Blood splattered onto my face.

Despite being a game, the depiction of blood was incredibly realistic. Maybe it was because I had verified my age during the registration process.

Without thinking, I licked my lips, and a metallic taste spread across my tongue.

"Ugh, where... where did this..."

The man grimaced as he gripped his greatsword.

Even though I had severely slashed his back, he hadn't died. I had intended to finish him off with a single blow.

It's probably because his stats are higher than mine.

The man standing before me must have arrived at the boss room later than I did, having fought his way through the mobs along the way. That would explain the difference in our growth levels.

And there's one more thing.

"You're a paladin, aren't you?"

I spoke in a gentle voice, but the man showed no reaction.

The paladin is a flagship character in the Labyrinthos series.

In the previous installment, he was practically the protagonist, and it seemed like he was filling that role again in this game.

And I, Laura Iris, was once known as the "Haughty Villainess," a notorious antagonist.

As a villainess, it was only natural that I had several confrontations with the protagonist's party.

As such, I know the paladin very well.

How many times had I faced off against the paladin over the past ten years?

"Hah!"

The man, appearing as a paladin, took a deep breath and swung his greatsword.

Compared to the "original paladin," his swordsmanship was rather crude.

It seemed that, like me, he wasn't a particularly skilled player, given that the matchmaking system had paired us together.

"Still, I shouldn't let myself get hit."

The paladin I know is a brute with overwhelming strength. The kind who could bring down a dragon with a single blow.

It's likely the same in this game.

Without any armor, if I took a hit from that sword, I'd be pulp.

That's why, in any battle with a paladin, the key was always "how to avoid the paladin's sword."

I lowered my stance and closed the distance.

"Huh?"

The paladin looked surprised as I advanced rather than retreating.

The greatsword is a weapon that's inherently large and long, and it's heavy.

This means that while its attacks can be devastating if they land, the risk is equally high if the attack misses.

The distance between us.

I dodged the greatsword by a hair's breadth and was already closing in on him. Now, what will he do?

From the paladin's perspective, responding to this would be extremely difficult. After swinging his greatsword once, it would be too heavy to swing again immediately.

To begin with, the greatsword isn't suited for close-quarters combat.

It's a weapon that excels at crushing from a distance, so once the gap is closed, it becomes little more than a hunk of metal.

Thus, the paladin had no choice but to respond in another way.

He raised his right foot to kick.

-Slash!

"Aaaargh!"

But it was the paladin's foot that went flying.

My sword had sliced through his ankle.

The kick was too predictable.

Given that he had allowed me to close the distance, the paladin's options were limited. He could shoulder-charge, backstep, or kick.

Among these, a kick was the most likely option.

Since both his hands were gripping the greatsword tightly, his arms were difficult to use, so it was natural for him to think of using his legs to somehow deal with the situation.

"Perhaps he's a novice."

He likely lacked combat experience, which is why his thought process was so easy to read.

However, I had no intention of letting my guard down. Even though the paladin had lost one of his legs, he still had one swing left in him.

After all, I'm completely unarmored. If the paladin managed to land even one blow with his greatsword, I'd be dead.

Indeed, the paladin hadn't given up.

I could see it in his eyes. The determination to land a final blow was evident.

That's why I retreated.

I could probably press the attack and win. But there was still about a 1% chance that I might lose.

If I wanted to secure a perfect victory, it was wiser to create some distance again.

The paladin, with his leg destroyed, had lost his mobility.

He was essentially a sitting duck at this point.

So, I circled behind the paladin, aiming for his back.

"Ah, damn it! What kind of cheap gameplay is this?"

Oh my, such praise. It seemed my opponent had a bit of a temper.

With one leg gone, the paladin found it difficult to turn around.

In other words, he had no means to defend his back, so I took his arm instead.

-Thud!

His arm fell to the ground, and with it, the greatsword that was his trademark also tumbled down.

I could have gone for his neck, but since he had been looting on his way here, his stats were probably higher than mine. Considering that he might not die from a single strike, I intentionally went for his weapon first.

Now, not only had he lost his mobility, but he also no longer had any means of attack.

The only thing left for the paladin... might be his teeth.

If he managed to sink his teeth into my neck, perhaps he could still win.

Naturally, I had no intention of letting him close the distance.

I discarded my one-handed sword and picked up the greatsword that had fallen to the ground (which had once belonged to the paladin).

"You're too inexperienced for this fight."

Murmuring those words, I brought the greatsword down on the paladin.

