The Art of Sacrifice

Still, bulk was a talent in its own right. In Pan-On, players who wanted to be tanks often went out of their way to choose massive races or find ways to increase their size. In that sense, Cain's transformation into a Chimera was a massive blessing for a tank.

The reactions from the viewers were completely split. Those who didn't know much about the game found him grotesque, while the experienced players recognized the tactical advantage of his appearance, thinking, Oh, does that guy actually know how to tank?

The Demon Realm players, realizing they had been utterly duped, erupted in collective fury. Of course, none of their outrage could reach Cain's ears in the middle of the tournament.

"Anyway, Cain, you're the key to this round," Tae-hyun said.

"...It's self-destruction, isn't it?" Cain replied instantly.

His voice carried a strangely pitiful, sorrowful tone, and his eyes looked like those of a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

"No, it's not. And besides, even if you self-destruct, you can just respawn in this game mode."

"Oh. Right."

Cain's mood instantly brightened. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Wow! I can still participate in the match even after blowing myself up? Is the game really allowed to be this generous?

Seeing his sudden shift, the rest of the team felt a wave of pity wash over them.

The fact that you're still going to blow up hasn't changed, though?

How is he actually happy about that...?

"What I actually need from you is your role as a tank. You need to block their curses for me."

Inevitable, instant-cast curses are tricky, but it's not like there isn't a counter.

Tae-hyun's weakness was already widely known, and Tae-hyun himself was well aware of it. Curses that applied instantly upon casting, completely ignoring evasion! Individually, their destructive power was weak, but if they stacked up, they would quickly snowball. For Tae-hyun, whose low level meant a smaller pool of HP and MP, this was a highly threatening vulnerability.

Knowing this, Tae-hyun had always dealt with it using simple, direct methods: 'kill them before the curse lands,' 'prepare a curse-dispel skill,' or 'evade with pure mechanical control.'

Ah, right. My HP is a bit higher now.

On top of that, his HP had increased thanks to the tournament's level-scaling correction.

Well, I probably would've been fine without it, but...

Since they had utterly dominated the first round, Tae-hyun planned to keep things simple.

I already used my main authority skill earlier, so I should save similar skills as much as possible...

Instead, he would simply hide behind Cain! No matter how powerful a curse was, it couldn't be cast if the enemy couldn't even target him in the first place.

"Three, two, one, go!"

"!"

"And Round 2 has officially begun! Player Kim Tae-hyun is moving differently this time! Cain and Kim Tae-hyun are charging forward at high speed! The other three players are trailing closely behind them!"

"Wouldn't it be better for Player Choi Sang-yun to step up and fight alongside them? There's no real need to keep a melee dealer in the back..."

"It's likely to prepare for any potential counterattacks. As I've said time and time again, Player Kim Tae-hyun is an incredibly intelligent player! He might seem to pull off wild stunts, but he never crosses the line!"

The commentators' remarks left the audience thoroughly bewildered.

"?"

"??"

"???"

Wait... was he really that kind of player?

"The Shanghai Pandas are responding to the charge. Oh, surprisingly, they're moving forward! I expected them to play more defensively at their base after what happened last round."

"That's likely because the map is different this time. No matter where the enemy approaches from, they can spot them early. They're actively boosting their vision! They're systematically casting summons and buffs on the move."

"It's a strategy not too different from Round 1! We'll have to see how this plays out... Ah, Player Cain and Player Kim Tae-hyun are picking up speed! They've spotted each other! Both sides have made visual contact!"

"The Shanghai Pandas players look startled! But it's alright! The distance is still quite large! Even Kim Tae-hyun can't hit them from this far away!"

"After getting absolutely wrecked in Round 1, it's completely understandable that they're terrified! Oh! Player Tao Chen just miscast a skill! What is he doing?!"

Startled by the sudden rush, the Shanghai Pandas players had completely messed up their skill rotation! Fortunately for them, the distance between the two teams was still considerable. The wasteland map offered excellent visibility, allowing them to spot their opponents from afar.

"It's that bastard Cain! He's charging like a madman!"

"G-get ready!"

Their original strategy was to start by shutting down Cain. Though they were flustered, their rigorous training kicked in, and their hands moved automatically.

"Don't let Cain get close! He might blow up!"

"I know!"

The terror of self-destruction! The mere possibility of Cain blowing himself up was a source of absolute dread for his opponents. It completely deterred them from engaging in close-quarters combat. In reality, Self-Destruction was a highly finicky skill with complex activation conditions and precise timing requirements, but to an opponent lacking exact information, it was nothing short of psychological warfare.

Whoa. Holy crap.

Cain swallowed hard. The moment they entered range, five high-level rankers began spamming skills and items like absolute madmen! Skills flying from all directions shook the earth and made the very air tremble. Though this was a familiar sight for any tank, the pressure felt ten times worse. Even a 1v1 duel was enough to make one's body freeze up with tension, so charging headfirst into five opponents made him shake uncontrollably.

How on earth did Kim Tae-hyun just dive straight into a group of five like it was nothing?

The Shanghai Pandas' goal was simple. Bind Cain's feet and shut him down. If they couldn't bind him, they would beat him to death! Shutting him down completely would be the jackpot, but simply killing him was more than enough. Consequently, a barrage of highly destructive skills rained down upon Cain.

