Chapter 122
“Overall, everything is just a complete mess.”
Suhyuk started the feedback right away.
“Yes…”
A despondent reaction. Seeing Bald Suhyuk’s drooping ears and slightly bowed head, Suhyuk offered a bit of encouragement.
“But that ‘overall’ includes other people besides you, Bald Suhyuk.”
This was the best encouragement he could offer right now. Even if he was feeling down, he couldn’t give encouragement where none existed.
“Other people too?”
“Yes. Although Bald Suhyuk is particularly a mess…”
Suhyuk quickly added.
“But they’re all more or less the same. Given the rank, it’s no surprise.”
From what Suhyuk observed, Bald Suhyuk was a hardworking underachiever. Reaching the 4th floor with such talent was an undeniable accomplishment. That would have been impossible without effort.
Of course, that might also have been due to having the financial means to retry the test countless times.
“Anyway, you’re saying I’m the worst, Master?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“This master is a bit harsh.”
Suhyuk couldn’t help but smile at Bald Suhyuk’s comment. He had worried that Bald Suhyuk might get too discouraged, but fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Upon reflection, it made sense. Bald Suhyuk had been told he was the worst nearly every day up to now.
His mental strength was probably comparable to that of a high-ranking player.
“Suggestions like ‘fix this’, ‘react that way’… those are things that take a lot of time and may even be hard to achieve.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Bald Suhyuk nodded. Indeed, that’s how other masters had tried to teach him so far. Focus on the test. Manage your skills to conserve magic. Concentrate more when using a skill.
These were things he understood mentally but couldn’t execute.
“If I could do those things, would I be here now? Definitely not.”
“I was going to assume you don’t know how to do any of those things.”
“So, what should I do?”
Whether it was for the stream or just his natural personality, Bald Suhyuk clasped his hands together with exaggerated actions and tone.
After all, he also didn’t want to do a couple stream with another guy.
“It’s simple, really.”
“Simple?”
“Yes. Just make a few promises with me.”
Bald Suhyuk looked puzzled.
“… Promises?”
*
After the feedback session, Bald Suhyuk immediately began the next test. His mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of what would happen if he failed the mission.
‘I hate this. Absolutely hate this.’
A couple stream with another guy. It was definitely something he wanted to avoid. He needed to complete this mission, not for the reward but to avoid the couple stream at all costs.
‘He did say it was about promises.’
『Welcome to the Forest of War.』
『Defeat enemies to become stronger.』
『Destroy the enemy base to win the match.』
The message announcing the start of the test appeared. Bald Suhyuk began to focus.
“Alright. Let’s do this, guys.”
Smack-.
He smacked the mask on his face with his palm. As soon as the game started, the teammates, all in the Bronze 4 tier, recognized Bald Suhyuk.
“Huh? That mask…”
“It’s Bald Suhyuk!”
“Bald Suhyuk? Isn’t that the same guy? The Fake Suhyuk?”
“Do you think he’d be in this tier? Of course, it’s Bald Suhyuk.”
Two of the teammates recognized Bald Suhyuk. However, one of them did not react favorably.
“Oh, great. We’re doomed this round.”
A player named “Diehard” grumbled in annoyance as he trudged away.
“I’m going top.”
“Hey, you should at least discuss with the team…”
“Then come with me.”
Without waiting for a response, diehard headed to the top.
– What’s up with that guy?
– He’s mad because he’s teamed with Bald Suhyuk LOLOLOL
– Bald (annoying) Suhyuk LOLOLOL
– Not funny;
Even in a friendly atmosphere, winning the test would be a challenge.
‘We’re doomed, this round.’
The test started with bad feelings. Moreover, one teammate already had a grudge against him. A messed-up game from the start.
To make matters worse, the lanes got tangled.
“I’ve never played mid before…”
Bald Suhyuk was assigned to the mid lane. Typically, his main lane was top. Mid was a role with more responsibilities, often avoided.
Despite his attempts to avoid it, another player had taken top right from the start.
“We’re doomed…”
『’Minions’ have spawned.』
Time passed, and the minions spawned. The test was officially underway. Arriving at the turret, he saw the enemy player.
A player named “Radol” wielded two daggers.
Well-geared and looking quite capable.
“You don’t have to try to do anything special. Just remember a few promises and stick to them.”
Bald Suhyuk recalled the conversation he had with Suhyuk. A few promises. All he had to do was remember and keep them. Compared to other masters, this was much simpler feedback.
‘Okay. Let’s try this.’
This mission was one he absolutely could not fail. He had to be persistent. For now, he had to trust Suhyuk. The spawned minions reached the lane. Following directions, he began farming slowly.
『Minion slain.』
『Stats increased by 1%.』
“The tests on the 4th floor primarily focus on growth. Even if your control is lacking, as long as you farm well, you’re halfway there.”
The first promise made with Suhyuk.
“Never go in first; just focus on farming from the start. Always.”
Don’t rush; just concentrate on farming. It was a sensible strategy. With his lack of control, Bald Suhyuk had no choice but to aim for growth.
As long as he grew well, it wasn’t impossible to overwhelm his opponents with stats alone.
