Digging Deep and Dining Out

To be fair, the Idergo Cult was surprisingly tight-knit for an evil god's order. One only had to look at how they had mobilized their entire Plague Fleet just to rescue their own last time. If it had been the Archisus Church or the Sadique Order, they would have shrugged and said, "The dead are dead, but the living must go on living," and never bothered to lift a finger.

True to the cult's surprisingly loyal nature, Persmes, the successor to the Plague Bishop, was incredibly devoted.

Is he really from an evil cult?

Tae-hyun felt a twinge of guilt as he basked in the abundance of buffs. Honestly, this guy would fit in much better with the Demer Order...

...

In any case, it allowed Tae-hyun to catch his breath. There was nothing more reassuring than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠having a dedicated healer backing you up, and when that healer was a high-ranking bishop NPC like Persmes, it was on a whole different level.

Boom! Crash! Crash!

We need to push harder!

The tide of battle was definitely turning in their favor. The number of skeletons falling was finally outstripping the speed at which they spawned. This was the moment to press the advantage! Tae-hyun roared fiercely.

"Keep pushing! Don't stop! Hey, you! You just got healed, why are you backing off? Keep moving forward!"

Lee Se-yeon barked out her own orders with equal ferocity.

"Don't you dare fall back! Hold the line! I can see your health bar, you know! Fifteen percent is more than enough!"

"..."

"..."

The members of the Yuseong Guild were utterly horrified.

There are two of them now...!

What kind of living nightmare is this?

Cain was famous for going around saying nonsense like, "Soju is bitter? Please, after surviving under Kim Tae-hyun, it tastes like sweet juice." But in truth, the players under Lee Se-yeon had plenty of their own grievances. Se-yeon was just as relentless when it came to nagging and driving her guild members to their limits. Putting the two of them together was enough to drive anyone insane...

"...This maze dungeon. Surely it won't keep throwing endless waves at us like this the entire time."

"!"

Tae-hyun flinched at Se-yeon's murmur. Now that he thought about it, she had a point. Just dealing with this insane flood of skeletons was exhausting enough. What if the monsters got stronger? What if they started facing Ghouls or even Death Knights in these numbers?

Is this difficulty level still impossible to clear?

For the first time, such a thought crossed Tae-hyun's mind. While others gossiped, saying things like, "Wow, Kim Tae-hyun is completely fearless. At this rate, he'll probably head to the Demon Realm and bring back a Demon Duke's head next," Tae-hyun himself was extremely pragmatic. Since this was a game, there were bound to be quests that couldn't be cleared yet, or boss monsters that were currently impossible to defeat. Knowing when to retreat was also a form of courage. The worst mistake a player could make was failing to retreat because they were too self-conscious about what others thought.

—It's too embarrassing to retreat when so many people are watching!

—Our party's reputation is on the line...!

Fortunately, Tae-hyun was not the type of person to be swayed by such trivial matters. When it was time to pull back, he pulled back.

"Over here! Over here!!"

"Right here!"

"Monsters!! Prepare for battle!!!"

"They're not monsters, they're Orc adventurers..."

Tae-hyun stepped in to stop the paladins, who had cried out in alarm and raised their weapons. The figures approaching were none other than the Orc Ahjussis.

"Wait, Tae-hyun actually came to rescue us?!"

"Tae-hyun, what got into you?"

"No, seriously... why are you here? I bet all my money that you wouldn't come!"

The middle-aged men looked utterly bewildered to see him. Aside from Kim Tae-san, every single one of them had betted on "He won't come."

...Yet, despite their doubts, Tae-hyun was standing right in front of them.

"So, why did you actually come?"

"Well, I received a map and got some information in advance, so I figured I'd drop by and pick you up while I was at it."

"Ahhh...!"

The middle-aged men instantly understood. So there was a backroom deal! Of course!

"Hey, isn't that cheating?!"

"Shut up, you lot."

In any case, the Orc Ahjussis began pouring out of their hiding spot...

...which was a tiny hole in the ground!

"You guys were holding out underground?"

"Shh! Don't go telling anyone about this."

"Make sure to edit this part out when you upload the video later."

The Orc Ahjussis desperately pleaded, slipping some gold coins into Tae-hyun's hand.

It was true. To survive in this place, the Orc Ahjussis had dug a temporary shelter underground. It was a strategy that any party concerned with their public image would have never even considered! But these middle-aged men didn't care about appearances in the slightest. The moment they realized the situation was turning south, they had immediately dug a hole, crawled inside, and laid low.

"Since you managed to clear out the skeletons once, why didn't you just fight your way out?"

"Do you have any idea how many items we burned through just to clear that one wave? We need to head back and restock first."

Unlike Tae-hyun's massive expedition, the Orc Ahjussis had a much smaller party. They couldn't afford to engage in a war of attrition. They hadn't dug themselves into the dirt out of sheer cowardice; it was a calculated survival tactic.

Kim Tae-san brushed the dirt off his clothes and looked around. He had seen them on screen, but witnessing the scale of the force in person was breathtaking. The elite paladins and priests mobilized from the various religious orders were a sight to behold. Radiating holy light under their fluttering banners, they looked incredibly divine. Even after such a fierce battle, they stood firm and unshaken, maintaining their formations with absolute discipline.

How on earth did he manage to recruit these guys?

Though both Tae-hyun and Kim Tae-san were technically rulers, their positions were worlds apart. Tae-hyun had seized control of an entire kingdom on the Central Continent and was on close terms with several of the most influential NPCs.

Meanwhile, Kim Tae-san was merely a chieftain of a barbarian tribe on the frontier! Of course, Tae-san was highly satisfied with his exploits in far-off Uruk, but seeing his son mobilize such a formidable force made him feel a pinch of envy. The Uruk region was filled with nothing but weirdos!

