The Art of the Silent Protest

"You declined the pre-match interview. Was it because you wanted to focus entirely on the match?"

"Yes. You could say that."

"Did you feel any pressure during the match? How did it compare to the Arena tournament?"

"Since we couldn't see our opponents, it was actually trickier in some ways. I'm just glad we practiced as much as we did."

He's acting surprisingly...

...normal?

Cain and Choi Sang-yun listened to Tae-hyun's responses, their minds racing. Now that the match was over, they had fully expected him to say something like, "Our opponents? They're trash! They lost because they spent all their time doing interviews before the match even started!" Instead, he was giving incredibly polite answers!

"Player Kim Tae-hyun! In this tournament, the meta has shifted heavily toward how one utilizes bombs—specifically, Engineering skills. Don't you think this is unfair?"

"Don't you think you have an overwhelmingly advantageous position in this tournament? Do you believe the Pan-On organizers are showing favoritism toward you?"

"!"

Reporters from all over the world had gathered, and naturally, not all of them were polite. In fact, it would have been stranger if there weren't any instigators. Even so, these questions crossed the line. The other journalists could only stare in shock.

Oh no, we're doomed!

He's definitely going to curse them out, right?

Sensational headlines already flashed through Cain and Choi Sang-yun's minds.

But Tae-hyun remained perfectly calm.

Isn't that the guy who was trying to pick a fight earlier?

Normally, Tae-hyun would have immediately cursed him out and planted a duel flag, but he refrained. PVP was banned in this area anyway... and besides, he had a much better way to screw the guy over.

"..."

"?"

"??"

"P-Player Kim Tae-hyun?"

Tae-hyun turned his head away and said absolutely nothing. His sudden silence threw the other reporters into a panic.

"Player Kim Tae-hyun. For the next question..."

"..."

A silent protest! Only then did the reporters realize what Tae-hyun was doing. With bewildered expressions, they asked:

"Player Kim Tae-hyun, is there some kind of problem?"

"No real problem. It's just... those people over there are making me so scared that I can't seem to open my mouth."

"!!!!"

He's essentially saying: "I'm not opening my mouth until they leave!"

Indeed. The journalists gathered here had all assembled just to get a single quote from Tae-hyun. If they failed to get it, they would turn incredibly vicious. Tae-hyun had targeted that vulnerability with flawless precision.

"Wait, wait a minute! We are officially accredited journalists authorized by the Pan-On organizers..."

To enter the stadium and conduct any press activities during the tournament, media outlets had to pay an exorbitant fee for official authorization. The press was no exception.

"Oh, please, stay as long as you like. I'll just keep my mouth shut."

"...Player Cain!"

"..."

Cain was about to reflexively answer, but the moment Tae-hyun glared at him, he immediately read the room and shut his mouth. Tae-hyun's eyes spoke volumes:

Open your mouth and you die.

The blacklisted reporters desperately tried calling out to the other players, but Team KL's solidarity was ironclad. A collective, absolute silence fell over the team. Slowly, the atmosphere in the room began to shift.

"Hey, why don't you guys just step outside for a bit?"

"What agency are you even from? Why would you ask such a stupid question and ruin the mood? What country are you from anyway?"

"I already got chewed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out by my editor-in-chief today. Are you really going to make me waste my time like this?"

Scathing glares and criticisms rained down on them from all directions.

"Wait, we're fellow journalists! We should stand together—"

"Fellow journalists my foot! 'Fellow' means people who work for the same company. Why on earth would I team up with a stranger like you?"

"How can you say that after hijacking someone else's interview? You're lucky we're both in the press, because if we weren't, I would've planted a duel flag on you already! I'm a high-ranking Paladin, you know!"

Watching the argument grow increasingly heated, Tae-hyun smiled warmly. Fight more! Fight more!

"Would you like some popcorn?" Cain whispered.

"Ah, thanks."

Ultimately, the interview concluded on a heartwarming note once the blacklisted reporters were kicked out.

