The Ultimate Torment
"At least leveling up twice is a relief. Though it's still a drop in the bucket compared to the others..." Tae-hyun muttered as he checked his status window.
An overwhelming stat window, as always. The bizarre sense of balance brought about by the random stat distribution was a whole other story. Normally, absolutely no one built their stats to be this balanced.
And what about my Reputation and Infamy...?
"..."
Tae-hyun felt a sudden wave of dizziness. Whenever he did something bad, he got strangely excited and just went all out without thinking about the consequences. Looking at his Infamy stat now, the reality of it hit him hard.
Eight thousand... an eight-thousand difference is a bit much...
It was a gap so massive that it felt impossible to reverse unless he deleted his character and started over! Tae-hyun shook his head to clear his dizzy mind.
Let's focus on what I can do right now. First off, Odan Castle is fine for now...
Although they were surrounded, the enemy's attack had not yet begun. Both sides knew the score. Odan Castle was a reasonably sturdy fortress, and the undead army led by Tae-hyun was fully intact. Launching a reckless assault would only result in massive casualties for the attackers.
Besides, who was Tae-hyun? He was the father of Meta, the mechanical engineering blacksmith! In a siege like this, Tae-hyun's traps were bound to be the most terrifying threat.
Looks like they won't be making a move for a while. I should use the sacred relic first.
He had put it off because he was too busy wreaking havoc, but now...
—Use.
• Your Holy stat has increased.
• Your Reputation has increased.
• Your power as an Incarnation is growing stronger. Other religious orders are beginning to suspect your true identity. You must prepare for this.
⚠️ As the power of the Incarnation grows, it becomes easier for the enemies of Archisus to locate you.
• You have obtained the skill <Archisus's Curse>.
A shiver ran down his spine!
He didn't even notice that he had acquired a new skill.
—It becomes easier for the enemies of Archisus to locate you.
That single warning message was just too overwhelming!
Do I have to think twice before using my Authorities now?
Tae-hyun smacked his lips. Archisus was a god who had accumulated grudges all over the place, much like Tae-hyun himself. It wouldn't be surprising at all if an enemy showed up right this second!
Should I be more careful about timing my Authorities in the future...?
In any case, he had already used the relic, and the consequences were a problem for future him. What mattered right now was checking the new Authority!
Inflicts the curse of Archisus on a target. Can only be cast on one target at a time, and cannot be recast until the current curse is lifted.
• The curse's potency is heavily influenced by the caster's Luck stat.
• The curse cannot be dispelled by any external means unless lifted by the caster.
• Activating this skill will continuously consume Luck.
"...?"
Tae-hyun tilted his head. This curse skill had a completely different direction from the skills he had obtained so far!
The effects seem great, but... how am I supposed to use this?
An Authority skill that was influenced by the Luck stat and continuously consumed Luck upon activation. It was obvious at a glance that the curse's power would be devastating. But the fact that it could only be used on one person at a time...
I have no idea how to utilize this... Will it have an effect similar to what Evangeline suffered?
Evangeline had suffered constantly because her Luck was locked at a negative value. She had only managed to endure it thanks to her class's unique passives; without them, she would have quit the game long ago.
What happened when Luck was negative? You would trip over your own feet just walking down the street, fail at simple item crafting or repairs, and fail to get quest items even after grinding monsters for hours... In short, it was the perfect tool to drive someone absolutely insane!
If Tae-hyun's curse was that kind of skill...
Is this telling me to pick one guy and force him to quit Pan-On?
Pick one bastard you hate and torment them to the bitter end! He couldn't think of any other use for it.
"By the way, aren't you guys nervous at all?"
Baher and his friends asked the members of the Power Warrior Guild. No matter how reliable Tae-hyun was, it was impossible not to feel some tension.
The Guild Alliance's army was surrounding them outside, maintaining a terrifying presence! They didn't even need to poke their heads over the ramparts to know they were there.
Just opening the community boards revealed a flood of videos with titles like: [The Wrath of the Guild Alliance! This Time, We're Catching Kim Tae-hyun!], [Guild Alliance Siege Preparations], and [An Army of Unprecedented Scale is Coming! Guild Alliance Army Analysis!].
Of course, key details and the locations of top rankers weren't disclosed, but even without that information, the sheer scale was overwhelming.
Yet, the Power Warrior guild members remained completely unfazed.
"Nervous?"
"Nervous about what?"
The Power Warrior guild members feared nothing. They had already made more than enough profit to cover their costs. Even if they were forced to log out now, they had no regrets!
Unlike other guilds, the Power Warrior Guild did not fear death.
—Death penalty? Haha. It doesn't matter if you get a death penalty!
—If you get a rare item, immediately put it on the auction house and cash it out. That way, it doesn't matter if you die.
—I intentionally carry around trash gear, and if it looks like I'm about to die, I quickly swap into it before I kick the bucket.
While other guilds discussed "how to get better at PvP," "where the hidden prime hunting grounds are," or "what the best quests are," the Power Warrior Guild discussed "how to butt in when others are PvPing to snatch up the scraps," "when to list looted items on the auction house," and "how to die with the least amount of loss when caught by others."
They were a guild specialized in real-world survival!
"You're really not nervous at all?"
"Of course not!"
"Obviously!"
They had already quickly liquidated all the items they had looted while plundering the territory. Of course, Baher and his friends had no way of knowing these behind-the-scenes details.
Amazing...!
They really aren't scared at all!
I guess since they always run around with Kim Tae-hyun, a situation like this is just a walk in the park for them?
Baher and his friends stared at the Power Warrior guild members with eyes full of deep respect.
"W-what? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Unused to receiving such looks of pure admiration, the Power Warrior guild members grew flustered.
