The High Priest's Tears

"Y-Your Majesty... but what is it that you want?"

The high priest of the Phytos Church spoke with a trembling voice, clearly terrified by his own question.

Surely he isn't planning to erect something like that right in the middle of the Archisus Church's holy ground, is he?

No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed like madness, but because it was Tae-hyun, he was terrified that the man might actually do it. Even for the Phytos Church, funding the construction of those buildings would break their backs.

"A training ground."

"Ah...! Our church's training ground is famous for being outstanding!"

"Isn't it more infamous for being absolute dogshit?" Cain muttered from behind.

Among players, the Phytos Church's training ground was notoriously infamous, prompting reactions like, "Did you design this for us to clear, you bastards?!"

In fact, no player had managed to clear it yet!

The general consensus among players was: "This isn't something that can be cleared with our current stats," or "It definitely requires a specific, special skill."

Since it couldn't be cleared with standard strategies, it undoubtedly required some kind of special skill!

"Shh, Cain. You'll hurt his feelings."

"You've already given him every wound possible, so what's left to hurt...?"

They were completely kicked out of the Atali Kingdom. Isn't that painful enough?

"Your Majesty! Even if you accept the Phytos Church's buildings, they won't be of much use to you!"

"That's right! It only benefits the followers of the Phytos Church, and to begin with, there aren't even many of them in the Atali Kingdom!"

The priests of the other churches stabbed where it hurt!

Tae-hyun could clearly see tears welling up in the eyes of the Phytos high priest.

He's going to cry!

"No. I shall accept the Phytos Church's proposal!"

"!"

"!!!!"

"We would have offered a one-year lease of our High Priests..."

"A random treasure from our high-grade treasury...!"

"The secret skill of our Holy Knight Commander...!"

No one could believe that all of these incredible offers had lost to a single Phytos training ground.

Tap.

"?"

Tae-hyun grabbed each of the other priests one by one and whispered:

"I'll share a special secret method only with your church."

"O-oh...!"

"You mustn't tell anyone else about this, but since I personally favor your church, I'll give you an extra secret method."

"As expected! We believed in you, Your Majesty!"

Instigating a bidding war to raise their value, and then taking everything from everyone!

Carbanog could only watch in sheer admiration.

While Tae-hyun traveled around the Erangs Kingdom gathering powerful allies, Lee Se-yeon was not sitting idle either.

Lee Se-yeon moved to recruit mages. After all, the more mages, the better.

—Do you want to die, or do you want to come and help?

Sometimes, she used raw force.

—In the name of the rightful successor of the Ancient Empire's Black Mage, I summon you!

Sometimes, she used her class.

The number of mages in the Erangs Kingdom's Magic Tower alone was staggering, but because Pandemonium Online was so vast, there were many other magic organizations and factions.

Lee Se-yeon persuaded and threatened these NPCs to bring them to her side.

In the process, player mages followed her with sparkling eyes.

"As expected of Lee Se-yeon!"

"She is the light itself...!"

Watching her bold and decisive ability to instantly bring NPC mages under her command, the player mages followed her with entranced expressions.

This was a level of skill that the rankers of the Midas Guild could never hope to show.

This was the difference in true skill!

From the perspective of the Midas Guild, they couldn't help but feel anxious.

They had announced they would jump into the quest, but things were unfolding in a bizarre direction.

"Hey, if we don't accomplish anything, we're going to be completely humiliated..."

"Even the mages who were coming to our side are trying to slip over to Lee Se-yeon's side now."

"We need to start our subjugation quickly. It's dangerous to drag this out any longer."

Lee Se-yeon's quest was easy to understand. She was traveling across the continent, rapidly pulling magic organizations to her side.

Since her reputation was already sky-high, even the players who had initially joined the Midas Guild were flocking to her, saying, "That side looks way more fun!"

"Can't we interfere with them? Unless some bad luck hits their side, it's going ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to be impossible for us to compete."

One of the rankers raised his hand and spoke. He was a ranker who didn't come from the Guild Alliance and had never met Tae-hyun, so he was still fearless.

"Are you crazy?!"

"The Guild Alliance is still right next to us. What are you going to do if we make more enemies?!"

The rankers from the Guild Alliance stood up in absolute horror.

This was the exact pattern of ruin they had experienced multiple times during their days in the Guild Alliance!

However, the other rankers also had a point.

"We're on an upward trend right now, but what if we fail the quest we just jumped into?"

"We have to strike while the iron is hot. You know why ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we're getting investments and ad offers right now, don't you?"

Starting with their departure from the Alliance, the Midas Guild had generated numerous headlines and captured the attention of countless people!

To maintain that interest, they had to constantly show results.

If they participated in this legendary quest but failed to produce any significant achievements, they would be in serious danger.

Pandemonium Online was cold and unforgiving. If you failed a few times, you would be forgotten in an instant, and new rankers and guilds would quickly rise to take your place.

"Even so, interfering is too dangerous."

"Exactly. We're already way too entangled as it is."

Cowards...

Why are those guys so incredibly spineless?

The other rankers grumbled inwardly at the words of the Alliance veterans.

How could rankers be so faint-hearted!

But the Alliance veterans had eyes. They could feel exactly what the others were thinking.

These bastards haven't even experienced it yet...

You have to get hit once to finally realize, 'Ah! I messed up!'

Fortunately, the Midas Guild still maintained its sanity.

"Still, there's no need to interfere right now. We just need to show results first."

After all, they were reluctant to directly pick a fight with Tae-hyun or Lee Se-yeon.

"Did you find the secret organization?"

"We found a few small-fry groups and took them out, but honestly, it lacks any real impact."

Compared to what Kim Tae-hyun or Lee Se-yeon were doing, their subjugation was far too shabby!

