A Spy of Archisus

"????"

The players were utterly bewildered. Why was there a fire raging over there? Naturally, the Sadiq Order was the most flustered of all.

"What is going on?!"

"I'll go check immediately!"

"Why hasn't Antonio shown his face yet?"

"Could he have...!"

"Go, Holy Knight Commander! Go and see for yourself. If Antonio is behind this, you have my permission to bring me his head!"

"Understood!"

Defending the gate fortress was chaotic enough, but now their main base was burning to the ground. Archbishop Sadiq barked out orders, his face contorted with rage. Since the enemy before them was temporarily held at bay, he was determined to punish Antonio even if it meant sending his Holy Knight Commander! It was the ultimate butterfly effect, triggered by the bomb Tae-hyun had detonated.

"I bet Kim Tae-hyun did this," Lee Se-yeon remarked.

"No way, Unni! There's no way!" Kim Hyeon-ah protested.

"Who else but Kim Tae-hyun would do something like this...?"

Lee Se-yeon stared at Kim Hyeon-ah, utterly exasperated. Hyeon-ah avoided her gaze, completely speechless. Even by her own logic, there was only one person in the entire world capable of such madness.

"Look, the tribal warriors are running away!"

"Get them!"

"Are you insane? Hold on! Do you want to go over there and burn to death with them?"

Tribal warriors and Dark Elves could be seen fleeing toward the cliffs near the gate fortress. Since every single kill translated directly into EXP and gold, the players smacked their lips in regret.

Thwack!

Yet, even in this chaos, there were players capable of taking action.

"Nice shot!"

"Ji-soo, didn't you shoot without using a skill?"

"Huh? I can hit that easily without one."

Ju Ga-yeon shook her head in sheer amazement. Normally, playing an Archer didn't mean you were actually good at archery. Since it was a game, raising stats and skills provided a system correction to help aim. But Yoo Ji-soo was sniping distant enemies one after another without a single skill. This was an acrobatic feat impossible unless she was a master archer in the real world! There was a very good reason why Yoo Ji-soo had risen from a complete novice to an expert so rapidly. An Epic class and guild support certainly helped, but she was simply a perfect match for the Archer class.

"Ahem. Ahem."

"?"

Ji-soo cleared her throat a few times, then marched toward Lee Se-yeon with a look of grim determination. Ju Ga-yeon watched her, utterly bewildered.

"Ji-soo, what are you doing?"

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

"I have something to ask her."

"What?"

"I want to ask where Tae-hyun Hy... I mean, Oppa is."

"Why? Can't you just send him a whisper?"

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

"You don't understand at all!"

"?!"

Ju Ga-yeon took a step back, startled by the sudden, intense gleam in Ji-soo's eyes. Ji-soo was usually a sweet, adorable younger sister figure, but she occasionally flashed a look that was downright terrifying.

"If I whisper him and go find him, he'll just take it for granted. But what if we meet 'by chance'? It'll look so much more romantic!"

"But if you ask Se-yeon, it's not really by chance, is it...?"

"The truth doesn't matter!"

"I-Is that so?"

Ga-yeon was left speechless. If Ji-soo said so, she would just have to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠let her be. But she couldn't help but think to herself: Does she really have to go that far?

Regardless of Ga-yeon's bewilderment, Ji-soo quickly approached Lee Se-yeon.

"Hello."

"?"

Se-yeon turned to see who it was and greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hello."

Se-yeon's polite and friendly demeanor toward everyone deeply touched Ji-soo once again. But at the same time, it filled her with dread. She shouldn't be such a good person...! What if Tae-hyun Oppa falls for her? Of course, if Tae-hyun had heard this, he would have recoiled in absolute horror.

"Is something the matter?"

"Ah, well... I heard player Kim Tae-hyun is also participating in this quest. Do you happen to know where he is?"

"Player Kim Tae-hyun is inside the main base. You'll probably run into him if you head inside later."

