The Art of Looting and Leaving
Lee Da-bi excitedly gathered up the equipment. "Can I take this shield too?"
"Uh, sure...?"
"Thank you! What about this belt?"
"You can take that too, but..."
Kim Tae-san tilted his head in confusion. Did they even realize what was happening right now? Magic was flying from all directions, and nearly hundreds of players were charging at the castle walls with fire in their eyes. Even a brief moment of listening revealed a cacophony of chaotic noises.
Besides, weren't these two the ones who should be the most anxious right now? Yet, Lee Da-bi showed absolutely no signs of tension.
As expected, anyone who hangs around with Tae-hyun must have a screw loose...
Tae-san thought as he handed over the gear. In any case, to someone of Tae-san's wealth, these items were worth mere pocket change.
"What about this dagger?"
"Here."
As he handed over the item, a sudden doubt crossed Tae-san's mind. Wait, she isn't trying to turn a profit in the middle of all this, is she?
Nah, no way... Surely not...
Lee Da-bi beamed, turning to Tae-hyun. "Tae-hyun! Look at all this!"
"Oh. You got a lot."
"Can I ask for more?"
"Of course, of course. Ask for as much as you want. It's not mine anyway. We might as well squeeze him dry while we have the chance."
"..."
Realizing the situation, Kim Tae-san's face stiffened.
"We're pushing them back surprisingly well."
"This is weird..."
As the players of the Guild Alliance and their hired NPCs launched an all-out assault on Odan Castle, the rankers should have been showcasing their might at the absolute front lines.
But they weren't. They were hanging back, observing the situation from the rear!
While rankers were notoriously selfish and self-serving, they usually took the lead in a siege of this scale. When a battle grew this massive, showing their faces and pulling off flashy moves was highly profitable. A single epic clip could be milked for months.
The only reason the rankers were waiting in the back was fear.
That bastard Kim Tae-hyun is still in peak condition.
We all saw Mike try to get some cheap clout by challenging him to a 1v1 earlier, only to end up utterly humiliated. Charging in first is just asking to lose.
No matter how strong Kim Tae-hyun is, he can't hold out forever in a siege like this. He'll tire out eventually. The one who sweeps in and gets the last hit is the true winner.
It was sheer terror of Tae-hyun. In a chaotic siege where countless players clashed, even a top-tier ranker could get caught in a bad spot and wiped out instantly. Moreover, Tae-hyun wasn't famous for being a tank or a healer; he was a damage dealer renowned for his explosive, burst DPS. They had no choice but to fear him.
Yet, the battle was progressing strangely.
The rankers had held back, leaving only the high-level experts to lead the charge, but they had already breached the castle walls and poured inside. Kim Tae-hyun was nowhere to be seen.
"Wait, are we actually going to win just like this?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Do you think Kim Tae-hyun is some kind of pushover?"
"Exactly. This is why I can't stand talking to newbies who never even played Pan-On 1."
"How can anyone claim to know Pan-On if they've never been victimized by Kim Tae-hyun?"
These absolute bastards... Of all the things to brag about in life, they're boasting about getting wrecked by Kim Tae-hyun?
The ranker who had spoken out of turn cursed inwardly after being scolded by the others. He was a ranker who had only started playing in Pan-On 2.
"Oh! Look, they're retreating!"
"See? What did I tell you? You think they'd let us breach them so easily at the start?"
"This could be another one of Kim Tae-hyun's traps."
They're your own guild members, you idiots...
In the distance, the Orc warriors who had breached the walls were now scrambling back in a chaotic stampede.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
"Argh! It's crawling with traps! There are undead everywhere! We've been completely ambushed! Heals! Someone heal me!"
The Orc Ahjussis screamed dramatically, putting on a flawless performance of being utterly defeated. Hearing their desperate cries, the nearby players recoiled in terror. The breach in the wall, barely wide enough for a few people to squeeze through, suddenly looked like the gaping maw of hell.
"I-I knew it! It was a trap!"
"Kim Tae-hyun...! You wicked bastard!"
Twitch!
One of the rabbits slipping out of the breach flinched slightly, but none of the panicked players noticed.
"Whew, we made it out alive."
"They really didn't suspect a thing until the very end, did they?"
"People like that always view the world through their own narrow lens," Tae-hyun said with a shrug. "They block teleportation and cast a few barrier spells, and they immediately trick themselves into thinking they've got you completely cornered."
To be fair, the Guild Alliance would have found his words deeply unfair. Sure, they had let their guard down after sealing off all teleportation magic and surrounding the castle. But who in their right mind would trigger a massive, server-wide conflict only to slip away entirely on their own? Tae-hyun was the anomaly here, not them.
"So, should we just keep running?"
"I love how pragmatic you are."
"Oh, r-really? I'm not that pragmatic... Hehe..." Lee Da-bi blushed slightly.
Tae-hyun stopped once they reached the safety of a nearby forest.
"Let's take a moment to think before we move on."
Though they had canceled their rabbit transformations, both of them were still heavily disguised, so no one would suspect their true identities. Besides, who would ever imagine Tae-hyun would be idling in a forest right now?
Pitter-patter—
"?"
The sound of footsteps echoed from a distance. Tae-hyun glanced at Lee Da-bi.
"Do you think it's the Guild Alliance?"
"Probably. I'd rather avoid a fight and just slip away."
"We can pull it off if we don't get caught. Let's put on our most innocent faces."
"My face is always innocent."
"...Right!"
"Your response was a bit delayed just now."
As they spoke, a group of players emerged from between the trees.
"Oh!"
"Why are there people here...?"
"?"
Tae-hyun tilted his head. They seemed far too startled for members of the Guild Alliance.
It's a forest, why are they so shocked to see people?
"H-Haha... Hello there! Long live the Guild Alliance!"
