Questions for the Viewers, Fire for the Enemy

In Episode 168, they took questions from viewers live, and Tae-hyun answered them. The edited video would air later during the regular broadcast slot anyway, so that much would be enough.

If the host keeps things under control, there shouldn't be any real problems!

That was what Bae Jang-wook thought as he got to work immediately.

He had been dropping hints for a while that they were preparing a special Q&A with Tae-hyun, so gathering an audience wouldn't be hard at all.

"Move."

"What the hell are you— huh?! Kim Tae-hyun!"

The instant he climbed onto the wall, Tae-hyun grabbed one player's collar and flung him aside.

That brazen confidence, not caring in the slightest even with countless people watching!

Cain clicked his tongue at the sight.

So his identity finally gets exposed.

Honestly, Cain had always thought it was a miracle Tae-hyun had gone this long without getting found out.

It wasn't like Tae-hyun was the type to carefully manage his image, either.

But what leaked at home leaked outside too, and in the end, here it was.

Serves him right. Feels great.

This was one of the things that irritated Cain the most.

He and Tae-hyun were equally vile, so why was he treated like the villain while Tae-hyun got treated like a hero?

Whenever Cain saw the broadcast reactions, his blood pressure spiked.

People who had never suffered at Tae-hyun's side would say things like, "There aren't many players like Kim Tae-hyun," or, "Most rankers and players from major guilds are selfish, but Kim Tae-hyun actually looks after other players too," and they meant it. How was he not supposed to get worked up?

The worst one of all, though, was this:

At first glance, it sounded impossible.

So people reached their own conclusion.

Of course, reality was the exact opposite.

Tae-hyun had just beaten Cain until Cain gave up.

What character? What moral correction?

That wasn't teaching someone a lesson. That was just how you handled a beast.

Pak-pak-pak!

At that moment, a dark bluish arrow slammed into the spot where the player had been standing a second earlier.

A powerful arrow enhanced by an undead-enchanter mage!

If it had hit directly, it would've done some serious damage.

Thanks to Tae-hyun snatching him up and tossing him away, the player escaped completely unharmed.

"Th-thank you!"

"...?"

Tae-hyun tilted his head.

The guy had been in the way while Tae-hyun was trying to get up onto the wall, so he'd thrown him aside. Why was he thanking him?

Watching this, Cain grabbed the back of his neck again.

The world... is so unfair!

By then, Tae-hyun had reached the top of the wall and looked down.

Below him was a full-blown siege in progress.

The defenders were relying on the walls and moat as they deployed their forces, while the attackers had dragged over all kinds of siege tools and were bombarding them from below!

If you ignored the giant undead monsters and vampire officers casting magic—fantasy-world details befitting the setting—it looked like a siege that could've happened in real life.

Of course, Tae-hyun hadn't climbed up there to admire that.

He was looking for one thing:

Marquis Marden.

"A human made it onto the wall!"

"Shoot him! Insolent bastard!"

Shishishik!

Arrows and spells rained down in an instant.

Tae-hyun let the harmless arrows hit him and knocked away the dangerous-looking magic with Circle of Counterattack.

Twak!

The sight of flashing red sword-light turning the incoming magic back on itself was spectacular enough that even Marquis Marden, down below, saw it.

"Th-that bastard!"

Even from far away, he could feel the holy power.

Marquis Marden shot to his feet and shouted.

Tae-hyun looked down at him in turn.

Their eyes met.

"You worm!"

Marquis Marden flew into a rage and cast a spell.

It was a vampire-race-exclusive skill: a black blood-arrow that tracked its target.

But single-target attacks meant nothing to Tae-hyun.

At this distance, even less so.

"No need to block it."

Stopping the Anong Castle mages as they moved to intercept, Tae-hyun smacked it away with Circle of Counterattack.

Seeing his arrow come right back at him only enraged Marquis Marden further.

What could be more infuriating than a bug-like little worm constantly scurrying away like a rat?

A direct challenge to a one-on-one duel.

Of course, Tae-hyun would never accept that unless he was insane.

"What? I can't hear you."

"I said, if you trust your god, come down here and fight me!"

"Sorry! Still can't hear you! Say it one more time!"

"I said trust your god and— you little bastard!"

Only then did Marquis Marden realize Tae-hyun was mocking him.

Things were already tense, and Tae-hyun's taunting sent Marquis Marden's blood pressure soaring.

"I swear on my name! Every last member of the Sadiq Church on this continent—I will tear them apart the moment I see them!"

"Ah. Sure. Go ahead. Fighting."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"?!"

Marquis Marden faltered for a moment.

How could someone who believed in a god stay so calm when that very god was being threatened?

"You wretch! Do you think my threat is a joke?"

"No. I just don't think you can do it. Go on, try."

"Y-you...! Bring them out!"

Marquis Marden clapped his hands.

A line of captives was brought forward, bound with rope.

Priests and Holy Knights of the Sadiq Church!

They had fought Marquis Marden fiercely to the bitter end, but in the end they had lost, and some had been captured alive.

"Do you not care if these worms die?"

"..."

Tae-hyun had to fight down a laugh.

If the Sadiq Church got killed, that was nothing but good news for him.

