Chapter 63: Unrelenting Taunts

[NinjaBuffPls has defeated I-Came-Alone.]

The lone remaining Priest quickly swapped weapons and began spamming offensive skills. Sephiroth’s chat popped up as he leisurely dodged the desperate final barrage.

[Party] Sephiroth: Priest vs. Core Castle.

“The Priest is pitiful, let’s let him live.”

[Party] Sephiroth: Okay.

[Party] Nago-Rang: Isn’t letting him live even more humiliating? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

While Nago-Rang let out a hollow laugh, Sephiroth moved as nimbly as a squirrel, dodging the Priest’s attacks while ascending the altar. The altar itself unleashed various defense mechanisms at the intruder, but Sephiroth moved without losing a single point of health, looking like a pro player dodging bullets in a bullet-hell shooting game. This was especially impressive considering his form was partially obscured by the flashy attack effects of the altar.

[Guild] Nago-Rang: Wow, Sephiroth really is Sephiroth….

[Guild] Nago-Rang: Another class ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] NinjaBuffPls: Someone like that should have been a Ninja.

[Guild] Nago-Rang: Excuse me? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] NinjaBuffPls: It’s a tragedy he’s trapped in a Berserker’s body.

[Guild] PpoongPpoongLove: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] Nago-Rang: Isn’t Ninja actually insane? ㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] PpoongPpoongLove: But wow, he’s seriously good.

[Guild] PpoongPpoongLove: Are we sure we shouldn’t kill the Priest?

[Guild] Sephiroth: Yeah.

[Guild] PpoongPpoongLove: Poor Priest.

[Guild] Nago-Rang: If this isn’t toxic behavior, I don’t know what is ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

He even managed to type in chat while dodging. The Priest, looking as if his pride was wounded, grit his teeth and launched more attacks, but the other party members weren’t weak enough to die to a lone healer’s offense. Instead, as if they had all conspired to watch the show, no one rushed to the altar. In the strategy videos I’d watched with Sephiroth, teams usually split the altar’s targeting among several people to break the Core Castle, but since Sephiroth was dodging everything alone, they clearly felt there was no need to step up.

And soon.

[All] Elias: Just…

[All] Elias: Kill……

[All] Elias: Me………

Poof. The altar where Sephiroth stood exploded. The enemy team had declared their surrender.

A single game had yielded about 600 guild points. In the battlefields that followed, we continued our massacre. The strategy was always the same: I held the Core Castle, and the six of us charged. The opposing teams used various strategies, but the victor was always us.

It wasn’t just Sephiroth and me; the teammates had decent gaming sense as well. There was Won-jae hyung, who had once made the Top 100 rankings, and NinjaBuffPls, who was apparently famous among the Ninja community. Nago-Rang and Seong-jin weren’t bad at games either. And above all, everyone listened to Sephiroth.

If he said retreat, they retreated. If he said fight, they fought. Even if they died from a control mistake, they didn’t push back. Whether it was because they didn’t want to ruin the mood of the party, or they were scared of Sephiroth’s retaliation, or they truly trusted his orders—it was hard to say. Regardless, they did exactly as he told them.

After the ninth battlefield ended, Sephiroth spoke.

[Party] Sephiroth: If we practice a bit

[Party] Sephiroth: I think we could aim for the rankings.

[Party] PpoongPpoongLove: Seriously?

[Party] BlueberryWhiskey: Hmm.

[Party] Nago-Rang: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Sephiroth-nim is even good at giving compliments.

[Party] Nago-Rang: Thanks for thinking highly of us ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

“Exactly. We’ve just been riding the bus Sephiroth-nim provided. I wouldn’t even dream of the rankings.”

The guild members, who had become a bit closer to Sephiroth in the meantime, laughed as if it were a joke. Ha ha. Before Won-jae hyung’s laughter even faded, Sephiroth’s chat appeared.

[Party] Sephiroth: No joke.

[Party] Sephiroth: Blee and I have to enter the rankings anyway.

[Party] Sephiroth: Being a good bus-rider is a skill, too.

I think he’s serious….

[Party] Sephiroth: Think about it.

[Party] Sephiroth: I’ll make sure the training is solid.

[Party] Sephiroth: If you don’t want to, nothing I can do.

[Party] NinjaBuffPls: I’m in.

[Party] NinjaBuffPls: For the sake of a Ninja buff, I can sharpen my blade.

