The King's Decree
After finalizing their team name, Tae-hyun and his companions parted ways for the day. They had spent quite a bit of time chatting, but their top priority was getting back into Pan-On. Besides, they still had an ongoing quest to complete!
"The capsule is here! I'm going first!" Ignoring Cain, who was jumping up and down with excitement in the background, Tae-hyun walked Lee Da-bi out.
"By the way, Tae-hyun."
"...?"
"When are you going to make the announcement?"
"Huh? What announcement?"
"...The announcement about forming our professional gaming team."
"Ah, do we really have to do that? I hadn't really thought about it."
"..."
Lee Da-bi stared at him with a look that clearly said, What is wrong with this man? For any professional gaming team, publicity was absolutely essential. Winning tournaments was one way to get publicity, of course. A team that constantly lost would never have a chance to make a name for itself. But tournaments weren't the only opportunity. They could promote themselves through other activities—appearing on broadcasts, doing charity work, or even stirring up a bit of controversy...
"That last one sounds a bit sketchy."
"I realized how weird it sounded as soon as I said it. Regardless, other teams struggle to find any publicity at all, so it's crazy not to announce something like this! We have to make an official announcement! We should invite reporters too!"
"Is us forming a gaming team really that big of a deal? Can't I just put it in my status profile?"
Ignoring his casual remark, Da-bi spoke firmly. "...The moment we put the word out, people will swarm us. You absolutely must do this."
"Alright, alright. I'll do it."
"See you inside."
"Yeah!"
Cain climbed into his brand-new capsule and closed his eyes happily. A fresh start at the team house—everything felt like it was falling perfectly into place! Ah, I have a feeling today is going to be my lucky day. Cain grinned from ear to ear as he logged into the game. And then...
Buzzing murmurs filled the air.
"Ugh, this place is a total maze. Do we need to buy a map?"
"They sell them on the auction house. It's expensive, but you should get one. It's basic, but it's better than nothing."
"What a bunch of scammers. Charging this much for a map that isn't even detailed?"
Grumbling parties of players were passing by. It wasn't just one or two; a new party seemed to walk past every single minute.
Cain blinked in confusion. Did I log off near a major city's hunting ground? No, wait. I logged off in the Uruk Region, didn't I?
Despite its massive size, the Uruk Region was still largely unpopulated by players. There were barely any known villages, the monsters were high-level, and there wasn't much worth looting. If players wanted a new adventure, they usually headed south to the Prica Continent, which had recently gained fame from the Arena Tournament. Yet, Cain's current surroundings looked like the outskirts of a kingdom on the Central Continent. It was so bustling that a party passed by every ten seconds!
"W-what is this..."
"How is this even possible?"
The other companions who logged in alongside him were equally dumbfounded by the sight. Cain clapped his hands together, a sudden realization dawning on him.
"There's only one explanation."
"...?"
"Jang Ssu-an, you bastard! You betrayed us!"
"W-what?!"
Jang Ssu-an, who had been minding his own business only to be accused out of nowhere, gasped in horror. He waved his hands frantically in denial.
"N-no, I didn't! Why on earth would I do that?!"
"You have plenty of reasons! You used to be close with the Guild Alliance, you probably hold a massive grudge against Kim Tae-hyun, and you're currently being worked to the bone by us..."
"I'm being worked to the bone?!"
Jang Ssu-an asked, looking utterly devastated. He knew Kim Tae-hyun had a nasty personality, but he had genuinely believed the other party members respected and looked up to him!
"Let's string him up!"
Just as they were about to turn on him, Lee Da-bi spoke up. "It's not because of Mr. Jang Ssu-an. It looks like a quest just popped up in the Uruk Region, and that's why everyone is here."
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence instantly fell over the group. Everyone turned their gaze toward Cain. How are you going to fix this mood? Jang Ssu-an glared at Cain with daggers in his eyes.
"S-sorry..."
"Hmph!"
Jang Ssu-an coldly slapped away Cain's reaching hand, his face twisted in a massive pout.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know!"
"So that's how you really think of me!"
"No, it's not! It was just a slip of the tongue! It's only because so many people have been victimized by Kim Tae-hyun!" Cain scrambled desperately to appease him.
"That guy Kim Tae-hyun has such a rotten personality! Right? It's not your fault. It's just that his personality is so terrible that I've seen it ruin the personalities of everyone who gets involved with him!"
"Hmph..."
Jang Ssu-an still looked annoyed, but his anger had visibly deflated. Cain's eyes sparkled. Aha! What Kim Tae-hyun said was actually true!
People bond much faster when they share a common hatred than when they share a common interest.
Recalling Tae-hyun's words, Cain pressed his advantage. Watching this unfold, Lee Da-bi nodded to herself. Then, she muttered under her breath, "Recording function: ON."
"Long live Count Kim Tae-hyun! A man just like a goblin!"
"A human with the heart of a goblin, the face of a goblin, and the soul of a goblin!"
After receiving a welcome that was hard to distinguish between praise and insult, Tae-hyun stepped outside with a satisfied grin.
The Goblins have begun to worship Archisus.
Their faith will be of great help to the Archisus Church.
A bomb-related skill has been added for the priests of the Archisus Church.
