A Shield Worthy of an Emperor

"I see. This is how it's done." Tae-hyun realized. What was the best shield in the world? A shield crafted by dwarves? A shield made from dragon scales? No. The correct answer was an Emperor Shield!

"Hang in there just a little longer, Yong-yong!"

Yong-yong was suffering immensely. They were near Nevuchadnezzar, where merely breathing inflicted damage. In this place, where the aura of death was overwhelmingly potent, the only mount capable of moving was a high-level divine beast like Yong-yong.

Yong-yong maneuvered frantically, circling around Nevuchadnezzar. Tae-hyun repeatedly approached Nevuchadnezzar, struck him, and then—whenever the lich attempted to counterattack with a massive spell—hid behind Uipoatl. Thanks to this, Uipoatl had been functioning as a meat shield ever since Tae-hyun arrived. Just as the emperor was about to recover his senses after taking a hit from Nevuchadnezzar, Tae-hyun would drag the aggro right back to him.

"Archisus's Charge! Yong-yong! Retreat! Behind the Emperor Shield!"

"Ugh, argh, cough... Urgh..."

"He really is incredibly sturdy!"

Tae-hyun could finally understand how Uipoatl had managed to hunt down dragons. Since he was that durable, it made sense that he could go toe-to-toe with dragons! His health couldn't regenerate right now, but what if it could?

If I had let him live, he would have been a truly dangerous threat.

Just the thought of an enraged Uipoatl running amok in the Atali Kingdom sent a shiver down his spine.

"We will help as well!"

"Wouldn't it be better for you guys to just block the incoming undead?"

Ignoring Tae-hyun's words, the paladins charged in unison. They had been deeply moved by the battle Tae-hyun was displaying!

*Whoosh!*

Wings sprouted from the backs of the white horses the paladins rode, and they soared into the sky. It was thanks to the blessings bestowed upon them by the priests.

Wow. I'm jealous.

The paladins of the Archisus Church had to go everywhere on foot!

By the way, can't I switch to the Spear of Karbanog? Tae-hyun asked Carbanog.

Even if an entity like Nevuchadnezzar would still be terrifying as a rabbit, it was bound to be better than leaving him as he was. At the very least, his magic would be sealed!

Ugh. Isn't that too much of a cheat? Just because they have 'god' in their title, they block every single skill.

*Look who's talking!*

Tae-hyun's complaints were not without reason. Several of the methods he would normally employ had been completely blocked.

"Paitos's Majestic Hammer!"

"In the name of the Hammer!"

Under normal circumstances, such a charge would have been blocked immediately, but Nevuchadnezzar was currently busy pummeling Uipoatl. The coordinated charge of the paladins reached right in front of Nevuchadnezzar. Nevuchadnezzar attempted to defend himself at the last second, but the paladins' charge possessed enough destructive power to crumble fortress walls.

"Tyrant's Command!"

Furthermore, they were receiving bonuses from Tae-hyun's tactical skill!

*Rumble! Crash!*

Nevuchadnezzar staggered violently as he sustained massive damage.

"It hit!!"

"It worked! Keep pouring on the attacks!"

"Wait, watch out for Uipoatl! Don't hit him!"

The players who had charged alongside them grew highly spirited and unleashed a barrage of attacks. Because there were so many of them, some even accidentally struck Uipoatl! Flustered, the players tried to halt their fire. However, Tae-hyun shouted,

"It's fine! You can shoot!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah! It doesn't matter!"

How kind of Tae-hyun to answer on Uipoatl's behalf! Gaining courage from his kindness, the players unleashed a relentless barrage. No matter how impregnable Nevuchadnezzar seemed, once his defenses were breached, he was pummeled mercilessly. Since so many players had been grinding their teeth in anticipation, countless attacks flew in succession. Although the individual damage wasn't massive, the constant disruption prevented him from casting spells, which was a huge advantage.

"Lee ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Se-yeon, have the mages attack with everything they've got!"

Tae-hyun ordered the artillery unit and sent a whisper to Lee Se-yeon. They had to push their advantage now!

"Hey. Are we really allowed to do this?"

"...Hmm..."

The members of the Midas Guild stood waiting in the fortress with conflicted expressions. Under normal circumstances, they should have been the ones leading this quest in a grand, flashy manner! They had planned to sweep through the warlocks beforehand and advertise, "We are stopping the resurrection of Nevuchadnezzar!"

But... the Lich they went to hunt actually turned out to be a good guy, nobody paid attention to them defeating the minor warlocks, and in the meantime, Tae-hyun had organized a massive expedition and set sail for the Asbian Empire...

For now, the Midas Guild members had joined the expedition. They were curious about what Tae-hyun was planning, and they couldn't just sit idly by.

And now, they had become part of the bloody battle unfolding at the fortress, fighting with everything they had. Normally, they would have complained, "Ah, why are we doing this? We just came to watch," but the atmosphere was far from allowing that.

The guild member had tried to act tough, only to get cornered and nearly burned at the stake! Because there were so many players gathered to defeat Nevuchadnezzar, none of their usual tricks worked. The prestigious treatment mages usually received? There was no such thing here. Do you know how many mages were present right now?!

It was one of two choices: help or die. The players were half-crazed with the thought of fighting Nevuchadnezzar, and if anyone said, "I'm not fighting," in front of them, they would likely be thrown straight into the moat.

"Mages, prepare. The target is Nevuchadnezzar. Whether it's cooperative magic or whatever, maximize your damage output!"

Lee Se-yeon gave instructions as she moved among the mages. The Midas Guild members pouted and grumbled.

"Why do we have to..."

They wanted to sabotage it! But if they did, they would surely die, right? The Midas Guild members sighed deeply. Things were turning out very differently from their original plan. At this rate, they were going to end up doing nothing but helping Tae-hyun!

