Elder, Stop Right There!
"Elder! Stop right there!"
Of course, the elder did not stop.
"Elder! If you don't stop, things might get ugly!"
- ...
Elder Shuraik is utterly dumbfounded!
- Catch me if you can!
Elder Shuraik's provocation excited the dragons following Tae-hyun.
- That old man needs a taste of fire to realize who's boss!
- Master, we must show him what we're made of!
- Kyaoo!
"...Have you three had a bit of a personality change?"
Tae-hyun, preparing for the chase, was puzzled. Had they become more aggressive because they watched too many races?
- No, Master. Step on it! You must catch up! Hurry up and floor it!
"No... I don't plan on riding Nantione this time."
- Ki-it?
Nantione looked at Tae-hyun with a surprised expression. She had already angled herself and was ready to launch.
"I can't make you do it every time. You've worked so hard."
- Ki-iit...!
Nantione nodded, looking deeply moved.
Nantione is deeply moved!
Affection level has increased...
...
As Nantione rubbed her head against him, Tae-hyun nodded and said, "Haha. Yeah, no need to be that moved. But can you rub a bit more gently? It hurts. Maybe because I modified you so much, it's actually a bit scary."
- But Master, if you don't ride Nantione, who will you ride?
- Ki-it.
Nantione glared at Heuk-heuk with a dissatisfied look. But she couldn't strongly object. It was a fair point. If he didn't ride a powerful mount like her, who else could he ride?
"Well said. Get ready, Heuk-heuk."
- ...
Heuk-heuk instantly regretted it. He had let his guard down lately because Nantione had been doing all the racing. I should have kept my mouth shut...!
- Kyaoo!
- Don't cheer for me. It's annoying...
Even with Bulbul-i's cheering, Heuk-heuk's mood didn't improve. Why is it always my turn for stuff like this?!
Whoosh!
Heuk-heuk expanded his size, spread his wings wide, and flew with all his might.
- Black Dragon's Blessing, Swift Flight, Summon Poison Spirit, Acceleration...
"Heuk-heuk. Can't you fly any faster?"
- ...I am doing my best.
The reason Tae-hyun chose Heuk-heuk was simple. In a place like this cliffside path with many obstacles and high collision risks, Nantione wasn't a good choice. She was too massive and bound to crash. In tight spots like this, a nimble, winged mount that could adjust its size like a dragon was much better.
Carbanog wonders why you didn't choose Yong-yong.
I just went with the one who spoke first.
Carbanog pitied Heuk-heuk. It seemed Black Dragons, as a species, were generally plagued by bad luck. Was it because they were inherently evil?
Watch out for falling rocks!
Boulders are tumbling down from above!
Rumble, crash—
"Rocks rolling in!"
- Understood!
"I'll clear them. You focus on flying!"
- Thank you!
...Wait. How are you going to clear them?
Heuk-heuk panicked. Tae-hyun's offer to "clear them" sounded ominously foreboding.
Boom! Crash!
An explosive shattering sound erupted right above them. It seemed Tae-hyun had pulled out a Bomb Spear and thrown it with gusto.
Clatter, patter!
Heuk-heuk whimpered as rock dust showered over him.
- Can't I just use magic?
"That'll slow down our speed."
- ...Can't you use magic, Master?
"Ah. I can use magic too, can't I? Sorry. I forgot. When things get urgent, my hands just automatically go to the skills I'm most familiar with."
Still, Heuk-heuk's suffering paid off. Elder Shuraik was starting to come into view in the distance.
"Pant, wheeze... Player Kim Tae-hyun! My mount is exhausted, I can't keep up any longer!"
However, limits were starting to be reached on this side as well. Farel, who had been flying behind them on an eagle, couldn't hold out any longer and cried out for help.
"I see. Take this!"
Clink-clank!
Tae-hyun threw a sturdy iron chain he kept on hand for crafting items. It looked like an ordinary chain, but thanks to high-quality materials and the help of the Valley's blacksmiths and NPCs, it boasted incredible durability.
"I caught it!"
"Got a tight grip?"
"Yes!"
"Jump!"
"Yes!"
Farel jumped off without thinking, gripping the chain. Only after he was airborne did he realize—
"?????"
Wait. Why did he tell me to jump?
Because Tae-hyun's reputation was so colossal, Farel had jumped without a second thought, but something felt terribly wrong.
"Wa-Wait... What are you dooooiiiiiing?!"
Farel began to fly through the air at breakneck speed, dangling from the chain. Since the chain was attached to Heuk-heuk's tail end, the speed was absolutely insane.
"There's no other way to bring you along!"
"If you... just... waited... and let me... ride on top..."
"You'll slow us down. No can do."
Tae-hyun spoke coldly without even looking back.
You have collided with the cliffside!
HP has decreased!
You have collided with the cliffside!
HP...
Thud! Bam! Crash!
Farel genuinely feared for his life. I-I'm really going to die at this rate!
Farel began to chug potions and spam defensive skills to survive. He thought Kim Tae-hyun was joking, but the man was dead serious.
Th-This lunatic...
Suddenly, an old memory flashed through his mind. He recalled Cain's interview on TV:
—"Even if traveling with Kim Tae-hyun looks great on the outside, it's actually not good at all. The difficulty is so absurdly high that every time we do a quest, it feels like I'm literally dying."
At the time, Farel had joined the rest of the public in mocking Cain, saying, "Look at him whining when he's got it so good."
Now that he was the victim, he finally understood.
I'm going to die!
Even if it was just a game, experiencing it firsthand—clinging to a chain dragged behind a dragon flying at supersonic speeds—was pure horror.
