A Man of Leisure, Even in Lava

But Kim Tae-hyun was always a man of leisure. He was the kind of person who could prepare a plan for his next enemy while fighting a boss monster, all while finding the time to torment those who annoyed him!

"Haaah!" Smith let out a battle cry and lunged forward.

Clang! A flash of sword light erupted, and something broke off from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Adamantium Golem's body.

I have to pick that up!

-Master!!! Aaaaargh!

Thanks to that, Golgol-i, who was riding on top of him, screamed. What kind of mount completely ignored its rider's commands and just flew around wherever it pleased?! Meanwhile, Tae-hyun snatched up the fallen Adamantium fragment with astonishing reaction speed.

Rumble! "Mr. Kim Tae-hyun! Did you come back to help me?!" Smith's face lit up with joy as Tae-hyun suddenly flew back toward him. Of course, Tae-hyun immediately grabbed the loot and flew away again, leaving him behind.

-Master. Please bring me closer to the beast.

-No matter how I look at it, I feel like I'm the one who's going to get hit more than you... Tae-hyun replied, sounding reluctant. Given the sheer difference in their sizes, it was obvious that Tae-hyun would bear the brunt of the attacks. Still, he charged toward the golem anyway. He couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip by.

Boom! Naturally, he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠couldn't dodge everything. Tae-hyun took a few hits on purpose to close the distance.

-Hyaaaah! Golgol-i roared, swinging his sword. The purple flames enveloping his blade began to melt and burn the Adamantium Golem's body.

"Hey! Why are you melting it?!"

-Ma... Master. I cannot defeat it otherwise! This was currently the skill with the highest attack power that Golgol-i could use. Without it, he wouldn't be able to deal any damage to this incredibly sturdy golem.

"If you're going to kill it, do it cleanly! Why are you burning and melting it? What, are you Sadiq?"

-...

-...

Flying nearby and pouring down attacks, Heuk-heuk flinched. Wait, I was just pouring down Sadiq's Flame... Was I not supposed to do that?

-Sis. Smith is here.

-Really? Be careful, and let me know if there's any trouble. I'll come help you.

-Okay! Lee Se-yeon wasn't particularly worried. Kim Hyeon-ah was more than capable of taking care of herself. Even if Smith was strong, Hyeon-ah would know how to handle him appropriately. If she put ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her mind to it, there was no way she would die to someone like Smith!

-Sis. You said this place was the Three Skulls' Mine, right?

-Yeah. You said Smith was there. Do you want me to come help?

-No. Kim Tae-hyun is here too.

-...I'm coming to help! Wait right there! Lee Se-yeon replied instantly. A sudden wave of intense anxiety washed over her!

-I'm fine, though.

-No, you're not! I'm coming! And whatever you do, do not believe a single word that comes out of Kim Tae-hyun's mouth! No matter how plausible it sounds, do not trust him! Lee Se-yeon's desperate warning left Kim Hyeon-ah utterly dumbfounded. Seriously, whenever Kim Tae-hyun is involved, Sis just loses it...!

-Don't worry. I thought Kim Tae-hyun had teamed up with Smith, but it doesn't look like it.

-Kim Tae-hyun is far more terrifying as an ally than as an enemy!

-?!

The battle inside the mine raged on. It was a grueling, slow-paced struggle, but Tae-hyun's party steadily chipped away at the Adamantium Golem's HP. Every time the Adamantium Golem shrieked and shed fragments from its body, Tae-hyun's heart shrieked right along with it.

Damn it...! If I had just gathered all the pieces that fell so far, I could have crafted a whole set of armor! Having spent so much time as a blacksmith in Pan-On 1, seeing such precious materials go to waste was physically painful. It was a classic case of occupational hazard! Still, there was nothing he could do. To be honest, they didn't have the luxury of holding back while fighting the Adamantium Golem. Tae-hyun and his summons were fighting with everything they had.

My remaining HP is around 50% now. Still manageable. It had been a very long time since he had experienced this! Back in Pan-On 1, trading blows and fighting on a razor's edge like this had been his daily routine, but since starting Pan-On 2, he had somehow forgotten what that felt like.

With his evasion rate lowered and his massive size, there was a limit to what Tae-hyun could achieve, no matter how godlike his control was. He couldn't parry with swordsmanship anymore; the best he could do was block as much as possible with magic! Even so, it was only because it was Tae-hyun that they were holding out; anyone else would have been blasted straight into the lava below by now. The only reason no one in Tae-hyun's party had been logged out yet was entirely thanks to him. He was absorbing almost all of the golem's attacks!

Usually, I make someone else do this kind of dirty work... The situation was the exact opposite of his usual playstyle!

Crunch! In the meantime, Golgol-i soared high into the air and swung his sword with immense force.

-Groooaaar! The Adamantium Golem shrieked, flailing its massive arms. The surrounding bedrock shattered, sending waves of lava splashing upward.

Splash! The Adamantium Golem plunged its body into the lava, attempting to submerge itself. But Tae-hyun wasn't about to let it escape. "We're going in!"

-Master! We are not made of Adamantium! That is literal lava!

-Dark Protection!

-A few barriers aren't going to save us from this, Master! Golgol-i cried out, but Tae-hyun ignored him completely and dove into the lava right after the golem.

