Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

While the stage was being prepared for the team match, Yusaenghoon moved to another spot for an interview.

The caster asked Yusaenghoon how he was able to move so effectively during the match, what he was aiming for, and other similar questions. Everything he said was exactly as I had imagined.

Yusaenghoon had just played like a game addict.

["I memorized the map while watching the footage, as usual. Sometimes, the map in Zeta changes for no reason, but when that happens, it's either because there are hidden treasures or it triggers a hidden quest."]

The audience let out a mix of gasps and admiration with a collective "Ooooh!" while the caster laughed and, with an exaggerated tone, asked:

["Is it normal to memorize all that?"]

["At first, I didn't consciously try to memorize it, but I kept remembering it as I played. Then, I started playing with the bard often... so I memorized the map like he did."]

Did Yusaenghoon just blame me?

It seemed like the camera director realized I was the bard Yusaenghoon was referring to and quickly zoomed in on my face.

As my face appeared next to the hologram of Yusaenghoon, the audience stirred.

They must have been a little taken aback, since I wasn't even a contestant or a ranked player but suddenly popped up on the screen.

I casually raised a sign with "Shield Soldier Champion" and "GO BPB" written on it, partially covering my face.

"Vice-class rep, so you're thinking too hard even when playing the game, huh?"

"Yi-shin, did you really memorize all that?"

Kwon Lena widened her eyes and jerked her head around, causing her ribbon to flutter wildly.

The ribbon's edge gently brushed against Mok Wooram's cheek, who was sitting next to her, and Mok Wooram, grinning, muttered, "Impressive, Vice-class rep."

'It's just a habit from the days of playing Flimago, where memorizing the map was necessary to progress. It wasn't because I ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) became a pro at PlayerZ.'

I hadn't become a PlayerZ master; it was just an old habit left from my addiction to a failed game.

However, the caster went wild, saying, "It would be nice to see the bard in the competition or in the upcoming pro league," and Yusaenghoon nodded enthusiastically.

When Yusaenghoon gave his victory speech, he mentioned me once more.

["I'd like to thank my family for allowing me to play this game, the bard who started playing PlayerZ with me, the summoner, the dark mage, and my friends who came to cheer. Also, to my teammates from Shielders who fought alongside me in the team match. And finally, to the viewers who always watch our broadcast. Thank you. See you in the pro league."]

Yusaenghoon's victory speech was straightforward, without any fluff.

He briefly and sincerely expressed his gratitude, and mentioning the pro league was a nice touch.

The problem was, he mentioned me right after his family, so my face appeared on the screen again.

"Yi-shin must be really close to Yusaenghoon. If I ever get an award, I'll mention Yi-shin too."

"I'm holding an exhibition with my master soon, and I'll mention Yi-shin in my thank-you speech!"

"...Well, it's not wrong to mention the vice-class rep."

"We can't help it. If we're aiming for a big award, we should mention the vice-class rep's name just as splendidly as ours."

Suddenly, a strange challenge seemed to be starting among the classmates.

I wanted to change the topic, but no one in the class was willing to help.

I had hoped that the tigers would start talking about something pointless to distract the group, but they were having a completely unhelpful conversation.

"We were going to transfer some of our land and buildings and put Yi-shin's name on them, but he refused."

"Instead of giving away real estate, how about we build a building with his name inside Eungwang High?"

"I actually thought the same. The old school building has issues with the foundation, but the location is great. We'll choose the candidates soon, and you'll help out."

"I'll help."

Eventually, the conversation went in a direction I couldn't interrupt.

The more I listened, the more my face burned, so I distracted myself by reading the interview with Crater, who had faced Yusaenghoon in the finals. But it was all about Yusaenghoon.

Crater seemed to be such a big fan of Yusaenghoon that no matter what question he was asked, it ended with him praising Yusaenghoon's shield soldier skills.

Moreover, Crater even mentioned me as someone he'd like to play with, which meant I was once again mentioned on screen.

'This is all Yusaenghoon's fault.'

I concluded that soon I'd ask Yusaenghoon about Do Wonwoo's well-being, just to annoy him.

And finally, the team match finals began.

Despite the tigers' hope that Inseonoh's match would end quickly, the team match was fiercely competitive and lasted much longer than expected.

The first win went to Gwangjeonsa's team, and the second win went to Eoreureum.

Both matches took a long time, and with each team winning one, it went to the third match.

'Maybe the tigers were right about wishing it would end quickly.'

Perhaps the tigers were thinking the same thing because they had slightly displeased expressions on their faces.

The classmates were pumped up due to Yusaenghoon's victory and cheered loudly, "Let's keep this momentum and have Seonoh win right away!"

But as the match continued to be tighter than expected, the classmates started to get nervous, fearing Inseonoh might lose, and the tigers were the same.

"We might end up meeting tonight, huh?"

"Even though we have Hyeonmu, I'm not sure if he'll meet us willingly at night. When they say they're dreaming, it's usually at night, right? They'll be even more cautious than during the day."

Cheongho and Hwang Jiho kept checking the time in between talking.

For now, the classmates were cheering for Inseonoh, but since time was dragging on, they seemed to wish that Eoreureum would lose quickly.

