Bad Fate (3)
“Ah, damn it! This bastard’s got some insane luck. If I’d been just a bit faster, I would’ve snagged it! But hey, Taemin-hyung, what’s the deal? Isn’t this guy a noob? Why’re you messing with a lowbie like that? You whispered me all urgent-like, so I rushed over thinking it was something big.”
“Nah, it’s nothing. Some punk who doesn’t know his place was yapping away, so I called him out. He saw the guild master right in our front yard and still had the balls to keep talking shit.”
“Whoa, this guy’s nuts? Totally clueless and mouthing off? And to you of all people...”
“Exactly, Chanyeong. You should’ve eaten him up proper—that would’ve been fun! That thing you missed? It was Raymond’s quest item.”
“What? For real? This Raymond who hands out unique accessories? Whoa! This noob didn’t look the part, but he was a total golden goblin! Ah... we had to snag that!”
I kept pounding Il Do Yang Dan with death blows while this guy lamented my quest item like it was his own lost treasure. His ID caught my eye: Hong Gil Dong.
Sure enough, he was a top-5 thief ranker and a core member of the Taeseong Guild—a super famous player.
And finally, the castle doors swung open as one more user stepped out, draped in an expensive-looking robe.
“Oppa Taemin, what’s going on? From what I saw, he looks like a solo player, not even from an enemy guild... You just attacked him on your word alone—is that okay? We’ve got the guild’s image to think about.”
“What’re you on about with this minor crap, Jisu? This happened because I was protecting the guild’s image. This punk disrespected not just me, but the whole guild first. You know I can’t let that slide.”
“I know, oppa, I know you can’t. But what if rumors spread? Taeyeon doesn’t have personal recording, but days like today draw crowds—gotta be careful.”
“A scrub like this spreading rumors? ...And why’re you suddenly playing the good guy? I whisper you one kill-on-sight token, and you come running. Keep that up, and oppa’s gonna feel hurt.”
“Oppa! You know damn well I’m hurting for kill-on-sight tokens right now—why say that? Wanna spark a civil war in Taeseong for old times’ sake?”
The latecomer yelling her head off was none other than the famous female ranker Hong Dang Mu.
I’d confirmed no one was around, so I wondered where that magic came from—it was a sniper shot from the rooftop blind spot.
“Haha! Alright, alright, I’ll drop it. Anyway, teach that punk some manners in-game. Pretty face like that, but why’s he gotta be such a rabid dog? No one’d ever guess he games that hardcore looking like that.”
“Again with the nonsense! Cut the jokes, oppas—get inside already. Taehu-oppa’s coronation’s starting soon. We gotta be there before the broadcast kicks off!”
This was a heart-stopping near-miss that almost stole my lifetime stroke of luck.
Yet these bastards were already laughing it off, cracking jokes like nothing happened.
Treating me like I didn’t exist, completely ignoring the guy right in front of them.
“Before that, we gotta properly smash this fucker first. Didn’t get the quest item, but killing him’ll at least drop some junk—might cool me off.”
But as expected, Il Do Yang Dan was the type to hold a grudge. He raised his sword and slowly advanced on me.
Seeing that, I couldn’t hold back my rage anymore and shouted.
“Jokes? This whole thing was a joke to you? What the hell did I ever do to you bastards?!”
“Oh-ho, listen to this punk. Blame that arrogant mouth of yours.”
“Goddamn it... I tried playing nice, but you Taeseong fucks are all the same—total dogshit!!”
This bastard was straight-up insane; nothing but curses came to mind. Even if it was just their crew here, wearing the Taeseong guild mark while playing this no-mannered? And from the looks of it, the rest were cut from the same cloth.
Anyway, slim chance or not, dying here could drop my premium healing potion.
Rage was rage, but items were items. I spat curses while my mind raced for an escape plan.
Even if it means getting kill-on-sighted, I gotta bail from here first. Which way? Shadow Step on who?
I’d just targeted the axe warrior blocking the door when a deep, heavy baritone boomed from inside.
“What’s all this commotion? Gil Dong bolted out, so I followed... and what, another mess?”
“T-Taehu-hyung! No, the coronation’s about to start—why’d you come all the way out here...?”
A voice that dominated the space despite its moderate volume. And gear so flashy it dazzled the eyes.
First time meeting in-game, but of course I knew who it was.
Taeyeon’s most famous player—and my family’s sworn enemy. The star of today’s coronation: Darius.
“Taemin, even today you can’t stay out of trouble. If it weren’t for Aunt... Never mind. Explain what happened. Make me understand why you’re causing a scene here, with broadcast staff nearby.”
“Scene? Nah, hyung. We spotted this guy planning to crash the coronation and nipped it early. Right, guys? Tell hyung-nim! That’s what happened, yeah?”
“Yes, Guild Master. Il Do Yang Dan was just stopping this thief from forcing through the controlled door. We tried talking nice, but he wouldn’t listen—if not for him, we’d have been in trouble too.”
Il Do Yang Dan and the axe warrior seamlessly painted me as the troublemaker, like they’d rehearsed it.
“What bullshit is this?!”
I couldn’t just stand there and take it.
