"That Makes Perfect Sense!"

"Guild Leader. What kind of nonsense is..."

"It's extremely logical!" Lee Da-bi nodded, completely convinced by Lee Se-yeon's words. It was the very definition of sound logic!

"????"

"Wait... Miss Da-bi... how on earth is that logical...?" The guild members were utterly bewildered. Where in their guild leader's words was there even a shred of logic?

"Quiet down and get ready."

"Yes, ma'am!"

But Lee Se-yeon's guild members were fiercely loyal. No matter how confused or taken aback they were, if Lee Se-yeon gave an order, they followed it without question. Such was their absolute trust in their guild leader!

I'm so jealous...! Lee Da-bi watched them with envy. Whenever she ordered the Power Warrior guild members to do anything, they did nothing but grumble...

"Guild Leader, Guild Leader. Is that Kim Tae-hyun's doing after all?"

"Probably, right?"

Speak of the devil—the Power Warrior guild members quickly chimed in.

"Then he'll be coming to support us right away, right?"

"Most likely."

"Can we open up shop and sell stuff to the people and NPCs who just arrived?"

"..."

Lee Da-bi was left speechless. Hey...! You're seriously thinking about doing business right now?!

Yet, her guild members weren't entirely wrong. The paladins of the Phytos Church were currently drenched in sweat, panting heavily even inside the underground passage. That was the price of wearing ridiculously heavy plate armor! It was a miracle they were holding up thanks to their high levels and active buffs; otherwise, the NPCs would have collapsed long ago.

"Still, I have a reputation to uphold..."

"Guild Leader, you don't have a reputation!"

"Since when did you ever care about saving face...?"

"You always said money is more important than reputation! Have you lost your touch?!"

Lee Da-bi flushed with embarrassment at her guild members' remarks. It was all karma from her own past actions! Still, for some reason, she didn't want to look pathetic in front of Lee Se-yeon.

"Um, I don't mind if you do business."

"Ah! No, it's fine! Really, it's fine!"

When Lee Se-yeon, unable to watch any longer, offered her permission, Lee Da-bi waved her hands in a panic. She hadn't realized Lee Se-yeon was watching so closely!

"They aren't my guild members anyway, and frankly, I dislike them quite a bit too."

Lee Se-yeon openly expressed her distaste for the Phytos Church and the other religious ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠orders. As a Necromancer, there was no way she would ever get along with the holy factions.

—Hmph. We only came because Her Imperial Majesty of the Asbian Empire extended an invitation. But black magic? Ha. That's a bit much...

—Is black magic really that bad? Why don't you switch over to it now?

—They say practicing black magic for too long makes a person wicked and violent.

—According to the church's statistical data, those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who learn black magic generally have very short lifespans...

Those church bastards had clearly left their manners at home! Every time Lee Se-yeon spoke, a system notification reading [Relationship penalty applied due to Black Magic...] would pop up, accompanied by all sorts of irritating remarks from them. She had absolutely no intention of stopping Lee Da-bi from squeezing some gold out of those annoying pricks.

By the way, the Power Warrior guild members seem really close. Lee Se-yeon watched them with curiosity. It was fascinating how a guild of that scale could maintain such a harmonious, tight-knit atmosphere. While Lee Se-yeon's guild was a strictly structured, elite force, Lee Da-bi's guild overflowed with a free and comfortable vibe (at least in Lee Se-yeon's eyes). Was that carefree atmosphere the secret to how they managed to recruit Kim Tae-hyun?

I'm jealous...

Why is she looking at us like that? Is it because our guild members look incredibly pathetic to her...? Lee Da-bi felt extremely anxious. No matter how she looked at it, trying to do business right now seemed like a terrible idea.

"Hmm. There are fewer openings than I thought." Tae-hyun thoroughly scouted the surrounding area, checking every nook and cranny.

Tae-hyun's goal was to win over the undead army guarding the perimeter. The undead forces in this fortress were truly staggering! Since even the lowest-ranking soldiers were Death Knights, there was no need to elaborate on just how high-level they were.

If I could just win over that Chaos Knight leading the Bone Dragon legion, it would be a massive help. The Chaos Knights were those among the Death Knights who had received the special favor of the Hungry Chaos! Just looking at them, radiating immense power from their entire bodies, made his mouth water. Man, how great would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it be if Golgol-i could look like that!

—Master...

However, Tae-hyun's plan hit a snag. It wasn't working.

Damn it. The power of the Hungry Chaos was persistent and overwhelming. Once a contract was made, it clung to them like a leech, much like spam voice phishing texts that never stopped coming once your phone number was leaked. To think he couldn't even wrest control of the undead using the power of Nebuchadnezzar's Blackmagic!

...Well, that's true. He had grown so accustomed to persuading and threatening the undead, but in reality, they weren't exactly easy to reason with. There was a reason black mages used magic to force them into submission instead of talking to them. It was because they were incredibly stubborn.

Is persuading Nekanet-sal really the only answer? Tae-hyun fell into deep thought. No matter how he looked at it, winning over Nekanet-sal seemed like the fastest route. If he tried to secretly release the Demon Duke right now, he would probably get blasted by hundreds of curses from the black mages in the fortress and die instantly...

