Chapter 74: Forced Choice (2)
“What should we do?”
A player spoke with a trembling voice.
Their plan to launch a surprise attack had been foiled.
They should have retreated immediately, but the resistance they encountered was weaker than expected.
Excited by chasing down the fleeing players, they lost track of time.
And now they’re facing the consequences.
“That’s Kim Tae-hun….”
A human blessed by the gods.
That’s what people often call an ‘avatar.’
And it’s no lie. An avatar is truly blessed by the gods, while any player who hasn’t received such a blessing is only half as good.
It’s no coincidence that avatars are also referred to as NPCs.
Among these avatars, Kim Tae-hun was exceptional.
His compatibility with his god was perfect, awarding him powerful legacy skills that an ordinary player couldn’t dare to confront—a skill close to invincibility.
This was particularly true for the executives of the Agatram guild, but Kim Tae-hun was special even among them.
“I’ll give you exactly 10 minutes to decide. I’ve already warned you twice, and this is your last chance.”
Kim Tae-hun spoke leisurely.
The players from the opposing faction snickered behind him.
‘Damned bastards.’
It made sense why they had retreated so easily.
From the beginning, it was clear they had reported to an Agatram executive as soon as they encountered them.
The foolishness was on them, but it still felt bitter.
“Captain! Are we really going to back down after seeing those damned faces mocking us?!”
“What the hell are you babbling about! You want to fight Kim Tae-hun?”
“Then you have no pride? Will you just scurry away with your tail between your legs after they laugh at us like this!”
The opinions among the players were divided.
As a result, Choi Myeong-seok, who led the special attack squad, was overwhelmed with indecision.
The image of Kim Tae-hun, who watched him silently, began to grow colder.
Choi Myeong-seok interpreted this a bit differently.
‘Could it be that he has some reason he can’t fight now?’
Although Kim Tae-hun was a powerful player, he wasn’t seen in action very often.
He wasn’t the type to initiate fights.
Precisely because of this, Choi Myeong-seok thought Kim Tae-hun must have some weakness.
It was odd that such a powerful player would warn them three times.
‘Shall we take a gamble?’
It was a risk.
But if they won this bet, their contribution to the quest would soar.
There might be a chance to get back in touch with their god who was currently in hiding.
An avatar that has lost contact with its god isn’t much different from other players.
This was why Choi Myeong-seok was so desperate for glory.
This was also the reason he advocated for the surprise attack in the first place.
Park Sung-hyuk, the leader of the Genesis Guild, also agreed with Myeong-seok because staying put would put them at a disadvantage.
But nobody expected to actually make a name for themselves before running into an executive member of a guild as strong as Agatram.
“We won’t back down! We’ll take your head right here!”
Myeong-seok’s bold declaration stirred the players up.
“If that’s your choice, so be it.”
Kim Tae-hun slowly got up.
Then he stepped aside for the surrounding players to move back.
“I’ll handle this alone.”
“Are you, are you sure?”
“Are you questioning me now?”
“No, sir!”
Spurred by Kim Tae-hun’s fierce expression, the players rapidly drew back.
Kim Tae-hun looked at them with dissatisfaction.
After all, he was very displeased.
‘Foolish idiots.’
It would have been good if they had retreated when he told them to.
These were men doomed to die anyway.
It wouldn’t be so bad to let them off easily.
“That idiot!”
As strong as he might be, to fight alone was foolish. Choi Myeong-seok gestured to his troops and charged forward.
Although his judgment was poor, Myeong-seok had managed to survive as a powerful player thus far.
He was an avatar, and he believed that he could almost measure up to Kim Tae-hun – there wasn’t much difference between them.
After all, rumors tend to be exaggerated.
“Die!!”
An energy blade surged from Myeong-seok’s sword.
It was one of the top skills a swordsman could possess: the Aura Sword.
The power of the Aura Sword was such that it could even scratch orichalcum.
