The Birth of the Angel's Forge

"Ah... I can't use this."

The continuous HP reduction penalty was a massive blow. Tae-hyun, who had a relatively low total HP pool, couldn't afford to wear this item. Even other players with massive health pools would find such a penalty too burdensome to bear. It was a shame that he had to salvage an item he had worked so hard to obtain.

"What kind of item dropped?" Cain asked, peering over.

"!"

Tae-hyun looked at Cain, and a sudden realization struck him. Come to think of it...!

"Hey, try equipping this."

"?!"

Cain eagerly took the armor and put it on. He couldn't believe his luck—Kim Tae-hyun was actually giving him gear that dropped from a boss!

He must think I contributed the most to this fight!

Cain cast a smug, triumphant glance at Yu Ji-soo. He had been feeling a strong sense of rivalry ever since this new competitor appeared. However, Yu Ji-soo only stared back at him with a look of profound pity.

W-what's with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that look? Cain wondered, suddenly uneasy.

"Are you experiencing any HP reduction?" Tae-hyun asked.

"Nope, none at all."

"...As expected. Cain, you should just keep living your life exactly as you are."

"??"

The corrupted demon blood was an accidental affliction, but leaving it untreated certainly had its uses! Tae-hyun proceeded to check the other items that had dropped. Unfortunately, the rest of the gear was too awkward to use compared to what he currently wore. More than anything, they were Orc-exclusive equipment, meaning any other race would suffer severe penalties for equipping them.

I'll have to salvage the helmet, boots, and bracers.

He planned to extract the raw materials from all of them, including the items he had obtained from the Salavian Order and the corrupt nobles during the capital defense battle.

Since the Valley of Despair and Sorrow has the Demon's Forge, I should build the Angel's Forge here in the capital.

If he was going to do it, he needed to maximize his efficiency to minimize any potential losses. Since he had accumulated a massive pile of miscellaneous gear, he wanted to melt it all down and craft something entirely new.

But as he attempted to initiate the process, a system prompt appeared.

"Haha. Yohas, you did an incredible job. Hunting demons really clears the mind, doesn't it? This is all thanks to the grace of the great Phytos..."

"No, Your Majesty! How on earth did you wield the power of Phytos?!"

"?"

Tae-hyun had fully expected Yohas to scream something along the lines of, "Why did you throw me into that pit to die with you, you absolute bastard!" Instead, the angel was asking about something else entirely. Tae-hyun rejoiced inwardly. If he played his cards right, he could completely gloss over the pit incident!

"What do you think is the reason I can wield Phytos's power?" Tae-hyun asked, adopting a solemn tone.

"?"

"It is because I have been chosen by Phytos-nim himself."

If the paladins and priests of the Phytos Church had heard this, they would have clutched their chests and collapsed on the spot! Yohas, too, looked incredibly skeptical. According to the rumors circulating within the Phytos Church, Tae-hyun had repeatedly humiliated their order and had even been exiled from the kingdom.

"That... that is impossible."

"Why? Why is it impossible? Have you spoken directly with Phytos-nim recently?"

There was no way a mortal could speak with a god who had long since departed the continent—with a few exceptions like Carbanog, of course. Tae-hyun was banking on this absolute truth to bluff his way through.

"Well, no, but..."

"Phytos-nim looked upon me with favor and bestowed his grace! The Phytos Church is simply blinded by jealousy, which is why they slander my good name."

"T-that is simply absurd..."

"But why do you ask? Were you perhaps an angel who once served Phytos?"

"A-ah, no! Of course not!" Yohas stammered, flustered.

"If you say so. Regardless, we don't have time to stand around. The continent is crawling with demons, and we cannot afford to rest."

"Ah. Are we going on another demon hunt?" Yohas asked innocently, despite everything he had just been through. As an angel, hunting demons was practically his sacred duty.

"Yes. But before we set out, let's take a quick moment to reorganize and prepare."

"...Is it truly going to be a quick moment?"

"Of course, of course~"

It was an aesthetic disaster of epic proportions. However, Tae-hyun didn't care in the slightest. The palace backyard was the safest and most convenient location to keep it close by.

Yohas attempted one final, desperate resistance.

"We will need a massive amount of labor to construct this..."

"You can put everyone from over there to over there to work."

The moment rumors spread that Tae-hyun was building something in the palace, players came rushing over in droves, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Give us contribution points!" they clamored.

"...Understood..." Yohas sighed, finally giving up and commencing the construction.

Tae-hyun rolled up his sleeves and helped build the Angel's Forge alongside them.

"Where is that rascal Kim Tae-hyun! We have to stop him!"

Kim Tae-san had packed his bags and rushed over as fast as his legs could carry him. However, the Orcs around him only shook their heads solemnly.

"*Chwik*, the King of Atali defeated Karag. He is a truly magnificent warrior."

"*Chwik, chwik*. He is incredible."

"Kuaaaaah!" Tae-san let out a frustrated roar.

The Orcs flinched at his sudden outburst.

"*Chwik*. It seems our new chieftain has also been possessed by a demon."

"*Chwik*, he only recently took the position. What a tragic shame."

"Shut up, you fools!" Tae-san barked, shoving the Orcs aside.

He had needed Karag ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to complete his Great Chieftain quest, but Tae-hyun had snatched the kill right out from under him.

Don't tell me... did he suggest I go play bandit in the Auston Kingdom just so he could steal this from me?!

If that was indeed the case, it was a terrifyingly calculated scheme.

