The Same Breed
“L-L-L-Lee…”
It’s Lee Se-yeon!!
Only then did the two players realize exactly who was standing before them. Because she had concealed all of her expensive, flashy equipment, they hadn’t recognized her at first, but looking closely at her face made it instantly obvious. She was the one-woman army herself, commanding powerful undead with a single flick of her finger!
“You shouldn’t do that!”
“...?”
“You shouldn’t say Kim Tae-hyun! We were wrong! We were absolutely, completely wrong!”
“...”
An ordinary person would have been bewildered by their sudden, dramatic shift in attitude, but Lee Se-yeon was no ordinary person.
“Right. Good to know.”
“...”
Her nonchalant response left the two players utterly dumbfounded.
“But you did say Kim Tae-hyun. I heard correctly, right?” Lee Se-yeon asked with a bright, beaming smile. “Would you mind telling me everything you know about Kim Tae-hyun?”
There was only one reason she had come all this way under the current circumstances: to see Tae-hyun! She had already confirmed through the widespread rumors that he was in the area.
I’ll head to the Prica Continent, check out the arena, and find Kim Tae-hyun.
It was the ultimate two-birds-with-one-stone scenario!
As Lee Se-yeon smiled, the two players exchanged quick glances.
Isn’t this an opportunity?
Right? It’s totally an opportunity!
Unlike Tae-hyun or the other notoriously difficult rankers, Lee Se-yeon seemed kind, polite, and gentle! She was a household name to any Korean player, and her fame from Pan-On 1 was so legendary that gamers all over the world knew her. In fact, her reputation was so immense that one of the most common questions asked on foreign players’ live streams was, “Do you know Lee Se-yeon?”
She had the skills, the looks, and a decent personality—it would have been stranger if she wasn’t popular. Because of that stellar reputation, the two players made a slight miscalculation. They assumed that, unlike the foul-tempered Tae-hyun, Lee Se-yeon might actually be reasonable!
“We’ll tell you!”
“Thank you.”
“But in return, could we get some compensation...?” the two pleaded, clasping their hands together in a desperate, pitiful display.
Having been thoroughly extorted of their gold and items by Tae-hyun, they were desperate to recoup their losses by any means necessary.
-Hand over the gold.
-W-we don’t have any left.
-That’s none of my business. Go make some and bring it to me. I know you have more. None? How about I kill you once to check if you’re telling the truth?
Tae-hyun’s extortion skills were so thorough that he had stripped them of the gold hidden in the deepest corners of their pockets! His ability to push, pull, tighten, and loosen was far superior to their own as professional PVP players. In the end, they had been forced to hand over their entire fortunes through tears of despair.
“Compensation?” Lee Se-yeon asked.
“Yes!”
If it’s Lee Se-yeon, the reward is bound to be amazing, right?
Of course! Even the junk items she throws away are probably better than our main gear!
“Compensation? Hmm. What would be good?”
“Give us gold!”
“That’s a bit difficult. I don’t really want to give you gold.”
“Please, gold!!”
“Fine. I’ll spare your lives!”
“...Excuse me?”
“I said I’ll spare your lives. Why? You don't want that?”
Perhaps it was just their imagination, but the smile on Lee Se-yeon’s face seemed to grow even wider.
Sssshing—
With a chilling metallic ring, the Death Knights standing beside her drew their swords and pointed them at the duo. The two players realized instantly: Lee Se-yeon was the exact same breed of player as Kim Tae-hyun!
“We love it! We love it!”
“Good. Now that you’ve received your compensation, why don’t you tell me where Kim Tae-hyun is and what he’s doing?”
Holding back their tears, the two opened their mouths. Now that things had turned out like this, they only had one option left!
*Let’s sic her on Kim Tae-hyun!*
*Yeah! If we tell her, she might go and attack him!*
“You died already?! What are you doing?!”
“He killed me in an instant! I couldn’t help it!”
