A Class of His Own
"Let's go!"
With their long preparations finally complete, the members of the Woodstock Guild and the Power Warrior Guild stood ready to conquer the dungeon. Standing beside Kim Tae-hyun, the Woodstock Guild Leader began explaining the sixth floor.
"The mobs on this floor are Grave Robber Warriors and Grave Robber Archers. The ones carrying bows are especially dangerous. Their damage is no joke. If there are fewer than five, we can handle them easily, but any more than that and we're in for a massive headache. First, the tank needs to step up and draw aggro. But even for a tank, taking three of those arrows is lethal. We have to pour in our DPS and interrupt their shots within two hits..."
The Woodstock Guild Leader went on and on, explaining every detail. His analysis and strategy were incredibly specific and accurate, proving he hadn't been lying about preparing for this floor for a long time.
"...So we must be absolutely careful. No reckless moves—"
"Oh, enemies."
Thwack!
The moment the Grave Robber Warriors appeared in the distant corridor, Tae-hyun whipped out his musket and fired the first shot!
"Hey, you crazy bastard!!!"
Ignoring the Woodstock Guild Leader's shriek, Tae-hyun charged at the enemies. There were six of them in total. Two held bows, while the other four carried swords.
Judging by how much the Woodstock Guild had struggled, the enemies' levels had to be in the early to mid-100s. But it didn't matter.
'Archers first!'
-Yong-yong, blast the right side!
Activating Shadow Dive, Tae-hyun leaped through the shadows and materialized right in front of an archer. He had already stacked his attack power to absurd heights using Lucky Strike. On top of that, he was fully buffed by the priests. He was in peak condition.
The Grave Robber Warrior stumbled backward with a groan. Realizing their companion had been struck, the other warriors quickly spun around.
"Intruders! Where did they come from?!"
"Kill them!"
Movement Speed, HP Recovery Speed, and MP Recovery Speed are greatly reduced.
Damage received from Grave Robbers is increased.
Divine Authority
Successfully resisted the curse!
The Grave Robbers rushed forward, brandishing curved scimitars. Their tattered brown cloth armor looked ancient and worn, but Tae-hyun didn't let his guard down. In this game, levels were absolute! A level 100 player in their underwear was infinitely more terrifying than a level 1 player decked out in pay-to-win gear.
Tae-hyun reacted instantly. He pulled out a Small Lightning Bomb. While its damage was lower than other explosives, its paralysis and stun durations were significantly longer.
◈ A bomb crafted using Thunderstones.
◈ Created by a master blacksmith. The chance of misfire or failure is virtually zero.
Since Tae-hyun had personally scavenged the materials from the vaults of the Atari Royal Palace, the effects were guaranteed.
Crackle!
The Cursed Grave Robber Warrior has been stunned.
It wouldn't last forever, but a few seconds was more than enough. For Tae-hyun, a few seconds was plenty of time to take down one enemy and move on to the next!
-Roaaaaar!
Yong-yong grabbed a Grave Robber Archer in both claws, unleashing a powerful torrent of lightning.
-Master, I have him! Finish him quickly!
"Got it, hold him tight!"
Squish!
Eliminate the archers who could launch dangerous attacks from behind first. Then, pick off the remaining warriors one by one. It sounded simple in theory, but executing it was anything but. Yet Tae-hyun was pulling it off with just a few items and skills.
Gulp.
The Woodstock Guild Leader swallowed hard. He had heard plenty of rumors about Kim Tae-hyun, but seeing him in action was on a completely different level. The sheer aura radiating from the man was overwhelming.
'Incredible!'
The Woodstock Guild Leader had met plenty of rankers and even considered himself to be on par with them, but watching Tae-hyun completely shattered that illusion.
'Now I see why Su Ning got absolutely demolished...'
This was a level of class that Su Ning couldn't even dream of matching.
From then on, Tae-hyun continued to act with reckless abandon—or, in the Woodstock Guild Leader's eyes, sheer ignorance. And with every reckless move, the meticulous strategies the Woodstock Guild had spent ages compiling became completely obsolete.
The real kicker was that Tae-hyun wasn't even struggling; he was clearing everything with ease!
-What is up with this guy, seriously?
-Just mess up once, please!
Initially, the Woodstock guild members were amazed, thinking, 'Wow, he's amazing,' and 'So that's why he was so confident.' But soon, their attitudes shifted. They desperately wanted him to make just one mistake and embarrass himself!
Of course, if Tae-hyun failed, it would be bad for them too, but his actions were just defying all common sense.
Meanwhile, Tae-hyun was already wiping out another pack of Grave Robber Warriors.
Flash!
"..."
One of the fallen Grave Robber Warriors suddenly activated a skill and lunged at Tae-hyun. But Tae-hyun didn't even blink.
Thud!
He casually grabbed Cain, who was standing nearby, and used him as a human shield to block the attack. Cain didn't even panic anymore; he blocked it naturally. He had become far too accustomed to this treatment!
Seeing this, the Woodstock guild members let out collective groans.
"Ah..."
"So close..."
Hearing their murmurs, Tae-hyun glanced back.
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Ah! I was just about to say, 'Wow, you're truly amazing!'"
"Yes! I was going to say, 'So close! We could have cleared them even faster!'"
The guild members instantly flipped their tunes. Watching Tae-hyun rampage right before their eyes made them realize they absolutely did not want to get on his bad side. This guy was far more terrifying than Kim Tae-san and his army of Orcs outside. At least, for now, he was on their side.
-Ugh, that smug bastard! I wish he'd trip just once!
-What was up with that trap corridor earlier? Why didn't Kim Tae-hyun get hit even once?
