"Tae-hyun, It's All Well and Good, but Think of Us Too!"

Blocking the knights was all well and good, but turning the area into a toxic hellscape left the players completely helpless. The moment they took even a single step, the poisonous fumes triggered a system warning.

"We have to lay down the poison now while they're distracted! Once they close the distance, it'll be too late!"

Tae-hyun's words were true. The only reason they could even complain right now was because the knights had rushed the giant rabbit. In the meantime, Tae-hyun had been frantically spreading poison everywhere! If the knights had already engaged them, using poison like this would have been impossible. They would have collapsed first.

They had to deal as much damage as possible while they had the chance! Hallus ran up to Tae-hyun and shouted.

"Tae-hyun! What do you think about using that rabbit to attack the knights?!"

Why is he suddenly speaking so formally to me? Tae-hyun was puzzled, but in a chaotic situation like this, he had to focus on what was important.

"Using the rabbit? How?"

"I have a Frenzy Scroll. If I use it, won't that rabbit go wild and run amok?"

Carbanog was enraged by Hallus's suggestion. This was exactly why explorers were the worst. They utterly lacked respect for rabbits.

But Carbanog. I've hunted plenty of rabbits too, haven't I...?

?? Tae-hyun didn't see the difference, but he answered anyway.

"I don't think that's a good idea. If it goes wild, we'll get caught in the crossfire too."

"But surely someone of your caliber, Tae-hyun, could exploit the chaos to escape?"

"...What exactly do you take me for?"

Tae-hyun was dumbfounded. The monsters on this island must have eaten something bizarre; they breathed fire and caused earthquakes just by stomping their feet. What on earth was he supposed to exploit?

"Oh, you can't?"

When Hallus looked at him with an expression that practically said, Why are you playing dumb?, Tae-hyun felt even more exasperated.

Is this guy really the reliable ace of the Black Rock Guild? For all his reputation, he seemed a bit lacking in the brain department...

"Instead of that, let's try to soothe the rabbit and win it over to our side."

"...What?"

Now it was Hallus's turn to look utterly bewildered. Win what over to whose side?

"No, Tae-hyun. Think about this logically. The monsters on this island aren't the type you can reason with or tame. Besides, you don't even have a taming skill, do you?"

"Actually, I do have an Advanced taming skill."

The Advanced-grade skill, Sadiq's Flame Taming!

"...W-wait, why do you even have that...? Anyway, that's not the point. Even if you had a Master-grade taming skill, that monster looks far too powerful to tame."

Taming was something you attempted on creatures that might actually listen, not the colossal abominations roaming this island. Normally, you had to build rapport or feed them to establish a connection, but that was completely out of the question here.

"You could get seriously hurt if you try this for no reason."

"I still have to give it a shot. Move aside."

Tae-hyun began to push through the thick, toxic fog toward the rabbit. Hallus followed closely behind, his face etched with worry. No matter how incredible Tae-hyun was, he wasn't a god. He couldn't make the impossible possible. Was it truly possible to bond and make friends with an untamable monster?

"Cough, cough."

"Ah, sorry..."

Seeing him cast spells so effortlessly, Hallus momentarily wondered if Tae-hyun was actually a mage. ...Wait, he wasn't a mage, was he?

"Cough, cough! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠This damn monster! How is its vitality so ridiculously high?!"

"Ack, cough... The poison is spreading! We have to bring it down quickly!"

"For the honor of the knights, repel the poison! Use your skills to keep the toxic fumes away!"

The royal knights were unleashing a fierce assault even while heavily poisoned. They likely assumed the giant rabbit was Tae-hyun's summon. Tae-hyun ran toward the rabbit and shouted.

"Attack! Don't just stand there taking hits! Those wicked invaders came here to hunt you!"

"Kyuuu...?"

The giant rabbit stared at Tae-hyun in utter bewilderment. And for good reason... Tae-hyun's appearance was far from normal. He was currently in his Apostle state, radiating waves of plague and poison! No matter how one looked at him, he seemed incredibly suspicious—like a sinister invader bent on destroying the natural order.

Realizing his blunder a moment too late, Tae-hyun quickly made an excuse.

"No, this is a misunderstanding! I only look like this because of those Idergo Cult bastards who invaded the island! They placed a curse on me!"

"Kyuu."

Fortunately, even with many of his skills like swordsmanship sealed, his Eloquence skill remained active. Combined with his various titles, achievements, and Carbanog's power, the giant rabbit decided to give Tae-hyun the benefit of the doubt. He looked incredibly suspicious... but for now, it would believe him!

