A Flawless Logic
The rankers who had just returned from their ordeal felt their blood pressure rising.
Shouldn't these guys be on our side after getting wrecked like that?
Are they seriously crazy?
Is this Stockholm Syndrome?
Honestly, the rankers who had originally belonged to the Guild Alliance expected their former guildmates to take their side. After all, weren't they the ones who had suffered the most at Kim Tae-hyun's hands? Yet here they were, defending him. It was an utterly incomprehensible phenomenon!
"Our main enemy is the Guild Alliance! You all know the territory war is still raging, right?"
If it weren't for the Nevuchadnezzar quest, everyone's attention would have been focused on the Auston Kingdom. A fierce territory war! The two giant guilds were clashing spectacularly.
The rising powerhouse, the Midas Guild! And the not-yet-dead Guild Alliance!
Both factions were scraping the bottom of their barrels, mobilizing every ounce of strength they had. It was a seesaw battle where one side would capture a fortress, and the other would seize a village. Since their forces were evenly matched, the war was dragging on.
From mercenary NPCs to PK players looking to level up, it was a chaotic melting pot where everyone gathered. In the midst of this, picking a fight with Tae-hyun, who ruled the kingdom right below them? It was suicide. Even now, they were practically begging on their knees just to buy a few bombs...
"Ugh...!"
The logic was so flawless they couldn't even argue. The beaten-up rankers groaned.
"Whew. Even we have to admit, our logic is just too perfect."
"Well, we've always been level-headed."
Because of this, the standing of the former Guild Alliance members rose. They had been right all along about not getting involved with Tae-hyun!
"That's true. Getting tangled up with Kim Tae-hyun right now makes no sense. We're too busy fighting the Guild Alliance anyway."
"Yeah. The territory war is way more important."
"Do you know our channel's viewer count jumped fivefold after the Nevuchadnezzar quest ended? Argh, if it weren't for Kim Tae-hyun, we would've made so much more money..."
Even if they didn't win the territory war, it brought in massive amounts of cash. Public attention! Attention was money. Once the Nevuchadnezzar quest wrapped up, people turned their eyes back to the Auston Kingdom's territory war, bringing in a staggering number of viewers. Investors were thrilled, advertisers were thrilled, the Midas Guild was thrilled—everyone was happy! Thanks to that, even though the territory war dragged on, they could keep fighting without stopping. As long as they fought, money rolled in. It was only natural.
"Right. Let's focus on the territory war for now. You know we need to make it as dramatic and suspenseful as possible, right? One epic shot of the war is pure gold."
"But guys."
"...?"
The Guild Alliance rankers raised their hands. Everyone turned to look.
"Do you really think Kim Tae-hyun is just going to sit still?"
"...???"
"Why wouldn't he...? Didn't we make peace?"
Could you really call that making peace?
Kneeling with signs around their necks and hands in the air—was that peace?
"You naive fools! Jung Jun and I are Kim Tae-hyun experts. We can predict exactly how he'll act."
"What do you mean, experts?"
"Kim Tae-hyun will definitely strike first. Especially when we're least prepared to react! Which means, right about..."
"He's going to backstab us in the territory war?!"
The other rankers gasped in horror. If a burst-damage dealer like Kim Tae-hyun became their enemy, it would be a nightmare for the mages. One hit, and they'd be dead.
"We know because we've been there. He's definitely coming. He might even be on his way right now. He disappeared from his fortress, didn't he? Where else would he be heading?"
The correct answer was: to the far-off desert!
But the rankers fell into a panic.
"We need a countermeasure...!"
"Kim Tae-hyun experts! Is there any good way?"
The nickname had stuck before they knew it. It was meant as a joke, but being called that in earnest was a bit embarrassing.
"Just send the guys who caused the trouble to apologize again."
"......"
"You son of a—"
"Let's do that!"
"For the territory war!"
"For the greater good! For the money!"
"My friend. You know how many sponsorships we have, right? If we get wiped out in the territory war, our ad revenue will be cut in half."
"......"
The faces of the rankers who had just returned from their ordeal turned deathly pale.
