TGMND 132
by Springlila/Party/<Ji9star>: Now, let’s look at the Paladin nerf from a few years ago
/Party/<Ji9star>: Stats nerfed were agility/attack power
/Party/<Ji9star>: Skills nerfed were attack power/attack speed/cooldown
/Party/<Ji9star>: It’s no longer possible to have solo-capable specs
/Party/<Ji9star>: The secret is attack speed
/Party/<Ji9star>: When using a skill with knockback, if my character has attack speed
/Party/<Ji9star>: The skill goes in slightly faster than the opponent’s
/Party/<ThankYouInEnglish>: No way. I’ve never cared about attack speed even once;;
/Party/<Ji9star>: So not all Paladins could solo lol Only those who happened to have attack speed options could clear it solo >_<
/Party/<ThankYouInEnglish>: You’re not a newbie, are you;;;
/Party/<ThankYouInEnglish>: Are you a genius????
/Party/<Ji9star>: Hmm
/Party/<Ji9star>: I don’t know about other jobs, but for mine, the minimum attack speed to cancel opponent’s skills is around 200?
/Party/<Ji9star>: That’s why with the buff earlier, it hit just the right stable number >_< lol
/Party/<Ji9star>: Thanks, thanks~
“Hmm, I did well.”
So, the fact that they could cancel the ultimate skill every round and win consistently was largely thanks to him. Yeo-woon, who thought he hadn’t done much, felt a little proud at those words. He became a bit smug hearing that he had been helpful.
/Party/<ThankYouInEnglish>: Teacher, actually…. I recorded the video earlier, is it okay to upload it?
/Party/<ThankYouInEnglish>: I don’t have much equipment and I’m poor, so I was going to beg anyone who figures it out to write a guide
/Party/<Ji9star>: Sure lol
/Party/<Ji9star>: But wait about a week? Upload it after that
/Party/<ThankYouInEnglish>: Why a week?
/Party/<Ji9star>: There’s a reason lol If it’s revealed early, it’s disadvantageous for me ㅠ0ㅠ… That’s not good~~
/Party/<ThankYouInEnglish>: A week… okay okay
Earth Star said something meaningful and waved to Mr. Monkey’s group who had entered belatedly. After the last turn, a contribution table reflecting the board game and battle results appeared. Yeo-woon had 5%, DeerStarRay and ThankYouInEnglish had 8% each, and Earth Star alone accounted for 79%.
Yeo-woon didn’t even have time to regret his modest contribution, he was so proud of Earth Star for single-handedly doing the work of a hundred. He felt even more proud wondering how he figured all this out on his own without anyone teaching him.
Earth Star had been digging only one well in terms of speed, and now he had become a real expert. Even when playing the same game, he seemed to enjoy it two or three times more deeply than him. It was amazing that the abilities he had been wasting in Illusion were shining in another game. He wanted to bring Yoon Ji-gu right away and pat his head, telling him how smart he was.
‘STAGE CLEAR!’
‘You have obtained <Tenon Temple Entry Ticket> as loot.’
After clearing the dungeon in one go, people waiting outside displayed question marks. Earth Star removed DeerStarRay and ThankYouInEnglish from the party, then asked Yeo-woon.
/Party/<Ji9star>: By the way
/Party/<Ji9star>: How was I? Haha
The desired answer was transparently visible. Yes, you were cool. You’re the best~ Yeo-woon conveyed this meaning by giving him two thumbs up to show he was the best. Emboldened by his double thumbs up, Earth Star crossed his arms and raised his head.
/Party/<Ji9star>: I know too lol >_< Haha
/Party/<Ji9star>: Then, can you stay with me today??
/Party/<dldudns>: What?
He wondered why he had only kept him after removing everyone else, and this was why. Special treatment? Why only him? Yeo-woon grew suspicious again.
/Party/<dldudns>: Why again?
/Party/<Ji9star>: It was a bit tough going alone until now
/Party/<Ji9star>: But having a healer with me definitely seems more comfortable
/Party/<dldudns>: I see
That sounded reasonable. If it made things easier, then sure. Yeo-woon’s doubts melted away like snow.
/Party/<Ji9star>: I need to hit level 100 this week
/Party/<dldudns>: Why this week specifically?
