Chaos in the Three Skulls' Mine

Having reached that conclusion, Kim Hyeon-ah moved quickly. Meanwhile, not too far away, Smith was nodding his head.

"The Three Skulls' Mine, is it? I recall Lee Se-yeon mentioning that the difficulty level here is extremely high. So that's where Kim Tae-hyun went."

"Yes, sir."

"I see. This must be a message from Kim Tae-hyun."

"..."

"'You should understand even if I don't spell it out. Follow me closely.' That's what he's saying."

"Oh..."

"I see..."

Unfortunately, everyone present here was an NPC. Had they been players, someone would have surely said, Isn't that a bit of a stretch? But there was no one here to correct Smith's delusion.

"How typical of Kim Tae-hyun. We must head there immediately."

"The Three Skulls' Mine is dangerous, adventurer! We shall accompany you."

Smith had no reason to refuse. After all, he needed to build rapport with the local tribes for his quest anyway!

"Excellent. Let us go together!"

They're on a completely different level!

Arriving at the entrance, Tae-hyun immediately grasped the difficulty of this dungeon. Every single tribal warrior was practically a sub-boss!

"Graaaah! Intruders! I'll kill you all!"

"Skeletons, front! Buy us some time so they can't get close. Fire the cannons!"

"..."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fortunately, except for one or two, they all succeeded in firing. It was just their accuracy that was utterly abysmal.

Crash! Crunch!

The stray shells were even blasting his own Dragon Tooth Skeletons!

If not for Tae-hyun's Tactics skill, the undead would have routed or been obliterated long ago.

"Urgh! Argh!"

If you fire enough shots, a few are bound to hit. An elite warrior of the Ring Tribe took a direct hit from a cannonball and staggered.

"Death Knights, advance!"

The elite undead, whom he had kept back to avoid casualties, now stepped forward. Brandishing blazing swords, the Death Knights lunged at the elite warrior. Thwack!

Simultaneously, the Skeleton Mages and archers unleashed a barrage of attacks. Tae-hyun didn't just stand by either; he cast a flurry of curses.

The reason he was conserving his other spells and relying solely on curses was to intentionally level up his Word of Power and curse-related skills.

Once my curse skills level up, my natural resistance to other curses ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠will increase as well. I might as well grind them now.

"Aaargh..."

Battered by the well-coordinated, concentrated onslaught, the elite warrior finally collapsed to his knees.

Tae-hyun clicked his tongue. The difficulty was higher than he had anticipated. Forcing their way through would undoubtedly end ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in a bloodbath.

"Dismiss Undead! Dismiss Undead!"

Tae-hyun began by unsummoning his Skeleton Warriors. From what he had just seen, they could barely hold their ground against the elite tribal warriors.

Undead Promotion, Undead Reinforcement, Death Knight's Aura, Death Knight's Crown...

The map here is incredibly narrow and complex. When facing enemies like this, the Dragon Tooth Skeleton Warriors, whose main advantage is their numbers, are at a disadvantage. It's better to drastically reduce our numbers and upgrade them to Death Knights.

Tae-hyun swiftly adjusted his strategy.

The massive horde that had packed the area in front of the mine shrank instantly. Now, only enough skeletons remained to pilot the red scorpions!

"I think you guys will have to fight on the front lines now."

"Yes, sir!" the Beijing Fighters players answered vigorously. Cain, however, was a different story.

"...Didn't you guys just fire cannons at your own allies?"

"Haha. Cain, those were just undead. Surely we wouldn't do that with you standing there, right?"

"No, it's because you guys haven't played with them before..."

Cain cursed his class. Why did he have to be a tank? Every time something like this happened, he was always the one forced to stand in the very front!

While the front line—composed of Cain, the Beijing Fighters players, and the Death Knights—engaged the warriors, Yu Ji-soo, Jeong Su-hyeok, and Lee Da-bi would deal damage from behind, supported by the dwarves and skeletons mounted on the scorpions! It was a simple yet highly effective formation.

Tae-hyun's rapid tactical adjustment worked perfectly. Of course, the ones suffering the most were those holding the front line.

"Ugh! Argh!"

Cain shrieked in terror as a massive club swung past his face. Even as a tank who could shrug off most attacks, the warriors here were different. If he took a bad hit, a message would pop up warning him of a stun. He had to block or parry them at all costs.

"I see! So this is the training regimen of player Kim Tae-hyun!"

"You crazy bastards, is this really the time to be admiring him?!"

Cain was utterly flabbergasted as the Beijing Fighters players shed healthy sweat, looking deeply proud of themselves. What on earth are these lunatics so proud of?!

"But Cain! Look at this. Clearing a dungeon like this is far more beneficial than running some safe, well-known dungeon! Isn't this exactly what Kim Tae-hyun is trying to teach us?!"

"Aaaah! Front! Look ahead! That guy's in a berserk state! He's going wild!"

"I think I finally understand the secret behind his incredible performance in the dungeon tournament!"

"I get it, so just look ahead, will you?!"

From the rear, Tae-hyun nodded in satisfaction.

"They're blocking well. It seems Cain has great chemistry with them."

"They look really close," Lee Da-bi remarked.

The party members warmly rubbed their noses in agreement. It might have looked like Tae-hyun was merely barking orders from the back, but in reality, his mind was working faster than anyone else's. The burden of leadership!

He was calculating MP consumption, tracking skill cooldowns, monitoring the number of active undead, summoning replacements as they fell, re-summoning the riders on the scorpions if they slipped up, rushing to repair any damaged cannons or pilot armor, all while grinding his curse skills and planning their route through the rest of the dungeon. It was multitasking of insane difficulty!

They said the Adamantium is deep underground, right? This path is filthy narrow and complicated.

