The Human Shield and the Mobile Forge

Chang wondered what on earth Tae-hyun was talking about. Using him like Cain? What could that possibly mean? Wait, don't tell me!

"Mmph, mmph! (Kim Tae-hyun! I don't care how much you covet my skills, this is unacceptable! If you want me, scout me properly!)"

I have a feeling this guy is spouting some absolute nonsense. Tae-hyun felt a wave of sheer absurdity wash over him, but he didn't stop. Now was not the time to clear up Chang's delusions.

They're here!Pitter-patter! Players sprinting down the passage from the dungeon entrance began to emerge one by one. They gasped in shock upon seeing Tae-hyun. He was positioned much closer to the entrance than they had anticipated.

"Kim Tae-hyun!" Even though they had braced themselves, facing Tae-hyun in the flesh was an entirely different level of nerve-wracking. For a split second, their movements froze.

An opening! Showing even a shred of hesitation against Tae-hyun was a fatal mistake. Tae-hyun lunged at the nearest opponent, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks.

A common saying floated around the community forums: "If Tae-hyun sinks his teeth into you even once, any player with average HP is as good as dead." His burst damage was just that ferocious and terrifying. Despite knowing exactly what kind of monster they were dealing with, the players had frozen out of sheer panic! They had made an irreversible mistake.

Even after pouring an astronomical amount of damage into the off-balance player, Tae-hyun didn't stop. He relentlessly chained additional attacks, clearly intent on finishing off his target.

As a result, in less than ten seconds, one of the players was forcefully logged out. Bound right next to the action, Chang watched in absolute horror. Witnessing it firsthand, the sheer pressure Tae-hyun exuded was no joke.

Even after dispatching one opponent, Tae-hyun didn't let his guard down. He immediately yanked Chang forward to use him as a shield. If these guys had come specifically to deal with him, they would have surely prepared counter-evasion measures. In that case, the main threat to watch out for was curses that bypassed evasion entirely!

"...?" But no attacks came. Looking ahead, Tae-hyun saw the remaining players hastily spinning on their heels and fleeing.

"..." Tae-hyun was slightly taken aback. Seriously? They're running away just because one guy died? Even in the chaotic days of Pan-On 1, such cowardly behavior was rare. Tae-hyun's expression grew serious. Could it be a trap?

"Mmph, mmph! (Don't tell me... what you meant by using me like Cain was...)"

"That unprincipled bastard!"

"How can a fellow pro player act like this?!"

"We have to report him to the tournament organizing committee!"

In truth, there was no trap. The players were simply grumbling as they beat a hasty retreat. They hadn't entered the dungeon first because they wanted to; they had been pressured into it by the crowd's expectations.

If the actual parties involved heard this, they would have screamed, What? Since when?! But the rumors had already spread like wildfire across the community boards. The fans who had followed Tae-hyun into the dungeon were the ones fueling the fire. The dungeon interior was narrow, complex, and chaotic. Not a single fan had a clear grasp of the actual situation. Having caught only fleeting glimpses, they let their imaginations run wild.

Most fans despised Tae-hyun. Honestly, considering the things he had pulled, it would have been weirder if they actually liked him... Naturally, they desperately wanted their favorite pro players to utterly crush him.

As a result, a massive crowd of players gathered near the entrance to spectate. There were fans praying for Kim Tae-hyun's downfall, alongside neutral onlookers who just wanted to watch a thrilling spectacle! With the tournament right around the corner, such a massive pre-event clash was a rare treat.

No matter how divided opinions were on Tae-hyun, one thing was absolutely certain: he was the hottest, most explosive newsmaker in all of Pan-On!

And all this intense public scrutiny was placing an immense amount of pressure on the pro players.

"What do we do?"

"Why don't you go in?"

"Are you seriously saying that after watching our guy get obliterated just now? I'm currently geared up for a dungeon run, not a PVP match with Kim Tae-hyun."

"Is that your excuse? Just swap your gear."

"I have to go all the way back to the city to swap it!"

The players who had luckily been outside the dungeon when the vanguard was wiped out rushed over as soon as they heard the news. They fell into deep, anxious contemplation.

How the hell do we break through that? Normally, they would have given up. It wasn't because they were cowards; after all, they were skilled enough to be recruited as pro players! If they were considering giving up, it was solely because Tae-hyun's Infamy and terrifying reputation preceded him.

But this time, quitting wasn't an option. Not with their fans watching them with wide, expectant eyes. If we run away now... we're ruined!

