A Masterpiece of Deception

"No wonder a hundred people wanted to kill him..." Cain thought, suddenly recalling the Tae-hyun of Pan-On 1. Back then, he had been a fan, but experiencing him in person was a whole different story...

"The way you're looking at me is highly offensive," Tae-hyun remarked.

"It must be your imagination. Ahem."

"Anyway, if we frame the others as Sadiq cultists, things will go smoothly."

"Easy to say, but how are you going to frame them?"

"Hmm..." Tae-hyun fell into thought. How could he frame someone else as a Sadiq cultist? Exactly three seconds later, Tae-hyun opened his mouth. "I've got a way."

"?!" Cain was startled. When it came to tormenting others, Tae-hyun possessed a brain that surpassed a supercomputer!

"I bought them..." Cain returned with a dubious look, carrying the fabric and other materials Tae-hyun had ordered him to buy.

"What is this for?"

"I'm going to make this with them." Tae-hyun opened a window and pointed to an item. It was a famous item—the robe once favored by the ranker pyromancer, Crawford! With a base level requirement of over 200, it was a powerful piece of equipment that couldn't be worn by ordinary means.

"You're going to make that? How?"

"A fake."

"Hey. Just matching the appearance is hard enough, but we're dealing with crafting classes here... They'll all have appraisal or inspection skills..."

"Don't worry. I've already thought of that." What Tae-hyun relied on was his skill.

Honestly, he had to admit it. The Lajedan Blacksmith skills suited Tae-hyun perfectly. After all, the Lajedan Blacksmith class was fundamentally focused on scamming and deceiving others!

—Divine Foresight. On top of that, Tae-hyun activated Divine Foresight and set to work.

Scribble, snip, stitch—the fake robe was completed in the blink of an eye!

"T-this is...! Unbelievable...!" Cain was left speechless. Even to his eyes, it was utterly convincing.

"Great. That's done. Now to forge a staff... Alright, let's go! Lee Da-bi, bring over some reliable Power Warrior guild members."

"Understood!"

A rumor was spreading among the chefs near the Erangs Royal Palace. A rumor that a certain ranker pyromancer was lending out incredibly powerful flames!

"Did you hear that rumor?"

"Yeah. A ranker pyromancer? Is it Crawford?"

Since Crawford was the most famous, he was the first person everyone thought of.

"They say it's not Crawford. It's someone no one's seen before."

"But how do they know ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he's a ranker?"

"His gear, you idiot. His gear. If someone's wearing equipment that only Crawford can wear, they're obviously a ranker."

"Wow. Why isn't a ranker bragging about it? If it were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me, I'd be showing off everywhere."

"Who knows? Kim Tae-hyun didn't brag either."

"True. Maybe rankers just think differently from us."

Pan-On had an immense player base, and being a ranker didn't necessarily mean you were famous. Often, a new ranker would suddenly burst onto the scene overnight and become famous.

Is that pyromancer one of them? A ranker who had been quietly building up their strength by completing quests at the Erangs Kingdom Magic Tower, only now stepping out into the public eye! The chefs speculated about the nameless pyromancer in this manner.

In truth, the pyromancer's identity wasn't what mattered right now. What was far more important was the flame he was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lending out. The flame!

In Pan-On, pyromancers weren't the only class that dealt with fire. Blacksmiths and chefs dealt with fire too. In fact, they even had skills specifically for manipulating flames.

For crafting classes that manipulated fire, the quality of the flame was of utmost importance. A better, stronger flame imbued with more elemental attributes! With such a flame, the limits of what items they could craft expanded. Of course, such flames were not easily obtained.

"Do you think we could borrow his flame too? I want to present a dish for the King's birthday banquet, and borrowing that flame would be perfect."

"Hey, don't talk nonsense. How are you even going to strike up a conversation with a ranker? Do you have the money?"

"Well, no, but... it's just lighting a fire for us."

"It's not 'just' a fire. Remember how much money you spent trying to get a decent flame last time? Who would do that for free?"

"Now that I think about it, you're right. Sigh. I guess only high-level chefs will be able to borrow it."

Thus, the ordinary chef players gave up first. However, the extraordinary chef players fell into deep contemplation.

"What? There's a pyromancer providing an incredibly powerful flame?"

"Yes, that's what they say. What should we do? Should we go find him?"

"Hmm..." Paz crossed his arms. A powerful flame provided by a ranker pyromancer. It was certainly tempting. With that, he could create a spectacular dish using immense heat. But...

"No, I'll pass."

"Really?"

"Yes. I have already prepared my own setup, and I don't want to change it at this late stage! Ju Hyeon-yeong certainly wouldn't do such a thing! I have thought long and hard about why I lost last time. There is only one reason! It is because I did not believe in myself!"

I don't think that's why... The other ranker chefs who had participated back then all suspected foul play. Chao had even declared, "This is definitely because of Kim Tae-hyun!!"

But the clueless bas—no, the socially oblivious Paz was the only one who remained completely in the dark. Even when others told him, "Hey, wasn't that cheating?" Paz would cover his ears and shout, "Absolutely not! There is no way I would fall for such tricks!"

Oblivious to what his assistant chef player was thinking, Paz continued his passionate speech.

"The fire stones I prepared! The scrolls I prepared! The ingredients I prepared! All of these prove who I am!"

"Ah, yes." Paz was a famous chef in real life, so the assistant respected him, but seeing him act like this was honestly a bit of a turn-off.