"This is complacent! Complacent! Utterly, incredibly complacent!"
The goblins shrieked, pointing their fingers. Tae-hyun and his party were taken aback.
"Why...?"
"What did we do wrong?"
"If you go in with that gear, you will die! It is laughably inadequate! Take off all your metal equipment! The desert heat will cook you alive."
"I have Sadiq's authority, so I'm fine."
—Karreung.
"I have this rabbit, so I think I'll be fine too," Da-bi said.
Tae-hyun had Sadiq's authority, and Da-bi had the overpowered Towang-i perched on her shoulder.
"My gear is leather, so I'm fine," Ji-soo said. As an archer, she didn't wear metal armor anyway.
"I wear cloth gear, so..." Su-hyeok added.
"I have leather gear too," Sang-yun said.
So, who was left?
"...But... heavy armor is my life..."
The tank, Cain!
"Take it off, idiot. Do you want to burn to death?"
"How is a tank supposed to survive without heavy armor?!"
"It's about time you learned some proper control. Think of it as training before the Arena League starts. Let's fight bare-bodied."
"......"
Cain stripped off his armor in despair.
Your physical defense has plummeted...
Your health has decreased...
...
...
Anyway, you have become incredibly weak!
"...Waaah!"
"You have a shield. Block with that."
"You're the only one who can pull off crazy stunts like that! How am I supposed to do it?!"
Cain wrapped himself in layers of cloth and fell into deep despair. His physical defense probably wasn't even 10 right now! Seeing this, Tae-hyun felt a slight twinge of pity. Lately, Cain's shoulders had been looking rather narrow.
"Cain."
"?"
"Wear this."
◈ [Equip Requirement] None (Time limit of 6 hours applies to non-Dragon Slayers)
◈ [Special Effect] Grants defense comparable to high-tier heavy armor while remaining light as silk.
◈ [Warning] Equipping this item increases the probability of attracting a dragon attack.
"Sniff... What is this... Wh-Whoa?!"
An incredible legendary-grade item that could be traded for a building if put on the auction house! With this, he wouldn't even need heavy armor!
"C-C-Can I really wear this?"
"Yeah. But you don't have the Dragon Slayer achievement, right? If you don't, there's probably a time limit when you equip it."
"Hmm... It says six hours."
"That's more than enough time for combat. Keep it off normally, and put it on when a fight breaks out."
"Okay!!"
Cain nodded, tearing up. His eyes were filled with absolute loyalty.
That guy is going to get scammed so easily in life... Sang-yun thought to himself.
Treat him like dirt ten times, do one nice thing, and look how touched he gets!
"Uh, Tae-hyun. But this... it says there's a chance of attracting a dragon attack when equipped?"
"What are the odds of that actually happening?"
"Right? Hahaha!"
Carbanog mutters that he has no idea why, but he feels an incredibly ominous premonition.
Especially since a slave was wearing it!
Hmm. I want to quickly craft the damaged robe. But my tailoring skill is unfortunately lacking... How embarrassing.
Carbanog asks what on earth you have to be embarrassed about.
Not having leveled up my tailoring skill.
......
"By the way, goblins, is there a skilled tailor in the Underground Alliance?"
"There is a goblin who once tailored the Emperor's clothes, but..."
"!!!!!!"
"What does a goblin know about tailoring? Goblins are all about engineering."
"Exactly, exactly. He's a very strange old goblin."
The goblins mocked the tailor goblin. At this, Tae-hyun flared up.
"Hey! You shouldn't say that!"
"Wh-Why not...?!"
The Emperor's clothes... Perfect!
He was guaranteed to have a master-tier tailoring skill, and maybe even a legendary-tier one! This was the Emperor Premium!
"Ah. Are there any other goblins who used to work for the Emperor?"
Tae-hyun's eyes sparkled. Being former slaves of the Empire meant they had a diverse pool of skilled craftsmen. Even slaves differed in class depending on whom they served. Just like Cain, the *Avatar of Archisus's Slave*.
If they were the Emperor's personal slaves...
"Ah. The Emperor's..."
"!!"
There's more!