"Anyway, attack those wicked bastards! You can't just stand there and let them beat you up!"

"Kyuu."

But why?! Surprisingly, despite its colossal size, the giant rabbit possessed an incredibly peaceful nature. It was firmly resolved never to fight back, no matter how much it was beaten!

Why is this one so gentle when Carbanog has such a nasty temper?

Realizing that the creature was nothing but a giant pacifist, Tae-hyun clicked his tongue. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Getting it to listen to him was a decent achievement, but... if it refused to fight, it was useless to him right now.

Hmm. Maybe I should just use the Frenzy Scroll... Seeing how stubbornly it endured the onslaught, its HP and Constitution recovery rate had to be astronomical. It was rare to see something tank hits so well. In terms of sheer health, it reminded him of Gardu, the boss monster he had faced in the past. A monster whose HP constantly regenerated no matter how much it was hit, thanks to the legendary gear it wore! With stats like that, wouldn't it be incredibly strong even without combat skills, just by throwing its weight around?

Alright, alright.

If it were that easy, Carbanog, I wouldn't have struggled so much leading the church. Trying to convince a stranger to join a new religion was no easy feat. If it were simple, why would so many people still be roaming the streets asking, "Do you believe in Lord Akisus?"

"??"

While countless players ascended to the skies or sought out other dimensions, there were those who stubbornly stuck to the seas. From fishing fanatics and ocean lovers to sailing enthusiasts, players who fled to the water ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after setting off too many explosions on land, and simple travelers—they all eventually drifted to the undersea kingdom of Arantis.

It was the only ocean kingdom open to players in Pan-On, and the most distant realm they could reach! When sailing the vast, open sea, the thing one needed most was a place to rest. When water and food ran dry, even bizarre food started to sound appealing. In those moments, even the tiniest island looked like an oasis.

Thus, whenever questions about sea-related classes popped up on the community boards, the Arantis Kingdom was almost always mentioned. Though it received less spotlight compared to the continent where all the flashy events took place, it enjoyed a steady, quiet stream of interest. But now, even this peaceful kingdom was thrown into a stir.

"Why are so many ships setting sail lately? And long-distance vessels, at that?"

Chairman Yoo flipped through the ledgers, looking puzzled. Although he had effectively stepped back from managing his corporate group, he had embarked on a second career in his golden years: managing a kingdom! It wasn't nearly as difficult as running a conglomerate. Best of all, he could simply pay-to-win. While Tae-hyun had to sweat blood to earn operating expenses, Chairman Yoo could just swipe his card whenever funds ran low. Moreover, many of his acquaintances were high-rollers. Retired and looking for a hobby, they poured their vast fortunes into Pan-On.

One of the Arantis Kingdom's primary businesses was shipbuilding and sales. With fishermen and anglers crawling all over the place, ships sold like hotcakes. However, long-distance vessels rarely sold unless there was a special occasion. The local waters were more than enough, so why would anyone bother traveling so far?

"Ah. It's probably because of that. The rumor that bringing player Kim Tae-hyun grants admission to the Ancient Empire University."

"What does that have to do with long-distance ships?"

"Some smart guy posted an analysis."

"...?"

Pan-On was full of players with bizarrely specific talents. When Tae-hyun uploaded a video of himself wandering around the island with the Black Rock Guild members, someone analyzed the angle of the sun and the constellation patterns in the sky to pinpoint exactly which direction they had flown. The conclusion they reached was...

To the east of the Central Continent lay the Asbian Empire, the Giant Mountains, and various other landmasses, but the west was nothing but an endless expanse of ocean. Reckless explorers occasionally ventured out in small boats, but they all ended up starving, dehydrating, or shipwrecked. Unless they had a death wish, no one spent a fortune on such a foolhardy endeavor.

But now, the situation had completely changed. They couldn't afford to wait around with a relaxed attitude of we'll get there eventually. It had to be now! Right now, faster than anyone else!

"So, everyone is buzzing that if they sail west right now, they'll find the island where Kim Tae-hyun is."

"Are they insane? The ocean is vast. Who would do something so stupid? Are they all idiots?"

Chairman Yoo scoffed. The player nodded in agreement. It was absolutely true! Everyone was so blinded by the competition and the massive bounty that they weren't thinking straight. If they just calmed down for a second, they would realize how absurd it was. They were all blinded by greed.

"What are you doing? Aren't you coming?"

"Huh? Where are you going, sir?"

"We have to get there before anyone else. Ready my ship."

"......."

But you just said it was a stupid idea...!