Right? Nekanet-sal seems like a bit of a pushover, so I think he'll cave if I play my cards right.

Hey, you're the one who made him that way... Anyway, let's go back. I should whip up some food that Nekanet-sal might like and pay him a visit. I'll write a song too.

Tae-hyun made efficient use of his time while waiting for Nekanet-sal to grant him another audience. He spent most of it singing songs to the undead army and the prisoners!

"Gusirek. I've prepared a song just for you."

—Aaargh! Can't you just stop this mana flow instead?!

"That's impossible, but this song will surely ease your suffering."

—Do you seriously want to di— Aaaargh!

The reason Tae-hyun was able to level up his Singing skill so rapidly was due to the achievements he had accumulated so far. While others had to rely on rumors and imagination, Tae-hyun sang about things he had experienced firsthand! The black mages listened to his songs in awe.

—As expected of Nebuchadnezzar's descendant, he's cut from a different cloth.

—A song mocking a captured demon. He truly knows how to torment someone creatively.

While he was busy farming contribution points and leveling up his Singing skill, a massive message window flashed across the fortress.

"?" Tae-hyun stared at the sudden message window in confusion. What was this?

Me too. Tae-hyun had been handling Nekanet-sal perfectly. If he had just been given a little more time, he could have easily persuaded him and wrapped him around his finger... Who on earth had arrived?

"For what reason have you dared to seek me out?" Nekanet-sal spat in irritation. Just because they were both subordinates of the Hungry Chaos didn't mean they were friendly. In the first place, they were a gathering of greedy, foul-tempered bastards, so it would have been stranger if they actually got along. They were constant rivals, bickering over who was stronger and who received more of the Hungry Chaos's favor!

Pagroak scoffed, completely unfazed by his irritation.

—Keke... What a foolish bastard.

"Do you wish to die? Do you have any idea whose fortress this is?" Nekanet-sal threatened, pointing his staff. This was Nekanet-sal's fortress. Every undead here was his subject, and every black mage was his subordinate. No matter how powerful a warrior Pagroak was, he wouldn't be able to leave this place alive if he continued to act so insolently.

—Do you want to know who is the one seeking death? It is the bastard who dares to betray the Hungry Chaos!

—!! Nekanet-sal gasped in shock. However, he wasn't one to be easily shaken. Feigning ignorance, he asked:

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

—It is useless to play dumb. To think you would look down on the Hungry Chaos! He has already noticed the treacherous thoughts harboring in your mind!

—...!!! Nekanet-sal had believed he could deceive the eyes of the Hungry Chaos with his black magic. But the Hungry Chaos was not an entity that could be fooled so easily. Immediately after Nekanet-sal's conversation with Tae-hyun, the entity had sensed his wavering heart turning toward Carbanog.

—Come quietly. I shall drag you back to receive your punishment.

"...Very well. The Hungry Chaos will surely understand my true intentions."

—Cut the crap. As if. Pagroak cackled as he stepped toward Nekanet-sal. At that exact moment, Nekanet-sal swung his staff.

"Nebuchadnezzar's Hell Spear!" Whoosh! A massive spear of condensed mana materialized and pierced straight through Pagroak. Caught off guard by the surprise attack, Pagroak was blown backward.

—You... pathetic worm. What a pitiful struggle.

"H-How?!"

—Do you think the Hungry Chaos would send me to capture you without granting me any power? Behold! Right now, I am an existence that a mere insect like you cannot even hope to touch! Nekanet-sal watched in horror as Pagroak instantly regenerated from a high-tier spell. It was power on a completely different dimension!

—Hear me, all denizens of this fortress! Nekanet-sal is a traitor who has rebelled against the Hungry Chaos! If you do not capture him this instant, eternal punishment awaits you all!

"...Whoa. How did things turn out like this?" Tae-hyun, who had been monitoring the situation from as close as possible, was dumbfounded. Nekanet-sal, you absolute idiot! If you were going to agonize over Carbanog, you should have done it discreetly! How did you manage to get caught already?!

Well, since it's come to this, I have no choice. Tae-hyun sighed. He had wanted to prepare a bit more before making his move, but... that was just how life went! Actually, this might turn out for the better. Now, Nekanet-sal would have no choice but to firmly side with Tae-hyun. ...Even if the opponent looked ridiculously strong...

He looks even stronger than a dragon.

"Archisus's Charge!" Flash! Tae-hyun lunged forward. In his hand, he held the Spear of Karbanog, pulsing with the rabbit's divine power. No matter how he looked at it, Pagroak was not an opponent he could defeat simply by bursting down with raw damage.

He's regenerating by borrowing power from the Hungry Chaos, and I don't even know what his skill set is... He was dozens of times trickier than Smith! His level might exceed 1000, and even if it didn't, the backing of the Hungry Chaos made him incredibly dangerous. That was why Tae-hyun's immediate goal was to bind his feet. And the best tool for that was none other than the Spear of Karbanog! Thrust!

The triple curse set had been unleashed!

"Curse Transfer!" Tae-hyun instantly redirected the Curse of Chaos back to Pagroak. The terrifying speed at which his HP had been plummeting sent a cold shiver down his spine.