The Art of the Bluff

Hearing that so suddenly made Farel start to feel anxious. Surely there weren't any unprincipled bastards trying to snatch his quest first, right? He had been sitting on this one for a very long time...

"Since you haven't cleared it yet, isn't it fair game for someone else to do it first?"

"Absolutely not! How dare anyone commit such a breach of business ethics!"

Hmm. A true ranker indeed. Tae-hyun thought the man's personality was highly typical of a ranker. To be a ranker meant one thing: you only cared about yourself!

"Anyway, with a structure like this... there should be something special here."

It was obvious that without a specific skill or item, players were barred from even passing through the entrance.

"How about we just go in and blow it sky-high with bombs?"

"If you demolish a house, whoever is inside is bound to come running out. Isn't that just basic homeowner psychology?"

"...You guys just play around with this and try to make an exact replica."

Tae-hyun pulled a bomb out of his bag and tossed it to them. Instantly, the mechanical engineering blacksmiths huddled around the explosive, putting their heads together and chattering excitedly about how to replicate it. They were so intensely focused that they seemed completely deaf to their surroundings.

"..."

Farel watched them in utter shock. What on earth is wrong with these people?

"Well, it's finally quieted down. So, have you looked for any items or skills in the meantime?"

"I couldn't find any?"

"...You really are an extraordinary player."

Receiving Tae-hyun's praise, Farel felt a slight swell of pride. Lee Da-bi, however, thought to herself, I don't think that was a compliment... Tae-hyun's gaze had just shifted into the exact look he usually gave Cain.

"Hmm... Right. Since we've built up some reputation in the city, let's walk around and ask."

"I already tried that, but I didn't get any useful answers. It seems even the NPCs here don't know anything about it."

"Is that so? Still, we should double-check. Because there might have been a mistake in what Cain... I mean, what you did."

"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun, you joke too much. I'm a ranker too; there's no way I'd make a mistake like that."

"Haha. Hearing you say that fills me with immense confidence."

His eyes just got even colder! Lee Da-bi was startled to see Tae-hyun's gaze turn freezing cold. At this rate, he was looking at Farel as if he were ranked even lower than Cain.

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask for directions."

"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun, that NPC is bad news. He has a truly rotten personality."

Farel hesitated. The stablehand of Spada City standing ahead of them was notorious for his terrible temper. Whenever new players came to buy or rent mounts, he would chase them away with furious shouts.

"-How dare you show your face here with such pathetic racing skills! Get lost!!"

"-I'm glad you came. Because someone needs to tell you how terrible your skills are, and that someone is me!!"

"-Do you see that sky over there? Run along those clouds and jump off! Your racing skills are just that abysmal!!!"

"Well, that's only true when you haven't laid the groundwork."

"-My word! Aren't you that magnificent adventurer who won the last race? Eliminating two of those trashy opponents and clinching a spectacular victory—your skills are truly legendary!!"

"..."

Farel felt a surge of indignation. Wait, is this old man serious?

"It was nothing, really."

"-Nothing, you say?! And so humble, too! Every single word you utter radiates the sheer class that only a true racer can display!"

"So, how have you been?"

"-To think you'd ask how I've been! How can anyone be so kind? Then again, it's only natural that someone with superb racing skills would possess an equally magnificent character!"

The stablehand practically leaped with joy and clapped his hands at every single word Tae-hyun spoke. Farel's jaw dropped lower and lower. Is this guy secretly a member of the Archisus Church?

"But..."

"-'But'?! How could you... Ah, my apologies. That was uncalled for."

"Yes. This isn't really a situation to be marveling at. Do you happen to know much about the elders of this city?"

"-The elders? They don't usually show themselves, but they do make an appearance once in a while. They are truly powerful individuals."

"Oh... Mages? Swordsmen?"

"-No. I'm talking about racing."

"..."

Tae-hyun was slightly dumbfounded. That means they're fast, not strong!

"I see. I would like to meet one of the elders. Is there any way to do so?"

"-Of course, you are a remarkably fast adventurer these days, but you're still a bit lacking. If you wish to meet an elder, you must become the lord of this city."

As I thought. Tae-hyun felt a pang of disappointment. Becoming the lord of this city was no easy feat. Above all, NPCs also participated in the races. The NPCs raced among themselves to accumulate victories and climb the rankings. While it was relatively easy to rank higher than other players, surpassing the NPCs was an incredibly difficult task.

Even at my current pace, there are probably a few NPCs who rank higher than me...

I feel a sudden wave of self-loathing for actually being tempted by that. He was briefly swayed by Carbanog's suggestion, but realistically, it was impossible.

Besides, isn't it incredibly unfair that those NPC bastards only race among themselves? Because they raced in their own exclusive league, it was hard to interfere with them or even figure out their racing patterns. No matter how skilled a player was, gathering information beforehand was crucial.

