The Culinary Crisis of the First Prince
Silved was flustered by the murderous glares directed at him by the members of the Black Rock Guild. "What? What did I do?"
Unlike Silved, the members of the Black Rock Guild had prior experience playing in a party with Tae-hyun.
—We need to repair our gear, but since we only have one blacksmith, it might take a while.
—Oh, really? Perfect. I'll help.
—...Huh?
And the result? The repair time had actually been slashed in half! Knowing this, the guild members couldn't help but clutch the backs of their necks in sheer exasperation at Silved's cluelessness.
"It's perfect timing, really. I just set up a temporary forge here in the fortress anyway," Tae-hyun said.
"Y-you're going to do it?"
"Why? Got a problem with that? If you do, go ahead and call over another ranker blacksmith."
On this isolated island where no one else could possibly come, his words were irrefutable! While Silved stammered in confusion, Tae-hyun immediately got to work repairing the equipment.
"Ah. This Incarnation of Idergo state is making the repairs quite difficult."
"D-don't push yourself, Kim Tae-hyun! We have repair scrolls too!"
"Our blacksmith is right here! It's fine! Just rest! You've already done the most work out of all of us!"
The Black Rock Guild members rushed over in a swarm, ushering Tae-hyun to a comfortable spot. Please, just rest! So we can rest too!!
—Grrrrrr...
"!" The Plague Knight let out an ominous, grating sound, glaring fiercely at the Black Rock Guild members. It seemed to perceive them as Tae-hyun's enemies.
"What's with that guy? Why is he acting like that?"
"Kim Tae-hyun! Tell him! We're not enemies!"
"Ah. He doesn't listen very well."
While succeeding in such an incredibly high-difficulty summon was a massive achievement, the problem arose afterward. ...He didn't listen! To be precise, the Plague Knight couldn't quite comprehend Tae-hyun's commands.
—Go kill that guy.
—Grrr. Grrrr.
—Yeah, yeah. Go kill him. Good job... Wait, no! Not Silved! Leave Silved out of this!
—Grrk?
—Kill that guy. Do not kill Silved.
—Grrk. Grrk.
—I told you not to kill Silved! *Sigh*, I guess it can't be helped.
"What do you mean 'it can't be helped,' you bastard?! Stop him right now!"
Even if he was a bit slow on the uptake, the Plague Knight was still an incredibly powerful summon.
"Isn't that incredibly inconvenient?"
"I've never had a powerful summon in my life, so I'm more than grateful for just this much."
—?
—???
—??????
The divine beasts inside Tae-hyun's bag simultaneously erupted in confusion. M-Master?? What about us...?
"You guys are more like pets... rather than actual summons."
When undead summoned by a Necromancer hunted, a portion of their experience points went back to the mage. However, creatures like Yong-yong and Heuk-heuk kept all the experience they gained for themselves instead of sharing it with Tae-hyun. Granted, they didn't consume Tae-hyun's MP either...!
The only reason he could maintain the Plague Knight right now was because his MP was overflowing like crazy due to the Incarnation of Idergo state. Under normal circumstances, the MP consumption would have been so severe that he would have had to unsummon him immediately.
—Ugh... We should have consumed your mana too...!
—How frustrating...! To think not consuming mana would be our downfall...!
—Kyaho! Kyaho!
"Don't say such horrifying things." If all three dragons started consuming his MP, Tae-hyun might have to play with 0 MP, unable to use a single skill.
—Kyaoo. While the dragons were out bickering, Bulbul-i approached Tae-hyun and rubbed his body against him.
Due to [Incarnation of Idergo], Bulbul-i has learned [Plague Breath]!
Bulbul-i has a slim chance of using [Plague Breath]!
"No!" Tae-hyun cried out, genuinely startled for the first time in a while. "No, Bulbul-i! That's filthy!"
—Kyaoo?
"What were you two doing?! Why didn't you stop him?!"
—M-Master. We only just came out ourselves.
—He learned it the exact moment we emerged. How could we have possibly stopped him...?
