The Power of an Adult's Wallet

It was impossible not to find it bizarre, seeing Orcs running around decked out in such colorful, mismatched, and downright grotesque equipment. Even players who prioritized stats usually cared at least a little about their appearance. There was such a thing as coordination, after all. But those Orcs over there? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them absolute fashion terrorists! Even if they tried, they couldn't look this bad on purpose! Roy shook his head and drew his spear. His class was Spearman. And not just any ordinary Spearman, but a Spearman of a Heroic Class. So why was someone like him hiding here, secretly watching these Orcs? There was only one reason: he was a player who thoroughly enjoyed PK—Player Killing.

One of the easiest mistakes for newcomers to Fantasy Online to make was their perception of rankers. They mindlessly assumed that because these people had climbed to the top of the rankings among countless players, they must have decent, upstanding personalities. But reality was the exact opposite! In fact, Tae-hyun had always said:

Just because someone's level was high didn't mean their character was upstanding. Among the rankers, there were plenty who, like Roy, lived for the thrill of PK. How embarrassing for those idiots to get wrecked by guys like that, Roy thought. Being a ranker, Roy was naturally part of a guild. It wasn't a massive guild, but it was fairly well-known solely because of his ranker status. However, despite its decent outward appearance, the guild's internal state was an absolute mess. Roy had zero interest in running a proper guild. Instead, his guild members consisted entirely of players just like him—people who enjoyed PK and looting! Afraid of public backlash or being targeted by larger factions, they didn't do it openly, but they constantly engaged in stealthy PK.

Naturally, Roy's guild members followed him blindly. If they ever ran into an opponent stronger than themselves, Roy was the only reliable backer they could turn to. A ranker-level backer wasn't something you could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠easily find, after all. And just recently, a few of his guild members had begged him for help.

Roy's guild members, who had underestimated a few of Kim Tae-san's guildmates only to get thoroughly thrashed, had run back to tattle. Hearing their complaints had piqued Roy's curiosity, prompting him to observe the Orcs. Terrible fashion sense aside, he could tell they possessed high-tier items that didn't match their apparent skill level. That left only one logical conclusion: hunt them down and strip them of their gear! Alright, shall we? Roy spun his spear tip and cast a few self-buffs. Although the enemies were quite numerous, he wasn't afraid. He was a ranker, after all. A guild made of middle-aged uncles gathered just to shoot the breeze was something he could wipe out in an instant. Besides, his class was highly advantageous in one-versus-many scenarios, equipped with various area-of-effect skills and evasion maneuvers. With that confidence, Roy stealthily shadowed the guild.

Finally, they're splitting up. As the Orcs began to disperse in small groups of twos and threes, a smirk spread across Roy's face. A wicked, predatory grin—the kind a hunter wears when their prey exposes a vulnerability. Since everyone had their own quests to complete, even members of the same guild wouldn't stay grouped up forever. A moment of separation was bound to happen, and that moment was his golden opportunity.

"Hehehe... Hehehehehehehe!"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"?!"

Roy gasped in shock and spun around. A massive, ruggedly built Orc holding a colossal hammer was staring down at him. Judging by the bizarre, garish attire, it was instantly obvious that this Orc belonged to that very guild.

"Uh... I was just passing by..." Roy blurted out instinctively. Then, he tilted his head in confusion. Wait, why did I lie? He could just attack right now! Steeling his resolve, Roy gripped his spear and thrust it forward with blinding speed.

"Well... thanks for delivering yourself to me anyway!"

Clang! Clang!

"...?"

The Orc standing before him, Kim Tae-san, let out a fierce, rugged laugh.

"I knew you looked suspicious, but you were actually targeting me. Who the hell are you? Did Tae-hyun pay you to do this?"

"What? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?!"

"No? Man... lately, every time I see a young punk, I feel like they must be one of Tae-hyun's friends..." Kim Tae-san clicked his tongue. Thanks to Tae-hyun's public announcement, his paranoia had reached an all-time high. Meanwhile, Roy quickly masked his bewilderment and pulled back his spear. He couldn't understand why his attack had been deflected so easily, but he couldn't afford to stop now.

"Shut up, old man! Why are you even playing games at your age? Just die quietly!"

"You little brat... Did you pay for my subscription or something?"

Boom! Crash!

A flurry of attacks, spinning like a windmill, rained down. Roy truly demonstrated the prowess of a ranker. The tip of his spear split into multiple trajectories, weaving like a serpent as it relentlessly battered Kim Tae-san's entire body. He's nothing special. I got scared for no reason, Roy thought as he pressed the assault. He felt foolish for having been intimidated by that initial deflection.

Roy unleashed his final skill to conclude his combo, driving it straight into Kim Tae-san's chest. A heavy, resonant impact echoed as Kim Tae-san took a single step back.

"You done?"

"...!"

Kim Tae-san lowered the massive hammer he had been using to shield himself. Despite taking that entire barrage of attacks, he didn't look injured in the slightest.

"Then I guess it's my turn, right?"

Whoosh—Boom!

"...!"

As Kim Tae-san swung his hammer, Roy hastily leaped backward. Getting hit by a strike like that would undoubtedly shave off a massive chunk of his HP. But Kim Tae-san wasn't aiming for a direct hit.

The ground ruptured, and lava-colored shockwaves erupted upward. The moment Roy was caught in the blast, a system notification popped up.

"...!"

Roy panicked. Kim Tae-san charged forward and unleashed a full-power swing with his hammer.

KABOOM!

"Aaargh!"

Roy rolled across the ground three times before crashing to a halt. Spewing curses, he scrambled for a potion.