"...There is a jeweler goblin who used to make the Emperor's toilet bowls. He's a magnificent blacksmith. We all respect him..."
"...Never mind him."
"Why?!"
—It's hot, Master!
—It is hot!
—Karreung!
—I think I'll go back into the ring...
🔥 An oppressive, suffocating heat rises from the earth.
🏜 The endless sands absorb and radiate intense thermal energy.
☀️ Magic-infused sunlight beats down relentlessly from above.
✨ Your reputation has increased significantly!
The Desert of No Return. It was one of the unexplored lands of Pan-On that only a few explorers had dared to challenge since the Asbian Empire opened.
If Frozeland, where Galakpad almost died while searching for his authority, was a land of ice, the Desert of No Return was a land of sand and heat! The Asbian Empire was already mostly desert, but this outer desert was on a completely different level. An extreme region with no towns or oases along the way!
"Why would anyone come to a place like this...?"
"That way, the Emperor can't chase us, right?"
"Logical."
Tae-hyun looked at Yong-yong and Heuk-heuk and asked, "Only one of you should stay out. Otherwise, both of your stamina will drain."
—!!
—!!!
—How shall we decide?
"Dice?"
—No! That's too advantageous for Yong-yong!
"Hmm... Then what?"
—Hehe, how about seeing who can spit fire the highest?
"......"
—......
"Heuk-heuk stays out, Yong-yong goes back in."
—Why?!
Heuk-heuk, who had tried to pull a fast one, ended up being the one left outside. Tae-hyun picked him up.
—Master, can't we just fly?
"I told you, we can't."
The Underground Alliance goblins had adamantly warned against it.
"The sky of the great desert may look empty, but it is extremely dangerous. It is crawling with giant flying monsters that target anything that flies!"
But wouldn't it be better to just fight the monsters while flying? Tae-hyun thought.
That was how hot and miserable it was. Since Pan-On was a fully immersive virtual reality game, the suffering was all too real. They were playing a game to have fun, but it felt like running on a treadmill inside a sauna!
Tae-hyun was used to this kind of harsh training, but the others were not.
"Archisus's Chill Shield, Archisus's Chill Shield, Archisus's Chill Shield... huff, puff."
Su-hyeok cast defensive spells on himself, but the heat was so intense that the effect was weak.
The magic-infused heat of the great desert breaks down the ice magic.
The oppressive heat overwhelms your spell defenses...
Insane heat!
—By the way, Master. If we aren't flying... can't I just go back inside too?
Heuk-heuk asked, realizing something was off. Couldn't he just be summoned when a battle started?
"Ah. I have a plan for you. Grow a bit bigger."
—???
Heuk-heuk expanded his size. Tae-hyun grabbed him and placed him over his head. Immediately, his massive body cast a wide shadow.
"Much better."
A dragon parasol!
—......Master!!!
"Ah, sorry. I had no choice."
"Wow, it's so much better without the direct sunlight."
"Heuk-heuk is amazing!"
"Behold the power of a dragon!"
—......
It was Heuk-heuk's first time feeling miserable despite being showered with compliments.
Rumble—
A noise echoed from beneath the earth.
"What's that? A monster?"
It would be stranger if enemies didn't appear in a desert. Tae-hyun gripped his weapon and prepared for battle. The goblins nodded.
"It's a Giant Sandworm. They are pesky creatures that detect vibrations underground and pop up to attack."
"I should wear the Emperor's Shirt!"
Cain excitedly pulled out the shirt. He had been dying to try it on. A luxury item among luxury items!
I'll take a picture first, then post it on the Team KL channel to brag.
Everyone, look at my awesome shirt!
"Cain, wear it later. I don't think this is going to be that dangerous."
"I-It might be dangerous..."
"To a hero like His Majesty, it won't be dangerous at all," the goblins chimed in immediately.
Cain slumped.
"You should practice fighting bare-bodied at times like this. Just taking hits because you're a tank is foolish."
"Wait, a tank's job is literally to take hits, what are you..."
"If you kill or subdue the enemy first, you don't have to take hits."
"......"
Cain felt his common sense completely evaporate. If he could do that, why would he be a tank?!