The Art of the Spin

Lee Da-bi looked at Tae-hyun with a serious gaze as she spoke. For a moment, Tae-hyun felt deeply moved by her look. He was someone who played games purely for his own enjoyment. He had never attached any grand meaning to it. Yet, Lee Da-bi made him find meaning in everything he had done up until now. It was no longer just a game, but something more...

"What are you talking about? Kim Tae-hyun has the highest Luck stat."

"Cain... please, read the room for once...!"

Choi Sang-yun clutched his face, exasperated by Cain's clueless interruption. Yu Ji-soo and Jeong Su-hyeok were also staring at Cain with utterly fed-up expressions. Seriously, do you have zero social awareness?!

"Why?! No, really, Kim Tae-hyun's Luck is way higher!"

"Shut up, seriously."

"Zip it, please."

Cain was promptly subdued, and a literal gag was stuffed into his mouth. He pleaded with his eyes, desperately trying to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠convey how unfair it was, but everyone ignored him.

"Mmph! Mmph-mmph!"

"Ah. But seriously, I really hope our opponent is Edaor."

"Come on, that's a bit too much."

"Exactly. There's no way Edaor would show up again."

"I believe that is a bit too shameless, Senior."

Tae-hyun's party marched forward, chatting amiably! Behind them followed...

The Archisus Artillery, the newly joined Giant tribes, the 4th Knight Order of the Erangs Kingdom, the Noble Warrior Coalition of the Asbian Empire, the Capital Demon Royal Guard, and a massive horde of high-level players who had rushed over from the capital the moment they heard of Tae-hyun's arrival...

It was a truly terrifying force. And this wasn't even all of them. Countless other players were currently scattered across the region, actively engaging the Guild Alliance's raiding parties.

Yet, even this partial assembly was staggering! Tae-hyun was still operating under the assumption that the Guild Alliance has dozens of rankers! My forces are still lacking! and was frantically gathering more troops. In reality, the military might he could mobilize had already reached an absurd scale.

By pinching pennies, hoarding resources, and systematically poaching knights from other nations one by one, he had somehow amassed a ridiculously wealthy army! Although the 4th Knight Order of Erangs and the Asbian Noble Warriors were technically borrowed forces that he would eventually have to return, that was a minor detail for future Tae-hyun to worry about.

"Where are we raiding first?"

"Well, let's take a stroll and think about it."

Leading his massive army, Tae-hyun leisurely made his way up toward the northern border. To the players following behind, his sluggish pace was highly baffling.

"Shouldn't we be moving a bit faster?"

"What if the Guild Alliance spots us and runs away?"

With such a massive crowd, it was impossible to hide their movements. In fact, among the players trailing Tae-hyun, there were easily over a hundred active streamers broadcasting live. Yet, Tae-hyun was absolutely certain of one thing: the Guild Alliance wouldn't just tuck their tails and run immediately.

Things in this world never resolve themselves that easily.

The Guild Alliance wasn't some ragtag group of nobodies like the Red Zone Guild.

"Why do my ears suddenly itch?"

"Ugh. You filthy animal."

The Guild Alliance was once the largest coalition in all of Pandemonium Online. A guild of that stature, no matter how desperate for funds, couldn't just engage in petty, mindless looting. They had to maintain at least a shred of pride and put on a show. Otherwise, even if they temporarily raked in some gold, their reputation would be completely ruined, making long-term survival impossible.

Su Ning surely knew this as well!

Su Ning. You've got to at least put up a fight before you run, right? Though I'm sure that's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the last thing you want to do.

Just as Tae-hyun predicted, Su Ning was locked in deep contemplation. The news of Tae-hyun's departure from the capital had instantly reached the ears of every single member of the Guild Alliance.

To an outsider, it would have looked like a group of people facing the literal apocalypse. That was how utterly terrified the Guild Alliance was. The guild members were frantically clamoring for Su Ning to order a retreat, but Su Ning simply couldn't do it.

Damn it... there are too many eyes watching!