"Ah, his exact location...?"

"I don't know that. We aren't really that close..."

"……!"

Ji-soo's face instantly brightened. Se-yeon didn't seem to be lying at all.

"Thank you so much!"

Ji-soo bowed repeatedly before scurrying away. Watching her go, Kim Hyeon-ah tilted her head in confusion.

"Was there really a reason to be that grateful for that answer?"

"Right? Ah. Could it be..." Se-yeon paused for a moment.

"Could it be what?"

"Maybe she has a grudge against Kim Tae-hyun?"

"Perfect! Tell her to go kill him!"

"You really are something... Besides, if she picks a fight with Kim Tae-hyun, she's the one who'll end up dead."

"……."

Kim Hyeon-ah pouted. It was a painful truth she couldn't refute. No matter how obnoxious and detestable Kim Tae-hyun was, his skills were undeniable.

"If she really has a grudge against him, I'm starting to feel a bit bad for telling her."

"To whom?"

"To Kim Tae-hyun, of course."

"It's fine, Unni! You did nothing wrong!"

"Well, I didn't give her his exact location anyway. But seriously, what is Kim Tae-hyun even doing?"

"Mwahahaha!"

Tae-hyun let out a booming laugh. He might have looked like a madman, but he was perfectly sane. He was just in an exceptionally good mood! That was how incredibly generous the support from the Sadiq Holy Knights was.

If Tae-hyun's strengths lay in his overpowered Legendary class skills and easy stat-and-skill growth (though his stats were randomized), his weaknesses were his low level and the resultingly low HP and MP. No matter how high he raised his stats, base HP and MP only scaled with actual level-ups, making it an unavoidable bottleneck. Of course, it was precisely because he covered these weaknesses that he was so terrifyingly strong.

His low HP was covered by an absurd evasion rate driven by his astronomical Luck stat, combined with his own flawless physical movements. His low MP was managed through meticulous skill rotation and precise calculations of recovery times.

It sounded simple, but it was an incredibly demanding feat. Knowing exactly when and how to use a skill, tracking when the next cooldown would end, calculating how much MP would be consumed, and figuring out how long it would take to recover—he had to calculate all of this in his head in real-time, all while moving frantically and fighting for his life.

People who didn't understand PVP often said, "Isn't it just a game of who has the higher level and better gear?" But they were dead wrong. True strength in PVP always lay in these invisible, hidden calculations! Yet, even with Tae-hyun's near-perfect calculations, his low MP pool couldn't be completely compensated for. In a one-on-one fight, he could quickly melt his opponent with burst damage, but when the enemy numbers swelled, things became highly tedious.

But right now, Tae-hyun wasn't feeling a single shred of that discomfort.

—Lucky Strike, Lucky Strike, Lucky Strike, Urging, Circle of Attack!

He unleashed a relentless barrage of skills, completely throwing caution to the wind! Thanks to the buff bestowed upon him by the Sadiq Holy Knight Commander, his MP was regenerating at an insane speed. His MP refilled almost the exact instant he cast a skill!

Wow, I really wish I had an NPC like this...

Tae-hyun smacked his lips. How amazing would it be if the Archisus Church had an NPC like this Sadiq Holy Knight Commander? He wasn't just reliable; he was an absolute treasure. He was the ultimate support.

"Magnificent!"

"Thank you, Commander!"

The Holy Knight Commander watched in awe as Tae-hyun sliced through the Royal Guard.

Utterly useless contribution points! Tae-hyun would never have a chance to spend them anyway, but they kept piling up regardless.

"That idiot! How dare he!" Antonio shrieked in sheer frustration, but the Commander completely ignored him.

As his Royal Guards fell one by one, Antonio gave up and turned tail. He realized he would truly die if he stayed any longer.

"He's running! We must capture him!"

"You shall not pass!"

Antonio's remaining guards blocked the path, sacrificing themselves so their master could escape.