For an average player, it would be a fatal strike that could split them in two.
‘Foolish man. Can’t you even block? No, maybe I was just too fast for him!’
Rushing in, Myeong-seok swung his Aura Sword at his opponent’s shoulder.
A smug smile formed on Myeong-seok’s lips.
But it was short-lived. The moment the Aura Sword struck Kim Tae-hun’s shoulder, it was repelled.
Clang!
“Clang?”
An energy sword made of mana bouncing off…
The strong recoil numbed Myeong-seok’s hands.
“It hit directly…”
It clearly struck the shoulder, no life activity was visible.
Is there even a player capable of being unharmed after taking a hit from an Aura Sword?
Yes, there is.
Because such a player was right in front of Myeong-seok.
Looking at the flustered expression on Myeong-seok’s pale face, Kim Tae-hun simply stared back.
“Baldur, isn’t it?”
“B-Baldur?”
A vaguely familiar god.
Baldur, the second son of Odin in Norse mythology and the god of light. An indisputable high-ranking god.
‘Could Kim Tae-hun’s god be….’
He knew the skills at his disposal, but not which deity he was affiliated with.
The name of the god an avatar has a pact with could also be their weakness.
Therefore, most players wouldn’t utter the name of the god who chose them.
For Kim Tae-hun to now speak that name meant something plain and simple.
He was planning to kill everyone present.
“He was a god beloved by all things. Nothing in this world could harm him.”
Kim Tae-hun’s right hand began to rise.
Myeong-seok could clearly see the motion, as if in slow motion.
“And that applies to me, too.”
The fist aimed lightly at Myeong-seok’s chest, just a light swing.
So gentle.
Ka-boom!!
An explosive sound like a bomb echoed as Myeong-seok’s body flew away at a speed several times faster than his charge.
After flying tens of meters, Myeong-seok’s body crashed to the ground, creating a huge crater.
No motion came from Myeong-seok in the crater.
The bones in his body had snapped, ending his life.
The players who witnessed this trembled.
They knew that the executives of the Agatram guild were strong, but this was their first time seeing it in person.
This wasn’t just strength; it was overwhelming.
“This can’t be.”
Although a bit foolish, Myeong-seok had still been their captain.
A captain wasn’t appointed lightly. Myeong-seok was clearly among the higher-ranked players.
Killed with a single punch…
It was more than enough to shatter the morale of the special attack squad.
“We have to escape.”
If they stayed, they would all surely die.
The previously divided opinions of the squad now converged into one.
“Who said you could leave? I already gave you three warnings. You chose not to leave. It’s not kindness to let you go. It’s simply being naive.”
Naturally, Kim Tae-hun wouldn’t just stand by and watch.
As he said, once he had warned them three times, he had no intention left to let them go.
His god Baldur wouldn’t allow it either.
While he was a benevolent god, he wasn’t foolish as Tae-hun described.
Ka-boom!!
“Ah, run, escape!”
The special attack squad screamed and turned their backs as Kim Tae-hun, like a cannonball, charged towards them.
But it was futile.
Kim Tae-hun was overwhelmingly faster than they were.
‘I’ll wipe them all out in one go.’
Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out a sword and clutched it in his hand.
Feeling a strong force gathering, just as he was about to release it, he realized someone stood before him.
A man in black clothes, his face covered.
Kim Tae-hun had never actually seen him, but he knew who it was.
“Kim Se-han?”
Crash Boom Bang!!
Kim Tae-hun’s sword, thrust forth like a cannonball, was directly countered by the man.
The foolish figure of the man who appeared suddenly and blocked Kim Tae-hun’s attack was ridiculed by witnesses.
They thought he would die from a single hit just like Myeong-seok.
“Hm.”
A low chuckle was heard.
Through the hazy smoke, the figures of Tae-hun and Se-han facing each other became visible.
Contrary to expectations, Se-han was not retreating, confronting Kim Tae-hun head-on.
