Payback on the Vice Guild Master
Sung Min-woo wouldn't be back for a while yet. Mu-hyuk had to settle the bad blood with Black Guild first.
The Red Tower could wait until after.
Mu-hyuk first hit up the auction house system and snagged a decent sword and a shield with high impact absorption.
He'd need to make use of the cutting power from Wind Step.
Next, he bought shoulder pauldrons with defense and stamina bonuses, leather pants, and a full-face helmet, then equipped them all.
The shield's impact absorption was 65 percent.
His HP jumped to 3,460.
Defense hit 128.
Mu-hyuk felt even more solid now.
No more hesitation.
He warped straight to Carben Kingdom.
Stopped by a nearby inn and ordered some food.
"Enjoy your meal."
"Thanks."
Then he tuned into the chatter from nearby players.
"Black Guild, you see that video?"
"Of course. Though Red Tower is the real hot topic right now."
"Red Tower. Isn't it insane? How do they even have content like that? Player-opened dungeons?"
"Illusion's just broken like that."
"Heh, let's wrap up our quests and check it out."
"Call. But what about the guy who posted that Black Guild vid?"
"Hmm, he gonna take on the whole guild solo?"
"Nah, that's suicide."
"Then why post it?"
"Huh, true."
Pointless gossip.
He shifted seats and focused on another group.
"You hear about that?"
"What?"
"Black Guild's vice leader got kicked out."
"No way, for real?"
"Something about getting caught mid-PK..."
Mu-hyuk's head snapped toward them.
Hoh, so the vice leader, huh?
And forced to quit on top of that. A grin crept onto his face.
Sounds promising.
Bits and pieces of rumors floated around from everywhere.
He hung out another two hours.
Hoh.
Enough to confirm it.
The vice leader had targeted him, and he'd been booted for real.
Then another tidbit hit his ears.
"Think he's in the square."
Mu-hyuk was on his feet the second he heard it.
Paid for the food and stepped out of the inn.
Step by step.
He made his way slowly to the square.
Amid the crowd, one player stood out sharp.
"The necromancer from free video post 1,288,297 on the Illusion homepage. Anyone who knows his location gets 1,000 gold right now. If you're wrong, the guild's hit list drops on you—so no shaky intel. Repeating: the necromancer from free video post 1,288,297 on the..."
A voice laced with killing intent.
Mad, feverish eyes.
And the words spilling from his mouth.
That's the guy.
Mu-hyuk stopped right in front of him. The full helmet hid his face, so the guy didn't recognize him.
Plus, Mu-hyuk had swapped his bow for a sword and shield—no match.
Mu-hyuk decided to play this.
"Excuse me."
"Yeah."
"I know where that player is."
"You sure?"
Once Black Guild's vice leader, Yonghu shot back sharp.
"Dead sure."
"Wrong intel means guild execution."
Forced out and still throwing threats like that.
Mu-hyuk nodded with an inner chuckle.
"Of course."
"Good. Lead on."
"Gold first."
"Tch, fine."
Yonghu gritted his teeth and sent the trade request.
◈ From: Yonghu
He hit yes, and 1,000 gold landed in his inventory.
Money for nothing.
Oblivious, Yonghu rushed him.
"Hurry up."
"Yeah. Follow me."
Mu-hyuk warped to a remote village with a temple.
Monsters too low-level for players.
Most started in kingdoms or empires, grinding newbie mobs nearby.
No reason to come here for level 5-and-under trash.
Might wander in lost, but the spawn rates were trash anyway—pointless.
No guards even bothered patrolling the village.
Did Yonghu know?
"Why here...?"
That instant.
Skeleton Summon
Mu-hyuk summoned Bone Swords, Bone Bows, and Mages, surrounding Yonghu.
Then doffed his helmet.
"Y-you...!"
Yonghu finally clocked him.
Too late.
"All units, attack."
The skeletons lunged on Mu-hyuk's command.
Four elements of magic.
14 bone arrows.
Enhanced Bone 1 and 2's strikes.
And Mu-hyuk's own skills.
"You bastard...!"
His shout drowned in the explosions.
*
Still, he'd been vice leader once.
Didn't drop in one volley.
Shield up front, and some skill cut his damage taken.
He lifted his head, unbuckled his belt, and whipped it side to side.
