I Was Actually Being Serious

"Hahaha!"

"Mr. Tae-hyun, you're quite the comedian!"

"Oh, my stomach hurts from laughing!"

"..."

He had been dead serious, but the players of the subjugation team thought it was all a joke! A prominent vein throbbed on Tae-hyun's forehead. Noticing this, Lee Se-yeon quickly changed the subject. She had already gotten what she wanted anyway. The players here would serve as her witnesses. On top of that, rumors that she was close with Tae-hyun would inevitably spread—a nice little bonus! Having received this unexpected windfall, Lee Se-yeon was in high spirits. Seeing Tae-hyun's utterly defeated expression beside her only made her feel even better!

"Let's head out to hunt it now," she said.

"Yes!"

"Let's go!"

The moment Lee Se-yeon spoke, the other players nodded in unison. That sight sent Tae-hyun's blood pressure spiking once again.

"Pant, pant... We're not too late, are we?"

"We've arrived!"

In the meantime, Cain and Lee Da-bi had caught up. Thanks to the subjugation team's all-out assault, they had been able to slip away with ease.

"I hope we didn't take too long... Gasp! Lee Se-yeon!"

Cain gasped in shock upon seeing her. Lee Se-yeon gave a gentle smile and waved.

"We met once before, didn't we?"

"Y-Yes! Yes, we did!"

Thrilled that Lee Se-yeon recognized him, Cain turned to Tae-hyun and shouted in excitement.

"Lee Se-yeon recognized me! She remembered me!"

"So what? She probably remembered you so she can kill you later."

"No way! Se-yeon isn't that kind of person!"

"What do you mean, 'no way'? Did you already forget that she lost the crown last time because of me? If you were in her shoes, would you forget a grudge like that so easily?"

"W-Well, I wouldn't, but... still, she's Lee Se-yeon..."

Even as he spoke, Cain realized his argument lacked conviction. Traveling with Tae-hyun meant they had done nothing but get in Lee Se-yeon's way; they had never once helped her! Knowing this all too well, Tae-hyun continued to tease him.

"You're already on her hit list right next to me, you idiot! Don't let her sweet-talk you! The moment she gets the chance, she's going to kill you and resurrect you as an undead minion!"

"No! Se-yeon isn't like that! Sob! We were even on the same team in the Arena!"

While Tae-hyun was busy tormenting Cain, Lee Se-yeon approached Lee Da-bi.

"Hello there," Se-yeon greeted.

"Yes! Hello!" Lee Da-bi replied, subtly taking a step back. She was clearly on guard. Lee Se-yeon's smile widened.

"You don't have to run away. I won't bite."

"Oh, it's fine! I'm comfortable right here!"

Thanks to all the trash-talking Tae-hyun had done about Lee Se-yeon, Lee Da-bi's wariness was at an all-time high.

"You're the guild leader of Power Warrior, right?"

"How did you...?"

"You're famous. I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh, Power Warrior is nothing compared to your guild, Ms. Se-yeon..."

"Not at all. It's hard to find a guild with as many members as Power Warrior. I heard you accept beginners without any discrimination, and that your reputation is excellent."

To conquer a castle, one had to crumble the surrounding walls and fill the moat. Lee Se-yeon was employing a similar strategy. To win over Tae-hyun, she needed to win over the people around him first! When a celebrity like Lee Se-yeon praised her, Lee Da-bi blushed slightly in embarrassment. It was rare for any player to speak so highly of the Power Warrior Guild, and even rarer for a top-tier ranker to do so. Usually, Power Warrior was referred to as "that guild," and its members were treated as "people who are a bit off in the head."

"This is the first time I've ever heard anyone say Power Warrior has a good reputa—"

"Shh. She's praising us right now."

Lee Da-bi reached out and clamped her hand over Tae-hyun's mouth. Sensing that Lee Da-bi was warming up to her, Lee Se-yeon smiled inwardly, preparing to deliver a decisive follow-up blow.

"We should do a joint broadcast sometime in the future."

"...!"

