The White Knight's Gambit

"Are you out of your mind?" Cain was utterly dumbfounded.

Just don't get caught? Right now, Tae-hyun was in his Dragon Lich form, and countless Dragon Tooth Soldier undead were buried near these ruins, holding their breath. If the dwarfs so much as dug a shallow hole, they would be exposed instantly!

But then again, knowing that bastard Kim Tae-hyun, he'd probably find a way to talk his way out of it even then... Cain suddenly caught himself wavering at Tae-hyun's words. It was terrifying how plausible it sounded if they actually managed not to get caught!

The Authority of Archisus isn't going anywhere anyway! Who on earth would even want to steal a garbage power like that!

Securing the highly coveted and universally beloved Adamantium took priority over the Authority of Archisus, which was only useful to Tae-hyun! Thus, a bizarre alliance was forged. A coalition consisting of the Draken Secret Society, Tae-hyun's party—complete with an army of undead Dragon Tooth Soldiers (and Tae-hyun himself in his Dragon Lich form!)—and the Red Scorpion Tribe! Looking back, it was an incredibly precarious lineup.

Hmm...

Yeah. If we get caught, we'll just slaughter them all. After all, there wasn't just one way to get Adamantium!

"Emperor Uipoatl was a tyrant. His arrogance even incurred the wrath of the dragons."

"To think such a thing...!"

Traveling among the tribes near the Asbian Empire, Smith had uncovered the truth and initiated his class quest: thwarting Uipoatl's evil designs!

This means I'll be clashing with Lee Se-yeon. Se-yeon's goal was to ally with Uipoatl, borrowing his power to continuously level up as a Necromancer. In contrast, Smith's objective was to stop Uipoatl and protect the people! Without hesitation, Smith declared war on Se-yeon. Se-yeon accepted the declaration without a hint of panic.

Se-yeon was brimming with confidence. Although both were top-tier rankers, Se-yeon held a massive advantage within the Asbian Empire. The hand she held was on an entirely different level! While Smith had to start from scratch, visiting various tribes to persuade them and complete quests, Se-yeon could mobilize NPCs at a moment's notice. Furthermore, in a direct clash, the matchup naturally favored Se-yeon's class compatibility.

Se-yeon was not one for empty boasts. She immediately issued orders to her guild members.

Se-yeon's guild members sprang into action! One of them headed straight toward the Red Scorpion Tribe.

Tell the Red Scorpion Tribe Smith's name and order them to attack him. They will obey if it's the Emperor's command.

Rumble—

"Why don't you ride with us?"

"I prefer walking."

"I truly don't understand you!"

The dwarfs shouted down from atop their giant scorpions. They couldn't comprehend why Tae-hyun's group insisted on traveling on foot.

The members of the Draken Secret Society whispered urgently.

"Lord Kim Tae-hyun. Those dwarfs are wicked creatures loyal to the Emperor. We must kill them!"

"Look, I want to do that too, but we need the right opportunity."

"Can't we just strike ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them down right now?"

"They might look easy, but I saw what they could do earlier, and they're no joke. We need to deceive them as much as possible to make them lower their guard."

"......"

He was determined to find the location of the Adamantium mine before killing them! At Tae-hyun's words, the Draken Secret Society members nodded with dissatisfied expressions.

Ah, these guys aren't really helpful. Should I just ditch them? Tae-hyun pondered. The Red Scorpion Tribe was useful, but the Draken Secret Society was practically dead weight now. Sure, they had provided valuable high-tier information when he first arrived, helping him map out the area, but he had already squeezed them dry. Honestly, they were just a nuisance now.

I already have my hands full dealing with these Red Scorpion dwarfs... Maybe I should just tell them to go home.

"King Kim Tae-hyun! The place we are heading to now is the territory of the Green Dragon Tribe! Did you know that?"

"The Green Dragon Tribe?"

"A highly arrogant and wicked bunch, starting right from their name. How dare they put 'Dragon' in their title?"

"There isn't an actual dragon there, is there?"

"Bwahaha! What a great joke. It's just a name!"

Tae-hyun breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with fighting a dragon.

"Lord Kim Tae-hyun. Lord Kim Tae-hyun."

"Ah, what is it now?"

"The Green Dragon Tribe is a faction that supports our Draken Secret Society."

"Oh. So your Adamantium came from them?"

"Pardon? What Adamantium are you talking about?"

It didn't? Tae-hyun had assumed they got it from them, considering the Draken Secret Society had been crafting statues out of Adamantium.

"The Green Dragon Tribe does not possess such a thing."

"Then what do they have?"

"...They are simply a tribe that worships the great dragons."

In other words, they were just a human tribe composed of mediocre warriors! Compared to the Red Scorpion Tribe, they were severely lacking. As Tae-hyun listened, he realized something was off.

"Wait, dwarfs. Didn't you say earlier that we were going to raid the mine where the Adamantium is produced? Does the Green Dragon Tribe own that mine?"

"No. They are just a tribe along the way."

"......"

Tae-hyun's expression turned cold.