The Guild Alliance wasn't just an in-game organization. It was a massive business enterprise that received various sponsorships and corporate investments in the real world. This was only possible because of the Alliance's historically dominant position! No matter how much criticism they faced or what controversies arose, there was no denying that they were the strongest guild around.

Su Ning realized once again just how cunning and intelligent Tae-hyun truly was. Tae-hyun had crafted his public image flawlessly. If Tae-hyun ran away or used hit-and-run tactics against the Guild Alliance? Everyone understood and cheered him on, because the Guild Alliance was a massive Goliath and Tae-hyun was a lone David fighting with a small band. But the reverse? That was impossible. It completely clashed with their image. The moment they retreated, the Guild Alliance would become the laughingstock of the entire gaming community. Tae-hyun had nothing to lose, but Su Ning had everything to lose. He couldn't make a single ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠move freely. They absolutely could not just run away!

"Su Ning, what's wrong?"

"...We can't just run away. The atmosphere is already terrible, and if we just flee without a fight, the backlash will be immense. We have to do something."

The ranker Gonzalez understood exactly what Su Ning meant. "True... then how about we do this?"

"?"

"Right now, Kim Tae-hyun's side is broadcasting everything live."

With hundreds of players streaming their march! Thanks to this, the Guild Alliance ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was terrified, but they hadn't completely panicked yet. Well, they were probably halfway to a full-blown panic, but still...

"Unlike before, we have complete eyes on their movements. We can use the exact same strategy Kim Tae-hyun used against us. We avoid their main force while executing hit-and-run strikes."

"I told you, we can't do that! If the Guild Alliance is seen openly avoiding Kim Tae-hyun on a public broadcast...!"

With so many eyes watching, doing that would permanently brand them as cowards.

"No, we just need to spin the media narrative."

"?"

"We don't call it 'fleeing from Kim Tae-hyun.' We frame it as 'toyed with Kim Tae-hyun using his own tactics!' We're just giving him a taste of his own medicine. It's all about how we spin it. In the end, the loudest voice wins!"

"...!"

He was right. Avoiding Tae-hyun while raiding the surrounding areas might look like cowardly flight at a glance, but with the right packaging, the narrative would completely change. It would be framed as a brilliant revenge tactic, giving Tae-hyun a taste of his own medicine! Of course, some people would still mock them, but they had more than enough media influence to suppress that level of public opinion.

That's a brilliant idea!

"That is an excellent plan, Gonzalez!"

"Right? So, starting now, we order every single streamer in our raiding parties to shut down their broadcasts, and we keep our coordinates strictly confidential. Meanwhile, we can continuously track Kim Tae-hyun's location through his followers' streams!"

"Gonzalez...! I am truly impressed. To think you had prepared such a thorough countermeasure!"

Su Ning was deeply moved. He had no idea Gonzalez possessed such strategic depth! He had never noticed it before, but a true crisis really brought out a person's hidden talents. At Su Ning's praise, Gonzalez felt proud... or rather, he didn't.

...I'm literally just copying exactly what Kim Tae-hyun did...

Receiving praise for this felt incredibly awkward. Since he was merely plagiarizing Tae-hyun's exact playbook, he felt deeply embarrassed.

"Everyone, cease all broadcasts immediately!"

"Turn off your personal streams! Anyone caught broadcasting will face severe disciplinary action!"

The executives and rankers barked orders with terrifying intensity. They knew all too well just how obsessed streamers were with their broadcasts. These were people who would shout, "Viewers! Are you seeing this?! I'm literally dying right now!" even as their characters were being slaughtered! If they didn't lay down the law with absolute severity, some idiot would undoubtedly try to sneak a stream even in this high-stakes situation. After all, the ultimate dream of every streamer was to secure an exclusive broadcast of a quest that no one else was streaming!

Fortunately, the guild members were highly cooperative this time. While the executives' warnings were scary, their sheer terror of Tae-hyun was far greater.

"Assassins, secure our vanguard and rearguard! Eliminate any player in sight! Cast detection magic to ensure no spies are lurking nearby!"

The Guild Alliance parties moved with absolute secrecy, thoroughly concealing their information. It was a highly strategic and genuinely effective choice.

...Assuming, of course, they didn't have spies on the inside!