/Party/<Ji9star>: There’s a reason, I’ll tell you later
/Party/<Ji9star>: Are you free now? >_<
/Party/<dldudns>: Let me check….
/Party/<dldudns>: Hmm….
/Party/<Ji9star>: ?
/Party/<dldudns>: …..
/Party/<Ji9star>: Are you playing hard to get with me right now?
/Party/<Ji9star>: ㅡㅡ;;
/Party/<dldudns>: I checked my schedule, but I guess you don’t want me there. I’ll go have dinner, then. Bye~
/Party/<Ji9star>: No, no!! Can’t you come with me somewhere now??
/Party/<Ji9star>: It won’t take long, please 8ㅅ8
As he said this, he used an emoticon expression of sparkling eyes. Seeing his pitiful act overlapped with Yoon Ji-gu’s face, Yeo-woon found himself nodding without realizing it. Now Yoon Ji-gu even used his ‘handsome’ card even when not physically present. Yeo-woon smiled at this silly thought.
They headed towards their destination amicably, trailing numerous bored veteran players behind them like a tail.
<DeerStarRay>: Hmm lol
DeerStarRay, left alone where they had departed, stood still for a while as if searching for something. Shortly after, a command appeared above his head indicating that his skills had been reset. He began slowly experimenting on nearby monsters, allocating his skills anew.
<DeerStarRay>: What’s this
<DeerStarRay>: It’s not working at all? ㅡㅡ
Exactly one month later, a video was uploaded. Users inspired by Earth Star’s discovery began researching the correlation between attack speed and skill cancellation. As a result, they realized that not only could skills be canceled if timed well, but in PvP between users, the skills of the one with higher attack speed would activate first, significantly affecting PvP outcomes.
Subsequently, new skill trees designed using attack speed for various classes began to trend. Although these routes were much less efficient and more resource-intensive than existing skill trees, they were excellent prey for those with nothing else to do. The attack speed skill trees underwent many variations, with some even creating entirely new meta. Dwarves who had been idling in towns with nothing to do became excited, running enhancement stone works again after a long time.
This was all the result of a single short 3-minute strategy video.
***
/Party/<Ji9star>: How’s this? >ㅅ<
Earth Star, having changed his hairstyle, spun around in place. It was a style with hair tied up like a sprout on top of his head. Yeo-woon applauded and responded to his words.
/Party/<dldudns>: That hairstyle is very popular
/Party/<Ji9star>: Hmm, looking again, I don’t like the length
/Party/<Ji9star>: You have no sense of style!!
“What does he want me to do?”
This must’ve been the umpteenth time. Why did he even bring him along? Yeo-woon grumbled to himself. Earth Star kept trying on and taking off all sorts of hairstyles at the beauty salon in front of Yeo-woon. After begging him to go somewhere with him, all he wanted was to come to a beauty salon. He had dragged him along simply because he got bored every hour when trying to change his style alone.
‘And here I thought he was going to ask for something grand.’
Sky blue, red, half-tied long hair, historical drama style… After trying all sorts of styles, Earth Star turned to look at himself and said a moment later:
/Party/<Ji9star>: I’ve got a good idea lol
Where had his indecisive attitude gone? Earth Star began changing his style without any hesitation, moving between NPCs in the salon. Changing hairstyles must cost quite a bit of in-game currency, so it seemed other users had given Earth Star quite a lot of money.
Yeo-woon didn’t inefficiently follow Earth Star around, instead finding a spot in the middle and standing still. After not moving for a long time, his character switched to the idle animation, slightly tossing and catching the broom. The low-tied twin tails swayed gently with the movement.
Perhaps because it was a character created long ago, Yeo-woon’s character was quite petite. Looking at it now, he regretted not increasing the height more during character customization. If he could go back to when he was creating the character and modify the body type, he would have maxed out both height and muscle mass regardless of gender. Just because it’s a Forest Keeper, a healer class, doesn’t mean it has to be weak… well, that’s not a prejudice but the truth, so at least the appearance should look as strong as possible. First impressions are everything in life.
