A Simple Solution
Right now, the priority was to inspect the inside of the enemy camp and, if possible, extract the players.
"Finding out where the First Prince went is also pretty important, though."
"What happens if the First Prince just vanishes like this?"
"Hmm..." Tae-hyun fell into thought.
The Second and Third Princes existed, but compared to the First Prince, they lacked presence. Even now, the undead King was drawing noble NPCs to his side with his overwhelming aura. If the First Prince disappeared, what would be left? It didn't seem like the Second or Third Prince would be capable of doing much of anything.
Will they run away or surrender?
"Uh... then doesn't Philip III end up back on the throne?"
"...Is that so?"
To be honest, Tae-hyun hadn't considered the possibility of Philip III reclaiming the throne. After all, the man was undead! But looking at the current situation, it wouldn't even be strange if an undead Philip III sat on the throne and ruled.
"There's no way the First Prince will just vanish like this. He'll obviously come back."
"If he doesn't return and Philip III rules, won't the Erangs Kingdom be in danger?" Ryu Tae-su asked, looking puzzled. If the king was undead, wasn't the country doomed?
"Not necessarily. The Asbian Empire's emperor was undead, and things ran just fine there."
"They didn't run that well..." Lee Se-yeon muttered from the side. Do you not remember how many rankers suffered because of Uipoatl?
But Tae-hyun's point was undeniably valid. Just because the king was undead didn't mean the kingdom would suddenly collapse. Sure, some kingdom-related quests might pop up, but it wouldn't affect the vast majority of players.
Wait a minute... Isn't this actually good for me? Lee Se-yeon suddenly realized.
Who were the players closest to the newly resurrected undead Philip III? → Tae-hyun's group (relatively speaking). What class would the undead Philip III favor the most? → Necromancer.
Normally, it was an unwritten rule of the game that Necromancers were mistreated wherever they went.
"Welcome to our—gasp! It's a smelly Necromancer! Get away from me!"
"You look as terrifying as your infamy suggests! Begone at once!"
It was incredibly annoying to have NPCs pick fights with her constantly regardless of her level... but if the king himself was undead, wouldn't that dynamic change completely?
Tae-hyun looked at Lee Se-yeon and asked, bewildered, "Why do you have such an evil look on your face?"
"I do not have an evil look...! Anyway, wouldn't it be fine if the prince just disappeared like this? Since we're close with the King, we can get all sorts of help in the Erangs Kingdom from now on, and there'll be quest rewards too."
Assisting the King was a formidable Legendary Quest. The moment they cleared it, the rewards would be astronomical.
"It's not bad," Tae-hyun agreed. "But I need the First Prince's head."
"Why?"
"It's for my class quest..."
"......."
"......." Ryu Da-young and Lee Se-yeon thought to themselves. Isn't his class supposed to be holy-related? Why on earth is decapitating someone a class quest...?
Tae-hyun mobilized his subordinates and rankers like the Black Rock Sect to launch a heavy assault on the main gate of the First Prince's fortress... is what one might expect, but instead, he simply wore a disguise and walked right in.
"I am the son of Count Besgo!"
"Welcome, young master! To think the son of the esteemed Count Besgo would grace us with his presence!"
Speech skill is extremely high...
Reputation is...
Recognized as an adopted son by Count Besgo...
Persuasion check passed!
"Well then, I'll be going in."
"......."
"......." The party waiting in the forest near the fortress stared at Tae-hyun in utter disbelief. Wait... we brought all this firepower and we're not even going to fight?
"U-um, we're still here," the members of the Black Rock Sect sheepishly raised their hands. To be honest, they had been dragged here by force, but a player's heart was a fickle thing; once a massive quest got underway, their excitement tended to build. The quests Tae-hyun led always had a way of making one's heart swell with grand anticipation.
On their way to the fortress, they had been thinking, This is going to be an incredibly difficult quest. Let's steel our resolve. With Kim Tae-hyun here, we'll find a way. Yet, without a single drop of blood spilled, Tae-hyun had opened the front gates with a single sentence and strolled inside! It was so anticlimactic!
"Huh? You guys want to come along?" Tae-hyun turned around, looking genuinely puzzled. He had left them out of it as a courtesy, so why were they insisting?
"Yes! We want to go!"
"Please let us accompany you!"
"Uh... sure. If you say so..." Tae-hyun muttered a few words to the guards at the gate. The guards nodded in agreement.
Fortress entry has been permitted!
"!"
"Let's go!" The Black Rock Sect members rushed forward.
"Hold on."
"?" The guild members panicked as the guards suddenly blocked their path. What? Did they find us out?
"Servants shouldn't dress so arrogantly. You'll get scolded if the higher-ups see you."
"Here. Take these items."
◈ Effect: You must wear the Servant's Uniform inside the fortress. If you are caught not wearing it, you may be attacked.
"......." Only then did the guild members realize what was happening. They were sneaking in disguised as Tae-hyun's servants!
Ah... so that's why...
That's why he didn't want to bring us along...!
"Sigh. Look at me, doing such a good deed. It doesn't suit me at all."
"Aren't you being far too kind? It's unlike you! Look at those servants, they're so deeply moved they can't even speak!"
Although they had successfully entered, Tae-hyun couldn't make his way to the First Prince's quarters. Something else had caught his eye.
"Hang anyone who said they liked the First Prince!"
"That guy over there! He's the one who supported the First Prince!"