Finding a small party of twenty or thirty players in the vast continent of Pandemonium Online was like finding a needle in a haystack—unless you had a direct line of communication. The spies within the Alliance began racking their brains to transmit information as naturally as possible. Those who had never tried it often underestimated the difficulty, but espionage was a highly demanding craft. One had to report precise information at the exact right moment! This was especially true in real-time situations where they had to report covertly under constant surveillance. Since they didn't have the luxury of sending videos or screenshots, they had to describe their exact coordinates purely through whispers.

I need a landmark to pinpoint our location... like a massive tree or a mountain...

Of all times, there's no river nearby. That boulder looks like a good landmark... Wait, why is that guy standing right next to it? Move out of the way, damn it.

The best landmarks for describing a location were always massive trees, prominent boulders, streams, or springs. But every time a spy tried to casually position themselves near one of these landmarks to send a whisper, they kept bumping into other guild members.

"???"

"???"

What is this guy's deal?

Why does he keep bumping into me?

Because the viable landmarks were so limited, the spies were constantly colliding with one another!

Wait, don't tell me... Is this bastard onto me?!

I-Is this person... suspecting me?!

The spies grew increasingly paranoid, sending their whispers with extreme caution. Meanwhile, there was one person who acted with absolute, cool confidence.

"Oh, Alcott. Why are you whispering me...? You want to come help us? No, aren't you busy with your lordly duties? It's fine. I know how dedicated you are to the guild. Our location? Ah, really, you don't have to come. Well, if you insist... Here is where we are..."

Su Ning warmly and thoroughly answered Alcott's sudden whisper. While all the lords in the western region of the Auston Kingdom had abandoned ship, Alcott had remained loyal to the Guild Alliance despite holding prime real estate in the Erangs Kingdom. Naturally, his standing within the Alliance had skyrocketed. Even the rankers who usually envied or disliked Alcott had no choice but to respect his unwavering loyalty!

"Halt here."

"Y-Your Holiness? Shouldn't we be heading to save our master's territory?"

When Tae-hyun completely bypassed the fiefs and brought his forces to a halt in front of a wide river at the border, the noble envoys were utterly bewildered. Why on earth were they stopping here when they should be rushing to the territories to hunt down the raiders?

"Haha. You lot still lack strategic foresight. Think about it. Where would those raiders head after filling their pockets with loot? They'll inevitably have to cross right through here."

"Ah! Indeed..."

"...But Your Holiness, won't the territories be completely pillaged in the meantime?"

"Well, it's not my land, so..."

"Your Holiness?!"

"Hmm? No, I mean, some sacrifices are inevitable. A leader must remain steadfast and heavy, not flit about from place to place at the slightest disturbance."

"..."

"..."

The envoys' faces turned pale with despair, but Tae-hyun paid them no mind and continued casually.

"More importantly, tell the Counts to come meet me here."

"Pardon?! Why would they do that?!"

"They need to bring their overdue taxes and swear their oaths of fealty, of course."

"Y-Your Holiness! The raiders haven't even been dealt with yet, this is no time for... And there are demons running rampant in the territories as we speak!"

"That is your concern. As for me, I must receive my taxes and oaths of fealty."

"If our masters leave their posts right now...!"

"Then their subordinates will simply have to work harder. Don't speak as if the Counts are doing anything of grand importance; they'd probably just be getting in the way. Ah, and... there are two territories in need of saving, but I am only one man. Naturally, I will have to prioritize the territory of whichever Count arrives here first."

"...!!!!"

The envoys were utterly dumbfounded. How could such a diabolical man exist!

"Your Holiness! If you are trying to drive a wedge between my master and the House of Bonazo, you have sorely miscalculated! The envoy from Count Bonazo is not a man of such low character!"

Count Bolone's envoy protested indignantly.

"Is that so? Then who is that sprinting away over there?"

"?!"

The envoy of Count Bolone suddenly realized that the man who had been standing right beside him just a moment ago was gone!

"Y-You...!"

The envoy from the House of Bonazo was already riding his horse like a madman, desperately galloping away. That was just how truly desperate the House of Bonazo was!