He was definitely serious. The chat room fell silent after NinjaBuffPls’s message. It seemed they were thrown into confusion—wondering if he was for real, if it was actually possible, and what exactly he would make them do. No one else was brave enough to volunteer just yet.

Practicing a game.

Since these were people who had reached the level cap and cleared multiple raids, they already put in the basic effort to learn boss mechanics. They had likely practiced through multiple wipes. But aiming for PVP rankings was a different story. Unlike raids where you can memorize patterns, PVP involves fighting moving human beings; without building a solid foundation of skill, it’s difficult to deal with unexpected situations. And like studying, the process of learning the basics is tedious and offers little immediate gratification. Would our guild members, most of whom started the game for fun, actually accept this proposal?

“Hmm…. Well, Sephiroth-nim, I think we need to think about this a bit more. Could you give us some time?”

[Party] Sephiroth: Yeah.

[Party] Sephiroth: Let me know whenever.

Judging by Won-jae hyung’s hesitant tone, it didn’t seem likely the proposal would be accepted. Seong-jin and Nago-Rang remained silent.

But then, something happened that overturned everyone’s decision.

Seeing the chat room grow quiet after Sephiroth’s proposal, I was the one who became anxious. Had he put too much pressure on the guild members? Besides, I didn’t expect Sephiroth to say something like that. The Sephiroth who PKs anyone who casts a shadow within a 40-meter radius? Unable to hide my bewilderment, I sent him a whisper.

[Whisper] BlueberryWhiskey: Hey, wait a second.

[Whisper] BlueberryWhiskey: You’re really going to make them practice?

[Whisper] Sephiroth: Yeah.

[Whisper] Sephiroth: Once we hit Diamond rank, we’ll be up against rankers.

[Whisper] Sephiroth: Rather than teaming up with hopeless idiots who can’t follow directions

[Whisper] Sephiroth: It’s better to remodel people who actually listen and build chemistry.

Ah, he had a point there….

[Whisper] BlueberryWhiskey: Still, don’t pressure them.

[Whisper] Sephiroth: No worries.

[Whisper] Sephiroth: It’s more exhausting to drag people along who don’t want to be there.

Seeing him say that, it didn’t seem like he was going to force anyone. I let out a light sigh and prepared for the next battlefield.

The fifteenth battlefield ended. Walking a path of overwhelming victory, we finished our placements and entered the Silver tier. Now, as long as we didn’t drop back to Bronze, we just had to climb through Silver, Gold, and Platinum to reach Diamond. Since we had been winning non-stop, it didn’t seem like we’d fall to Bronze anytime soon.

“Let’s just do one more. Everyone seems to be getting tired.”

At Won-jae hyung’s words, Seong-jin and Nago-Rang nodded, not missing the opportunity. Regardless of how well the games were going, playing fifteen consecutive rounds was bound to be exhausting for anyone. NinjaBuffPls, eyeing Sephiroth, began to sidle toward Nago-Rang with a crab-walk. I teased the Ninja, who was half-transparent while using Stealth.

“Ninja-nim. You don’t have to leave like you’re running away….”

“What, Ninja-nim was running away?”

“A Ninja… does not run…!”

Startled, NinjaBuffPls’s Stealth broke. He hurriedly cleared his throat to sound solemn, but his feet had already reached Nago-Rang and Seong-jin. NinjaBuffPls used a ‘shy’ emoticon. A red blush appeared on his cheeks above his mask. He fiddled with his hands and spoke softly.

“Actually, I’m a bit hungry.”

Come to think of it, it was already dinner time. It felt like I’d spent the entire day gaming. I could see why people said they “grind their lives” into Zelpia. When you’re enjoying the content, the day just vanishes.

“Then shall we go for the final round?”

“Sounds good!”

Nago-Rang’s Giant had a booming voice, but when combined with her cute way of speaking, it created a bizarre impression. Of course, I wasn’t rude enough to point that out. While I was thinking, Won-jae hyung spoke to Serika, and we were matched shortly after.

On the map that was now familiar, I naturally moved to take the Core Castle from the altar. The others were leisurely stretching and preparing to run. Since this strategy was 15-0, everyone had relaxed their guard a little.

Just then, the chat window flickered.

[All] SoldierAfrica: Heh, look who it is~

[All] SoldierAfrica: Sephiroth-nim is here~ heh.

[All] SoldierAfrica: I guess you found a new guild to destroy? heh.

A single relevant follow-up question: How do you think Sephiroth will react to being publicly confronted by someone who seems to know his notorious reputation?