A Father's Secret Card
Upon hearing the news, Tae-hyun and his companions huddled together to browse the community boards. Skirmishes had already broken out in several locations. While no large-scale battles had occurred yet, players were actively attacking members of the Guild Alliance and the dungeons they controlled.
"Huh? Aren't those players different from your father's guild members?" Cain tilted his head, studying the players in the video. They weren't Orcs, and they wore entirely different guild emblems. Why were these guys fighting?
"When a war like this breaks out, third parties always jump in. They see it as an opportunity." These were players who had coveted the dungeons all along but had stayed quiet out of fear of the Guild Alliance. Now, thinking, They're too distracted by the others to retaliate if we skim a little off the top, they were eagerly pouncing. There were quite a few of them.
On top of that, the Auston Kingdom was still crawling with bandit players, a lingering trend sparked by Tae-hyun himself. For them, this war was the ultimate golden ticket.
"Wow. The Guild Alliance is going to have a rough time." Thanks to the spies he had planted, Tae-hyun was well aware of the Guild Alliance's precarious situation. They were walking on a razor's edge.
Swallowing the Auston Kingdom and gaining a massive territory was fine and dandy, but they lacked the power to maintain it. The kingdom had been ravaged by a long civil war, leaving many areas in ruins and some completely transformed into plague lands. Naturally, tax revenues were abysmal. To make up for the deficit, they had to raise taxes, which in turn ruined public security... A never-ending vicious cycle!
Because the Guild Alliance had waged war for so long, they couldn't afford not to collect taxes. There was a limit to how much they could subsidize out of their own pockets. To make matters worse, Tae-hyun had blown up the Auston Kingdom's treasury and harassed them with constant banditry and looting, pushing them to their absolute limits.
There was a reason the Guild Alliance kept their prized armies and guild members stationed near the capital. Lacking the strength to manage the entire kingdom, they planned to stabilize the capital region first and establish a steady source of income. It was a decent strategy that would take time, but since they had technically unified the kingdom, they could always deal with the bandits in the outlying regions later.
But Kim Tae-san had struck right through that gap. Whether he did it intentionally or stumbled into it blindly was anyone's guess, but he had undeniably hit them at their most vulnerable and frustrating moment. Had they been left alone, the Guild Alliance would have eventually stabilized the situation and solidified their grip on the Auston Kingdom.
Wait... is this actually a good thing? Tae-hyun suddenly grew worried. He wasn't worried about Kim Tae-san. If his father won and the Guild Alliance collapsed, that would be great. But what if the Guild Alliance managed to overcome this?
"Even if they win, they'll take massive damage. What's there to worry about?" Cain asked.
"No. If they survive this, they'll be pushed to the brink with no options left. When people get desperate, they resort to extreme measures."
If the fragile bowl they were trying to glue back together was shattered completely, they would have only one recourse left.
"They'll try to recoup their losses by invading somewhere else..." It was the time-honored tradition of guilds on the verge of bankruptcy: a new war! "I just need to win the next one to pay it all back!"
The Auston Kingdom and the Guild Alliance possessed terrifying military might. Having survived a brutal civil war and countless skirmishes, their NPC legions were formidable. Even though the maintenance costs were astronomical, the Guild Alliance stubbornly paid them. That was how obsessed they were with raw combat power.
I don't know why they're so obsessed with combat power, though... Tae-hyun's own antics were largely responsible for their paranoia, but he remained blissfully ignorant of that fact. Regardless, there was only one thing the Guild Alliance could do with that military might: invade a neighboring country to plunder its gold and treasures. And the most enticing target for them would be...
Damn it. It's going to be the Atali Kingdom. To the east lay Uruk, which was crawling with Orcs and offered nothing worth stealing. To the west, the Salz Kingdom and the Erangs Kingdom were too formidable to provoke. In contrast, the Atali Kingdom to the south was an easy target, ruled by someone they despised, and absolutely loaded with riches!