-I heard his evasion rate is insanely high.
-Even if it's high, that makes no sense!
Just moments ago, they had passed through a corridor littered with traps. Having suffered heavy casualties there during their previous attempt, the Woodstock guild members had tried to approach with extreme caution.
But Tae-hyun had simply strolled right down the middle.
Naturally, every single trap triggered. Yet, despite the barrage of attacks flying at him, Tae-hyun walked through completely unscathed. And he didn't stop there. He even took the time to dismantle the trap mechanisms, pocketing everything from the arrows to the gears. The Woodstock guild members watching from behind could only stare in utter disbelief.
Who on earth was this guy?!
-No matter how good Kim Tae-hyun is, he's bound to hit a wall next. That's where we got blocked and had to turn back last time.
-Exactly! The Golem is definitely up next!
-He'll get stuck and have to beg us for help. I can't wait to see the look on his face!
-I'm so looking forward to this!
Listening to his guildmates' chatter, one member couldn't help but think:
'But wait, if Kim Tae-hyun carries us, isn't that a good thing for us anyway?'
It was a perfectly logical point, but logic didn't apply to their bruised egos.
Rumble—
"..."
The warning message popped up as they entered the massive chamber. A warning of this caliber meant the opponent was exceptionally powerful.
Tae-hyun turned to look at the Woodstock Guild Leader. The Woodstock Guild Leader was staring back at him with an expectant, hopeful gaze.
-Why is he looking at me like that?
-Well, they couldn't clear it before, so he probably thinks they can finally do it now that you're here, Tae-hyun.
-Even so, his eyes look kind of creepy.
-You always say people's eyes look creepy, Tae-hyun—
-Shut it.
Tae-hyun cut off the whisper and looked ahead. A massive Golem was stepping out from the side wall of the rectangular chamber.
Curiosity piqued, Tae-hyun asked, "By the way, what kind of dungeon is this anyway?"
"I believe it's a ruin belonging to some cult..."
"Which cult?"
"I don't really know the details. Does it even matter?"
"If you want to conquer a dungeon, shouldn't you know its background?"
"Why would we need to know that? We just need to know how to beat it. Why waste time researching the lore?"
Tae-hyun shook his head at the Woodstock Guild Leader's response. This was exactly why they hadn't been able to clear it! It was the classic brute-force approach of large guilds—ignoring the lore and just throwing bodies at the problem until it worked.
Sure, if you kept trying, you'd eventually clear it. But Tae-hyun preferred a much more sophisticated method: uncovering the dungeon's history to squeeze out every single drop of value and hidden reward!
"This is why you guys are stuck. Preliminary research is crucial."
"...Are you really the one to say that?"
The Woodstock Guild Leader was left speechless by Tae-hyun's audacity. This was coming from the guy who hadn't listened to a single word of the strategy guide and was just soloing everything!
"I don't mean researching mob patterns, you idiot. I mean researching what's actually in the dungeon. You guys spend all your effort on overly detailed mob guides while ignoring the big picture..."
The Woodstock Guild Leader's face contorted in frustration. How dare this guy dismiss all their blood, sweat, and tears so casually!
"Fine! If you're so smart, why don't you show us how it's done?!"
"I was planning to."
Tae-hyun narrowed his eyes, studying the Golem as it began to move in the distance. It had activated, but it wasn't attacking yet.
'It probably only aggros when you get close...'
It was obvious the Woodstock Guild had failed here and been forced to retreat. The Guild Leader's defensive outburst made that clear.
Tae-hyun called out.
"Cain."
"Yeah?"
"Bring that thing over here."
"??"
Bring over a massive Golem that easily exceeded five meters in height? Cain stared at Tae-hyun in sheer disbelief.
"C-Can't we just move in with the Woodstock guild members? They have tanks too! I'm not the only tank here!"
"Why bother involving them? You can easily handle this alone."
"No, I don't think I—"
"Whoa!"
"As expected...!"
Before Cain could finish, the Power Warrior guild members gasped in admiration, staring at him with sparkling eyes. Thanks to them, the words "I don't have the confidence" died in Cain's throat.
"Show us what you've got!"
"Go for it! You can do it, Cain!"
The Power Warrior guild members cheered him on with pure, innocent expectation.
'These guys aren't doing this on purpose, right?'
Regardless, there was no backing down now. Cain let out a heavy sigh and stepped forward. Tae-hyun was backing him up, so surely he'd bail him out if things went south.
'I'll just test the waters, and if it looks too dangerous, I'm running straight back.'
"Here I go!"
His solemn, tragic departure prompted whispers from the Woodstock Guild.
"He's going in alone?"
"No way."
"Impressive, Cain. I've heard stories, but to think he's this capable."
"There's a reason he's Kim Tae-hyun's partner in crime. His skills must be on par."
"..."
Cain's shoulders twitched. The pressure was mounting by the second! He had planned to run away if things got rough, but now the social stakes were far too high for him to flee.
"Cain, what are you doing? Hurry up and pull it."
"Argh, fine! Let's do this!"
Cain charged forward. The moment his foot touched the trigger plate, the Golem's eyes flared to life, and it began to stampede forward.
-INTRUDER! ELIMINATE!
Thud! Thud! Crash!
Cain leaped and dashed, narrowly evading the Golem's heavy blows. Even as a tank, his evasion skills were top-tier. He had absolutely no desire to take those hits head-on.
"Hey! Over here, you oversized rock! Follow me!"
Cain taunted the Golem, preparing to kite it back toward Tae-hyun and the rest of the guild.
But the Golem suddenly halted and slammed its massive fists into the ground.
Boom—
The Grave Robbers' Guardian Golem has activated a skill.