“I heard you weren’t the type to fight head-on?”
“That’s right. But if I didn’t show up, those idiots would all be dead.”
Se-han casually stepped back, speaking with ease.
And now, the one confused was Kim Tae-hun.
It was his first time not being able to overpower someone with pure strength alone.
There may have been players in Agatram with more powerful skills than Tae-hun’s, but in terms of pure physical strength, he considered himself the best.
‘Something countered my strength.’
He couldn’t see properly because he stepped back so quickly, but when they collided, he clearly felt his power dispersing. Yet, whether this was due to Kim Se-han’s skills or some other reason was hard to tell.
Amidst his evident curiosity, Se-han smirked.
“Hey, Kim Tae-hun.”
“What?”
“Do you know the chronic disease of RPG games?”
“RPG games?”
What sort of nonsensical conversation was this in the current situation? Tae-hun wondered why RPG games were being brought up now, and Se-han continued to speak calmly.
“When you play games, there are times when you don’t use items not because you’re saving them, but just because. Even if you prepare everything according to the strategy guide, there’s this reluctance to use them.”
Rare potions or consumables available in games. Even when they’ll be useless after clearing the game, there’s this strange reluctance to use them.
Tae-hun himself had been like that in a past life.
Because those items were valuable and disappeared after a single use, he tended to save them unnecessarily.
Even when there was no need to.
“To put it simply.”
He had been too cautious.
Foolishly so.
“You can’t beat me, not even if you died trying.”
“Nonsense.”
It was just one blocked attack. Tae-hun got ready once more.
According to the intel, Kim Se-han’s stats were lower than his own. With the legacy skills he had activated, there was no way Se-han could beat him, whatever he attempted.
Ding.
‘Huh?’
An alert rang out suddenly.
A message from a god. Even though Tae-hun didn’t check it, the message unfolded before his eyes.
‘Run away now.’
Tae-hun doubted his eyes.
It was rare for his god to tell him to back off.
Why? Confused, Tae-hun’s feet froze.
Caught between the thought that he should retreat as his god suggested, and the confidence that Se-han couldn’t possibly beat him, he found himself unable to move.
Se-han seized the moment and closed the gap in an instant, swinging his hand forward.
Kim Tae-hun did not dodge Se-han’s attack.
To be precise, he couldn’t dodge.
His skills, once activated, prevented him from taking any damage.
He became accustomed to fighting while sustaining hits.
That habit became a fatal mistake.
“Gack?!”
His chest split open.
Where Se-han’s hand passed, the area divided and blood gushed forth in a fountain.
Surely the skill should’ve been active?
Kim Tae-hun looked at his chest with trembling eyes.
It was a wound he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Since obtaining the last legacy skill from Baldur, he hadn’t sustained a single injury.
‘Could it be?’
With shaky eyes, Kim Tae-hun looked at Se-han’s hand.
In Se-han’s hand, which had just swung, was a small twig.
It was so small that it was barely noticeable, but it was indeed a twig.
As if having served its purpose from that single strike, the twig crumbled away.
Like the snow in winter.
“You’re too late to notice.”
Thunk!
A small dagger buried itself into the gash in Tae-hun’s chest.
Before the wound, normal daggers would have no effect, but now that blood was spilling, even a common blade sufficed.
Who would have thought that a simple dagger like this could penetrate his chest?
And with the blade’s piercing, Kim Tae-hun’s consciousness blurred almost immediately.
‘Poison?’
The torn wound did not heal.
Before this would’ve had no effect on Kim Tae-hun, but not anymore.
All his skills failed to function properly.
“It’s over now.”
Se-han muttered softly, and Kim Tae-hun slowly knelt down.
Though he attempted to rise multiple times, after about five minutes, he ceased moving.
‘Have I finally managed the first move?’
With Tae-hun’s breath completely cut off, Se-han exhaled a breath he’d been holding.
All that remained was to see what move his opponents would make next.