Even if they defeated Necromancers around level 100 to 200, the public's reaction was cold: "Hmm... I see... my score is..."

Normally, this would have been considered a great achievement, but the public's standards had been raised to an absurd degree.

When one person was soloing level 500 boss monsters, who would be satisfied with someone hunting level 200s!

"I think I've found something decent."

"Oh... what is it?"

"A Lich, no less."

"A Lich? Now that's promising."

A Lich subjugation would undoubtedly capture the public's attention.

Finding a high-level monster like a Lich was a task in itself, but they had actually located one.

"Who is it? Where is he?"

"According to the information I bought on the bulletin board, he seems to be in the Uruk Region. He's taken over an entire mountain range and is using it as his fortress."

"Huh. Isn't that Orc territory?"

"Ever since the previous Orc Great Chieftain disappeared, players have started heading there in droves."

The Uruk Region was originally an undeveloped area that players rarely visited.

However, everything changed after Kim Tae-san became the new Orc Great Chieftain.

It had transformed into a region where even starting players could begin their journey!

Although it lacked the great facilities and high-level NPCs of other kingdoms, it had a wild, free, and exhilarating charm.

Because there was so much empty land and numerous Orc tribes, it was easy to get help.

The joy of befriending Orc tribes and going around dynamically smashing monsters alongside hundreds of Orc warriors!

The Uruk Region, which used to be visited only by Kim Tae-san's guild members, was now developing as a whole.

Kim Tae-san was also grinning from ear to ear!

"Hmm. If there's a Lich there, the Orc players must be suffering."

"True, they can't defeat a Lich at their level. Plus, the matchup is terrible."

Traditionally, a Lich required holy attacks from classes like Holy Knights and Priests.

For Orcs, who had almost none of those, it would be an incredibly difficult opponent.

Numbers? No idiot would try to wage a war of attrition against a Lich.

"This is perfect. If we go there and defeat the Lich, the players will be incredibly grateful, right?"

"Exactly. There will be plenty of eyes on us, so it'll be a spectacular show."

The rankers of the Midas Guild were highly tempted by this plan.

With so many onlookers, it would be easy to spread the word, show off, and gather people for the quest...

On top of that, they could make the Midas Guild's name known in a region like Uruk, where new players were flocking.

"But isn't there already a guild there called the Choigang Jizon Moossang Guild?"

"Right. They're a bit dangerous too."

The Alliance veterans raised objections once again.

"Oh, drop it! There are only Orcs there anyway!"

"We're going to kill a Lich for them. Why on earth would they pick a fight over that?"

"And even if they do, so what? What can a guild of just Orcs do to us?"

"They should be thanking us instead. Once they see us fight, they'll probably beg to join our guild."

The Orc race itself had very few mages or shamans.

In a place like that, they would undoubtedly be awed when they saw the magic of the Midas Guild!

"Once they witness our power, the Choigang Jizon Moossang Guild might even apply to become our affiliate."

"Having an affiliate guild isn't a bad idea. Even if their skill is lacking, their numbers seem quite high."

It was common for giant guilds to have several affiliate guilds under them.

They would coexist by having blacksmith guilds to support them with gear, merchant guilds to handle items, and so on.

Since the Midas Guild was focused primarily on mages, having a high-population warrior guild to act as tanks wouldn't be a bad thing.

The Alliance veterans were dumbfounded and whispered among themselves.

"Do these idiots really not know what kind of guild the Choigang Jizon Moossang Guild is?"

"Those crazy bastards would go under someone else?"

"How little attention did these guys pay to the Auston Kingdom?"

While the Alliance veterans had fought bloody battles in the Auston Kingdom, the Erangs Kingdom rankers had been too busy with their own quests.

They didn't bother to remember a guild with such a tacky name that had been pushed out to the Uruk Region after losing to the Guild Alliance!

"Excellent! We're going to hunt the Lich in the Uruk Region!"

"Wooooh!"

"You guys aren't going to oppose this again, are you?"

Receiving the questioning glares, the Alliance veterans looked at each other.

Then, they smirked.

"...Of course not!"

"We're not people who just oppose everything!"

"If you guys are set on going, then we must go!"

I'm backing out.

I'll make an excuse and slip away.

Come to think of it, if these guys get utterly humiliated, my standing in the guild will rise, right?

The Alliance veterans were several levels higher in the art of political maneuvering.

These were individuals tempered in the demonic crucible of the Guild Alliance!

They stood in perfect, silent agreement.

Those rankers who had been living the sweet life in the Erangs Kingdom and the Dungland Kingdom...

Let's see them get a taste of absolute hell!

"Ugh. As expected..."

Arriving at the airport, Tae-hyun let out a low groan.

Even though they had taken an early morning flight, the crowd was already packed.

He had already heard about this from his agent, Vincent.

—I'm sorry, Player Kim Tae-hyun. We couldn't control this...

An agent's role was to adjust activities to match the player's condition.

When they were busy with the game, they had to let them focus on the game. Especially now, while he was undertaking a legendary quest.

However, while they could manage advertisement offers and broadcast ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠appearances, they couldn't control the fans who gathered voluntarily.

Well, it can't be helped.

Tae-hyun wasn't cold-hearted enough to be heartless to fans who gathered out of love for the team.

"Cain, let's greet the fans in an orderly manner and head to our lodging... Cain?"

Looking to his side, Cain had vanished.

Lee Da-bi pointed ahead with an embarrassed expression.

Cain was already deep inside the crowd, waving his hands.

"Yes! Yes! I am indeed Cain—urk! W-wait! Gentle! Don't pull so hard! It's ripping! It's really ripping! Stop! Stop!"

Seeing this, the bodyguards ran forward in absolute panic.