The Adamantium Slime and the Cursed Shield

To think that an item you would barely get one of even after swinging a pickaxe at an ore vein until your arms fell off would drop in such abundance just from killing a single slime!

"Huh? I'm not getting nearly that much." Beside him, Cain tilted his head in confusion after defeating a Steel Slime. He had only gotten a single drop!

Ah. It's my Luck stat. Tae-hyun realized what was happening. The sheer difference in drop rates was entirely due to his absurd Luck stat. Still, even Cain's single drop wasn't bad. At this rate, farming these slimes was far more efficient than actually mining!

We absolutely have to lock down this mine!

"Call in everyone from the Power Warrior Guild who has free time!"

"Tae-hyun, but it looks like you can't enter this place unless you worship Shiva."

"Tell them to worship him then! We even have a temple of his order in our territory, so what's the big deal?" Changing religions for the sake of profit was a minor detail!

Eh, they can always switch back. They can just repent later.

......

"First, let's map this place out."

"Yes, sir!"

—Kuo...?

The golem let out a low rumble.

"Ah, just wait a second! That's not what's important right now!"

—Kuo...

Bubbling with excitement, Tae-hyun began scouring the slime nest alongside Lee Da-bi. The true value of this place lay in the rare metal slimes!

"Silver Slimes are spawning over here."

"And Gold Slimes over here."

"There are Ruby Slimes here..."

It was like a holiday gift basket of the mineral world!

—Kuo. Kuo.

"I told you to wait!"

"Where is it? If that's the case, then go ahead..." Tae-hyun paused. What kind of place would be considered "suitable" for a living, breathing Adamantium giant golem? "Where is this place?"

—Kuo.

The golem turned around and began to stomp away. *Rumble! Crash!* Reaching down, the golem ripped up the cavern floor, revealing a torrent of churning, red-hot lava surging from beneath.

—Kuo!

The golem grinned proudly, as if showing off a masterpiece. Seeing this, Tae-hyun's face fell. Tsk, and here I thought he found an Adamantium vein.

Since the golem's previous habitat had been overflowing with Adamantium, Tae-hyun had naturally let his expectations soar, hoping for a repeat.

—Kuo.

"Sure, good for you. Just don't forget your promise about the Adamantium."

—Kuo. Kuo.

"Right, a creature similar to you... Wait, WHAT?!"

Tae-hyun's head whipped around. In the distance, a slime shimmering with the exact same metallic luster as the golem was hopping along. An **Adamantium Slime**!

*Whoosh!* The moment it registered their gaze, the slime vanished with terrifying speed. Its velocity was on an entirely different dimension compared to the other slimes!

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"...Hurry up and call the Power Warrior Guild members!"

"On it!"

They would capture it even if they had to drown it in a sea of bodies!

Unfortunately for Smith, there was a Guild Alliance ranker stationed at Katuga Fortress. High Paladin Gonzalez! He was Su Ning's right-hand man and a highly skilled, top-tier ranker.

"What do you think Kim Tae-hyun's weakness is?"

"He doesn't really have one."

"The fact that he's an absolute bastard?"

"Not that!"

"...Then is there anything Kim Tae-hyun at least dislikes dealing with?"

"I heard he hates Paladins."

"Well, few people actually like Paladins..."

In PvP, the Paladin class was always a top-tier contender. Their attack and defense were top-notch, and they boasted massive HP pools alongside robust self-healing skills. Once a Paladin reached an Epic Class, their skill set became blindingly spectacular.

"Hmm. Then a Paladin would be best."

"They should at least be able to buy some time."

This decision hadn't been made to defeat Kim Tae-hyun, but merely to stall him if he ever showed up! Of course, to Gonzalez, this was a profound humiliation. Kim Tae-hyun, you bastard. Just you wait. Gonzalez ground his teeth in vexation.

Naturally, Gonzalez was well aware of Tae-hyun's formidable strength. However, he had prepared thoroughly. If Tae-hyun dared to charge in recklessly, he would teach him a harsh lesson! Hmph. Kim Tae-hyun. Even you won't know that I've acquired Archisus-related equipment.

