You Should've Used That When You Got the Liquor

Yang Sung-gyu trembled with rage.

Of course, it wasn't as if he was upset just because he'd wasted a single scroll.

He had money to burn, after all.

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

But Tae-hyun, standing beside him, poured oil on the fire.

He had an inborn talent for being insufferably irritating.

Watching Yang Sung-gyu shake, Lee Da-bi thought to herself, He must be freaking out because he just blew an expensive item. What a waste.

That thing alone had to be worth a fortune in gold!

"Th-that means nothing... to me."

"Sure, I'm sure it doesn't. Or at least you'd really like to believe that."

"......"

After teasing Yang Sung-gyu a bit longer, Tae-hyun turned to Lee Da-bi.

"Anyway, now we need to come up with a plan to kill Edaor... That skill you used in the arena—can you use it on him?"

"What?!"

Lee Da-bi flinched in shock.

If he meant the skill she'd used in the arena...

It didn't have any attack power, but it was a terrifyingly strong skill that could completely bind an opponent's legs.

The problem was...

"That skill costs a lot of gold..."

"How much?"

"The stronger the target, the more it costs."

Tae-hyun immediately understood why she was reacting like that.

For someone who loved money as much as she did, this was the kind of situation that would naturally make her uneasy.

Use your gold to kill Edaor!

She was probably worried he was about to say exactly that.

"Well, then this ajusshi can just hand over some gold."

"?!"

"You've got plenty, don't you?"

"I do, but why the hell should I be the one paying?!"

"Ajusshi. Who benefits if Edaor dies? You do. And if Edaor doesn't die, where do you think his army is headed?"

"...I'll pay. I'll pay, damn it!"

Lee Da-bi broke into a bright smile.

Yang Sung-gyu, meanwhile, looked deeply unsettled.

Kane, who had been standing nearby, whispered to Tae-hyun through a private message.

Kane's concern was only natural.

Edaor wasn't the kind of boss monster you could take down easily.

A common boss from some small dungeon could be killed by a single party.

But for a boss like Edaor, you normally needed multiple parties at minimum, plus support from outside NPC forces.

What had they gone through just to kill Marquis Marden?

They had persuaded a Count and borrowed his army, dug trap after trap, used up every material inside the castle to make bombs—

and in the end, they had blown up the whole castle wall.

And even then, it had still been a difficult raid.

Edaor was no less dangerous than that.

But right now, they had no other parties, and no support from outside NPCs.

And to make matters worse, Tae-hyun's greatest weapon—mechanical engineering—was short on materials at the moment.

Still, Tae-hyun had something he believed in.

This wasn't the kind of dagger that made you wonder whether Archisus had come down personally to forge it.

Archisus had personally forged it.

And when it came to an item used by Archisus, the phrase a certain chance was meaningless.

He was a god backed by overwhelming luck by default.

In other words, this was basically a one-use instant-kill weapon.

It's a waste... but I can't think like that. If I start saving it, I'm screwed.

Most people would have hesitated to use something so valuable.

Tae-hyun didn't hesitate at all.

Use it when you can!

First bind Edaor's legs, deal with his direct subordinates, and if I can stab him just once, that should do it. Doesn't seem that hard.

With Tae-hyun's luck, there was almost no chance the Sacred Dagger wouldn't activate.

Even if I overestimate it, the odds of it not triggering can't be more than one percent...Wait.

A memory surfaced abruptly, like déjà vu.

His duel with Lee Se-yeon.

The time he'd gotten utterly screwed by odds that weren't even one percent.

...Nah. That was a long time ago.

Tae-hyun shook his head.

Once they reached an agreement, the plan moved forward in an instant.

The players gathered here weren't amateurs to begin with.

Every last one of them was skilled in their own right.

Even Kane, who got pushed around all the time, was a former guild master.

And Lee Da-bi—whatever the Power Warrior image suggested—was still the leader of a large guild if you went by the numbers alone.

"We have to finish this fast. If we take too long, Edaor's direct subordinates will come running."

"But Edaor's always surrounded by his subordinates, isn't he?"

True to being a demon, Edaor constantly kept the demons he'd summoned around him.

"Then we'll have to separate them. Even if we can't split off all of them, it'll still be manageable as long as he only has a few left."

"How are we supposed to split them off?"

"Feels like we could lure him out if we tempt him..."

"What do demons like?"

Everyone murmured and racked their brains.

Edaor was a demon.

If they wanted to trick him and lure him out, what would they need?

"Blood?"

"Humans?"

After hearing all the suggestions, Tae-hyun reached a crisp conclusion.

"We'll offer up Kane."

"Why me?!"

"Not offer you up. Just pretend to."

"I don't want to even pretend! Make someone else do it!"

"There's nobody else for the job. Besides, I just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made you new armor. If you accepted it, then earn your keep."

"And who was it that blew up my old armor in the first place?! You didn't put the same crap in the new one too, did you?!"

"Haha. As if. That was just last time. Just last time. ...Sharp little bastard."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Anyway, we're only pretending, so don't worry."

Listening to Tae-hyun and Kane talk, Lee Da-bi turned to Tae-hyun and asked,

"So you really did make that arena armor yourself?"

"Yep."

"Does it take a lot of materials or a long time to make?"

"No. It's not some especially unique item. I just threw it together in a hurry."

