A Fire-Attribute Filial Son

Tae-hyun's party wasn't the only one here. A massive crowd of players had followed them, drawn by the sheer weight of Tae-hyun's name! These players had expected Tae-hyun to pull off some spectacular, explosive stunt, so they were utterly bewildered when he suddenly suggested they scatter.

"Huh? We're not fighting?"

"Well, it's not like we have to fight, right?"

"...But you literally just ransacked a fortress..."

The moment he arrived, Tae-hyun had seized a fortress as if he were just picking up a package he'd left behind. And now, that very same Tae-hyun was saying, "It's not like we have to fight"?

"That didn't even count as a fight."

"..."

By Tae-hyun's standards, that skirmish didn't even register.

"When I thought about it, there's really no reason for us to stick together right now."

Tae-hyun analyzed the situation. The current strategy of the Guild Alliance was to firmly defend the area around The Capital, which was the most intact territory in the Auston Kingdom. Focus and concentration! It was a highly sensible strategy given the circumstances. Trying to defend the entirety of the vast Auston Kingdom would have been an endless, futile endeavor. Public security was in shambles, rebellions broke out at the drop of a hat, and countless foreign players were running amok, causing chaos. If the Alliance had tried to manage all of that, they would have exhausted their forces long ago.

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Hmm. Now that I think about it, I'm the root cause of all of that.

Why was public security so low? Because Tae-hyun had run rampant. Why did rebellions break out whenever people got bored? Because Tae-hyun instigated them. Why were countless players running amok and causing chaos? Because Tae-hyun had lured them in!

Well, it's their fault for not being able to stop me.

He was the picture of shameless confidence!

In any case, from the Guild Alliance's perspective, it must have been incredibly frustrating to have finally ended the civil war and taken over the Auston Kingdom, only to be forced into such a passive, defensive stance... But it was undeniably effective. Even though Kim Tae-san and various other players were running wild, they couldn't even lay a finger on the area around the Capital. The defensive power there was on a completely different level.

Of course, simply holding out wouldn't solve their problems. They needed a sword to go with their shield. And that sword was none other than Hakkaras!

While the Guild Alliance holds the line, Hakkaras will sweep through and eliminate the heavy hitters among the invaders. Once that happens, the enemy's momentum will naturally collapse. They plan to hold out and then gradually reclaim ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their territories one by one.

It was a bit cautious, but it was a solid plan. However, Tae-hyun looked at it from the exact opposite angle.

So that means these guys will just sit tight and test the waters until Hakkaras takes care of things? They're definitely waiting for Hakkaras to beat down either me or my dad.

If that was the case, there was absolutely no need to rush into fighting or persuading Hakkaras. In fact, it was much better to actively avoid him and drag things out.

And while I'm doing that, I can squeeze them dry of everything they've got...

"Think about it carefully! Who do you think those Guild Alliance bastards are going to chase after?"

"You, Lord Tae-hyun?"

"Exactly. Which means if you stick with me, you'll just get dragged into unnecessary fights."

"We are prepared for that!"

"No, I don't need your preparation. I'll call you if I need you, so let's just scatter for now."

"What should we do once we scatter?"

"What do you mean, 'what should we do'? Do the things you couldn't do before. Enter the dungeons the Guild Alliance blocked off, mine the ores in the mines they monopolized, or even raid their farmlands and ranches. Anything goes."

"Uh, but Tae-hyun."

Listening to this, Lee Da-bi tilted her head in confusion. Dragging out the time to milk the Auston Kingdom dry was indeed a great strategy, but... what about Kim Tae-san? Kim Tae-san was currently in the middle of a massive quest fighting against the Auston Kingdom, so he wouldn't have the luxury of taking it slow. Shouldn't they help him as quickly as possible?

"Isn't your father in the middle of a quest?"

"Huh? I'm sure he'll manage just fine on his own."

