The Art of the Squeeze

"It might take quite a long time, but I can wait..." To a demon, time held no meaning. If he chose to wait, he could wait indefinitely.

"How does it taste, Lord Esla?!" Paz declared triumphantly. He had spared no expense, lavishly utilizing rare ingredients that had been incredibly difficult to obtain. This was a level of boldness Chao could never match! A dish that could only be crafted by a man who staked his very life on culinary art! There was no way this could fail...

"It's salty."

"...Pardon?"

"I said, it's salty."

"Bwahaha! Bwahahaha! He said it's salty! Salty!" Chao burst into uproarious laughter. He had been tense when Paz brought out those truly rare ingredients, but it turned out to be an absolute disaster. Nothing brought greater joy than watching a rival crash and burn.

"Pfft-hahaha! Ahahaha! Cough, wheeze!" Chao laughed so hard he began to choke. Watching this display, Esla spoke with utter disbelief.

"Stop cackling like an idiot and present your dish."

"Ah, yes, of course." As Chao brought his dish forward, Paz glared at him from the side, his pride deeply wounded.

"Just because I failed doesn't mean you'll succeed."

"Heh, fool. I've thought of everything."

"...?!" Paz was slightly taken aback. Chao was a piece of trash with a foul, insidious personality who resorted to all kinds of underhanded tricks behind the scenes, but...

"Are you saying that just for me to hear?!"

"Ah, sorry. I accidentally said that out loud." ...Still, Chao wasn't one to boast without reason. He did possess genuine skill.

"Here it is." Chao presented his dish with a smug grin. It was undoubtedly an impressive dish, but Paz didn't believe it was superior to his own.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

What is it? Did he tailor the dish specifically to that demon's tastes?! No, even so... that dish cannot surpass mine!

"Paz, I've realized something."

"?"

"In any cooking battle in movies, dramas, or novels, the one who serves their dish last always wins!"

"..." Paz doubted his own ears. What did this lunatic just say?

"Now, behold!"

"Disgusting. Leave now." Ptooey! Esla reacted even more violently than he had to Paz's dish. Seeing this, Chao lost his temper and shouted.

"...You have absolutely no taste, do you?! What kind of demon are you?!" If the creature had a tongue, there was no way it could call his cooking tasteless!

"How unsightly, the denial of humans."

"Shut up! Say it's delicious! Say it's delicious, damn it!"

Elsewhere, another demon was busy denying reality.

"This is impossible... This can't be happening..."

"Haha. Accept reality. Come on, let's go."

"Where?"

"To collect my treasure."

"!!" Freid's face turned stark white. Watching this, the rest of the party thought to themselves: Wow, even a demon can make a face like that!

"C-Cut me some slack! Give me a discount!"

"On what? Your life? My, I'd rather not, but if you insist..."

"N-Not the treasure! Do you have any idea what I went through to smuggle it out?!"

"Right, right." At Tae-hyun's agreeable tone, a faint glimmer of hope flickered in Freid's eyes.

"Every time I use it, I'll make sure to remember all the hard work you put into it."

"..." Tae-hyun dragged the thrashing Freid along as they headed toward the hidden vault.

It'd be great if I could tell Ed-an the coordinates later so he can clean out whatever's left.

The danger was severe enough to trigger system warnings. In fact, just by casting his gaze around, notifications began to pop up.

It was clear just how much effort Freid had poured into securing this place. It was almost enough to make him worry about sending Ed-an in!

Well, it's Ed-an. He'll figure something out.

What? Wait... Hearing Carbanog's words, Tae-hyun realized something.

—Divine Foresight!

Damn it! He had planned to use his skill to easily sweep up the treasure, but that path was blocked. Tae-hyun smacked his lips in disappointment.

Well, whatever. I can just find them another way.

In the meantime, Freid seemed to have regained his composure and rationality. He stared intently at Tae-hyun with a cold, composed expression.

"Hmph. Go ahead and choose. Take what you want and let's get out of here."

"Hmm..." The Forest's Underground Storehouse was packed to the brim with all kinds of miscellaneous items. Any ordinary player would have been overwhelmed by such a sight. How could anyone separate the wheat from the chaff among hundreds, if not thousands, of items!

But Tae-hyun was no ordinary player.

With a few tricks, I can narrow it down in no time.

These messages popped up every time he picked up and examined an item. Paradoxically, the appearance of these warnings indicated a higher-quality item. As Tae-hyun appraised the items using the methods he had perfected back in Pan-On 1, a wave of nostalgia washed over him.

And one more thing. Even if Divine Foresight was blocked, Tae-hyun still possessed his Master-rank Speech skill.

This one looks good. Tae-hyun smiled with satisfaction, thoroughly enjoying the roller coaster of emotions Freid displayed every time he picked up or set down an item.

Its low durability and vulnerability to Holy attacks were drawbacks, but its Magic Defense was astronomical. It boasted a Magic Defense that put most heavy armor to shame! The Ostern Royal Treasure Tae-hyun currently wore was already an exceptional item that ordinary players could only dream of obtaining, but this necklace was on a completely different level.