Click—

Roy popped a high-grade potion worth dozens of gold without a second thought. Damn it. I underestimated him too much. Roy grimaced as he corrected his posture. He had taken a massive hit, but it wasn't enough to kill him, and he could easily recover. Even though he had been hit, Roy didn't think for a second that he would lose. Kim Tae-san's actual combat skills didn't seem all that impressive. While Roy was attacking, the Orc had done nothing but block, and his counterattack was incredibly simplistic. A single, heavy strike? If Roy had stunned an opponent, he would have chained at least three or four offensive skills together.

I won't fall for that again! Roy thought as he lunged forward once more. He wanted to take down Kim Tae-san as quickly as possible so he could move on to the other guild members.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

"...!"

His attacks connected beautifully, just like before. But as Roy grew excited, watching Kim Tae-san take the hits helplessly, a sudden chill ran down his spine.

W-wait, this is...

Even as he was being pummeled, Kim Tae-san's eyes were burning with intense fire. He didn't look like he was taking any damage at all!

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

It's a trap!

Roy had no idea how the Orc was remaining so unscathed, but he instinctively tried to retreat. However, the moment Roy's skill chain paused, Kim Tae-san immediately launched his counter.

It was the exact same skill as before. Even in his haste, Roy sneered internally. Rankers never fought in such a basic manner. Their battles were a masterclass of diverse skills and complex strategies, so dazzling that onlookers would be blinded by the spectacle. Yet this old man was simply repeating the same skill he had just used. Having already witnessed it once, there was no way Roy would fall for it again.

Is he an idiot?

"?!"

Roy stared in utter shock at the notification that popped up despite his successful evasion. This was... an unavoidable skill!

"What, did you think you could dodge it, you punk?" Kim Tae-san growled, raising his hammer as he closed the distance. "No matter how many flashy little tricks you pull, they're nothing compared to a straightforward, honest beatdown!"

"Argh!"

Another heavy blow. Just like before, Roy was sent rolling backward. Kim Tae-san slung his hammer over his shoulder and casually chugged a potion. It was an elixir worth several hundred gold—the kind of emergency item players saved for their very last sliver of life during high-end dungeons or raids. Yet Kim Tae-san consumed it without a single shred of hesitation. Every single point of damage Roy had managed to inflict was instantly restored!

Crack. Kim Tae-san cracked his neck as he stepped forward. In terms of sheer hours spent playing games, Kim Tae-san was in a completely different league than Roy. No matter how many flashy skills and complex controls Roy threw at him, Kim Tae-san remained unfazed. He had absolute faith in his defense and his gear. Getting flustered by flashy animations was the height of foolishness. He would simply endure and tank the hits until the opponent paused. No matter how long a combo was, it had to end eventually. And then came the counterattack. This was the crucial part. He knew his opponent was highly skilled. If he got greedy and tried to end the fight in one go, he would likely leave himself open and lose his advantage. Thus, Kim Tae-san didn't get greedy; he only used skills designed to lock down his opponent.

The Howling Ancient Orc Spirit was a skill that consumed a massive amount of MP, dealt mediocre damage, and required completing a grueling chain of quests to obtain. However, its utility was absolute: a guaranteed stun within a set area. Whether the target was tap-dancing, flying, or teleporting, they were getting stunned no matter what.

Kim Tae-san had no intention of engaging in a high-speed, mechanically demanding control battle against a spry young player. He had his own way of fighting. Solid as a fortress, unyielding as a mountain, he would systematically crush his opponent. It was a combat style fit for a king! Even when his opponent was stunned, he never got greedy. He stuck to a single, devastating blow. Trying to chain multiple skills would only give the opponent a window to recover and counterattack. Hit them once, then heal back up. Repeat.

"Pant, pant..." Roy stared at Kim Tae-san, his character in absolute tatters. It felt like he was trying to break a solid boulder with his bare hands. The Orc's defense was so absurdly high that no matter how much he attacked, he couldn't even leave a scratch. The moment Roy paused his skill chain, he was instantly hit with an unavoidable stun, followed by a single, crushing blow. And any damage or MP Kim Tae-san lost was immediately restored with top-tier potions.

"T-this is cheating! How is this even fair?!" Roy shrieked in spite of himself.

Kim Tae-san let out a hearty laugh. "What? Did you expect me to roll around in the dirt and trade blows with you? Look at my age. If you thought I'd play along with your little games, you sorely miscalculated."

"What kind of gear is that anyway?! How does an old man like you have better items than me?!"

To Roy's hysterical screech, Kim Tae-san gave ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a simple, straightforward answer.

"I bought them."

"...?"

"With cash."

"...!"

Roy's jaw dropped.

"You said it earlier, didn't you? Why is an old man like me playing games?"

"..."

"Well, why don't you see what happens when you mess with a bunch of middle-aged uncles with deep pockets?"

"?!"

A cold shiver ran down Roy's spine at Kim Tae-san's words. He spun around. The other Orc guild members had surrounded him, wearing terrifying, bloodthirsty grins.

I'm surrounded...!

There was no way to escape now. Only then did Roy realize that while he thought he was stealthily tailing them, Kim Tae-san had noticed him from the very beginning and had set up a counter-encirclement!

"T-this makes no sense..."

"An old man, you say? Huh?" an Orc swinging a spiked flail on a heavy iron chain growled. "Where do you get off being so cheeky, you little brat? Back in our prime, punks like you wouldn't have even dared to look us in the eye!"

Whoosh!

And then, the beatdown began. The attacks weren't flashy, nor were they complex. They were simple, brutal, and perfectly coordinated, leaving absolutely no room for escape.