NoveLight ™
"I told you not to call me 'noona' (older sister). You never listen, do you?"
Despite the numerous typos, it wasn’t too hard to read. It probably meant another party had arrived.
Not that I was some pro gamer, but sending in an entire team just to take out a sniper seemed like overkill. Then again... he did run off with an item. If they're hunting him down to get it back, I guess it's justified.
The grappler’s health bar kept fluctuating, suggesting a fierce battle on their end. Watching it, I found myself hesitating for a moment.
‘Should I go help?’
Really? I felt like I’d already done my part. If TorchBearer survives, I’m supposed to get an additional 20 million gold. But I'm an assassin, not a babysitter. Whether or not TorchBearer makes it while I’m busy killing enemies isn’t guaranteed. Worst case, I could end up working for nothing and not even get paid.
Couldn’t I just quit the party and start queuing for an arena match instead?
I was already satisfied after taking out the streamer. DongmiCham had shut off his stream without a word, and the hunt had already gone sideways. To top it off, I had just received a message that made me lose any remaining motivation.
[Whisper from Hukong]
And yet, despite all that, my legs still carried me back toward the battlefield. There was one last thing I needed to confirm.
The sniper shots echoed continuously in the distance. Just as I had expected, it was a 2v5. They were clearly outnumbered, but surprisingly, they weren’t being wiped out immediately.
This was entirely thanks to the grappler, FundochiMania. Using the sniper's cover to the fullest, he focused on stopping the enemy assassins from advancing. His impressive performance, along with the overwhelming stats of a high-tier siege guild, was likely keeping them afloat. Still, there were limits.
A high-end grappler is a well-rounded class. It can deal damage, defend, and even maintain combat sustainability. On paper, it looks flawless. But because it’s so straightforward, it doesn’t handle situations where brute force isn’t enough. When you’re outnumbered like this, all you can do is try to take the hits without hurting too much.
And as evidence of that, FundochiMania’s body was riddled with arrows.
[Whisper from FundochiMania]
Sure enough, the desperate message came through. He wanted me to kill the two enemy archers while he held the line. Realizing there was no better option, I immediately started tracking the arrows.
One was perched on top of a stack of containers in the hangar. The other... I couldn’t see from here. They were constantly moving, so it wouldn’t be easy to track them down.
The skill gap between the two archers was clear. I’d have to deal with the easier one first and save the tricky one for later. Alright, target acquired.
The best strategy was always to thin their numbers first. Taking out even one enemy would make a huge difference.
[Party Status] [TorchBearer (Sniper) - 76% HP] [FundochiMania (Grappler) - 27% HP]
Time was running out. Fundochi had taken a lot more damage than when I’d last checked.
It must’ve been too much for him to handle. He was barely holding his ground, engaged in a standoff with the paladin, and the enemy was likely already combing the area for our sniper.
Amidst the chaos, I managed to flank the archer who had been raining down arrows.
They noticed me, but it was far too late. A close-quarters fight between an archer and an assassin was never going to end well for them. Both my stats and skills were superior. It didn’t take long for my dagger to find its way into the archer’s heart.
[You have forcefully killed Adventurer DeerGuy.] [Due to the opponent’s preemptive strike... PK penalty does not apply.]
There was also a priest nearby, which was an added bonus. They hadn’t expected my presence and had positioned themselves carelessly. They must not have heard what happened to DongmiCham.
Why didn’t they get a briefing? They should’ve had ways to communicate outside the game.
Another archer tried to shoot at me, but our sniper retaliated from the shadows, allowing me to easily finish off the priest.
[You have forcefully killed Adventurer AlwaysHelpfulPriest.] [Due to the opponent’s preemptive strike... PK penalty does not apply.]
Snipers, though powerful, have loud gunshots, and their shots leave clear traces. They must’ve been spotted. But if TorchBearer fired, it must’ve been because he had a plan. He’s not stupid.
With the priest out of the picture, the match was now even. FundochiMania might be low on health, but his superior stats should give us an edge in this fight.
A little time passed as I searched for the remaining archer, and then I saw a welcome message pop up.
[FundochiMania has killed HomoScience.] [FundochiMania has been killed by BurningPantyFairy.]
Our grappler had finally taken out their paladin, though he couldn’t survive the follow-up arrow. But thanks to that, I’d managed to locate the last archer.
This guy was sharp. He immediately started moving the moment he realized his location was compromised, but there was no way I’d let him slip away. If assassins couldn’t catch fleeing enemies, what would be the point?