"We got you now, you bastard! Hang him!" On one side, a mob of players was chasing down another player...
"A veteran ranker with ten years of escape experience will break you out! Escape quest, first come, first served for five people! Upfront payment only!"
"Uh, hasn't Pan-On not even been out for ten years...?"
"I'm counting from Pan-On 1!" On another side, a player in suspicious attire was running a bizarre quest business targeting other players...
"Selling 10% cheaper and buying 10% dearer than any shop in the fortress! Buying all potions, scrolls, gear, and junk!"
"Uh... I haven't seen him around. When did he get in?"
"He joined the First Prince's faction just to do business."
"...Is he insane?!" Having caught wind of the situation from somewhere, members of the Power Warrior Guild were risking their lives to hoard items. It was absolute chaos!
"Alright. Everyone, calm down for a second."
"?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Do I look like someone who takes orders from anyone?" The hostile responses came instantly! The players' nerves were frayed and on edge. Having been deceived and failing to escape multiple times, they had grown suspicious of absolutely everyone.
Tae-hyun took off his mask and equipped his original gear.
"......."
"...Ah! It was you, Tae-hyun!"
"Actually, you saw right through me! I'm a person who absolutely loves taking orders!" The players completely flipped their attitude in a single second!
The Black Rock Sect members watched in awe. Usually, high-level players had too much pride to swallow their words so easily, but in front of Tae-hyun, they threw their pride away without a second thought. After all, a bruised ego was far better than dying!
"Everyone, calm down and gather around. I came here to get you guys out."
"...!!!" The players gasped at Tae-hyun's words. They knew Tae-hyun was carrying out quests under the King. But he had come to rescue them?
"...Why??"
"Why on earth?"
"What, you don't need it? Then get out of the way. Next person who wants out?"
"No, no!"
"We need it! We absolutely need it! Please help us!" The players scrambled forward. They didn't know his reasons, but only a madman would reject a helping hand!
"Kim Tae-hyun! Kim Tae-hyun! The player famous for his character since Pan-On 1!"
"Hey, that's an insult...!" A Pan-On 1 veteran hissed, frantically pulling back his friend who had tried to flatter Tae-hyun.
The Pan-On 2 newbies didn't know, but the phrase "famous for his character since Pan-On 1" was actually used as a sarcastic insult, not a compliment. Uninformed players easily assumed, Ah, since it's Kim Tae-hyun, he must have been renowned for his stellar personality since Pan-On 1...
Hearing rumors of Tae-hyun's arrival, players scattered throughout the fortress began to gather one by one. They asked with sparkling eyes:
"How do you plan on getting us out?"
"It's bombs, right?"
"No..."
"Of course it's bombs. Why would you even ask something so obvious?" The other players scolded the one who asked.
"He'll probably blow a hole in the fortress wall."
"No, he'll blow up the entire wall."
"Why are you guys thinking so small? He's going to blow up the entire fortress."
"...We're just going to disguise you as my servants and walk out the front gate."
"...?!?!" Contrary to the players' wild imaginations, Tae-hyun preferred simple methods. There was no need to draw aggro from all directions with explosives when he could just walk them back and forth through the gate.
"Uh... we're not blowing anything up?"
"Are we blowing up the gate, then?"
"Shut up and roll the dice to decide the order. I'll get you all out." Tae-hyun wanted to evacuate the players quickly so he could proceed with the First Prince's quest. He needed to get rid of these noisy pests as fast as possible!
People watching the broadcast from inside the fortress buzzed with excitement at Tae-hyun's appearance. At first, they wondered why he had come, but as they watched, it became clear he was genuinely there to rescue them.
"Move, you bastards! I'm going first!"
"He told us to roll the dice for the order!"
"Can't you all shut up?"
It was a quest with zero inherent difficulty, but humans were always the variable. There was no guarantee Tae-hyun would return once he left, and if any complications arose, their chance of escape would vanish. Escaping first was overwhelmingly advantageous! As the bickering dragged on, Tae-hyun, growing bored of waiting, finally spoke up.
"The dice results are out, aren't they? Just follow the order."
"Kim Tae-hyun. I need to go before these low-level trash."
"...Is your face made of brass?" Tae-hyun was dumbfounded by the sheer, shameless audacity. He couldn't comprehend what gave this guy such confidence. Was he insane?
"I can literally just leave you behind. What's with the attitude?"
But the opponent had a card up his sleeve.
"Listen carefully, Kim Tae-hyun. If I don't go first, I'm going to snitch to the NPCs. I'm sure you don't want everyone's escape ruined, right?"
"...!" The players standing behind shuddered in disgust. What a petty, despicable bastard! To threaten to ruin it for everyone just because he couldn't go first.
"Tae-hyun, I'll yield my turn. Just let him go first."
"I'll yield too." The players who had rolled high numbers spoke up, choosing to avoid the filth rather than step in it. Only then did the troublemaker nod in satisfaction.
"It's all settled. Alright, Kim Tae-hyun. Let's go—"
Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab! Tae-hyun drew his sword, activated his maximum buffs, and repeatedly stabbed the player.
Target Eliminated
[Player has logged out...]
Tae-hyun casually sheathed his sword, looked around at the crowd, and said, "If anyone else wants to throw a tantrum, step up right now."
"...!!" He might have come on a benevolent rescue mission, but in the end, Kim Tae-hyun was still Kim Tae-hyun.