Previously, they had bickered out of fear of Tae-hyun, saying, "Are you crazy? Kim Tae-hyun is there! We have plenty of other options! We can crush him later when we're stronger!" But once they were backed into a corner with no other way out, they would reach a unanimous consensus: "It's do or die. We must invade and conquer the Atali Kingdom at all costs!"
Hmm. Terrifying. The mere thought of that massive horde marching in made him dizzy. Besides, even if he successfully defended against them, it would be a net loss for him.
And right now, more than half of the noble NPCs don't even listen to me... Aside from the Capital and the Valley, he hadn't fully secured the rest of his territory. He worried whether the other fiefdoms could hold off the Guild Alliance. Even if he offered to help, the land was filled with stubborn fools who would ignore his warnings!
My father really needs to deal some serious damage to them... Kim Tae-san must have had his own calculations when starting this war, but no matter how Tae-hyun looked at it, the enemy's military strength was overwhelming. The sheer disparity in the number of rankers they possessed was staggering. All his father could rely on were his Orc hordes and the other players in the kingdom.
"Are you sure you don't need to help him?" Cain asked.
"Yeah. We can go help..." another teammate agreed.
"No. I have my own things to do." Tae-hyun was cold and clinical about these matters. Kim Tae-san was Kim Tae-san, and he was himself! If he went to help without being asked, his father would probably get angry instead. Besides, Tae-hyun had plenty of his own quests to complete first.
"But I should at least offer what help I can."
Summon Slime Clone
"I should lend him this."
"Father."
"What?"
Tae-hyun met up with Kim Tae-san for the first time in a while to grab a meal together. The menu? Sundae soup!
"Oh! Aren't you Mr. Kim Tae-san?"
"Yes. Who might you be?"
When a young man approached and spoke to him, Kim Tae-san looked puzzled. He remembered all of his building's tenants, but this was a face he had never seen before.
"You really are Kim Tae-san! I'm a huge fan!"
Pfft!
Cough!
Tae-hyun and Kim Tae-san choked on their food at the same time. Tae-hyun coughed violently, staring ahead, and his father did the exact same.
"A... a fan?"
"Yes! Your bold and boisterous playstyle is so cool! Can I get an autograph?"
Dazed, Kim Tae-san quickly scribbled his signature.
"I don't even stream or go on broadcasts..."
"We live in an era where you don't need to be on broadcasts to become famous," Tae-hyun said with a shrug. As Pan-On gained global popularity, even players who didn't stream became household names. And someone like Kim Tae-san was definitely a celebrity in Pan-On. Besides, his character was so unique that it was easy for him to attract fans. Even now, if one looked at the community boards, people were actively debating whether the Ultimate Supreme Matchless Guild had chosen their name because they genuinely thought it sounded cool. It was a rare, one-of-a-kind guild that was hard to find anywhere else in Pan-On!
Kim Tae-san sat in wonder for a moment before letting out a broad grin. "Heh. Come to think of it, he completely ignored you and asked me for an autograph instead, didn't he?"
"Huh? Ah, yes."
"As an active pro player, shouldn't you be embarrassed? You need to work harder!"
"Uh... Father." Tae-hyun wondered how he should clear up his father's misunderstanding.
"Oh my god, it's Kim Tae-hyun!"
"Wait, is that really Kim Tae-hyun?!"
"Kyaaaah! Tae-hyun! I'm such a big fan!"
"You look way more evil... I mean, fierce... I mean, sharp in person than on screen!"
The moment Tae-hyun's name was uttered, people gasped, "Wait, really?" and swarmed their table.
"..."
Kim Tae-san's face fell. It was popularity on an entirely different dimension.
"Come on, don't look so disappointed. You're not a pro player and you don't even stream. It would make no sense if you were more famous than me."
"Well, that's true."
"And that guy from earlier? He already got my autograph before. That's why he didn't ask me."
"...Did you really have to point that out?" Kim Tae-san was speechless. This brat was teasing him under the guise of comforting him!
