What Kind of Territory Is This?
— What a shame, but what can we do? You wrote that down, right?
— Yes, I did.
Though it seemed ridiculous, the guild members took it quite seriously. A warning like that was never to be ignored!
“Silved. You...” Tae-hyun began, looking at Silved.
Silved felt a spark of anticipation. He was hoping for some kind of praise, like: I've seen plenty of rankers, but none quite like you. I'm truly impressed.
Human psychology was a funny thing. Normally, when rising rankers gathered, they would scoff, saying things like, “Ah, Kim Tae-hyun is nothing special,” or “He just got lucky, I'll catch up to him in no time.” But when they actually met him face-to-face, they desperately wanted his validation. To the rising rankers, Tae-hyun was a towering wall they had to overcome.
“...Watch your back at night.”
“......”
“......”
The unexpected warning cast a sudden chill over the atmosphere. Even the members of the Black Rock Sect looked at Tae-hyun with expressions that said, Isn't that a bit much?
“Kim Tae-hyun, isn't that a bit too harsh? Sure, Silved made a few mistakes, but he worked his butt off. Sending him death threats is...”
“No, I didn't say I was going to kill him,” Tae-hyun scoffed, waving his hand. Why on earth would he kill Silved?
“I'm saying other people are going to kill him. Your face is the one that got plastered everywhere.”
“...!!!”
Silved gasped in horror. He had been so swept up in the chaotic quest that the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. But Tae-hyun's words made perfect sense. True to his reputation as the undisputed master of making enemies in Pan-On, his grasp of the situation was flawless.
Where would the guilds who failed the rescue quest and couldn't find Tae-hyun vent their frustration? An easy target! And the most visible person standing right next to Tae-hyun was Silved.
Is... is that really how it's going to go?
“W-what about the Black Rock Sect guys?!”
“Wow. Look at this guy's personality.”
“I regret wasting my breath worrying about him.”
The Black Rock Sect members whispered among themselves. If he was going to die, he should die alone! Why was he trying to drag them down with him?
“The Black Rock Sect is relatively obscure, and they move as a guild. On the other hand, aren't you a rising star? I saw way more hate comments directed at you.”
Tae-hyun analyzed the situation coldly. Looking at the video uploads, the comments section was practically flooded with people swearing to murder Silved.
“You could be wrong!”
“Where do you think you're barking, you punk?! If Lord Kim Tae-hyun says so, you should just say ‘Thank you very much’ and accept it!”
Hallus of the Black Rock Sect flared up and shouted on Tae-hyun's behalf. The other guild members shook their heads in resignation. He's not even trying to hide his fanaticism anymore!
— How did he even become a fan of Kim Tae-hyun? Is it Stockholm syndrome?
— Maybe it's the suspension bridge effect? Honestly, whenever I look at Kim Tae-hyun, my heart starts pounding, I break out in a cold sweat, and I feel sick to my stomach.
— I think... that's a completely different medical condition.
Regardless of their whispers, Hallus proudly flaunted his fanboyism.
“A newbie like you wouldn't understand, but Lord Kim Tae-hyun has been walking around with hundreds of mortal enemies on his tail since the days of Pan-On 1!”
“...There's really no need to bring that up...” Tae-hyun tried to stop Hallus, but the explorer ignored him and pressed on.
“If someone of his caliber says so, it's absolute gospel! Silved, you might as well consider yourself a dead man walking!”
“Why, you little...”
Silved, who had been listening quietly, finally snapped. This was getting way out of hand!
“Calm down, Silved. Our guy is just... a bit of a Kim Tae-hyun fanboy.”
“And it's not like he's wrong, either.”
Silved let out a heavy sigh. The reality of his situation was finally sinking in.
“...Kim Tae-hyun. What do you think I should do?”
Throwing his pride to the wind, Silved turned to Tae-hyun for advice. After all, who better to answer the question of what to do when half the server wants you dead than the master himself?
Tae-hyun hummed, falling into deep thought.
Chairman Yoo watched him, genuinely impressed. Remarkable.
