Chapter 29: Silence of the Hunt

I’ll be honest.

As soon as the game started, I was filled with despair.

Why, you ask?

The reason is simple.

Even the map luck didn’t favor me.

It wasn’t just bad; it was close to the worst.

Even with the best map, the chances of winning were uncertain.

What could I do?

I had no choice but to do my best and aim for the win.

Even in the Silent Forest.

“Finally, the game starts! Let’s go!”

“I’ll trust both of you and follow your lead.”

My teammates, unaware of the seriousness of the situation, were full of enthusiasm.

Well, it’s better than having no motivation at all, so I guess it’s okay.

If you ask why the Silent Forest is the worst map right now, the answer is simple because of the event.

Having all sound blocked off might not be a huge issue in a game.

After all, there are instances when people play with the sound muted.

But in the Silent Forest event, the real problem was the malfunctioning watch.

The game interface and systems completely shut down, making it almost like a virtual reality experience.

However, that’s only an issue in solo play.

In a team game, the loss of sound becomes a major problem.

The lack of communication.

You can’t hear your teammates, so organic teamwork becomes impossible.

In other words, during the event, everything depends on individual play since you can’t communicate with your team.

Now do you understand what I mean?

With the balance of skill disrupted and my teammates being nothing more than passengers on the bus,

the Silent Forest event is like handing the wheel to an unlicensed driver.

“Let’s try our best…”

Even I wasn’t confident about this.

No. I can still do it.

I’ll trust in the experience and skills I’ve built up. I’ve faced far worse situations before.

And back then, my life was on the line.

“Our goal is to win.”

“Oh! Sounds good!”

“We’ll rely on you, Jjamppong Enthusiast!”

Our team’s strategy is simple.

I control everything from start to finish.

I don’t see the two bronze players as humans, just as parts for winning.

From the waiting room, I carefully told them where to spawn.

“Pingkkok, you’ll spawn here and head this way to farm…”

The three of us would spawn a little apart and farm, then meet up in one spot.

Isn’t it safer if we all spawn together from the start?

Sure, it would be safer, but that would put us behind everyone else in the crucial early stages.

If we fall behind, the snowball effect makes it almost impossible to catch up, so it’s absolutely essential to maximize early growth.

Also, since there’s little chance of an active fight early on and the event probability is low, it’s better to focus on growing as much as possible early.

“Oh… This really feels professional!”

“Did you all understand everything I said?”

“Um, so we should spawn here, right?”

“No, that’s completely the opposite.”

Pingkkok scratched her head with an awkward smile at my correction.

“Ahahaha… Sorry. I have a bit of a memory problem.”

The sense of helplessness started to hit, but I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

Getting angry without reason is not a good move in team play.

“Haneulkong, you’ve got it all memorized, right?”

“Yes! I’ll do my best!”

The good news is that the guy seems to know my reputation, so he’s listening carefully and following along.

After all, being familiar with community issues shows that he’s into the game.

Well, the fact that he’s participating in the tournament proves that.

Still, the biggest worry is Pingkkok.

I’ve explained it again, but I’m not sure if she really got it.

The waiting time wasn’t that long.

Even though I kept it brief, it was already time to move.

“Then, see you in a bit.”

“Yes! I’m feeling all excited!”

“If something happens, I’ll run to you right away, Jjamppong Enthusiast!”

Where did the Jjamppong go?

I didn’t bother pointing it out.

I, too, spawned at the location I set.

Today, I wouldn’t play with any specific concept like only using certain weapons.

If I did that and missed the win, it would all be for nothing.

No matter what, the most important thing is always victory.

At least, that’s never going to change in my life.

First, I look for a weapon.

Finding a weapon itself isn’t that hard.

If I just wander around the area where I spawned, I can easily find one.

The weapon choice can depend on personal preferences, but generally, I use whatever suits the situation.

“A bow.”

Not bad.

Usually, bows require skill, and their versatility is a bit lacking, so they often get overshadowed by firearms in long-range combat.

But, if used well, they can be a good weapon.

It’s called an English longbow.

It’s characterized by an extremely large size and a simple design.

After picking up the weapon, I immediately turned on the voice and asked my teammates about the situation.

“Ah. Ah. Can you hear me?”

