Hidden Cards and the Provocation
Slowdown poison, which slowed movements.
Hallucination poison, which induced visions.
Weakening paralysis, which partially reduced physical abilities.
Bleeding Tears, which caused continuous bleeding.
Used in the right places, these alone could easily bring down monsters.
Of course, they were quite expensive, so he couldn't use them indiscriminately.
Moreover, while they worked great on monsters, they weren't as effective on users.
They could be blocked with a shield, and even if used cleverly, a priest over level 100 could detoxify them with a Cure skill.
That was why Mu-hyuk had created something new.
Confusion Potion and Fog Potion.
Since these were potions, not poisons, priests' Cure couldn't neutralize them.
A level 150 priest's Debuff Cancel would be different, but for now, no priest had learned that skill, so he could rule it out.
The top priest was only level 121.
Mu-hyuk decided not to release information about the Confusion Potion and Fog Potion.
He had plenty of funds.
More importantly, PK incidents had become more frequent lately.
To secure a definite victory against them, he needed an ace up his sleeve that others didn't know about.
Now that information about the Gangster Necromancer was starting to spread bit by bit, these two potions he was crafting would be that trump card.
Confusion Potion (Bulk)
He plunged his hand into the cauldron and pulled out what he felt.
It was a small pouch.
He stored the pouch in his inventory and added materials for the Fog Potion.
It would take quite a long time again, so he couldn't just wait idly.
This time, as before, he pulled out disposable crafting tools and passed the time making gear.
He didn't notice the message pop up.
He was in a state of extreme focus, swinging the hammer and aligning the grain.
One, two, three.
Before he knew it, he'd made over ten pieces of gear.
Still, he didn't stop.
Clang!
He swung and swung again.
Grain aligned.
Progress (5.1%) has increased.
Bonus Progress (0.7%) has increased.
Progress rose rapidly.
At that moment.
Grain perfectly aligned.
The long-absent message appeared, breaking Mu-hyuk's concentration.
"Ah..."
With regret, he looked down at what he'd made.
An armor.
He checked its stats.
◈ Defense +20
◈ Magic Defense +25
◈ All Stats +5
◈ Additional Defense +10
◈ Durability 300/300
Mu-hyuk's eyes wavered.
"Whoa."
It was the highest-grade armor without usage restrictions, something he hadn't seen in ages.
But his excitement was brief. He quickly compared it to the armor he was wearing.
◈ Defense +25
◈ Vitality +8
◈ Additional Defense +15
◈ Movement Speed +5%
◈ Durability 320/320
◈ Usage Restriction: Strength 45, Vitality 40
It was hard to choose which was better outright.
Passion's Armor had magic defense and +5 to all stats, but Blasting Steel Armor had higher base and additional defense, plus 5% movement speed.
But Mu-hyuk chose easily.
All stats.
It would benefit his summons more.
Sell this one.
He decided to sell the Blasting Steel Armor.
He listed it on the auction house with a 72-hour bidding format, then equipped the newly crafted Passion's Armor.
Only then did Mu-hyuk check the piled-up messages.
"Huh?"
The Repair skill had leveled up.
Hoo.
Plus, quite some time had passed.
Almost done.
Now he rested while waiting. Soon, the awaited message appeared.
Fog Potion (Bulk)
He plunged his hand into the cauldron and pulled out what he felt.
A small pouch.
He stored it in his inventory and left the alchemy guild.
Now he could rest a bit.
All urgent tasks were done.
Logout.
After exiting Illusion, Mu-hyuk visited his family for the first time in a while.
The next day.
Rudolph logged into Illusion from morning and waited in front of the Weibra Empire's mercenary guild with 150 heavily armed guildmates who were available.
"Guild master."
"What?"
"Do we really have to go this far?"
"No choice."
"Tch, what the hell item is it..."
"You don't need to know."
Rudolph answered curtly in a foul mood.
Betrayal from these guys?
He never even considered it.
Out of trust?
No, they were obsessed with killing users.
They were the overwhelmingly largest PK guild, and that's how they'd committed countless PKs without major issues, still enjoying Illusion.
The moment they left this massive shield of a guild, they'd become targets for countless vengeful users.