"...What the hell was that?"

Leon, who had been watching, subconsciously held his breath.

He knew that Laura was good at games, but he had thought it was only with PC games.

After all, the skills required are different. PC games are played using a mouse and keyboard.

In contrast, VR games involve the whole body.

Of course, what was moving around in the game wasn't Laura's real body. It was just a well-crafted avatar.

So, even someone without physical prowess could move well in a VR game. The game system provided various assistances.

But still, to be good at VR games, you need to have a basic understanding of your body.

How to throw a punch more effectively.

How to swing a sword more efficiently.

These realizations can't be achieved just by running simulations in your head.

You have to move your body and experience it firsthand.

That's why, even if someone excels in PC games, it's difficult to become a master in VR games overnight.

"But what on earth is with her..."

Leon reflected on the past three years.

The three years he'd lived together with Laura... If he had to sum it up, she was undoubtedly lazy.

She pushed all the household chores onto Leon, claiming that noble ladies don't wake up early, slept in late, had no job, spent all day lounging around the house playing PC games, and insisted on having tea parties several times a week to feel satisfied.

She didn't even go to the gym.

Yet, she never gained weight and maintained her figure effortlessly. ...It's honestly infuriating.

So, Leon had assumed that Laura couldn't possibly be good at using her body.

He had thought that she couldn't be good at a combat-focused game.

...But that's what he had thought.

Although her opponent was a novice, Laura's movements were on par with a veteran.

"..."

There was a "feeling" to it.

While Leon's gaming skills weren't particularly impressive compared to Laura's, he couldn't help but feel something about her gameplay.

Leon felt as if he was standing at a crossroads of fate.

And, as if on cue...

♪♬♩♪♬♪

As always, the timing was impeccable.

Leon picked up his ringing phone.

[Boss]

The single word on the phone's screen.

Leon answered the call.

"Hello." [Leon, I'm sorry to call so late.] "No problem. I'm in the industry too."

In this industry, mornings start late, and nights go even later. It's not uncommon for people to stay up until 6 a.m. before going to bed.

Leon lived a relatively regular life compared to others in the industry, but it seemed that the boss was still working late into the night.

[I heard you want to quit.] "...Yes." [Why?] "Because I realized I don't have the talent for this."

As he spoke those words, Leon glanced at the monitor.

On the screen, Laura was getting ready for her next match.

[Talent, huh. Leon, I don't believe talent is everything in this industry. If you stick with it long enough, you'll make it somehow. Just like your seniors did.] "I think... even being able to stick with it is a form of talent." [You're not wrong. ...Are you really sure about quitting? Your fans will be disappointed.] "Fans..."

Leon involuntarily trembled.

The word "fans" made his throat tighten.

He suddenly felt like a criminal.

It was as if a weight had been tied to his chin, causing him to hang his head.

Being loved is undoubtedly a blessing,

but sometimes it's also a curse.

Only those who are truly deserving of love can bear this curse.

Or perhaps only those with ironclad talent can endure it.

After a few more duels, I started to get a feel for it.

There are three main strategies you can use in duels:

"Farm and get stronger," "Ignore everything and go straight for the boss," or "Just go kill the other player."

Of course, depending on the character, new strategies might emerge, and some strategies might be enhanced or weakened.

I liked it quite a bit.

It's not just about brute physicality; you have to use your brain to some extent.

That's what makes the taste of victory, won through cunning, so satisfying.

"If 1v1s are this complex, 6v6 battles must be on another level."

From what I've heard, the main content in Labyrinthos is the "Gate Conquest Mode," a 6v6 battle.

I definitely want to try out the "Gate Conquest Mode" as well.

"It was too easy to win, so I didn't even get to use my skills."

Maybe because I'm still a newbie. The rating must have been too low, so I ended up winning just with basic attacks.

As a result, I still haven't fully figured out my character.

Of course, I have ten years of experience as Laura Iris. So, I already have a rough idea of how each character plays.

But I can't just blindly trust my "ten years" of experience.

Some characters' abilities are bound to have changed with the new game. If I don't learn those differences, I'll pay the price later.

Especially in 6v6 battles, teamwork is crucial.

So, I need to at least familiarize myself with the skills each character has.

"I should force myself to use some skills."

And I need to closely observe what skills my opponents use. It's a shame I didn't get to see any of the paladin's skills in that first fight.

With those thoughts in mind, I queued up for another match.

Unaware of what was happening outside the game.