With the tournament on the horizon, if the pro players fled en masse, their fanbase would abandon them in droves. They had to do something. The players immediately began messaging their respective guilds for backup. When it came to PVP in Pan-On, nothing was more reassuring than having your guild at your back!

However, guilds weren't charity organizations. Asking for help to fight Kim Tae-hyun was a proposition where the losses would always far outweigh the gains!

Most guilds wanted absolutely nothing to do with this mess. As a result, the players were caught between a rock and a hard place. Charging in meant certain death and loss, but retreating meant facing the crushing disappointment and mockery of the spectating fans...

Most of the first-string players who had entered were wiped out, while Chang and Do Dong-su remained utterly silent out of sheer embarrassment.

"Fufu. Do you require assistance?"

"...?!"

"Why aren't they coming in?"

"Maybe they're scared?"

"No, it's suspicious." Tae-hyun shook his head at Cain's suggestion.

"I should probably build some even deadlier traps."

"...!!"

"Didn't we come here to run the dungeon?"

"Shut it, man. We can run the dungeon after we thoroughly secure the first floor with traps."

Tae-hyun cleared the surrounding area and set up camp.

Whoosh! Watching Tae-hyun settle down and literally light a furnace, everyone stared at him in utter bewilderment.

"What are you doing?"

"We shouldn't just install the traps we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠already have; we need to craft new ones. That's how we maximize their effectiveness. Heuk-heuk."

"Pardon?"

"Get out here and stoke the fire."

"Yes, Master..."

Meanwhile, Lee Da-bi received an update on the situation outside from the Power Warrior Guild members.

"Oh? It seems they really are scared."

"Really?"

Cain grumbled, feeling slighted. "Hey, you completely ignored me when I said that..."

"Are you really comparing yourself to Da-bi? Anyway, even if they're scared, nothing changes. We install more traps and go about our business."

Tae-hyun pulled out all the items he had plundered from the Beijing Fighters players, the gear stripped from Chang, and even the unused equipment he had obtained from Gardu.

Under normal circumstances, he would have listed these pieces of gear on the auction house, but things were different now. The tournament was just around the corner, and judging by the situation outside, it wouldn't be surprising if they had to fight a couple more times. He needed to prepare for that eventuality.

"Mmph! Mmmph-mmph!"

"Ah. I can understand exactly what you're trying to say."

Watching his own armor being dismantled right before his eyes, Chang protested with eyes blazing with fury. Naturally, Tae-hyun ignored him and pocketed the gems.

It won't show anything at all, even with Advanced Magic skills? It wasn't just obscuring certain details; it was completely blocking all information. The other gems were the same. For now, Tae-hyun swept them into his inventory. He could always find an NPC to appraise them later. Right now, crafting traps took priority.

Clang, clank, clang! Tae-hyun moved with fluid, practiced ease, looking like a master blacksmith who had spent over a decade working at a forge. Even Cain, who had witnessed this sight numerous times, couldn't help but marvel once again. If anyone saw him, they'd think he works at a real-life blacksmith shop! The sheer experience accumulated since Pan-On 1 was not just for show.

As soon as the traps were finished, Tae-hyun installed them immediately before moving on to his next project.

"What are you going to use that for?"

"It looks way too big to even carry, let alone use..."

"I'm not planning to carry it around and shoot it. We're going to use it to launch spears at the monsters."

Running a dungeon normally was fine, but speedrunning it required a few clever tricks. The item he was currently crafting was one of them!

A massive spear launcher resembling a giant ballista was completed.

"...Why does it use explosives to fire?" Choi Sang-yun, who was watching from the side, asked in confusion after reading the item description. Shouldn't something like this use a bowstring or a crank?

"Well, as long as it fires, it doesn't really matter..."

"Isn't it way too big, though?" This time, Cain chimed in with a question. The spear launcher was roughly the size of an adult human!

"We'll just have to carry it."

"Who?"

"You."

"..."

Cain instantly regretted asking as he hoisted the massive spear launcher onto his back.

Choi Sang-yun spoke with a highly skeptical expression. "Is this really going to speed things up? What if we mess up by fighting in a way we're not used to..."

"Don't worry. I've been planning this for a long time."

To clear a dungeon at breakneck speed, one needed ingenious methods. Explosives were one such tool—a surefire way to make up for any lack of damage! The problem was that explosive items in this game were notoriously unstable. Throwing bombs indiscriminately at close range might work when Tae-hyun was solo, but it was far too risky and difficult to manage when leading a party through a dungeon. He needed an alternative method.