A Dogged Determination to Reform

"A piece of—?"

"A... peace of mind! Yes, it's a relief there's a way to improve... hohoho."

Reason won out. Suana barely managed to suppress her instincts and successfully changed the subject.

I'm amazing! I did so well! She was practically in awe of herself. Beside her, Johansson nodded.

"Well, it's true we didn't ask."

"Hohoho... die."

"?!"

Suana's murderous intent flared at his single comment! Johansson panicked.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Just die."

"?!"

While the two growled at each other, Tae-hyun pondered how to conquer this abandoned land.

The Shadow Elves' racial traits are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a bit tricky, but fortunately, my compatibility with them is excellent. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Nothing to worry about too much.

Having an entire race capable of stealth was undoubtedly a powerful ability, but it paled in comparison to Tae-hyun. His combination of various skills and his absurd Luck stat instantly broke their stealth!

The real issue is if they target them when I'm not around, but we just have to be careful about that... Still, the Shadow Elves' base levels seem quite high. Can we win in an all-out war?

They had successfully repelled the recent raid, but that was essentially a counter-ambush. They had lured the Shadow Elves into a trap! From their stealth suddenly breaking to various debuffs and being surrounded, the Shadow Elves had no choice but to retreat in panic.

But what if they fought head-on without those advantages? As a race that survived in the Demon Realm, they would definitely not be easy opponents.

We'll clash a few times, and if it really doesn't work out, we'll just hole up in the fortress and hold the line. Tae-hyun organized his thoughts.

"Forward."

Step, step, step!

"Backward."

Step, step, step!

"Up to number three, fall back to the left. From number four onward, step forward and tank."

Step, step, step!

"Isn't that too slow?"

"..."

"..."

The rankers were dumbfounded.

Just how much is he expecting from us?

It hasn't even been that long since we teamed up...

Tae-hyun was currently gathering the rankers to practice basic coordination. Of course, getting rankers to coordinate was an incredibly difficult task. Skill wasn't the issue. The issue was their personalities!

"Step forward! Ah, I told you I'm the DPS!"

"Are you kidding me? I should be the DPS, why you? What's your total damage output anyway?"

"Guys, don't fight! You're both trash! I'll do the DPS!"

Rankers were fundamentally selfish people. Usually, a party consisted of one ranker and a support crew. A party made up of multiple rankers was bound to clash.

"Tae-hyun... is it okay to leave them like that?"

"Haha, it's fine. I don't expect much from them anyway."

What Tae-hyun expected was merely the level of following basic commands. That was why he had been ordering them around just now. Teamwork? Moving in perfect sync with just a glance? He didn't expect that at all!

Since they're rankers, their basic skills are solid, and they should have the ability to survive while looking out for themselves. They just need to tie down the enemies.

The rankers were fighting over who would tank and who would DPS, but in reality, they were all tanks. While they held the enemies back, Tae-hyun's group would deal the real damage!

"Alright, stop fighting and move!" Tae-hyun shouted. Of course, the rankers ignored him and kept bickering.

"Wanna duel?! Huh? Wanna plant a flag?!"

"Oh, look at you! You were shaking in your boots in front of Kim Tae-hyun, but now you act like some master duelist!"

"That's why both of you should tank..."

"Hmm." Tae-hyun pulled out a bomb. And threw it.

"Aaaaargh!"

"What the heck?!"

The rankers scrambled away in sheer terror. Tae-hyun didn't even blink as he spoke.

"Move out, you idiots."

"..."

What a devil!

No, he's worse than a devil!

"Enemy spotted!"

A rogue ranker who had gone scouting returned after spotting a Shadow Elf. Being a ranker, he had the skill to see through the Shadow Elf's stealth.

"How many?"

"Three."

Too few. Suspicious. Tae-hyun immediately grew suspicious upon hearing this. But it doesn't matter.

"Good. Let's take them down. Rankers! Show me what you've got!"

"Just watch!"

"Kim Tae-hyun, I might look like this, but ever since Pan-On 1..."

"Ah, cut the chatter and just go already!"

The rankers rushed forward. Though they wouldn't admit it, they were a bit excited.

This is our chance to show off our skills in front of Kim Tae-hyun!

Despite all the talk, Tae-hyun was always counted among the top players in Pan-On. His name had been famous since the early days of Pan-On, and now, after his exploits in countless quests, taking on massive guilds single-handedly, and achieving great results in tournaments, his reputation was beyond dispute. He was truly a ranker among rankers!

The rankers here were famous in their own right, but compared to Tae-hyun, they were like fireflies before a full moon. It was only natural for them to feel envious and full of admiration.

I want to show Kim Tae-hyun what I'm made of! I want to show him who I am!

Oh my god, what if I do so well that I get scouted by Team KL?

Charge, charge, charge, charge, charge...

Like students given a chance to show off their skills in front of a professor, the rankers' eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Get them!"

—!!

True to their elven heritage, the Shadow Elves possessed incredible archery skills. They drew bows crafted from the wood of the Demon Realm and loosed arrows that roared like magical cannons. Swoooosh! But it didn't matter as long as they didn't get hit. The rankers charged with fire in their eyes.

The momentarily flustered elven scout suddenly sneered coldly.

"?!"

