A Heartwarming Sight
"Duke! How could you do this to me?!" Tae-hyun cried out in a tragic, grief-stricken voice.
At the same time, he stealthily crept closer. Toward Dervene!
Oblivious to this, Dervene shouted to Mosrak.
- Master! The Avatar of Archisus will not be able to defy you.
- Dervene. Dervene! You are as naive as an angel. He is the Avatar of Archisus. Does that make any sense?
- Master, you are worrying too much just because of the name Archisus!
- Shut up! Do you dare try to lecture me?
- It is not that, but...
- How dare someone who has never even faced him... Wait, Dervene!
- ?
Tae-hyun, who had stealthily slipped behind Dervene, unleashed a merciless attack on his back.
Thwack! Stab!
- Urgh?!
Successfully attacked the back of a completely defenseless target!
Additional Damage Inflicted!
- Archisus's First Strike!
Archisus's First Strike
Consumes Luck stat to execute a devastating continuous attack!
Tae-hyun's onslaught didn't stop. He was going to finish this here and now!
- M-My lord, wait! Just a moment! Just a moment!
"Yes! I understand!"
- Just a moment!! Just a moment!!! It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!!
"I said I understand!"
Even as he claimed to understand, Tae-hyun's hands never stopped moving!
- You insolent fool! Release Dervene this instant!
A whip rippled from Mosrak's fingertips like a tidal wave, hurtling toward Tae-hyun.
Tae-hyun swiftly grabbed Dervene and shoved him in front of himself.
Crack!
- Argh! Master!
- You... you wretched Avatar of Archisus. You finally show your true colors!
"Who are you calling a traitor when you're the one who backstabbed me first?"
Tae-hyun was entirely shameless. Of course, technically, Tae-hyun had set a trap and waited, but on the surface, it was Mosrak who had betrayed him first!
Tae-hyun activated his tactical skills. It was time to join forces with the nearby players and hunt Mosrak down.
- Incarnation's Cry! Tyrant's Command!
⊳ Incarnation's Cry: Dispels all active status ailments and debuffs from all nearby players.
⊳ Tyrant's Command: Boosts all stats of nearby players. (Highest-grade Tactical Skill active.)
In terms of buff range alone, his skills boasted a wider area of effect than those of the Battle Shaman, Kawahara. A Highest-grade Tactical Skill was truly in a league of its own!
Unlike his hushed conversations from before, Tae-hyun now bellowed at the top of his lungs so everyone waiting in the vicinity could hear.
"Everyone, prepare for battle! The Guild Alliance has summoned Mosrak! But we will not yield to the Guild Alliance's dirty tricks!"
"Wait, when did we ever—"
Kawahara protested in utter bewilderment, but Tae-hyun completely ignored him.
"Guild Alliance! Unleashing a demon in someone else's city... Are you people even human?!"
"Do you know how many novices are here?! This is too much!"
It was the same in every online game, not just Pangaea Online. Players who caused trouble inside cities were always universally loathed. From the jerks who unleashed black sacks in MapleStory to those who poisoned cities in Pangaea Online 1, the sentiment remained unchanged.
"Boo! Down with the Guild Alliance!"
"Shut up! Quiet!"
Kawahara barked, scanning his surroundings. He didn't know why a high-ranking demon had suddenly appeared, but this was an opportunity.
Since a demon has appeared, Kim Tae-hyun's incarnation summoning ritual must have failed. Did Su Ning arrange this? Don't tell me he set this up without telling us. If he did, he's a real piece of... No, now is not the time for that.
The important thing was that they now had a chance to escape! Everyone's attention was focused on the overwhelming aura of the Demon Duke. If they fled now, the remaining players would...
"Now! Kawahara! Strike him from behind!"
Tae-hyun shouted while unleashing a barrage of skills on Dervene. It was the ultimate display of multitasking! He was keeping Dervene pinned down while simultaneously driving a wedge between Kawahara and Mosrak.
"What? What kind of bullshit is that?!"
Highest-grade Eloquence Skill has successfully manipulated the target's perception!
Demon Duke Mosrak begins attacking Kawahara's party!
- How dare you insignificant humans target my back! Did you truly think you could deceive me, the Master of Schemes?!
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Kawahara and the Guild Alliance members were dumbfounded by the sudden onslaught of whip strikes.
"Hey, you brainless demon! Do you have rocks for brains?! Do we look like we're on the same side as that guy?!"
The guild members desperately dodged and blocked, shouting their protests. They couldn't afford to fight Mosrak right now. It would be a different story if they could team up with Mosrak to fight Tae-hyun, but this was a disaster.
Bwahahaha! Hahaha!
Did it work?
Did our words get through?
- Avatar of Archisus, how pathetic. To think you would resort to such a cheap trick.
"??"
- Cough, cough. Master...
Tae-hyun, who had been pummeling Dervene, paused and turned his head. Did my Eloquence skill fail?
- Did you think I would be fooled just because they claim to be your enemies?! Die, you insignificant insects!
Mosrak snorted and resumed thrashing the guild members. In his eyes, all humans were exactly the same!
"Demon! Stop this instant! We can join forces to deal with that truly demonic bastard over there!"
- How dare you utter the word 'demonic' in my presence!
"Damn it... Attack! Everyone, attack!"
With no way to communicate and only failure messages popping up for their attempts to reason with him, Kawahara ultimately chose to fight. Watching this, Tae-hyun smiled warmly.
"Haha. How heartwarming."
- Cough... Urgh...
