I'll Back You Up!
"I'll back you up!" Jeong Su-hyeok shouted from behind, preparing his skill.
In this ruthless race, joining hands and then backstabbing each other was a common occurrence. But no one was intimidated by Choi Sang-yun and Jeong Su-hyeok teaming up. What could two walking bombs do even if they combined forces? They'd just blow themselves up together.
"You run forward! I'll take out the competitors!"
Gradually, the two began to pick up speed. Their mount type was a rocket! Although slow at first, once they gained momentum, they kept getting faster. Most importantly, unlike other living mounts, they didn't get tired and slow down.
Of course, if that were the only feature, they would have won a long time ago. The problem with rockets was their unstable durability, leading to frequent breakdowns. And once they broke down, unlike other mounts, they couldn't recover!
Ultimately, to win with this rocket...
'We have to maximize our speed and avoid fights. The more fights we get into, the more disadvantaged we are.'
'The problem is that it doesn't go as planned...!'
Increasing speed raised the probability of a breakdown. This wasn't a problem with the two of them, but a problem with the creator, Daniel. But they couldn't just give up!
"Run! Run! Only use skills on the guys behind us!"
"Look at those punks acting up!"
As the rocket spewed flames and surged forward, the competitors sneered and gave chase. A player riding a spider-type mount used a spiderweb skill to slow down Choi Sang-yun and tried to ram into him.
Choi Sang-yun ducked his head and skillfully dodged it.
Even if the mount was trash, the rider was top-tier! There was no way Choi Sang-yun, who had fought all kinds of absurd enemies alongside Tae-hyun, would fall for such an attack.
"You can't even hit that?! Just retire already!"
"It was just bad luck!"
When the attack missed, jeers flew from the side instead. As the other players bickered among themselves, Choi Sang-yun cheered inwardly. Yes! Fight among yourselves!
"Hey, you punk, didn't you say you learned a thing or two from Kim Tae-hyun? Was that a lie?"
"N-No, it wasn't! Kim Tae-hyun said I was amazing. He even said he wanted to recruit me to Team KL, okay?!"
"Unless Kim Tae-hyun is blind, why would he recruit you to Team KL?! And if he did, you should be in it right now!"
"I-I was busy and wanted to focus on the game, so I declined..."
"Cut the bullshit!"
Choi Sang-yun covered his ears to focus. The conversation next to him was just too ridiculous.
The rocket accelerates once again!
The probability of a breakdown increases!
Vroooooom!
As the rocket picked up speed, its velocity gradually became terrifying. Even as other mounts tried to catch up, the distance widened!
The other players were shocked.
"It... It's going to explode soon."
"R-Right?"
But their anxiety began to grow. Suddenly, a post that race fans constantly uploaded crossed their minds.
No matter how fast a living mount is, it's ultimately just a living creature compared to a rocket... Even if it starts a few seconds late, it's a completely different species that can leave others in the dust with an overwhelming difference. The rocket is merely observing from on high right now. Now, it begins. The true winner, the rocket...
In theory, if things went well, few things were as fast as a rocket. Could today really be the day? The big jackpot??
"Block him! I'm on a two-game winning streak!"
"I'll ram him! The rocket will blow up if we hit it just once anyway!"
Before they could fully escape, skills flew at them from all directions. Choi Sang-yun grit his teeth. He wanted to send Jeong Su-hyeok ahead somehow, but the enemies were closing in faster than expected. If only they could get past this hurdle!
"Take this, and this!"
Choi Sang-yun hit one guy and used Reset on the others. Please work!
Reset
All surrounding players are returned to the starting point.
"?"
"?????"
"Eh?"
The surrounding players, including Choi Sang-yun, flashed with light and were instantly sent back to the starting line.
"..."
"You crazy bastard...!!!"
Unable to accept the sudden turn of events, curses erupted among the players. What kind of insane, lunatic skill was that?!
‘I'm a bit taken aback that they believed in Carbanog so easily.’
Tae-hyun was surprised but quickly accepted the reality. Was Carbanog actually treated poorly on the continent, but highly respected as a deity outside of it?
Carbanog is feeling smug.
‘There doesn't seem to be any reason for that, though...?’
Carbanog is about to get angry...
‘Carbanog. Tell that rabbit to attack them.’
If they believed in Carbanog, they would listen to the god's words, right?
...Carbanog says that is impossible. It claims it does not force its believers to do things they dislike.
‘...You just can't do it, can you...?’
Having spent so much time with Carbanog, there was no way Tae-hyun wouldn't recognize such an excuse. Not doing it meant not being able to do it!
‘Whatever. I'll handle it myself.’
It was nice that his magic skills had grown stronger after transforming into the Apostle of Idergo, but there was a downside. His swordsmanship and engineering skills were sealed! Ideally, he wanted to close the distance and unleash explosive critical damage, but he couldn't. But fighting with what he had was Tae-hyun's style!
"Summon Idergo's Toxic Warriors!"
Idergo's Plague Pool disappears.
Idergo's Toxic Warriors are summoned.
The Toxic Warriors were summoned by consuming the potent plague energy in the area. Just as a Lich controlled undead warriors, Idergo could command warriors made of plague. And if there was one more advantage...
‘I'll take down one of them first!’
Tae-hyun relentlessly targeted a single knight. Focusing on one target was the starting point.
Swoooosh!
Vicious toxic arrows flew and struck the knight. Already struggling to fight inside the plague mist, the knight coughed up blood and staggered under the continuous onslaught.