The Sadiq priests shouted desperately.

"We're not on his side!"

"Silence, worms. Do you think I'll be fooled just because you try to protect him?"

Meanwhile, Tae-hyun raised his voice dramatically from the wall.

"Hey! You cursed bastard! Since when were we your comrades?!"

The Sadiq priests and Holy Knights shouted in outrage.

But Tae-hyun only made his expression graver.

The magic tongue that could turn the Sadiq priests and Holy Knights cursing him into people nobly shielding him!

"Th-that little worm... Execute them all!"

"No!"

"Aaaaagh!"

Watching the priests and Holy Knights of the Sadiq Church get executed, Tae-hyun nodded to himself in satisfaction.

Ah, if only all the annoying bastards in the world would just fight each other. Wouldn't life be wonderful?

After executing the Sadiq priests and Holy Knights, Marquis Marden seemed to have cooled off a little.

Of course, Tae-hyun had absolutely no intention of leaving it at that.

There had only ever been one reason he climbed onto the wall in the first place.

To provoke Marquis Marden all the way to the edge and drive him completely insane.

If Marquis Marden kept his reason, then the moment his forces were worn down ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to a certain point, he would start considering retreat.

And a monster on Marquis Marden's level was hard to stop once it decided to pull back.

If they mishandled it, he'd counterattack instead.

They had to kill him in one go.

And to do that, they had to make him lose his mind even more than he already had.

"Listen up, Marquis Mard—"

Tae-hyun shouted loudly.

Then his tongue slipped.

The last syllable blurred together.

It was absolutely, definitely not intentional!!

"What?"

"Did he just call him Marquis Rear?"

"No way. Did he really say Rearquis Marden?"

The players started murmuring too.

But this simple little jab had a devastating effect on Marquis Marden.

"Wh... what did you say?"

And Tae-hyun caught that reaction instantly.

"Ah. Sorry. My mistake. Who in the world would call a marquis Rearquis? Right?"

When Tae-hyun asked Rufo beside him, Rufo averted his eyes and gave an awkward laugh.

Tae-hyun's nerves were made of steel, so he could stare straight back at Marquis Marden's murderous glare without blinking, but Rufo had no confidence he could do the same.

"Ah... haha."

"Anyway, Marquis Rearquis!"

"It's Marquis, you worm-brained bastard!"

He had already done more than enough provoking.

There was no reason to drag it out now and risk overplaying it.

If he talked too long, a smart boss monster might catch on.

The finishing touch should always be simple.

"Your scepter is right here!"

"...!"

"And here's the staff I took from your ancient castle! I wrecked that castle real nice!"

"...!"

Marquis Marden's eyes turned as red as red could be.

"Now do your best!"

"KRAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

With Marquis Marden's monstrous howl, the siege entered its next phase.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Rufo shouted, practically screaming.

It was bad enough that their opponent was strong to begin with—how could he taunt him that hard?

And sure enough, Marquis Marden's army, which had been conserving its strength and studying the field, now launched a full-force assault.

Thud, thud, kurururung—

Huge undead monsters charged forward, using their thick hides as shields.

Their target was the walls and the gate.

"Fill the moat!"

Because the trench in front of the wall prevented a proper approach, undead soldiers rushed in.

Their goal was to get close enough to fill it with earth.

Among those undead ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠troops, vampire officers under Marquis Marden screeched sharply as they directed them onward.

"Will this hit...?"

Tae-hyun narrowed his eyes from atop the wall and lifted a bomb.

A bomb stuffed full of silver—made specifically for use against undead.

Whoosh!

Unfortunately, the bomb flew off in the wrong direction.

It was headed somewhat far from the vampire officer he had aimed for.

But then the undead soldiers started firing arrows furiously at the bomb itself.

"Huh?"

Tak, tatak—

The barrage changed its course.

And the spot it dropped? Right above the vampire officer.

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG!

Tae-hyun looked down below with a dubious expression.

Meanwhile, the archers were firing furiously as well.

For them, an opportunity like this was worth its weight in gold.

Among them were parties that had taken part in the Marquis Marden Castle raid quest.

"Hey. You use up all those arrows you bought last time?"

"Y-yeah. All of them."

The archer player nodded awkwardly.

In truth, he still had some of the modified arrows Tae-hyun had made.

But he had already decided not to use them.

This stuff... will sell.

Equipment used by famous players could sell purely on that fact alone, no matter what the actual performance was like.

That was how fans worked.

When he'd first bought them, he'd thought, What kind of garbage arrows are these?

But after hearing that Kim Tae-hyun had shown up at Anong Castle, he'd realized the truth.

Ah. So that guy back then was Kim Tae-hyun.

In that case, I shouldn't use these now. I should keep them, let their value age nicely, and sell them later for a fortune...

Dadadadak—

Soldiers from Anong Castle came running over, carrying something on their backs.

The players loosing arrows tilted their heads in confusion.

"What is it?"

"Arrows. Use these!"

"Oh, thank you!"

"Wow. Anong Castle's pretty generous."

The archers brightened immediately.

To archers, arrows were an important item.

And now they were being provided for free.

"Count Kim Tae-hyun personally modified them! Use them with gratitude!"

"?!?! "