ALL NOVEL Chapter 80
The tone of a voice and its nuances play a significant role in shaping one’s impression of a person.
[It’s an intelligence play based on high analytical capabilities.]
A woman’s voice, exuding elegance and intellect, vaguely tickles the ears.
That voice was undeniably clear and dignified without a hint of shame, making it seem like one could believe anything she said right off the bat.
… But.
[……]
If I hadn’t just watched the highlight reel of Moon Si-hyun’s gameplay, which reminded me of a beast smashing skulls while letting out ragged breaths and exuding a smell of blood.
[Huh?] [Yes?]
Surely… that would have been the case.
In an instant, the seasoned commentary duo was left dumbfounded by an ironic response.
[… Ah. Did you say high physicality?]
[No, I said high intelligence.]
She particularly emphasized that word.
[……] [Excuse me?]
< b>Intelligence. That’s right. The plays compiled in the video were all based around intelligence.
―――
Ah
Here we go again
Kyaaaaaaak
Let’s just pass on this
Sigh, damn it
The way she emphasizes the words is really annoying…
Oh please, don’t do this even here
“Sansu”
It’s our first meeting, but anyone can see there’s no intelligence to be found…
How long will you keep going on about intelligence, Si-hyun?
Moon Si-hyun, you’re just a beastly girl.
Sansu: Isn’t she just a beast?
Why the hell should I be embarrassed?
Sansu, don’t use that. If you do, I’ll just quote something else to argue back.
Si-hyun, who would even believe you…
―――
[Oh, intelligence, huh… Well.]
[But it seems many people in the official broadcast chat are disagreeing with your comments, Ms. Moon Si-hyun?]
[Please ignore them. They are just trying to defame me.]
[Ah, I see. But, uh, the plays shown in the video are indeed intelligence-based. Hm… ]
The commentators momentarily paused, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
[Ms. Moon Si-hyun—]
Since there was still time left, the commentators opened their mouths a bit more and habitually glanced at the chat window.
―――
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Let’s just move on
It’s honestly my first time seeing someone so stubborn…
Just say it was intelligence and move on
No way
This person is a bit peculiar, haha
Absolutely don’t cross that river
That girl doesn’t communicate well in situations like this
―――
[… Ah, I understand. So, it’s intelligence, huh? Well… we look forward to seeing you show off your incredible self at the Demons Competition with your high intellect!]
[Hmm, yes. Thank you.]
With that, the atmosphere lightened as laughter filled the call, and the interview came to an end.
A moment of silence lingered.
[Hmm. Haha…]
[It’s my first time meeting Ms. Moon Si-hyun, not through the gaming videos on YouTube, and I must say, she is quite the interesting individual. Wouldn’t you agree?]
[Yes, she’s remarkably unique. Hehe… I’ve heard she’s become quite popular lately, and I do understand why, even if it’s just a little.]
The two slightly older commentators chuckled together before continuing.
[Alright then! Now, let’s prepare for Ms. Moon Si-hyun’s auction.]
As they finished speaking, the huge icon of Moon Si-hyun on the screen moved to the side and shrank.
Next to it, the timer displayed ‘10.00’ while six directors’ cameras appeared in the center of the screen, each showing their respective points below.
―――
Ravi: 680pt
Malchi: 640pt
Poffa: 820pt
Remang: 765pt
Wuman: 720pt
Sansu: 700pt
―――
They’ve all been considerably reduced now.
Damn, Sansu, why are you wearing something so weird?
I’m embarrassed as a fan, Sansu.
―――
As the auction progressed, notable master items that could become pillars for the teams became available, causing all the directors’ scores to decrease slightly.
The commentator sneaked a glance at the chat and checked the viewer count.
[… Um.]
By the time it was Moon Si-hyun’s turn, the viewer count had grown by thousands.
[Before we start, for those who are new, let me explain the rules again. We have 10 seconds, and the time limit decreases by 1 second as the auction progresses. And—]
The commentator briefly reiterated the rules in a simple manner.
[Now, let’s start the auction!]
At the cue, lively music played as the stopwatch started ticking.
10 seconds.
