Not Just Do Dong-su
Do Dong-su wasn't the only one in shock. From the players filling the spectator stands to Yoon Ju-hwan, who was watching the practice match on his monitor, everyone was stunned.
"??!"
Yoon Ju-hwan stared at the screen, his eyes wide. What on earth just happened?
At Point B, Cain and Tae-hyun had run into three members of the opposing team. The moment they clashed, Cain didn't hesitate to use his skill to pull one of the opponents in. Then, without giving them a single second to breathe, Tae-hyun launched a ferocious assault!
Tae-hyun had already bloated his damage output using skills, including Lucky Strike. When it came to burst damage, Tae-hyun's skill set was utterly peerless. Before the dragged-in player could even realize what was happening, they were instantly vaporized.
Up to this point, it was still fine. This was well within the realm of Yoon Ju-hwan's common sense! He already knew about Tae-hyun's absurd burst damage, so it made sense that a player who lost the initiative would get deleted. The real problem came after.
"W-what?!"
One teammate down right at the start. It was the worst possible scenario, but the remaining opponents were no pushovers. The tank stepped forward, and the damage dealer fell back. They moved in perfect sync without a moment's hesitation. Even with one down, the numbers at Point B were still even!
That was when Tae-hyun made his move. *Flash!*
"!!"
Is he insane? Leaving his tank, Cain, behind to charge in alone? On top of that, it was a one-on-two. No matter how overwhelmed they had been a moment ago, they couldn't just stand by and let this slide.
Crash!
The damage dealer behind the tank swiftly launched an attack at Tae-hyun. With a swing of his sword, three sharp arcs of aura flew toward Tae-hyun from different directions. Tae-hyun, however... dodged two of them and deflected the third, sending it crashing straight into the enemy tank.
"!!!"
"!!!"
The players facing Tae-hyun were shocked, but Yoon Ju-hwan was equally flabbergasted. The skill that had just been unleashed was not something that could be easily dodged or blocked. It was a zoning skill designed for speed and high accuracy rather than raw damage! To dodge such a skill so effortlessly, and even deflect it?
Looking to his side, Yoon Ju-hwan saw Choi Myung-sung grinning from ear to ear.
"Well? Do you get what I mean now?"
"Y-yes... I mean, but still..."
Yoon Ju-hwan scratched his head. He knew Choi Myung-sung held Tae-hyun in high regard, but this was simply beyond common sense.
"Ah! Is it because Kim Tae-hyun's level is under 100?"
Yoon Ju-hwan slapped his knee as a sudden realization struck him. The fact that Tae-hyun's level was under 100 was a secret to the rest of the world. No one would believe it even if told! But they were developers. Of course they knew.
"What are you talking about?"
"I-I mean, since Kim Tae-hyun is under level 100... I thought maybe he's receiving some kind of underdog buff in the Prika Arena."
"How many years have you worked here, and you still don't understand the system? There's no such thing."
"!!"
"If the system were that simple, do you think MBS would even bother hosting a tournament there? People would be abusing loopholes left and right within a few hours. It's nothing like that."
The system of the Prika Arena didn't allow for those kinds of exploits. It was a place where everyone fought with their stats scaled to a standardized level!
"T-then... how is he doing that...?"
"I told you, it's pure skill."
"But does that even make sense?"
"Good grief. This is why newbies are..."
"..."
"People who have watched Kim Tae-hyun since Pan-On 1 probably aren't even that surprised. If anything, his playstyle in Pan-On 2 was the anomaly."
In Pan-On 2, a series of coincidences had granted Tae-hyun a Legendary Class and monstrous stat bonuses. But that was ultimately just luck. Originally, Tae-hyun was never someone who played with strong classes.
