A Genius's Advice
"Ah! Those guys!" Regardless of the mood, Choi Jin-hyuk was marveling obliviously. Coincidentally, wasn't the place where that fight broke out also an arena city? "That was an arena too! Senior Kim Tae-hyun was so incredibly cool!"
"..."
The Holy Knight Guild Leader's hands shook with rage.
"Let's go!"
"Huh? Wait, I haven't even introduced myself yet... Excuse me?" Jin-hyuk called out to the Guild Leader's retreating back, but the thoroughly enraged man stormed off without listening.
"What's his problem?"
"I think he holds a grudge against me because of what Senior Tae-hyun did to him."
"Ah, is that it? Wow, how petty. Well, whatever. There are so many teams in the preliminaries, he'll probably get knocked out by someone else anyway."
"...They're our next opponents."
"..."
Jin-hyuk's face instantly turned pale.
"Didn't you say they were a Holy Knight guild?"
"Yeah..."
"No! Not Holy Knights! Anything but Holy Knights!"
There was a reason Jin-hyuk hated them. Since ancient times, Holy Knights had been one of the most avoided classes in PvP. High defense, massive HP pools, and a ridiculous array of buffs and healing skills. There was a reason they were nicknamed 'cockroaches.' In the five-on-five battles of the Prika Arena, facing an all-Holy Knight team was enough to make anyone suffocate from sheer frustration.
"Wow... what do we do..."
"Can't you ask your senior?"
"Ask him what?"
"He might know how to deal with Holy Knights."
"Yeah, Su-hyeok. Can't you ask him for us?"
"Well, I've watched him up close, and I don't think his methods would be very useful as a reference..."
Jeong Su-hyeok recalled Tae-hyun's fighting style.
Avoid getting hit!
Kill them before they kill you!
Since Su-hyeok's control skills were practically at the level of a 'clumsy-footed' amateur, he had asked Tae-hyun for advice a few times in the past.
How do I dodge when a wide-area spell like that comes flying in?
How should I respond when a warrior charges at me like this?
Every single time, the answers he received were utterly absurd.
Just notice it before they cast the spell and step out of the range.
Hold your ground until the very last second, slip to the side, and land a counterattack from behind.
B-but how on earth do I do that?
Skillfully?
...
No matter how many times he heard it, the advice was completely useless to a normal player. Hearing those answers had only reaffirmed Su-hyeok's intuition that Tae-hyun was a natural-born genius.
And a genius's advice is never helpful!
Su-hyeok feared his friends' expectations would be shattered.
"Still, just try once!"
"Yeah! It's not like we have anything to lose by asking!"
Cornered, his friends were desperate enough to grasp at a rotten rope. Ultimately, Su-hyeok gave in and sent Tae-hyun a whisper.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: Senior. Senior.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: These ungrateful bastards... Do they think ten gold just grows on trees? They don't want to raid the Sadiq Order, they don't want to fight Jekas, so I went out of my way to give them a new quest, and they can't even bow down and say thank you?
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: ...Senior?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Oh. Su-hyeok? Sorry. I was talking to some other guys just now.
Su-hyeok felt like he had just overheard a terrifying conversation. He calmly explained what had happened.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Huh? Holy Knights?
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: Do you remember them?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: No, I've dealt with so many bastards that...
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: ...They're a guild called Holy Knight Size King.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Ah! Those guys with the obscene guild name!
For Tae-hyun, who rarely remembered people, to recall them was quite an achievement in its own way. Of course, if the guild members heard him, they would have flown into a rage...
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: They're our next opponents.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: You guys haven't been eliminated yet??
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: ...
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: W-we're actually doing pretty well, you know?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: No, I mean, your friends didn't seem like the highly skilled type. I figured you'd get knocked out right away.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: Huh? Have you seen my friends play?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: No. But if they'd been playing since Pan-On 1 and were actually good, they'd be rankers, which means I probably would have crushed them at least once.
Tae-hyun's logic was simple and clear! If they had played since Pan-On 1 and were skilled rankers, Tae-hyun would have stepped on them at some point. And such players would have a seizure-like reaction of hatred at the mere mention of his name. Since Su-hyeok's friends admired Tae-hyun so much they wanted to meet him, they clearly didn't belong to that category.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Well, I suppose you can be good without being a former ranker, but it's rare. Besides, you're not exactly a pro yourself. Do your hands still shake?
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: It's actually gotten a lot better. Probably because I stopped trying to do complex things and focused on just one.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Holy Knights... Five of them? That's going to be tough. What's the format of the Prika Arena?
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: What? Don't tell me you haven't even looked at the arena rules yet?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: I've been avoiding it because I don't even want to hear the word 'arena.' I'll find out once it starts anyway.
Su-hyeok's jaw dropped. The man who was about to play in the main tournament in front of a massive crowd didn't even know the game format yet!
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: Well, the arena format is basically...
The Prika Arena was a capture-the-point style battleground. When each team entered from the left and right sides of a massive map, they would find three bases: one at the top, one in the middle, and one at the bottom. A total of three bases. Capturing a base granted the occupying team a powerful buff. If there was a difference of even one buff between the teams, it became nearly impossible to close the gap, regardless of individual skill. Thus, both teams had to fight fiercely to secure the bases.
Furthermore, because the Prika Arena map was much larger than average, the psychological warfare was intense. How should they distribute their players among the top, middle, and bottom bases? With a wide variety of classes participating, all sorts of bizarre strategies were emerging—even a five-man all-in meta was a common sight.
After listening to the explanation, Tae-hyun nodded.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Ah, so that's how it works. Then there's only one way.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: ??
