The First Clash
And the first ones to clash were Smith and Lee Se-yeon.
You feel a dark skill trying to perceive you.
The power of the sun allows you to see through the skill.
"...!"
Smith whipped around like lightning and unleashed a skill. A wave of sword energy erupted, slicing a black eye hovering in midair right in half. It was a blindingly fast reaction.
"What was that?!"
The Black Rock Guild members panicked at Smith's sudden, frantic movement after he had been walking so calmly just moments before.
"An enemy? Is there an enemy?"
"Where are they?"
"This isn't an enemy, it's..."
Smith furrowed his brow. He had seen this magic somewhere before. While it was possible someone else was using the exact same spell, his intuition told him otherwise.
"Did you say the reward for this dungeon is the Crown of the Forgotten Dead?"
"Yes."
"Since it's an item for Necromancers... everyone, Lee Se-yeon might be here."
"What?!"
The Black Rock Guild members gasped. Lee Se-yeon? Why her all of a sudden? Having Smith here was already a shock, but Lee Se-yeon too? Considering how rarely top rankers crossed paths, this was truly astonishing.
Guild Member: Guild Master. They're saying Lee Se-yeon might be here?
Guild Member: What should we do?
The Black Rock Guild members quickly assessed the situation and prepared to react. Their Guild Master replied:
Guild Master: I do want the Crown of the Forgotten Dead, but we can't ask Smith, whom we went through so much trouble to invite, to fight Lee Se-yeon just for our greed. Fall back.
However, they had misunderstood Smith's personality. When the guild members spoke up, Smith replied firmly.
"I cannot do that."
"Pardon?"
"I will not retreat just because of Lee Se-yeon. I am not a player who ranks below her."
"No, it's not because of that... It's just that you came here out of kindness to help us, and we can't let you face such danger for our greed."
"Such dangers are part of the game. Besides, I will not lose to Lee Se-yeon. I have absolutely no intention of backing down because of her."
Smith grasped Gu Sung-wook's hand. Then, he took the hands of the other guild members.
"And besides, I have all of you with me."
"...!"
Dazzling! That handsome face and noble character! The Black Rock Guild members felt a sudden surge of emotion welling up inside them.
"We'll follow you to the very end!"
"Hell yeah! Let's show everyone that Smith is superior to Lee Se-yeon!"
The mages of the Black Rock Guild cast spells to locate Lee Se-yeon. However...
Your magic has been blocked by a dark aura.
You have taken damage.
"Ugh..."
As expected, they were no match for Lee Se-yeon when it came to magic. Hearing the result, Smith shook his head.
"There is no need to search for her."
"What? If Lee Se-yeon knows our location, shouldn't we find hers as well...?"
"I say this because it is unnecessary. We will head straight to the center of the dungeon at full speed. We will find the Crown of the Forgotten Dead first, and once we have it, we will leave. If Lee Se-yeon appears along the way, we will simply defeat her."
The textbook approach. Yet, in this situation, it was undeniably the correct move. The Black Rock Guild members nodded.
"Alright! Let's go!"
I thought I could buy a little more time.
Lee Se-yeon canceled her spell with a click of her tongue. Smith, along with those other players whose names she didn't know but whose skills were clearly solid, was no easy opponent. Above all, she was alone.
However, she still held an advantage: information. She knew exactly where Smith was and who he was with. This was crucial, as it meant she could strike at the precise moment of her choosing.
"What... what is that idiot doing?!"
Boom! Crash!
Smith had revealed his true colors. Even when solid bedrock appeared instead of simple walls, he just rammed his lance straight into it. He wasn't looking for a path; he was making one!
Lee Se-yeon grimaced at the sight. It was brutally simple, yet undeniably effective.
At this rate, I might be too late. I have no choice. I'll have to step in and stall them myself.
"It's the warriors!"
"Please handle them. I will break through the path here."
"Understood!"
The Black Rock Guild members shouted loyally as they formed a battle formation. They already had plenty of experience fighting the warriors of the Ancient Empire. They knew exactly how to handle them now—
"Gah?!"
Instead of swinging its sword, the Ancient Empire warrior shot a massive spike straight out of its mouth, utterly terrifying the guild member.
"...!"
Smith's eyes widened in shock as he yelled:
"It's Lee Se-yeon!"
"What?"
Rumble... Boom!
Corpse Explosion
The Ancient Empire warrior detonated with a deafening roar. A powerful explosion ripped outward from within!
Shield of the Ancient Empire
But Smith was no pushover either. Stepping directly to the front, he unleashed his skill. Despite the massive blast, not a single member of the Black Rock Guild was harmed.
"W-what just happened?"
"What in the world..."
The Black Rock Guild members muttered in sheer bewilderment. A high-level clash of offense and defense had unfolded in a matter of seconds!
Lee Se-yeon had disguised an undead monster and sent it to self-destruct, and Smith, realizing the trap, had completely neutralized it with his class skill.
"Lee Se-yeon, isn't this a bit cowardly?!"
"Cowardly? How is using a Necromancer skill cowardly?"
The voice echoed from afar, but Lee Se-yeon's exact location remained hidden.
"If you want to fight, show yourself! I will take you on!"
"Please. A head-on fight only benefits you."
She wasn't wrong! Smith's face flushed slightly. The Black Rock Guild members stared in surprise at this uncharacteristic reaction from him. Smith was clearly acting differently when it came to Lee Se-yeon.
"You'd better yield the Crown of the Forgotten Dead to me."
"I have absolutely no intention of doing so. You are the one who should back down."
"Don't you remember getting absolutely wrecked by me back in Fantasy Online 1?"