—Screeeech!

Invisible wyverns! The rogue ranker had only scanned the ground for stealth and hadn't expected them to be cloaked high up in the sky.

That invisibility ability is quite tempting. Tae-hyun licked his lips. It was an ability that would suit Yong-yong, Heuk-heuk, or Golgol-i much better than himself. If he cast it on Yong-yong to make him an invisible dragon, they could sneak up from behind and launch a surprise attack...

Don't worry. I expected all of this. To be precise, he hadn't predicted the wyverns specifically. He had just found it strange that there were only three enemies. The higher the level and the more organized they were, the smarter the NPC AI became. A tribe surviving in the Demon Realm could never be so complacent.

Tae-hyun's group were the only ones here with experience in the Demon Realm! The other rankers had only heard rumors of the Demon Realm and reacted as if they were still on the continent. Of course, the Demon Realm was not so forgiving.

Thud!

"Urgh! Savage Shout! Ancestral Bloodline! Furious Rage!"

"Acaplas's Blindness! Janen Dagger Mastery!"

The wyverns suddenly swooped down from above, but the rankers stood their ground without retreating. They showed a level of grit that even slightly surprised Tae-hyun!

Why are they acting so out of character? Tae-hyun had planned to step in once the rankers started scattering and retreating, but they were actually holding their ground and maintaining their formation. It was an awkward sight!

"Yong-yong, Heuk-heuk! Go block them!" Tae-hyun sent his two dragons to keep the wyverns in check. The Shadow Elves were already high-level, and if the wyverns attacked from above as well, things would get messy.

"Archisus Artillery, advance! Fire at will!"

At Tae-hyun's command, the 4th Prince's knights and soldiers panicked.

"But there are adventurers over there!"

"I see. Archisus Artillery, advance! Fire at will!"

"?!?!??!"

Wasn't there something incredibly wrong with that exchange? Regardless of the knights' and soldiers' panic, the artillery unit excitedly prepared their attack.

The dwarves extracted hellish mana from the evolved demon cages and loaded it into the cannons, followed by Engineering bombs. The giants escorting the artillery unit also hoisted cannons onto their shoulders and loaded bombs.

— I have no cannon. No cannon. Lend me one.

— No. You broke yours. Throw them with your hands.

— *Sob*... I don't want to throw them with my hands.

The giants without cannons simply threw the bombs with their bare hands. The absurd part was that because their Strength stat was so high, the thrown bombs were incredibly powerful! And then, the barrage began.

— Archisus's Blessing!

Tae-hyun cast Archisus's Blessing. The synergy between the skill and his stats was excellent. The artillery's critical hit rate and attack power surged, while simultaneously ensuring his allies took no damage!

We have to end this quickly. Shadow Elves were the type to move swiftly, infiltrate friendly lines, and force chaotic close-quarters combat. As enemies, they were highly annoying. Highly intelligent NPCs who attacked aggressively and employed various tactics were a player's worst nightmare.

Such a tribe, combined with high combat power, was truly formidable. Although the battle seemed balanced for now, Tae-hyun assessed the situation calmly.

The Shadow Elves are clever. If they're losing a one-on-one fight, they immediately retreat and reposition. They're different from other NPCs or monsters. They weren't like enemies who kept charging even when at a disadvantage. That was why the rankers couldn't finish them off quickly and the fight was dragging on. There was no benefit in a prolonged battle in enemy territory! Having made his decision, Tae-hyun boldly deployed his Authority to end the fight. His judgment was spot on.

Boom! Boom! Crash! Crash!

The ground was plowed up as if masters of the Magic Tower were conducting an aerial bombardment! The rankers were terrified as the world before them suddenly flashed with blinding light, accompanied by deafening explosions. Even though they knew they could evade the damage, it was pure terror!

Kim Tae-hyun, you absolute madman!

No matter how safe we are, this is too much!

As they wiped out the group, a cascade of system messages flooded in. Various items were a bonus!

The item itself is average, but because the level requirement is so high, the stats are incredibly strong. Tae-hyun checked the item's specifications. It was good enough to wear right now.

I could also dismantle it for materials and take them to Zarkeme to craft something new...

The other items were bows and metal armor. Although their levels were high, they were slightly lacking for rankers to use. However, Johansson gathered them up and put them on with a look of absolute fortune. Seeing this, the other rankers looked at him with pity.

How did Johansson end up like that...

He looks like a total beggar.

Lee Da-bi watched this and was impressed. "Should we invite him to join the Power Warrior Guild?"

"Let's not. He might ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠actually cry."

No matter how desperate Johansson was, asking him to join the Power Warrior Guild might make him weep from sorrow! Although it wasn't what the rankers had expected, the battle was over. The rankers felt a lingering sense of awkwardness, as if something was left unresolved.

I wanted to show off my skills, but this didn't even count as showing off...

More importantly, is hunting like this normal?

No matter how many times they saw it, they couldn't get used to this bizarre hunting style! For rankers who were only accustomed to hunts where they were the main stars, this method was incredibly awkward. Yet, it wasn't as if Kim Tae-hyun had done anything wrong or team-killed them, so they had nothing to say. It was a highly ambiguous, uncomfortable feeling! But this kind of hunting had only just begun.