[Sansu 300 points.]
Immediately the lights on Sansu’s camera lit up.
―――
Oh
Starting with 300?!
Math chair
The indeed Master level is different
―――
9 seconds.
[Wuman 350 points.]
8 seconds.
7 seconds.
6 seconds.
5 seconds.
[…… Sansu 390 points.]
7 seconds.
[Wuman 400 points.]
6 seconds.
5 seconds.
[400 points, it has surged to 400 points in no time!]
[Oh, this trend is slightly different from what we anticipated?]
[Indeed.]
The unique auction system with rapidly decreasing seconds increasingly raised Moon Si-hyun’s price.
―――
Oh
Oh…
No, the bidding seems a bit aggressive
Are they just throwing money around without thinking?
Like investing in Bitcoin, wow
I get that Sansu is usually strange, but what about Wuman?
―――
And the expectations of the viewers and commentators were subtly shifting before the auction started.
―――
Pazzk Minor Gallery
―――
– But I hope you don’t have too much expectation for Moon Si-hyun when the Demons start.
Of course, in the current Demons listings, the most attention-grabbing and anticipated is Moon Si-hyun.
Seeing her act like she usually does would definitely be entertaining.
Honestly, whether she can perform well is uncertain.
No, I actually think she might not do well.
Looking at her solo play style that often fails, it doesn’t really align with a team game that requires precise calculations (the kind directors dislike).
She has only proven herself with one champion, which means her teammates must support her, but that’s not the care a Master should be receiving.
Moreover, the biggest issue is that the other Master listings have points and fundamentals that differ greatly from Moon Si-hyun.
The next lowest listing after Moon Si-hyun shows Snail, who has been around since Season 2, with a Master level of 700 and a Top rating of 800.
Ah, of course, Moon Si-hyun is a Master too, so she might get shot down,
But the probability is high that it will end between 300 and 500 points.
– Really?
– Yeah, right now the newbies are blinded and can’t even grasp the situation.
– Honestly, thinking about it coldly, that’s about the right price.
– Hmm…
– While it’s true that Moon Si-hyun is very high and skilled, other players have proven themselves better.
– Frankly, in terms of win rates or whatever, Moon Si-hyun has just hit 600 points, while others are at 800 or 900.
– 500 points is too much… Unless she comes out at the end of the auction, about 300 points seems to be the efficient price for signing a likely seasoned Master.
―――
[- Wuman 450 points.]
2 seconds.
1 second.
―――
Is this for real???
No way
Isn’t this a bomb roll?
Whoa
It’s rising too quickly
The guy who bids will surely ruin his life now, right?
Sansu is at 700 points and Wuman at 720, but these two are just way too expensive.
I knew Sansu was in line, but what about Wuman?
The other directors are munching on popcorn while watching the fiasco, to be honest, LOL
―――
The viewers’ predictions began to skew more and more.
[Sansu 460 points.]
1 second.
[Wuman 470 points.]
1 second.
[Sansu 490 points.]
As the time limit shrank to 1 second, the commentators fell silent.
Amidst the fierce bidding war between the two directors, the chat from viewers quieted down.
1 second.
[…… Huh.]
[Wuman 500 points.]
1-
[Sansu 700 points.]
[Wuman- …… Huh?]
1 second.
0 seconds.
– Ding!
With the ringing bell, the lights significantly lit up on Sansu’s camera.
[…… Director Sansu has bid for Ms. Moon Si-hyun!]
[Oh! Now we can finally breathe.]
[That’s right. The immersion was amazing… The moment Sansu suddenly bid 700 points, I was taken aback too. Haha…]
[Let’s check the updated points of the directors before moving on to the next auction.]
―――
Ravi: 680pt
Malchi: 640pt
Poffa: 820pt
Remang: 765pt
Wuman: 720pt
Sansu: 700 → 0pt
―――
Seriously, they’ve barely selected three and are already making it rain…
Is this even correct?
If it’s Sansu, this all must be part of a bigger picture.
Damn it, Sansu, don’t let your personal feelings interfere with the auction.
A man who risked his life to buy a woman…
―――
[Now, let’s begin the leftover auction.]
