The Return of the Plague Great Warrior

Even so, Kim Tae-hyun and his companions remained completely unbothered.

"Hey, plans can change a bit while you're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠putting them together. Why are you whining so much?"

"You guys are more pessimistic than Cain. That's no way to behave!"

"..."

Getting lectured by Choi Sang-yun of all people made the rankers' blood boil. These bastards think other people's equipment durability is a joke...!

On top of having mastered the Supreme Eloquence skill, Tae-hyun possessed all sorts of specialized titles. He was practically the King of Disguise. The guild members gasped in sheer shock when they saw the finished product.

"Is that guy's class a painter?"

"Even a painter couldn't pull this off."

"Why is this crazy bastard so good at disguising himself?"

"It looks like a skill he picked up while wandering around the Auston Kingdom..."

"..."

The sheer suspicion that he had raised his skill level while sneaking around the Guild Alliance territory was palpable! But regardless of their feelings, Tae-hyun's disguise was flawless.

Rumble—

Wait, what...? Tae-hyun stared at the screen, utterly dumbfounded. He had only intended to blend in as a minor, low-level NPC, but what on earth was this insane lore?

Did I know it would turn out like this? Tae-hyun grumbled inwardly.

But he wasn't the only one. The rest of the party had also disguised themselves as prominent, high-ranking figures of the Idergo Cult!

"..."

"Oh! Lord Plague Great Warrior!!"

"Lord Plague Great Warrior! You've returned!!"

"...Yes! I have returned!" Tae-hyun decided to ride the wave. Since things had already turned out this way, he had no choice!

"Whoaaa! Lord Plague Great Warrior!"

"Plague Great Warrior! Plague Great Warrior!"

In an instant, passionate cheers erupted from all directions. The guild members, who were disguised as captive prisoners, were completely stunned. What on earth is this? What kind of crazy bastard is he?

"Uh, who are those guys?" one of the cultists asked, pointing at the party.

"I captured these fools who were trapped in the Plague Wasteland. I plan to use them as sacrifices for Lord Idergo!" Tae-hyun declared grandly.

"Whoaaa! Sacrifices! Sacrifices!"

"Let's bind them and offer them to Lord Idergo!"

"Let's corrupt their blood!"

"Drown them in the plague pool!"

"..."

Hearing this, the guild members suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. ...Kim Tae-hyun, this bastard isn't actually going to sacrifice us, is he? He was definitely the type of guy who would drown them just to keep up the act!

"A proper sacrifice requires a fitting location," Tae-hyun continued. "I shall offer them at the Plague Tower!"

"Great Warrior, please calm down! Not that tower. Lord Idergo's Divine Beast is currently sleeping there!"

The Plague Tower was the central structure of the fortress and the very anchor maintaining the Plague Wasteland. To destroy the wasteland and escape, they had to reach it. However, the plague warriors refused to easily let them pass. No matter how much Tae-hyun looked like the Plague Great Warrior, they would not budge on this.

"There are many divine beasts here. What makes the one in the tower any different?" Tae-hyun asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Shh! Lord Plague Great Warrior, watch your words! The Divine Beast in that tower is different from the others! It is the Divine Beast favored by Lord Idergo himself!"

A divine beast chosen by Idergo from among countless monsters. It was bound to be a high-tier beast, much like Yong-yong or Heuk-heuk.

...It doesn't sound that great... Yong-yong muttered in a bitter voice.

I-I think it's nice... Even though my Gold Dragon race was tricked... I am satisfied... Heuk-heuk added, sounding equally dejected.

The two dragons spoke with deep reluctance. Being "favored" sounded glorious, but in reality, they knew it was nothing but a fancy word for exploitation.

"Is that so? Then when will this Divine Beast awaken?" Tae-hyun asked.

"It is currently waiting for the Plague Index to rise. Once the power of the Plague Wasteland grows stronger and more sacrifices are gathered, it will awaken and lead us to reality!"

If the Divine Beast awakened, they would march from the Plague Wasteland straight to the continent. It was a chilling thought, considering they were already running rampant with an army of beasts.

Tae-hyun nodded slowly. "In that case, I must go and kill them even faster!"

"Huh?"

"No, I mean kill the sacrifices! How can I stand by idle when the Divine Beast cannot awaken!" Tae-hyun quickly corrected himself, grabbing Cain by the shoulder. "Look at this mutant! A great being who has received the full blessing of Lord Idergo! I found him on my way here."

"Oh... Ohhh!"

"Step aside! I shall awaken the Divine Beast by offering these sacrifices before it!"

"Great Warrior! Great Warrior!"

"Great Warrior! Great Warrior!"

The option to switch sides appeared and vanished in an instant. Tae-hyun ignored it and marched forward. If there was a divine beast, they needed to kill it before it woke up!

"Kim Tae-hyun. I know you're confident enough to face even Nitinger."

"?" Tae-hyun looked at McPhil and Liu Song, utterly baffled. Confident? I remember hesitating a lot back then about whether to fight him or not...

The rankers' image of Tae-hyun was highly distorted. In their minds, he was a monster who defeated a dragon in the morning and a Demon Duke for lunch!

