The Art of the Deal

Do Dong-su turned his head. A face he had seen all too often in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his nightmares was standing right there.

"Wh-what?!"

Tae-hyun's party also recognized the faces of Do Dong-su's group. Tae-hyun tilted his head, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.

"Huh? I feel like I've seen that guy somewhere before."

"It's Do Dong-su!"

Surprisingly, Cain was the first to recognize him. Perhaps it was the lingering guilt of dragging Dong-su over with chains during the tournament just to serve him up on a silver platter to be killed!

"Huh? Who's Do Dong-su again... Oh! Do Dong-su!"

"That Do Dong-su!"

"You mean the Do Dong-su who tried to sabotage you, Senior, only to get humiliated and kicked out? The one we almost dug up dirt on to ruin permanently before deciding not to?"

Dong-su flinched, his shoulders tensing up. It was a purely instinctive reaction.

"Now that I think about it, didn't Dong-su say he'd grown a lot last time?" Tae-hyun nodded as the memory returned. When they had gone to raid the Beijing Fighters' practice dungeon, Dong-su had indeed shown clear signs of growth.

Specifically, he had been the very first to run away!

"Are you going to show us again this time?"

"Wait, Kim Tae-hyun! I know you hate me."

"Huh? I don't really hate you."

Tae-hyun's casual reply struck Do Dong-su like a physical blow. Kim Tae-hyun doesn't hate me? Even after everything that happened?

Realizing this made Dong-su feel incredibly pathetic. Here he was, still clinging to a grudge from Pan-On 1, while the other guy hadn't given him a second thought.

"Do you have any idea how many people try to come at me for revenge? You're just a nuisance. I don't hate you."

"..."

It was a nuanced answer that left Dong-su utterly bewildered, unsure whether to be relieved or insulted.

"As expected of you, Senior! So cool! So amazing!"

"Yeah, I am pretty great. But since it's true that you're a nuisance, maybe I should clean up this little annoyance? Let's see how much our dear Dong-su has improved, shall we?"

Tae-hyun drew his weapon from the shadows of the dark corridor. The Beijing Fighters players paled at the sight. It felt like they had suddenly been cast in a real-life horror movie!

"Do Dong-su! Do something!"

"Yeah! You're the one who dragged us here!"

Hearing his teammates whine so pitifully made Dong-su sigh. How could there be such a massive gap between his party and Kim Tae-hyun's?

No, wait. Come to think of it, Tae-hyun's party composition wasn't even that good. A nobody raider, a nobody mage, a nobody archer, and to top it off, a merchant. Yet Kim Tae-hyun had taken a ragtag bunch like that and forged them into a terrifying squad.

It's the difference in leadership!

"That bastard's looking at us weird," Cain muttered. For some reason, Dong-su's gaze felt strangely condescending.

Dong-su swallowed hard, his throat feeling as dry as tinder.

"Kim Tae-hyun! Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal? Don't tell me you're going to threaten to collapse the tunnel or block the entrance? I can easily catch you before you even try. Besides, this dungeon isn't even that important to me."

"..."

Dong-su froze. Wait, was that an option?

Behind him, the Beijing Fighters players began whispering among themselves in awe.

"Man, Do Dong-su is ruthless. No wonder he's Korean."

"I'm telling you, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Koreans are crazy about gaming. I guess it's true that they have gaming in their school curriculum."

If he let this slide, it would look like he was trying to blackmail Tae-hyun. Dong-su quickly spoke up.

"No, that's not it! I'm proposing we share the data I've gathered and clear this dungeon together in harmony!"

"Tsk... What's with that weak-sauce proposal, Dong-su?" Tae-hyun clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"I never taught you to be so soft. What have you been learning?"

When did you ever teach me anything, you bastard?!

"Let's reject it, Senior."

"Senior, a proposal like that isn't even worth listening to—"

"Hey! Wait a minute, you guys!" Dong-su hastily cut in as the party began tearing his offer to shreds.

