The Unchained Path

Even the desperate cries of the Erangs Kingdom players could not stop Smith. Without even waiting for an answer, he led his Royal Guard straight into the assault! To Smith, whose eyes were set on the Auston Kingdom, the Erangs Kingdom players and the Guild Alliance were one and the same—enemies.

"Argh! Smith! I'm a fan of yours! I even got your autograph once!"

"I am truly sorry about this!"

While offering a polite apology with his mouth, Smith ruthlessly swung his sword from atop his steed!

"Is that bastard a psychopath?!"

"Smith has gone completely mad!"

The players, caught completely off guard, were swept away in an instant. The power of Smith's Royal Guard was terrifying. When high-level players united with a single purpose, their destructive force surpassed all imagination. There were a few rankers on the Erangs Kingdom's side, but they were obliterated in the blink of an eye by the coordinated party attacks.

"W-what? Smith showed up?"

"Smith is attacking the Erangs Kingdom! Wow, aren't we incredibly lucky?"

"You absolute idiot..."

"Huh?"

"Once Smith wipes them all out, where do you think he's coming next?!"

Smith provided the answer himself. Having mostly cleared the area outside the fortress, the Royal Guard breached the gates and poured inside.

"Hold them back! If they get in, we're finished!"

"They're already inside!"

"Party leader! The fortress gates have been breached!"

"Party leader!! The inner gate of the fortress has fallen too!"

"Retreat! Fall back!"

"Hmm?"

Tae-hyun, who had been frantically cooking, paused. The noise coming from the fortress made it sound as if a major crisis had erupted.

"Hurry up and serve us! Hurry!!"

"We're starving!!"

"This is your third time coming back. Your satiety bar must have been full ages ago."

"..."

The clamoring players shut their mouths in shock. He actually remembered that?

"Something's not right..."

"Tae-hyun! They say Smith is launching an attack!"

"What? Smith?"

Tae-hyun was genuinely surprised. He knew Smith was attacking the Auston Kingdom, but he hadn't expected their paths to cross like this.

This place is far from the front lines. Did he circle all the way around to strike from the rear? Clever.

Tae-hyun couldn't help but admire the strategy—completely oblivious to the fact that Smith had learned this very tactic by watching him!

"No... wait... they're saying he's attacking the Erangs Kingdom players?" Lee Da-bi asked, her expression filled with bewilderment. She, too, still remembered the Smith of the past. The honorable, easily exploited Smith! For that Smith to indiscriminately slaughter other players instead of the Guild Alliance?

"It's a smart move. To claim the Auston Kingdom, he has to fight the Erangs Kingdom eventually anyway. Rather than leaving them be and having to fight them later, it's better to secure the territory from the start."

"But they're saying he's already finished conquering the fortress?"

"...Really?"

Tae-hyun was slightly taken aback. He had always known Smith was strong, and he had witnessed his capabilities during the clash with the Guild Alliance, but... to do it this quickly?

In that instant, a sudden realization flashed through Tae-hyun's mind.

"Power Warrior! Pack up!"

"?!?"

The members of the Power Warrior Guild gasped in horror. Business was booming like never before! Yet, their bodies were already moving without wasting a single second. In the blink of an eye, they extinguished the fires under the cauldrons, doused them with water, packed them into their bags, and meticulously gathered every last scrap of ingredients!

"They're... they're packing up while crying?!"

"Are these guys insane?!"

The onlookers watched in sheer dumbfoundment. But the Power Warrior Guild members were dead serious. Their minds screamed at them to obey Tae-hyun's command, even as their hearts wept!

"Sob... sob... why..."

"Why on earth... *sniff*..."

"Tae-hyun. Why did you tell us to pack up?"

"There's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a high probability Smith will attack this place next. Garuda warriors, Ancient Empire deserters, prepare for battle! We're evacuating the Power Warrior Guild members first. Protect them around the carriages! Da-bi, you should pull back first as well."

"!"