"Lin Yao has fallen!"

"Do not retreat! We must end this today!"

Yet another ranker was forced to log out. The Guild Alliance was pouring every ounce of their strength into taking down Sadiq's Avatar. Unlike Tae-hyun, who could simply pick up a stray angel from the roadside to do his bidding, the Guild Alliance had to mobilize their entire player base to wage this war of attrition.

Even the top-tier rankers of the Guild Alliance had been dragged into the fray. In the midst of the chaos, Lin Yao, a high-level ranker with the Ancient Martial Artist class, had just been defeated.

"The beast is exhausted! Keep up the pressure!"

"Group 1, fall back! Group 2, advance! Rain down ice magic once more!"

Tempered by countless battles, the Guild Alliance's parties moved like clockwork. They hit, ran, and cycled seamlessly. The moment one party was decimated, the next immediately surged forward to take its place.

Even so, Sadiq's Avatar was a terrifying opponent. A single misstep against its massive area-of-effect attacks could instantly wipe out an entire party.

"Kuh... I... cannot fall... in a place like this..."

"It's trying to flee!"

"Block its path! Do not let it escape! We finish this here!"

In that fleeting moment, a single, burning thought flashed through the minds of everyone present.

I have to get the last hit!

Securing the final blow on a boss monster of this caliber brought unimaginable glory, not to mention incredible tangible rewards. Even if the experience points were heavily diluted due to the sheer number of participants, Sadiq's Avatar offered something far more valuable: an audience with the King of the Erangs Kingdom, and an audience with the King of the Auston Kingdom—though the latter's coronation had not even taken place yet.

While the latter was of little interest, the former was a highly anticipated reward.

"I'm going in!"

"No, McPhil! Look at what happened to Lin Yao! You'll get wiped out too! Let me handle this!"

Lin Yao had only fallen because his greed for the last hit had blinded him, leaving him open to a devastating counterattack from Sadiq's Avatar. Yet, the rankers charged forward without a shred of fear. If they let greed hold them back now, they didn't deserve to call themselves rankers!

As the rankers bickered and scrambled, Mike, the Gladiator, grabbed onto the rocky protrusions on the cave ceiling and began leaping across them to close the distance.

The other rankers gasped in shock.

"Mike, stop!"

"Mike! Play fair, damn it! You'll die if you try to take it now!"

Of course, Mike completely ignored them. Fair play meant nothing among rivals!

At that exact moment, a hole suddenly opened in the ground directly in front of Sadiq's Avatar, and a figure popped out. It was Alcott.

"I've been waiting for this...!"

While everyone else was busy fighting, Alcott had mobilized his personal miner NPCs to dig a tunnel and lie in wait! The rankers' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

That sneaky bastard! He was hiding down there the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whole time?!

What a shameless coward!

"Uryaaaaah!"

With a fierce battle cry, Alcott lunged at Sadiq's Avatar, risking everything on this single strike. As an assassin, a single blow from the boss would spell instant death. Yet, Alcott didn't even think of dodging. He was fully prepared to end it here.

Thud!

His gamble had paid off. A thrilling rush of ecstasy washed over Alcott.

"Ah..."

"No...!"

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠collective groans of the rankers echoed from behind, but Alcott simply pretended not to hear them.

"You cowardly piece of trash!"

"Yeah! You just hid in a hole while we did all the heavy lifting!"

"What are you crying about? Don't you know this is exactly how assassins are supposed to fight?" Alcott retorted smoothly.

"Enough! Stop bickering and start cleaning up the battlefield!"

The guild executives rushed in to break up the squabble. The rankers retreated, gritting their teeth in frustration.

Damn it. To think he'd use a method like that.

Actually... that's a brilliant strategy, isn't it?

Alcott smirked. He didn't care about their insults. Let them curse all they wanted—he was the one who got the last hit! Now, all that was left was to head to the Erangs Kingdom.

However, Alcott had no idea what kind of bizarre trend his little stunt was about to unleash upon the world.

"Why are there so many miner players around here?" Alcott muttered, tilting his head in confusion.

The area where Sadiq's Avatar had fallen was currently a chaotic mess as the Guild Alliance worked tirelessly to secure the loot and clear out the remaining beasts. But scattered among them were countless new players dressed in rugged miner attire, carrying pickaxes.

"The higher-ups hired them. They realized how useful they can be. Apparently, a lot of players were deeply inspired by what you did, Alcott-nim. I heard quite a few assassins are currently learning the shoveling skill as we speak."

Assassination and tunneling. It wasn't the most glamorous combination, but the synergy was undeniably effective.

"...Is... is that so?"

Alcott was utterly bewildered that his desperate attempt to steal a kill had somehow birthed a new meta.

Well, I suppose it's a good thing?

"So, about that..."

"?"

"Could you perhaps contact that 'Mao Zedong' person you mentioned before? The guild is highly interested in recruiting him."

"Hey, I told you, I can't!"

"Why not? It's a fantastic opportunity. If you could just arrange a meeting so we can speak with him directly..."

"They already have a guild!"

"What guild is it?"

"Uh... well... you see... it's..."

Alcott silently cursed his own stupidity. The last time they had pressed him, he couldn't think of a name on the spot and had blurted out a ridiculous alias like "Mao Zedong." If he had just given them a normal foreign name, they wouldn't be this obsessed! Because of that absurd name, the Guild Alliance executives seemed convinced he was some legendary hidden master and were paying even more attention to him.

Ugh, my head!