The Man Who Exploits NPCs!
"Well, I'm sure he'll handle it. Even if Kim Tae-hyun fails, he won't take a big hit. He'll at least be able to run away."
Since Choi Myung-sung knew Tae-hyun's skill set, he wasn't all that worried. Even if Tae-hyun couldn't defeat his opponent, escaping was always an option!
"Team Leader, the guild leaders are gathering here."
"Ah, those half-wits?"
"..."
Although Team Leader Choi Myung-sung called them half-wits, the alliance of major guilds was by no means foolish. To be a guild leader—especially of a major guild—one had to have a certain level of confidence in their gaming skills and be wealthy enough in real life to afford heavy pay-to-win spending. It was a position that absolutely anyone could not hold!
But in Choi Myung-sung's eyes, the guild alliance looked like nothing more than a support group for Kim Tae-hyun's victims.
"Still, won't it be dangerous if they band together?"
"As if they'd actually band together. There were guys like that back in Pan-On 1 too. But why do you think it didn't work out back then?"
Choi Myung-sung was nonchalant. He didn't have high expectations for the guild alliance, having seen similar attempts in Pan-On 1. Such coalitions could never succeed. Why? Because of human selfishness!
Anyone who reached the rank of a major guild leader possessed immense greed. The greed to be the best, the greed to be more successful... People driven by such desires could never truly unite. Even if they shook hands for the moment, they were bound to split up in the end.
"Gather a bunch of half-wits, and they're still just half-wits. They'll end up fighting among themselves and falling apart on their own."
"Come on, they're still players who know what they're doing..."
"I'm telling you, people don't change. Those who want for nothing never stick together."
However, Choi Myung-sung was forgetting one thing. Unlike in Pan-On 1, they now had a singular, powerful reason to unite. And that was Kim Tae-hyun!
"Unbelievable... All my skills are sealed. I should have brought more engineering materials. I was too complacent."
"Should we bail?"
"I really like your pragmatic attitude, but running away right now isn't the play."
Tae-hyun shook his head at Lee Da-bi's suggestion. He couldn't run away just yet. He needed a proper excuse to flee; if he bolted without doing anything, the NPCs from the other orders would undoubtedly tear him apart. Their relations were already strained, and he couldn't afford to give them ammunition!
Cain sat in a corner, grumbling.
"Of all things, why did I have to change to such a weird class..."
"Have you completely wiped all the benefits you've gotten so far from your memory? Stop grumbling and get up!"
Cain grumbled as he stood up. *Pitter-patter.* As they waited, the members of the Power Warrior guild dropped down one by one. Among them, the players with priest classes looked utterly bewildered.
"Huh? My skills are sealed?"
"Are you okay?"
While they were buzzing with confusion, the NPCs from the other orders entered the dungeon one after another. They, too, looked visibly shaken!
"What is the meaning of this?"
"There was no mention of such a thing in the archives..."
Tae-hyun smirked as he watched them.
"That's why you should've done proper research before coming."
"W-We have no reason to hear such words from you!"
"How utterly offensive! We shall investigate this dungeon on our own. If we find something, we will let you know then!"
"Ah! Priest Yata! Wait!"
Priest Haron tried to stop them, but the other orders' NPCs, thoroughly incensed, stormed off ahead on their own. Watching them go, Priest Haron clutched his head in agony.
"Ah... Oh dear... This shouldn't be happening..."
"It's fine, it's fine. They wouldn't have been much help even if they stayed by our side."
"..."
The guild members stared at Tae-hyun, dumbfounded. To think he could be so shameless after being the one who provoked them in the first place...
"Shall we get going too?"
"Pardon? Where to?"
"Since they went ahead, we'll slowly follow behind. If there are any traps, they'll trigger them for us."
"..."
Tae-hyun's motive was simple: meat shields! With their skills sealed, the best way to avoid traps and hazards was to have someone else lead the way. Naturally, Tae-hyun had no intention of being at the front.
Priest Haron spoke in a flustered voice.
"B-But... they are comrades sharing the same goal! We must help them!"
"Yes, we will help. From a safe distance behind."
"We should go together!"
"They said they didn't want to. Don't worry, they won't die right away. Even with their skills sealed, their base stats are incredibly high, and they've got top-tier gear..."
Tae-hyun scanned the dungeon as he spoke. Though he had conquered countless dungeons, this underwater dungeon was quite unique. Above all, they were beneath the sea!
I hope ocean water doesn't suddenly come crashing down on us...
A sudden, ominous premonition washed over Tae-hyun. The walls of the underwater dungeon were made of deep ocean water. If you touched them, the water would ripple, submerging your hand! He didn't know how it was being held back, but if this barrier vanished, the sea would instantly swallow them whole.
*Thump, thump.* Tae-hyun tapped the walls as he moved forward. A crisp, resonant sound echoed from them. The others followed closely behind him, keeping their guard up. At that moment...
*Flash!*
"?!"
The Trial Room is opening.
You are being moved to the designated area.
No sooner had he felt that ominous premonition than the wall of waves collapsed! With a roaring sound, a torrent of water rushed in, separating the group.
"This is...!"
"Count Kim Tae-hyun! Come this way! *Gurgle, splash!*"
Priest Haron flailed, unable to even finish his sentence. Even amidst the chaos, Tae-hyun observed his surroundings with a sharp eye.
The water isn't just moving randomly!
It was grouping Tae-hyun and Cain together, while pairing Priest Haron with the Demer Holy Knights. On top of that, there was the system message that had just popped up about being moved to a designated area.
Are they grouping us by our associated gods?
Tae-hyun snapped his head around. Most of the guild members weren't being swept away by the water.
I knew it!
