Upgrades and Unexpected Quests

The rewards that came with every victory. Tae-hyun poured them all into Nantione without a single shred of hesitation. Adding wings, adding boosters, adding shields, adding skill barriers...

I might have been the one who upgraded her, but she really turned out magnificent.

As a result, the already powerful Mecha Basilisk felt even more formidable. She was the very definition of reliable. At this rate, she wouldn't just be blocking the road; she could actually jump right into the race.

Now there's definitely a decent chance of winning.

Her speed had increased significantly, and physical collisions were already her specialty...

"Nantione. Let's do a quick run. You're scared? It's fine. Don't worry. I won't turn on the boosters, so you can run with peace of mind. Am I really not going to turn them on? No, wait. You don't trust me? I said I won't! Then why did I install them? Just shut up and move forward."

"..."

"..."

The two dragons stared at Nantione with pity. How on earth did she end up meeting a guy like that...

"They say player Kim Tae-hyun is winning in a really bizarre way."

"Don't worry about them. Just focus on our own work."

"Yes, Sis. Everyone heard that, right? Focus! Stop paying attention to weirdos like Kim Tae-hyun!"

Kim Hyeon-ah urged her guild members, echoing Lee Se-yeon's words.

"Aw, he's not really a weirdo..."

"If marrying a Basilisk doesn't make you a weirdo, then what does?!"

"Isn't that totally doable, though?"

"I think I'd do it too if there was a reward."

"Would you really refuse it even with a reward, Miss Kim Hyeon-ah?"

"...No."

To be honest, even Kim Hyeon-ah found it hard to deny. If it gave a skill, of course you'd marry a Basilisk!

Right now, Lee Se-yeon and her guild members were also challenging the Sky Island races. Of course, they weren't aiming for victory through bizarre methods like Tae-hyun. They were taking a fairly standard approach.

"This is definitely the best."

"Agreed. It seems to be the most stable."

"Since the mounts are decided, we'll try to queue up at the same time as you, Guild Master."

Since matchmaking was random, they couldn't rig it completely, but queuing up simultaneously occasionally landed one or two of them in the same race. When that happened, they could provide solid backup.

"If you happen to run into Kim Tae-hyun, don't overdo it. Just surrender. There's nothing good about getting eaten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by him."

"Come on. With so many people playing, what are the odds of running into Kim Tae-hyun?"

The guild member who had entered with absolute confidence screamed in the guild chat just five minutes later.

Since Lee Se-yeon's guild members were all rankers, they had prepared for various situations. Naturally, running into Kim Tae-hyun was one of them.

The rising ranker, Farel, trembled.

Is this my chance?

When he first arrived on Sky Island, cleared dungeons, and toured various cities, things hadn't been like this. There were certainly many people, but the spotlight was focused on more famous rankers and guilds.

But now, attention was undeniably shifting toward Spada City. From several broadcasting stations to famous rankers whose names even Farel recognized, people were passing through constantly.

And to top it off, the legendary Kim Tae-hyun was here! He was definitely riding the wave of momentum.

I'm going to show them what I'm made of this time.

Although people praised rising rankers as the fresh blood rapidly climbing the ranks, they actually faced severe struggles. First of all, it was incredibly difficult to catch up to the famous, established rankers.

People like Kim Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon possessed global fame, participating in everything from the Pan-On League to international tournaments...

Even those just below them were doing quite well. These were players who, even if they didn't compete in tournaments, had maintained their ranker status for a long time and built up a solid reputation. Usually, any player from their country would recognize them instantly.

The newly arrived rising rankers had to compete against these veterans. On top of that, they had to vie for popularity among themselves, making it a truly cutthroat battle.

If they joined a major guild, they would ultimately end up as mere background extras for the guild master or a few core executives...

I have to show them something this time.

"Player Kim Tae-hyun!"

"Who are you?"

Tae-hyun looked at Farel with a puzzled expression. He was curious because a player who seemed to be of a fairly high level had approached him.

"If you're here to pick a fight about the roadblocking, you've picked the wrong opponent."

"Yeah, you loser! Blame your own slow self!"

"Don't talk trash outside the race, prove your speed on the track!"

"Boooooo!"

"..."

Farel was flustered. He had only spoken a single sentence to Tae-hyun, but the surrounding players and NPCs had immediately joined forces to boo him.

I really can't get used to this city!

"I have something to tell you! It's about a quest!"

Farel's plan was simple.

The quest I got a while ago. I didn't dare attempt it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠because of the difficulty... but I'm clearing it today!

Quests in Pan-On had various difficulties, and some were clearly not meant to be cleared yet. Such quests usually meant 'clear this later, not now,' and most players understood the hint. Except for people like Tae-hyun.