Bubble, bubble—

-Aaaaargh! Master! Master! Golgol-i writhed in agony on top of Tae-hyun. Meanwhile, Tae-hyun swam through the lava, relentlessly pursuing the fleeing Adamantium giant.

-Don't worry. That guy won't be able to stay in here for long either.

-That guy is made of Adamantium, but we are not!

-...Well, that is true! Splash! Fortunately, Tae-hyun's prediction was correct. The Adamantium Golem swam through the lava and emerged on the other side. Splaaash!

-I... I survived! Golgol-i gasped in sheer terror. Honestly, he had thought he was a goner!

It was a place that could never be found through normal means! The only way to reach it was by diving through the lava when the Adamantium Golem appeared. If Tae-hyun hadn't been crazy enough to pursue it, they would have never set foot here.

"Talk about a stroke of luck!"

-Master! Did you dive in because you knew that pursuing the Adamantium Golem would lead us to its lair?! Golgol-i was filled with admiration. To throw oneself into lava based on sheer deduction... Tae-hyun's guts were truly...

"No. I just chased it without thinking much. It would've been too frustrating to let it escape after all the trouble we went through to fight it."

-...

Tae-hyun's guts were truly... something else.

-But is it really alright with just the two of us here?

-Well, I'm sure you'll handle it. I believe in you, Golgol-i.

If Golgol-i dies, I'll just cancel the Dragon Lich transformation, revert to my original state, and land the final blow. Since he had leveled up his magic skills, it was now time to raise his swordsmanship skills! Tae-hyun was truly a master of squeezing out every single drop of value while dealing with a boss monster.

-Master. I will not disappoint your faith in me!

-Yeah, yeah. Just do your best. No need to overdo it, though.

"..." Why couldn't you do that earlier instead of now...

-Kwooo...! The Adamantium Golem stared at the dragon and the knight riding on its back. Then, it clenched its massive fists.

Is it time for round two?! But no such thing happened. Instead, the Adamantium Golem dropped to its knees and began waving its fists in a pleading gesture.

"?" "???"

-What is that guy doing?

-I believe it is saying that it will crush us to pieces.

-Sounds plausible.

"Negotiate? A golem?" Although this particular golem possessed life and was clearly different from ordinary golems, he hadn't expected it to try and negotiate. Tae-hyun was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly snapped out of it. "There will be no negotiations!"

The rewards from defeating the Adamantium Golem were far too precious to just let go. Besides, the fact that the opponent was trying to negotiate meant they were in a highly disadvantageous position. Giving in at a time like this was something only an idiot would do!

Seeing his refusal, the Adamantium Golem stood up, a look of grim determination in its eyes. -Kwooo...!

Boss monsters always received massive buffs when fighting in their own territory. The Adamantium Golem hadn't even begun to show its true power yet.

"...But since I am a generous man, I shall accept your negotiation."

-Kwo! The Adamantium Golem nodded. It had no facial expressions, but it seemed visibly relieved.

But why did this guy want to negotiate in the first place? At first, he had assumed it was because the golem was at a disadvantage, but that wasn't the case. Its lost HP had been fully restored in an instant, and with the additional buffs, it was in a far superior position! Yet, it was still acting submissive. That could only mean...

This location itself is its weakness!

It was clear that the golem was acting weak solely because Tae-hyun had discovered this place. Is it afraid that this chamber will be destroyed? Indeed... Tae-hyun scanned his surroundings. Although the mine was pitch-black, he could easily spot rich mineral veins running along the walls even at a glance.

For some reason, he felt like there had to be Adamantium hidden somewhere around here! "Hey, you don't mind if I mine a bit of this, right?"

-Kwooo. The Adamantium Golem shook its head. Tae-hyun's face instantly contorted into a frown.

"You said we were negotiating! You can't negotiate without making any concessions!"

-Kwooo! The Adamantium Golem assumed a combat stance once more! But things were different now. Tae-hyun immediately opened his mouth, aiming directly at the mineral veins.

-Kwooo!!! Terrified, the Adamantium Golem scrambled forward to block him.

"What? You want to keep going?"

-Kwooo...

Completely unfazed, Tae-hyun barked fiercely, "Hand over the Adamantium!"

-Kwooo. Kwooo. Large tears welled up in the Adamantium Golem's eyes as it shook its head. But Tae-hyun remained completely unyielding. "Are you saying you're fine with me bringing this entire place down?"

A metal that even Tae-hyun's high-level Blacksmithing Skill couldn't fully process! Come to think of it, there is a perfectly refined piece of Adamantium standing right in front of me... Tae-hyun stared intently at the golem.

"By any chance, would you mind peeling off a piece of your body for me?"

-Kwoooooh!

"Alright, alright. No need to be so touchy."

When Tae-hyun and Golgol-i dove headfirst into the lava, the remaining players were left utterly dumbfounded. What about us?!

"Let's move inside for now," Lee Da-bi said, stepping up to handle the situation. With Tae-hyun gone, the Red Scorpion Dwarves were beginning to look around, searching for an opportunity to escape.

"Ah, grab them too!"

"Hey! Let go of me!" Cain and the Beijing Fighters players rushed over and tied the dwarves back up. If left to their own devices, there was no telling what kind of trouble they would cause!

"Excuse me... everyone. Could you perhaps ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rebuild the bridge?" Smith called out from the opposite side, his voice laced with awkwardness. Thanks to Tae-hyun blowing up the bridge earlier, Smith was completely stranded, unable to move forward or backward!