NoveLight ™
Ice Cave Gimmicks
In Gate Conquest Mode, the map changes with each match. On top of that, each map has unique gimmicks that require more intricate play than in Duel Mode.
"I found a torch."
I picked up the torch hanging on the cave wall with my left hand.
Since the Dark Knight is slow at hunting monsters, it's difficult to remove the "Cold" debuff by killing neutral mobs.
That’s why I needed to find a torch, and fortunately, I found one early on.
'The real challenge starts now.'
The role of a disengaged player is to disrupt the enemy’s main group.
To do that, I first needed to locate the enemy group, but the problem was that the Dark Knight lacked tracking abilities.
Once I encountered the enemy, I could harass them relentlessly, but the issue was finding them in the first place.
‘That’s the downside of free starter characters.’
While the Dark Knight’s ability to drag fights into grueling mud battles was top-tier, it had shortcomings in other areas.
It couldn’t be helped. In games like this, there’s no such thing as a perfect character, nor should there be.
Since I lacked tracking abilities, the only option was to run around and search for the enemy myself.
I started running.
"Don’t show off."
This was the rule Choi Chang-young, known as a VTuber, had set for himself.
When the concept of VTubers first emerged, male VTubers were not well received.
It was understandable.
The primary audience for VTubers was what’s often referred to as "otakus."
For example, the playtime of an anime episode is around 24 minutes.
Watching three episodes would barely give you an hour of content per week.
Because of this, otakus were always thirsty for more content.
Watching just anime left them feeling parched, so many otakus turned to VTubers.
A VTuber was like a character straight out of an anime, conducting a live broadcast.
The voice was good, the character settings were interesting, and it was all free to enjoy. Plus, it had a bit of that anime vibe.
And each broadcast could last about an hour.
But what if the VTuber streamed three times a week? That would be more than nine times the playtime of an anime episode.
So, otakus began watching VTubers, but they didn’t necessarily want male VTubers.
If they heard a male voice on the broadcast, otakus would say things like, "My ears are sullied."
If a female VTuber collaborated with a male VTuber, the otakus would say, "She’s not pure anymore."
The rise of male VTubers began amidst this kind of oppression.
"Of course, it’s not as bad now."
Over time, more people began to think, "Male VTubers can be fun too," and now there are male VTubers with over a million subscribers.
Even otakus have started to accept the existence of male VTubers.
Although some still dislike them, the resistance has significantly diminished.
Despite this, Choi Chang-young knew he needed to be cautious in his words and actions.
He couldn’t afford to act arrogant or careless.
He’d seen a few female VTubers fall from grace for saying the wrong thing.
If that happened to female VTubers, it would be even worse for male VTubers.
He had to be careful, especially as a male VTuber.
"Attention, company members."
As the chat became chaotic, Choi Chang-young spoke up.
"I understand how everyone feels, but aren’t these still just allegations? I don’t think this is the time to act hastily."
Choi Chang-young couldn’t help but smile at the chat. He was supposed to be playing the role of an army commander, but why were they responding like marines?
Anyway, their unity was impressive.
"Both the smurfing and alt account allegations are still just suspicions, right? What’s the term… I can’t remember the word. Propaganda?"
"Oh, right. It could be a fabrication, so let’s not react too aggressively yet. Understood?"
When Choi Chang-young said this, countless “Ack!” responses flooded the chat.
No good could come from getting embroiled in a controversy.
He hadn’t expected to match with the infamous smurf, but the last thing he should do now was act out.
They say keeping quiet solves half the problems. It was better to stay reserved than to speak up and invite trouble.
Still, this was an opportunity.
This smurf who allegedly never lost in Duel Mode. Rumor had it they were the type to rank first in multiple PC games.
But no one knew who they really were. Despite their skill, they supposedly turned down pro offers—what kind of person could they be?
"Of course, some say it could be an impostor."
Whether they were real or not, revealing something about this smurf could boost his subscriber count.
And if he could even defeat them, that would be even better.
That’s what Choi Chang-young thought.
After running for a while, I finally came across some undead.
‘Created by the Necromancer?’
I paused.
I had encountered Necromancers a few times in Duel Mode, and they were essentially a "late-game" character.
A late-game character.
They’re weak in the early stages but become powerful in the late game.
Late-game characters have various ways of growing stronger—some by farming and others simply by waiting for a certain amount of time to pass.
In that sense, the Necromancer was a very unique late-game character. For one, the Necromancer themselves didn’t grow stronger.
‘They’re a character that overwhelms with numbers.’
The Necromancer’s passive skill was simple. The Necromancer would generate undead whenever neutral mobs died nearby.
As the Necromancer continued hunting, the number of undead would keep increasing.
Eventually, they could amass an army of dozens…or even hundreds of undead if the game went on long enough.
"But there’s only one?"
I didn’t see any other undead. It didn’t seem like the Necromancer was nearby either.
That meant this one was a scout.
The Necromancer was probably creating undead and sending them all over the map to locate our allied team members.
After a moment’s thought, I carefully moved behind the undead.
Then I quickly brought my sword down.
Splat!
"Groooaaar…!"
The undead let out a raspy growl as it lunged at me.
But it wasn’t much of a threat. A few more swings of my sword, and it crumbled to dust.
The Necromancer’s power lies in numbers.
Because of this, each individual undead is quite weak. It was an easy kill.
"How will they react? They’ll probably come this way."
The Necromancer could sense whenever an undead fell.
So the Necromancer would be curious. They’d want to know why their scout had died, right?
After all, they needed to locate our allied team too. They’d be compelled to check even the smallest clues.
‘I’ll use that against them.’
Since the Dark Knight lacked tracking abilities, finding the enemy group was tough. But I could lure them to me instead.
I had already set the bait.
Now it was time to fish.
I quickly scaled the cave wall.
Clang!
The ice cave was slippery, so I had to drive my blade into the wall as I climbed.
This was my first time scaling the walls of an ice cave, but fortunately, I had similar experiences before. Back when I was still a duchess, I had climbed snowy mountains.
Of course, I had professional gear back then, but unfortunately, I didn’t have proper climbing equipment this time.
So I had to rely solely on parkour skills and physical awareness, but I somehow managed to reach the ceiling.
‘It seems I can’t use the same tactic as in Duel Mode.’
I had used ambush tactics several times in Duel Mode. I even got a good result using it in my first Duel battle.
The problem was that this was an ice cave. The surfaces were so slippery that staying in one spot was impossible.
If I stayed here, I’d slip and fall before the Necromancer even arrived.
So I needed to make some adjustments.
"This should be where the undead was killed…."
Choi Chang-young stepped into the chamber.
Of course, it could be a trap, so he sent his undead army in first. Then, Choi Chang-young slowly surveyed the surroundings.
He soon noticed shards of shattered ice scattered on the ground.
"Ah, looks like an icicle killed the undead."
It wasn’t a common occurrence, but it happened sometimes when playing on ice dungeon maps.
Satisfied with that explanation, Choi Chang-young looked up at the ceiling where the icicle must have fallen from—and saw a crimson blade.
Huh?
Slash!
In an instant, his arm was severed.
Standing before him was a Dark Knight, wearing no armor.
"W-Wait…! Mmph?!"
Before Choi Chang-young could speak, something was shoved into his mouth.
It was a torch.
The gimmick item meant to prevent the "Cold" debuff was now being forced into his mouth as if it were a weapon by the Dark Knight.
Overwhelmed by the heat, Choi Chang-young’s legs were then sliced off to prevent his escape.
As he rolled on the ground, his vision flipping, a sword was driven into his chest and dragged down, splitting him open.