"Farewell, Dervene."
- You... you wretched Avatar of Archisus. My master will punish you! If you do not let me go this instant...
Faced with impending death, Dervene's true nature slipped out. But it was already too late. He had been ambushed by Tae-hyun from the very beginning, and Mosrak was currently tied down!
Squelch!
Among all the players on the continent, none had hunted as many high-ranking demons as Tae-hyun.
Perfect. Phase one complete!
Tae-hyun let out a sigh of relief. The most dangerous factor when dealing with Mosrak was Dervene! Having a demon of Dervene's caliber running around freely was incredibly hazardous. Furthermore, many of Tae-hyun's skills were single-target abilities. That was why he had pushed himself to eliminate Dervene first, even if it meant taking a risk.
Fortunately, instead of attacking a defenseless Tae-hyun, Mosrak had focused his wrath on the suspicious Guild Alliance.
"Guild Alliance!!! Forward! Keep moving forward!"
Kawahara was shining with tragic brilliance. Though they had fallen into a trap and lost most of their members, leaving only a handful behind, their desperate struggle was all the more dazzling! Kawahara unleashed all of his active skills alongside his hidden trump cards.
- Descent of the Ancient Spirit! Cry of the Howling Earth! Exorcism Rock Pillar!!
"Kawahara!"
"You bastard...! You're actually incredible...!"
The remaining guild members were deeply moved by his struggle. What magnificent control!
- Tsk. Humans. You are surprisingly formidable.
Even Mosrak took a step back under the fierce onslaught.
- As expected of a trap laid by the Avatar of Archisus.
"..."
"..."
The expressions of the guild members, which had been burning with friendship and solidarity, instantly soured.
"Fighting! Keep it up!"
"Shut up, you son of a bitch!"
Kawahara snapped at Kim Tae-hyun's distant cheers.
Within the Guild Alliance, there were several rankers who had held a bitter grudge against Tae-hyun since the days of Pangaea Online 1. Their defining trait was that merely hearing Kim Tae-hyun's name would make them kick their blankets in frustration even while lying down, screaming, "Kim Tae-hyun, you absolute bastard!"
Back then, Kawahara had thought they looked incredibly pathetic...
But now, he completely understood!
- I shall face you with my true power, humans.
"No, wait, if you just let us go..."
- Cease your petty schemes! It is an insult to my intelligence!
"..."
- Come forth, my legions!
Karbanog warns that Mosrak's legions are infamous even in the Demon Realm for their sheer cruelty and rigid discipline.
"I know. Don't worry."
Although Mosrak's army was an unexpected development, Tae-hyun had prepared plenty of countermeasures. Besides, the best part was that the Guild Alliance was currently buying him time. Fighting desperately against the pouring tide of demons, the Guild Alliance was holding the line!
Tae-hyun wiped the corner of his nose. Usually, those guys were a massive pain in the neck, but right now, they couldn't look more beautiful.
"I'm here!"
Cain rushed over, leading his soldiers. Having dealt with Mike, Cain was the last to arrive.
They're finally here!
Cain tensed as he saw the demons flooding into the central plaza. Everything was unfolding exactly as Tae-hyun had warned.
"Huh? Why are those guys fighting the demons?"
"Who knows. Maybe they're volunteering. Cain, drink the medicine I gave you."
"...Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"Ugh..."
Reluctantly, Cain rummaged through his inventory and pulled out an item.
Essence Made from Demon Freid's Horn. It was a horrific sight to behold. A repulsive stench wafted from it, smelling exactly like the bitter herbal medicine he had been forced to drink as a child!
I have to drink this...
Gulp, gulp—
"Oh, right, Cain."
"?"
"One probably won't be enough, so drink all the other ones I kept for you too."
"????"
With his mouth full, Cain couldn't even argue. After barely managing to swallow it all, he coughed and protested.
"N-No, wait! One should be enough! Just one!"
"No, I don't think one is going to cut it. Hold his arms!"
Grab—
"Hey! Hey!!"
Cain panicked. With his arms pinned, he couldn't resist.
"Drink up, Cain! Seize your destiny!"
"Mph! Mmph! Mmmph! (That line is bad luck!)"
Despite Cain's struggles, Tae-hyun pulled out various essences and began pouring them down his throat.
Tae-hyun couldn't face Mosrak alone. Once the Guild Alliance was wiped out, he needed someone to draw Mosrak's attention alongside him. In other words, he needed a tank with far more defense and HP than Cain currently possessed!
An essence containing a faint trace of a Black Dragon's power... An essence crafted using Heuk-heuk.
An essence condensing the power of a Salavian Order demonic beast... An essence crafted after slaying a Salavian Order beast.
An essence of a wraith... An essence of a Sadiq demonic beast... Tae-hyun ruthlessly poured down every single essence he had.
You have consumed an excessive amount of substances. Further consumption may cause severe indigestion.
Status attributes temporarily reduced due to overeating.
"It's fine. An overeating debuff is nothing."
It wasn't like eating too much would kill him. At worst, his movement speed and attack speed would drop by a tiny fraction.
"Hey! Don't resist! Don't waste precious medicine! Down it goes! Chug, chug, chug, chug!"
"Cough. Gag..."
"Uh, Cain? You look like you're getting a bit big..."
Rumble—
Cain's body began to swell rapidly!
"..."
"..."
"What the hell is this, Kim Tae-hyun, you absolute bastard?!"
Even amidst the chaotic din of the central plaza, Cain's despairing shriek echoed with crystal clarity.