"That was then, and this is now. I have no intention of losing if we fight today."
Smith snapped back, thoroughly irritated. How petty of her to bring up the past.
"'That was then'? You were so embarrassed you even changed your username and are pretending to be a completely different person."
"...If you want to fight, come out! Let's settle this!"
Smith bellowed, but no reply came from Lee Se-yeon. Though Smith was famous for his polite and gentle demeanor, Lee Se-yeon's words had struck a painful nerve.
The events of Fantasy Online 1! Since Lee Se-yeon had been the Rank 1 player, losing to her wasn't actually that shameful. The real reason Smith had changed his username and was pretending to be someone else was...
Because he was the top-tier Paladin ranker who had been utterly crushed by a blacksmith!
And only a handful of people knew that secret.
But I wonder, has Smith really not considered that Kim Tae-hyun might be the same Kim Tae-hyun from Pan-On 1?
Lee Se-yeon mused as she moved. Indeed, she had only one reason for talking to Smith like this: buying time!
In many ways, Lee Se-yeon's playstyle resembled Tae-hyun's. A cold pragmatism that spared no means or methods!
"Lee Se-yeon! I told you to come out!"
"You have your guild members right behind you. Why should I step out?"
"I will fight you alone. Just come out!"
"I'd love to praise you for that confidence... but I'd win. I don't even need to fight to know."
"Watch your mouth! I said, let's fight!"
"Your style is so predictable. You're completely textbook. Just like back in Pan-On 1, you're right in the palm of my hand. I can read you like an open book."
Smith was the epitome of standard play. While his straightforward, brute-force approach was terrifying to those weaker than him, to a player of equal caliber like Lee Se-yeon, it was incredibly easy to read.
"That's exactly why I'm telling you to fight me!"
"No."
"Why not?!"
"Because while we were talking, I already put plenty of distance between us."
"!!"
He'd been played! Smith's face flushed red once more as he raised his sword. He turned to his guild members.
"I am sorry! I made a mistake."
To be played by Lee Se-yeon yet again. Smith bit his lip in a mixture of rage and embarrassment.
"I-it's alright."
"We're already so grateful for everything you're doing for us!"
Their encouragement only made his heart ache more.
What am I doing! I swore I would never let myself get played like this again!
Smith reproached himself as he resumed carving out a path. But he had no idea. He had no idea that there was another player in this very dungeon who had contributed to his deepest trauma.
Lee Se-yeon whistled softly as she leisurely strolled into the center of the dungeon. With a simple wave of her hand, the doors adorned with molten gold swung open.
Lee Se-yeon enjoyed dealing with Smith. He was strong enough to make things interesting, and above all...
She always won!
Lee Se-yeon knew it instinctively. Smith could never defeat her.
He's just too rigid. Completely textbook.
Playing like that might allow him to slaughter weaker players, but he would never defeat a flexible player like Lee Se-yeon.
"Now then..."
Lee Se-yeon stopped in her tracks and scanned the vast hall. As the final chamber, there was bound to be a trap, and a boss monster had to be slumbering somewhere.
The moment she grabbed the Crown of the Forgotten Dead, the boss monster would likely awaken.
Grabbing it quickly and making a swift exit would be the most effective strategy, right?
Lee Se-yeon thought to herself as she meticulously examined the hall. On the throne in the center sat a statue of a figure who looked like an emperor. Made of an unidentified metal, the statue was clearly no ordinary object.
And resting upon its head was the crown! It was a crudely designed crown, but Lee Se-yeon recognized it instantly. That was the Crown of the Forgotten Dead.
...I shouldn't just grab it right away.
Not just Lee Se-yeon, but almost any player would make the same judgment here. In the final chamber of a difficult, high-level dungeon, they were just leaving the item out in the open like this? It was obviously a trap! The moment anyone touched it, something terrible would happen.
Smith is still far away. I should have my undead grab the crown instead. First, I'll cast a detection spell to see what's around, then use a scroll...
As Lee Se-yeon was busy formulating a complex plan and preparing her spells, a faint sound reached her ears.
Rustle, rustle!
Thud—
"...?"
Lee Se-yeon leaned to the side and peered behind the throne. A strange noise was coming from right behind it.
"Ah, dammit. It's way too narrow in here. Are you sure your skill showed you the right path?"
"Hey! Hurry up and climb! You're getting dirt all over me!"
Tae-hyun was grumbling as he climbed up! Right beneath him, Cain was spitting out dirt that had been kicked loose by Tae-hyun's boots!
Looking like absolute beggars, Tae-hyun's group crawled out one after another. While Smith and Lee Se-yeon were engaged in their high-level battle, this group had taken a secret dog-sized tunnel straight to the central chamber.
"It's a dungeon, but there aren't even any monsters..."
"And here I was, hoping for a good fight."
"But why aren't they moving up?"
"I don't know. You ask."
"No way... Kim Tae-hyun is terrifying..."
The Power Warrior guild members chattered among themselves, wondering why the players ahead of them had stopped. They were completely oblivious to the situation above! Had they known, it wouldn't have been surprising if they had immediately put themselves in reverse.
"...Kim Tae-hyun?"
"?!"
Tae-hyun and Cain were equally startled. They had assumed the room was completely empty, yet someone had just called out to them.
"You're Kim Tae-hyun, right?"
"Who else would it be—oof!"
Cain, thoroughly irritated after crawling on the floor for so long, was about to give a sarcastic reply when Tae-hyun elbowed him squarely in the solar plexus.
Yet, without a single change in his expression, Tae-hyun replied in an incredibly polite and friendly voice:
"I believe you have the wrong person."
"..."