"If you see this, you'll definitely change your mind! It's incredibly valuable data!"

Dong-su desperately thrust a book forward.

Tae-hyun stared at it, his mind racing. What is this idiot thinking? What if I just take this and pull an eat-and-run? Does he not have a brain?

Of course, Dong-su wasn't normally this foolish. It was just that standing in front of Tae-hyun had completely paralyzed his cognitive functions!

Tae-hyun briefly contemplated taking the book, PK'ing Dong-su, and leaving.

Eh, whatever.

Dong-su looked far too pathetic, desperate, and pitiful for that. Tae-hyun decided to just put him to work instead.

Huh? Aren't I being incredibly kind here?

In any case, Tae-hyun accepted the items and checked them.

"?!"

An astronomical amount of data! Tae-hyun was genuinely shocked. How on earth did Do Dong-su gather all of this? Dong-su was a Thief-class player, not an Explorer. There was no way he could have gathered so much information so quickly.

"How did you get your hands on all this?"

"I have my ways. I'm not completely useless."

"Do you want to talk after getting beaten up, or just talk now?"

"...I had a class quest related to the Asbian Empire, so I'd already gathered some of it beforehand."

He had never imagined that Lee Se-yeon would actually resurrect a fallen empire. From Dong-su's perspective, it was an unexpected windfall!

"And I bought a few pieces from Jecas, too."

"Jecas?"

"You know, that ranker who hates your guts. The one who teamed up with Su Ning."

"Ah... that Chinese ranker! Was he a Barbarian?"

"You crazy bastard! He's an Explorer!"

He didn't even get the nationality right! Dong-su was dumbfounded by Tae-hyun's shameless attempt to pretend he remembered when he clearly didn't. A fresh wave of irritation washed over him.

Shrrk.

"Who do you think you're glaring at?"

"Do you want to die?"

"Ah... No. Sorry."

Dong-su immediately deflated. Unlike the relatively easygoing Cain, Jeong Su-hyeok and Yu Ji-soo were radiating pure, murderous intent.

Hmm. Even with all this, there's no information about the church.

Tae-hyun quickly scanned the documents. The name Archisus was nowhere to be found. It looked like he would have to manually investigate a few suspicious locations to find any leads.

The military forces the Asbian Empire can command... Whew. Best not to mess with them.

An undead army commanded by an Undead Emperor! And these weren't the low-grade undead summoned by ordinary Necromancers; each and every one of them had to be considered a unique, named undead. Just the thought of facing all of them sent a shiver down his spine.

As their conversation dragged on, the members of the secret society waiting in the back stepped forward.

"Are we not going to kill them?"

"Ah. A peaceful resolution. I am currently attempting a peaceful resolution."

"Even for intruders?!"

"Reform them with virtue and love. That's what Yong-yong always says."

"..."

"..."

Dong-su, carefully reading the room, finally spoke up.

"So, Kim Tae-hyun... we're good, right?"

"Huh? No, of course not. Why are you acting like we're friends?"

"..."

"Anyway, thanks for this. I won't kill you."

"R-right!"

"Now, turn around."

"...?"

"We have a dungeon to clear. Open the door."

"Uh... wa-wait. Together?"

"Huh? Oh. Well, if you guys want to yield the dungeon to us, I don't mind. Farewell then."

At those words, the eyes of the Beijing Fighters players drilled into Do Dong-su.

"Do Dong-su! What are you saying?!"

"We have to at least clear it together!"

"...Let's clear it together."

"Sure. Open the door."

Dong-su opened his book again and began deciphering the glyphs. By the way, who on earth are those NPCs?

Like it or not, Tae-hyun was one of the most famous players in Pandemonium Online. Compared to him, the Beijing Fighters players were mere fireflies before a full moon.

Being a "Pan-On Pro Player" sounded incredibly prestigious, but in reality, there was a massive disparity. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of new gaming teams being established all over the world. Getting into just one of them technically made you a pro.