"But we must be careful with Idergo's Divine Beast! Honestly, I don't think we have enough people to take it down!" McPhil hissed under his breath.

"Oh, come on, McPhil. Do you think Kim Tae-hyun is just marching in there without a plan? Of course he has a plan," Liu Song retorted.

"Why are you taking his side? Are you crazy?"

"No, think about it. If Kim Tae-hyun defeats Idergo's Divine Beast, won't we get a share of the experience points too?"

"!" McPhil's eyes widened. Oh... right?

It was a reward big enough to silence even the most anxious rankers. McPhil was torn. Should he stop him, or trust Kim Tae-hyun and follow?

"Have you ever seen Kim Tae-hyun fail? Honestly, if we just trust him, it's a sure thing," Liu Song whispered.

"But we're fighting Idergo's Divine Beast with this small group, inside the Plague Fortress, in the middle of the Plague Wasteland..."

His experience and reason as a ranker held him back. They were inside the Plague Fortress, crawling with terrifying warriors and beasts. Fighting the Divine Beast inside the tower? One slip and they all die! Even if Kim Tae-hyun managed to slip away, they would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠definitely die...

But if we actually kill it, the payoff will be insane...!

Liu Song looked at McPhil. "McPhil, trust Kim Tae-hyun."

"You were cursing him out until yesterday, and now you're acting like this? It's ridiculous."

"W-When did I... Kim Tae-hyun! I didn't curse you! I didn't!"

Tae-hyun spoke in a dry, indifferent voice. "Like hell you didn't. You probably both had a grand old time talking trash about me."

"..."

"..."

"And I have a foolproof way to kill the Divine Beast. Don't worry."

"!"

McPhil and Liu Song were startled by Tae-hyun's confidence. Kim Tae-hyun spoke with such absolute certainty! He didn't explain the method or the reasoning, but somehow it sounded incredibly convincing. This was the aura of a master!

It's easy to kill something when it's sleeping.

Tae-hyun's plan was simple: get close while it was asleep, apply Living Bomb, and detonate it. The Divine Beast was bound to be high-level, making it the perfect target for Living Bomb. Plus, the explosion would blow up the fortress and the tower all at once!

If things go well, I'll level up and escape the Plague Wasteland immediately.

Growl...

Hiss, hiss.

Countless beasts growled around them, staring at Tae-hyun's party. Phytos's Turtle and the other beasts broke into a cold sweat. If a fight broke out here, they would be torn to shreds!

"But Tae-hyun, we've reached the tower. Is the Divine Beast inside?"

"I don't see an entrance."

"...?"

"!"

Only then did Tae-hyun realize. It wasn't that there was no entrance, but that the Divine Beast was coiled tightly around the outer wall of the tower without leaving a single gap! What they thought was the tower's wall was actually the Divine Beast's body. A colossal snake!

That thing is bigger than a dragon!

It was coiled all the way to the top of the towering structure, sleeping peacefully.

As they drew closer, they heard its breathing—a sharp, hissing sound.

Gulp.

The rankers swallowed hard, sensing how incredibly powerful this monster was. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠With all the buffs it received inside the Plague Wasteland, it wouldn't be surprising if its level exceeded 1000! Moreover, with the plague it spread, even Tae-hyun with his high evasion could get wiped out instantly. Honestly, they wanted to flee the fortress right now.

But Tae-hyun did not hesitate. Hesitating out of fear was even stupider. To increase his chances, he had to act as fast as possible.

Divine Foresight, Living Bomb!

Tae-hyun strode forward, using Divine Foresight to find the optimal path. He immediately placed his hand on the snake and activated the skill.

One second, two seconds, three seconds. The casting time felt like years. The people behind him held their breath, watching anxiously.

Please... please...

Don't wake up!

Is Kim Tae-hyun not even nervous?!

To the onlookers, Tae-hyun, who didn't even blink, was more terrifying. If the target opened its eyes, they would be eaten instantly!

Flash!

At that moment, a massive orange eye opened, locking eyes with Tae-hyun.

"..."

Even Tae-hyun broke into a cold sweat.

Blink. Blink.

The snake blinked, seemingly not fully awake yet. Besides, the intruders looked exactly like warriors of the Plague Cult. It didn't attack immediately.

Hiss!

Realizing something was wrong, the Divine Beast let out a terrifying screech. How dare you try to blow me up! Me, the beloved Divine Beast of Idergo?!

But Tae-hyun was one step faster.

"Explode!"

And the explosion began. It was a colossal blast starting from the Plague Tower, completely obliterating the Plague Fortress.

Tae-hyun desperately spammed his skills for the first time in a long while.

Luck Bestowal, Archisus's Prayer, Archisus's Divine Territory, Archisus's Blessing, Archisus's Dice!

Archisus's Advanced Arcane Defense, Archisus's Advanced Magic Absorption, Archisus's Advanced Wide-Area Barrier...!

He unleashed every defense and evasion skill in his arsenal. Even with all of them active, he still couldn't put his mind at ease.