Chapter 161

The battle was fierce, but the outcome was clear. As soon as Ironblood decided to suppress their enemies, the players on Seojin's side started falling like logs. It took just 30 minutes for the 37 Ironbloods under Robert's command to squash them.

But Robert had no time to rejoice.

'That crazy man…!'

He had been continuously monitoring Seojin's broadcast.

Sephiro, the founding king. Robert had known about this man's existence for a long time.

Duke Merrychild was an excellent investment, providing him with equal returns, such as, using his noble status to steal even the crown's core information.

And he knew well in advance that Seojin did not possess the Royal Emblem.

Robert himself hadn't acquired the emblem, he had only just managed to prepare a means to deceive Sephiro.

'Never thought he'd proceed like that.'

On the oversized broadcast screen, Robert shook his head, watching the conversation with a dry mouth.

"Everyone! To the Tower of Guardianship!"

* * *

Tension filled the air. The chat momentarily went silent. Facing Sephiro's gaze, Seojin answered.

"You didn't have a favorite fruit. You would rather have another piece of meat than eat fruit."

The source of this information was Heinrich. It might have been easy to overlook, but Seojin was not the kind of person to do so.

'It was a clue after all. I thought it was odd to mention such a thing.'

From the moment the quest started, Seojin was the type to remember every piece of dialogue.

"Correct. What a shame."

-LOL, he's disappointed he's right

-Was he hoping for a wrong answer?

-Seems like it, LOL

Seojin shared the viewers' sentiment.

'…Was he bored?'

Perhaps that might be the case. This man had grown up as a warrior from birth and reached his pinnacle as one. Even though it was only his remaining spirit, it was natural for him to itch to swing his sword once again.

"What's the name of this sword?"

"The Sword of Valor."

"No, the other name."

"It doesn't have one. You were the one who said a sword doesn't need a name."

"Hmm…"

Again, he was correct. This was working. Seojin reviewed his conversations with Heinrich, preparing for possible questions, answering them within a few seconds.

"Are you really my descendant?"

"It seems you hoped I wasn't."

"True. You have to be one so I can fight you."

This was predictable. Sephiro had set such constraints on himself. Initially, Seojin hadn't thought that a warrior capable of leaving behind his soul would recklessly bind himself without reason.

"Will the battle occur within this tower?"

"It'll be within my domain."

Sephiro spun the sword with just a flick of his fingers. It was incredible strength. Then, Seojin asked again.

"It's not just the tower. You seem to be referring to the whole of Valaran."

"Of course, Valaran is my land."

"If I am not your descendant, does that mean the constraints you placed on yourself will be lifted?"

"That would be the case. Eh? You, something's fishy about the way you talk."

Sephiro's lips twitched, his sharp gaze meeting Seojin's. Somehow, Seojin felt that he seemed excited.

"If I am your descendant, then the seal won't break, right?"

"It won't. If you can't solve the problem even with this sword, how can you be considered my blood? And having two leaders causes too many problems."

Sephiro's words confirmed it. The Sword of Valor possessed a special power—it was only usable by a member of the royal family.

Glancing at Robert's screen, he could see the Tower of Guardianship in the distance.

'He must have anticipated and prepared for this situation.'

Having secured the shield, he must have also figured out how to use it. The opponents were Ironblood, after all.

The additional troops from the elves of Salevania could only delay Ironblood for so long. Once the balance was broken, Ironblood were bound to assert their dominance.

"Shall I ask the next question? Or do you have something else to say?"

Facing Sephiro's gleaming eyes, Seojin made a decision.

"I am not your descendant."

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Quest Failed!

Test of the Founding King: 'Valor' is removed from the quest list.

You cannot redo this quest.

"What a straightforward bastard!"

Sephiro burst into laughter. His hearty laughter echoed throughout the space. As Seojin tensed up, cracks started forming in the space around the founding king.

"Hahah! How dare you covet my land! Using the name of my descendant!"

Sephiro's every shout made Seojin's skin tingle. The viewers were leaping with excitement. Seojin waited for it.

'Not yet. The seal hasn't broken completely.'

He was in a space completely isolated from the outside. The broadcast continued, but the party members he had been with were nowhere to be found. As the cracks grew, their figures gradually began to emerge. Despite his nerves, Seojin clenched his teeth, enduring it.

And finally, when the boundary of space dispersed.

-Skill: Negotiation Table

Seojin seated the charging Sephiro.

"Eh? What? Let me go! Untie me!"

"Just a moment. I have something to say."

"Let go first. I hate being tied down. I'm warning you. Let go now, and you live. Don't, and I'll kill you regardless of what you say. I'm serious."

"You can kill me."

"Oh, really? You don't mind dying?"

Of course, it didn't matter. To an adventurer, the only penalty for death was a 7-day login restriction. However, Seojin feigned determination in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. Kill the enemy, live for myself. But if my death can protect my knights, I'll gladly embrace it."