"Even if you look at us like that, we're not sharing the items we grabbed! You should've secured your own loot!"
"Huh?"
Whoosh!
The Power Warrior guild members quickly scattered. They anticipated that staying any longer would only lead to them being held back or guilt-tripped into sharing.
Baher and his friends tilted their heads in confusion.
"Why are they acting like that?"
"I have no idea..."
"But still, they're amazing! To not be nervous in the slightest. I've only heard rumors about the Power Warrior Guild, but they really are incredible! I want to join them!"
"Me too!"
"??????"
Lee Da-bi, who was walking nearby, overheard their conversation and gasped in shock. What on earth are they talking about?!
"What's wrong?"
"T-Tae-hyun. Those mages over there... they said they want to join the Power Warrior Guild..."
Pat.
Tae-hyun placed a hand on Lee Da-bi's shoulder and spoke with absolute gravity.
"Da-bi, I know things are tense, but there's no need to make up such blatant lies."
"It's not a lie! I couldn't believe my ears either, but they really just said that!"
"Seriously? Are they insane?"
"..."
Lee Da-bi felt a little hurt by his reaction.
Regardless of her feelings, Tae-hyun fell into deep thought.
"Hmm... Come to think of it, ever since the tournament, there have been a few people asking me if Power Warrior is a good guild."
"You told them it's great, right?"
"Of course."
Hearing that, Lee Da-bi beamed and patted Tae-hyun on the back.
"I knew it! I trusted you!"
"Maybe those guys are under the same illusion. You know how things always look better from the outside."
Swoooooosh—
"...?"
"...?"
In the middle of their conversation, the sharp sound of rushing wind echoed from afar.
CRASH!
A massive boulder slammed violently onto the ramparts!
"Oh..."
"It's an attack! They're attacking!"
—Clatter! Clack!
—Rise, my army! Block the enemies!
The quiet Odan Castle instantly erupted into chaos. Players moved swiftly, and the warlocks quickly readied their undead forces to engage immediately.
"So the attack has begun. Where are they coming from?"
"F-from all sides..."
"Yeah. I see them."
Tae-hyun leaped onto the ramparts and scanned the surroundings. The Guild Alliance had clearly prepared thoroughly; they were slowly closing in from every direction.
Those are siege engines.
There were generally two ways to conduct a siege: mobilizing mages to rain down powerful spells, or employing blacksmiths to construct massive siege engines.
The latter required significant time and gold, but it had the advantage of conserving their mages' mana. Mages capable of casting spells suitable for a siege were rare, and the resource drain on them was immense.
Since they're the Guild Alliance, they obviously would've recruited plenty of blacksmiths...
Tae-hyun eyed the approaching siege engines. Massive catapults were rolling forward on heavy wooden wheels.
At least they don't have explosives.
To utilize bombs, they would need mechanical engineering blacksmiths, but since almost all of those eccentric crafters were currently residing in Tae-hyun's territory, the enemy's lack of explosives was only natural.
"Kim Tae-hyun! Surrender!"
Mike, the Gladiator ranker of the Guild Alliance, shouted as he stood at the forefront of the army. He knew that countless eyes were currently on him, and he was striking a dramatic pose to make the most of it.
Tae-hyun, however, was entirely unimpressed.
"Do those guys seriously expect me to surrender when they say stuff like that?"
"Who knows..." Lee Da-bi muttered.
When Tae-hyun didn't even bother to reply, Mike's face flushed bright red.
"Kim Tae-hyun! I know you can hear me! If you don't answer..."
Tae-hyun continued to ignore him.
Ignoring guys like that is always the best response.
Tae-hyun knew people like Mike inside out. They were overly conscious of the crowd and desperate to look cool. If Tae-hyun refused to play along, Mike would end up working himself into a fury all on his own.
"Pile up some more boulders at the base of the wall."
—Understood, Master.
Tae-hyun completely ignored Mike, instead commanding his undead to reinforce the ramparts. As this scene played out in full view of the surrounding forces, the Alliance guild members began to whisper among themselves.
"Wait, is he getting ignored?"
"Looks like he's totally getting ignored..."
"Shh! Don't say it so loud. If Mike hears you, he'll lose his mind."
"Right, right. He's trying his best to pretend he's not being ignored. Let's be understanding."
"..."
Grit!
"Attack! Attack! All forces, attack!"
Swoosh!
Thud! Thud!
The catapults began hurling massive boulders through the air. But Tae-hyun's side was not about to take it lying down.
"All Death Knights, mount the undead wyverns and take to the skies! Shoot down the incoming projectiles!"
—The wind of death, the crimson eyes of the abyss, the descent of the violent hand!
The warlocks quickly buffed their undead forces and sent them to intercept the boulders.
"They even have Death Knights?!"
"Man, how many people did they have to slaughter to get those?"
"Just how much did they buff them...?"
Undead wyverns and Death Knights soared through the sky. Death Knights were among the elite undead that warlocks of the necromancy branch could control. Not only was the summoning skill incredibly rare, but summoning them also required high-level corpses. Seeing them fielded in such numbers was nothing short of astonishing. It was easily the largest and most formidable undead army anyone had seen in recent memory!
—Death Spear!
Crash! Shatter!
The Death Knights unleashed their skills, obliterating the incoming boulders mid-air.
"Purify them!"
"We can't! They're too far away!"
"Get closer and cast your spells!"
"That's a bit..."
The Paladins and Priest players hesitated. While they held a massive elemental advantage over the undead, Odan Castle was currently defended by a fully healthy Tae-hyun and a highly capable party of warlocks. Advancing without proper vanguard support was a one-way ticket to the graveyard.
"Ugh, damn it..."
"Wait!"
"?!"
Tae-hyun's voice echoed from atop the ramparts. Mike snapped his head up.