[Sigma eSports Admission Contract]

Sigma eSports Pro Gaming Team (hereinafter referred to as the “Team”) and Han Da-eun (hereinafter referred to as the “Player”) mutually agree to enter into the player contract (hereinafter referred to as the “Contract”) as follows:

Article 1 (Purpose) This contract is intended for the Player to maximize her abilities...

...

The team agrees to ensure that the Player can fully dedicate herself to her activities as a player...

...

Date of Contract Signing: ■■■■ Year ■■ Month ■■ Day
Player: Han Da-eun (Signature)

"Da-eun, do you know specifically which clause was the basis for the connection ban?"

"The problematic part is here: 'Connection methods with safety concerns for the user are not permitted.'"

"It doesn’t specify which connection methods are banned exactly."

"Why don't we gather a large amount of evidence and data, then Sigma can keep tweaking the connection device?"

Thud. Thud.
As I limped forward, clutching my ankle, I could feel several eyes on me.

As expected, they weren’t the kindest of looks.

I didn’t know exactly who they were, but surely some of them had encountered me in the game.
It wouldn’t have been a pleasant experience.

Back then, I was a far more unpleasant person than I am now.

I had spread my dark, gloomy thoughts everywhere.
It was only natural that the emotions returned to me were rough.

"The stability issues with the connection device vary greatly from person to person."

"So, there’s a possibility of making an exception just for Da-eun."

"As it happens, Sigma has a research model of the neural connection device within its facilities. Although it’s only available for practice servers, not for the main game."

Of course, I didn’t need to feel intimidated for no reason.
In Infinity Black, random PKs are considered bad manners but aren’t illegal according to the terms and conditions.
I’ve never done anything beyond what the system allows or engaged in unjust harassment.

So, I hadn’t done anything wrong.
In a game that operates on the law of the jungle, it's the weaker party that's at fault.

I held my head high, stiffly.
This may be the real world, but I came here not as Han Da-eun, but as Gawol.
My fists clenched so hard that the blood drained from them.

A heavy silence filled the practice room as we waited for the connection devices to open.

"Let’s collect battle data together. Sigma’s data will have enough credibility."

"Meanwhile, you can practice with your teammates and sync up with them."

"So, how about it? Want to give it a shot with our team?"

What I had to give up in exchange was the connection device at home.
They said they’d dismantle the internal hardware and decompile the software to develop a new connection device.
Given the terms, my parents wouldn’t be too disappointed.

Their son just wants to give this a try. Please understand.

Anyway, the "battle data" I could gather from the practice server was just one thing:
A brutal brawl. Hitting each other until your mouth tasted bitter and your nose bled.
I forced a smile as I opened the door to the connection device.

“You seem to have a lot to say. Want to settle it in the game? You’re all professionals, aren’t you?”

Don’t try to pressure me in real life—let’s see who’s better in the game.

[Training Mode: Official League Simulation]
[Sigma A vs Sigma B]
[Score: 0:0]

[Match 1]
[Battlefield: Sanctuary of the Dead]
[Rules: 5-man continuous elimination]
[Sigma Shooter (Swift Archer) vs Gawol (Assassin)]

A wail echoed from the eerie field of the dead.
As a decaying skull aimlessly scanned the surroundings,
an arrow shot through, piercing the gap between the corpses.

A short but swift arrow.
Each one didn’t carry much power, but it was tricky to block them all.
I kicked a nearby zombie to obscure the shooter’s line of sight.

The Swift Archer class forsakes the traditional long-range capabilities of an archer in exchange for speed.
It’s used in league play for chaotic skirmishes.
Though it lacks the range to compete with conventional long-range damage dealers, it outperforms in close combat against melee fighters.

In other words, the opponent was an arrogant punk.
They dared to send an archer against me?

[‘Eye of Truth’ is observing the battlefield.]
[All stealth-related skills are disabled for 8 seconds.]
[All placed traps are revealed.]

This guy must’ve assumed I’d use stealth.
They clearly underestimated me.

‘Do you really think I’d waste stealth on you?’

This isn’t a chaotic field with multiple enemies; it’s a one-on-one battlefield.
And in this continuous elimination match, the winner immediately fights the next challenger.
To achieve high performance, you have to conserve your skills and resources wisely.

