Chapter 127

(Alliance) nnppcc: Anyway, good luck! Rewards will be distributed based on contribution, but we’ll do our best to make sure nobody walks away disappointed, so please don’t worry and just have fun participating!

(Alliance) nnppcc: We’ll help you get set up too, so don’t worry. For more details, check our Tips Board...

“Wow. That’s some incredible acting.”

Yeonhoo stared at nnppcc in amazement as they kept pretending, right to the bitter end, that all of this was for the beginners’ sake.

“Is there any chance these alliance members will realize they’re being used?”

“Almost none. They’re beginners, after all. By the time they know enough to notice, they’ll probably be L4.”

That made sense. There was no way a beginner would understand the significance of any of this. Most of them would probably join the Siege War without even realizing they were being exploited and throw themselves into it, thrilled just to be included.

(Alliance) nnppcc: (link)

(Alliance) nnppcc: Then let’s begin! Each team, please build watchtowers at your designated coordinates! Good luck!

While the two of them were talking, nnppcc finished the explanation and posted a link containing the group assignments and each group’s designated coordinates.

“Thank God! We’re in the same group.”

Yeonhoo had been worried he might get separated from Kwon, but fortunately, they had ended up together.

“Looks like they paired people by rank. Anyway, we should hide our extra gear somewhere first, then build our watchtower and see how things develop...”

Kwon trailed off as he stared at the screen.

“But, Yeonhoo.”

He watched the alliance members, who had been packed together like a swarm of bees, scatter in search of their assigned groups.

Then he suddenly gave a quiet laugh.

Yeonhoo had a pretty good idea why.

This Siege War was bizarre from beginning to end. Nothing about it had gone the way they’d expected, and there was no telling what would happen next.

But win or lose, in the end...

“This actually looks like it might be pretty fun.”

It wasn’t their house getting invaded. It was somebody else’s war.

And they were participating as spies.

It might turn out to be even more entertaining than expected.

—Bang! Bang-bang!

Watchtowers began rising all around them just as the enemy side realized they were under surprise attack and opened fire.

Both men’s eyes lit up.

“Let’s go stash our gear!”

“Yeah. Then we’ll join the others.”

Yeonhoo had expected his first Siege War as a spy to be nothing but fun.

Except...

(Alliance) MidIsBest: Is it because Miyoung’s the one wrapping me up? haha

(Alliance) heyua: lol even if it’s just bandages, guess it really is different when a Judicator does it

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: Miyoung seriously has the magic touch

What the hell is this?

At some point, Yeonhoo’s mood had soured.

Why is everyone hanging all over Kwon like that?

His brow twitched as he watched the damage dealers cluster around Kwon one after another.

In fact, his mood had started going downhill almost immediately after meeting his teammates.

******

At first, it had actually been kind of fun.

The repetitive labor of building towers while rockets exploded all around them was tedious, but the other players’ reactions were entertaining enough to make up for it.

(Alliance) BoogerIsMine: we gotta get this builttt up to here fast

(Alliance) JoCheoldu: HEY HEYYYYYYYY dont build any farther run!!!!!

(Alliance) eundongkim: ah ♥♥ i got shot im down...

(Alliance) JamJamJam: ill go revive you!!!!

(Alliance) eundongkim: you cant save me; leave me;

(Alliance) JoCheoldu: im coming

(Alliance) eundongkim: WHY ARE YOU SAVING ME!! you idiots save yourselves;!!!!!

(Alliance) BoogerIsMine: how can we live after leaving you behind did you forget the watchtower of friendship we built togetehr?

(Alliance) BoogerIsMine: im almost theree

(Alliance) BoogerIsMine: huh???

(Alliance) BoogerIsMine: wh

(Alliance) JoCheoldu: omg

(Alliance) JamJamJam: huh?

(Alliance) eundongkim: AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! BOOGERRRR!!

(Alliance) eundongkim: you diedㅠ savingㅠㅠ meㅠㅠ noooㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

(Alliance) JamJamJam: thats it im going to revive you

(Alliance) eundongkim: NONONONONONONO donttttt come

(Alliance) eundongkim: dont come.. dnont cm

(Alliance) eundongkim: AHH CHEOLDU

(Alliance) eundongkim: CHEOLDU WHY ARE YOU DOWN TOOㅠㅠㅠ I TOLD YOU TO GIVE UP AND LEAVE ME!!! YOU IDIOT YOU IDIOOOTㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

(Alliance) JoCheoldu: but thats what... comrades... are

(Alliance) eundongkim: cheoldu...ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

(Alliance) JoCheoldu: eundongkim.........