More players arrived from the passage behind them.
“That guy is seriously no joke! Buy time!”
Jekas’s party members immediately shifted their strategy after witnessing Tae-hyun’s prowess. They had heard rumors of how formidable he was, but seeing one of their teammates get deleted in the blink of an eye forced them to change their minds.
“Blind Man’s Curse, Curse of Illusion, Curse Stack!”
“Sight of Brilliant Light!”
You have been cursed. Stealth probability decreases.
You have been cursed. Movement speed decreases.
Sight of Brilliant Light unfolds in the passage. You cannot stealth.
Tsk. They did prepare, Tae-hyun thought, clicking his tongue inwardly.
Looking at the opposing party, it was clear they hadn’t come unprepared. The fact that the party that had entered the dungeon first had doubled back to ambush them proved that information had leaked. If so...
I’m definitely going to kill those two bastards the next time I see them.
No matter how urgent the situation, Tae-hyun never forgot a grudge! He was more precise and meticulous with his grudges than an automated loyalty point card.
“Just buy time! There’s no need to fight him head-on!” the enemy party shouted again.
Tae-hyun realized they were stalling to complete their quest.
What should I do...? They won’t let their guard down anymore.
When they first appeared, they had been slightly careless after wiping out the rest of Tae-hyun’s party. That carelessness had allowed him to close the distance instantly and unleash a burst of high damage, but... that trick wouldn’t work twice. The enemy party was keeping a cautious distance, as evidenced by the continuous barrage of curses designed to bind his movement speed and stealth.
Meanwhile, magic spells flew toward him relentlessly. An earthen spear hurtling through the air suddenly exploded, scattering into countless sharp fragments. It was a skill that made it incredibly difficult to use the Circle of Counterattack.
“Damn it.”
Evaded successfully.
Evaded successfully.
Evaded successfully.
It was annoying, but he had to admit it: they were a solid party. After just one clash, they were already adapting to his playstyle.
-Block his stealth and movement skills to counter his close-range burst damage.
-Avoid using heavy single-hit skills so he can’t trigger skills like the Circle of Counterattack.
Cain and Lee Da-bi were currently infected with the plague, meaning they couldn’t provide stable support unless it was a surprise attack. Even if Cain wanted to use his Slave’s Chain, he needed to get within range first. Consequently, Tae-hyun found himself standing at the front, essentially acting as the tank.
What’s the play here?
However, the enemies weren’t in a great position either.
“Is that bastard not taking any damage at all?”
“Use AoE! Make it so he can’t dodge!”
“He’s dodging even the AoE! What the hell is he?”
“Kim Tae-hyun was disgusting in Pan-On 1, but this guy is just as gross. Are all Koreans like this?”
They shuddered to think what would have happened if they hadn’t received information about him beforehand. Their strategy of keeping their distance and casting spells to prevent him from closing in was incredibly nerve-wracking. Even in this narrow passage, Tae-hyun was dodging every single wide-area spell they threw at him, none of which were simple projectile magic.
It wasn’t just evasion triggered by his high Luck stat. It was a natural, gifted reflex that allowed him to predict where the AoE would land and step out of the way beforehand! The only spells currently hitting him were the instant-cast curses.
“He’s closing the distance! If he gets any closer, we’re dead!”
“Crazy! How is buying time this hard?”
As the players conversed rapidly, something caught their attention: the fallen Mechanical Golems lining the passage!
“That’s it!”
“?!”
“I wondered how they got here so fast. They used the Mechanical Golems! I heard that Kim Tae-hyun guy has a high Engineering skill!”
“...!”
It was the answer to how Tae-hyun’s party had navigated the complex dungeon so quickly.
“He must have controlled the golems using his Engineering skill. Destroy them!”
“On it!”
The players quickly shifted their targets. Tae-hyun was slightly taken aback when the magic flying toward him suddenly stopped.
What are they planning?