I showed myself once among the undead, then quickly disappeared down the slope.

If you can read your opponent’s field of vision, you don’t always need a skill to hide.
The key to an ambush is defying their expectations.
If you can exploit the gap in their thinking, you can succeed in an ambush without stealth.

Using the moment they were wary of the last location where I disappeared, I took a long way around.
Moving without making a sound, but without slowing down, I positioned myself behind the opponent.

The opponent wasn’t a complete fool.
When I didn’t appear where they expected, the Swift Archer sent out a hawk.

But even the hawk couldn’t find me. The answer was obvious.

The Swift Archer soon turned around and successfully spotted me.

‘It’s fine. I’ve already closed the distance.’

Two arrows flew toward me.
More followed, aiming at the spots where I might dodge.

As expected from a Swift Archer, their firing speed was impressive.
Even if they missed, they intended to deal damage. But their prediction failed miserably.
The arrows that should’ve hit Gawol passed through without resistance.

The Gawol they saw was just a decoy.
There was no hit notification either, so they hadn’t even hidden behind the decoy.
And that’s why they lost.

“Hello?”
“Uh, ugh!?”

As the decoy vanished, my real self was revealed behind it.
But by then, the distance was already too close.
Drawing the bowstring was pointless.

There’s no way I’d let them do that.
Like it’s going to work.

I plunged my dagger into their wrist and pulled it back. Shoulder to shoulder, I slashed from the heart to the abdomen.
I drove two arrows into the back of their neck, rendering them practically defenseless.
Only after seeing the arrows lodged in their own neck did the Swift Archer’s expression reveal they realized what had happened.

“Wow, just… wow.”

Pure admiration spilled from them.
Something about that reaction seemed so genuine, it made me chuckle.

There’s one major drawback only archers among the ranged classes have.
Their projectiles are relatively large and slow.
It’s a unique flaw of the class that physically loads magic onto arrows.

Hunters using firearms have bullets that are too fast.
Mages’ attacks lack a physical form in the first place.
But arrows? I can catch those.

“It’s why archers rely too much on the hit notification.”

“That’s… a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

Stretch? What stretch?
I just did it, didn’t I?

[Victory.]
[Prepare yourself. Your next opponent will be sent in without delay.]

Although I secured the first victory easily, the next rounds weren’t as simple.

The Berserker’s reckless attacks left my left arm and thigh injured.
I lost my mobility when I had to sacrifice my left leg to the Kunoichi, and because of that, I couldn’t avoid the Blood Mage’s self-destruction spell, leaving my health at rock bottom.
By the time my final opponent, Camellia, arrived—I was no longer in any condition to fight.

I couldn’t even hold my dagger, let alone stand up.
All I could do was cough up blood while waiting for my enemy, Camellia, to arrive.

[Current synchronization rate: 65.8%]

At least that was some relief.
Sigma’s neural connection device was less sensitive than the one I used at home.
It still hurt like hell, but it was a bit better than what I experienced at home.

But what should I do?
This is... fun.

Even in the burning pain, I chuckled as I coughed.
My mind spun wildly, already thinking, ‘What should I do next time to win?’

“Ah, damn it. The league is different from the arena after all.”

The difference in skill levels was clear in one-on-one matches.
I thought handling five of these players would be easy.

But experiencing it firsthand told a different story.

It’s only natural that there’s a skill gap between ordinary players and the ace in a continuous elimination match.
So, they’ve evolved not to even think about winning.

They use themselves as sacrificial pawns for victory.
Leaving their opponent wounded so that their teammate in the next round can finish them off.

After all, the ace isn’t always on the opposing team.

In the first-tier pro league, no one has ever achieved a full sweep in a five-man continuous elimination match.

If today’s opponent hadn’t been second-tier rookies.
If a first-tier pro had sacrificed themselves, I would’ve been at my limit after defeating just two.
By the time Camellia arrived, she placed her sword at my neck.

Her hesitation was palpable.
Feeling guilty about killing me?

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and kill me. That way we’ll gather the data.”

“...Yes.”

A searing pain shot through my heart—my vision darkened.

[Killed by Sigma Camellia.]
[No death penalty applied due to 'Training Mode'.]
[Reviving in the 'Player Waiting Room'.]

Again.