A fire-attribute filial son! In the first place, Tae-hyun hadn't come here to help Kim Tae-san. He had come to watch the Guild Alliance burn!

"Scatter! Disperse and enjoy everything the Auston Kingdom has to offer! There is no need for you to fight for my sake!"

Moved by Tae-hyun's warm, considerate words, the gathered players were deeply touched. To tell them not to fight for his sake—how incredibly kind! Of course, from Kim Tae-san's perspective, this was utterly absurd. I thought he was coming to help, but this punk...?!

Once the players scattered in all directions, the size of Tae-hyun's party shrank drastically. All that remained were the members of the Power Warrior Guild and the pirate bastards they had only recently met!

"Hey, can you guys launch another attack?"

"We're pirates. If you order it, we do it."

"R-Right. Then go and attack this place."

"Understood!"

At Tae-hyun's command, Teech and his pirate guild swarmed away.

"Shouldn't we follow them and keep an eye on them?"

"No need. It's not like I'm expecting them to actually accomplish anything."

The territory Tae-hyun had ordered them to attack was located directly beneath the Guild Alliance's Capital. It was a place that no sane person would dare to attack! Tae-hyun had simply sent them there to get them out of his hair.

I have more than enough weirdos with just the Power Warrior Guild.

"Why are you looking at us like that?" the Power Warrior guild members asked, staring at Tae-hyun with innocent, wide eyes.

"No reason. It's nothing."

"So, what are we doing first?" Cain asked.

"Hmm... Let's do everything we can before Hakkaras catches up to us. Anyone have something they want to do?"

"Me! There's a seven-floor dungeon nearby that I've always wanted to clear! Since the Guild Alliance isn't around to block it, now is our chance!"

"If we go just a bit further, there's a forest where a ton of magic reagents spawn. How about we go sweep up all the reagents?"

The Power Warrior guild members excitedly raised their hands.

—Kuooh...

Even though it was imbued with Sadiq's Flame, the giant golem apparently still found the outside world too cold. Tae-hyun nodded. Since they had to avoid Hakkaras anyway, it was best to hide the giant for the time being.

"I'll put you in a nearby mine. Hold on... Is there a deep mine around here?"

—Kuo, kuo, kuo...

"What, are you on vacation?" Tae-hyun muttered, dumbfounded, but he decided to look for one anyway. He needed to let the giant rest as much as possible before the battle.

"There are quite a few people here."

"Well, it's a famous mine, so that makes sense."

The place Tae-hyun had chosen was the Great Copper Mine. It was one of the most famous dungeons in the southern region of the Auston Kingdom! Although it was a dungeon that had yet to be fully cleared, the lower floors offered excellent rewards and dropped a wide variety of items, making it a popular spot for players. Normally, the Guild Alliance strictly controlled access, but with their control gone, the place was more crowded than ever.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Blacksmith and miner players were relentlessly swinging their pickaxes against the walls of the mine's first floor.

"Lord Tae-hyun, can we go mine some ore too?"

"Go ahead."

The Power Warrior guild members eagerly rushed forward. They couldn't pass up a chance to make some pocket money!

"Tsk, tsk. They're doing it all wrong."

"?!"

Cain clicked his tongue, watching their movements with pity. To Cain's eyes, the way those players were shoveling and swinging their pickaxes looked incredibly amateurish. That wasn't how a true master shoveled!

"Hey! Let me show you how it's—"

"We don't have time for that. There are too many eyes here, so the Guild Alliance will find out soon. We need to do this quickly and get out."

Even with disguises, their party was too conspicuous to hide, ranging from a giant to an entire artillery unit. Tae-hyun planned to quickly find a suitable resting place for the giant and leave. The fact that the dungeon had not been fully cleared actually made it even better. It was the perfect hiding spot!

—Kuo, kuo.

"Make sure you don't die, okay?" Tae-hyun earnestly warned.

Touched by his concern, the Adamantium giant golem nodded its head in deep emotion.