/Party/<Ji9star>: How do I look? >_<
A moment later, Earth Star appeared with his appearance fully modified. The result was quite different from the unique hairstyles he had been trying. He had expected him to choose a colorful attention-seeking style like in Illusion, but the style he came out with was surprisingly common in both color and shape.
/Party/<dldudns>: That’s the “Humming Cut.”
/Party/<dldudns>: It’s pretty popular too
The humming cut was a style still favored by many users thanks to its delicately expressed hair texture that looked slightly disheveled and fluttering. It was closer to a neat short cut than a flashy one, though it did seem like it might get boring quickly. Yet, the version worn by Yoon Ji-gu, who stood before him, felt noticeably different. Perhaps it was the light brown dye that gave him a fresher impression compared to Earth Star he was used to.
The eye customization Earth Star chose was ‘Bright-eyed Face’. It was a style that gave a gentle and cute impression with overall round eyes and slightly downturned outer corners. The color matched his hair in brown, and true to its name, there was a large gleam in the center of the eyes giving a bright-eyed look. He must have customized the eyelashes too, as it felt quite different from the standard bright face.
“…What’s this?”
Something felt off. Whenever Earth Star blinked and his upturned mouth corners folded into a subtle smile, it made him feel strange for some reason. While it could be seen as a very common style, this feeling wasn’t just because of its commonness.
/Party/<Ji9star>: I tried to style it similar to a hyung I know haha
“…”
That was it. It wasn’t an exact replica, just a slight resemblance in atmosphere. However, the fact that the person who customized the character was Yoon Ji-gu seemed to explain his reaction. No wonder it felt twice as subdued compared to his usual preferences—he had modeled it after Yeo-woon.
/Party/<dldudns>: Is that okay?
/Party/<Ji9star>: lol Who cares? That hyung also
/Party/<Ji9star>: Used other people’s styles in different games without permission
/Party/<Ji9star>: Haha
“…”
Yeo-woon was at a loss for words. Thinking about it now, he had been worse. He had applied Yoon Ji-gu’s quite impressive style to his game character even before they were close. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but realizing that he might have seen it made him feel embarrassed.
“Huh?”
At that moment, Earth Star stripped off his clothes, leaving only his underwear on. His boldness in exposing bare skin in front of so many people made him look like an exhibitionist, causing Yeo-woon to be flustered without realizing it. Although the surrounding people weren’t real but NPCs, and it was just removing data fabric from a character made of 0s and 1s, there was a difference between knowing something intellectually and understanding it emotionally. Since that character was modeled after Yeo-woon himself, it felt like he was being stripped naked too.
Yeo-woon watched silently with a slightly stiff face as Earth Star changed his clothes. He put on transparent vinyl pants over his naked body.
/Party/<Ji9star>: How’s this?
“Shit.”
Yeo-woon muttered, his face turning pale as if he himself was wearing the pervert pants. The vinyl pants were an item included like a trap item when the see-through look first became popular. He wondered why on earth he had bought clothes that people had laughed at, saying who would wear such a thing.
/Party/<dldudns>: Stop joking around lol
/Party/<Ji9star>: Then how about this?
He attached large butterfly wings to his back. At the same time, even the vinyl pants he had been wearing disappeared, making him look like a strange person with only wings on his naked body.
‘Is he trying to get revenge or something?’
Yeo-woon hit Earth Star’s head hard. Due to the significant height difference between the characters, Yeo-woon’s character jumped high and hit Earth Star with a clenched fist. It was an interactive emoticon expression called ‘Giving a Knuckle Rap’. Earth Star’s HP dropped by 1.
/Party/<Ji9star>: Ouch
/Party/<Ji9star>: Why did you hit me >_ㅠ
/Party/<dldudns>: I almost k1lled you^^
/Party/<Ji9star>: If you don’t like it, just say so ㅡㅡ
/Party/<dldudns>: I don’t like it
/Party/<Ji9star>: Why are you getting so serious?
/Party/<dldudns>: You told me to say it
/Party/<Ji9star>: Don’t be so serious ㅡㅡ
Yeo-woon hit Earth Star’s head hard again.
/Party/<Ji9star>: lololololololololol It hurts ㅠㅠ
/Party/<Ji9star>: Then how about this?
