The Art of the Vanguard
All sorts of wild rumors circulated among the crafting players active in Kim Tae-hyun's territory.
— They say if you spin three times to the left and three times to the right in front of the statue, then clap twice, you get an extra buff.
— They say if you pay extra gold to Pelmas, the Archisus Church NPC, to buy holy water, the effects are slightly enhanced.
— They say if you put a specific item into the Goblin Universal Maker, you get better rewards...
There was only one reason why these rumors spread so rampantly: the Archisus Church was the only player-run order in Pandemonium Online.
Most other orders, whether good or evil-aligned, had plenty of public information available. Players could easily look up what skills were available, what equipment they could get, and so on, before deciding which order to join or which quests to undertake. However, almost nothing was known about the Archisus Church.
On top of that, the church's traits were completely random! It was common for a trait that worked one way today to change entirely tomorrow. Players, already bewildered by the lack of information, were left even more confused.
Yet, no matter how chaotic and confusing it was, players who set foot in the Archisus Church rarely left. There was a unique flavor to the Archisus Church that made it impossible to escape once tasted. It was the sheer ecstasy of hitting the jackpot against astronomical odds.
It was the kind of thrill you only feel when winning the lottery or coming out on top in a high-stakes gamble! Once players tasted that thrill, they couldn't bring themselves to leave the Archisus Church, wandering around in constant pursuit of that one big hit. Naturally, players were incredibly sensitive to any rumors.
"Is it true that if you paint a portrait of Kim Tae-hyun, the completion quality comes out higher?"
"I'm telling you, it's true. Don't go spreading it around. I searched the forums, and it seems like nobody else knows about this yet."
"No way, really...?"
The painter player, highly skeptical of his friend's words, picked up his brush with half-hearted doubt. Although people often teased him for painting in Pandemonium Online when he already painted in real life, he genuinely loved the craft. Paintings he couldn't possibly create in reality could be brought to life in Pandemonium Online...
You have completed <Portrait of Kim Tae-hyun>. It is an excellent piece characterized by rough sketches and textures.
Members of the Sadiq Church may become enraged if they see this.
You have successfully painted a piece that surpasses your current level! Your Art skill has increased significantly!
Your Reputation has increased significantly.
Your reputation within the territory has increased.
"Oh... Oh?!"
"See? What did I tell you?"
"I-Is it really true?"
The two painters created painting after painting. While not every single one was a masterpiece, they were undeniably producing works far beyond their current skill level.
You have successfully completed a Rare-grade painting!
"It popped!!"
Due to repeatedly painting the exact same subject, you receive a penalty to your Art skill growth.
"Ugh. Did I paint the exact same thing too much?"
"Is there anything else good? Something good to reference..."
One of the painters searched the Pandemonium Online forums for paintings to reference.
"This is great. It'd be perfect to reference."
"Is it <Portrait of Sadiq>? But would the Chinese players buy this too?"
"They bought the paintings of Kim Tae-hyun, so they'll probably buy this too. There are Kim Tae-hyun fans in China, right? Maybe it's like that."
"I guess so?"
The two players laughed warmly as they continued to paint.
An <Art Gallery> has been newly constructed in the territory.
The treasures of the Atali Palace have been added to the <Art Gallery>.
You will receive an additional bonus if you donate artworks to the <Art Gallery>.
"?!??!?"
"Huh???"
"Honored nobles! We are now setting out to defeat the rebel Dominic..."
With his territory roughly sorted out and all preparations complete, Tae-hyun gathered the nobles to prepare for departure. An army led by countless players and the nobles of each territory. Though he felt a bit uneasy, the sheer numbers made victory seem highly plausible.
Just then, a group arrived late!
Thud-thud-thud-thud—
"What's that?"
"Arriving late after becoming a noble. What a pathetic fellow."
The other nobles grumbled, assuming a newly appointed noble was arriving late. However, Tae-hyun recognized the familiar face immediately. That distinctive mustache...
"Admiral Brançon!"
"Count Kim Tae-hyun! I have come to aid you. However..."
Admiral Brançon scanned the other nobles. Then, he whispered to Tae-hyun in a low voice.
"Count Kim Tae-hyun. I believe it would be best not to associate with those people."
Though he tried to speak quietly, Admiral Brançon had no talent for whispering. His words reached the ears of the other nobles loud and clear.
"What did you say! Admiral Brançon, what is the meaning of this!"
"We shall take those words as a direct insult!"
"Silence! You lot stayed idle in your own territories even when the palace was defiled by the rebel Dominic!"
"Admiral Brançon, you didn't step up either!"
"I was out at sea! How could I have stepped up? I rushed here the moment I heard the news!"
Admiral Brançon glared at the counts with contempt. But the counts did not back down.
"Excuses! We had our own circumstances!"
"Exactly! Is Admiral Brançon a coward who blames others while doing nothing himself?"
"Y-You people..."
Admiral Brançon trembled with rage. Tae-hyun, who had been eating popcorn while enjoying the show, finally stepped in.
"Now, now, everyone. There seems to be a misunderstanding. Surely a noble man like Admiral Brançon did not mean to insult you. He must simply be furious because of Dominic."
"Ahem. Well..."
"Hmph. Is he the only one who's furious?"
"No, Count Kim Tae-hyun, those people's schemes... Argh."