—Kuo.

Of course, Tae-hyun's only real concern was that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if the golem died, other players might steal his precious Adamantium.

Just as Tae-hyun had anticipated, the moment he was out of sight, Teech and his pirate guild immediately betrayed him.

"Kim Tae-hyun isn't here, right? We're pirates! There's no way we're following orders like that."

A perfectly cool betrayal!

"Shouldn't we explain the situation to the Guild Alliance?"

"Hold on a second."

Teech sent a whisper. A moment later, a blunt reply came back.

"Well, they told us to screw off."

From the Guild Alliance's perspective, there was no way they would listen to a bunch of turncoats whispering, "We didn't really mean it!" right after betraying them.

"Then let's just go back to doing our own thing, yeah?"

"Exactly. There are plenty of other things to plunder in the sea besides Kim Tae-hyun."

"Let's target someone easy this time. Definitely not a monster like Kim Tae-hyun."

There was one thing everyone could agree on: avoid anyone like Kim Tae-hyun!

"Yeah! Let's do that!"

Teech made his decision and prepared to turn his ship around.

The Great Pirate Gardu was a cursed but incredibly powerful pirate. His power was something every pirate coveted! Although Gardu had fallen to a hero's blade, the legacy he left behind still drifted across the seas...

"???"

Teech was bewildered. He understood the quest's content, but why was it popping up right now? The reason was revealed immediately.

Why does Kim Tae-hyun have these legacies... Ah!

Teech suddenly realized. The one who had raided the Great Pirate Gardu was none other than Tae-hyun!

Wait, he doesn't just have one, he has all of them? How is that even possible? Did he shake down Gardu for every single item he owned?

He couldn't comprehend how Tae-hyun had pulled it off, but it was clear that he possessed them all.

"Guild Master... I mean, Captain. Are we not leaving?"

"We're not."

"!?!"

"First, let's go raid Katuga Fortress."

"W-Wait, what?! That place is crawling with Guild Alliance bastards! It's on a completely different level from the fortress we just took!"

Since it was close to the Capital, the Guild Alliance's army, player parties, and even high-ranking players could arrive within five minutes! Even Kim Tae-hyun wouldn't dare to cause trouble there.

"Let's just give it a shot! We're pirates, after all."

"Guild Master, snap out of it! You're not a pirate! You're just an ordinary office worker!"

"Why do you keep acting like a pirate when you're a salaryman! Come back to reality! Don't let the roleplay consume you!"

The guild members, who had returned to their senses, desperately tried to hold Teech back, but Teech refused to listen.

"Ah, this guy is getting seriously annoying."

Tae-hyun grimaced at the relentless barrage of whispers from Smith. He was busy trying to find a hiding spot for his Adamantium giant! Tae-hyun sent back a half-hearted reply. With Smith's skills, he would at least be able to keep himself alive wherever he went.

Smith closed the whisper window and checked the details of Katuga Fortress.

"...???"

It was glaringly obvious that the place was incredibly heavily fortified! The friends who had come to assist Smith were utterly horrified when they heard the order to attack Katuga Fortress.

"Smith! You must have misheard him!"

"Yeah! There's something seriously wrong with this order!"

"He must have made a mistake!"

However, Smith shook his head.

"If Mr. Kim Tae-hyun said so, he must have a plan."

"Hmm... Well, if it's Kim Tae-hyun..."

"True, if it's Kim Tae-hyun..."

The players of the New York Lions, who had come to help their teammate Smith, wavered at the sheer weight of Tae-hyun's reputation. If Kim Tae-hyun was the one suggesting it, surely there had to be some hidden depth to the plan?

Of course, Tae-hyun had absolutely no such intentions. He had simply thrown it out there to draw the Guild Alliance's attention. Even if the attack failed, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just the sight of Smith approaching the Capital would throw the Guild Alliance into a state of absolute panic!

"Well then, shall we give it a shot?"