The Art of the Basic Attack
The players watching the stream burst into laughter. No matter how much they thought about it, it made absolutely no sense. Who in their right mind would use an uncontrollable skill in a situation like this?
In truth, Tae-hyun's most famous skills had already been thoroughly analyzed. A passive skill with a cheat-like evasion rate, a skill that delivered massive burst damage in an instant, and various church-related buff skills that laid down area-of-effect zones or blessings... A quick search on the community boards would yield dozens of identical analysis posts. It was only natural for famous rankers to be picked apart like this. That was why seasoned rankers always kept a few hidden cards up their sleeves. To be analyzed was to expose one's weaknesses!
But Tae-hyun was the ultimate exception. He had used all sorts of skills while clearing massive, high-profile quests, and the player base had already completed a rough analysis of his entire arsenal.
And yet... the more they analyzed him, the stranger it got.
For typical warrior-class rankers, it was common to have dozens, if not over a hundred, close-combat skills. True skill lay in utilizing this diverse array of abilities to match any given situation!
Tae-hyun, however, was the exact opposite. The number of active combat skills he possessed was extremely low. Even the magic spells that occasionally made people gasp, wondering, "Whoa, how is Kim Tae-hyun's magic so incredible too?" turned out to be just a handful of spells upon closer inspection. Contrary to his flashy and overwhelming image, the vast majority of Tae-hyun's attacks were...
Basic attacks!
There were indeed common tips in Pandemonium Online like "Basic attacks are the foundation of combat," but those were just general advice. Honestly, who didn't know that basic attacks were important? People learned active skills precisely because basic attacks alone weren't enough.
Most players believed that Tae-hyun's strength stemmed from his flashy skills and his ability to use them at the perfect moments. However, the analysis revealed a completely different truth.
It was pure physical ability!
The physical capability to evade incoming attacks with cheat-like precision while relentlessly landing his own basic attacks!
An unbelievable dynamic visual acuity combined with reaction speeds that no one in Pandemonium Online could match. When these traits came together, they generated a level of combat power that allowed him to go head-to-head with opponents using active skills, using nothing but basic attacks.
He didn't need a dozen different skills. In the end, the fundamentals of combat were simple: dodge the enemy's attack and land your own! If one could consistently pull that off in any situation, they would be invincible.
Of course, this was purely theoretical, and no sane player would ever attempt to build their playstyle around it... but Tae-hyun was the living embodiment of that theory.
Every Pandemonium Online player agreed. Pandemonium Online was a virtual reality game where players had to move their own bodies. Fighting an opponent meant physically wielding a weapon and swinging it yourself. No matter how much theoretical knowledge you had, when a weapon came flying at your face, your natural instinct was to flinch!
Yet, even with a spear thrusting directly at his eyes, Tae-hyun didn't so much as blink. Instead, he countered and lunged forward. It was a born, instinctual confidence! When this fearless nature was paired with his absurd physical capabilities, he could charge forward, slicing through dozens of attacking Death Knights with nothing but basic attacks.
With Tae-hyun leading the charge, the Holy Knights and the players following behind them tore through the undead army like an arrow, rushing straight toward the center.
Hmm. That fire won't come over here, right?
Tae-hyun glanced at the fiery tornado. Holy power combined with fire—a combination the undead loathed above all else. True to its nature, the tornado was incinerating everything in its path, from giant monsters to Death Knights, the moment they made contact.
If Nevuchadnezzar had been in his right mind, he would have blocked the tornado with magic, but his attention was currently entirely consumed by his fight with Uipoatl. Thanks to that, the tornado was roaming around merrily, having the time of its life.
Whoooosh!
"Aaargh! This fire is insane!"
"Master! Please help us!"
The agonizing screams of the undead echoed across the battlefield.
If that thing comes this way...
Carbanog wonders what you plan to do if it does come this way.
...I'll figure it out then.
......
There was no point in wasting time agonizing over questions that had no immediate answers. Tae-hyun quickly wrapped up his thoughts and shouted,
"Uipoatl! I have come to aid you!"
"?"
"??"
???
It was a situation that left Uipoatl, Nevuchadnezzar, and Carbanog equally flabbergasted!
Your Reputation within the Asbian Empire has increased.
Uipoatl is extremely enraged.
"You absolute bastard...!" Uipoatl roared.
"Both of you shall submit to death," Nevuchadnezzar declared.
It seemed Nevuchadnezzar had concluded that Uipoatl and Tae-hyun were on the same side. Honestly, it was a reasonable assumption. After all, Uipoatl had suddenly appeared and started wreaking havoc right in the middle of Nevuchadnezzar's siege on Tae-hyun's fortress. It was a perfectly logical misunderstanding!
"Your Majesty! Let us fight together!" Tae-hyun called out.
Uipoatl is driven to extreme fury!
Uipoatl has entered a [Berserk] state!
"Ah, oops."
Carbanog yells that you should have known when to stop teasing him!
Perhaps he had pushed him too far, because Uipoatl suddenly began to burn with a fiery aura as if he had received a massive buff. Shimmering in a brilliant golden light befitting an emperor, Uipoatl raised his spear and thrust it straight at Tae-hyun.
"Yong-yong! Head toward Nevuchadnezzar!"
"?!"
Yong-yong was bewildered, but he did as he was told. He was his master, after all!
*Swoooosh!*
The spear pursued Tae-hyun with ferocious intensity!
"Divine Foresight!"
Even with Divine Foresight active, all it showed was a simple path. Whether one could actually walk that path depended entirely on the user's own capability!
Tae-hyun grit his teeth and stared straight ahead. He saw the trajectory point of the incoming spear.
*Clang! Clang!*
Tae-hyun swung his sword, redirecting the spear's path.
You have performed an unbelievable feat!