Tae-hyun exuded the kind of aura that only a veteran who had survived decades in the trenches could possess. The presence of a true master!
“First of all, a disguise is an absolute must.”
“Hmm. A disguise... I haven't done it much, but I can manage.”
“If you're a beginner at this, it's best to head somewhere completely deserted or deep inside a dungeon. Just hole up there until things blow over.”
“...If I go too deep into a dungeon, won't I get trapped?”
“Ah, right. Usually, you'd just spend your time mining and crafting items down there, but since you don't have a production class, that might be tough.”
Crazy bastard, Silved cursed inwardly.
“Then a deserted place would be better.”
“So... like a secluded corner of Frozeland or Sky Island?”
“Not bad. But given the current atmosphere, I feel like they'd chase you all the way there.”
“...Then what the hell am I supposed to do?!”
“Well, running away only gets you so far. More than anything, it sucks because you can't progress your own quests when you're constantly being harassed.”
“Is there another way, then?”
“It's a bit advanced for a beginner, but you can try questing while disguised. Oh, and don't go to sparsely populated areas. Go where the crowds are. It's much safer.”
“Why is that hard? Don't I just have to avoid getting caught?”
“You will absolutely get caught eventually. It's bound to happen once or twice. When it does, you need to know how to fight your way out and escape. And for that, the most crucial thing is having companions who will fight alongside you.”
“...?”
Listening from the side, Hallus tilted his head in confusion and raised his hand.
“Lord Tae-hyun, I have a question.”
“Uh... you can just ask normally, you know. No need to raise your hand. Sure, what is it?”
“If I recall correctly, you didn't really fight alongside companions when you were on the run...”
“Well, I didn't get caught. But he definitely will.”
“Ah, I see. Silved is definitely going to get caught.”
“Exactly.”
Though the two of them were completely disregarding him, Silved swallowed his anger. He was the one begging for advice, after all.
“Disguise myself, blend into the crowds, and find a party to fight with just in case... Hmm, that doesn't sound too difficult?”
Hallus snorted.
“What now?”
“You still haven't grasped the gravity of the situation.”
This bastard isn't even Kim Tae-hyun, so why is he acting so smug...
“You're probably planning to ask your usual acquaintances or party members for help, right?”
“...I was, yeah.”
Upon hearing this, Tae-hyun stared at him with a look of absolute horror.
Chairman Yoo also clicked his tongue in pity.
“How can anyone be so foolish...”
“Leave him be. He's still young and naive.”
“...Can you guys just tell me what's wrong?!”
Tae-hyun replied as if stating the most obvious fact in the world.
“They're obviously going to try and capture you. Why on earth would they save you?”
“Kim Tae-hyun, I'm sorry, but my social circle is different from yours.”
Tae-hyun felt a brief pang of annoyance. Yeah, yeah, good for you and your many friends!
“Hmm. Fine. Shall we test it out then? Send a whisper to your closest party members right now and tell them you're standing in front of the Archisus Grand Temple in the Valley.”
“???”
Their current location was a secluded beach on the western coast of the Erangs Kingdom. The plan was to split up here and head straight for the royal palace!
“But we're at the beach?”
“Stop whining and just send it.”
Silved: Hey. I'm in front of the Archisus Grand Temple in the Valley. That quest was brutal. Some crazy bastards...
Friend A: Oh? Really?
Friend B: Man, you must've had a rough time. Need some help?
Silved: No, it's fine. I can handle it on my own.
Silved finished the whisper and spoke triumphantly.
“See? They were all worried about me.”
“Hmm...”
Instead of replying, Tae-hyun opened the community forums. Since countless players were currently streaming live from the Valley, it was incredibly easy to check.
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
[BREAKING] Silved is in the Valley! Find him!
Since he hasn't shown up at the palace yet, there's a high chance he's with Kim Tae-hyun!
↳ User1: If we capture him, we might be able to force Kim Tae-hyun to negotiate!
“...Wow. I thought it would take at least an hour, but it leaked instantly.”
“?!?!??!”
Silved froze in sheer shock and horror. H-how... How could the information leak so fast when he had literally just sent the message?
