A Demon's Bargain
"..."
Tae-hyun suddenly went quiet. It was a rare hit to his weak spot! Seeing this, Jekas's eyes widened as he shouted triumphantly.
"I knew it! I knew something felt familiar! Did you think I'd forget? That fighting style! No matter how hard you try to hide it, you can't fool my eyes!"
It had been the exact same way back in Pan-On 1. When Jekas had fought Tae-hyun, he had used his unique Explorer skills to set a trap and lure him in. But at the very last second, Tae-hyun had sensed the danger and turned back. That memory made Jekas absolutely certain. There couldn't possibly be two players like that. The Kim Tae-hyun of Pan-On 2 was just someone with the same name as the Kim Tae-hyun of Pan-On 1? That was complete nonsense. They were definitely the same person!
"I'm telling you, you've got the wrong guy."
"Cut the crap! Do you really think a lie like that will work on me?!"
Tae-hyun smacked his lips in frustration. He had hoped to placate the guy and brush it off, but looking at Jekas, that wasn't going to fly. The man was already one hundred percent convinced.
How on earth did he figure it out? What sharp instincts.
It was baffling that Jekas had recognized him from a single past fight. Of course, Tae-hyun only thought that because his battle with Jekas hadn't been anything special to him. To Jekas, however, that fight was a memory so intense he had replayed it in his mind countless times. It was a battle so deeply engraved in his memory that he had gone on to search for and watch every single video of Tae-hyun fighting other rankers. It was only because of that sheer obsession that he was able to connect the dots during today's battle.
"Hehe... I was so disappointed when I heard you quit! But this is perfect. Absolutely perfect! I can finally get my revenge!"
Jekas shouted in sheer excitement. When news broke that Tae-hyun had quit Pan-On 1, Jekas had been one of the most devastated. His chance at revenge had vanished into thin air!
But Tae-hyun merely tilted his head and asked, "Um... sorry, but who exactly were you in Pan-On 1?"
"...You absolute son of a—!"
Jekas flew into a rage and spewed a torrent of curses. Tae-hyun's face genuinely looked like he had no memory of him whatsoever.
"An opening!"
"?!"
Boom!
A single blow has depleted more than 50% of your HP.
Status: Bleeding
"Wait..."
The Explorer class didn't have a very high HP pool. In other words, against a player like Tae-hyun whose main weapon was explosive burst damage, letting even a few hits land meant...
Thud! Bam! Crack!
With a series of satisfying sounds, Jekas collapsed to the ground.
It's over.
It's over!
Both of them realized the battle was decided. Jekas grit his teeth and glared up at Tae-hyun.
"You haven't changed a bit! Lowering my guard like that!"
Jekas was about to lose his life simply because he had let his emotions get the better of him. Believing he had fallen for another one of Tae-hyun's dirty tricks, Jekas glared at him with pure venom. I will get my revenge!
"Huh? No, I seriously didn't remember you. It wasn't a trick..."
"..."
"Besides, you shouldn't have let your guard down. And I'm really not that Kim Tae-hyun."
"Who would believe that?!"
"Come on. You don't even have proof."
"My gut feeling is the proo—"
Your target's HP has reached 0. Target has died.
Your Infamy has increased.
You have acquired an item.
Jekas was forcefully logged out!
Tae-hyun scratched his chin, a bitter taste in his mouth.
Will this be okay?
No matter how he looked at it, Jekas's expression right before he died was deeply concerning. He looked like the type who would do whatever he wanted, completely ignoring whatever Tae-hyun said!
Ugh... if this bastard starts running his mouth, it's going to be a massive headache...
Currently, the lie that Tae-hyun was not the same Tae-hyun from Pan-On 1 was teetering on a very delicate balance. Even if he had tried his best to lay low, rumors would have spread, but Tae-hyun was currently active as one of the most famous Korean players in Pan-On 2. If not for his sheer luck and the elaborate schemes he had pulled off so far, his identity would have been exposed ages ago.
The Power Warrior Guild members had been busy spreading fake rumors all over the internet, and Tae-hyun's own public declarations of "I am not the Kim Tae-hyun of Pan-On 1!" had been surprisingly effective. The general public thought, Huh? If he really was that famous player from Pan-On 1, there'd be no reason for him to hide his identity, right? I guess the Kim Tae-hyun of Pan-On 2 really is a different person.
It was a naive assumption that completely overlooked the sheer number of grudges Tae-hyun had accumulated! If he had only made a normal amount of enemies, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to hide his identity. The problem was that he had accumulated so many grudges that even he couldn't handle the fallout!
No point regretting the past now. And that Jekas guy seems pretty famous overseas. Damn it. Do I just have to pray?
Fortunately, Jekas had no concrete proof. The real danger was Jekas's reputation. He was a high ranker and a famous streamer with a massive viewer base. If someone like him started screaming, "That guy is Kim Tae-hyun! He's the real one!" people would naturally be intrigued, even without evidence. In the end, it would boil down to a battle of who could play dumb the longest!
Ah, seriously... of all the people to run into, it had to be this clown...
While he was lost in thought, Esla's voice echoed.
"You have won, adventurer."
"Haha, Lord Esla. I was only able to win because my respect for you far exceeds that of that fool. The world, after all, is—"
"...Are you the Avatar of Archisus?"
"?!?!"
Tae-hyun gasped. What did that demon just say?
"I can sense a divine aura, so you must be an adventurer associated with a god."
"Actually, I am a devout follower of the God Sadiq—"
"No. While I do sense Sadiq's energy, it is far too faint. This is undoubtedly the power of Archisus."
"...Archisus cursed me! That's why you're sensing it!"
"For a curse, the energy is far too refined. Archisus's curse is known to be the most vicious and annoying of all divine curses."
