Like Father, Like Son
One of Kim Tae-san's specialties was Donjiral—throwing massive amounts of money around! But his extravagant spending didn't just stop at buying expensive pay-to-win items; he used it in all sorts of creative ways. Bribing opposing guild members was one of Tae-san's favorite strategies. It was a classic tactic he'd frequently used since his days playing Lineage!
"Hehehe... I heard those bastards from 'that guild' are declaring war tomorrow. Idiots. I've already bribed two of their executives!"
"As expected of you, Big Brother!"
"Once I slipped them some cash, they sold out everything. Money really is the best! Tomorrow's castle siege is already over!"
The rival guild, which had been sharpening its blades and swearing to crush Tae-san's guild, collapsed miserably on the day of the siege due to internal division. The anger and futility felt by the rival guild, having crumbled so pointlessly to underhanded tactics rather than a fair fight, was immense. Even after the battle ended, they went so far as to post exposés on the community boards!
Of course, Kim Tae-san wasn't the type to stop just because of that. If people caught on, he would simply evolve his methods to be even more cunning and malicious! Considering where Tae-hyun got his upbringing, this was only natural.
While Tae-hyun led his undead army, sweeping through the Guild Alliance's territory like a hurricane, Kim Tae-san and the middle-aged Orcs moved out in high spirits.
"Long live Kim Tae-hyun!"
"In the name of Kim Tae-hyun!"
"Everything we're doing from now on was ordered by Kim Tae-hyun! Got it?!"
The Orc Ahjussis shouted as they raided the spots they had been eyeing. Watching them, Kim Sang-cheol hung his head in sheer embarrassment.
Can't they just... keep their mouths shut and raid quietly?!
But the middle-aged men were laughing joyfully, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Sang-cheol didn't dare try to stop them.
Ugh, I want to have a proper rematch with Kim Tae-hyun...
The shocking defeat he had suffered at the gym last time. Since that loss, Kim Sang-cheol had grown significantly on a mental level.
Ignoring his seniors' banter, Kim Sang-cheol made a promise to himself. I'll start practicing again from the very beginning. And one day, I'll face Kim Tae-hyun again!
He felt no resentment or hatred. Instead, he was filled with a refreshing sense of enlightenment.
And yet...
What is this?!
He wanted to fight Kim Tae-hyun fair and square. He didn't want to act like a coward by hiding behind Tae-hyun's name like this!
If Kim Tae-hyun ever found out about this, what would he think?! Wouldn't he think Sang-cheol was just a sore loser playing dirty?!
Aaaargh... Noooo...!
But embarrassment was one thing; right now, he had to fight.
"Get those bastards!"
"Are you guys sent by Kim Tae-hyun?!"
Masking his face, Kim Sang-cheol knocked down a rushing guild member.
Thud, thud, thud!
In Pan-On, Sang-cheol played a Martial Artist, a class that fought in close quarters without weapons. Having real-life martial arts experience, Sang-cheol had a massive advantage over other players when it came to this kind of mechanical control.
⟨ Orc's Iron Fist ⟩
⟨ Drawing Step ⟩
⟨ Fighting Spirit of Wrath ⟩
Boom! Boom! Crash!
"Sang-cheol's skills seem to have improved a lot lately, haven't they?"
"Yeah. He's taking on three by himself. What's up with him? Did he eat something weird?"
"It's because he's been practicing like crazy lately."
"Ah, youth really is a beautiful thing."
"Hey, Roy, you punk. Why aren't you working hard?"
"Exactly, Roy. If you're getting paid the big bucks, you should put in more effort! Kids these days, I swear!"
"..."
Suddenly becoming the target of their nagging, Roy stared at the Orc Ahjussis in utter disbelief. Who do they think is actually knocking down the Guild Alliance players right now?!
"Grab the loot, smash the buildings, and let's pull out."
"As expected of our Guild Leader!"
Kim Tae-san shared a similar mindset with Tae-hyun. Since holding the territory would be impossible anyway, hit and run was the way to go! Besides, Tae-san and the middle-aged men were currently hiding their identities. There was no point in trying to occupy anything.
"Destroy the expensive stuff first! Be thorough! And smash all the wooden fences and walls before we go! That way, it'll be a nightmare for them to clean up later!"
