Chapter 10
“It’s uploaded! Everyone, go check it out!”
Even at a glance, there was a hint of excitement in Cheonma-nim’s voice. Maybe because he was a DPS, he seemed to be very sensitive about rankings.
And while no one said anything outright, the way everyone silently rushed off at the word “uploaded” told me that the DPS rankings must be pretty important to them.
“H-holy crap…!”
Cheonma-nim suddenly gasped like he was out of breath. Even Hwansung-nim sounded surprised.
“He topped the overall DPS for Eregos—not just the class ranking, but the whole raid.”
Was that really something to be so shocked about?
I mean, he’s a DPS. Wouldn’t it make sense for him to get first place?
“Is it that surprising that Cheonma-nim got the top DPS overall?”
I asked carefully.
At that, Cheonma-nim started ranting so passionately that if we were talking face-to-face, he probably would’ve spit all over me.
“Of course it’s surprising! Pungdo isn’t a high-damage class like Dual Blades. For a Pungdo to get top overall DPS is a huge deal!”
“Oh… I see.”
“I expected to get first place for the class, but not the overall DPS!”
His voice was full of barely concealed joy. Hearing that, I decided to check the Eregos DPS rankings myself.
Just like he said, Cheonma-nim was in first place, and his class icon for Pungdo was right next to his name. Below him were mostly unfamiliar icons, including Sooki-nim’s. Other than Cheonma-nim, the next highest-ranking Pungdo was somewhere in the 300s.
‘Wow, seeing it like this really makes it clear how impressive that is…’
“That explains how we cleared the boss even with Sooki dead and without checking the tank stance.”
“Exactly! I must’ve landed a ton of crits! Hahaha!”
“That’s seriously amazing! I wonder if I can see my own ranking?”
At this point, I started getting curious about my own position.
I asked, full of anticipation, but Cheonma-nim gave me an awkward look.
“Hmm… Since Sunya Sohyeop only used basic skills, you probably didn’t make it into the top 1,000, so your rank wouldn’t show.”
“Ah… I see.”
Makes sense. Everyone else was rotating through all their skills perfectly, while I only used buttons 1, 2, and 3. If I made the top 1,000 like that, it would’ve been weirder.
I understood it logically, but I had hoped just a little… so I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed.
“…I don’t think so?”
Just then, Hwansung-nim spoke up with a skeptical tone.
He then posted a screenshot in the guild group chat. It showed my nickname and class rank.
[Sunya – Paladin, Rank 998]
“Wait, what? Is that even possible? Did Paladins secretly get some huge buff while I wasn’t looking?”
I stared at the screen, speechless. The number next to my nickname definitely meant I’d ranked.
The one who cleared up the mystery was Sooki-nim.
[Guild] Kim Sooki: Yo, that ♡♡♡♡ Hwansung cast all his Priest’s Blessings on Sunya
“What… What’s that supposed to mean?!”
[Guild] Kim Sooki: Just checked the logs—he cast Priest’s Blessing only on Sunya every time it was off cooldown ;; -_-;;
Priest’s Blessing… wasn’t that the buff Hwansung-nim had mentioned earlier?
I thought it was just a tank damage reduction skill. Why were they reacting like this?
[Guild] Kim Sooki: It’s a god-tier skill that boosts damage by 15% for 15 seconds. And he cast it on a noob tank doing garbage DPS the whole time while ignoring the actual DPS players. HOW do you even respond to a healer doing that??
“Well, we still cleared without checking the tank stance. And Sooki, why are you talking so much when you’re the one who died?”
[Guild] Kim Sooki: Sorry, but I had to say it. That was true love.
“And you guys are always saying it’s fine as long as we have at least one good DPS, right?”
“Ahem… That was a bit of exaggeration!”
Turns out, what I thought was just a basic defense buff was actually a powerful DPS boost that’s normally reserved for top-tier damage dealers.
But Hwansung-nim had been casting it on me, who only pressed 1, 2, and 3. And because of that, I somehow made it into the Paladin DPS rankings by a hair’s breadth.
“Hwansung-nimmm…”
Without meaning to, I called his name with teary-eyed gratitude.
He responded in a slightly pleased tone.
“Yes, honey.”
“You’re seriously the best…!”
“See? Sooki would never do that for you, so stop calling him the best DPS from now on.”
“Okay!”
Normally, I would’ve said something like, “Come on, that’s too much…” but right now, Hwansung-nim’s word was law and gospel to me—he had gotten me on the rankings.
“Watching you two really makes me think Sooki Daehyeop was right—you’re both totally mouse-rals…”
Cheonma-nim’s comment prompted Hwansung-nim and me to respond together.
“People who want to be loved try harder.”
“What’s a mouse-ral? Is that a skill too?”
Cheonma-nim just sighed at my question, and Hwansung-nim silently patted my character’s head.