It stretched like a lash, coiling around a few Bone Swords' legs.
Whoosh.
Yanked hard, dragging them in.
"Hraaah!"
Twisted his hips, smashing the tangled Bone Swords into others nearby.
Mu-hyuk clocked the skill.
Guardian class, huh?
Defense and disruption specialist.
Damage was light.
No sweat.
One Guardian? Mu-hyuk's stats laughed at that.
Though the guy probably thought different.
Necromancer and all.
"You bastard...!"
He exploited the gap, charging Mu-hyuk.
Let's see the damage.
Mu-hyuk pulled summons off him.
"Die!"
Sword swung, glowing—skill for sure.
Mu-hyuk thrust out his shield.
Boom!
258 Damage Absorbed
-139 HP
Mu-hyuk's lips curled.
Shield ate 258, so his HP only dipped 139.
Attacker probably freaked.
"Wh-what?!"
Stunned by the low hit, he swung again.
Clang, clang!
Normal attacks this time.
Sword hammered the shield repeatedly.
"..."
Ticklish at best.
Even for a Guardian...
Mu-hyuk felt his real strength now.
The guy paused.
"What the hell did you do?!"
"What?"
Mu-hyuk smirked sour.
That rile him more?
Face hardened, stomped the ground hard.
Thud.
Quake rippled out.
Earthquake.
Low damage per hit, but stacks dangerous.
Needed wind-up though.
Powerful Arrow Shot.
End it before he finished.
324 Damage
Hit mid-skill, but he held firm.
Keeping the cast up.
Ground stilled, sand floated skyward.
Left alone, it'd pelt Mu-hyuk.
But orders were out.
Bang, bang!
Seven bone arrows slammed him.
76 Damage
81 Damage
62 Damage
67 Damage
Nearly 500 HP gone.
Magic and arrows had chipped over 1,000 already—close to 2,000 total.
Not done.
Rapid fire—another seven arrows nailed him.
"Tough little bastard."
At least 2,400 down.
Pulled his staff from inventory, activated a skill.
Blessing of the Dead
Light flared, wrapping him.
Staff damage 90.
Magic attack 145—total 235.
Blessing of the Dead's heal-to-damage ratio: whopping 390 percent.
741 Damage
Over 700 damage easy.
His face twisted.
"Crazy...!"
Floating sand dropped.
Logged out.
Player 'Yonghu' defeated.
'Infamy' generated.
'Infamy (10)' increased.
Mu-hyuk struck first, so no loot drop.
But 24-hour penalty? Worth it.
Infamy faded with time or mob kills—no biggie.
Cap at 200 anyway.
Over that, eyes go red—drop an item even on defense.
Not my problem.
Drops 1 every 3 hours.
24 hours: 8 down.
Kill the ex-vice again? Infamy hits 12 max.
Go wild.
See you in 24.
Set an alarm, warped to Weibra Empire.
"Whoa."
Stepping off the warp gate, Mu-hyuk was speechless.
What the...
Players swarmed like ants.
Couldn't budge.
"Move it!"
"Why so packed?!"
"No skill? GTFO! Every scrub rushing the tower."
"Who you calling scrub?!"
"Me, asshole!"
"Where you at?!"
"Where you at?!"
"Find you, you're dead!"
Mu-hyuk chuckled.
Warp gate up high—bird's-eye view.
They were steps away, cursing blindly.
Decision made.
Not now.
Sucks wasting double EXP buff hours.
But crowd impossible.
Better grind elsewhere, hit at dawn when they log.
"Excuse me."
"Uh, yeah."
"Warp gate again."
Bailed Weibra quick.
*
Grinding drakes solo, Mu-hyuk returned at dawn.
"To Weibra Empire."
"Got it."
Post-warp, crowd thinned for sure.
Still busy, but movable.
Whew, good.
Stepped down, walked.
Step.
Square neared, players thickened.
Still manageable.
Trouble started now.
Big general store left of Red Tower—crowd crushed in closer.
Dawn helped: sleepies logging out everywhere.
Hang in.
"Ugh, so sleepy."
"Same. Insane."
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow worse."
"Ugh..."
They logged.
Nice.
More space.
"Can't take it."
"Me neither."
Made it to the store.
Slip.
Mu-hyuk ducked inside sudden.
Bought something.