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Listen carefully. Before the match starts, go up to that Holy Knight Size King guy and say this: tell him you want a fair and square fight.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: Excuse me...?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Tell him to cut out any cheap tricks and face you in a fair 5v5 clash at the middle base. A guy like him will definitely accept. If he had any brains, he'd obviously split his forces to the top or bottom, but he's not that type. He'd feel like he was losing face if he resorted to petty tactics against a team like yours.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: L-let's assume he does. What then?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Then all five of you will clash at the middle base. Once you're there, use your skill. Tongue of Archisus.
It was a skill that allowed the caster to execute a completely different spell from the one they verbally shouted out. A truly bizarre skill, perfectly fitting for the Archisus Church.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: You want me to use that?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yeah. Memorize the names of a few famous, fast-casting curses and shout them out. When you do, those Holy Knights will likely hunker down and raise their defenses.
When a class like a Holy Knight faced a Mage, their basic strategy was to close the distance. The Mage would cast first, and the Holy Knight would endure it with buffs and defensive skills while closing in. The moment the distance was closed, it was practically a victory for the Holy Knight. If it were a powerful spell, the Holy Knights might rush forward to interrupt the cast, but for a weak, fast curse, they were highly likely to just block it with a defensive skill and keep moving.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: And after that?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: After that, trust your passive skill and pour out maximum burst damage. Don't conserve your MP; unleash every spell you have. Focus on fast-casting spells with low MP costs. That way, you'll trigger as many random effects as possible.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: ...
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: W-what if it fails?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: If it fails, you lose. What else? Hey, have some conscience. Do you expect a 100% guaranteed win strategy against opponents who are better than you? Normally, when you face a stronger opponent, you lose.
In short, Tae-hyun's strategy was to lure the opponents into clustering in one spot, and then bet everything on the random magical effects of Archisus!
It was an irrefutable truth!
[Kim Tae-hyun]: If I misjudged them, or if they actually use their brains, there's a high chance of failure, but I think it'll work at least once. Since we can't think of any other strategy anyway, just give it a shot. If you don't want to, then don't.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: ...I'll do it!
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: Senior, I'll do my absolute best, if only for the sake of the quest.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yeah, work hard... Wait, quest? What quest?
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: It's an Archisus Church quest. It grants church rewards every time we get a winning streak in the Prika Arena.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: You should have told me that first, Su-hyeok!
Tae-hyun's attitude shifted instantly the moment he heard the word 'rewards.'
[Kim Tae-hyun]: There must be a better strategy than that do-or-die plan!
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: B-but you just said that was the only way...
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That's because I only spent five seconds thinking about it! If I think longer, I'll come up with something better. Hmm... Hmmm... If I go over there right now and PK all those Holy Knights, they won't be able to participate due to the penalty.
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: The match is starting in a few minutes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Dammit! Su-hyeok! Don't give up! Do your best!
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Fight on, Su-hyeok!
[Jeong Su-hyeok]: Ah, yes... Senior...
This was the first time Tae-hyun had ever cheered him on so passionately. Su-hyeok felt a mixture of gratitude and sheer bewilderment.
As soon as the whisper disconnected, his friends were waiting, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"What did he say?"
"Well... he did give me some advice on a strategy."
"Really?!"
"Seriously, why didn't that kid tell me sooner!"
"Even if he did, there wouldn't have been anything we could do, right?"
"What do you mean there's nothing we could do!"
"...?"
"I could have secretly participated as one of them."
"..."
Lee Da-bi stared blankly at Tae-hyun. Cain didn't stop at just staring.
"What the hell are you talking about! What if you get caught!"
"If I get caught, I get caught. What's the big deal?"
"What if your invitation to the main tournament gets revoked!"
"If it gets revoked, then great... Wait, actually, there's nothing about that in the rules."
"What?"
"I checked the regulations, and there's no mention of what happens if an invited player secretly participates in the preliminaries."
"Isn't that obviously because no sane person would ever do that?"
"Exactly! She's absolutely right!"
"Ah, shut up. It's fine as long as I don't get caught. Why didn't Su-hyeok tell me sooner... I could have helped him so much..."
Watching Tae-hyun grumble continuously, Chairman Yoo turned to Lee Da-bi.
"I've never seen him like this before. Is that junior of his really that precious to him?"
"No, I think it's just because there's a quest related to Tae-hyun tied to it."
"Ahem. How dare you doubt my pure intentions."
"Mmph!"
Tae-hyun covered Da-bi's mouth and scanned Chairman Yoo from head to toe. Judging by his appearance alone, anyone would think, Ah, this person must be quite high-level!
During the journey from the Valley of Despair and Sorrow to the port of the Espa Kingdom, Chairman Yoo had already completed his pay-to-win shopping spree!
"It suits you well, Elder."
"Ahem, cough."
Feeling Tae-hyun's gaze, Chairman Yoo turned his head in embarrassment. Honestly, he was extremely satisfied with his real-money purchases, but he was too proud to admit it out loud.
This outfit really is quite nice. So smooth...
Stroking his luxurious robe, Chairman Yoo smiled warmly.
"I think you just smiled."
"W-who did? I'm going fishing, so don't disturb me."
"Then I'll try to catch something next to you."
"Hmph, do you think fishing is that easy?"
Chairman Yoo looked at Tae-hyun with a proud expression. Putting the game aside, when it came to fishing, he was definitely superior to Tae-hyun!
"Ah. Got one."
"?!"
Chairman Yoo's eyes widened as he watched Tae-hyun pull up a fish the very instant he cast his line.
H-how on earth...?
He desperately wanted to ask how he did it, but his pride wouldn't let him speak.
At that moment, a massive explosion echoed from the distance.
PIRATES! IT'S PIRATES!
"???"