They were trying to hide their disappointment, not wanting to show it, because if they did, the classmates would be upset.

'Eoreureum is strong, but the team that defeated Yusaenghoon's Shielders to get to the finals is no pushover.'

Both teams had exposed their strategies through the qualifiers and main rounds, so they had studied each other.

Gwangjeonsa's team knew that Eoreureum specialized in PVE, and so they aimed to turn the battle into a PVP confrontation, digging into Eoreureum's main base with Gwangjeonsa and Lava Mage at the forefront.

Eoreureum recognized their intent but still found it difficult to handle when such skilled players attacked.

'If Inseonoh wasn't the raid leader, they would've probably lost that first match.'

In the second match, Inseonoh immediately ordered them to abandon the main base.

The main base was where revival occurred, and it grew slightly over time, making it a suitable location for defense. It was a dangerous decision.

Some team members hesitated, but Inseonoh persuaded them with the help of the defensive pigeon, DOVE, and the team moved.

They boldly carried movable items with them and destroyed the immovable equipment to prevent the enemy from taking it.

Then, while Inseonoh deployed spiderweb dolls in the empty main base, he tricked Gwangjeonsa and the Lava Mage, who had attempted an ambush, binding them, and completed the objectives to win.

'But this strategy is one that can't be used again. If Lava Mage had taken a skill tree that could deal with multiple spiderweb dolls, the result would have been different.'

It seemed the caster and commentator shared the same thoughts as mine.

["This time, Lava Mage, LAVA player, was caught off guard!"]

["Yes, the powerful aggro from Gwangjeonsa couldn't be shaken off, and in the meantime, the ambush from Lava Mage is a famous technique that even when you know it's coming, you still get hit. Lava Mage uses stealth skills instead of area skills. Ttanggeomi player took advantage of that part."]

["Now, they'll have to counter that. In PVP experience, Gwangjeonsa and Lava Mage have the upper hand. It's going to be hard to block this strategy with the same method."]

["When considering the rules of the team match, PVP isn't necessarily advantageous, but they changed the method to rely on experience and skill. It's unbelievable to watch."]

Of course, the team that defeated Yusaenghoon's Shielders to get here had the strength to disregard the rules.

Eoreureum wasn't your average team either.

'If Inseonoh had more teammates who understood his playstyle, Eoreureum would have won the first match too.'

Inseonoh had only one teammate who seemed to fully understand and follow his playstyle—DOVE, the defensive pigeon.

Of course, the other team members were good at PlayerZ, but whether they were in sync with Inseonoh or not was a separate issue.

As the match dragged into PVP territory and time grew longer, some team members noticeably lost focus and enthusiasm.

Despite this, Inseonoh managed to lead the game, maintaining the tension.

'Because of that, the match dragged on, and the tigers grew more dissatisfied.'

When that thought crossed my mind, I felt a sense of unease.

Inseonoh didn't give up until the very end, leading his team forward. The latest chapters are always available first on MV5LEMPYR.

Even though their crown was destroyed and the respawn time was long, making victory seem impossible, he still charged into the enemy base alone, cutting down anyone in his way and keeping them trapped, leaving an unforgettable impression on the caster.

His perseverance and fighting spirit were the natural attitude of a challenger responding to a battle, but it didn't seem like Inseonoh.

Inseonoh's true aim seemed to be something else.

'Inseonoh's goal isn't to win this match; it's to drag out time.'

Today, I had agreed to join the tigers and visit the territory of the two factions.

Inseonoh had designated today for the match, despite the tigers wanting to pick another day.

But Inseonoh insisted on today.

'If not today, we were supposed to meet during the semester.'

So the tigers had no choice but to pick today.

They couldn't delay the nightmare issue any longer, and it would be difficult to keep Hyeonmu in Korea for too long.

I let it slide, thinking Inseonoh probably had his reasons, but I still had some doubts.

If it was a decision to buy time, everything would make sense.

So now, the question was why Inseonoh was trying to delay things.

'When the semester starts, he can use the excuse of classes to set later meetings. And as the days get shorter, the sunset comes earlier.'

Maybe Inseonoh wanted to visit the factions' territory after sunset?

If this was the case, everything lined up perfectly.

Inseonoh, living with the attention seekers, would find it hard to hide his schedule. He could probably come up with a suitable excuse or insist on meeting at night, but prioritizing a schedule over the Hojo Family's leader's offer wouldn't be easy.

And if he wanted to hide the reason for visiting the territory at night, using the finals as a cover was the best option.

["Yes, the third match is still neck and neck. It's anyone's game!"]

["This challenge is a land grab. You need to secure more territory than your opponent and complete the altar to pray to the higher entity. Securing territory is hard enough, but defending it while praying is even harder."]

Of course, the challenge was taking a long time, so the third match dragged on.

During this time, I observed Inseonoh.

Inseonoh checked his wristwatch just once.

It was exactly at sunset.

And right after that, Eoreureum's defense began to falter, and the flow of the game changed.

As the sun set in real-time, Eoreureum lost.

Despite the regret from his teammates, Inseonoh had a faint smile on his face.

Even though they lost, Inseonoh seemed calm, as though he had achieved his goal.