Chapter 74: Forced Choice (2)
“What should we do?”
A player spoke with a trembling voice.
Their plan to launch a surprise attack had been foiled.
They should have retreated immediately, but the resistance they encountered was weaker than expected.
Excited by chasing down the fleeing players, they lost track of time.
And now they’re facing the consequences.
“That’s Kim Tae-hun….”
A human blessed by the gods.
That’s what people often call an ‘avatar.’
And it’s no lie. An avatar is truly blessed by the gods, while any player who hasn’t received such a blessing is only half as good.
It’s no coincidence that avatars are also referred to as NPCs.
Among these avatars, Kim Tae-hun was exceptional.
His compatibility with his god was perfect, awarding him powerful legacy skills that an ordinary player couldn’t dare to confront—a skill close to invincibility.
This was particularly true for the executives of the Agatram guild, but Kim Tae-hun was special even among them.
“I’ll give you exactly 10 minutes to decide. I’ve already warned you twice, and this is your last chance.”
Kim Tae-hun spoke leisurely.
The players from the opposing faction snickered behind him.
‘Damned bastards.’
It made sense why they had retreated so easily.
From the beginning, it was clear they had reported to an Agatram executive as soon as they encountered them.
The foolishness was on them, but it still felt bitter.
“Captain! Are we really going to back down after seeing those damned faces mocking us?!”
“What the hell are you babbling about! You want to fight Kim Tae-hun?”
“Then you have no pride? Will you just scurry away with your tail between your legs after they laugh at us like this!”
The opinions among the players were divided.
As a result, Choi Myeong-seok, who led the special attack squad, was overwhelmed with indecision.
The image of Kim Tae-hun, who watched him silently, began to grow colder.
Choi Myeong-seok interpreted this a bit differently.
‘Could it be that he has some reason he can’t fight now?’
Although Kim Tae-hun was a powerful player, he wasn’t seen in action very often.
He wasn’t the type to initiate fights.
Precisely because of this, Choi Myeong-seok thought Kim Tae-hun must have some weakness.
It was odd that such a powerful player would warn them three times.
‘Shall we take a gamble?’
It was a risk.
But if they won this bet, their contribution to the quest would soar.
There might be a chance to get back in touch with their god who was currently in hiding.
An avatar that has lost contact with its god isn’t much different from other players.
This was why Choi Myeong-seok was so desperate for glory.
This was also the reason he advocated for the surprise attack in the first place.
Park Sung-hyuk, the leader of the Genesis Guild, also agreed with Myeong-seok because staying put would put them at a disadvantage.
But nobody expected to actually make a name for themselves before running into an executive member of a guild as strong as Agatram.
“We won’t back down! We’ll take your head right here!”
Myeong-seok’s bold declaration stirred the players up.
“If that’s your choice, so be it.”
Kim Tae-hun slowly got up.
Then he stepped aside for the surrounding players to move back.
“I’ll handle this alone.”
“Are you, are you sure?”
“Are you questioning me now?”
“No, sir!”
Spurred by Kim Tae-hun’s fierce expression, the players rapidly drew back.
Kim Tae-hun looked at them with dissatisfaction.
After all, he was very displeased.
‘Foolish idiots.’
It would have been good if they had retreated when he told them to.
These were men doomed to die anyway.
It wouldn’t be so bad to let them off easily.
“That idiot!”
As strong as he might be, to fight alone was foolish. Choi Myeong-seok gestured to his troops and charged forward.
Although his judgment was poor, Myeong-seok had managed to survive as a powerful player thus far.
He was an avatar, and he believed that he could almost measure up to Kim Tae-hun – there wasn’t much difference between them.
After all, rumors tend to be exaggerated.
“Die!!”
An energy blade surged from Myeong-seok’s sword.
It was one of the top skills a swordsman could possess: the Aura Sword.
The power of the Aura Sword was such that it could even scratch orichalcum.
