon in itself. The City Destroyer's massive bulk was intimidating even to Tae-hyun, who had faced countless giant beasts.
Do I have to knock it down? More importantly, the fact that they brought that thing means they believe it can handle me.
One way or another, he had to assume it possessed the ability to counter the power of Archisus.
Carbanog asks if you can't just ignore it.
I thought of that too.
The problem was, if that thing entered the forest, it would cause absolute chaos!
"Kim... Kim Tae-hyun. We're not fighting that thing, right? Please tell me we're not," Cain said in a pathetic, pleading voice.
A beast so massive it made giants look small. Even the bear warriors were so ridiculously sturdy that they had to pour out every single skill just to take one down. He couldn't even begin to guess the level of a colossal monster like this.
"Hmm. We do need to stop it somehow."
Tae-hyun racked his brain. With that kind of health pool and defense, it would be impossible to kill it in a short amount of time, no matter how much burst damage he unleashed. Even if he didn't kill it, how could he confuse it or prevent it from heading toward the forest?
Bombs? Authority skills? What should I use...
—Whoa, whoa. Calm down, City Destroyer!
Even the bear warriors were cautious in front of a beast whose size made giants look tiny. One wrong move, and they would be trampled to death.
—To the forest over there. Got it? Go to that forest.
—There's plenty of food you like in that forest. Understand? You must be hungry after waking up after all this time.
The bear warriors desperately tried to explain things to the beast. However, the monster merely stamped its feet with an indifferent expression.
Thud, thud, thud—
"!"
Tae-hyun's eyes widened as he watched this.
Those guys... their connection is surprisingly weak!
There were various ways to handle pets. In Tae-hyun's case, he summoned divine or demonic beasts that were bound to him at the soul level. This was the highest level of intimacy. There was a reason why Heuk-heuk never left Tae-hyun's side despite being constantly abused.
But there were many other methods. Capturing a monster and taming it by feeding it, taming it through magic, and so on...
Though the methods varied, the warning signs were the same. If a pet's dissatisfaction accumulated before it was properly tamed, it could run away.
And the bear warriors had clearly failed to tame the beast properly. If they had, there would be no reason to explain things like that. They would have just given a direct command!
Carbanog. The ancestors of that beast didn't get scammed by Archisus or have some kind of grudge against him, right?
...Carbanog states that as far as it knows, no such relationship exists.
Thank goodness.
Tae-hyun double-checked one last time. If the beast's ancestors had been scammed by Archisus, negotiation would be completely off the table.
"You guys wait here. I'll be right back."
"No, Sunbae! At least take Cain with you!"
"He's right, Sunbae. It's dangerous, so at least take Cain..."
"...Hey...!"
Did they think he was some kind of disposable potion?! Tae-hyun waved his hand dismissively and dashed forward.
Pitter-patter-patter—
Closing the distance in an instant, he leaped! Tap, tap, tap—
—?!?!
—"It's him! He was hiding!"
The bear warriors threw their javelins in a panic, but Tae-hyun ignored them and scaled the beast's massive leg.
This thing is ridiculously huge.
Thud, thud, thud—
Thanks to that, the javelins only ended up piercing the beast's torso. The monster didn't even shriek. It meant the attacks barely dealt any damage.
Their attacks should deal insane damage, but it barely tickles this thing...
Tap—
Tae-hyun landed on the beast's back and shouted,
"Hear me!"
—"Pwo?"
—"What is that guy doing? Is he seriously trying to persuade the City Destroyer?"
—"Foolish! The City Destroyer never listens to anyone! Bwahaha!"
—"It barely even listens to us! Hahaha!"
"......"
[......]
Tae-hyun was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly pressed on.
"In that forest, there are goblins, vampires, and giants."
—"Pwo..."
The beast let out a disgusted snort the moment it heard those words. Even among monsters, goblins, vampires, and giants were considered repulsive food!
"You wouldn't want to eat those. I understand. But look at those warriors down there! They're big, plump, and look like they have a great, chewy texture!"
—"W-Wait, is this guy insane...?"
The bear warriors were utterly dumbfounded. To think he would actually try to convince the beast they brought to eat them. A follower of Archisus truly was built different!
—"Don't listen to him, City Destroyer! Look how much we've cared for you!"
"Those guys are the ones who just drove spears into your body!"
—"Don't listen to him! You know how close we are! Shake him off quickly, then trample him with your roar and frost!"
The bear warriors were still naive. If they had been paladins of the Sadiq Church or demons, they would have fled the moment they heard those words! But the bear warriors put too much faith in their intimacy level. They believed that because of the intimacy they had built up, the beast would never side with a follower of Archisus whom it had just met. After all, it was a wild, untamable monster!
But that was a grave miscalculation. What was the point of plugging their own ears? They should have plugged the beast's ears instead!
The Supreme Eloquence skill has been activated.
The intimacy built by the Ancient Beastmen tribes has been overridden.
The beast, City Destroyer, has decided to eat the bear warriors first!
It worked!
"Guys! Run!"
—"You motherf—!"
—"That son of a—!!"
Profanities immediately burst from their mouths! Pwoooooooo! The bear warriors shrieked in terror as the beast turned its massive head toward them.
All nearby prey begins to freeze!
This is an unavoidable curse.
Damage is mitigated by Advanced Magic Resistance!
Damage is mitigated by Sadiq's Authority!
Movement speed has decreased!
"!"
Tae-hyun was startled. He hadn't expected a brutish-looking beast like this to unleash such a powerful wide-area curse. Fortunately, thanks to his skills and Sadiq's Authority, he took no damage. Even though his movement speed was reduced...
—Archisus's Charge!
He didn't need to be that fast in this situation anyway. He just had to be faster than the bear warriors!
"Run!"
Pwoooo! Pwo!
If he had tried to command the beast directly, it would have been incredibly difficult to succeed. However, persuading it to eat these annoying warriors right in front of it rather than going all the way to the forest to struggle was a piece of cake.
Boom! Crash! Rumble!
Crunch, crunch—
"!!!"
Tae-hyun was stunned. Even when he received the quest, he had been half-skeptical, but was there really something buried beneath this barren wasteland?!