Your Swordsmanship skill has increased significantly.
Your Strength stat has increased significantly.
Through sudden enlightenment, your skill has evolved. You can now target others with [Deflection].
The Deflection skill, which deflected an attack and sent it back to the attacker, had now evolved to allow him to target someone else entirely.
And the spear that Tae-hyun had just deflected...
Flew straight toward Nevuchadnezzar.
"No one can move in the face of death."
[Decay], [Sloth], [Grave's Grip]!
A triple combo of movement-slowing curses. Normally, movement-slowing curses were considered weak and minor spells, but when cast by Nevuchadnezzar, they possessed enough power to halt a flying spear in its tracks.
The spear stopped as if caught in a sticky trap.
Nevuchadnezzar looked down at the two of them and spoke.
"A petty trick in front of the God of Death. To think you would resort to such a deception."
"?"
"Did you truly believe I would let my guard down because of that?"
"...What absolute nonsense are you spouting, you crazy corpse?!"
Uipoatl bellowed in sheer fury. Nevuchadnezzar genuinely believed that Tae-hyun and Uipoatl were putting on a show to catch him off guard for a surprise attack. In reality, Uipoatl had been trying to kill Tae-hyun for real!
"Your acting is indeed quite convincing."
"I will tear you apart!"
"Your Majesty! Since it has come to this, we have no choice. Let us drop the act and attack together!" Tae-hyun shouted.
"You piece of—I will rip you to shreds, you %*@$&#(*&#...!"
Ignoring Uipoatl's colorful language, Tae-hyun lunged at Nevuchadnezzar. Thanks to Uipoatl clearing the barrier, he was finally able to close the distance.
"!"
A look of shock crossed Nevuchadnezzar's otherwise expressionless face. Nevuchadnezzar's domain magic was currently active in the surrounding area at full force, designed to automatically unleash a barrage of curses on anyone who dared to approach. Its power was so immense that even Uipoatl had been unable to get close, left to grind his teeth in frustration. Yet, Tae-hyun was piercing right through it.
I'll bet everything on this single strike!
Tae-hyun realized that Nevuchadnezzar had let his guard down. Given how peerless the lich was in magic, it was only natural for him to be careless. Even Uipoatl hadn't been able to deal any proper damage to him yet...
"Archisus's Charge! Critical Explosion! Blade Detonation! Archisus's Third Attack!"
You are the first to pierce the Demigod of Death, Nevuchadnezzar, with a blade!
This is a monumental achievement that will be forever recorded in the history of the continent.
You have acquired the Title: [One Who Pierced the God of Death]!
Your Swordsmanship skill has increased significantly.
Your equipped sword has been swapped!
Advanced Swordsmanship Level 9! Damn it. I should have worked harder!
If he had raised his Swordsmanship skill by just one more level, he would have reached the Master tier and been able to fight much more comfortably. Tae-hyun blamed himself for his own complacency.
Carbanog stares at you as if you are a complete lunatic.
A new skill in Archisus's Swordsmanship has been unlocked!
You have acquired [Archisus's Fourth Attack].
Archisus's Fourth Attack
Consumes Luck to deliver a strike that is guaranteed to hit the target's weak point.
A ranged attack!
For a player like Tae-hyun, a ranged attack was always a welcome addition. Moreover, the fact that it was guaranteed to hit made it even better. Tae-hyun let out a sigh of relief. For a skill with "Archisus" in its name, it was surprisingly normal and incredibly useful.
[Archisus's Fourth Attack] has hit successfully. A new weak point has been created on Nevuchadnezzar.
Archisus's Fourth Attack was a powerful skill in its own right, but its most notable feature was its special effect: it turned the struck area into a weak point. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't have been particularly groundbreaking. After all, whether it was a regular monster or a boss monster, they all had inherent weak points. Divine Foresight already revealed those weak points, so as long as he struck them, he would get additional effects without needing to create a new one. There was usually no need to rely on Archisus's Fourth Attack just for that.
But Nevuchadnezzar was different. He was an entity who possessed absolutely no visible weak points. In such a situation, creating a single new weak point was a game-changer! It was an opportunity that could only have been forged by capitalizing on Nevuchadnezzar's brief moment of carelessness.
"Impressive, Incarnation! But I am death, and I am a god... You cannot bring me down with just that!"
Even with a blade plunged into his body, Nevuchadnezzar's chilling voice rang out. Tae-hyun immediately abandoned any thoughts of pressing the attack and commanded:
"Retreat!"
"I'm on it!"
Tae-hyun hurled all the bombs he had on hand and braced himself for the inevitable counterattack.
"Yong-yong! Not that way!"
"Huh?! Where should I go?!"
"Toward Uipoatl!"
"...??"
Uipoatl, who had been staring blankly at Tae-hyun's strike, was startled. Why was that bastard flying in his direction?
"Your Majesty! Help me!"
"Die, you absolute scoundrel!"
Nevuchadnezzar blocked the exploding bombs in front of him with darkness and prepared to strike Tae-hyun from behind. However, Tae-hyun swiftly ducked behind Uipoatl.
Nevuchadnezzar decided to eliminate Uipoatl first. Uipoatl was already a powerful warrior, and Tae-hyun's sudden, devastating strike had put Nevuchadnezzar on high alert.
The Demigod of Death, Nevuchadnezzar, is now wary of you!
The power of death grows even stronger.
"Authority of Death!"
A cheat-like curse that shaved off a set percentage of the target's HP, no questions asked. And the one who took the brunt of this curse was...
Uipoatl.
"Arghhhhh!"
Uipoatl groaned under the oppressive weight of the deathly energy.
"Your Majesty! Thank you!" Tae-hyun cheered.
"......"
Uipoatl was too busy trying to block the curse to even find the breath to curse him back.