Kim Tae-hyun will definitely be interested!

Of course, it was always best to keep a quest to oneself. The only reason he didn't was the sheer difficulty. Sharing the rewards was far better than failing to clear it at all. And above all, the identity of the person he shared it with was crucial. If he did a quest with Kim Tae-hyun?

Honestly, even if I give him all the rewards, I still win!

...In this way, it could generate an immense amount of buzz.

"It's an incredibly rare and amazing quest!"

Farel spoke with absolute sincerity. Kim Tae-hyun had probably received this kind of approach countless times. If he didn't speak forcefully, he wouldn't be able to convince him.

"That guy is suspicious!"

"Doesn't he have the same look in his eyes as the people wandering around the Valley?"

The Mechanical Engineering Blacksmiths whispered to Tae-hyun.

You guys are the last ones who should be saying that...

However, Tae-hyun also thought the blacksmiths had a point. At first glance, a quest brought by someone else seemed like a great opportunity to get a free ride. But there was no such thing as a free lunch. In Pan-On 1, there were plenty of people who set traps like this. They would use the invited person ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as bait, or secretly betray them to take all the profits for themselves... Sharing a quest required the other party to be somewhat trustworthy.

He's doubting me!

Farel grew anxious as Tae-hyun fell silent. He was definitely being suspected.

"I'm not a suspicious person!"

"That's the classic line of a suspicious person."

"I'm a ranker too!"

"Rankers are usually the best scammers."

"U-um, I'm rising in the ranks as Farel lately, do you perhaps know my name...?"

Farel blushed as he spoke. Honestly, boasting about himself like this was embarrassing. Especially ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in front of Kim Tae-hyun!

Tae-hyun was slightly taken aback. For some reason, he felt a bit bad about saying he didn't know him.

"Do you know him?"

"Farel? Farel? I know Paral. Who is this guy?"

"Just pretend you know him."

"..."

I can hear everything...! Hurt by the Mechanical Engineering Blacksmiths, Farel spoke with a slightly tearful voice.

"Y-you might not know me..."

"Now I feel bad. But I tend to trust quests I obtain myself. Quests brought by others are a bit..."

"It's an Akisus-related quest!"

"?!"

"...?" Tae-hyun tilted his head. Lee Da-bi was also puzzled.

"It doesn't look like a particularly difficult quest."

"Since the name Akisus is involved, let's start by doubting it."

Tae-hyun nodded and asked,

"Judging by how you talk, you've already entered and exited this mansion."

"Yes! How did you know?!"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't know what kind of quest it is..."

Why was he surprised by something so obvious?

"What was the mansion like? Did the connection to Akisus come from there too?"

Farel cautiously turned on a video. It was of a mansion in the city that he had never set foot in again after entering just once.

He had thought it was just an ordinary mansion, but as soon as he entered, the entrance hallway began to stretch out at an insane rate. Farel ran with all his might, but he couldn't keep up with the expanding hallway and floundered helplessly.

"How foolish. For someone so agonizingly slow to enter this mansion. Do not dare to set foot here again until you become faster!"

"N-no!"

Farel, who had tried to hold on somehow, was kicked out miserably. After watching the video, Tae-hyun asked, looking unconvinced.

"Where is Akisus in any of this?"

"U-um, if you look here, there's also the symbol of the Akisus Church."

"!"

Only then did Tae-hyun notice the paintings hanging on the walls.

These are multiple churches, aren't they?

Old paintings depicting priests and paladins from various orders, including the Phytos Church and the Demer Church, were hanging on the wall.

These were painted during the era of the Ancient Empire!

Sky Island was a place where many relics from the Ancient Empire were discovered. For someone of an elder's status, it wasn't strange to possess artworks handed down from that era.

I definitely want to get my hands on those.

"What a shameless bastard!"

"Are you trying to trick Lord Tae-hyun into thinking this is an Akisus Church quest just because of that one painting?!"

The Mechanical Engineering Blacksmiths who were listening grew furious.

"We must sentence him to the explosive collar!"

"An explosive collar isn't enough! Let's put explosive handcuffs and explosive shackles on him!"

"How about the Punishment of the Valley's Demon?!"

Farel felt pure, unadulterated terror. In terms of level, they wouldn't even be a match for him in a fight, but their madness-filled voices carried a terrifying force.

"Everyone, calm down. The quest itself isn't bad."

"...!"

Farel's face brightened.

"But I have a question. Where did you get this quest?"

"I found a document while searching through library ruins on the continent. Why do you ask?"

"For a quest like this, there's bound to be competition."

"Pardon? As far as I know, there wasn't any...?"

"Who would make a big fuss about it? Of course they'd prepare quietly in secret. Though, I suppose there's a chance there's no competition..."