Farel repented. Why did he ever try to do a quest with Tae-hyun just to get some spotlight?
I was insane...! I should have just lived a normal life...!
There was a reason why other players avoided this!
"Elder! Stop right there! Let's have a fair fight!"
- I believe I told you to catch me if you can!
"That's exactly what I'm doing!"
With those words, Tae-hyun launched his attack. Starting with Heuk-heuk, the dragons unleashed a barrage of attacks fueled by sheer resentment. How much did they have to run on this perilous path just because of this elder?!
Rumble!
Yong-yong channeled Heuk-heuk's anger, raining down various lightning spells. As lightning struck from all directions, Elder Shuraik flinched...
He's still not stopping?!
The power of the combat spider was astonishing. Yong-yong's lightning magic was by no means weak, yet the spider charged forward, tanking the hits with its body.
Carbanog says it's the power of the armor he's wearing!
Using items? How cheap.
It wasn't technically cheating, but it was disheartening to see him endure like that after they had finally caught up.
However, Tae-hyun didn't hesitate and immediately moved to the next step.
- Fortune Conversion!
Selecting a random stat...
Fortune Conversion: Luck has temporarily converted into Strength!
Yes!
Tae-hyun clenched his fist as the desired stat was selected. His top choice was Strength, and his second was Agility. Fortunately, he got one of the two.
"What are you planning to do?"
"This!"
Tae-hyun answered Lee Da-bi's question with action. He grabbed the chain dangling from Heuk-heuk's tail and began to swing it in a massive circle.
"Aaaaaaaaargh!"
"...That player is protesting, Tae-hyun!"
"No! He's shouting because he's excited! Ignore him!"
Your Strength stat is extremely high!
...
...
...
While he might fall short compared to rankers who specialized solely in Strength, Tae-hyun's Strength stat was already quite high due to all his stat-stacking. Even so, there was a specific reason he had converted his stats to gain extra Strength.
To do exactly this!
Throwing Player Farel!
Your Throwing skill has increased significantly!
Your Strength stat has permanently increased due to your amazing throwing skills!
...
"Good job, Farel! Magnificent!"
Tae-hyun's cheering echoed from behind, but Farel could only shake his head in despair.
Once this quest is over, I won't even spit in Kim Tae-hyun's direction...
No one would believe him if he told them.
—"So, you were doing a quest with Kim Tae-hyun, and when you fell behind, he tied you to a chain, flew you through the air, and threw you at the enemy? Come on, make up a believable lie."
"Hold on tight, Farel!"
- Get off me, you sluggish adventurer!
Elder Shuraik was incredibly cold to Farel. He barked harshly at Farel, who was now clinging to the giant spider.
"...I'm not about to let myself be looked down upon by you too!"
Farel, fueled by rage, gripped even tighter. Even a worm will turn when stepped on! This was too much!
- [Stun of Relaxation]! [Strike of Technical Failure]! [Ankle Slice]!
Farel began pouring out every debuff skill in his arsenal. He was going to slow this elder down no matter what!
"He's doing better than I thought. I think he has a talent for this."
"A talent for being tied to a chain and launched like a cannonball?"
"Yeah. That's a talent too."
Whoosh!
Thanks to Farel's efforts, Tae-hyun succeeded in catching up completely.
- Do not be arrogant, adventurer! I am not finished yet. I will pull ahead once more—
Slash!
Tae-hyun immediately cut the end of the chain.
- ?
"?"
Both Farel and Elder Shuraik were dumbfounded. Why did he cut it?
Having severed the chain, Tae-hyun ordered Heuk-heuk to accelerate. Squeezing out every last drop of his strength, Heuk-heuk surged forward.
Whoosh!
"See you at the finish line, Elder!"
Tae-hyun didn't stop there; he threw bombs at the adjacent cliffside. The moment Tae-hyun passed, a massive rockslide cascaded down from the cliff, completely blocking the path behind him.
"..."
While Farel trembled with a mixture of resentment and betrayal, Elder Shuraik let out an exclamation of admiration.
- Remarkable!
"What on earth is remarkable about that?!"
"Clearing a quest like this isn't right... grumble, mutter..."
"We did a great job together, why are you like this?"
"...We did NOT do a great job together!!" Farel shrieked in horror.
He couldn't even fathom how he was remembered in Tae-hyun's mind. Did Tae-hyun mistake his screams of terror while being dragged by the chain for "Yahoo! This is fun!"?
"Honestly, this was actually on the tamer side compared to how I usually clear them."
"Tae-hyun, do you think his level might be lower than we expected?"
"If that's the case, I might have done something a bit mean. I should have given him a task suited to his level."
Their completely innocent conversation stabbed Farel right in his pride. As a ranker, he still had his self-respect.
"...Actually, now that I think about it, it was quite manageable."
"Why is he hot and cold like this?"
"Who knows? Maybe he's going through puberty?"
This couple is seriously...!
Farel wanted to cry. For some reason, tears just kept welling up.
- Farel.
At that moment, a whisper arrived. It was from other rising rankers.
- I heard you managed to cling to Kim Tae-hyun and are clearing the quest. Is that true?
- You really used your head. To use such a cheap method.
The rising rankers were highly wary of the news that Farel was clearing the quest with Tae-hyun. Competition among them was already fierce, and they couldn't stand to see Farel pull ahead alone.
- Hmph. I have no intention of shamelessly riding on someone's coattails like Farel. I'm going to clear the quest on my own.
"...Why don't you bastards try it yourselves before you open your mouths!! You jerks!!"
Furious, Farel blocked all of them.