[Guild] Kim Sooki: I’ve realized something this past week. The only winning move is to not associate with those two.
“Yeah… I think you’re right. Anyway, I’m gonna go brag about this on the forums.”
[Guild] Kim Sooki: Ah ♡♡
[Guild] Kim Sooki: NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
[Title: The Era of Pungdo Has Arrived]
[Author: Cheonma Daeje]
Pungdo is no longer just a semi-support class people ask, “Is that even DPS?” about.
The wind blows quietly… and powerfully, like the passing of time.
This may have just been the beginner raid boss Eregos, but I topped the DPS charts with Pungdo, and that deserves recognition. (Not class ranking—overall ranking!)
(Image attached)
<User Comments>
<NuclearCore>: What?
<I’llBeatYouUp>: ????? Pungdo??
<Haryeong>: Lmao. Makes sense coming from Hwansung’s guild.
<TimeFisher>: No way even the sweatlord guild V3 could get top DPS with a Pungdo lolololol
<Kkiruk>: Bro got consumed by his own roleplay
<NuclearCore>: Wait, are you guys serious?
└ <NuclearCore>: (link) It’s officially uploaded…?
<Everyone>: “Wha—?” spam
<HwiteMage>: Can’t believe it’s real. Even if it’s Cheonma Daeje, is this even possible?
<Kkiruk>: V3 really is full of crazy people
<WindDo>: The era of Pungdo has begun – From a Pungdo
<BigPotato>: The era of Pungdo has come – From a Pungdo
<TimeFisher>: Heard V3 only recruits top DPS players, but I didn’t expect this level
<TimeFisher>: Wait, but this other DPS Kim Sooki… Why is their DPS so low? Aren’t they from V3 too?
└ <NuclearCore>: Huh?? Yeah, they are from V3.
<PotatoFan>: Kim Sooki is super famous for high DPS. They’re one of the poster players for the server!
<NuclearCore>: Looked into it… Kim Sooki died.
└ <WindDo>: LOL??? In Eregos???
└ <Jiyu>: OMG LOL
└ <StrongMain>: LOLLLLLL
└ <Kkiruk>: Not kidding, I’ve never seen anyone die in Eregos before…
<I’llBeatYouUp>: I was blown away by Kim Sooki’s flawless rotation in the legendary Necros raid, but they died in Eregos??
<Cheonma Daeje>: Please spread the word of Sooki Daehyeop’s tragic death far and wide…
└ <Everyone>: LOLs and condolences
<PotatoFan>: Wait, isn’t that tank the newbie who went viral last week for being with Hwansung?
└ <Jiyu>: Yeah, I think so
└ <NuclearCore>: But something’s weird with this tank. Looking at their skill usage, they’re just mashing basic combo and occasionally a random skill. Not even using defensive buffs on auto-attacks.
└└ <WhatIsThis>: ???
└└ <Samsoon>: ?
<NuclearCore>: It gets weirder. Checked the logs again… They’re literally just pressing 1, 2, 3. But you know what’s even crazier? Hwansung cast every single Priest’s Blessing on that tank.
└ <Malatang>: Huh??
└ <I’llBeatYouUp>: That efficiency-obsessed Hwansung??
**<NuclearCore>: Yup. Even though his own DPS was insane, he never once buffed the other DPS—only the tank. (image attached)
└ <I’llBeatYouUp>: Are we sure Hwansung wasn’t hacked?
└ <Haryeong>: Maybe he’s going blind lol
<Haryeong>: Time to retire, Hwansung~
<I’llBeatYouUp>: I still can’t believe he actually did that…
└ <Cheonma Daeje>: There’s a reason…
└└ <Everyone>: What is it??
<Cheonma Daeje>: Sooki and I investigated after the clear. The reason Hwansung only cast Priest’s Blessing on Sunya was…
└ <Everyone>: Tell us!!
└ <WindDo>: AoE aggro bait, let’s go
<Cheonma Daeje>: …because he’s madly in love with Sunya.
<All Users>: “???”
<AlwaysEternal>: Wait, weren’t Hwansung and that newbie tank just friends?
└ <Cheonma Daeje>: What are you talking about?
└ <Cheonma Daeje>: Watching those two… there’s only one modern term that fits—‘codependent lovebirds.’
└ <Cheonma Daeje>: Sooki Daehyeop even called them a pair of ‘mouse-rals’. Honestly, it’s not wrong. I’ll share my full Eregos suffering story later.
<Malatang>: So they’re not just friends… but something more?
<Jiyu>: Honestly, it has to be true love. No other explanation for the way he used those buffs lol
<PotatoFan>: If this isn’t love, everything else I’ve seen was fake
<ImmortalWarrior>: Hwansung isn’t the Choi Soo-jong of Dereso. Choi Soo-jong is the IRL Hwansung.
<TenBridge>: Bless you both…