"Can't we just leave them alone?"

"Nonsense! We cannot leave rebels be."

"It's a waste of energy."

"What if they launch a surprise attack from behind?!"

"How could they possibly ambush a force of this size from behind? Besides, if we just pass by, they won't even notice us."

Tae-hyun tried to dissuade them from fighting if possible. His goal was to locate the Adamantium mine as quickly as possible, grab the ore, and leave. Whether the Red Scorpion Tribe fought other tribes was none of his business! However, the dwarfs were stubborn.

"Hmph! King Kim Tae-hyun, if you do not wish to fight, then don't. We are more than enough on our own."

What a pain in the ass... Tae-hyun swallowed his annoyance. They were troublesome, but reminding himself that they were his ticket to the Adamantium mine helped restore his patience. Just a little longer!

Once we secure the Adamantium mine, should I fight them and take it by force... or just part ways?

He doubted they would hand over the mine peacefully. The real issue was how much loss Tae-hyun would incur in the process! If his undead army suffered heavy casualties, he would have to think twice about fighting the Red Scorpion Tribe.

Honestly, I don't think we can take it without using the Dragon Tooth Soldiers. I'll need to figure out a way to block the dwarfs' vision beforehand.

"Charge!"

While Tae-hyun was plotting his sinister schemes, the Red Scorpion Chief, completely oblivious, barked orders to his dwarfs. The scorpion-riding dwarfs let out war cries and began to charge forward.

"Lord Kim Tae-hyun! Please send us in!"

"Huh? You want to go fight with them?"

"Yes! We must help!"

"Why would you help those guys?"

"...? What are you talking about? We mean the Green Dragon Tribe."

"Ah..."

Only then did Tae-hyun realize what they meant.

If they go, they're probably going to die...

No matter how he looked at it, the Green Dragon Tribe didn't seem stronger than the Red Scorpion Tribe. One side rode giant monster beasts and brandished weapons powered by advanced Engineering skills, while the other was just a mediocre tribe!

"If you go, you might die."

"What is there to fear in death!"

"We must at least help them evacuate."

"Fine, do whatever you want. Here, cover up your outfits... Oh, by the way, do you want to leave your valuables behind? I can keep them safe for you."

"......"

"......"

Tae-hyun was already treating the Draken Secret Society members as if they were dead!

"Warriors of the Green Dragon Tribe! We have arrived!"

"Oh! It's the people of the Draken Secret Society!"

"You must all evacuate! The Red Scorpion Tribe is coming!"

"There is no need to worry."

"?"

The Draken Secret Society members were bewildered by the Green Dragon Tribe's absolute confidence. What was going on?

"An adventurer has come to aid us. He is surely an emissary sent by the dragon!"

Standing among the tribesmen was a player clad in armor that radiated a brilliant light. It was Smith, who had come to complete his quest.

Smith spoke resolutely.

"Everyone, hide behind the rocks. I will take the lead."

In a one-versus-many battle, the first strike was everything! He had to take down the enemy leader in the opening clash. Smith prepared to mobilize all of his skills to strike the leader of the approaching enemies.

Rumble—

"Charge! Charge!"

"Scorpions, pick up the pace!"

"Death to the rebels who worship the dragon!"

Boom! Crash! Bang!

Cannons fired from atop the scorpions, sending magic rune-engraved shells flying ruthlessly through the air.

"Aaargh!"

"Urgh!"

Even though they were hiding behind the rocks, some warriors were blown to pieces. Seeing no one emerge even as the village was being demolished, the Red Scorpion Tribe grew even more excited.

"Push forward! Crush those cowards—"

Dash! At that moment, Smith leaped forward.

A buff enveloped Smith, and he began to run at an insane speed.

Griping his spear, Smith glared at the Red Scorpion Tribe. Who was the leader here?

That dwarf!

Smith spotted Eirik.

Seeing Smith charge out, the dwarfs focused their fire on him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Smith gritted his teeth. The enemy's bombardment was far more devastating than he had anticipated. It was a barrage that almost reminded him of Kim Tae-hyun! But he couldn't back down now. He had to take down the leader here to shatter their morale!

It was a ridiculously overpowered skill that reduced all incoming damage to a mere 1% for a set duration! If Tae-hyun saw this, he would have cursed, "Ugh, dirty Paladin bastards!" Activating various area-of-effect skills and powerful buffs, Smith plowed through the enemy lines.

"Shoot him down!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Heavy bullets discharged from the dwarfs' muskets. Smith tanked them with his body. Tenacious vitality and defense were the pride of a Paladin!

"Haaah!"

"Aaargh!"

Reaching Eirik, Smith unleashed every skill at his disposal. While his class didn't specialize in burst damage like Tae-hyun's, Smith still had a few hidden tricks up his sleeve. When fully mobilized, he could output a respectable amount of burst damage!

"Let go of our Chief, you rebel bastard!"

"Kill that human!"

The dwarfs attacked in a frenzy, but Smith held his ground, enduring the onslaught. He was going to finish this!

I did it!

"N-No!"

"Chief!"