As soon as they left, Tae-hyun completely shed his cold demeanor, answering the remaining questions with utmost kindness and politeness. With his great personality, impeccable manners, outstanding skills, and handsome face, Tae-hyun was practically the perfect archetype of a professional gamer. Combined with his already massive popularity, he completely dominated the room.

"I seriously thought you were going to curse them out," Choi Sang-yun muttered.

"I was tempted, but I held back. I am the captain, after all..."

Choi Sang-yun felt a brief wave of emotion at those words. Wow, even this guy is capable of growth!

"Why are you looking at me like that? It's creeping me out," Tae-hyun said.

"Y-you're imagining things! Hey, Yuseong Gaming's match should be over by now. Let's go watch their replay!"

Although Choi Sang-yun was blatantly changing the subject, Tae-hyun didn't press him. He, too, was highly curious about Yuseong Gaming's playstyle. What kind of strategy had they used to pass the qualifiers in first place? They had kept it a closely guarded secret until now, but they couldn't hide it in the main tournament.

Team KL had also played at full strength during their main tournament match.

Except for one specific skill.

As the main tournament progressed, Tae-hyun had been deeply contemplating whether he should reveal this skill early.

Some people looked down on the dungeon-clearing tournament because it wasn't a direct head-to-head clash like a 5v5 Arena or a 1v1 Duel. However, anyone who had ever attempted a dungeon time attack agreed on one thing:

"I'd rather fight another player directly. This time attack stuff is not meant for humans!"

Two teams would enter identical dungeons simultaneously. The audience could watch both teams' progress side-by-side, which made for an incredibly thrilling spectacle. While this was great for the viewers, it was a psychological nightmare for the players inside. They had absolutely no way of knowing how fast their opponents were clearing the dungeon! Amidst the ticking clock, they had to battle solely against their own records.

Even with the perfect strategy, a single mistake could completely ruin their record. Naturally, the players were under immense pressure. What if they tried to hide their strategy to play mind games, only to lose? They would be eliminated on the spot, becoming nothing but a laughingstock.

Tae-hyun was well aware of this risk, which was why he had hesitated. If their opponents had brought a groundbreaking new strategy, Team KL might have been pushed back. Fortunately, that didn't happen. Their opponents had used a highly conventional strategy: clearing the dungeon with standard team coordination and only using bomb items during critical moments.

It was the safest and most common approach. Because of the risk of bombs malfunctioning, players only used them when absolutely necessary. Thanks to this, Tae-hyun was able to save his secret strategy while gaining absolute confidence in his team. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠As long as the meta revolved around bombs, no team was more stable than theirs!

"Yuseong Gaming's replay is up. Let's watch."

How exactly had Lee Se-yeon played?

Summon Undead, Summon Undead...

A standard start.

Summoning undead as soon as she entered the dungeon was only natural for a Necromancer.

Summoning Highest-Grade Slime Golem!

?

A Slime Golem? While summoning golems was one of a Necromancer's specialties, Slime Golems were highly off-meta. They had high physical defense, but absolutely no other notable advantages. Why summon that?

Swallow!

"!"

Tae-hyun gasped in shock. The Slime Golem was swallowing the bombs one by one.

If you feed bombs to a monster like that, they'll become even more unstable. There's no telling when they might detonate! Wait, does the Slime Golem have some kind of special effect?

Lee Se-yeon was no fool. The fact that she was having the Slime Golem swallow them meant she had a guarantee that the bombs wouldn't detonate prematurely inside its body.

Thud, thud, thud—

With the Slime Golem lumbering behind them, the players of Yuseong Gaming sprinted along the shortest path. Their strategy was to aggro all the monsters and wipe them out in a single blow!

Screeech! Roar!

The strategy worked flawlessly. Having gathered monsters from all directions into a single spot, Lee Se-yeon finally ordered the Slime Golem forward.

Wait. How is she going to detonate the bombs now that they're inside the golem?

Descent of Evil Power, Golem Dispersion Explosion!

Lee Se-yeon provided a simple answer. She detonated the entire golem!

A deafening roar echoed as a massive explosion tore through the cavern. The bombs packed inside the golem had detonated simultaneously.