For an average player, it would be a fatal strike that could split them in two.
‘Foolish man. Can’t you even block? No, maybe I was just too fast for him!’
Rushing in, Myeong-seok swung his Aura Sword at his opponent’s shoulder.
A smug smile formed on Myeong-seok’s lips.
But it was short-lived. The moment the Aura Sword struck Kim Tae-hun’s shoulder, it was repelled.
Clang!
“Clang?”
An energy sword made of mana bouncing off…
The strong recoil numbed Myeong-seok’s hands.
“It hit directly…”
It clearly struck the shoulder, no life activity was visible.
Is there even a player capable of being unharmed after taking a hit from an Aura Sword?
Yes, there is.
Because such a player was right in front of Myeong-seok.
Looking at the flustered expression on Myeong-seok’s pale face, Kim Tae-hun simply stared back.
“Baldur, isn’t it?”
“B-Baldur?”
A vaguely familiar god.
Baldur, the second son of Odin in Norse mythology and the god of light. An indisputable high-ranking god.
‘Could Kim Tae-hun’s god be….’
He knew the skills at his disposal, but not which deity he was affiliated with.
The name of the god an avatar has a pact with could also be their weakness.
Therefore, most players wouldn’t utter the name of the god who chose them.
For Kim Tae-hun to now speak that name meant something plain and simple.
He was planning to kill everyone present.
“He was a god beloved by all things. Nothing in this world could harm him.”
Kim Tae-hun’s right hand began to rise.
Myeong-seok could clearly see the motion, as if in slow motion.
“And that applies to me, too.”
The fist aimed lightly at Myeong-seok’s chest, just a light swing.
So gentle.
Ka-boom!!
An explosive sound like a bomb echoed as Myeong-seok’s body flew away at a speed several times faster than his charge.
After flying tens of meters, Myeong-seok’s body crashed to the ground, creating a huge crater.
No motion came from Myeong-seok in the crater.
The bones in his body had snapped, ending his life.
The players who witnessed this trembled.
They knew that the executives of the Agatram guild were strong, but this was their first time seeing it in person.
This wasn’t just strength; it was overwhelming.
“This can’t be.”
Although a bit foolish, Myeong-seok had still been their captain.
A captain wasn’t appointed lightly. Myeong-seok was clearly among the higher-ranked players.
Killed with a single punch…
It was more than enough to shatter the morale of the special attack squad.
“We have to escape.”
If they stayed, they would all surely die.
The previously divided opinions of the squad now converged into one.
“Who said you could leave? I already gave you three warnings. You chose not to leave. It’s not kindness to let you go. It’s simply being naive.”
Naturally, Kim Tae-hun wouldn’t just stand by and watch.
As he said, once he had warned them three times, he had no intention left to let them go.
His god Baldur wouldn’t allow it either.
While he was a benevolent god, he wasn’t foolish as Tae-hun described.
Ka-boom!!
“Ah, run, escape!”
The special attack squad screamed and turned their backs as Kim Tae-hun, like a cannonball, charged towards them.
But it was futile.
Kim Tae-hun was overwhelmingly faster than they were.
‘I’ll wipe them all out in one go.’
Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out a sword and clutched it in his hand.
Feeling a strong force gathering, just as he was about to release it, he realized someone stood before him.
A man in black clothes, his face covered.
Kim Tae-hun had never actually seen him, but he knew who it was.
“Kim Se-han?”
Crash Boom Bang!!
Kim Tae-hun’s sword, thrust forth like a cannonball, was directly countered by the man.
The foolish figure of the man who appeared suddenly and blocked Kim Tae-hun’s attack was ridiculed by witnesses.
They thought he would die from a single hit just like Myeong-seok.
“Hm.”
A low chuckle was heard.
Through the hazy smoke, the figures of Tae-hun and Se-han facing each other became visible.
Contrary to expectations, Se-han was not retreating, confronting Kim Tae-hun head-on.