"Ugh... seriously, why..."

Suddenly, the words of the guild members from the Guild Alliance came to mind.

"Ah, I told you not to get involved with him! It's always best to stay as far away as possible!"

As Nevuchadnezzar was momentarily cornered under the concentrated barrage of attacks, someone finally managed to catch their breath. It was none other than Uipoatl! The moment he got a breather, he gripped his spear and hurled it at Tae-hyun. Even if Nevuchadnezzar destroyed the Asbian Empire today, he was absolutely determined to take this bastard's head first!

"Your Majesty! You mustn't do this!"

"Silence!"

"Hmm. I didn't really hold much of a grudge against you, Your Majesty, but..."

Tae-hyun raised his hand. Instantly, the countless players surrounding them raised their weapons.

"Strike!"

"!"

The royal guard Uipoatl had brought along had long been decimated by Nevuchadnezzar. There was no one left near Uipoatl now. On the other hand, Tae-hyun was surrounded by a swarm of players he had brought with him. An overwhelming advantage! Furthermore, Tae-hyun had already identified Uipoatl's weaknesses while watching him fight.

"Archisus's Curse!"

Ugh. How annoying.

One guy was blocking the curse with his demigod status, and the other was blocking it with his overpowered gear. Tae-hyun didn't care. It would have been easier if the curse had landed, but he was already in an incredibly advantageous position!

"Your Majesty! I really had no intention of hunting you down!"

Even as he spoke, Tae-hyun lunged at Uipoatl. Since Nevuchadnezzar was currently being besieged, he planned to finish off Uipoatl first!

Tae-hyun's original plan was to take down both Uipoatl and Nevuchadnezzar. Although the order of events had shifted slightly, he was going to take him down now!

"Anyone who lands even a single hit on Uipoatl will receive a special treasure from the Archisus Church!"

"Waaaaah!"

The players, who were already fighting fiercely, completely lost their minds at Tae-hyun's words. What could the treasure be? It had to be something amazing!

Even though three or four players were logged out every time Uipoatl swung his spear, they did not back down. They just wanted to land a single strike!

"Die!"

"Emperor! Give us your head!"

Faced with dozens of incoming attacks, Uipoatl couldn't handle them all. Moreover, Tae-hyun exploited this situation brilliantly. He used his mask to change his face, hid among the players, and then suddenly leaped out to land critical hits! Tae-hyun's burst damage was on a completely different level. Even Uipoatl was horrified!

"Uipoatl! Today, I'm reaching the Master rank!"

In Tae-hyun's eyes, Uipoatl looked like a training dummy specifically designed to level up his swordsmanship. I'm going to hit you dozens of times today and reach the Master rank in Swordsmanship! Tae-hyun lunged forward, his eyes burning with determination. It was a display of courage that had completely discarded any sense of fear.

"You wretched, treacherous bastard! I'll tear you to shreds!"

Uipoatl roared, swinging his spear with his single remaining arm and obliterating his surroundings. His monstrous strength shattered the ground and sent players flying.

"Archisus's Blessing!"

Yet, every single time, Tae-hyun blocked the attacks flawlessly! With the robust support of the priests from various churches, combined with Tae-hyun's divine authorities activated at key moments...

*Whoosh—*

Ultimately, Uipoatl chose to flee. He had sensed a genuine threat to his life. To think that he, the great emperor, could actually die in this barren desert!

"Out of my way!"

*Boom! Crash!*

Uipoatl instantly cleared a path and attempted to escape. Of course, Tae-hyun was not about to just stand by and watch.

"Bring him back!"

"Slave's Chain!"

*Clank, clank, clank!*

Cain swiftly pulled Uipoatl right in front of him. When Uipoatl glared and tried to impale him, Cain rolled away frantically to dodge.

"Kim Tae-hyun! Now!"

"!"

Uipoatl didn't dare to strike and spun around. Was Kim Tae-hyun coming from behind?!

"Spear of Wrath!"

*Rumble! Crash!*

As Uipoatl unleashed his skill, the area behind him was completely devastated. Over a dozen players were logged out on the spot. However, Tae-hyun was not there.

Cain pumped his fist. He had successfully tricked him!

"You dare...?!"

"Kim Tae-hyun! For real this time, now!"

"You absolute piece of trash, playing your petty tricks until the very end—cough!"

Tae-hyun plunged his sword directly into Uipoatl's back, clinging to him. Although Uipoatl was several times stronger than standard boss monsters, his matchup against Tae-hyun was terrible. For starters, he was a warrior type rather than a mage. He had very few means of pinning down Tae-hyun, who possessed absurd evasion capabilities. Furthermore, due to his incomplete resurrection, his HP couldn't regenerate! Exposed to Tae-hyun's explosive burst damage, he was bound to fall into an increasingly disadvantageous position. On top of that, his royal guard had been wiped out by Nevuchadnezzar, and he himself had taken so many hits from the lich that his HP was now below 20%!

*Wait. What's wrong with my sword?*

Tae-hyun's weapon was the *Dae-man-bul-gang-geom*—the Roughly Made Unstable Steel Sword. Despite its humble name, it was a wicked, disposable sword that boasted terrifying burst damage! How many boss monsters and high-ranking players had lost their lives to this very blade? Yet, right now, the sword was emitting a dark, murky aura. Come to think of it, he recalled seeing a system message earlier about his equipped weapon changing when he stabbed Nevuchadnezzar.

*Did it get corrupted?*

*Just how low is it...*

Durability: 1/15.

Exactly 1 left! Tae-hyun hesitated. Should he use this to finish off Uipoatl, or should he save it for another occasion? Even though Tae-hyun barely suffered any durability loss thanks to his absurd Luck stat...!