Tae-hyun stared at Lee Se-yeon. To think she would make such an offer to Lee Da-bi. It was a proposal Da-bi couldn't possibly refuse! For Da-bi, who managed the Power Warrior media channels, an offer from Lee Se-yeon to appear on her stream was incredibly tempting. Yet, after a brief hesitation, Lee Da-bi replied:

"My schedule is already completely packed. But thank you so much for the kind offer."

"...!"

"Is that so? Well, that's a shame then."

Lee Se-yeon looked momentarily surprised, but she didn't push any further and stepped back. The one who was truly shocked, however, was Tae-hyun.

"Why did you turn her down?"

"Oh? Was I supposed to accept?"

"Well, no, but..."

"It's obvious she has an ulterior motive. If I had agreed, she definitely would have dragged you into the broadcast too, Mr. Tae-hyun."

"Da-bi...!"

Tae-hyun looked at Lee Da-bi, deeply moved. She was on a completely different level compared to Cain, who was currently shouting "All hail Lee Se-yeon!" in the background.

"We're partners, aren't we?"

"We are."

Tae-hyun replied in a touched voice, but then he noticed Lee Da-bi's tightly clenched fists trembling slightly. Her hands couldn't hide her deep regret!

"...Are you trembling because you're full of regret?"

"...Yes..."

Her brain had made the right decision, but her heart was still grieving the lost opportunity! Tae-hyun patted her on the back.

"I'll guest star on your guild broadcast later."

"But Ms. Se-yeon is way more popular than you, Mr. Tae-hyun..."

"Don't hit me with facts so casually..."

While Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi bickered, Lee Se-yeon returned to her spot. Kim Hyeon-ah was glaring fiercely at Tae-hyun's party, her eyes practically dripping with murderous intent.

"She's no pushover," Se-yeon murmured.

"Who?"

"The guild leader of Power Warrior over there."

"What's so great about someone like her...!"

"Hyeon-ah, didn't I tell you not to judge people by their covers?"

Kim Hyeon-ah puffed out her cheeks. A guild name like Power Warrior was practically begging to be looked down upon. But Lee Se-yeon thought differently.

"She's sharper than she looks. Then again, to maintain a guild of that scale, the leader has to be highly capable."

"Anyone could do that!"

"No, they can't. Especially not a guild like Power Warrior. Have you ever seen another guild like theirs last this long? Aside from Power Warrior, I mean."

There were plenty of guilds that tried to gather a massive crowd to achieve something, just like Power Warrior. However, almost none of them lasted. Without a proper leader to guide them, such guilds inevitably crumbled. In that regard, Lee Da-bi's ability to keep Power Warrior running for this long was nothing short of remarkable. Moreover, the members of Power Warrior were all eccentric in their own ways! If her guild weren't Power Warrior, Lee Da-bi's reputation would have been far higher.

"Fine. Let's say this Lee Da-bi person is impressive. But that Cain guy definitely isn't!"

"Yeah, I don't think much of Cain either."

On this, the two sisters agreed.

"He probably only got to where he is by tagging along with Kim Tae-hyun. Players of his caliber are dime a dozen. If there's anything unusual about him, it's just that he follows Kim Tae-hyun with foolish loyalty."

"Well, Tae-hyun took care of him, so it's only natural he'd follow him like that."

"I suppose so."

Completely oblivious to the fact that they were talking behind his back, Cain was on cloud nine. With the Arena tournament approaching, he felt as though he had been acknowledged by Lee Se-yeon.

"Let's go take down the Archbishop!"

"Let's goooo!" the players shouted excitedly.

Both Kim Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon were part of the subjugation team. No matter how powerful the boss monster Archbishop was, they felt no fear.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Boom!

"Urgh!"

With a deafening explosion, the Archbishop was pushed back. The multiple layers of protective barriers surrounding him were already in tatters. Nearly thirty players had surrounded the Archbishop, constantly looking for an opening. It was a relentless, suffocating chain of attacks! Every player present was highly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠confident in their individual skills. Even without prior coordination, they were all veterans well-versed in large-scale boss raids.

Even among the players, Tae-hyun stood out exceptionally. His attack power was on a completely different level! The players fighting alongside him could only watch in awe, clicking their tongues in admiration.