Yong-yong and Heuk-heuk felt deeply wronged by the scolding they received the instant they stepped out. After all, weren't baby dragons like sponges, easily absorbing everything around them? It wasn't their fault he learned it the moment he saw it.
"I mean, of all the countless things to learn, why did it have to be a skill from the Idergo Cult?! It's so dirty and smelly!"
Carbanog says that for some reason, the fragment of Idergo seems to be crying, so you should probably stop.
Things had gotten so bad that even Carbanog, who usually treated Idergo with utter disdain, was trying to intervene. His words were just too harsh! Tae-hyun let out a deep sigh.
"Sigh... I really wanted to raise Bulbul-i properly."
The reason he hadn't summoned Yong-yong or Heuk-heuk in the first place was also because of Bulbul-i. If he summoned those two, Bulbul-i would want to come out too → once Bulbul-i was out, he would learn weird things → then he would turn evil → and finally, the destruction of the Central Continent!
Carbanog wonders if you skipped a few too many steps in that logic.
Hmm. If Bulbul-i comes out... the Central Continent is destroyed. I don't think I skipped anything?
......
Tae-hyun's words weren't entirely an exaggeration. Red Dragons were already notoriously ill-tempered by nature. If he went around learning Sadiq's skills and Idergo's skills on top of that, it would have a disastrous impact on his personality—or rather, his dragonality.
If he grew up and said something like, "Who cares about Akisus! I'm going to become the divine beast of Lord Idergo!" Tae-hyun's heart would literally break.
—Do not worry, Master. Bulbul-i will grow up well.
—He's right, Master. And even if Bulbul-i doesn't turn out well, what does it matter? You already have two highly successful dragons right by your side.
"...Two?"
—Master!!
"Just kidding. Well, what's learned is learned. Bulbul-i, step back. If you stay too close, you might end up learning another weird skill."
Tae-hyun shooed Bulbul-i away. Bulbul-i let out a sad whimper, but it couldn't be helped. If they stayed together while he was in the Incarnation of Idergo state, who knew what other bizarre skills the little guy might pick up!
—Grrr.
—Kyaoo?
"Keep him away from that Plague Knight too!"
—Ugh. This baby dragon is a massive pain in the neck.
—As the elder dragon, it is your duty to look after the young.
—Then do you want to do it all by yourself?
—Master, Heuk-heuk is...
—Ah, no! That's not what I meant! You dirty snitch...!
Heuk-heuk panicked. Normally, Gold Dragons possessed righteous and fair-minded personalities, meaning they often ended up as easy targets when dealing with wicked, underhanded Black Dragons. After all, their entire species had been thoroughly scammed by Akisus.
But Yong-yong was different. Having traveled with Tae-hyun, his mental fortitude had been tempered to the level of Adamantium. He had transcended the typical mindset of a Gold Dragon!
*How terrifying, the power of Akisus...! To think it could make even a Gold Dragon this ruthless!*
"I've finished all the repairs."
"Shh. Keep your voice down."
"Why?"
"Let's just say it's going to take a bit longer. If Kim Tae-hyun hears we're done, he's going to make us start moving immediately."
"Mmh. But..."
Phil, the blacksmith of the Black Rock Guild, hesitated at his guildmates' desperate pleas. But...
"You must be all finished by now."
"!?!?!?"
Tae-hyun materialized behind them like a ghost. Did he plant a spy among us?!
"...Kim Tae-hyun's blacksmithing skill isn't low either. He can easily calculate how long this would take, you guys." Phil looked at his guildmates with pity. It was a realm unique to crafting classes, completely unknown to combat classes! True experts could easily size each other up.
"Alright. Let's move out."
"Kim Tae-hyun, but we haven't even fully grasped the enemy's location yet..."
"No. I've already found them."
"?!?!?!?"
They gasped in shock at Tae-hyun's words. How on earth did this guy locate them already? Did he pick up a map somewhere?
Standing beside Tae-hyun, Hallus spoke up in an excited voice. While the guild members had been resting, he had watched Tae-hyun's gameplay with his own eyes.
"He really did find them! You guys just need to trust Kim Tae-hyun and follow him!"
"Why are you so hyped up?"
"I'm not hyped."