"Huh?" Tae-hyun blinked. A skill for the priests? What kind of skill?
Because the Goblins have begun to worship the Archisus Church, other denominations now view the Archisus Church with suspicion.
What do you want me to do about it?! He had only completed a quest because it popped up, and now his relations with other denominations were souring. This was completely different from typical denomination quests on the continent! Souring relations with other churches the more quests you completed... this was practically identical to the Sadi—
Wait, no. The Sadique Order is a cult that wants to burn down the continent, whereas the Archisus Church hasn't caused any major disasters. Right?
Tae-hyun forced himself to stop thinking. If he went down that rabbit hole, there would be no turning back.
Having had its request ignored, Carbanog has begun to cry.
You have received a curse.
Effect: Rabbit-type monsters will look at you with reproachful eyes. Your heart aches.
Seriously, what do you want me to do?!?! He thought the rabbit god would stop if he ignored it, but now it was crying! And the penalty didn't even feel like a real penalty. In all his time playing Pan-On, he had never been this flabbergasted. Usually, if a penalty was too burdensome, you just did the quest, and if it wasn't, you ignored it until it disappeared. But this god just kept staring at him with those puppy-dog eyes!
Ugh, do I really have to do this quest? It's not like it's a huge loss, but... The ones who had quelled the rabbit curse spreading across the continent were none other than the explorer ranker Jekas and his party, who held a massive grudge against Tae-hyun. Finding them and beating them to a pulp wouldn't be a bad thing for Tae-hyun. The problem was the difficulty. I have so much on my plate right now, I don't have the time to go chasing after that guy... If a player with an explorer class made up their mind to hide, even Tae-hyun would have a hard time tracking them down. Moreover, ever since Jekas crossed paths with Tae-hyun, he had been acting with extreme caution. He was so thorough that he barely even did live streams anymore! He knew all too well how dangerous it was to show any vulnerability when dealing with Tae-hyun.
Sigh... Let's think about this later. I need to clear the remaining quests first. It felt like the more he did, the more other denominations hated him, but he couldn't stop now. He had to keep pushing forward! Is it the pirates next? Hmm. I currently have the Orcs with me, and their Loyalty and Terror stats are still high, so heading to the pirates might not be a bad idea... but the pirates won't be as easy as this. The goblins had been easy because they shared so many similarities with Tae-hyun, allowing them to bond quickly.
"Count Kim Tae-hyun. Since you are the most goblin-like of us all, you deserve to have this blueprint."
Your past achievements related to the Engineering and Blacksmithing skills have deeply moved the goblins.
You have acquired the Goblin Elders' Secret Blueprint.
A sealed secret blueprint of the Goblin Elders that no living goblin crafts anymore. Because it is sealed, it is impossible to know what will be created until it is actually crafted.
[You have acquired the crafting method for ??? ?? ???.]
The fact that the name was hidden was a bit unsettling, but they had literally handed over their most treasured secret blueprint! In contrast, he certainly couldn't expect this kind of warm hospitality from the pirates.
Buzzing murmurs...
"Argh, I'm lost. Who made this map?"
"We probably just misread it. A guild member made that map."
"Really? Well, I must have read it wrong then. There's no way the guild would lie to us."
"Exactly, exactly."
"...?????"
Setting aside the bizarre conversation of the passing players, Tae-hyun was shocked by the sheer number of players in the Uruk Region. This was not a place where you'd normally see so many people. The fact that players—and high-level ones at that—were everywhere could only mean one thing.
Did something happen?
There weren't many reasons for something to suddenly happen in a place like this. Then, a realization struck Tae-hyun.
Did that bastard Alcott backstab me?
He had generously let the guy off just so he could exploit him later, and yet he dared to betray him?! Tae-hyun fired off a furious whisper.
Alcott, who had been blissfully celebrating his escape, panicked. Why?!
[The player has blocked you...]
Tae-hyun coolly blocked him without even listening to his excuses! However, his anger quickly dissolved once he received an update from Lee Da-bi.
Tae-hyun opened the community forums to check. Just as Da-bi had said, the forums were currently burning up with talk about the Uruk quest.
The forums were buzzing with countless players exchanging information!
Tae-hyun felt a shiver run down his spine as he read the details of the quest. The quest giver was the King of the Auston Kingdom. The objective was the head of the Orc Great Chieftain, Karag. And the reward was a fief within the Auston Kingdom.
It was no wonder players were risking their lives to flock here. Ever since Tae-hyun had obtained his fief, not a single other player had been officially granted one. Usually, players had to conquer and maintain territories by brute force! A quest that officially rewarded a fief from a nation's king was incredibly rare and notoriously difficult. It was hard to even come across, let alone complete!
But why did it have to be the Auston Kingdom of all places...
While other players were losing their minds over the prospect of getting a fief, Tae-hyun was not. A fief in the Auston Kingdom was... a rather awkward prize at the moment.
Right now, the Auston Kingdom is split between the Guild Alliance, the royal faction, and various other guilds.
Taking advantage of the kingdom's internal chaos, the Guild Alliance had been happily seizing territories. Even now, they were launching siege wars whenever an opportunity arose! Of course, the Auston Kingdom wasn't just sitting back and letting it happen. The two factions were currently locked in a fierce, bloody struggle.