In that instant, the spells veered off to the side, hurtling directly toward... the Mechanical Golems.
“W-Wait...!”
“Haha! He’s flustered! I knew it!”
Rumble—!
A barrage of magic exploded over the fallen Mechanical Golems. Simultaneously, Tae-hyun activated a skill.
“Aki-sus’s Divine Territory!”
Aki-sus's Divine Territory
“???”
Behind him, Cain and Lee Da-bi tilted their heads in confusion at the sudden activation of the wide-area skill. Why use that skill now?
They received their answer immediately.
Sizzle, crackle—
The Mechanical Golem has sustained a heavy impact.
Due to its Unstable state, it will explode.
“Uh...?”
The attacking players blinked at the message window that popped up before them. None of the Mechanical Golems they had defeated so far had ever exploded!
“What the—?!”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A massive chain reaction of explosions completely engulfed the dungeon passage.
“We’ve arrived...!”
While their party members were being blown to pieces in the distance, Jekas and his remaining companions reached their destination.
“This is it. Get the key!”
Jekas pulled out the Ancient Dwarf’s Key, which he had obtained with great difficulty from the Dwarven Sanctuary. As he inserted it into the slot, the heavy doors leading to the deepest chamber of the dungeon opened with a low, grinding rumble.
Hiss— Sssss—
As the doors parted, the loud, rhythmic hiss of escaping steam echoed from within.
• You have entered the deepest chamber of the Ancient Dwarf Underground Labyrinth.
• Your Reputation increases.
• If you mention this event when meeting Dwarves, you will receive special treatment.
A demon?!
Jekas panicked, instinctively checking behind him. As a veteran explorer, he knew all too well that encountering a demon in Pan-On usually meant risking your life. Under normal circumstances, avoiding them was always the top priority.
“Calm down. It says he’s sealed.”
“R-Right. That’s true.”
Regaining his composure, Jekas nodded. The enemy was sealed. Furthermore, the blacksmith player, Gabriel, had clearly made it this far. Since a player like him had managed to leave alive, this sealed demon was undoubtedly an opponent that could be bypassed.
*If a blacksmith could avoid him, then an explorer like me can certainly do the same.*
“Are you adventurers?” a deep, booming voice echoed through the chamber.
In the center of the deepest chamber stood a massive steam engine. A complex web of gears, pipes, and mechanical devices hissed as they pumped out steam. And trapped right in the middle of that apparatus was a single demon.
“Heheh... There is no need to be so afraid. I cannot leave this place, after all.”
“...I was never afraid.”
You possess Intermediate Speech skill. A penalty is applied.
Failed to deceive the demon.
Esla despises you.
Damn it!
Jekas instantly regretted his words. His attempt to bluff had backfired, causing the demon to look down on him from the very start. Trying to use the Speech skill against a demon had been a foolish move to begin with.
“Adventurer, what have you come here to obtain?”
“Has another adventurer been here before?”
“...”
“Indeed. A blacksmith who desired power... He passed the trial and took what he wanted.”
Jekas quickly assessed the situation. This sealed demon evidently rewarded those who passed his trial. Gabriel had passed that trial and claimed his reward.
“An incredibly powerful cursed bomb...”
“I want a way to lift that curse!”
“Then pass the trial.”
Jekas gulped. Even though he knew a player like Gabriel had already passed it, he couldn’t help but feel tense. What kind of trial would it be?
*If it’s a trial related to Blacksmithing or Engineering... I’m screwed.*
Looking around, this chamber seemed heavily connected to Engineering and Blacksmithing. The fact that Gabriel had passed made that even more likely.
*No. I can do this. I’ve cleared everything so far without those skills!*
Just as he steeled his resolve, a deafening crash echoed from behind.
CRASH!
It was the sound of the chamber door—the very door Jekas had unlocked with his hard-earned key—being completely shattered. Standing in the dust was Tae-hyun, holding a hammer.