"......!"

A scene flashed through Lee Da-bi's mind.

Power Warrior guild members charging in en masse wearing armor packed with bombs.

Ah, that's so cool!

Just imagining it sent a thrill through her.

Seeing her expression change in a very odd direction, Tae-hyun shook his head.

I don't think she's exactly normal either.

"What? Someone actually took my liquor and tried to run? There's really a bastard like that?"

"A truly vile bastard, yes. I was shocked when I caught him..."

"Among humans, you're the only useful one, Count Kim Tae-hyun!"

It's nice that he's this easy to fool, but doesn't this demon like me a little too much?

Edaor rose to his feet with heavy thuds.

Some of the demons around his tent followed him.

Six, seven... Yeah, that's manageable.

Seeing that most of them remained behind, Tae-hyun relaxed.

"So that's the bastard?!"

"Yes! That's him!"

"......"

When Kane saw Edaor approaching from afar with Tae-hyun and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠demons, he cursed inwardly.

Why am I always the one stuck with this role?

He had plenty of complaints, but Kane endured it and stayed kneeling.

Honestly, Tae-hyun was scarier than the demons.

If he messed this up by accident, Tae-hyun would personally show him what a real demon looked like.

Watching him, Lee Da-bi thought to herself, He can take a role like that without even blinking. What incredible loyalty! I wish my guild members were like that.

The misunderstanding only deepened.

"How dare a lowly creature like you think of running after taking my liquor! You insolent worm! A mere human!"

Edaor stood before Kane and grabbed him by the head.

"I will execute you as an example. Do you have any last words?"

"I..."

"......?"

"The reason I knelt..."

Kane tried to deliver a cool line, conscious of the eyes on him.

He'd complained to Tae-hyun, sure—but this was still a golden opportunity.

A chance to look awesome.

A chance to restore his image.

Now that he'd been given the role of kneeling before Edaor and then landing a surprise attack, he had to milk it for everything it was worth.

If Tae-hyun's broadcast got shown, this would definitely make the highlight reel.

"...was to gain mo—"

"......?"

Kane flinched as the buff suddenly landed on him.

A buff already?

Of course he knew Tae-hyun's buff skill was absurdly broken, but its duration was very short.

Still, he immediately understood why.

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-BOOM!

"Urk!?"

"...You motherfucking asshole!"

Armor and helmet exploding at once!

Swearing furiously, Kane charged at Edaor.

What kind of lunatic put a self-destruct function into the armor he'd remade after apologizing for blowing up the last one?

He had enough complaints to fill the sky, but now wasn't the time.

Thanks to the self-destruct, Edaor had taken damage.

And thanks to the timely buff, Kane had successfully evaded the blast.

"Hit him!"

As soon as the explosion went off, the other players waiting nearby launched their attack.

"Curse of Melted Gold!"

"It landed! It landed!"

Lee Da-bi shouted in delight.

The gold she'd poured into it had been worth it.

Not to be outdone, Yang Sung-gyu used his own skill.

"Howling Battle Cry of the Orc Warrior!"

"How dare you human vermin betray me?! And you think you'll escape alive?!"

Edaor immediately activated the poison in the liquor.

Of course, it had already been fully neutralized.

"What? The poison's been cured?! Count Kim Tae-hyun!"

As Edaor called out Tae-hyun's name, everyone tensed.

Was he about to attack Tae-hyun, the one who had orchestrated the betrayal?

"Count Kim Tae-hyun! Kill these wretches!"

"......This stupid demon bastard still doesn't get what's happening!"

With that, Kane smashed his greatsword into Edaor.

Thanks to Lee Da-bi, Edaor's ankles were still bound.

He was practically a target dummy.

"?!"

Seeing the absurd system messages, Kane recoiled in shock.

If not for Tae-hyun's buff...

Whoosh—

Edaor turned his head and looked at Kane.

Kane flinched.

"H-haha..."

"......"

His armor and helmet had already been blown to pieces by the self-destruct.

Cursing, Kane hurriedly tried to drag out and put on the old gear he'd worn before.

BOOM! KWA-BOOM! KWA-KWA-BOOM!

And Edaor's strikes came crashing down toward Kane.

"What is this, you bastard?! You're using some kind of bizarre technique. Count Kim Tae-hyun! Count Kim Tae-hyun! Kill these insects!"

"......"

While chugging expensive potions—extorted from Yang Sung-gyu—and preparing his next skill, Tae-hyun started to feel just a tiny bit sorry.

Honestly, at this point, shouldn't the guy have noticed?

"Just how high did you raise that NPC's affinity?"

"I wasn't even trying to..."

Shaking his head, Tae-hyun used his skill.

The newly acquired authority—Prayer of Luck!

A blinding white light shot into the sky, and then a broad circle spread outward with Tae-hyun at the center.

This is... a priest skill?

Startled, Lee Da-bi turned to stare at Tae-hyun.

His skills were impossible to pin down.

What exactly is he?

Countless viewers had been dying to know the answer, and still nobody had figured it out.

Lee Da-bi thought that maybe—just maybe—today she might finally find a clue.

If I do...I can name my price!

She swelled with happy dreams.

And right behind her, the direct-subordinate demons Edaor had brought lunged forward.

"Hey, behind you! Behind you!"

"!?"