『Minion slain.』
『Stats increased by 1%.』
He farmed diligently. Occasionally, the opponent’s daggers flew his way, but hiding behind allied minions made it easy to avoid them.
It helped that Bald Suhyuk had ruled out the idea of fighting entirely. Time passed like this.
“God, this is annoying.”
Pop-.
Unable to stand it any longer, the opponent pushed in aggressively.
“When you keep farming the minions, there will be a moment when the opponent overextends out of frustration.”
‘… Huh?’
Seeing the opponent charge in amidst the minions, Bald Suhyuk blinked. The situation unfolded exactly as if he had seen a preview.
This left him with no hesitation for his next move.
Clang-!
The daggers and sword clashed. With the sharp sound of metal scraping, the battle commenced.
But.
“What the hell, you’re just blocking non-stop…”
With no intention of fighting back, Bald Suhyuk focused solely on defending. It was a frustrating stalemate with no clear resolution.
Then, during their skirmish.
“Hehehe…”
Bald Suhyuk suddenly laughed in a creepy manner.
“Got it.”
“Got what—.”
In the momentary confusion during the battle.
“… Huh?”
Radol’s eyes widened as he looked around. The area was suddenly filled with minions. The allied minions had focused their attention on defending Bald Suhyuk as he was attacked.
Surrounded by more than ten minions.
“Early game minions are quite powerful.”
“If you can pull this off, it’s as good as completing half the mission.”
Bald Suhyuk started his counterattack.
“I don’t want to do a couple stream with a guy—!”
*
『’Benito Roman’ has slain ‘Radol’.』
An unbelievable situation unfolded.
『’Benito Roman’ has slain ‘Phatai’.』
『’Benito Roman’ has…』
『…』
『’Benito Roman’ is on a killing spree.』
Bald Suhyuk’s killing spree. This was something that had never happened since he started the 4th floor tests.
No.
It was something he never thought would happen.
“Huh…? Why am I playing so well?”
Even he seemed bewildered. It had only been about 15 minutes since the new test started. During that time, Bald Suhyuk had already scored 5 kills.
– How did he do that?
– Why is he suddenly playing so well?
– I mean, it doesn’t really look like he’s playing well, but kills keep rolling in;;
A continuous string of bewildering situations. He didn’t seem to be playing particularly well, but he kept getting lucky with kills.
It was the same from the first kill. An opponent player recklessly charged into the minions, putting themselves in a disadvantageous position, and Bald Suhyuk capitalized on it.
After getting the first kill, Bald Suhyuk immediately moved to the top lane and secured a second kill.
Thanks to growing from those kills, he was now in a position to dominate the opponent with his stats.
– Is it because of those promises?
Suhyuk’s feedback was being streamed.
But the feedback was so simple, it seemed almost laughable.
Yet.
“There’s no need to request something difficult. It’s not like you’d be able to do it anyway.”
The results were better than any complex feedback.
『’Fourth Floor Haunter’ has donated 5,000 points.』
『Please, some commentary. I beg you.』
A substantial donation with a short, straightforward message. It seemed like a player who had been stuck on the 4th floor for quite some time.
“Thank you for the donation, Haunter. I’ll explain it briefly and simply.”
Suhyuk said this while watching Bald Suhyuk push the second turret.
“Bald Suhyuk consistently abandoned farming to engage in fights. Actually, it’s not just Bald Suhyuk; everyone in this rank does the same.”
The first promise. Focus on farming until the opponent engages first.
“In the early game, there’s no need to fight the opponent. If you focus solely on farming, there will naturally be more allied minions than the opponent’s. And when the opponent can’t stand it anymore and charges in, you use the minions to counter-kill them.”
『’Fourth Floor Haunter’ has donated 100 points.』
『What if the opponent doesn’t engage?』
Suhyuk shook his head.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, they will.”
In most cases, anyway.
“The players here don’t seem to think.”
It was something that could certainly happen in Bald Suhyuk’s tier. Reflecting on the past games, he thought. Even with lacking control, this was a mission worth attempting.
“The past few matches show a pattern where the side that blindly charges, fights, and loses is the one that gets defeated. Breaking such an obvious pattern is as easy as flipping a palm.”
Cursed physical skills?
Then just fix what’s outside those physical skills.
“Trials aren’t just about hitting and clashing. Even on the 4th floor, which seems simple, there are rules, and understanding them is necessary.”
Suhyuk started counting on his fingers.
“Farming, stats, minions, turrets, lanes, jungle… There’s so much to consider. And understanding the relationships formed from these is the task the 4th floor tests present to us.”
– Am I the only one not understanding this?
– Oh! I completely understand! (Understand nothing)
– Didn’t he say he’d explain it simply?
Suhyuk nodded at the viewers’ reactions.
“Yes. That’s why I didn’t explain it this way to Bald Suhyuk either. He wouldn’t understand even if I explained it.”
Popularly known as brainpower. But just like physical skills, brainpower also requires extensive training and practice.
“So I just ingrained a few simple promises in his head. Here, just following those promises already gives you a significant advantage.”
Suhyuk looked at the stream screen.
“See?”
『Bald Suhyuk, the Avatar of the Battlefield!』
Grinning widely at the points soon to be received, Suhyuk said.
“Simple, right?”