Chapter 32: The Silent Predator

Her playstyle was vastly different from usual.

Everyone watching the tournament could easily notice this change.

What had catapulted her to stardom in such a short time was undoubtedly a unique concept that no one could easily imitate.

Uncommon techniques like parrying, using the so-called “trash weapon” trident,

and even forgotten traps and snares had defined her style.

However, none of that uniqueness could be found in her current gameplay.

She opted for a standard strategy and played with conventional weapons.

This might feel like a disconnect from what people had expected of her.

Yet, viewers were equally thrilled and captivated.

The truth was, deep down, people were curious.

How skilled could she truly be when she shed her concepts and went all-in with her full power?

The result was beyond anyone’s imagination.

Carrying two deadweights on her team,

she was practically single-handedly carrying the game to victory a performance that embodied an ideal everyone could only dream of.

Even users who had been skeptical about the hype couldn’t help but acknowledge her brilliance once they witnessed her gameplay.

[What was that move she just pulled off?]

[(GIF)]

How can you hit an enemy behind your teammate?

Did she secretly train in banana-kick techniques or something?

[Comments]

“The ultimate weapon: the bow!”

?? : “You don’t calculate the wind; you conquer it.”

“Wait, that’s actually doable?”

After the chase sequence, her bow performance shocked viewers.

Since she rarely used ranged combat, it felt even fresher and more impactful.

But that wasn’t all an even more astonishing display followed.

[Did I see that right?]

How did she hit her target through the bushes when it wasn’t even visible?

It wasn’t just dumb luck she landed two perfect headshots.

[Comments]

“She’s insane.”

“Maybe she predicted their position from the sound?”

“Nope. That was during a silence event.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t watching the match. I just saw the GIF and guessed…”

As the tournament progressed, her reputation only grew.

Even those who were previously dismissive couldn’t deny the awe-inspiring clips being shared everywhere.

Still, there were detractors.

Some found the overwhelming praise excessive, sparking backlash.

Winning the tournament seemed uncertain, even for her followers.

The biggest issue was her teammates.

[Her team is full of magicians, I swear.]

Why does every screen cut or highlight make me feel like I’m getting a headache?

Are they cursed?

[Comments]

“Abracadabra! Stop it!”

“It’s like I can hear their mistakes, even though there’s no sound.”

Her teammates weren’t just bad; they showcased bizarre gameplay that left everyone puzzled.

Among them, the pink-haired woman stood out, making viewers laugh while simultaneously worrying her fans.

And that wasn’t the only issue.

There was an even more pressing challenge.

People slowly began to realize and voice their concerns.

[No way she’s winning this.]

I checked the participant list. There’s a team with two Grandmasters and a Diamond-ranked player.

How can she win against that with two Bronze players on her team?

[Comments]

“Yeah, realistically, it’s impossible.”

“I’m watching the match. That team is crazy good.”

“I have a friend on that team. They joined specifically to take her down.”

“For real?”

“Yup. They built their lineup to teach her a lesson.”

“That’s terrifying. But is she better than the Grandmasters?”

“My friend says she’s overrated and that the Grandmasters are superior. Guess we’ll see.”

While her gameplay dazzled the audience, the team widely considered the strongest was Team 1.

This “Heavenly Team” featured two Grandmasters and one Diamond-ranked player a truly top-tier lineup.

Living up to their reputation, they played flawlessly, steadily advancing toward victory.

For now, Team 14, her team, was far from encountering Team 1.

The distance between them ensured they wouldn’t clash anytime soon.

Ironically, this made people even more excited.

The anticipation of these two teams meeting in the final battle kept growing.

If they truly faced off, who would win?

No one could say for sure.

What was certain, though, was that viewers were in for an unforgettable showdown.

Of course, Gaeul, who was deeply immersed in the battlefield, had no idea about the audience’s discussions.

“Alright.”

The looting was nearly complete.

It was largely thanks to the two men she had hunted earlier.

They had done an excellent job gathering supplies, leaving her much better equipped than before.

“Um, no! I’m fine!”

“This is the last one. Take it quickly.”

“Really, I’m fine…”

“Ah, ah! Take it.”

“Thank you!”

As soon as she made a warning sound, Pingkkok immediately accepted the item, stuffing it into her backpack.

She always needed a firm push to accept anything, and Gaeul wished she would just take things willingly.