Tae-hyun had no choice but to admit it. Even without any Engineering skills, Lee Se-yeon had devised an incredibly efficient strategy.

While other teams were scrambling around, she focused on finding a way to stabilize the bombs first...

Of course, admiration was one thing, but Tae-hyun had no intention of actually praising her.

"Blowing up her own summon! Where is her professional ethics?!"

"..."

"You are the last person who should be talking about ethics..." Choi Sang-yun muttered.

Tae-hyun ignored the commentary from his side. At any rate, he had uncovered the secret behind Yuseong Gaming's record. While Team KL possessed portable siege weapons and stabilized bombs, Lee Se-yeon's team had a golem that could safely transport explosives.

Impressive, but not insurmountable. Does it all come down to the individual skill of the team members now?

The trump cards held by both teams didn't yield a massive difference in clear times. The deciding factor would be how well each team utilized their advantages.

And, of course, any hidden strategies.

Did Lee Se-yeon have another ace up her sleeve? If it were anyone else, Tae-hyun would have brushed it off, but he never underestimated Lee Se-yeon. It wouldn't be surprising at all if she had a hidden move!

"Assembling a siege weapon inside the dungeon and having a Merchant carry it around? Seriously..."

While Tae-hyun was analyzing her, Lee Se-yeon was also watching Team KL's match replay. She couldn't help but sigh in disbelief at what she saw.

"Using the Merchant class like this? No, seriously?!"

"As expected of Player Kim Tae-hyun!!"

"I get it, so could you please be quiet for a second?"

As Ryu Tae-su, Tae-hyun's biggest fanboy, rambled on excitedly beside her, Lee Se-yeon stared at him in sheer disbelief. Whose team are you even on?

"My apologies."

"..."

Well, finding a player of his caliber is hard enough as it is, Lee Se-yeon comforted herself. Aside from his fanboy tendencies, Ryu Tae-su was an exceptionally skilled player.

Indeed, as the tournament progressed, the true capabilities of each team's roster were being laid bare. High-ranking players who had performed spectacularly last year were suddenly choking on stage, while completely unknown players from the previous year were making legendary plays. The esports scene was a place where stars could fall and new ones could rise overnight.

In that regard, Yuseong Gaming's roster was incredibly solid. Lee Se-yeon's eye for talent had proven to be spot on.

Offers from other gaming organizations were already pouring in for Lee Se-yeon. They were hoping to snatch her up the moment her contract with Yuseong Gaming expired at the end of the year. The Arena and Duel tournaments scheduled for the latter half of the year hadn't even begun yet, but the interest was already this intense. Everyone recognized her immense value.

I wonder if Kim Tae-hyun received any offers too? No, his situation is a bit different since he's the team owner and captain...

Because Tae-hyun was a unique case who owned and led his own team, other organizations might hesitate to approach him with standard recruitment offers.

"No, seriously. No, seriously! How does this even make sense?"

Lee Se-yeon muttered to herself as she stared at the screen, completely shedding her usual cold, dignified image. Watching her, Kim Hyeon-ah spoke up.

"Unni, stop watching it. That's your third time replay-watching. Do you really like that guy that much?"

"W-w-what?!"

"I was just joking..."

Startled by Kim Hyeon-ah's reaction, Lee Se-yeon laughed awkwardly and patted her sister on the back.

"Don't make jokes like that! You scared me!"

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

"Unni, that actually hurts!"

Even as she pummeled Kim Hyeon-ah's back, Lee ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Se-yeon fell deep into thought. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Both Team KL and Yuseong Gaming had finished their first main tournament matches in the 32-minute range. This meant Team KL had brought the exact same strategy they used in the qualifiers into the main tournament without hiding anything.

Well, it makes sense. If they tried to hide their strategy and ended up losing...

She had worried that they might have developed a brand-new strategy in the meantime, but it seemed they hadn't.

Or are they hiding something? No, that doesn't seem likely... Wait, if it's Kim Tae-hyun, he just might...

"Unni, why are you groaning like you're in pain all by yourself?"

"Ah... it's nothing."