It was a piece of Archisus equipment personally bestowed upon him by Su Ning! Thanks to his close ties with Su Ning, Gonzalez had managed to secure one of the Archisus-related items that had fallen into the Guild Alliance's hands. It was a shield so powerful that he used it despite serving a completely different deity. What Gonzalez didn't know, however, was that the very person who had crafted and sent that shield was none other than Kim Tae-hyun!

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

"?" Gonzalez frowned in confusion as the thrum of war drums echoed from the fortress gates. "What is it? Is someone attacking?"

Ever since the Auston Kingdom had been overrun by every conceivable type of bandit—Novice Bandits, Rookie Bandits, Veteran Bandits, Retired Bandits, and Wandering Bandits—this fortress had faced its share of skirmishes. Occasionally, reckless players would even wander near the capital. Of course, they were met with fiery retaliation. The Guild Alliance members, who had been grinding their teeth in frustration, made sure to ruthlessly crush anyone who dared show their face.

"Yes, sir. It seems we are under attack."

"Just because Kim Tae-hyun is running wild, these fools think they can do whatever they want... Crush them!"

Five minutes later.

"Is it over?"

"N-No, sir. Actually, the one standing at the front right now... is Smith."

"What?! Smith?!" Gonzalez gasped. "Ah. I did hear rumors that Smith was coming to the Auston Kingdom." He recalled hearing something to that effect from the Guild Alliance leadership. Still, he hadn't expected Smith to launch such a bold, direct assault.

Gonzalez hesitated. Should I fight Smith? While Smith wasn't as terrifying as Kim Tae-hyun, he was still undeniably one of the world's top-tier rankers. A player ranked far above Gonzalez! Under normal circumstances, a 1v1 duel would be highly disadvantageous. But here... I can win if it's here! Gonzalez was confident. This fortress offered him too many home-field advantages.

Defeating Kim Tae-hyun would be great, but taking down Smith isn't bad either. In fact, it would be amazing. And there was one more advantage to fighting Smith: he wasn't nearly as terrifying as Kim Tae-hyun. Smith was powerful, but he at least seemed straightforward. Kim Tae-hyun, on the other hand, was not only monstrously strong but also completely unpredictable, which made him utterly horrifying.

"Everyone! If you hand over the fortress and withdraw, we will not attack you!"

"What is this crazy bastard talking about?!" Smith shouted at the top of his lungs from the front lines. Naturally, no Guild Alliance member was going to stand by and listen to that. They attacked immediately! *Whoosh! Clang!* Of course, such half-hearted attacks couldn't even scratch Smith. Having received the first blow, Smith finally moved. After all, they had initiated the combat! *Slash!* "Aaargh!" The guild member who had rushed Smith was obliterated in a single exchange. Seeing this, other members charged in, and Smith engaged them in turn...

Beside him, Smith's guildmate sighed. "Smith. I don't think telling them you don't want to fight while actively slaughtering them is going to work."

"But I truly do not wish to fight. If they would only surrender ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the fortress..."

"Die, Smith!"

"I refuse!"

*Crunch! Crack!* Smith advanced, systematically crushing the guild members who lunged at him. Watching this, his companions thought to themselves: He's really terrifying sometimes... He was practically a psychopath!

As Smith drew closer to the fortress, the onslaught grew increasingly fierce. Arrows rained down from the archers atop the ramparts, accompanied by a barrage of spells from the mages! Yet, Smith didn't employ any complex or flashy maneuvers. He moved with the heavy, deliberate pace of a massive boulder, executing textbook defensive plays.

"Whoa, insane..."

"Is that a human or a walking fortress wall?" The defending players clicked their tongues in disbelief. In the meantime, Gonzalez made his way down to the courtyard.

"Smith!"

"Mr. Gonzalez!"

"How dare you show your face here! Have you lost your mind?!"

"I merely asked you to hand over the fortress..."

"Do you hear yourself right now?!" Gonzalez was dumbfounded. Was this bastard mocking him?

