They Made It Quite Well

"They made it quite well." —???

Edager blinked, completely unaware of the fate that was about to befall him in the very next moment.

"Aaaaaaaargh!"

Normally, Edager would have been hooked up to a giant cannon to fire devastating blasts, but they didn't have such a weapon on hand. However, mana was a versatile resource that could be used for anything. Tae-hyun prepared to absorb that mana and cast his own spells.

"Hell Mana Interference, Demon's Ankle Blockade, Demon's Portal Interference!"

Rumble!

The spells Tae-hyun was currently using were obtained from Gusion, the son of a Demon Duke, and they were exceptionally potent against demons. Now, with Duke Edager's mana buff amplifying them, the resulting effects were far more devastating than Tae-hyun had anticipated.

"!!!"

The running Guild Alliance members shrieked in terror and threw themselves to the ground as the spells flew overhead. It was a massive area-of-effect spell that looked capable of obliterating the entire area!

What the? Who cast that?

Did the rankers arrive? If the guild's top-tier mage rankers had arrived, a spell of this caliber would make sense...

"K-Kim Tae-hyun?!"

"Yes. If your goal was to assassinate me, it was a decent attempt."

"No, it's not!! It's not like that!!"

Misunderstood so egregiously, the Guild Alliance members desperately tried to clear their names.

"...Some crazy demons suddenly showed up, and we had no choice but to run!"

"Has the Guild Alliance's strategy recently changed to 'act first, deny later'? The guys who came last time did the exact same thing."

Tae-hyun shot them a highly skeptical look. Having suffered so much at his hands, it seemed the Guild Alliance had grown quite cunning. Their tactics had become much more insidious!

In the past, they would challenge him openly. Nowadays, they seemed to pull stunts and then desperately plead, "Ah, we really weren't trying to fight you!" If that was indeed their new angle, he would have to crush them without mercy...

"We're telling the truth!!"

"Does it make any sense that high-level players like you are being chased around by generic, non-named demons?"

"..."

"..."

The Guild Alliance members had no defense. Even if they had ten mouths, they couldn't argue with that logic. He was absolutely right!

"Well... honestly... things just... got really complicated..."

"As if. Don't move a single inch from where you are. Come any closer, and I will attack."

"Let us through!! It's dangerous over here!"

"Shut up and stay right there."

Tae-hyun refused to let them approach any further, forcing them to remain in the middle ground between the pursuing demons and his own party.

"Begin the attack!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The demons giving chase were currently rooted in place by Tae-hyun's powerful crowd-control spells. Seizing the opportunity, the mortars began raining explosives ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down upon them.

"Uwooooah!"

The Power Warrior Guild members who fired the mortars let out loud shouts. The rookie, Mubo, asked in confusion:

"Why did you scream just now?"

"It's... a battle cry."

"If you shout with all your might when you fire, the cannonballs actually fly harder and deal more damage."

"Really?!"

Mubo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠accepted the explanation with a look of pure innocence. Seeing this, the other Power Warrior Guild members felt a slight pang of guilt.

Kabo-o-om!

Along with the massive explosions, the charging demons were blown off their feet and sent rolling across the ground.

Because their levels were so low to begin with, a single successful barrage was enough to trigger a level up for the Power Warrior Guild members. Mubo was utterly amazed.

"As expected...! Since you guys tackle quests like this on a daily basis, it's no wonder your levels are so high!"

Kid, the level difference between you and us is barely ten...!

Once the bombardment began, Tae-hyun didn't stop. He unleashed a relentless barrage of spells.

There was a saying that a well-nurtured mage could act as a one-man army. Having acquired a vast array of spells from the Ancient Empire University and raised them to the Advanced tier, Tae-hyun possessed more than enough combat capability to fight as a pure mage.

Combined with Duke Edager's massive mana buff, the destructive power he displayed was easily on par with that of a Great Mage.

"Impressive, Edager. You certainly live up to your title as a Demon Duke."

"Aaargh! Aaaaaaargh!"

Edager writhed in agony as his mana was ruthlessly drained. What on earth was this lunatic doing to him?

Yet, Tae-hyun showed no signs of stopping. He continuously blanketed the battlefield with Sadiq's Flame while simultaneously laying down metal traps to prevent the demons from closing in.

Clang! Clang!

Every time the demons tried to advance, they were instantly snared. The once-terrifying demons could do nothing but flounder helplessly, unable to take another step forward.

"...Let's join the fight too!"

"Yeah! Let's go back—"

Boom!

Just as the Guild Alliance members prepared to charge, a bomb detonated right in front of them.

"...???"

"We're the ones doing all the work here, and you think you can just swoop in and steal our loot? Stay put if you don't want to die."

"..."

Trying to leech off someone else's hunt was an act so universally reviled that even if they were killed for it, they would have no right to complain.

"No, we were just trying to help..."

"Right. I'm sure that's the exact excuse you prepared."

At Tae-hyun's words, the Power Warrior Guild members shot them icy glares.

"What a bunch of shameless bastards."

"If anyone did that in our guild, they'd be instantly banished."

"People who mess with other people's hunts are absolute trash!"