"May the name of Sadiq grant me strength..."

Meanwhile, Sadiq Archbishop and his priests began chanting an incantation. Seeing this, the players shouted:

"He's casting an AoE!"

"Fall back!"

Chanting like that was a clear sign that Sadiq Archbishop was preparing a devastating spell. A powerful area-of-effect attack would soon blanket the area around him! A few players had already been forced to log out after getting caught in that very magic. The damage was so absurdly high that if you got caught in it, you would die instantly before the healers could even cast a single support spell. Yet, there was one player who remained exactly where he was.

"Mr. Tae-hyun!"

"Get out of there!" the players cried out in panic.

Tae-hyun was no novice who didn't know when to retreat, so they couldn't comprehend why he was acting this way.

"Why is he doing that?"

"I told you, you need to fall back!"

Crash! Bang! Bang!

Regardless of their cries, Tae-hyun unleashed a relentless flurry of blows. The barrier protecting the Archbishop was on the verge of shattering. No matter how desperately the priests tried to reinforce the shield, Tae-hyun's attack speed far outpaced their casting.

Tae-hyun had only one thing on his mind: The Archbishop's kill is mine!

Aside from the Authority, the experience points and item drops from a boss monster were distributed starting with the player who contributed the most. If they had formed a proper party from the beginning, they could have configured the loot distribution ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠settings, but the players gathered here had no such arrangement! In other words, to secure the best rewards, he had to contribute the most.

If I deal the most damage and land the final blow, I'm guaranteed first place!

He was driven entirely by greed! Completely oblivious to his selfish motives, the other players could only watch in anxious worry. Tae-hyun's public image was simply too noble for anyone to suspect his true intentions!

"Could he be staying there to block the AoE spell?"

"Huh?"

"Remember how someone got logged out earlier because they couldn't dodge it? Do you think he's doing this to protect us from that?"

"Ah, that must be it!"

"..."

"What the hell are they talking about?" Cain muttered under his breath, utterly dumbfounded. The players were clearly suffering from a massive misunderstanding!

"Mr. Tae-hyun! You don't have to go that far! It's okay to retreat!"

"That's right! We can dodge it on our own!"

What are they even talking about? Hearing the shouts from behind, Tae-hyun was also left bewildered. What nonsense were they spouting?

In that instant, Sadiq Archbishop glared at Tae-hyun with wide, bloodshot eyes.

"Count Kim Tae-hyun! Our grudge will never be erased! Even if I die, the Holy Knight Commander will hunt you down, and even if the Holy Knight Commander dies, those who follow will pursue you to the ends of the earth!"

Crack! With a sharp fracturing sound, Tae-hyun successfully shattered the Archbishop's barrier.

"...!"

All this time, he had been building up critical stacks, waiting for the perfect opportunity—and it was all for this exact moment. The moment he could land a devastating blow on the completely defenseless Sadiq Archbishop!

KABOOM!

A heavy, satisfying impact reverberated through Tae-hyun's fingertips. He didn't even need to look at the system messages to know. Just a few more hits, and the Archbishop would be finished!

Just one more follow-up...

Flash!

"?!?!"

Even Tae-hyun couldn't help but panic. Suddenly, the Archbishop and his priests were enveloped in a crimson light and vanished into thin air.

"What the hell?!"

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

"We finally made it to the top!"

"Hey, but looking at the community site right now, it looks like the subjugation is already over..."

"No way! We have to kill something!"

The players who had scaled the steep cliff finally reached the summit! These were the very players who had been forced to accept a quest from Tae-hyun. Though they were in tatters due to the traps laid along the cliffside, they couldn't afford to stop. If they stopped here, they would never be able to lift their curses.

"We have to kill something... Huh?"

"Look over there! It's the Sadiq priests!"

"Get them!"

In the distance, Sadiq Archbishop and his priests materialized in a flash of crimson light. They had used their magic to escape Tae-hyun's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠onslaught! Of course, the players who had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just crawled up the cliff had no idea who they actually were. All they had was the desperate urge to kill something!

"Get them!"

"?!?!"