Still, I have to give it a shot. Tae-hyun prepared to activate his Speech skill. If he simply backed down just because an NPC rejected him, there would have been no point in raising his Speech skill to the highest tier.

"That is truly a shame. Actually... the only reason I, a mere adventurer, entered these races was because of one of the city's elders."

"-Is that so? Well, I suppose that makes sense! The elders are truly magnificent, after all. Which ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠elder did you meet?"

"It was a long time ago, so my memory is a bit hazy, but they taught me how I should race."

Beside him, Lee Da-bi marveled in silence. A lie that rolled off his tongue in less than a second—it was a god-given talent. Even the most notorious liars in the Power Warrior guild couldn't hold a candle to Tae-hyun.

"-Your... unique racing style of using engineering to modify monsters, block the path, and eliminate all the surrounding racers... was taught to you by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an elder?!"

"..."

Uh-oh...! Tae-hyun instantly regretted his words. He had underestimated his opponent. Come to think of it, the NPCs here were absolute fanatics who kept track of every single race the adventurers ran. Naturally, they would be well aware of Tae-hyun's notorious racing style. I need to make an excuse.

"-If that is the case, I believe I know exactly which elder taught you."

"...???"

Before Tae-hyun could even utter an excuse, the stablehand had already rationalized it on his own.

"-That distinct, combative racing style and the method of blocking the path... There is only one elder who would teach such things."

"...Exactly!"

Farel was utterly dumbfounded. How on earth had Kim Tae-hyun obtained such information beforehand? While Lee Da-bi, who knew the truth, was thinking, Wow, Tae-hyun is really getting a free ride here, from Farel's perspective, it looked like Tae-hyun had calculated every single move. This isn't the playstyle of a mere human!

"-Yes. If that is your reason... then it is only natural that you would want to meet him. And I am sure the elder would wish to see you as well, seeing how fast the adventurer he once met has become."

Elder Shuraik. That was the name of the elder they were now able to meet, thanks to the stablehand's information.

"They said we can meet him if we wait here, but I'm not sure if he's the owner of that mansion."

"What are you planning to do?"

"I'll see if we can capture him and use Threaten. If that doesn't work, I'll try something else."

While steadily accumulating wins to become the lord was a solid plan, if there was an alternative path like this, it was worth exploring. If a shortcut existed, taking it was only logical.

"You sure know how to joke! Hahaha!"

"...?"

"??"

Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi stared blankly at Farel. Flustered, Farel began to stammer.

"...Y-You weren't joking?"

"I was completely serious."

"You can actually capture him?"

"Uh... well... aren't you worried about your Infamy rising?"

Farel was the type of player who meticulously managed his Infamy. Given the penalties associated with high Infamy, it was only natural.

"If Infamy goes up, we can just raise our Reputation even higher to offset it."

"Theoretically, yes, but isn't it incredibly difficult to keep your Reputation higher than your Infamy?"

"Then we just have to clear a bunch of high-difficulty quests, right?"

"..."

For a moment, Farel wondered if Tae-hyun was mocking him. What kind of logic was this? It sounded exactly like a top student casually saying, "Just study hard and review your lessons to get first place in school."

Yet, Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi looked dead serious. T-These people actually believe that! Goosebumps broke out all over Farel's arms. Was this the kind of sheer madness required to reach the absolute top tier?

While they waited, Tae-hyun scanned their surroundings. By the way, is this really where the elder passes through?

They were currently outside the city, on a cliffside path near Spada City. The terrain was incredibly rugged, littered with obstacles, and a single misstep would send a player plummeting to their death, so players rarely ventured here. Since there were no useful monsters or crafting materials to be found, no one in their right mind had a reason to wander around this area.

CRACK!

A loud grinding sound echoed from the ground as a massive hole suddenly gaped open, and a colossal spider burst forth. It was a giant arachnid easily matching the size of a Basilisk.

"!"

It's engineering equipment! Gear crafted with the Engineering skill was incredibly rare. There was usually no reason to use such an unstable and hazardous skill when other crafting skills were available. The only engineering items players occasionally stumbled upon were broken remnants or the crude, dangerous contraptions made by Goblins. Yet, here he was, staring at a masterpiece so advanced that even he couldn't comprehend its blueprint!

"The elder must be riding it. Let's call out to him before he moves! Elder Shuraik!"

"-You... Aren't you that adventurer who won the last race by spectacularly eliminating two of those trashy opponents?"

Do the NPCs in this city share some kind of private bulletin board? Tae-hyun was slightly taken aback when Elder Shuraik repeated the exact same words the stablehand had used. Elder Shuraik spoke in a heavy, mechanical, and emotionless voice.

"-I acknowledge your skills as an adventurer, but you cannot seek me out before becoming the lord."

"Please, just hear me out for a moment!"

"-I refuse. Do not follow me!"

With those words, Elder Shuraik took off. The mechanical spider's legs blurred as it rapidly accelerated.

He's fast!

I often think this city is way too overly immersed in racing.