"Master! Surely You Wouldn't Use Such Evil Power!"

"Master! Surely I trust you are not planning to use such an evil power!" Yong-yong said urgently, having realized the nature of the skill Tae-hyun had just acquired. He was already on thin ice; his master's eyes had been icy cold ever since Yong-yong snatched up his experience points back in the Demon Realm.

"Haha. Of course not." Yet, Tae-hyun's eyes were dead serious. They were the eyes of a man who would unleash it the absolute second an opportunity presented itself!

Of course, he couldn't use it right away. The penalty of having his Infamy overwhelmingly eclipse his Reputation was far more severe than it sounded. Not only would he be barred from entering most towns and cities, but he would also face massive disadvantages when interacting with all kinds of NPCs. No matter how much weight his title of Count carried, a sudden spike in Infamy would make his life incredibly inconvenient in more ways than one.

'I suppose the only place I can use it without worrying is my own territory?' In a fief where Tae-hyun reigned supreme, no NPC would dare complain about his high Infamy. Even so, Tae-hyun decided not to rush. A chance would present itself eventually if he just waited! Knowing that was a massive win in itself. On top of that, he would also be able to obtain the Authority of the Demer Order someday.

"Are you finally done? How long are you going to stare at those rewards?"

"I'm finished. By the way, where did Lee Da-bi go?"

Lee Da-bi, who had been here just moments ago, was nowhere to be seen. Only Cain remained, yawning out of sheer boredom.

"She went to check out something interesting happening outside."

"Then why are you still here?"

"...You ungrateful jerk. I actually waited for you..."

Cain had stayed behind out of fear that Tae-hyun would nag him if he left him alone, yet all he got in return was this icy reception!

"What's this interesting thing? An event?"

"Well, this is the Erangs Kingdom, so of course there are plenty of events."

There was a reason players loved starting in prosperous nations like the Erangs Kingdom. Events popped up constantly in the royal cities even if you did absolutely nothing! Just watching them was entertaining, and participating in them was highly lucrative.

"I'm supposed to go meet a demon right now... but well, I guess I can check out this event first."

Tae-hyun was a massive fan of events that offered free rewards. It was just that he had never had the chance to enjoy them before! Having started his journey in Tyrum City of the Salz Kingdom, he had left without experiencing a single proper event quest, having done nothing but slaughter aggressive rabbits day in and day out.

"I hope it's something good. Like giving out free stats."

Cain nodded in agreement at Tae-hyun's words. But as the two of them walked toward the temple's main entrance, they suddenly froze.

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

"Kim Tae-hyun! Kim Tae-hyun!"

"..."

While Tae-hyun had been busy checking his rewards, word had spread, and a massive crowd of players had gathered! They completely surrounded the temple's main gates, making a normal exit look utterly impossible. Tae-hyun and Cain locked eyes.

"What are you going to do?"

"Hmm, I have a way."

"Oh, what kind of—urk!"

Tae-hyun shoved Cain forward. In less than a second, he activated the Marquis's Mask to alter his face, swapped out his equipment, and vanished through the temple's back door. It was a dazzling display of disguise artistry executed in the blink of an eye! But to Cain, it was nothing short of an outrageous betrayal.

"Hey?!"

Tae-hyun didn't even look back. In moments like this, absolute cold-bloodedness was key! The players waiting at the main gates cheered wildly and hoisted Cain into the air. To any onlooker, it looked like a scene straight out of a rock concert!

"Cain! Cain! Cain! Cain!"

"Hey! Kim Tae-hyun! You son of a—! Let me down!"

"Wait, why do you have something weird attached to your nose?"

"..."

The streets were bustling! Regardless of whether they were high-level or low-level, players had gathered in groups, cheering and shouting with excitement. The sheer energy of the crowd was infectious.

'What kind of event is this?'

"Excuse me, what's going on here today?"

"Huh? Today, the King of Erance gathered chefs to hand out free food. You didn't know?"

"I just got back from another kingdom..."

"Ah, so you didn't start in the Erangs Kingdom. Erangs is great. For beginners, setting your return point here and leveling up is way easier than in other kingdoms."

Dressed in shabby beginner gear with his face altered by the mask, Tae-hyun looked like a complete novice to anyone who saw him. He gave a polite nod of gratitude and quickly moved along. Behind him, the voices of the crowd drifted over.

"Hey, I heard Cain is over there!"

"Really? Then is Kim Tae-hyun there too? Let's go check it out!"

'Sorry, Cain. But if I drag a crowd around, I won't be able to enjoy this event properly.'

Tae-hyun had abandoned Cain solely to maximize his own enjoyment.

For most people, this was just a lighthearted festival to enjoy. But for a select few players like Tae-hyun, such events were a battlefield. A battle to extract rewards with maximum efficiency!

'If the King of Erance gathered top chefs to distribute free food, this is a prime opportunity to raise my stats.'

In Pandemonium Online, food offered various benefits. Not only was it incredibly delicious—offering tastes impossible to experience in the real world—but consuming high-quality dishes could grant temporary buffs ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠or even permanently increase stats. Since the chefs gathered by the King of Erance were guaranteed to be masters of their craft, simply eating their food would yield massive gains!

But he couldn't just eat anything.

'Time is limited, and there are too many other players. The number of dishes a single person can consume is bound to be restricted.'

Most people would mindlessly grab whatever was right in front of them or whatever looked appetizing. That was foolish! He had to extract the absolute peak of efficiency. Tae-hyun narrowed his eyes and began calculating. How could he achieve the absolute best results? He looked more focused now than he had during his battles in the Demon Realm!

"Hear me, my people! Your King ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bestows this grace upon you, so receive it with gratitude!"