Da-bi stared in surprise as Tae-hyun rattled off instructions without even pausing for breath. *Smith is coming here?* But as the seasoned leader of the Power Warrior Guild, she immediately grasped the weight of his words.

"Understood! We'll pull out immediately."

"Smith and his men probably won't pursue us too tenaciously, but it's best to completely leave the Auston Kingdom's territory."

Tae-hyun was confident in his own ability to escape, but the same couldn't be said for the others. If the Power Warrior Guild members got caught in the crossfire and died, the financial loss would be devastating.

"Tae-hyun... you're doing this for us...!"

"Sob! We'll dedicate all the gold we earned today to you, Tae-hyun...!"

"I'll also give you the rare ingredients I got..."

"No, I'm good. Just hurry up and get ready."

Tae-hyun's group quickly completed their preparations. Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd, who had been watching and whispering, finally began to grasp the reality of the situation.

"I-Is Smith really going to attack us?"

"That's ridiculous... We aren't even combat classes!"

"But has Kim Tae-hyun ever been wrong about these things?"

"...!"

It was true. If anyone else or Cain had said it, the reaction would have been, "What kind of nonsense is that? Why would they attack us?" But the one who had spoken was Tae-hyun. In Pan-On, no matter what Kim Tae-hyun said, players couldn't help but think, "Well, if it's Kim Tae-hyun saying it..."

"Kim Tae-hyun! Help us too!"

"Are you a member of the Power Warrior Guild?"

"What? No, I'm not..."

"I barely have enough hands to protect the Power Warrior Guild, so stop talking nonsense and get out of the way."

He was coldness personified. If any other famous ranker had behaved this way, people would have complained, "Wow, isn't his personality trash?" But Tae-hyun had already transcended that level of scrutiny.

If Kim Tae-hyun rejected you, you must have done something wrong!

It's your fault for making an unreasonable request in the first place!

Tae-hyun's popularity was now so bulletproof that almost nothing could shake it.

"I-I'll pay you!"

"Do you think gold can solve this right now? Kim Tae-hyun! I have a rare item..."

"Move! I'm joining them first!"

Panic spread like wildfire, and chaos erupted. Most of the players gathered here were non-combat classes. While there were quite a few combat players present for escort duty, they would melt away instantly if a real battle broke out.

"Power Warrior! I want to join the Power Warrior Guild!"

"!"

"Wait, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what?!"

"What a clever bastard!"

The Power Warrior Guild members, who were ready to flee around the carriages, watched in admiration. What a sharp-witted fellow! Sure enough, even Tae-hyun hesitated at those words.

"...Fine. Stick close to the carriages."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Do... do we absolutely have to join the Power Warrior Guild? Can't we just pay with gold..."

"Boo! Look at this guy trying to get a free ride!"

"There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world! Join the Power Warrior Guild!"

The Power Warrior Guild ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠members jeered enthusiastically. This was the perfect opportunity to recruit a bunch of high-level chefs!

"Smith. Do we really need to wipe out even those players over there?"

"I'm a bit worried about our reputation..."

Complaints began to arise among the guild members regarding the decision to attack even the crafting classes. They didn't possess an absolute fanbase like Tae-hyun, nor did they have a carefully cultivated image like Smith. Attacking weak players could ruin their reputation in an instant.

"Smith, your image could take a serious hit too."

"My image..."

"?"

"I don't care about that anymore!"

"...W-wait. Can a professional player really say that?"

It was a novel statement that completely overturned the conventional concept of a professional gamer!

"While watching Pan-On 1, I realized one absolute truth. Those who are unchained by such things are the strongest!"

"What on earth did you watch...?"

Had he been watching Kim Tae-hyun's videos? Even so, a professional couldn't just completely throw away all restraints! Not with so many eyes watching them...!

"The players here are either close to the Guild Alliance or at least associated with them. Otherwise, they belong to the guilds of the Erangs Kingdom. It is better to eliminate them now."