You have failed to deceive Esla with your Speech skill.
"..."
Tae-hyun let out a sigh and gave up. There was no point forcing it if it wasn't going to work.
"Well, I guess there are some people I just can't fool."
"Kahaha! Are you admitting it?"
"Yeah. Even if I am the Avatar of Archisus, what are you going to do about it? You're the one tied up there."
"True, adventurer. I cannot do a thing."
"You're not going to withhold my reward just because I'm the Avatar of Archisus, are you?"
"Why would I do that?"
"Demons usually start twitching the moment they hear Archisus's name."
"Ah, that is only natural. It is because of Archisus that we were sealed in the Demon Realm forever..."
"..."
The more he heard about Archisus, the more goosebumps he got. No matter how he looked at it, he had chosen the wrong class!
"It is not surprising that they hate Archisus so much."
"Aren't you a demon too?"
"I hold no particular ill will toward Archisus. I was already sealed here long before that happened."
"Well, that's a relief."
Despite his words, Tae-hyun didn't lower his guard.
"How did you know I was the Avatar of Archisus?"
"The skills you used against that adventurer were divine Authorities. That made it clear you were an Avatar."
"But how did you know it was Archisus?"
"Ah, that? I saw how cunningly you wagged your tongue and how devious your personality seemed, so I took a wild guess."
"Me? Devious?"
"Are you not?"
"Hah! Please. You won't find anyone as good-natured and honest as me. Just because you're a demon doesn't mean you can go around slandering people, you know?"
"I may be bound here, but my eyes still function..."
"Whatever, just hand over the reward. Give me the plague curse."
"Are you not curious about the identity of one sealed like this?"
"Not really. A demon probably did demon things and got caught. Just give me the reward."
"Actually, there is a long story behind how I ended up like this."
"I said I'm not curious. Hey. Are you deaf?"
Now that his identity as the Avatar of Archisus was out in the open, Tae-hyun had nothing left to hide. Even though the monster was sealed, it was still a creature that could easily tear him to shreds if freed—yet here he was, speaking to it with utter disrespect!
"Even though this is the human realm, the main reason I was captured by the dwarves was due to betrayal."
"Give me the reward. I don't have all day."
The two of them were completely talking past each other!
"To think those demons I trusted would betray me and sell me out to the dwarves..."
"That's what you get for trusting demons. You should've lived your life doubting them, like me. Anyway, when are you giving me the reward?"
"Yes. Indeed. I have been waiting. For a talented individual like you, adventurer."
"No, I said give me the reward!"
Required Title: One Who Deceived Demons
Required Title: Devil's Tongue
📍 Status: All quest acquisition conditions have been met. The quest is being forcibly triggered.
Esla, the demon sealed within the Ancient Dwarf Labyrinth, wishes to be freed from his seal to exact revenge on the demons who betrayed him. If you break Esla's seal, you will receive an immense reward. However, if this fact is leaked to the continent, everyone will despise you.
🎁 Rewards: ?, ??, ?????, ?????
⚠️ Penalty: If exposed, your reputation with all religious orders on the continent will drastically decrease.
"..."
Instead of the reward he asked for, Esla was forcing a bizarre quest on him!
"Ah, and since you are clearly qualified, there is no need for a test. Here is the bottle containing the plague curse."
The reward was handed over almost as an afterthought!
"..."
Tae-hyun stared in silence, but Esla remained completely unfazed. Tae-hyun might be as shameless as a demon, but Esla was an actual demon!
"Then I shall place my trust in you, adventurer."
"Sure, sure. Trust me all you want," Tae-hyun replied half-heartedly.
He had absolutely no intention of freeing Esla. Why on earth would he take on such a massive risk when he had nothing to gain from it?
"It seems you have no intention of freeing me. Let me give you a little motivation."
"Why? Are you going to give me gold?"
"No. But from what I can see, you seem to have incurred the wrath of Edaor and several other demons. Am I wrong?"
"..."
Tae-hyun flinched. Esla had hit a sore spot.
"Surely you do not feel safe just because you managed to trick them once. A deception may work once, but the moment they realize they have been fooled, those demons will easily track your location. For a demon of Edaor's caliber, that is child's play. If such demons come hunting for your head, do you truly believe you will survive?"
A sobering piece of advice!
Tae-hyun, who had been about to turn around and leave, froze in his tracks.
"It would be impossible to face such demons entirely on your own. Is there not a saying among humans? 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'?"
This bastard...
Esla was piercing right through his defenses!
"Even if you tried to join forces with other religious orders... ah, the Archisus Church does not get along with the others, does it?"
The killing blow!
Tae-hyun stopped completely and turned back around. He reached his hand out toward Esla.
"Haha, Esla. Now that I think about it, I forgot to ask—how do I break this seal?"
"Kahaha! That is the spirit, adventurer!"
Two demons shaking hands! Or, to be precise, one demon and the Avatar of a god.
"When is he coming out..."
Lee Se-yeon yawned as she checked the time. The terrifying undead army surrounding her was slumped over, mimicking their master's lethargy. An army of the undead lying down in the wilderness, enjoying a sunbath! It was a bizarre sight that would make anyone scream in terror.
The exit to the dungeon Kim Tae-hyun entered is definitely here. He couldn't have gone somewhere else, right?
Normally, Lee Se-yeon was extremely confident in her own judgment. To trust oneself, one needed confidence, and Se-yeon had plenty of it. But when it came to Tae-hyun, things were different. No matter how 100% certain she was, Tae-hyun always defied expectations and created the most unpredictable situations. It had been the exact same way back in Pan-On 1.
No. He will definitely come out through here.
Click—
At that exact moment, the sound of the dungeon exit opening echoed through the air.