"Whoa! Long live the King!"

"He's kind of obnoxious, but he looks cool!"

Fortunately, the comments of a few fearless players were drowned out by the sheer volume of the crowd. Had those words reached the King's ears, royal knights would have descended upon them in an instant!

Clatter!

Massive tables were lined up along the wide avenue, and dishes began to be laid out upon them. The soldiers of the Erangs Kingdom moved busily, carrying tray after tray. In an instant, mountains of lavish food piled up!

'I don't need that.'

Temporary buffs were of no use to him right now. Tae-hyun quickly scanned the tables and kept moving.

Rumble!

"Wow, this is delicious! Seriously amazing!"

"Stop pushing! You're not the only one trying to eat here!"

With hordes of players swarming to grab food, the area around the tables resembled a war zone. No matter how fiercely the soldiers glared, the players charged in with reckless abandon. Chomp, gulp!

'Damn it, it's too hard to check them all like this.'

—Divine Foresight!

Tae-hyun immediately activated his skill. This was the perfect moment to utilize his all-purpose skill, Divine Foresight! Where was the place he needed to go most right now?! Tae-hyun moved frantically, following the path illuminated by the skill.

"Huh?"

When he finally snapped out of his hyper-focused state, Tae-hyun found himself not on the wide avenue, but in a back alley behind it. Naturally, there were no tables laden with food in this dingy alleyway.

"???"

Regardless, his Divine Foresight skill kept urging him to move forward.

'Well, it's telling me to move, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so I guess I'll move...'

With a skeptical heart, Tae-hyun pressed on. He slipped deeper into the back alleys, scaled a wall, leaped over a building...

'Wait, isn't this incredibly dangerous?!'

Only then did Tae-hyun snap back to reality. Blinded by the prospect of stat rewards, he was actively committing a crime! And of all times, he was doing it right now, when the area was crawling with royal knights and soldiers! He was already a wanted man in the Espa Kingdom; he couldn't afford to get a bounty on his head in the Erangs Kingdom too.

'No, wait, it should be fine. I'm perfectly disguised, and I have my Speech skill...'

Come to think of it, it wasn't actually that risky. Tae-hyun resumed his advance. The skill pointed directly to the door of a building!

Click—

At this point, opening a stranger's door felt as natural as breathing to Tae-hyun. Even a professional Thief player couldn't have slipped inside more seamlessly.

"..."

"..."

Inside the room stood a noble gentleman, adjusting his attire in front of a mirror. The noble stared at Tae-hyun in sheer disbelief.

"Who the devil are you?! Guard—mmph!"

Subdue first, ask questions later! Though Tae-hyun was startled, his hands had already moved on instinct.

'How did it even come to this?'

Regardless of his chaotic thoughts, his body moved with practiced ease!

"Mmph! Mmmph!"

"My deepest apologies, mister. My name is Su Ning, so feel free to come find me in the Auston Kingdom later... or don't..."

Tae-hyun quickly bound the noble and scanned the room. A nearby wardrobe looked like a suitable spot.

"Mmmph! Mmmph!"

"Seriously, is this skill broken or what?" Tae-hyun grumbled.

But the situation was far from over. Before he could even finish complaining, a knock sounded from the door on the opposite side of the room.

Knock, knock—

"?!"

"My Lord Baron, are you ready? I have come to escort you."

"...?!"

Terrified, Tae-hyun flung the wardrobe door open again. The muffled, gagged noble stared back at him in sheer panic.

"My Lord Baron?"

"Just a moment!" Tae-hyun called out.

The notifications warning him of his rising Infamy didn't even register anymore. Tae-hyun quickly memorized the Baron's facial features and stripped him of his outer coat.

"Shut up!"

Quickly using the mask to mimic the Baron's face, he threw the outer coat over his shoulders and cleared his throat a few times.

'What on earth am I doing right now?'

He had only used his skill to eat some food efficiently, and somehow it had dragged him into this bizarre situation! But there was no turning back now. Even if he had to make a run for it later, he had to do his absolute best to impersonate this noble for now so no one would suspect him.

"I am coming out now!"

"His Majesty has been waiting for quite some time."

"..."

"I shall guide you. This way, please!"

Tae-hyun let out a deep sigh. Then, he thought to himself:

'If I get caught, I'm absolutely giving them Su Ning's name before I run.'

Resolution was one thing, but for now, Tae-hyun did his best to adapt to the situation.

"Hey, you. What is my name?"

"Pardon?"

"I asked you what my name is!"

He barked the question, fully relying on his Advanced Rhetoric skill to carry the bluff!

"Y-yes? You are Baron Terand, my lord!"

"Indeed. Do not forget it."

"???"

'So I'm Baron Terand.'

Having successfully extracted his identity, Tae-hyun pondered his next move. Was it safe to push this further? Thanks to his Advanced Rhetoric skill, almost any lie he spun would probably work, but...

"Wait, can I grab a bite of that before we go?"

"...Excuse me?"

When Tae-hyun pointed at the dishes lined up along the street, the servant wore a look of utter bewilderment. But Tae-hyun remained unfazed. In moments like this, confidence was key!

"What? Is there a problem with me having a taste?"

"N-no... It is not that... Is this perhaps some sort of special technique?"

"...?"

"You are about to perform the official tasting shortly, yet you wish to eat other dishes beforehand... Well, if that is your wish, my lord, you may do so. However, please make haste. His Majesty does not like to be kept waiting."

"...!"

Only then did Tae-hyun realize why Baron Terand had been dressing up in his room.

'He was waiting because he's one of the nobles judging today's event!'

Of all the people to run into, the poor Baron Terand had met Tae-hyun right in the middle of his preparations and suffered this terrible misfortune!