"Ah, why is this bastard's defense so damn high?!"

"Six arms is literally a cheat code!"

The Shanghai Pandas players grumbled. While Cain was far easier to deal with than Tae-hyun, he was proving to be much sturdier than they had anticipated. They wanted to take him down quickly and prepare for Kim Tae-hyun, but Cain was dragging things out!

What is Kim Tae-hyun aiming for?

There's no way he just sent Cain in alone... Is he using stealth to flank us?

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

If he used a stealth skill, there's no way I wouldn't have detected him.

Despite holding the upper hand, the Shanghai Pandas ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were the ones growing anxious. Still, they managed to keep their composure for now.

We'll definitely take Cain down! they reassured themselves.

"Kim Tae-hyun! I'm in deep trouble here! Ugh! Why did we have to get such a trash map?! I'm the only one with bad luck! Seriously, why am I always the unlucky one?!"

"Shut up, man, they can hear you."

Cain wailed, completely devoid of any professional dignity! Naturally, the spectators burst into laughter. Even the commentators couldn't hold back their chuckles.

"Ah... Player Cain is... *cough*."

"Well, it's understandable! Since Pan-On requires physical movement, the exhaustion is multiplied! It's only natural to complain...!"

As the distance closed to mid-range, Tae-hyun immediately activated his skill.

It was one of the most broken authority skills in Tae-hyun's arsenal! The moment his absurd luck stat was shared with Cain, the skills flying toward Cain's shield began to slide and deflect harmlessly away. The Shanghai Pandas players gasped in sheer horror.

"What the hell?! What skill did he just use?!"

"Kim Tae-hyun is right behind him! Cain's massive body was blocking him from our view!"

Tae-hyun tapped Cain on the back. Cain nodded instantly. It was the signal to use every skill at his disposal to close the gap! Activating a flurry of skills, Cain began to charge forward like a raging bull. He intended to completely close the remaining distance during the brief duration of Archisus's Blessing.

At that moment, the captain of the Shanghai Pandas, Li Chao, made the sharpest tactical decision of the match. It was a survival instinct born of being cornered.

"If it's a buff similar to Kim Tae-hyun's, we deal with it the same way we deal with him! Stop all offensive skills and dump every single curse we have on him! He's not as fast as Kim Tae-hyun, so he'll grind to a halt once they hit! The buff will wear off eventually!"

"O-okay!"

Thanks to their captain's command, the players swiftly switched their skills and began spamming curses. Cain, who had been feeling triumphant, panicked as the enemy adapted with lightning speed.

"T-they're not even flustered?!"

"Of course not. If they couldn't even handle this, they wouldn't be rankers. Keep your eyes forward ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and run!"

Tae-hyun's calm response put Cain at ease. Ah, Kim Tae-hyun really has everything planned out!

The sight of Cain silently charging forward while absorbing dozens of incoming curses was nothing short of majestic. It was a scene that set the spectators' hearts racing!

Public opinion flipped in an instant! The very people who had been laughing and saying, "lol is Cain crying right now?" were now cheering him on. Just one more step! Just one more step!

...I can't move!

Cain's heart sank. His feet were completely glued to the ground now. What was he supposed to do?!

"K-Kim Tae-hyun..."

"Can't move? Then use your chain. You did great. I'll handle the rest."

Tae-hyun's words brought a massive wave of relief to Cain. As expected of our captain! He's just built different!

Clang-clang-clang!

Startled by the incoming skill, the enemy tank instinctively turned around. It was a foolish mistake he would never normally make, but the sheer tension of facing such opponents had gotten to him. Because of that, the priest standing behind him... Tao Chen, was hooked and dragged away.

"Ah, no! You crazy bastard!"

"Aaaaargh!"

The Shanghai Pandas players, who had just breathed a sigh of relief seeing Cain stop, jumped in sheer panic, their faces turning pale. They had to rescue Tao Chen before Cain could finish him!

At that exact moment, Cain began to glow before vanishing in a flash of light. For a split second, the Shanghai Pandas players thought Cain had teleported. But before they could even process the thought, Tae-hyun, who had been hiding behind Cain, lunged straight at the incoming Tao Chen.

"Aaaaaaaaargh!"

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

With a bloodcurdling scream, Tao Chen melted away under a barrage of insane burst damage.

Starting off by taking out the priest. What a stroke of luck. I thought we'd pull in the tank.

Tae-hyun finished off Tao Chen and scanned his surroundings.

Archisus's Blessing and Sacrifice of Archisus were both authority skills with long cooldowns. Using them now meant they wouldn't be available for Round 3.

Doesn't matter.

He had no intention of letting the match go to Round 3 anyway. If they finished it this round, cooldowns were irrelevant! From the very beginning, Tae-hyun had fully intended to sacrifice Cain. Once the enemy team's curses focused on him, Cain's stats wouldn't have allowed him to break free anyway.

But thanks to that...

I've got all the buffs, zero curses, and my condition is... absolutely perfect.

He was now in prime condition to engage the enemy in close combat. Tae-hyun smiled. Seeing that smile, the hearts of the Shanghai Pandas players sank into their stomachs.

Round 2 was another overwhelming victory for Team KL.