This jerk must be joking… Earth Star put a sumo wrestler’s loincloth on the character that resembled Yeo-woon. Seeing him turn around to show even the round buttocks in detail, Yeo-woon felt dizzy. Earth Star, who had never collected items that weren’t cute before, had changed.
/Party/<dldudns>: Your s3xual frustration
/Party/<dldudns>: Seems quite severe^^….
All the clothes he had been putting on were revealing bare skin, and even when he did put on clothes, they were all like this.
/Party/<Ji9star>: Is that so?
/Party/<dldudns>: Yeah
/Party/<Ji9star>: lolol I’ll just leave it like this >_<
/Party/<dldudns>: ?
/Party/<Ji9star>: Someone made a character imitating me
/Party/<Ji9star>: Always barely covering the private parts with leaves
/Party/<Ji9star>: Now they’ve put on some weird rag lol
/Party/<dldudns>: lolol
/Party/<dldudns>: I don’t know what it is, but it seems too harsh for revenge
/Party/<Ji9star>: This much should be fine, right?
/Party/<dldudns>: I don’t think it’s fine?
/Party/<Ji9star>: It should be fine for that hyung, not you
/Party/<dldudns>: I don’t think it’s fine?
/Party/<Ji9star>: lololololololololololololol
/Party/<Ji9star>: Why are you so upset?
/Party/<dldudns>: Just put on some clothes ㅡㅡ
/Party/<Ji9star>: It’s not like it’s actually you, so let’s just move on?
But it is me.
/Party/<dldudns>: Okay;
/Party/<Ji9star>: lololololololololol
Yeo-woon couldn’t force him since he was hiding his identity from Earth Star. It would be a big problem if he became suspicious.
/Party/<Ji9star>: Oh, there’s this too lololololololol
/Party/<Ji9star>: Is LIFO an adult game? lol
/Party/<dldudns>: …trembling
It was a decent shirt covering down to the thighs from the front, but when turned around, the back was completely open, revealing the full-body harness worn underneath. With black bunny ears on top of that, it looked like an intimidating pervert. Yeo-woon just laughed, having given up.
/Party/<dldudns>: It’s cute
/Party/<Ji9star>: lololololololololol Seriously?
Earth Star tilted his head in curiosity. Not stopping there, he pressed the Shift key to make his character dance, and Yeo-woon could almost hear the sound of his rational mind snapping. Sure, Yoon Ji-gu’s antics were cute, but the fact that he had dressed his character in such an outfit was unforgivable.
Yeo-woon immediately clicked on the Illusion icon on his desktop and started the game. It was childish, but he had to return the favor. Now that he had experienced it himself, he finally understood what he had been doing to Yoon Ji-gu all this time. He also understood why Yoon Ji-gu had been buying his items directly, begging him not to dress like that…
[Guild] ParkRoach: Hi hi
[Guild] Captain Poseidon: We’re practicing for the siege, want to join?
[Guild] neutaaaa: No lol I just need to stand here for a moment for attendance and then leave
[Guild] ParkRoach: OK
Yeo-woon stripped all clothes from the character resembling Yoon Ji-gu and put on a leaf underwear barely covering the private parts. Then he immediately won an auction for fish-eye glasses at twice the price from the auction house.
It was the outfit Yoon Ji-gu hated the most in the world. Yeo-woon placed that character in a confident waiting pose in the middle of Isis Square, then minimized the game window. He planned to leave it like this for an hour or two. It would be even better if a guild member passing by took a screenshot and posted it in the guild chat asking why he was there like that. It was childish, but it was a small revenge he could do in his own way.
/Party/<Ji9star>: Where did you go again?
/Party/<Ji9star>: I called but there’s no answer-_-
/Party/<Ji9star>: I’m going to have dinner and come back
/Party/<Ji9star>: Bye
Scrolling up through the chat, Yeo-woon saw how many times Yoon Ji-gu had tried to call him while he was busy setting up his retaliation in Illusion. He wondered how many ridiculous outfits Ji-gu must have dressed his character in this time. But to his surprise, by the time he returned, Ji-gu had changed the outfit to something normal. Ji-gu’s character was now sitting next to him in idle mode, nodding off with its eyes closed. Seeing the character in plain, everyday clothes unexpectedly brought a sense of calm to Yeo-woon.