"Y-You... despicable... Idergo... bastard...!"
Carbanog corrects him, stating it is 'Archisus bastard'.
Magic skill level increases!
The Kingdom Knight is poisoned by the plague.
"Giant rabbit! Move and block the enemies! You can at least do that much, right?"
"Kuu."
Even if the rabbit disliked fighting, it granted that small request. It moved its massive body to shield them from attacks. Thanks to that, they could focus entirely on a single knight.
"Strike!"
The members of the Black Rock Sect charged with fire in their eyes. The target was riddled with every debuff imaginable! If they couldn't take him down now, they didn't deserve to be called rankers.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Due to the plague, a critical hit is triggered!
Additional damage is inflicted!
The Kingdom Knight attempts to resist...
Failed!
"Arghhh!"
While the rabbit blocked the path, the players unleashed every attack they had. Only after they exhausted all their skills did the 1st Prince's knight slowly collapse.
The Kingdom Knight has fallen!!
Infamy increases.
Magic skill level increases significantly!
"We got him!!!"
Cheers erupted among the players. They had succeeded in taking down that terrifying knight! Honestly, when he first appeared, they wondered how on earth they were supposed to defeat him, but Tae-hyun's magic was far more powerful than expected. His various plagues had shredded the target's physical defense, magic defense, skill success rate, evasion rate, and everything else.
Silved was extremely thrilled by this success. It was a magnificent raid that washed away all his past grievances. Defeating a powerful enemy that others couldn't—wasn't this the true joy of a ranker party!
Feeling exceptionally good for once, Silved threw a flattering compliment at Tae-hyun.
"Aren't you even more amazing than Lee Se-yeon?"
"What kind of bullshit is that? Are you blind?"
"..."
Silved felt a surge of anger. Damn it...! I was just trying to pay him a compliment...!
The Black Rock Sect members comforted Silved.
"Kim Tae-hyun was just stating facts, he probably didn't mean any harm."
"If he's stating facts, that means my eyes are actually broken, you bastards!"
Meanwhile, Tae-hyun moved on to his next task.
"Idergo's Plague Resurrection!"
Borrowing the power of Idergo's Plague to raise the fallen warrior as a Plague Knight!
Your current magic skill level is low. A penalty is applied.
The target's level is extremely high. A penalty is applied.
Luck is extremely high! A bonus is applied!
Holy stat is extremely high!
‘The difficulty is way higher than I thought.’
Carbanog says it will be difficult due to the opponent's high level.
‘Can't be helped.’
The skill was similar to raising an undead, but this was a skill that borrowed Idergo's power. Which meant...
"Use Idergo's Fragment!"
Using Idergo's Fragment!
The Fragment of Idergo is horrified, asking what on earth you are doing!
The portion of Idergo residing inside the fragment cried out in shock. This fragment containing Idergo was an extremely precious holy relic within the cult. Originally, they were supposed to gather them one by one to prepare for Idergo's descent! Yet, he was trying to use it like a mere consumable just because the skill difficulty was a bit high!
Idergo warns that if you waste his power like this, the fragment's power will fall into a deep slumber for a long time!
‘Oh dear. What a shame. But I have no choice.’
Carbanog agrees that there is no other choice.
Idergo, trapped inside the fragment, was utterly flabbergasted. What kind of bastards possessed so little greed? He was a god! A god who could lend immense power!
Idergo begs you not to use the fragment's power, promising that he will help you personally!
"Hmm. Do I have to? It was getting annoying with you constantly chattering."
Carbanog also agrees. It states that a god who clings to a mortal and chatters constantly lacks basic professional ethics.
...Idergo promises to shut his mouth from now on.
"Well, if you're willing to go that far, I suppose I can consider it."
Whooooosh—
Exuding a powerful aura of plague, the Plague Knight emerged.
‘Whoa. Isn't this guy stronger than Golgol-i?’
Unlike a Death Knight, the Plague Knight possessed additional options and even a Holy stat! If Golgol-i had heard this, he would have wept.
"Y-You... you bastards of the Idergo Cult, how dare you...!"
The Kingdom Knights' hostility toward the Idergo Cult has reached its maximum!
It is absolutely impossible to join hands with the 1st Prince's knights!
‘!’
Tae-hyun was startled. Absolutely impossible to join hands? ...Ah. Come to think of it, they were talking about the Idergo Cult, weren't they?
‘It's not my problem.’
He had been so immersed in acting as the Idergo Cult that he momentarily forgot...
"Retreat! The opportunity to kill them will come again."
"You bastards of the Idergo Cult. I will grind your bones to drink and chew your hearts!"
"I'll be waiting!" Tae-hyun shouted back grandly. Like he cared!
After the battle ended, Tae-hyun's party quickly retreated to the coastal fortress.
Please, let us rest!
Having fought consecutive battles, everyone was in a tattered state. Of course, Tae-hyun didn't wait for them.
"Your HP is fully recovered, right? All debuffs are cleared? Alright, let's move."
"N-No, well... we need some mental rest..."
At the guild members' excuses, Silved clicked his tongue.
"Do you think talking like that will work on him? You have to phrase it differently. Kim Tae-hyun, we need time to repair our equipment..."
"Hey!!"
The guild members screamed in horror. Who do you think you're talking to, you idiot?!
‘Thanks to that bastard, our rest time is going to get cut even shorter!’