Because his evasion rate in Pan-On 2 was normally so overwhelming, Tae-hyun would usually choose to attack rather than defend or dodge. But in Pan-On 1, things were different. A blacksmith's natural evasion rate was pathetic, so he had to focus entirely on reading his opponents' attacks and manually dodging them. It sounded simple, but it required mind-boggling mechanical skill. To take a class as weak in PvP as a blacksmith and slaughter dedicated PvP classes, that was the bare minimum level of play required.
Now that his bloated stats were gone, Tae-hyun's raw, unadulterated playstyle was on full display. That was why Choi Myung-sung wasn't surprised.
"This is unbelievable..."
"Tsk, tsk. Do you watch boxing or baseball?"
"Huh? Yes, occasionally..."
"When you watch them, don't you see athletes dodging punches in ways that seem impossible, or hitting ridiculously fast pitches with a bat?"
"Well... yes?"
"And what do you think when you see that?"
"I think, How can a human even do that? Is he a monster? ...Things like that."
"It's the exact same thing. There are monsters in every world."
"!!"
Choi Myung-sung pointed at the screen. On the monitor, Tae-hyun was continuously dodging the damage dealer's attacks while relentlessly beating down the tank. Despite it being a two-on-one, they couldn't even graze the hem of his clothes—an unbelievable sight. Seeing his subordinate still struggling to process it, Choi Myung-sung decided to explain in more detail.
"Look closely. Let me break it down for you. Cain pulled one of them in at the start, right?"
"Yes..."
"What did you think of that?"
"Huh? Didn't he just grab whoever was closest?"
Choi Myung-sung's gaze turned pitying. Yoon Ju-hwan shrank back under his boss's look.
"Open your eyes. He grabbed the guy in the middle."
"A-ah, you're right."
"Cain pulled him in because Kim Tae-hyun targeted him. And Tae-hyun targeted him because, out of the three, he was the only one with a class focused on area-of-effect skills."
"!!!"
A sudden chill ran down Yoon Ju-hwan's spine.
"D-did Kim Tae-hyun do prior research on them?"
"What prior research? He figured it out the moment they clashed."
"..."
In that split second when the fight began, Tae-hyun analyzed and judged his opponents' playstyles?
"The only one who could have kept Tae-hyun in check there was the player in the middle with the AoE skills. That's why he made sure to eliminate him first."
While most people only focused on Tae-hyun's flashy mechanics, Choi Myung-sung, as a diehard fan, saw the deeper layer. Tae-hyun's strength wasn't just his mechanics. It was his decision-making—his ability to formulate the absolute best strategy in a high-pressure situation where every single second counted!
"Whoa..."
"That was insane..."
"Hey, don't talk like it's someone else's problem. We're the ones who have to face him. How the hell do we deal with that?"
Even though it was just a practice match and not the qualifiers, public interest was at an all-time high. The spectator stands were packed to the brim with players, leaving absolutely no empty seats!
Among them were invited international teams seeded directly into the finals, as well as powerhouse teams whose qualification was practically guaranteed. To them, Tae-hyun's performance was nothing short of terrifying!
Of course, they didn't just stand there gaping. No matter how shocking it was, he was an opponent they would eventually have to face. They had to figure out a countermeasure. He's still human! Since levels and stats are standardized in the Prika Arena, anyone can be brought down if we land a clean hit!
Yet, despite that logic, Tae-hyun's skill was overwhelmingly dominant.
"Does he have eyes in the back of his head? How is he dodging those? Is it a skill? It has to be a skill, right?"
"I don't think it's a skill. Look at how he chains his other skills right after; his MP would be completely drained if he was using defensive skills too."
"AoE. We have to go with area-of-effect skills."
"But we can't even change our roster now. How are teams with little to no AoE supposed to fight him?"
"Judging by how fast he reacts, he'd probably dodge AoE skills too..."
Before they knew it, the players in the stands were passionately debating strategies. Meanwhile, the practice match came to an end.
"Thank you for the match!"
"We look forward to playing you again!"