It's a shame the skill is single-use, though. Having to destroy the equipment to summon the demon army was a drawback, but... it was well worth the price. Besides, there were still unidentified skills hidden beneath those question marks.

The next item Tae-hyun chose was the Silver Shirt Woven from Demonic Metal.

It wasn't much different from the silver shirt he currently wore, but the Resurrection effect was too good to pass up. A literal self-revival skill! Resurrection skills were something Tae-hyun prioritized above all else.

Even if the other stats are mediocre, I have to secure a resurrection method. Just how many safety nets did he have active now? If the other players targeting him knew about his absurd number of revival methods, they would probably give up and run away in sheer exhaustion.

For the last one... a token would be ideal. I wonder if he has one? Tae-hyun stole a glance at Freid. Having his most cherished treasures systematically plundered, the demon looked absolutely livid.

"By any chance, did you bring a token with you when you fled from Mosrak?"

"What? Why on earth would I have something like that? Do you have any idea how important a symbolic token is to a demon? Of course Mosrak still has it."

Tsk.

Among all the quests Tae-hyun had accepted, very few remained unresolved for this long. That was how slow and difficult it was to gather the required items! He had hoped to find an easy shortcut, but...

"Then I'll take this instead."

"T-That... That is...!" The final ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠item Tae-hyun chose was a mysterious ring.

I should give this to Lee Da-bi. It was a peculiar item that randomly determined a damage buff with every attack! Rather than Tae-hyun, it would be far more useful for someone like Lee Da-bi, whose class lacked raw offensive power. On top of that, it had hidden options, and given its grand name... he couldn't help but anticipate that it held some hidden potential.

Freid looked as though he had aged ten years and lost weight in the span of a few minutes.

"Now that we're done... let's draw up a plan to deal with Mosrak..." His voice was entirely drained of energy, sounding incredibly pitiful and sorrowful.

But Tae-hyun wasn't finished yet. Feeling a tiny, negligible pang of guilt, Tae-hyun spoke up.

"Hey, so..."

"?"

"I'm going to need one more thing."

"WHAT NOW?!" Freid shrieked, practically on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"No, calm down. I have to go meet Mosrak's subordinate now, and I need to trick them into believing I've captured you. To do that, I need proof."

"..."

Whether the persuasion had worked or he simply had no choice, Freid nodded reluctantly.

"So, what do you need?"

"I'd like to take a part of your body. Is there any part you wouldn't mind me cutting off?" His tone was polite, but the underlying meaning was utterly horrifying! For the first time in ages, Freid felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The look in this human's eyes...

Those bastards of the Phytos Church... what kind of absolute lunatic have they raised?

Huh? Tae-hyun tilted his head in confusion.

"...I have my horns."

"You don't have any horns, though?"

"That's because I've concealed them with magic. Look." From Freid's forehead, two long, sharp, and remarkably lustrous horns materialized.

"If you cut off just the tips of these horns, they will believe you." Freid wore an agonizing expression as he spoke. To have even a fraction of his horns—his pride and symbol as a demon—sliced off was a deep humiliation.

"No, that won't do."

"What do you mean, it won't do?"

"If I claim to have killed you, who's going to believe me if I only bring back a tiny sliver? I need to chop them off completely."

"D-Does the length really matter that much?!"

"Our opponent is a demon! If we're going to deceive them, we have to go all the way! Bringing back some half-hearted clippings won't convince anyone!" Tae-hyun argued passionately. Of course, he had only one true motive.

This is my chance to craft a Monster Essence from a high-ranking demon!

Not content with plundering the vault, Tae-hyun was now harvesting the demon's horns! He was demonstrating an almost pathological level of frugality when it came to squeezing his enemies dry.

Freid tried to resist, but it was a losing battle. Tae-hyun held all the cards, and even the justification was on his side...

"Ugh... Fine, cut them. W-Wait, why are you grabbing both of them?!"

"Who would believe I only took one? I have to chop off both!"

"You absolute psycho of a human!!" Freid wailed. He was seriously beginning to regret ever aligning himself with this man.

The Phytos Church has unleashed a literal monster upon the world!

Yohas was waiting anxiously. Had Tae-hyun truly defeated the demon all by himself? Demons were by no means easy opponents to face. Even if Tae-hyun was a human who was just as underhanded, despicable, and wicked as any demon...

"!" While he was waiting, Tae-hyun emerged from the forest.

"How did it go, Your Majesty?"

Tae-hyun brandished the two severed horns with a triumphant grin. Yohas's eyes widened at the sight. Those were unmistakably a demon's horns!

"You defeated him!"

"Haha. Lord Phytos aided me."

"Of course! The great Lord Phytos has blessed Your Majesty with his divine aid!"

"Indeed, indeed. Lord Phytos holds me in exceptionally high regard. Why, he once delivered a divine oracle to me personally..." To anyone else, it would sound as if Phytos and Tae-hyun were the closest of friends! But Yohas, who was already half-brainwashed, believed every single word without a shred of doubt.

"The priests of the Phytos Church will be absolutely thrilled when they hear of this!"

"Yes, go ahead and spread the word far and wide." Tae-hyun smiled warmly and patted him on the back. It was a smile that, quite literally, pushed him right off a cliff.