It was a ruthless strategy that would make even the Guild Alliance marvel!

"...I swear, he's been acting a bit crazy lately. Did you see his eyes? Those are the eyes of a psychopath."

"Seriously."

"What did he watch to make him snap like that?"

While several guild leaders of the White Knight coalition whispered among themselves, the Royal Guard clapped in admiration.

"You are absolutely correct!"

"Smith is right! They're going to end up as our enemies anyway. We must show them our absolute authority!"

"Let's go! Hunt down the players!"

The moment Smith gave the order, the players of the Royal Guard poured out of the fortress in pursuit. The other guild members could only shake their heads.

"Those guys aren't even getting paid, yet they act like absolute slaves..."

"Well, Smith is a nice guy, unlike you."

"...Are you trying to pick a fight? I'm already in a terrible mood...!"

"Hey, either way, things are going well!"

Tae-hyun was waiting at the very rear with a few of the Ancient Empire deserters.

"Yong-yong. Heuk-heuk. You'd better stay alert."

We know, Master!

None of the battles they had fought so far had been easy. The two dragons nodded, preparing to unleash a barrage of magic.

Click— BOOM!

As Smith and the Royal Guard rushed forward, they triggered the bombs planted along the path, unleashing a massive explosion accompanied by a deafening roar. The destructive power easily rivaled the area-of-effect spells of top-tier mages!

"!"

Smith activated a skill he had kept hidden until now. It was a powerful class skill that prevented the HP of party members within its range from falling below 1% for a set duration! In essence, it made them immortal for the duration of the skill.

Tae-hyun, who recognized the skill's properties the moment he saw it, let out a sigh. Seriously, these Paladins!

It doesn't matter. Wiping them out wasn't my goal in the first place.

With a gathering of rankers led by Smith, he hadn't expected to defeat them all with a single set of bombs. That would have been far too greedy!

What Tae-hyun aimed for was separation.

"They're scattered! Yong-yong, Heuk-heuk, Golgol-i, attack! Gong-gong! Apply the debuffs!"

Tae-hyun's divine beasts moved in a spectacular display of coordination. Their goal was to tear the Royal Guard apart. No matter how strong Tae-hyun was, he couldn't face the entire Royal Guard alone. Even if his Adamantium Armor deflected most curses, his HP would eventually dwindle if he took too many hits.

Amidst the chaos, it was Tae-hyun who struck first. He singled out Smith from the crowd and landed a precise critical hit! A tempest of attacks rained down, shredding Smith's HP.

"Ugh!"

Smith groaned and raised his shield.

Smith countered with equally absurd skills. One reduced all incoming damage to a mere 1%, while the other restored his health and mana without any cooldown. Although Tae-hyun was dominating and dictating the flow of the battle, Smith stood firm like an unyielding boulder.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

Tae-hyun unleashed his damage skills while layering on every debuff in his arsenal. He needed to stack the debuffs while his opponent was relying on damage-reduction skills to endure.

"!"

Tae-hyun was astonished. Normally, in a direct exchange of basic attacks, his opponents couldn't keep up with his mechanical control and would melt away instantly... yet Smith was successfully blocking about half of his strikes.

This wasn't a matter of class, level, or skills—it was pure mechanical control!

Is he reading my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠movements? No...

In that moment, the words Sabet had spoken flashed through his mind.

"Come to think of it, Player Kim Tae-hyun. There is a rumor that the major gaming organizations have built an AI training bot based on your movement patterns."

"Uh, why would they do something like that?"

"To get used to your mechanical control, of course."

At the time, Tae-hyun had brushed it off, thinking, With so many professional players out there, why would they waste time memorizing the patterns of just one person?

But seeing Smith block his attacks now, goosebumps broke out across his skin.

They actually did something that insane?

To defeat the world's best player, we are willing to go this far! It was as if he could hear those voices whispering in his ear.

Suddenly, Tae-hyun felt a surge of motivation welling up inside him.

Fine. Let's see what you've got!