Dodging his arrows with my dagger, I closed the distance. The chase didn’t last long—unfortunately for him, his path led straight toward our sniper.
Bam! A bullet struck the archer in the forehead as he hopped around, trying to escape.
[TorchBearer has killed BurningPantyFairy.]
But there was one thing TorchBearer hadn’t accounted for. Did that archer really move in his direction by coincidence?
Of course not.
The archer had been luring me toward their assassin. I wasn’t the only one who could track a bullet’s trajectory.
So where was that assassin now?
[TorchBearer has been killed by ThickHairless.]
There went my 20 million gold.
[Streamer ‘DongmiCham’s Lounge]
[Author: DongmiCham] [Title: Is there a way to raise sensory synchronization above 30%?]
It’s not a big deal. I’m just curious.
[Comments]
[Author: DongmiCham] [Title: Has Gawol ever streamed before?]
I know she’s not streaming now, but has she ever done it? Not even once? Has she never appeared at any offline events either?
I mean, for someone as famous as Gawol, you’d expect at least a picture or something, right?
[Comments]
[Author: DongmiCham] [Title: Thinking of starting wrestling lessons]
Has anyone here ever tried it? Where should I go? What’s the gender ratio like?
[Comments]
Infinity Black's death penalties were no joke. You’re locked out for four hours after dying, but if you’re notorious like me, you also lose experience or suffer temporary stat drops. Some items even have risks like ‘Destroyed upon Death’ or ‘Ownership Reverts upon Death.’
Not your average items, of course. These were usually guild items, useful for building siege weapons. They couldn’t just let people create game-changing weapons too easily, after all. Just a day before, TorchBearer had told me this:
Could he still be holding onto them? Maybe SSA spent all that money protecting him because of those items. It wouldn’t surprise me if keeping his unique items safe was part of the deal.
If I was right, then the assassin who killed TorchBearer must have those unique items now. My dagger found its mark, piercing the assassin's forehead.
**[You have forcefully killed Adventurer ThickHairless.]
[Due to the opponent’s preemptive strike... PK penalty does not apply.]
[You have obtained the unique item ‘Tear of the Black Dragon’.]
This was the reason I decided to risk it and return to the fight. A very efficient bit of looting, indeed.
As I stared at the screen, satisfied with my kill, a part of me felt justified for going back in, even if things hadn’t gone exactly as planned. At least I didn’t walk away empty-handed.
The unique item, Tear of the Black Dragon, was something that could shift the balance in any major guild’s favor. It wasn’t just any item; it was the kind of thing wars could be started over. That was probably why SSA had gone through such lengths to keep TorchBearer alive. And now, it was in my hands.
[Streamer ‘DongmiCham’s Lounge]
[Author: DongmiCham]
[Title: Is there any way to improve sensory sync above 30%?]
It’s nothing serious, just curious.
[Comments]
[Author: DongmiCham]
[Title: Has Gawol ever streamed before?]
I know she’s not streaming now, but did she ever stream in the past? Maybe appear at any offline events?
Considering how famous Gawol is, you’d think there’d at least be one picture of her somewhere, right?
[Comments]
[Author: DongmiCham]
[Title: I’m thinking of starting wrestling lessons. Any advice?]
Has anyone here ever done wrestling? Where should I start? And what’s the gender ratio like?
[Comments]
In Infinity Black, the death penalties were harsh. Aside from the usual four-hour lockout, notorious players like me faced the possibility of losing experience or suffering temporary stat reductions. Some items had even harsher penalties, like being destroyed upon death or having their ownership transferred to the killer.
These weren’t your average items, of course. They were mainly used by guilds to craft siege weapons or other strategic assets. After all, they couldn’t let such powerful tools be created too easily. Just the day before, TorchBearer had mentioned this to me:
Could those items still be in his possession? Maybe SSA was willing to pay for his protection because of those very items. Perhaps his deal with them was based on safeguarding these precious relics.
If my guess was right, then the assassin who had killed TorchBearer likely had the unique item now. And if that were the case...
It was already mine.
[You have forcefully killed Adventurer ThickHairless.]
[Due to the opponent’s preemptive strike... PK penalty does not apply.]
[You have obtained the unique item ‘Tear of the Black Dragon’.]
This... This was why I had gone back into the fight, and in the end, it had all paid off. I had what I came for. A very profitable outcome, indeed.
Bro had a new fetish unlocked