“I heard you weren’t the type to fight head-on?”
“That’s right. But if I didn’t show up, those idiots would all be dead.”
Se-han casually stepped back, speaking with ease.
And now, the one confused was Kim Tae-hun.
It was his first time not being able to overpower someone with pure strength alone.
There may have been players in Agatram with more powerful skills than Tae-hun’s, but in terms of pure physical strength, he considered himself the best.
‘Something countered my strength.’
He couldn’t see properly because he stepped back so quickly, but when they collided, he clearly felt his power dispersing. Yet, whether this was due to Kim Se-han’s skills or some other reason was hard to tell.
Amidst his evident curiosity, Se-han smirked.
“Hey, Kim Tae-hun.”
“What?”
“Do you know the chronic disease of RPG games?”
“RPG games?”
What sort of nonsensical conversation was this in the current situation? Tae-hun wondered why RPG games were being brought up now, and Se-han continued to speak calmly.
“When you play games, there are times when you don’t use items not because you’re saving them, but just because. Even if you prepare everything according to the strategy guide, there’s this reluctance to use them.”
Rare potions or consumables available in games. Even when they’ll be useless after clearing the game, there’s this strange reluctance to use them.
Tae-hun himself had been like that in a past life.
Because those items were valuable and disappeared after a single use, he tended to save them unnecessarily.
Even when there was no need to.
“To put it simply.”
He had been too cautious.
Foolishly so.
“You can’t beat me, not even if you died trying.”
“Nonsense.”
It was just one blocked attack. Tae-hun got ready once more.
According to the intel, Kim Se-han’s stats were lower than his own. With the legacy skills he had activated, there was no way Se-han could beat him, whatever he attempted.
Ding.
‘Huh?’
An alert rang out suddenly.
A message from a god. Even though Tae-hun didn’t check it, the message unfolded before his eyes.
‘Run away now.’
Tae-hun doubted his eyes.
It was rare for his god to tell him to back off.
Why? Confused, Tae-hun’s feet froze.
Caught between the thought that he should retreat as his god suggested, and the confidence that Se-han couldn’t possibly beat him, he found himself unable to move.
Se-han seized the moment and closed the gap in an instant, swinging his hand forward.
Kim Tae-hun did not dodge Se-han’s attack.
To be precise, he couldn’t dodge.
His skills, once activated, prevented him from taking any damage.
He became accustomed to fighting while sustaining hits.
That habit became a fatal mistake.
“Gack?!”
His chest split open.
Where Se-han’s hand passed, the area divided and blood gushed forth in a fountain.
Surely the skill should’ve been active?
Kim Tae-hun looked at his chest with trembling eyes.
It was a wound he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Since obtaining the last legacy skill from Baldur, he hadn’t sustained a single injury.
‘Could it be?’
With shaky eyes, Kim Tae-hun looked at Se-han’s hand.
In Se-han’s hand, which had just swung, was a small twig.
It was so small that it was barely noticeable, but it was indeed a twig.
As if having served its purpose from that single strike, the twig crumbled away.
Like the snow in winter.
“You’re too late to notice.”
Thunk!
A small dagger buried itself into the gash in Tae-hun’s chest.
Before the wound, normal daggers would have no effect, but now that blood was spilling, even a common blade sufficed.
Who would have thought that a simple dagger like this could penetrate his chest?
And with the blade’s piercing, Kim Tae-hun’s consciousness blurred almost immediately.
‘Poison?’
The torn wound did not heal.
Before this would’ve had no effect on Kim Tae-hun, but not anymore.
All his skills failed to function properly.
“It’s over now.”
Se-han muttered softly, and Kim Tae-hun slowly knelt down.
Though he attempted to rise multiple times, after about five minutes, he ceased moving.
‘Have I finally managed the first move?’
With Tae-hun’s breath completely cut off, Se-han exhaled a breath he’d been holding.
All that remained was to see what move his opponents would make next.