"Long live the Alliance! Death to Kim Tae-hyun! Death to Kim Tae-hyun!"
"...???"
Tae-hyun grew even more bewildered by their bizarre behavior.
Lee Da-bi leaned in and whispered, "Is this how Guild Alliance members normally act when they hang out?"
"I don't know. It's kind of pathetic."
Tae-hyun narrowed his eyes, scanning the group. As a master of deception himself, he immediately spotted the tells.
These people weren't actually members of the Guild Alliance. They were merely trying very hard to look like them.
But why?
Who would go around pretending to be Guild Alliance members in a situation like this?
1. Enemies of the Guild Alliance, like me.
2. Losers trying to flex the Alliance's authority.
No, people trying to flex wouldn't act this jumpy. Is it option one?
"W-Well, we'll be on our way then..."
"Hold on."
"?!"
"You guys aren't with the Guild Alliance, are you?"
"...We've been made!"
"Kill them—urgh!"
Before they could even finish their sentence, Tae-hyun lunged forward and smashed the opponent's weapon with his hammer.
CRACK!
You have successfully destroyed the opponent's weapon with precision!
Your Strength has increased.
"..."
"..."
Tae-hyun had completely shattered their fighting spirit before the battle could even begin. It was a single, simple strike, but it was more than enough to make them acutely aware of the vast chasm in their abilities.
However, Tae-hyun had overlooked one crucial detail.
He was far more famous than he realized.
"T-That hammer..."
"It's Kim Tae-hyun?! How is he here?!"
"Damn it. I forgot about that," Tae-hyun muttered, immediately swapping his weapon.
Since things had turned out like this, his only option was to PK all of them and make his escape...
"No! Kim Tae-hyun! We're on your side!"
"Sure. Everyone about to die by my hand says that. Technically, you're on my side since you're about to become my EXP."
"No, really! Woodstock! Don't you know the Woodstock Guild?!"
"Never heard of you, pal. Die."
Tae-hyun was about to swing his weapon with cool indifference when Lee Da-bi whispered to him.
"Um, the Woodstock Guild is that guild. The one you exploit—I mean, fought alongside in the past. They left the Guild Alliance and..."
"Huh? Oh, them."
Tae-hyun searched his memories and realized his mistake.
They had lost their territory to Kim Tae-san and were kicked out of the Guild Alliance... While Tae-hyun had sailed through smoothly thanks to those events, the Woodstock Guild had been forced to transform into the Demon race and start over from scratch. They must have suffered immensely.
"Ah! The Woodstock Guild! Of course I know you~ How could I ever forget?"
"..."
"..."
The Woodstock Guild members stared at Tae-hyun with deep suspicion.
He definitely looked like he was trying to kill us just now.
Did he really remember us?
I highly doubt it...
"Haha. That was just a joke. But what are you guys doing here?"
"Ahem. We were moving to help you out, of course!"
"All the way out here, miles away from Odan Castle?"
"I-It's not that far... Anyway, we were fighting in our own way!" the Woodstock Guild Leader declared proudly.
Of course, Tae-hyun saw right through him.
They were out here looting empty houses.
It was a tactic Tae-hyun himself used frequently. Sneaking into enemy territory to raid their bases while they were busy elsewhere was the ultimate way to ruin someone's day.
Wait a minute...
A sudden thought flashed through Tae-hyun's mind.
The current headquarters of the Guild Alliance was famously located in Arene City. And Arene City was very close to their current location.
All of their rankers are gathered at Odan Castle right now... If we go wreck Arene City, it'll take them ages to rush back, won't it?
It took him exactly three seconds to formulate a plan.
Tae-hyun smiled and said, "Perfect. Let's fight together again this time."
"Huh? Wait, you want to go to Odan Castle...?" The Woodstock Guild Leader looked terrified. It was a natural reaction, considering the overwhelming number of enemies currently besieging the castle.
"No. We're going somewhere else."
"Really?! Then of course we're coming with you! Haha!"
"G-Guild Leader, shouldn't we at least ask where we're going first?"
"Shut up, you idiot. Kim Tae-hyun obviously knows what he's doing." The Woodstock Guild Leader snapped at his subordinate.
"Kim Tae-hyun obviously knows what he's doing!"
The other players who blindly believed in him were currently trapped inside Odan Castle.
"...Where the hell did Kim Tae-hyun go?"
Cain was the first to realize. After sending a Rogue player who had climbed the castle wall straight to the graveyard, Cain felt a nagging sense of unease.
[The target player is currently unable to receive whispers...]
Cain fell to his knees. Having spent so much time with Tae-hyun, he could read the signs instantly now.
That bastard... No wonder he was showering me with compliments earlier...!
He abandoned us and ran!
Wow, what kind of guy does this?! Does he seriously not care about his reputation or popularity at all?!
If it were Cain, he would have fought to the death here rather than run away alone. Countless eyes were watching this battle. Running away meant facing endless ridicule and mockery. It was far better to die a glorious, heroic death.
Yet, Tae-hyun had fled without a single backward glance.
"By the way, where is Tae-hyun?"
"I haven't seen him for a while."
"..."
Cain swallowed hard. He desperately wanted to tell them the truth and curse Kim Tae-hyun together.
But...
Absolutely not!
Cain's reason overrode his instincts. If he revealed the truth now, the players in the castle would fall into collective despair. On top of that, they might turn their anger on Cain himself, since he was known to be the closest person to Tae-hyun here!
Cain was just as much of a victim of Tae-hyun's scam, but rational thinking was hard to come by in a chaotic situation like this.
"...Kim Tae-hyun is currently disguised, assassinating the Guild Alliance members from within their own ranks!"
"Ohhh...! As expected!"
"That's our Tae-hyun!"