"Whew. Right, your next match is tomorrow. Do well. I'll be hoping for a dramatic comeback victory."
"...Our team is overwhelmingly favored to win, so wishing for a 'dramatic comeback' is a bit..."
"Hey, you're already doing plenty well. Give the other team a chance. Do you know how hard things are for young folks these days?"
"...Well, I prepared something to help with your war, but I guess I'll save it for next time."
"Wait, what is it?"
Tae-hyun brought up the slime clone. Hearing this, Kim Tae-san's expression turned skeptical.
"Isn't that... kind of weak?"
"I'm not giving it to you to fight. I'm giving it to you to deceive them."
"Ah!" Kim Tae-san realized the implications immediately. If the Guild Alliance saw Tae-hyun wandering around among his father's forces, they would immediately panic and mobilize all their rankers to deal with him. "That's a brilliant idea! But are you sure they won't see through it?"
Standard mage illusion or clone skills were easily detected by high-level players.
"It's an Authority skill, so it's practically foolproof."
At that, Kim Tae-san let out a wicked grin.
"By the way, Father, you started this war because you calculated everything and are confident you'll win, right?"
"Huh? No, I just started it because I had to clear a quest."
"..."
"Just kidding. Of course I calculated everything before starting it."
"...Right."
"I'm serious! No matter how those Guild Alliance bastards come at me, I'm confident. I have a hidden card up my sleeve." Kim Tae-san laughed confidently. Seeing his father's smug expression, Tae-hyun realized he really did have a secret weapon. Oho. What did he hide?
"It's all thanks to you, actually."
"?"
"Don't you remember? Chese-do."
"Chese-do... Who was that again? Ah. The Lich?"
Chese-do was the Lich who had occupied the Auston Kingdom's fortress alongside Tae-hyun! Once a promising dark mage of the Erangs Kingdom Magic Tower, he had fallen and transformed into a Lich. Of course, Chese-do himself was thrilled, believing he had transcended into a far grander existence. Although Tae-hyun had eventually left the Auston Kingdom, Chese-do had held out for a while. Ultimately, unable to withstand the Guild Alliance's relentless onslaught, he had abandoned his fortress and migrated.
"Is he still alive?"
"Do you know where he fled to? Uruk! He came straight to Uruk!"
"!"
The Uruk region was the perfect sanctuary for refugees fleeing the Auston Kingdom. Just like Kim Tae-san's guild, Chese-do had migrated to Uruk. And recently, Kim Tae-san had crossed paths with him.
"A Lich appeared over there?"
"Yes, sir!"
"We need to prepare thoroughly. Everyone, splash your holy water. Did we borrow some priests? No, not Archisus priests... Those guys are a bit... Don't we have any other priests? Ugh, why did the Archisus Church have to spread so much... Archisus priests make me nervous. Well, nothing we can do about it."
Kim Tae-san stood at the front, weapon in hand. A dark fortress had suddenly materialized halfway up the mountain! A thick, black aura billowed from it, making it look exactly like the lair of a powerful undead Lich.
"Come out, you coward! Face your judgment! The blood of this Orc tribe demands justice!"
"Uh... none of our Orcs have actually died, sir."
"Really? Then the blood of my guild members..."
"None of our guild members have died either..."
"Then why did we get a quest to hunt him?!" Kim Tae-san grumbled in frustration.
"That spot is a rich iron mine. He probably triggered a quest because he built a fortress right on top of it."
"...Wait, doesn't that make us the bad guys?" Attacking a Lich who had arrived first and done absolutely no harm felt slightly unsettling.
Neighhh!
A Death Knight burst through the gates riding a phantom steed. Looking down at them, the Death Knight spoke.
"Has the master of these mountains come to visit?"
"Uh, well..."
"We owe nothing to the Orcs. But if we must fight, so be it."
"Actually..."
"We may face defeat. Ah! How tragic! To fall before we could appease our grudges..."
"Ahem! We didn't come to attack you. We came to talk!"
"Oh. Really?"