A tank is a kind of responsibility!

"Damn it, that shameless Dazzling Starlight actually teamed up with the Dark Crocodile to ambush me!" The Monk grumbled as he arrived at the entrance to the Wrath of the Trolls instance where they were gathering. He hadn't expected the captain of the Star Team to hide and launch a sneak attack, nearly causing his own in-game death. This time, the Monk was furious. "I'm going all out against them!"

Seeing the Monk’s reckless determination, Morning Wind realized why this notorious scoundrel had never gained any fame in his previous life. Most likely, the Monk had clashed with a major team and been wiped out so thoroughly that he lost interest in the game. Even professional studios dared not provoke the big teams, yet this guy had the nerve to challenge one solo—did he think he was Duan Morning Wind himself?

"Monk, Dazzling Starlight may be captain, but he’s extremely responsible. You attacked the Star Team’s merchant because he captured your Dark Crocodile, so he probably felt obligated to deal with you." Morning Wind knew the reputations of all the top pro players, especially the team captains—he’d studied them. Dazzling Starlight took his responsibilities seriously; if a guild merchant was killed because of him, he would shoulder part of the blame.

"A barefoot man fears no shoes! I don’t believe he’ll stand guard over that merchant every day! This time, I’m taking him head on!" The Monk had truly lost his inhibitions. With no organization backing him, he had nothing to lose, while Dazzling Starlight, as team captain, was busy every day and couldn’t possibly devote all his time to dealing with the Monk, so the Monk wasn’t worried.

"Monk, if I wanted to deal with you, there are dozens of ways I could do it! I’m sure Dazzling Starlight has his own methods. So I suggest you harass the Star Team occasionally, not continuously. That way, he won’t be able to do much to you. In the meantime, you can go all out against the Divine War Guild, and if you run into trouble, just come to us for help." Morning Wind offered his advice. He’d long wanted to target the Divine War Guild himself, and now he had someone else to do it for him—nothing could be better.

Morning Wind had often ambushed merchants before, and those pro players had tried all sorts of ways to intercept him. At first, he fought them head-on, but his organization’s analysts advised him to harass them intermittently instead, which proved to be far more troublesome than constant attacks. The Monk was just now realizing this lesson.

The Monk slapped his bald head as a sudden insight dawned on him. "Right! Why didn’t I think of that? There’s no such thing as the most shameless, only more shameless! Wind, you scoundrel, I’m impressed!"

"Alright, let’s start the instance!" Data Emperor, the bespectacled newcomer, felt that their chatter was a waste of time and urged the group to get moving.

The Monk, irked by the rookie’s attitude, cursed, "Bookworm, we’re in the middle of our grand scheming and you’re cutting in?"

"Enough, let’s start the instance!" Morning Wind saw the Monk was about to start another round of banter and quickly changed the subject, leading everyone into the heroic-mode Wrath of the Trolls instance.

The first obstacle was the usual trio of Troll Warriors, a Troll Shaman, and a Troll Hunter. Without hesitation, Morning Wind ordered, "Berserker, take out the Shaman! Monk, handle the Hunter! I’ll tank the three Warriors!"

"Wait a minute!" Data Emperor, puzzled by Morning Wind’s tactics, interrupted. "Why are you pulling mobs like this?"

"What’s the problem? Berserker, Monk, and I can each solo a mob. It’s much faster this way!" Morning Wind always did quests like this—he tanked, the others helped, and their speed was unmatched.

"You can clear the mobs, yes, but the tank isn’t fulfilling his role properly!" Data Emperor pointed at Morning Wind’s twin Brotherhood swords. "I don’t care if you’re a Berserker or a Shield Warrior, but if you don’t have sufficient tanking ability in Berserker mode, use your shield. It’s not just about how much damage mitigation the shield provides or how much DPS you lose. Seeing the main tank with a shield reassures everyone."

"You can start off with a burst using two swords to generate enough threat, but you’re only maximizing your own DPS without considering your teammates. Maybe your output is high, but can your teammates attack with peace of mind? No matter how strong you are, they’ll worry you’ll get wiped instantly, which is unfair to the healers—they have to constantly adjust to your unpredictable playstyle. Without a shield, you’re relying on parries and dodges, making your health fluctuate wildly. How are the healers supposed to know whether to use a big heal or a small one?"