"All done!"
"Alright, let's move out!"
Kim Tae-san and the middle-aged men swarmed out. By the time the Guild Alliance received the news and rushed over, only a thoroughly plundered village remained.
"Th-that... Kim Tae-hyun... I'll kill him!!"
"But Kim Tae-hyun is currently leading the undead army. He wouldn't have had time to come all the way here, would he?"
"He must have sent someone else!"
"Like who?"
"Someone like Cain!"
"Hmm. True, if it's Cain..."
"I'll kill that bastard Cain too!!"
While enjoying his thrilling life of hit-and-run plundering, Kim Tae-san received a piece of intel.
[Intel Received]
Currently, the members of the Guild Alliance are gathering in one place.
Because the Guild Alliance's numbers were so massive, information constantly leaked from within. Kim Tae-san simply bought that information with cash. To face your enemy, you must know them! While Tae-hyun had infiltrated them using the Power Warrior Guild members, Kim Tae-san preferred the direct approach of bribing them with cold, hard cash.
The Guild Alliance wasn't entirely foolish. Information prone to leaking was shared only among the executives.
Though not to the extent of Tae-hyun, who was marching straight toward the Guild Alliance's headquarters with a massive undead army, the masked group led by Kim Tae-san had already drawn plenty of aggro from the Alliance.
The Guild Alliance was originally a coalition of several guilds. On top of that, smaller minor guilds had continuously merged into it. Because of this, members of the same original guilds still tended to stick together. If they bribed just one former guild leader, they could easily blend in by pretending to be members under that leader's command.
So, Kim Tae-san attempted a bribe. The target was one of the Guild Alliance's guild leaders, who usually sold information in exchange for gold.
And just like that, Kim Tae-san and the middle-aged men successfully blended into the crowd, pretending to be members of that guild.
"They're not going anywhere else. They say they're heading to Odan Castle."
"So we weren't their target. Let's follow them for now."
"If it's a siege on Odan Castle... they're definitely targeting Tae-hyun."
"It's about time that kid learned a harsh lesson."
"Assuming he actually learns a lesson. He might not even lose."
"With this many people gathered?"
"The forces Tae-hyun is leading are no joke either. I don't know how he summoned so many damn Death Knights..."
Kim Tae-san scratched his chin. They had successfully infiltrated, but he couldn't quite figure out what to do next. Sabotage the attack to help Tae-hyun? He didn't have that kind of loyalty, and it would be too difficult anyway. Doing so would blow their cover instantly.
I'll just test the waters. If it looks like they're going to win, I'll fight alongside them. If it looks like they're going to lose, I'll slip away and go plunder somewhere else.
Kim Tae-san decided on that. It was the most pragmatic approach!
"Please, just stay quiet...!"
The bribed guild leader whispered desperately. Although everyone was in disguise and no one suspected them, he couldn't help but feel incredibly anxious.
"Got it, got it. I said we'd stay quiet. More importantly, are you confident you can win?"
"With this many people gathered, what can Kim Tae-hyun possibly do? Last time the Guild Alliance rankers gathered, even Kim Tae-hyun ran away."
"And then right after that, he summoned a dragon and wiped everyone out."
"...That's true, but this time is different! Even if he summons a dragon now, we can take it down!"
The bribed guild leader blustered, perhaps suddenly feeling anxious himself. And then, the attack began.
"..."
"..."
The rabbits' raid, Mike's defeat. The first round was a humiliating loss for the Guild Alliance.
"Th-this... is because we haven't even started yet. Right?"
"Why are you making excuses to me?"
Regardless of the guild leader's excuses, the Guild Alliance was thoroughly enraged and began preparing for battle.
"We're going all out! Everyone, prepare for battle! We push through all at once!"
Watching this, Kim Tae-san grew curious and sent a whisper to Tae-hyun. Had the kid actually thought of a plan for this?
Upon hearing Kim Tae-san's explanation, Tae-hyun immediately attacked him verbally.
Th-this little bastard...
Kim Tae-san seethed. He had sent the whisper to probe Tae-hyun, but instead of getting any real answers, they were just bickering about something else entirely.