*Whoosh!* With that final thought, Tae-hyun was transported to another location.
"Puh-ha!"
Cain spat out a mouthful of water. A sudden deluge!
"Ugh, seriously, hanging out with that bastard Kim Tae-hyun brings all kinds of—"
"I'm right next to you."
"...fun and delightful experiences! Yay, I'm so thrilled!"
Cain marveled at his own quick reflexes. To think his survival instincts had grown this much!
*Shhh.*
Aykisus's Slave has appeared. Defeat them.
"Huh?"
Cain blinked at the message window. An Aykisus's Slave? But that was his own class.
—My... soul... is bound... to Archisus... Sate... my... hunger...
What appeared before him was a heavily armored warrior wrapped in chains from head to toe. A sharp glint flashed through the slits of his helmet! One look was enough to tell Cain this was a high-level monster.
"M-My skills are sealed, though."
"Beat him down with your raw stats."
"Easy for you to say! Besides, why does that guy look so hideous?!"
—My... soul... is bound... to Archisus... Sate... my... hunger...
Cain charged at the enemy, shouting, "Did you get scammed too, you idiot?!"
*Crunch!*
Ugh, what's with this strength...
Cain retreated. The opponent's sword strikes were no joke.
"Can you handle him?"
"Yeah! I think I can."
He wasn't just bluffing. Cain thought to himself that this was actually a relief. If an enemy possessed overwhelmingly higher Strength or Agility than a player, it was immediately obvious upon engagement. But this opponent wasn't at that level. He was, at most, on par with Cain! Even though his active skills were sealed, his passive sword masteries and base stats hadn't vanished.
"Phew. Heavy Strike!Shield Bash!"
Cain fell back on the basic skills he had used as a novice. The opponent quickly raised his shield to block. After unleashing his attack, Cain tried to back away. There was a brief post-skill delay—the perfect window for a counterattack! But the opponent lunged in immediately.
—Slave's Chain!
"Hey! That's my skill!!"
Cain cried out in indignation, but the opponent remained silent. In an instant, a chain wrapped around Cain's arm, dragging him forward.
*Thud, thud, thud!*
"Argh... Kim Tae-hyun! Help me!"
"Now is really not the time for me to be helping you."
"?!"
"No wonder they grouped us in the same place..."
The Avatar of Archisus has appeared. Defeat them.
A shabbily dressed swordsman materialized before him. Tae-hyun let out a deep sigh. If Cain's opponent was like that, there was no way his own would be easy.
"Alright. Let's see what you've got."
*Whoosh!* Tae-hyun moved swiftly, throwing a feint. Then, slipping past the opponent's guard, he swung his sword.
"...!"
He expected the opponent to block or dodge, but the copy simply took the hit with his body and countered. Don't tell me...
Evasion successful.
The attack has missed.
"..."
Two people swinging at each other, only for every single blow to miss! Tae-hyun stared at his opponent, utterly dumbfounded.
"What are we even doing here?"
The opponent offered no reply, simply swinging his sword again.
Evasion successful.
The attack has missed.
An infinite loop!
"Seriously, what is this..."
A hilarious, absurd situation born from the unique traits of the Avatar of Archisus class! Nearby, Cain was screaming in agony, chugging potions, and rolling on the ground in a desperate struggle. Meanwhile, Tae-hyun just stood there, casually trading misses with his copy!
"Wow. It's my own class, but this is incredibly annoying."
Tae-hyun could finally empathize with how frustrated his past opponents must have felt. Without a proper way to bypass the evasion, it felt like trying to punch empty air! Tae-hyun fell into deep thought. Even then, his copy continued to swing at him.
Evasion successful.
Evasion successful.
The copy occasionally mixed in skills, but it was completely pointless. Active attacks missed, and debuffs simply failed to register because Tae-hyun's absurdly high Luck stat remained intact!
How on earth do I defeat this guy?
Sword skills were useless, and magic was no different. Even engineering skills wouldn't do much against such absurd evasion. For the first time, Tae-hyun felt like he had hit an insurmountable wall. To think he himself was such a nightmare to deal with!
"Cain, how's the fight going?"
Tae-hyun decided to ignore his own opponent for a moment and help Cain. After all, his copy was basically harmless air.
"Pant, pant... If you've got time to chat... help me out, you bastard!"
"Alright, I'm coming."
Tae-hyun stepped up to Cain's opponent—the copy of the Aykisus's Slave—and delivered a powerful blow straight to its skull.
The copy of Aykisus's Slave immediately turned to attack Tae-hyun. Tae-hyun braced himself to counter. But then...
*Swish!*
"???"
The copy simply spun right back around and resumed its assault on Cain!
"Hey, you idiot! Attack Kim Tae-hyun! Attack him!"
Cain, whose HP was dangerously low, wailed in despair. But Tae-hyun immediately realized the reason.
"Ah, so it copied our class traits perfectly."
"Hey! Is this really the time to be analyzing things?!"
Cain, unable to block anymore, turned tail and ran. The copy of Aykisus's Slave slowly pursued him, weapon in hand. Regardless of the chase, Tae-hyun continued calmly.
"I should have realized when you two were fighting so evenly. The system copied our stats exactly. And on top of that, it copied our class traits."
"Argh! Aaaah! Hey! I told you to help me!"
"That's why he can't attack me. You know the penalty of being Aykisus's Slave, right?"
"Gah! Argh!"
"So now the real problem is how to defeat my own copy... Wow, I've never actually thought about this. I never expected I'd have to fight myself. Oh, right. Let's take down your enemy first."
"I already killed him myself, you bastard!!"
Cain screamed at Tae-hyun, panting heavily. At his feet lay the collapsed copy of Aykisus's Slave.