The opposing players bowed deeply. Their attitude was incredibly polite for people who had just been in a fight! Despite their crushing defeat, there was no trace of anger or resentment on their faces. They had been completely and utterly outclassed. The only emotions they showed were pure respect and admiration!
Lee Se-yeon felt a quiet sense of admiration. The opponents weren't players lacking competitive spirit; they were serious contenders aiming for the finals. For such players to bow so respectfully, it was clear Tae-hyun had achieved something extraordinary.
He definitely has the talent.
The talent of a star who naturally drew people in!
Tae-hyun might not have realized it, but Lee Se-yeon could tell. The name echoing through the stands right now was entirely his. She had been out there too and had performed exceptionally well, though her contributions weren't as flashy or eye-catching as his...
I was the one who invited him, but I'm starting to feel a little left out...
Smack!
Hiding her thoughts, Lee Se-yeon slapped Tae-hyun on the back.
"Good job out there!"
"Yeah. You too."
"So, wasn't that fun?"
Lee Se-yeon meant, Wasn't it thrilling to hear everyone cheering and chanting your name? Indeed, the crowd had been chanting Tae-hyun's name non-stop after witnessing his performance. He might not have heard it during the match, but the moment it ended, a torrent of cheers had erupted for him.
Lee Se-yeon looked at Tae-hyun with eyes full of anticipation. Her goal was simple: she wanted to show him this kind of wholesome joy. It wasn't about wandering around alone beating up player killers, nor was it about hunting rankers and quitting when things got tedious. It was about holding hands with trustworthy friends (excluding Do Dong-su, of course) and walking a righteous path under the pouring spotlight! That was what Lee Se-yeon considered true joy.
Now, enjoy it! And eventually, join my guild!
"Yeah. It was fun."
"...!"
Lee Se-yeon clenched her fists. She did it! She actually did it!
"Beating people up is always a blast."
"...What?"
"Anyway, I didn't expect so many people to gather..."
Tae-hyun looked around, completely oblivious to Lee Se-yeon's shoulders slumping in defeat. He hadn't thought much of it since it was just a practice match, but the stands were packed to capacity.
"This is..."
"Exactly, Tae-hyun!"
"Whoa, you startled me."
Lee Da-bi suddenly popped up. Tae-hyun flinched as she appeared right beside him as if she had been waiting for this exact moment.
"This is an opportunity!"
"I'm almost afraid to ask, but... sure, what kind of opportunity?"
"An opportunity to rake in the cash, of course!"
Lee Da-bi's eyes sparkled with a golden light—a visual effect of her skill, of course. Overhearing this, Lee Se-yeon reached out in a panic. She had just been trying to teach Tae-hyun about wholesome, healthy fun...
"W-wait a minute. Right now is..."
"No! You should listen to this too, Se-yeon!"
"..."
Lee Se-yeon took a step back, overwhelmed by a strange, intense pressure. Then she shocked herself. Did I just back down? To Lee Da-bi, of all people, and not even Kim Tae-hyun?
"Now, let me share my plan with you!"
"..."
"..."
As Lee Da-bi beamed with excitement, Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon could only exchange awkward, bewildered glances.
"Come to think of it, what happened to Do Dong-su?"
"He logged off the moment it ended."
"Why'd he leave without saying anything?"
"Well..."
Lee Se-yeon trailed off. Tae-hyun had tormented him so much verbally that Do Dong-su must have realized there was no winning. Opening his mouth would have only invited further humiliation!
"Anyway, I didn't get to see him fight. How was he?"
"He fought decently. Dong-su isn't lacking in skill, after all."
"Really? That's surprising."
"..."
Lee Se-yeon thought it was a blessing Do Dong-su had left early. Tae-hyun was speaking with absolute, one hundred percent sincerity.
"Well, if even Do Dong-su—the worst fighter among us—did well, then we shouldn't have any problems, right?"
"No, actually, there are a lot of problems. We only won today because of how things played out, but we absolutely cannot fight like this normally," Lee Se-yeon said firmly.