“As expected from the enthusiast. I—”

“Zip it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Just as Hanuelkong was about to start singing her praises again, Gaeul swiftly shut her down.

Thankfully, it was only after entering the latter half of the game that Gaeul finally figured out how to manage these two.

The key was to push firmly.

As soon as she did, they would fall in line and quietly follow her lead as if nothing had happened.

What amazed her was that neither seemed to mind being treated this way.

‘How did I end up in a team with such oddballs?’

A deep sigh escaped her lips as she briefly reflected on her current situation.

Still, she reminded herself that she just needed to endure a little longer.

The game was nearing its end.

Checking her watch, she saw that only 11 players remained.

The numbers weren’t exact, but there were likely around four teams left.

‘Surprisingly, I’ve made it this far without much trouble.’

If she could just finish strong, this could be the perfect underdog victory.

“But, Enthusiast—”

“Shh. Be quiet.”

“…”

Sensing the seriousness in her tone, Hanuelkong immediately fell silent.

As the game entered its final phase, the safe zones became smaller.

With less space to move, the chances of encountering enemies increased dramatically.

Securing a strategic location and staying hidden became essential.

Even Bronze-level players instinctively understood this concept.

To Gaeul’s relief, even the reckless Pingkkok managed to stay quiet this time.

Lowering her stance, Gaeul focused her hearing, trying to catch any sound.

It was silent.

But then—

Click!

The moment she heard the sound, she drew her bow and fired without hesitation.

Someone had triggered a trap she had set nearby.

Although it was a basic trap that dealt no damage, its purpose was to alert her to the enemy’s presence.

As soon as she attacked, the enemy’s teammates retaliated with suppressive fire.

Ducking behind a tree for cover, she shouted, “Fire!”

She had equipped her duo with the simplest weapons to ensure they could at least be somewhat useful in combat.

Bang! Bang!

Boom!

The two blindly fired ahead without even opening their eyes properly.

For now, that was enough. The weapons she had given them were more effective as smoke screens than as lethal tools.

Taking advantage of the enemy’s momentary confusion, Gaeul rolled forward, closing the distance quickly.

At the same time, she pulled out her secondary weapon shurikens and began throwing them.

Shurikens required no preparatory motion, allowing her to attack while rolling.

Her first target was the injured enemy who had stepped on the trap and been hit by her arrow.

There was no need to aim for the head.

She focused on the largest target the chest.

Thud!

The enemy collapsed instantly.

Without hesitation, she retreated behind another tree, nocking another arrow.

Though the bow’s drawback was its manual reloading, its advantages made up for it.

Unlike firearms, the bow was almost silent, making it nearly impossible to locate her position by sound alone.

The only way to identify her was by visually tracking the direction of her arrows,

but with the area obscured by smoke, even that was a challenge.

Sure enough, the enemy flailed around, unable to pinpoint her location.

Taking advantage of their confusion, Gaeul quickly drew another arrow and took aim.

Another arrow.

Thud!

There’s no need to describe it further.

The same process repeated, and finally, one last arrow.

Thud!

In the end, all three enemies fell without putting up much resistance.

Was Pingkkok celebrating because she believed she had contributed to the battle?

She was jumping around with excitement.

‘What the…? Even in this situation, she managed not to make a sound…’

No, that wasn’t it.

This wasn’t just silence it was eerie.

The quiet returned once more.

Hanuelkong approached Gaeul, mouthing words she couldn’t hear.

But no sound came out.

Then, without warning, Hanuelkong was struck by a silent bullet, pierced cleanly between the eyes.

He died instantly.

“Damn it…!”

Of all times, why did another enemy team have to appear now?

The situation was dire.

Gaeul quickly readied her bow, scanning the surroundings.

With no sound to guide her, it was impossible to determine where the bullet had come from.

Moreover, the shooter had concealed themselves exceptionally well.

This wasn’t some amateur relying solely on game mechanics.

The presence of a highly skilled player sent tension surging through her body.

Eyes wide, she waited for the next move.

Then it happened.

Pingkkok suddenly clutched her shoulder and collapsed, entering a critical state.

Once again, there was no gunshot to be heard.

But this time was different.

She caught a faint glimpse of the bullet’s trajectory.

Without hesitation, Gaeul aimed in the direction the bullet had come from and released her arrow.