"As a tank, you’re the backbone of the team! If you’re in Berserker mode and can’t parry or dodge a boss attack, your health will plummet and everyone will worry, unable to focus on their own roles." Seeing Morning Wind about to respond, Data Emperor pressed on, "I know you’re strong—you’ve claimed a world first kill. But that only proves your gear and Berserker habits let you scrape by this time. Do you really think you can claim every first kill on the big maps? Compared to true god-tier tanks, how confident are you?"

"The most important thing for a tank isn’t their achievements, but their sense of responsibility!" Data Emperor’s final point left Morning Wind speechless. "I’m not a tank, but I’ve studied many tank guides from other games. In my view, responsibility is everything for a tank, not their accolades. An instance isn’t just yours—it belongs to everyone. If you force everyone to keep adapting to your wild tactics, what fun is there for them? Sure, your method works for special bosses, but it’s not standard practice."

It was true—Morning Wind didn’t really understand tanking. He’d always just done his own thing, expecting others to adapt to him, not the other way around. The tank’s role was important, but that didn’t mean the rest of the team could be ignored.

After listening to Data Emperor, Morning Wind realized he really had been selfish. Maybe he could be a formidable tank now, but what about later, when he lost his early-game advantage? Data Emperor was right—Morning Wind’s style was only viable as a special tactic, not a regular approach. The tank should support the team first, then the team supports the tank.

If Morning Wind was nearly a god as a Berserker, then as a Shield Warrior he was still an apprentice, relying only on some parry and positioning tricks he’d trained in the past. Suddenly, he felt he should learn how to be a true tank, to shoulder that responsibility. The Berserker path should be a special tool, not the norm.

Responsibility! Morning Wind had never really cared about it. But after hearing the bespectacled newcomer, he suddenly wondered if he should try playing with a sense of responsibility—maybe exploring a new approach would even help him improve his abilities. Training his powers from a dual-talent perspective might be better than a single-minded Berserker focus.

In the instance, he was a tank; outside, he was the Blood Dragon! Morning Wind liked this idea—it gave him a new goal: to become a true tank.

"Wind, you scoundrel, I admit your dual-wielding tank style is flashy, but the healer’s got a point. I was always ready to toss you a heal or prep a healing orb the moment you were in danger," the Monk said. Without a dedicated healer, he often had to fill in. Morning Wind was impressive, but his explosive output meant short fights, which wasted the Monk’s damage potential.

"Morning Wind, I still think you should use your shield when tanking. After seeing the Monk’s pathetic parry skills, I worry you might go down at any moment," Stealth added, agreeing with Data Emperor. Morning Wind wasn’t really a true tank—just a special case.

"I don’t see the problem. As long as we kill the boss, any tanking method is fine!" Berserker said bluntly. To him, the end justified the means. But that was only true for easy instances—if the tank kept improvising, mistakes would pile up and eventually cause a total wipe.

A true tank led the team forward steadily, not making everyone nervous with risky tactics. Morning Wind’s style might build his hero image but added a psychological burden for everyone else.

Morning Wind glanced at his stats. After equipping his shield, his defense, block chance, block value, and parry rate had all increased significantly. Even he felt more at ease—now he could confidently pull all the mobs together without needing everyone else to split them up.

As he tackled the five elite trolls, Morning Wind tried to get used to using his shield properly, not just as a tool for Shield Slam, Shield Reflect, or Shield Wall in emergencies. He was comfortable with a one-handed sword, but the shield still felt a bit foreign.

After clearing the elites, he habitually checked his damage: Berserker was first, he was second, Monk third, Stealth fourth. Morning Wind was usually always first in damage, but now he’d fallen to second. Still, he noticed his health was much steadier; there was no need for desperate parries to save himself—he was solid.

He’d used a shield for parrying before, but it had never felt like this. He’d always treated tanking as a side job—just something he did when necessary, never taking it to heart. But now, after Data Emperor’s words, tanking with a shield felt strangely wonderful.

His powers! Morning Wind sensed a subtle shift in his abilities—a mysterious change he couldn’t quite describe. But he knew for certain that the soul-splitting power he’d never been able to touch before now seemed within his reach, almost tangible.