Everyone took their places. Now was the time for auctioning off the remaining items.
[This is it. You can bid with your remaining points, and players who haven’t been chosen during the leftover auction will be assigned randomly to directors who currently don’t have any points.]
Soon, the leftover auction commenced, and as the broadcasters in the leftover slots moved in turns, the auction came to a close.
[Thank you all for your hard work. Now, let me show you the result screen of the auction.]
Next to the six directors, the list of selected broadcasters was neatly arranged.
And, on the final list were:
―――
Sansu
Satori – Diamond 4
Squirrel – Diamond 4
Harris – Diamond 3
San-deng – Master
Cactus – Diamond 1
Moon Si-hyun – Grand Master
―――
[Wow……]
[Personally, I’m quite interested in Sansu’s team.]
[I feel the same. Hmm… is this really a fair judgment? As you can see, the average tier is rather low.]
[Still, I have a feeling Sansu might show us something interesting. The other teams have their own unique potential as well.]
—
Pazzk Minor Gallery
Fist Over Legend Minor Gallery
―――
Is this for real?? [4]
Breaking News: Sansu Team Annihilation, LOL [5]
What even is this, damn [7]
Sansu’s treachery… clip [94]
This must be Sansu’s grand scheme, right? [5]
Is Sansu really a crazy person?? [4]
―――
In any community, the most attention-grabbing topic was undoubtedly Sansu’s team.
Originally, Sansu was famous for their high feedback skills along with a quirky image, drawing popularity and attention.
Now that Sansu has unexpectedly entered the Demons Competition, along with three forced entries due to the leftover auction, it was impossible not to be interested.
―――
– This is all part of Sansu’s crazy grand strategy.
Sansu has frequently mentioned and watched Moon Si-hyun’s videos a lot,
And the fact that he suddenly participated in the Demons Competition might also hint at some hidden strategy targeting Moon Si-hyun?
There’s no way Sansu would spend points like this unless he had a valid plan, right?
– He’s a superstar.
– He’s always known for being able to divide opinions.
– But heck, the average tier is a total mess; is this legit?
– But really, considering he suddenly threw down 700 points, there has to be something more to it.
– Will he really show us a dramatic turn of events?
– I trust Sansu.
―――
―――
Ms. Moon Si-hyun has entered.
Mr. San-deng has entered.
Mr. Satori has entered.
Mr. Cactus has entered.
Mr. Harris has entered.
Ms. Squirrel has entered.
―――
The team Discord created directly by the Demons Competition manager.
Inside the chat room, six members had already gathered.
[Uh, um… hello—]
[Sis! Amazing! We are all on the same team! I was a bit sad when we got drafted!]
[Ms. Si-hyun…! Ah…! I’m your fan…!]
[Si-hyun-]
[Yes, that’s right. I’m glad. And hello, Mr. Harris.]
[Hello.]
[Hello, I’m Cactus—]
[Hello, Mr. Satori!]
[Hello. It’s nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Satori.]
The atmosphere was filled with a distinct feminine charm, with three women present, and Cactus, overwhelmed by it, mumbled softly and kept getting interrupted, while San-deng briefly stepped out for a bathroom break.
As a moment passed in this manner.
―――
Sansu has entered.
―――
-♩♪
As the sound of entry echoed in the channel, Sansu entered late.
[Hello. I’m the director, Sansu. I truly look forward to working with you all.]
Much more of a normal greeting than expected.
They all shared light exchanges of greetings with Sansu.
Then, silence struck.
Perhaps it’s due to his usual odd genius image or the fact that he has yet to say anything unnecessary; whatever it is, the conversation between them suddenly dwindled.
[……]
A director has to serve many roles.
Of course, crafting strategies to win the game and providing feedback for improvement are essential, but Fiore is a team game.
That means the team dynamics also play a significant role in winning or losing.
[Um.]
Maybe knowing that, Sansu tried to break the awkward silence.
As the moment of waiting for his words extended, he finally spoke.
[Uh. I’m sorry, everyone.]
Sansu opened up.
[We’re screwed.]
Hehe… a laugh escaped, just like that.