“Yes. We can hear you clearly.”

“Haneulkong, how’s the situation?”

I checked everyone’s positions through the watch and asked.

“I’m still looking for a weapon.”

“Okay. Let me know as soon as you find one.”

“Understood.”

“Pingkkok, how about you? Hello?”

This woman. Why is she not answering?

“Press V and speak, Pingkkok?”

“…Ahhh! Help me!”

Oh no.

I finally heard her voice, but it seems like something’s happened.

“Stay calm and try to fall back. Is the enemy still following you?”

“Ahhh!”

“Stop whining and answer quickly!”

“Yes! Yes! They’re still following me!”

Usually, people focus on their own farming, so if you just push the enemy away, they wouldn’t chase after you.

In this case, there’s usually one reason for that.

The enemy seems much easier to catch than expected.

In other words, she’s giving off the vibes of a rookie who can’t even respond properly.

I don’t know who the enemy is, but they’ve nailed it perfectly.

I clicked my tongue and said to her:

“Keep briefing me and run towards my position!”

“Stop chasing me! I’m sorry! I made a mistake!”

“Just keep briefing!”

“They’re still following me!”

“You know where I am, right? Can you see the watch?”

“Th-there’s… there’s…! Ahhh!”

I’m losing it.

I haven’t even properly farmed for weapons, but if I lose a teammate here, winning is practically impossible.

In the end, I grabbed a few basic arrows and quickly moved towards her position.

“I’m coming right now, so just wait a little longer.”

“Should I go, too?”

“Keep farming while slowly coming towards us. When I request support, stop farming and head straight for Haneulkong.”

“Yes! Got it!”

At least, the good thing is that the spawn location wasn’t too far, and Pingkkok’s panicked escape route coincided with my direction.

After running hard towards that direction, I spotted a pink-haired figure stumbling towards me from afar.

I immediately stopped and raised my bow, aiming.

I notched an arrow and drew the string back tightly with my arm, ensuring it was taut.

Closing one eye, I inhaled deeply, erasing any slight movements, and kept my focus.

Soon, the figure of the enemy, wielding dual swords and chasing after her, became visible behind her.

Not yet…

They’re getting closer.

Loud, obnoxious voices made my ears ring.

Pingkkok, already battered, was clearly in bad shape.

As the enemy behind her raised his sword high to finish her off, the attack motion began.

Now’s the time.

Whoosh!

The moment I released the bowstring, the arrow flew, curving through the air.

It narrowly missed the woman’s head, but struck the man behind her square in the forehead.

A clean headshot. The unarmored enemy fell with a single shot.

I quickly sent another arrow into the now lifeless man’s body as he lay on the ground like a worm.

“Phew…”

“Ughhh! Jjamppong Enthusiast!!”

Pingkkok came rushing at me, almost throwing herself into my arms, whining.

Her voice was so loud it felt like my eardrums were about to burst.

“Let’s loot that body and head off to farm.”

“Yeah. So, should we… go back?”

She asked cautiously, as if she didn’t want to be left alone. How could I answer that?

Should I tell her to go off alone while we assess the efficiency, knowing she’d be behind the others? No, that’s not something I could do in good conscience.

“Let’s stick together.”

“Yes!”

I was worried that if I took my eyes off her for even a second, she might get killed.

So, our team split into two for farming for a while.

Thankfully, we didn’t run into any other teams, apart from the first enemy we took down.

I briefly wondered if the enemy team might come back for revenge, but their numbers couldn’t easily be overlooked.

They underestimated our team, which ultimately led to their downfall.

Farming went surprisingly smoothly.

Pingkkok barely farmed anything, giving me everything she had.

“Here! I brought bandages and water!”

“And… what about Pingkkok?”

“I’m fine with just this!”

Her backpack seemed incredibly empty, but I chose not to bring it up.

“I’m just glad you two are safe.”

“Yeah, somehow we all managed to regroup.”

With Haneulkong joining, the three of us were together again.

Surprisingly, things were progressing smoothly.

Just as I thought everything was going well, the event time I had been most worried about arrived.

There was no sound in my headset, and even the watch stopped working.

Just as I sighed, overwhelmed by the coming uncertainty…

That distinct, clear voice suddenly pierced my ears.