"That's what I used to say. If you want to spout nonsense, then untie me first. Let's see if you can still babble after I've smashed your head in."

"Valaran is in crisis. The king has fallen to a villain sent by enemies, and his son hides in fear of assassins. He is safe for now."

"You mean you're the villain that attacked my descendants?"

"It's not me."

"I'll kill you and the rest of those arrogant fools. My foolish descendants need a good beating to come to their senses. None have faced my wrath and remained cowardly."

-Psychotherapy (Physical beating) LOL

-That binding is insane LOL, he really can't fight back

-Is AM a mage? Is this even magic?

-He's trying to… negotiate, am I right?

Questions upon questions piled up, but Seojin had no time to answer. Checking the duration of his skill, he quickly continued.

"There are three towers in this castle."

"Yeah, so what! You damn fool! Why won't you untie me?"

"Adventurers targeting the prince have taken over the Tower of Dragon Magic, and they are now heading for the Tower of Guardianship. There must be another part of your spirit there."

"Yes, sure!"

"Those adventurers intend to defeat you and steal the shield."

"Do you think they can… Wait, what?"

A purple aura emanated from Seojin. Deception's Qualification hit Sephiro. The party members looked on in shock, and Sephiro easily shook it off.

"Look at this? A downright cunning one, aren't you?"

Founding King Sephiro uses League of War God.

A brilliant silver light repelled Seojin's aura, and at that moment.

SYSTEM: You have deviated from the predetermined episode. The path is being reset.

SYSTEM: Searching for a new path… Search complete!

SYSTEM: A temporary episode has been created!

The system message flooded Seojin's vision.

Temporary Episode: Competent Mercenary

*Persuade Sephiro to join your side.

*If successful, Sephiro will become an ally.

*Failing will result in all allies except Heinrich Valaran dying.

*In 60 minutes, the quest details and rewards may change.

'Wow, was this just added?'

The message was straightforward. It was a temporary episode, with content and rewards still under review. This meant Seojin had only one option.

'Failure means death.'

The NPC sitting across from him was not someone who could be easily persuaded. But Seojin's actions and skills had forced such a scenario to occur.

Stance: Sly Schemer

Only 8 minutes remained. Sephiro seemed ready to overturn everything.

'Just one thing needs to stick.'

Seojin started throwing out whatever he could.

* * *

'What is he planning… No, he must have prepared a solution. But how does he intend to persuade him?'

Bigfoot, the guild master of the Resistance was bewildered. Not just him, but all four other party members felt the same. Seojin was continuously provoking an NPC known for his immense strength.

"In your time, you might have been the strongest knight, but times have changed. The adventurers currently in the Tower of Guardianship are now the best warriors in this land. Few can withstand a single strike from them."

"When will this damn restraint come off! You're dead! All of you are dead, twice over!"

"There's a saying that you need to be born at the right time. No matter how great someone is, if they are born alongside someone even greater, they may not become the best. Perhaps, Your Majesty, you've also faced a similar situation. "

"Ugh! You bastard!"

Sephiro writhed fiercely. The guild masters couldn't believe how the table had remained immovable. It was a skill, but understanding it intellectually didn't make it any less astonishing.

-Is this… okay?

-I don't know. He's unpredictable.

-Shouldn't someone give orders? We're going to lose the Tower of Dragon Magic!

-Guardianship is…

-Lost. Robert went there himself.

-And the Tower of Dragon Magic?

-It's been their territory from the start. Once Robert enters, it's gone. Now we just need to hold onto the occupied tower until then.

The situation was grim. Only Robert could obtain the royal armaments from Sephiro. Entering the Tower of Guardianship meant he would soon have the shield, and if he entered the Tower of Dragon Magic everything would be over.

-If we fail this, it's all over, right? Everyone saw the quest message? If we all die, the palace falls completely.

-And if we succeed?

-Well, even with such an NPC on our side, beating Ironblood is uncertain…

-Is there no movement on our side? Not just twiddling your thumbs, right?

-You're too agitated.

-…Sorry, I'm just worried.

The Firefighter Guild master calmed down the Mana Infinite Guild master. Fortunately, there were still allies moving outside the tower.

-Remaining forces are converging at the Tower of Dragon Magic. The Towers of Valor and Guardianship are practically sorted out, just need to stall for time.

-And Kim Hyesun is conducting a separate broadcast.

-That person?

-Yes… I don't know how effective it will be, but she's inviting any players participating in the siege to come.

The guild masters were frantically exchanging messages. However, during this time, two people were not participating in the party chat.

-These guys don't understand much, do they? Right?

-I agree. Just brainstorming among ourselves won't cut it.

Kiri and Bigfoot.

Having experienced Seojin firsthand, they knew that nothing else mattered except what was happening right before their eyes. If Seojin decided to do this, there was naturally a good reason.

In other words, it meant that…

-If we succeed here, we win. If we fail, we lose.

-He'll probably win.

-I agree.

… All they had to do was sit quietly and be ready to board the bus.