Knowing that, they could never leave the guild.
"Just a bit longer."
But it wasn't just a bit.
Even after waiting a long time, Mu-hyuk didn't show.
"Shit..."
A curse slipped out.
"Guild master..."
"When the hell..."
"Argh, I don't know!"
It was already past 12 PM real time.
"Damn it, go eat or something!"
"..."
They all logged out silently.
"Fucking bastard."
Rudolph decided to wait till the end.
Let's see who wins.
Time passed, and guildmates logged back in one by one.
Mu-hyuk still didn't appear, and they ended up staring at the encroaching darkness.
"Already evening."
"Sigh."
As patience hit rock bottom.
Thud.
He finally appeared.
Rudolph jumped up from sitting and approached Mu-hyuk.
His face twisted in fearsome rage.
"You messing with me right now?"
"Hm?"
"We've been waiting since morning, and you show up now?"
Mu-hyuk tilted his head.
"I never said I'd come in the morning."
"Wh-what...?"
"Did I set a time?"
"..."
Of course, no time was set.
"So I did nothing wrong?"
"You idiot?"
"What?"
"Did I tell you to wait first? If no time's set, rotate one by one for 30 minutes each. That hard?"
Mu-hyuk was right, which only pissed him off more.
Still, he swallowed it down.
One goal only.
"Whatever. You're here, so hand over the arrows."
"After you pass the test."
Rudolph's eyes rolled back.
"You really... kidding me?"
"Yeah."
"You fucker, kill him!"
Before Rudolph's order, guildmates moved. They'd already surrounded Mu-hyuk and drawn weapons.
About to vent their boiling frustration from waiting, Mu-hyuk smiled and spoke.
"This is the empire."
PK in the empire brings guards.
Very quickly.
And straight to jail.
No escape.
So even surrounding him, they hesitated to attack.
"Follow me."
Mu-hyuk led the way.
Out of Weibra Empire to a hunting ground.
There, no guards for user fights.
What guts. Rudolph had over 150 guildmates.
"Come at me."
Not stopping there, Mu-hyuk even provoked them.
They laughed in disbelief, but the appearance of skeletons wiped their smiles.
Over 80 skeletons' pressure wasn't easy to ignore.
"This is the test. Beat me, and you get the items back. Come on."
Only then did Rudolph raise his bow.
"You give 'em back if we win?"
"Yeah."
"Don't go back on your word."
He nocked a transparent arrow on the string.
A replica, of course.
Still invisible and threatening.
Pang!
No dodging.
Armor Knight 1, shield.
Block and done.
Replica anyway.
Limited quantity, surely.
Just defend leisurely, and it'd run out. But Rudolph wasn't dumb; he didn't spam them.
Fine then.
Shake them first.
Burtan, Ki Wave.
Ki Wave immobilized some users.
Armor Archer, Power Shot.
Ordered attacks on archers and mages.
Arrows rained.
Magic spells painted the sky, falling on unbalanced users.
Massive explosions and dust clouds.
If a proper alliance guild, others would've shielded comrades.
But these were PK users; no such coordination needed.
"What the hell, target that fucker only!"
But they'd forgotten.
Wind Step.
Mu-hyuk alone was plenty strong.
And they didn't know.
Smooth.
The items he pulled from inventory were this battle's hidden cards.
*
The 50 users up front.
Facing Armor Knights, they sought openings.
At the tiniest gap, they'd slip in to hit summoner Mu-hyuk.
------!
A rare gap flashed briefly, and front-line hostiles dove in almost simultaneously.
As if waiting, Skull Snakes slithered out.
Overwhelming numbers—no dodging or blocking.
Just Skull Snakes.
Ignore and move—then.
"Wh-what...?"
Bodies stiffened suddenly.
For 3 seconds.
Sudden message, and bodies moved on their own.
Some walked backward, some spun in place, some wildly swung swords.
Others sat and did bunny hops, or hugged nearby users.
Confusion Potion had activated, stealing physical control.
"What the fuck are you doing!"
Rudolph yelled from behind, to no avail.
Confusion Potion lasted 3 seconds, silencing them with random actions suppressing them.
Mu-hyuk ordered attacks on the afflicted.