"Whoa. Isn't that Lee Se-yeon?"

"My daughter is a huge fan of hers."

"Do you think we could get an autograph?"

"Guild Master, ask Tae-hyun to put in a word for us."

"...Do we really have to embarrass ourselves like this?"

Kim Tae-san grumbled, looking thoroughly displeased. Honestly, he was already dying of embarrassment from being rescued by players young enough to be his children, but his shameless guild members had no pride whatsoever and were clamoring for autographs.

The reason they were asking for Lee Se-yeon's autograph instead of Kim Tae-hyun's was simple.

...They had already gotten his!

A long time ago, Kim Tae-san had gathered autographs from the entire Team KL roster and distributed them to his guild members.

The middle-aged men nodded with solemn determination.

"Yes!"

"...Fine, you rascals."

Kim Tae-san let out a heavy sigh and approached Tae-hyun.

"So, uh... the thing is, those guys over there really want to get Lee Se-yeon's autograph..."

"Sure, that's not hard. I'll go ask her."

Tae-hyun agreed surprisingly easily. It wasn't like he was the one signing, and passing a message to Se-yeon was no trouble at all.

The middle-aged men watched them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with bated breath, their faces filled with anxiety. Is she going to do it? Is she?!

Lee Se-yeon shrugged with a smile and walked over to them. The Orc Ahjussis practically leaped with joy.

"Thank you so much! Thank you!"

"Player Lee Se-yeon, you truly have the best personality to match your incredible skills!"

"...?"

Tae-hyun, listening from the side, tilted his head in confusion. What about me then?

Once Lee Se-yeon finished signing for all the guild members, Kim Tae-san bowed his head in gratitude.

"Thank you so much. It must be exhausting having to drag my son around with you."

"Not at all. I actually quite enjoy traveling with Kim Tae-hyun," Se-yeon replied with an incredibly polite tone—one that felt entirely fake to Tae-hyun's ears.

The middle-aged men marveled at her exemplary manners once ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠again.

"Her personality is on a whole different level compared to Tae-hyun's!"

"Seriously, now I completely understand why Tae-hyun had so many enemies back in Pan-On 1."

"No wonder he lost."

"Who said that last part?!"

Tae-hyun whipped his head around. He could let other things slide, but he absolutely could not ignore that last comment. As Tae-hyun glared at them while resting his hand on his sword, the middle-aged men quickly averted their eyes.

Look at that glare!

He looks like he's ready to commit murder!

All over a harmless joke...

Ignoring the tension, Kim Tae-san continued expressing his gratitude.

"Since you two are teammates now, Tae-hyun really ought to treat you to a nice meal, but knowing him, he probably hasn't even thought of it..."

"What are you talking about? He treats me all the time."

"Oh? Really?"

Kim Tae-san looked genuinely surprised. Did his son actually possess that kind of consideration?

"I'm constantly feeding her my cooking in the game."

"...I meant in real life, you punk!" Tae-san barked. "Not in the game!"

"Father, Player Lee Se-yeon probably makes just as much money as I do, if not more. She can buy her own food. Besides, I heard the Yuseong Gaming team house is practically a luxury hotel. Their meals are probably way better than ours."

Compared to the Team KL house, where Tae-hyun personally planned and prepared the meals, the Yuseong Gaming team house—fully staffed with professional nutritionists and chefs—was bound to be far more luxurious. No matter how hard Tae-hyun worked on his cooking, it was still just home-style meals. There was a clear difference in extravagance.

"...Actually, now that you mention it, I'd like to go try it."

"!?"

Tae-hyun stared at Se-yeon in surprise. What was she playing at?

"You're not planning to come over just to mock our menu, are you?"

"What kind of person do you take me for?"

"Well... sorry. I just couldn't think of any other reason."

"I'm just curious, that's all. People talk about it all the time."

"That's just because Cain exaggerates everything. It's really not that great."

The reputation of Team KL's meals had indeed been blown out of proportion, largely thanks to Cain.

Every time Cain went on a broadcast, he couldn't stop raving about how delicious the food was, leading the public to believe that Team KL was dining on Michelin-star cuisine.

"I asked Da-bi, and she confirmed that it really ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is delicious."

"That's just because Lee Da-bi is too nice. She'd even eat Cain's cooking and call it delicious..."

Tae-hyun trailed off, suddenly freezing. Se-yeon had just referred to Da-bi so casually. Since when did those two get so close?

Though Tae-hyun didn't realize it himself, what he was feeling right now was a sharp pang of jealousy.

"Well, anyway, it's not like treating you to a meal at the Team KL house is that difficult..."

"I want to go too!!"

Ryu Tae-su raised his hand and shouted with intense passion. He absolutely could not let this golden opportunity slip by.

"You want to come too? Sure, why don't we just invite the entire Yuseong Gaming team over?"

Before Tae-su could celebrate, Ryu Da-young smacked him on the back with all her might. The blow left Tae-su completely stunned and unable to speak.

"?!"

"My brother says he won't be able to make it," Da-young said flatly.

"Oh, really? Then just Se-yeon can come."

Tae-su stared at Da-young with a look of utter betrayal. Sister! What are you doing?!

"Tunnels... digging tunnels, huh."

"..."

As Tae-hyun paced around deep in thought, the demons trapped in the cages watched him with growing dread. What on earth was this lunatic plotting now? Whatever it was, they had a strong feeling it wouldn't be good for their health.

"Tunnels... actually, that might not be a bad idea. The uncles managed to stay hidden for quite a while down there."

If flying over or taking the long way around was out of the question, why not go underneath? Besides, he had plenty of labor on hand to dig the tunnels.