The passages inside the mine were narrow and winding, practically a labyrinth. With every encounter, Tae-hyun had to lure the enemies into the occasional open clearings they stumbled upon. It was the only way to defeat them easily. The deeper they went, the harder it would get.

"What kind of audacity possessed you guys to suggest attacking this place?" Tae-hyun asked, staring at the dwarves of the Red Scorpion Tribe in disbelief.

Now that he thought about it, it was utterly ridiculous. The dwarves were powerful, but only when fighting in wide-open spaces. In a cramped place like this, they didn't stand a ghost of a chance! In passages where even a single scorpion could barely squeeze through, they wouldn't be able to fire their cannons properly and would have been utterly decimated by the warriors.

One of the dwarves replied with an embarrassed look, "Since the Emperor sent someone new, we thought things would go smoothly..."

"...Don't tell me you planned to use us as meat shields."

"..."

I knew it. These bastards.

Since they had to fire their cannons from the rear, they had intended to force Tae-hyun's party to play the role of tanks! Then again, Tae-hyun had also seized the first opportunity to subjugate and exploit them, so he wasn't exactly in a position to judge.

Would it have been better if I weren't in my Lich form for a dungeon like this?

Tae-hyun's original playstyle might actually have been more effective in these narrow corridors.

No. If I had done that, several of my party members would have logged out by now.

It was only thanks to the elite undead Tae-hyun commanded and the cannon-bearing scorpions in the rear that they were avoiding casualties. Otherwise, everyone except Tae-hyun would have already been forced to log out. That was how powerful the enemy warriors were.

If we go any deeper, I'll have to abandon the curse spells and switch to offensive magic.

Tae-hyun smacked his lips. Though he had always managed to find a secret trick to overcome any obstacle, no such shortcut presented itself in this dungeon. They simply had to push forward honestly, step by step! Yet, Tae-hyun did not grow anxious.

Honestly, expecting to breeze through every single dungeon without effort was shameless. It was just that Tae-hyun had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been abnormally lucky; a standard, textbook clear like this was how things were supposed to be! Besides, while others had to empty their pockets to hire mercenaries for this kind of NPC assistance, Tae-hyun had secured it through mere conversation. He had no reason to rush. He would slowly make his way in, leveling up his skills and gathering experience...

Rumble!

"...?" Tae-hyun and his party turned their heads. What was that sound?

"Let us retreat for a moment!"

Smith's group was moving far slower than Tae-hyun's.

Although Smith was one of the top Paladin rankers in the game, his other abilities couldn't hold a candle to Tae-hyun's. The ability to assess a situation and devise a strategy accordingly, and the knack for utilizing his available cards in the right place at the right time—he lacked them all.

Furthermore, the warriors Smith had brought along were of a lower caliber than the elite undead under Tae-hyun's command. Consequently, Smith had to forge a path forward alone, moving at a fraction of Tae-hyun's speed.

"Ah!"

"?"

Just then, Kim Hyeon-ah, who had arrived late, spotted Smith.

The Red Scorpion Tribe had definitely come this way, yet there was no sign of them—only Smith. Could it be...

Has he already defeated them?!

Kim Hyeon-ah was furious. How dare he ruin Lee Se-yeon's plans? She would never forgive him!

"Smith!"

"?!"

"Die!"

Lee Se-yeon had taught Kim Hyeon-ah well: in any fight, striking first is always best! And if your level is lower than your opponent's, striking first is absolutely paramount. True to that teaching, Kim Hyeon-ah unleashed an immediate assault.

"Tsk!"

An unexpected attack from behind. Smith quickly raised his guard and braced himself.

"Piercing Ice Storm!"

Kim Hyeon-ah's class was Magic Swordsman! She spared no effort, unleashing her most powerful magic skills. There was no reason to hold back against someone like Smith.

I can't engage in close combat against Smith!

Smith was practically a walking fortress. Trying to fight him hand-to-hand with half-baked skills would only result in her being utterly crushed.

Thud, thud.

Even as he was battered by her magic, Smith began to slowly advance.

"Miss Kim Hyeon-ah. Do you truly believe you can defeat me?"

"Hmph. Don't get cocky with me!" Kim Hyeon-ah immediately initiated her next move.

"Summon Asbian Magic Golem!"

The golems gifted to her by Lee Se-yeon!

The Asbian Magic Golem was an incredibly rare and expensive summon that rapidly restored MP while simultaneously dealing damage. This gesture alone demonstrated the sheer wealth and power of Lee Se-yeon, who could afford to hand out such high-tier items to her guild members.

"!"

"!!!"

Both Smith and Kim Hyeon-ah stared at their message windows in shock. They had only just started fighting near the entrance, yet such a warning had popped up already!

"Wait, have these guys suddenly lost their minds?"

Tae-hyun was dumbfounded. The barbarian warriors, who had been trickling out one or two at a time, were now swarming out in massive hordes as if they had all lost their senses.

"Kim Tae-hyun! What do we do?! Should we run?!"

"No. It hasn't gotten that bad yet."

This was no longer a situation where he could leisurely grind his curse skills. Tae-hyun mobilized every single spell at his disposal.

"Dense Barrier of Darkness, Curse of Chaos, Death Essence Absorption..."

Boom!

The rushing warriors were battered by Tae-hyun's magic, completely losing their bearings.

Once the enemies' feet were bound, the offensive power of Tae-hyun's party was nothing short of terrifying.

"We broke through! Keep moving forward!"

They couldn't afford to linger in one spot. For some bizarre reason, an abnormal number of warriors was pouring out.

"Stop right there!"

"Do you honestly think we'd stop just because you told us to?!"

"...?"