"I believe in myself! I will proceed as planned! If I were to win by hastily borrowing help at the last minute, that wouldn't be me!"

However, not all chefs were as self-assured as Paz.

"A pyromancer? A ranker?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"His gear was definitely the real deal. We even brought in a merchant class to use an inspection skill from a distance."

"Then at least he's not a fake. And... he's not that guy who always follows Kim Tae-hyun around, right? The mage who's close with him."

"We confirmed that the mage is currently somewhere else."

"Whew. Good. Then it's certain he has nothing to do with Kim Tae-hyun."

Having been burned so many times, Chao was now thorough enough to double-check Jeong Su-hyeok's whereabouts.

"An unguilded ranker pyromancer. It might be a good idea to invite him to our guild. From the looks of it, he seems like the type who leveled up solely by clearing quests alone, without joining a guild or party."

"Yes, that's what it looks like."

"A guy like that will be absolutely blown away if we show him around our guild."

Our guild has these benefits! If you join us, we'll do this for you! Even those who insisted on solo play were bound to waver when presented with such offers. Chao was confident.

"Great! Let's go!"

"Are you going in person?"

"Going in person is how you make a lasting impression. Besides, I want to see this flame for myself."

Murmur, murmur—by the time Chao arrived, a crowd had already gathered around Tae-hyun, watching in awe.

"Wow, that's incredible!"

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

"What kind of flame is that? Did he cast it purely with magic, without using any fire stones?"

"Hey, a ranker is a ranker for a reason!"

Hearing the surrounding fuss only heightened Chao's expectations.

Whoosh! Tae-hyun swung his staff, igniting a fire beneath the pot of a Power Warrior guild member who was playing as a chef. Instantly, the pot turned cherry-red, visible to everyone. The heat was astonishing!

"Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it. Let me help you a bit more." Tae-hyun offered a benevolent smile and reached his hand directly into the flames. The onlookers gasped in shock.

"It's dangerous!"

"The fire damage...!"

Yet Tae-hyun was completely unscathed. It was entirely due to his skill, but to the spectators, it looked like the natural fire resistance of a high-level pyromancer. As expected of a ranker!

Adjust, adjust—Tae-hyun reached into the fire, straightened the pot, and turned around with a flourish. The crowd's eyes practically sparkled with admiration! Watching from a distance, Cain could only shake his head in disbelief.

"Well then, I wish you the best with your cooking. I shall take my leave now."

"W-wait a moment!" As Tae-hyun made a cool attempt to depart, Chao hurriedly stepped forward.

"?"

"Let's have a chat."

"What is there to discuss? I currently have a prior engagement..."

"Ah. What prior engagement?"

"An agreement to help out chefs, just as you saw. I heard she is a... rather famous chef."

"C-could it be Paz?"

"No. Ah, I believe her name is Ju Hyeon-yeong."

"!!" Chao's face grew frantic. He grabbed Tae-hyun's arm and pleaded.

"It won't take long. Let's just talk for a moment. Just a moment!"

"Good grief, I am quite busy." Wearing a reluctant expression, Tae-hyun allowed himself to be dragged away by Chao. Chao looked around and whispered in a low voice.

"How much did Chef Ju Hyeon-yeong agree to pay you?"

Instead of answering, Tae-hyun raised a single finger. Relieved, Chao asked.

"One hundred gold?"

"I was promised one thousand gold."

"Just to light a fire?!" Chao cried out in shock. Spending an amount equivalent to tens of thousands of dollars in real money just to have a fire lit once!

At his reaction, Tae-hyun turned his head away with a displeased expression. Chao realized his mistake.

"N-no, I didn't mean to look down on your abilities..."

"Forget it. Hmph. It is not as if I am doing this solely for the gold. I simply wished to use the character I have worked so hard to raise to help others, yet to be treated in such a manner..."

"No, really, that's not it! I was just surprised. I can pay you in gold too. I can pay you double!" Chao coaxed Tae-hyun gently. At this, Tae-hyun showed a slightly wavering expression.

"Double?"

"Of course! And I can even let you join our guild."

"Why would I join your guild? I have done perfectly fine on my own."

"Haha. Once you see it, you'll change your mind. Come, come. This way."

"Very well. But first, let me go light the fire for Ju Hyeon-yeong..."

"Wait! Triple! I'll pay you triple, so please don't go to Ju Hyeon-yeong!"

"Pardon? No, but I wish to help other chefs..."

"Then you can just help our guild's chefs! We have plenty of chefs. You'll find it incredibly rewarding to help them!" Chao was determined to monopolize Tae-hyun. Ju Hyeon-yeong aside, that chef player from earlier didn't look like he had much gold. From the looks of it, this pyromancer had raised his character entirely solo and was now completely hooked on the gratification of granting favors and receiving gratitude from other players.

"By the way, you're a new face. Do you not belong to a guild or do broadcasts?"

"Yes. I find those things rather awkward... I have simply been clearing quests on my own all this time."

I knew it! Chao cheered inwardly. If things kept going like this, he could practically get a free ride. Recruiting a ranker pyromancer for nothing! Indeed, the world belongs to those who take action! Instead of sitting around and waiting like Paz or Ju Hyeon-yeong, one had to make the first move to gain anything. Chao smiled smugly as he led Tae-hyun toward the open clearing where his guild members were gathered.