Tae-hyun poked Admiral Brançon sharply in the ribs to shut him up.
"Now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves, but to unite our strength!"
"Right, exactly!"
"As expected of a hero, Count Kim Tae-hyun knows what he's talking about!"
The counts chuckled in delight, thinking Tae-hyun was easy to manipulate.
Once they were left alone, Admiral Brançon spoke to him again with deep concern.
"Count Kim Tae-hyun. No matter how lacking our forces are, we must not borrow the strength of such people. They may seem submissive now, but they will surely torment you later! An honest, upright, and clean person like you will undoubtedly find it difficult to deal with such filthy individuals."
"??????"
Ed-an and Pelmas, who were nearby helping with departure preparations, stared at Admiral Brançon as if he were a lunatic. Who was what now?
— Who is that guy?
— That's Admiral Brançon.
— Can even crazy people become admirals these days?
— Well, even a guy with no arms can be a thief...
Ed-an's arms were once again fitted with mechanical prosthetics. They were custom-made by the demon blacksmith Saruon.
— Are you picking a fight with me, you bastard?
— Ah, n-no. Haha. Just a joke. A joke.
— Do you have any idea how much I suffered while you were in the territory? My prosthetics were confiscated... *sniff*. And yet you only scold me...
— That's because you left behind everything that could make money and only brought back those art pieces...
— Art pieces?! Those are items you can't buy even with money!
— But they aren't money...
Ignoring their bickering, Tae-hyun turned his attention back to Admiral Brançon.
"Admiral, I understand your concern. However, Dominic has grown powerful by borrowing the strength of the Salavian Church! We must borrow even the strength of people like them! Even if I suffer some losses as a result, what does it matter? As long as we can defeat the rebel!"
"Count Kim Tae-hyun!!"
"Admiral!"
"I have deeply felt your passionate righteousness. I shall accompany you and aid you. I will ensure those nobles do not get in your way!"
"Thank you!"
Admiral Brançon's Atali Kingdom 3rd Fleet has joined the party.
"But how are we going to attack?"
Approaching the palace with a massive army, Tae-hyun's party couldn't help but feel tense. None of them had any experience commanding a large-scale siege like this.
"First, we smash the walls and gates from a distance with everything we've got, then we send in troops to either scale the walls or breach the gates, right?"
Tae-hyun fell into thought. He was confident in smashing walls and gates. That was the specialty of Tae-hyun and the players in his territory.
Mechanical Engineering! The Mechanical Engineering Blacksmiths were currently excited, bringing loads of bombs. Not only that, but they had plenty of siege weapon materials, gliders, and other tools to destroy walls and gates. Plus, the Golems they had crafted previously. Although some were left behind in the territory, those golems alone were enough.
These walking iron giants would show formidable power in a siege.
Although many things were uncertain, Tae-hyun was absolutely confident in one thing: smashing walls and gates. Whether it was magic defense or whatever, destroying stationary buildings was what they did best in Pandemonium Online!
The problem was what comes next. Once they breached the walls and gates, they had to face the remaining royal army, the highly toxic vampires of the Salavian Church, and demonic beasts... This was where they were highly likely to get stuck.
The ones with high combat power right now... Power Warrior's dual-dagger guys aren't usable yet. Is it the newly joined royal army and the knights brought by the nobles? We can also use the vampires Evangeline brought and the remaining high-level players.
Indeed, the best option was to use other people's troops! Using the knights brought by the nobles was the best. However, there was no way the greedy nobles would willingly take the vanguard. He had to use some trickery.
"Count Osong, would you be willing to take the vanguard?"
"Ahem. Well, I would love to take the vanguard, but in terms of reputation, I fall behind Count Kim Tae-hyun, and in terms of the skill of my knights, I fall behind the others... Wouldn't someone else be better?"
Persuasion has failed...
"That is a pity. I was planning to entrust this capital to whoever takes the honorable vanguard..."
"Wait. What?"
Grab.
Count Osong grabbed Tae-hyun's shoulder as he turned to leave. Tae-hyun turned back, pretending to be reluctant.
"Yes?"
"W-What did you just say?"
"I said I was planning to entrust this capital to the one who takes the vanguard and achieves the greatest merit. Isn't that only natural? How could someone as lacking as me manage this capital? Right now, managing my own territory is already overwhelming."
Gulp.
You have made a promise to Count Osong.
If you break this promise, your Infamy will spread immensely among the nobility.
If you break this promise, Count Osong may attack you...
The message windows warned him, but Tae-hyun didn't care. As long as he didn't get caught!
"Count Kim Tae-hyun. I believe I misjudged. My reputation may be lesser than yours, and my knights may be fewer than the other counts', but that is precisely why I must step forward!"
"Count Osong!"
"I shall stand at the vanguard! Leading my knights!"
"Haha. Thank you!"
"Count Bucard, the vanguard..."
"Ahem. I..."
"Actually, I was planning to entrust the capital..."
"I shall take it!"
The other counts showed the exact same reaction.
"Count Pibre..."
"I shall take it!!"
Easy. So easy.
Tae-hyun successfully placed every single count at the vanguard!
Carbanog is flabbergasted, asking how you plan to handle the aftermath.
Tae-hyun ignored Carbanog and spoke.
"Now! The capital is right before our eyes! Tell the blacksmiths to assemble what they brought!"