(Alliance) CloverBee: ♥♥

(Alliance) CloverBee: those ♥♥s wiped again

Some groups were practically reenacting a war drama.

(Alliance) Garihan: what is this

(Alliance) Garihan: Mallo; what are you doing;

(Alliance) Garihan: why are you building the tower there? did you even check the designated coordinates?

(Alliance) Garihan: Mallo

(Alliance) Garihan: ???

(Alliance) Garihan: hey

(Alliance) Garihan: MALLO????

(Alliance) marmo: im doing fine whats your problem

(Alliance) Garihan: lmaoooooooo?????????

(Alliance) Garihan: YOU ♥♥♥♥♥ ARE YOU F♥♥KING BLIND? DOES THAT LOOK LIKE A WATCHTOWER SPOT TO YOU?

(Alliance) marmo: then what the hell does it look like im doing??

(Alliance) Garihan: DIGGING YOUR OWN GRAVE YOU F♥♥KING IDIOT

(Alliance) marmo: ♥♥ wtf are you talking about

(Alliance) IngiAngInging: just half-ass it

(Alliance) Garihan: INGING YOU F♥♥KER THAT ISNT EVEN OUR COORDINATE!!!!!!!

Others had clearly gotten stuck with teammates who absolutely refused to follow instructions, while someone else looked ready to tear out every hair on their head over it.

(Alliance) ItoIto911: guess they cant see us

(Alliance) Norafso: im bored...

(Alliance) EXApt: btw hows mage?

(Alliance) ItoIto911: mage is crazy fun

(Alliance) Norafso: sigh... i wanted to play mage too

And some groups had so little to do that they were just sitting around chitchatting.

Something about seeing every conceivable type of player babbling away in alliance chat in the middle of a war was strangely hilarious.

(Alliance) MidIsBest: wow the respawn point is kinda far from our coordinates haha

(Alliance) heyua: lol try not to die if you can

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: repairing the watchtower over and over is actually kinda fun lol

Yeonhoo’s group had things relatively easy.

They were fairly noisy, but the enemy seemed to be testing the waters for now, so the attacks were only coming in at a manageable pace. They had enough breathing room to chat and leisurely watch how the battle was unfolding.

But the biggest topic in their group was—

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: Miyoungs bandaging just hits different

(Alliance) MidIsBest: haha wow healer bandages really are on another level

(Alliance) heyua: fr now i get why people play healer

—their support.

Kwon Mieon.

Apparently, when a support bandaged someone, their recovery speed increased a little more than when an ordinary damage dealer did it.

As a result, every damage dealer stationed at their coordinates ended up getting treated by Kwon...

(Alliance) heyua: btw when did you join the alliance Miyoung? dont think i saw you when we joined

(Alliance) MidIsBest: yeah same lol dont think Miyoung was in our batch either so i was curious

(Alliance) heyua: unless i just missed you

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: maybe lol but with a nickname that noticeable how did i not remember????

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: my bad i shouldve noticed you

(Alliance) MidIsBest: seriously haha shouldve gotten friendly with you back then lol

And as though constantly telling Kwon how amazing his healing was weren’t enough, they kept hanging around even after their treatment was finished.

They grew more blatant by the minute—blatant enough that even Yeonhoo, oblivious as he was about these things, noticed.

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: i actually quit another game cuz the healer shortage got so bad but its rough here too

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: even in a huge alliance theres barely any supps

(Alliance) heyua: supports are gods no matter what game you play lolllll

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: fr maybe thats why Miyoungs bandages feel extra good lolllll

(Alliance) OsoneDosan: btw Miyoung you got a duo??

(Alliance) MidIsBest: oh Miyoungs gonna duo with me lol

(Alliance) heyua: wtf you cant just claim them; let us join too

They kept orbiting Kwon, loudly worshipping the support role as though making damn sure he could hear every word.

Were healers always this popular?

<47> had never had a huge number of healers, but there had always been enough of them that Yeonhoo had never realized players could be this desperate for support.

They’re obviously hitting on him.

Did Kwon even realize they were flirting with him?

Yeonhoo glanced sideways, read the chat again, and let out a frustrated breath.

(Alliance) NotMiyoung: get over here so i can bandage you

As though completely oblivious to Yeonhoo’s inner turmoil, Kwon simply kept bandaging his teammates in silence.

Watching him, Yeonhoo felt inexplicably ready to burst. He was repairing the side of the watchtower when he finally muttered, more petulantly than he intended,

“You’re really working hard at healing everyone. Having fun?”