"We must catch him!"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

At Tae-hyun's passionate cry, the Commander responded with equal fervor. The two were in perfect harmony. Anyone watching would have sworn they were brothers-in-arms who had fought side-by-side for years.

"Aaargh! You Sadiq insects!"

"If I were still in the royal palace, pests like you would have been cut down in a single stroke...!"

The Royal Guards fought with desperate resolve, but the battle had long ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠since tilted in Tae-hyun's favor. Having been blasted by both Archisus and Sadiq holy bombs, they stood no chance against high-ranking Sadiq Holy Knights. Holding out was an impossibility.

By the time the last guard fell, Antonio had already vanished. But the Commander remained unfazed.

"I know where he is heading. Follow me!"

"Yes, sir!"

Tae-hyun eagerly followed. This NPC was a dream come true, anticipating his every need!

"There is only one place that vile, filthy rat of a man could possibly run."

"Where is that, Commander?"

"The escape route right behind us. He must have tried to flee through there earlier as well!"

"To think such a place existed!"

An escape route hidden behind these steep mountains. It was likely built as a contingency plan for emergencies. Tae-hyun thought to himself: I should blow it up!

Conveniently, he still had a few bombs crafted from the Sadiq Order's own materials. The sheer, unadulterated wickedness of stealing Sadiq materials to craft bombs meant to blow up Sadiq's own facilities!

The escape route was surprisingly large and well-constructed, carved directly out of the mountain's solid rock. If the Commander hadn't opened the passage door with magic, it would have been nearly impossible to detect from the outside.

"There he is!"

Far down the newly opened passage, Antonio could be seen fleeing on horseback.

Thud-thud-thud!

The Sadiq Holy Knights hurled their spears. The blazing projectiles flew like shooting stars, striking Antonio's mount.

Crash!

Antonio tumbled violently across the stone floor. Spewing curses, he drew his sword. It was a clash between NPCs who both wielded the dark fire of the Sadiq Order.

"You lowly trash, how dare you...!"

Flames erupted in all directions, scorching the walls of the passage. Antonio lunged forward with a roar of fury, but he was already completely surrounded.

"I'm telling you, you're being deceived! Does this bastard look like a Sadiq Holy Knight to you?!"

"How dare you try to sow discord! Commander! We must burn his tongue out!"

Antonio was driven to the brink of madness. Every single crime committed by this imposter was somehow being pinned on him. Sure, he had planned to abandon the Sadiq Order and flee, but why on earth would he burn down his own base?! It made absolutely no sense!

"...!"

Antonio suddenly abandoned all defense, launching a frantic, suicidal counterattack.

Boom! Crash! Bang!

Aura erupted from his blade, followed by a rapid succession of Sadiq's explosive flames. His momentum was terrifying. Intimidated by the onslaught, the Holy Knights raised their shields and prepared to fall back.

But Tae-hyun did the exact opposite—he charged straight in. Antonio was already heavily damaged. Now was the perfect time to finish him!

"Fall back! He is dangerous! We must wear him down slowly...!"

"No! I cannot forgive this traitor for insulting Lord Sadiq!"

I wasn't actually trying to taunt him, though...!

Dodge-rolling through Antonio's wild swings, Tae-hyun closed the distance. He was in peak condition. Despite the continuous combat, the Commander's buffs kept refreshing, allowing him to spam his skills recklessly without a care in the world.

—Circle of Attack, Multi-hit, Vitals Strike, Magic Interruption!

He effortlessly evaded Antonio's minor attacks, interrupted his high-tier magic before it could cast, and unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes.

Now!

—Critical Explosion!

"Aaaaaargh!"

Antonio shrieked in agony as an attack on a completely different dimension of power ripped through him.

Antonio collapsed to his knees. Before Tae-hyun could even finish reviewing the system messages with a jubilant grin, Antonio gasped out his final, dying breath.

"Y-You..."

"?"

"You're... a spy of Archisus...!"

"……!"