Yet, the number of teams that actually produced results, secured sponsors, and established a solid foothold could be counted on one hand. While the Beijing Fighters was a relatively large team with substantial backing, their future was far from guaranteed. Roster changes were frequent, and internal friction was constant. Even with their size, such a team was bound to be unstable.

Is this team actually running smoothly?

It feels like they just treat the players as disposables...

To these players who had only recently been promoted to the Beijing Fighters' first-string roster, Tae-hyun was an object of pure admiration. The fact that he had humiliated several famous Chinese rankers in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠past didn't matter to them at all.

"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun... Ahem. How did you come up with the idea of utilizing siege weapons in the dungeon tournament?"

"You used a Merchant-class player back then. Will you be doing the same for the Arena League...?"

"The siege weapons were just to make the most of our class specialties. And yeah, we'll probably stick to the same roster for the Arena League. We don't have any substitutes to begin with."

"!"

When Tae-hyun answered far more graciously than expected, the players' eyes sparkled.

"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun!"

"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun!!!"

The players began firing off questions in excitement.

"..."

Do Dong-su, the party leader, walked ahead with a sullen expression. He had been completely sidelined.

These bastards... What happened to the camaraderie we swore before we came here?!

Dong-su was getting a bitter taste of the cold, ruthless world of professional gaming. Is this what it means to be a pro?!

Click.

"Huh?!"

Dong-su panicked. As a Thief-class player, his passive skills usually screamed 'Trap ahead!' whenever one was nearby. To think he had triggered one without even noticing!

While the trap itself was high-level, his distracted state of mind had also played a major part. In a newly discovered dungeon, he should have been meticulously scanning the floors, walls, and ceilings with every step!

I need to use a skill to jump out...

The floor split wide open, revealing a yawning pit below. It was a classic pitfall trap that novices frequently fell into, but any expert player could easily escape it. Let alone someone of Do Dong-su's caliber!

—Shadow Arm!

A skill that manifested a hand made of shadows, allowing for additional attacks or a sudden leap! It was a highly versatile skill perfectly suited for a Thief like Dong-su.

"!?!"

He had never imagined such a basic skill would fail. Dong-su was horrified.

No!

If he had known this would happen, he would have just used a grappling hook item! He had underestimated the trap and paid the price for relying too heavily on his skills.

"Aaaaaah!"

Swoosh—

Dong-su plummeted straight down into the abyss.

"?"

"???"

The party, who had been chatting amiably behind him, came to a sudden halt.

"What was that just now?"

"It sounded like Do Dong-su screaming."

"Isn't that a trap? Looks like a triggered trap."

"Surely Dong-su didn't fall in there and scream like that, right?"

"Come on, you've got to be joking. His class is literally a Thief... Hey, Dong-su! Stop messing around and come back up!" one of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Beijing Fighters players called out with a chuckle.

But no answer came.

"???"

"Dong-su, we really don't have time for jokes right now."

"Huh?!"

"What's wrong?"

"It says he can't receive whispers... I think he really fell in there..."

At the player's words, the others began whispering in shock.

"Wait, wasn't Do Dong-su supposed to be a top-tier Thief ranker? How did he fall into a simple pitfall trap?"

It wasn't even some complex, high-difficulty trap. It was literally just a pressure-plate pitfall! To fall into something like that... and he calls himself a ranker?

"Is that guy really a ranker?"

"Senior, I don't think that guy is going to be of any use to us. We should probably just abandon him."

The harsh criticism poured in. If Dong-su had been there to hear it, he would have burst into tears.

"Hmm. Something is definitely strange here."

"What? Why?"

"No matter how stupid and foolish Dong-su is, he has skills at his disposal. For him to get caught in a trap like this must mean..."

"Ah!" Cain gasped as if struck by a sudden realization.

Tae-hyun smiled warmly at him.

"Exactly, Cain. You noticed it too, didn't you? This trap has a rather peculiar—"

"Yes! The bastard... committed suicide!"

"..."