The Power Warrior Guild members might beg for gold, but they never, ever touched another player's hunt.

Of course, from the Guild Alliance's perspective, this was incredibly unfair. They had grown accustomed to being insulted by Kim Tae-hyun, but to be lectured by a bunch of low-level beggars like the Power Warrior Guild was a bitter pill to swallow!

"You literal beggars dare talk to us like—aaargh!"

"Oops. My hand slipped."

"Do you want to die?!"

"Tae-hyun-nim! They're threatening to kill us!"

"..."

The Guild Alliance members promptly shut their mouths. What a bunch of dirty, underhanded cowards!

The greatest strength of the Power Warrior Guild was that they had absolutely no pride and were willing to play as dirty as necessary. What could the Guild Alliance do? Since they were the ones in a tight spot, they just had to endure it.

"Is everything taken care of?"

"Yes!"

Thanks to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠keeping their distance and maintaining a steady barrage, they successfully neutralized the demons without suffering any casualties.

Their thorough preparation had played a part, but the biggest contributor was undoubtedly Edager. He was a highly reliable mana battery that allowed Tae-hyun to spam high-tier spells to his heart's content!

"Ugh... just you wait... I'll get you for this..."

"Thank you, Edager. I shall never forget your sacrifice."

As Kim Tae-hyun and the Power Warrior Guild members ran forward, the Guild Alliance members looked puzzled.

"Tae-hyun. They're all dead. We're perfectly fine, so there's no need to rush over to save us..."

"Move. I'm checking the loot."

"..."

Ah...! Right! Checking the loot is indeed important...!

The Guild Alliance members dejectedly stepped aside. Tae-hyun began scanning the fallen demons to inspect them.

What exactly is different about them?

He was curious to know what made these demons so different from the ones that usually appeared in the Auston Kingdom, causing such a massive uproar everywhere.

"..."

"..."

Tae-hyun and Karbanog were momentarily left speechless.

What on earth was the Karbanog Church doing back then...?

It seemed the Archisus Church used to drag demons around to extract their mana. A method remarkably similar to Tae-hyun's own! In contrast, the Karbanog Church had taken a completely different path. They had trained and physically modified the demons to serve as defensive temple guardians.

Wow. The Karbanog Church was full of far scarier lunatics than I thought.

They definitely don't look like they were reformed through love...

Looking at the aggressive demons, they appeared incredibly vicious. Their physical sizes were several times larger than ordinary demons, and their entire bodies were encased in heavy armor, allowing them to easily withstand holy magic and other elemental attacks.

First of all, was the armor crafted using Blacksmithing? If they placed a curse on the armor, it would definitely be possible.

As an expert in utilizing vicious skills, Tae-hyun began calmly analyzing the situation.

He suspected that Alchemy was used to bulk up their size. The Archisus Church of that era had been highly proficient in Alchemy, and such skills were perfect for artificially enlarging creatures. And the armor was likely the work of Blacksmithing. The Blacksmithing skill wasn't limited to crafting ordinary gear; it could also be used to forge cursed armor or suits of mail that could never be removed once equipped.

If they had strengthened the demons and then controlled them by forcing them into such armor...

That's actually not a bad idea.

Archisus Paladins charging on horseback (X)

Archisus Paladins charging on demons (O)!

As mounts, demons were undeniably powerful. They possessed high Constitution, incredible endurance, and could even cast magic...

"Very well, Guild Alliance. I shall believe your excuse."

"Oh! You believe us! Thank goodness!"

"We have absolutely no reason to attack you! We're friends, after all!"

"We need to head back into the dungeon. Lead the way."

"..."

"This is a battle between Lee Se-yeon and me."

"I don't think that's the point of this show..."

"One side dish confiscated from tonight's dinner."

Cain instantly shut his mouth. The sheer pressure radiating from Tae-hyun was no joke.

It's literally just a broadcast...

Lee Se-yeon was simply visiting their team house to share a meal, yet Tae-hyun was acting as if he were preparing for war. His hands were moving with a speed and precision completely unlike his usual self!

Cain whispered to Choi Sang-yun, who was standing beside him.

"Isn't he putting way more effort into this than the food he usually makes for us?"

"...Do you seriously expect him to put the same amount of effort into our daily meals as he does for Lee Se-yeon?!"

Choi Sang-yun asked in utter disbelief. It was only natural to put more effort into entertaining a guest. Besides, comparing Lee Se-yeon to Cain was just... there was simply no comparison.

Cameras were set up all over the team house, and the production staff began their final preparations.

"What should we do?"

"Just act as you normally would. It would be especially great if Cain-seonsu could just behave exactly like he always does."

At the PD's words, Cain beamed with a bright smile. Is this what they call professional consideration? As expected of a seasoned broadcast veteran, the PD exuded an air of confidence that suggested he could handle whatever antics Cain pulled.

Jeong Su-hyeok leaned in and whispered.

"Cain-seonbaenim. He's trying to screw you over right now."

"Why?"

"If they show how you normally act, everyone is going to curse you out. He's trying to bait views by making you look bad."

"...Hey...!"

Surely it's not that bad!!