“Park Tae... I mean, Darius-nim! I just came to clear Raymond’s quest. They blocked me hard, so I gave up to leave—then these three Taeseong members threatened kill-on-sight and tried stealing my 10-million-won item!”
Darius’s sudden arrival could defuse this in seconds.
Even if I escaped, a kill-on-sight order meant ditching my leveled character.
But my hopes were just naive delusions.
“That’s enough, thief. I don’t care what went down here. Don’t have the time to meddle. Handle it yourselves.”
Ice-cold eyes. He hadn’t customized his looks, so his real face from back then stared back unchanged.
I’d tweaked mine at creation and wore a mask, so he had no clue who I was.
“What...? Didn’t your Taeseong guild bully a regular player?!”
“And stop mentioning Taeseong in my presence. Every user who’s mouthed off about us in front of me? Not one’s still playing intact.”
“No, Darius-nim, hear me out! Your guild tried robbing my item! They were gonna kill an innocent guy and even threatened kill-on-sight!”
“Think there’s any way to steal items besides killing for drops? You’re alive and well, yet spouting nonsense. No time—or value—in listening. We’re done.”
“Wait, at least call off the kill-on-sight...”
“Ha, you?”
As I begged to block just the kill-on-sight, Darius turned from the door with disbelief.
“...Huh?”
“You’re deep in delusion. Who’d waste a kill-on-sight on a scrub like you? Taeseong’s too busy for that.”
“A scrub...?”
“Taemin! Inside, now. We’ll talk after the coronation. Hong Dang Mu, Hong Gil Dong—follow!”
“Yes.”
“Yessir, Your Majesty!”
Like I wasn’t worth another word, Darius cut me off and herded his crew inside.
Ha! So this is rank 1, chaebol heir life?
Too precious to waste words on a nobody like me?
Threaten kill-on-sight on weaklings like me for fun, but not worth actually doing?
Darius—no, Park Taehu... You know exactly what Il Do Yang Dan’s like, yet you won’t even hear me out?
That old threat must’ve been your orders too.
You’ve always been a bastard!
“Hey, you motherfuckers!!”
After treatment like that, I couldn’t hold back even in a game.
Kill-on-sight or rank 1—didn’t matter anymore.
“Why’s that fucker yelling again? Who’s he cursing in front of? What a rare breed of psycho.”
My roar drew stares from distant players too.
Il Do Yang Dan, about to vanish inside, froze and turned.
“Look at you all, so high and mighty... One quick in-game meet, and I see what trash you are—bottom-feeders your whole lives.”
“You lost it? Get lost already! Scram!”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll scram nice and quiet. But remember: next time I show up, you’ll regret today to your bones...”
“Kukuku, what’s this guy on? Kill-on-sight’ll make him quit—how’s he gonna do shit to us?”
“You lot! And Taeseong!”
Ignoring Il Do Yang Dan, I locked eyes with Darius’s bored glare and bellowed.
“I’ll tear it all down! Rank 1, first nation guild—don’t care! I’ll wipe you all out. Why bother talking to trash like me? Only war left!”
“Kukuku, hahaha! Sure, can’t wait. Ooh, not scared! Why do scrubs always ‘we’ll see’ and bail? Lowlifes got a pact or what? Kuhahaha!”
Il Do Yang Dan roared with laughter and headed inside.
“Poor noob. No skill, all attitude—ends up pathetic. Gotta grind levels and remember that.”
“Oppa Gil Dong, don’t say it so loud! Whisper it borderline!”
His crew tossed mocking barbs as they followed.
Darius, at the rear, glared till they passed, then turned like I wasn’t worth it and went last.
You... hesitated killing me for a sec, then decided I wasn’t worth it, right?
They left, leaving me with unforgettable humiliation, rage, and my first burning thirst for success.
“Hey! Thief-nim!”
As I glared daggers at the doors, one of the second-string guilders blocking the way—a shield knight—approached.
“...Me?”
“Yeah, you. You okay? Don’t take it too hard. Life’s got ups and downs, right?”
“...”
Pitying my silent stance, the shield knight tried again.
“Just let it roll off. Not sure of details, but that guy gets picked on plenty too.”
“Yeon Woo-nim! You’re talking too much—know that? Even if you’re bored, send randos packing quietly.”
The axe warrior nearby cut in. The more I looked, the uglier his mug got.
“Got it, I’ll stop. Anyway, that crew’s always so arrogant—grumblings from the bottom ranks. But what can you do? Top rankers with real-life royal family ties; we all just serve ’em... So don’t mope—chin up. It’s just a game, yeah?”
“Just... Yeah, just a game...”
“Right? Sudden bad luck sucks, but you got out unscathed—call it a win? Chin up, thief-nim.”
Her earnest comfort cooled my boiling rage a bit.
I steeled myself and thanked the full-plate-helmeted shield knight named Yeon Woo.
“Yeah, got it. No point sticking around—it’s just hurting me. Learned Taeseong’s worse than I thought late, but seeing you... not all bad. Doesn’t change my resolve, though... Anyway, I’m out. Thanks for your work.”
“Ah! We’re actually a sub-alliance guild—not strictly Taeseong. Leaving now? No operator blessing?”
“Huh? Blessing?”