"You definitely look hyped...?"
There was only one reason Tae-hyun had been able to pinpoint the enemy's location. The giant rabbit!
—Kwooo.
"Thanks for letting me know."
Although it didn't participate in combat, the giant rabbit was highly knowledgeable about the happenings on the island. When Tae-hyun asked if it had seen anyone resembling the 1st Prince, the rabbit had immediately nodded and gestured for him to follow.
Carbanog says that it has graciously bestowed its own name upon that rabbit.
...Won't that be confusing?
Carbanog suggests calling it Giant Carbanog then.
What a terrible sense of naming. In the eyes of Tae-hyun, who had personally named Yong-yong and Heuk-heuk, Carbanog's naming sense was utterly pathetic. But well, since it was his own summon... he decided to be understanding!
"So, right? He literally persuaded a monster on the island to solve the quest! Does that even make sense? Isn't he seriously amazing???"
"......"
"...Is it just me, or is Hallus acting kind of creepy today?"
"Yeah. He's actually super creepy right now."
The guild members grimaced as Hallus panted heavily, practically chanting, "Isn't Kim Tae-hyun absolutely insane?!" Wasn't he usually a lot cooler than this?
Realizing his own unsightly behavior, Hallus cleared his throat. "Ahem. Anyway, that's how he solved it, so don't doubt him."
"Finding the enemy's location is all well and good, but have we decided on a battle strategy? Don't tell me you don't even know who the enemy is?" Silved asked. None of the creatures on this island were pushovers, and if they didn't prepare themselves thoroughly before a fight, they would end up severely injured.
Oh? Come to think of it... who is the enemy? Hallus realized that in his excitement, he had overlooked the most fundamental detail. A complete failure as an explorer!
"Silved, ask something worth asking. Do you really think Hallus wouldn't know that?"
"Aren't you underestimating our guildmate a bit too much?"
"...I suppose you're right. I apologize. My bad."
"......" Cold sweat began to trickle down Hallus's back. I mean... anyone can make a mistake once, right?
—Kwoooooooooh!
The Golden Gorilla has used [Roar of the Wild]!
You have fallen into a [Stunned] state!
"!!" To be stunned by a skill launched from so far away before they had even approached! The players were utterly shocked. Tae-hyun, the only one who had avoided the stun, immediately barked out orders.
"They're definitely close. Everyone, prepare to stealth!"
Tae-hyun was equally in the dark about the enemy's true nature. If it's a Golden Gorilla... On this island, even a single mouse was absurdly powerful. But a gorilla...
Is it strong enough to easily beat down four or five giants? Tae-hyun approached cautiously. Normally, this would have been much easier, but being in the Incarnation of Idergo state made things incredibly inconvenient.
Seriously, that bastard Idergo is utterly useless.
Carbanog agrees.
—Idergo's Shadow Cloak. Cycle of Plague. Plague of Fading Presence. Despite his complaints, Tae-hyun made highly efficient use of the skills. Since the Idergo Cult possessed its own assassination squad, they naturally had quite a few stealth spells at their disposal.
"...??!" Tae-hyun blinked, unable to believe the sight before his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and checked once more. ...What in the world???
—Mmph! Mmph! Mmph! In the middle of the clearing, there was a man who appeared to be the 1st Prince. Well, he was there, alright. But... he was tied up.
"?!??"
—Kwoo! Kwooo! —Uwoooooh! And right next to him, massive gorillas were dancing and spinning around in pure excitement.
What on earth are they doing? At first, he thought they had simply captured an intruder who drifted onto the island and were celebrating, but that wasn't it. Something was off.
"...!" Only then did Tae-hyun realize. That was... They're trying to cook him?!?!
There was a giant cauldron sitting right in the middle of the gorillas! Inside, a mysterious liquid was bubbling and boiling. And the 1st Prince was suspended directly above it, bound tightly. Anyone could see he was being used as an ingredient.
Are you crazy...?!
Carbanog asks if it wouldn't actually be a good thing if the 1st Prince died.
To complete my class quest, I have to take the 1st Prince's head myself!
...Carbanog suggests asking the gorillas if you can just have the head.