“Silved's friends are pretty trashy. Selling him out in less than five minutes.”
“Hey, stop it. Silved's about to cry.”
The leak had happened so fast that even the Black Rock Sect members felt they should tone it down. Honestly, it was just pitiful!
The leak had happened so fast that even the Black Rock Sect members felt they should tone it down. Honestly, it was just pitiful!
Chairman Yoo felt so bad for him that he actually patted Silved on the shoulder.
“Young man, betrayal is just a part of life. Don't take it too hard. Consider it a valuable lesson and try to make better friends in the future.”
“Ugh... sniff... What do you know?!”
“Now, now, don't be so disheartened. If you ever need real friends, it wouldn't hurt to pay a visit here.”
Chairman Yoo handed him a business card. It had the contact number of the manager in charge of the Yuseong Gaming team's trainees.
Tae-hyun watched in awe. Recruiting even in a situation like this!
Perhaps because his emotional defenses were completely shattered, Silved found himself taking the card.
“What is this?”
“Give them a call. You won't regret it.”
Silved trudged away, his shoulders slumped. For some reason, his back looked incredibly small and pathetic.
“Now then, let's head to the palace quickly.”
“I'm not going to run away, so could you please let go of my arm?”
“Hoho. Do you really think I was holding onto you for that reason?”
“You absolutely were.”
“Tsk.”
Chairman Yoo clicked his tongue, disappointed that his true intentions had been laid bare. Watching him, Tae-hyun thought, His gaming instincts have really improved!
Reporting the elimination of the 1st Prince to the Death Lord, Philip III!
The Death Lord is absolutely delighted!
“HEAR ME, ALL OF YOU!!!!!!” The King bellowed, nearly bursting the eardrums of his vassals.
“If not for this brave, faithful, reliable, diligent, assassination-adept, cunning, fierce, combat-hardened, and magnificent King, what would have become of our kingdom?!”
The nobles of the Erangs Kingdom envy you due to the excessive praise!
...This isn't even my fault! Tae-hyun felt incredibly wronged as he listened in silence.
“To bring me the head of that unfilial wretch who dared to insult his sovereign! I am truly overjoyed! I wonder whose blood ran in his veins to make him such an atrocious beast!”
“?”
[?] He was your son, though...?
“With this, the rebellion of the princes—no, those unfilial scoundrels unworthy of the title—is finally over!”
The King officially declares the end of the 1st Prince's rebellion!
News of the 1st Prince's death spreads far and wide. Nobles allied with the 1st Prince begin to flee!
Your Reputation has increased significantly!
Level 225. Having broken past the seemingly insurmountable barrier of Level 200 and steadily climbing all the way to 225, he felt deeply moved. At this rate, would he actually hit Level 300?
Your Contribution Points have increased significantly!
You have gained access to several facilities within the Erance Royal Palace!
You can now construct Erangs-style buildings in the Atali Kingdom. You may request royal architects from the King.
Not bad. Tae-hyun checked the newly unlocked facilities and constructible buildings. It showed that he could build structures like the Royal Library or Grand Banquet Hall.
These royal palace-style buildings were impossible to construct normally because their blueprints were closely guarded secrets. They were dream structures that player architects could never hope to build on their own—buildings that could only be erected with the explicit permission of the King of Erangs!
Carbanog asks if you are going to build them.
Are you crazy? Why waste the money? Tae-hyun replied instantly. He had absolutely no desire to build a palace in the Valley. He wasn't Su Ning; he didn't care about flashy vanity projects.
“I have a request for you, my honorable friend, and not these untrustworthy scarecrows standing here.”
“?”
“I want you to bring me the heads of the other traitors as well!”
Although the 1st Prince is dead, the other princes have successfully fled. The Death Lord, Philip III, demands their heads as well!
The King's Wrath: Purge the Traitors
📍 Objective: Eliminate the remaining rebel princes who have fled.
🎁 Reward: Unknown
Having tasted revenge, Philip III's temperament has grown even more violent. His undead energy intensifies!