"I don't know what kind of backing you have to come here so boldly, but aren't your numbers a bit pathetic? Look around you!" At Gonzalez's signal, the guild members raised a deafening war cry. It was certainly an intimidating display. Furthermore, reinforcements could arrive from nearby locations at any moment.

"I have reinforcements of my own as well," Smith replied calmly.

"?"

"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun..."

"!!!" Gonzalez flinched in terror. Kim Tae-hyun is here?!

"...will be arriving shortly."

"Ah. Shortly." Gonzalez let out a sigh of relief. The surrounding guild members stared at him blankly.

"What are you looking at, you idiots?!"

"S-Sorry, sir!" The guild members quickly looked away as Gonzalez snapped at them. Kim Tae-hyun is coming soon? "Hey. Are the patrols around here secure?"

"Of course, sir! Not even a mouse could slip past us."

Ever since the bandits had begun running rampant, the Guild Alliance had poured massive numbers into defending their key strongholds. This fortress was no exception. Good. Then I just need to take him down before Kim Tae-hyun gets here.

"Smith. If you're so confident, why don't you duel me?"

"If that is what you wish!" Smith did not back down.

"...Before we do that, hit him with more attacks," Gonzalez muttered.

"Pardon?"

"He's still completely fresh! Attack him!"

"Ah. Yes, sir!"

*Boom! Bam! Crash!* A relentless barrage of attacks rained down upon Smith once more. It was a cheap tactic designed to force Smith to exhaust his defensive cooldowns.

"You said you wanted to duel!"

"Ah, my subordinates just don't listen to me very well." Gonzalez smirked despicably. Smith frowned but chose not to argue further. "Now then, shall we begin?" Only after letting the barrage carry on for a good while did Gonzalez finally step forward.

*Dash!*

He's fast! Smith was heavily armored, but he was by no means slow. Despite wearing full plate armor, his explosive acceleration was astonishing, even to a fellow plate-wearing Paladin like Gonzalez.

"Hmph!" *Clang!* Gonzalez swiftly swung his weapon to halt Smith's momentum, thrusting his shield forward. I'll smash through that shield and press on... *Whoosh!* Smith targeted Gonzalez's shield directly. Had it been Tae-hyun, he would have deflected the shield and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slipped inside his guard, but Smith always preferred a direct, frontal assault. He would shatter the shield itself! If he poured enough raw power onto the shield, either the shield would break, or the opponent would collapse under the weight.

—White Knight's Advanced Charge!

*Thud! Thud! Crash!* Smith's attacks rained down in a frenzied, relentless storm. To anyone on the receiving end, it was sheer terror. Yet, Gonzalez wore a supremely confident smirk. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That smirk gave Smith pause. What is he planning? "Haha! You fool!"

*Boom! Boom! Crash!* Smith gritted his teeth and leaped backward. An unexpected counterattack had blasted right back at him. "Behold this shield! Even Kim Tae-hyun doesn't possess a shield like this!"

"!!" Smith was deeply shocked. How on earth did his opponent have Archisus-related equipment?!

Calm down. Smith shook his head. His opponent simply possessed gear that was far better than anticipated. It was one thing to lose to the real Kim Tae-hyun, but there was no way he was going to lose to some cheap copycat! A fierce fire ignited in Smith's eyes. It was a matter of pride.

"Kim Tae-hyun is—!" *Clang!*

"!" Gonzalez was startled to see Smith strike the shield once more, expecting him to switch tactics. What is this bastard thinking?

"—far stronger than you!"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"It's not nonsense! You haven't even fought him!"

"Oh, I'm sure you're thrilled to have lost to him then!"

It was a remarkably childish squabble between two high-ranking players. One of the spectating guild members muttered, "Hey, let's edit that part out of the video."

Smith absorbed the reflected damage with his own body, relentlessly hammering away at the shield. He was going to grind its durability down to zero and shatter it! Gonzalez quickly caught on to his plan. As if I'd let you! Do you think I'm just going to stand here? There was no way Gonzalez would let him do as he pleased. He prepared to launch a decisive counterattack. But at that exact moment, a system message popped up.

"?!?!?!?!"