Sanctuary of Judgment was one of the most powerful skills in Infinity Black. If the Inquisitor could close the distance, theoretically, they could force a one-on-one even against high-value targets like priestesses or shamans, effectively removing an opponent without any losses.

However, if it truly had only advantages, every team in the world would use an Inquisitor. In reality, very few players worldwide chose this class.

The Inquisitor’s Achilles' heel was its poor mobility. Unless used as a guard for a damage dealer, there was nearly a 0% chance of successfully trapping an assassin in Sanctuary of Judgment. Even within the sanctuary, its tracking limitations were severe.

Combat power itself wasn’t extraordinary either. It had the bulk typical of knight classes, but nowhere near the dominance of a spear knight. In other words, it wasn't overwhelmingly strong in one-on-one battles.

The skills used in the sanctuary also had reset cooldowns, making it vulnerable to abilities like the warrior’s Absolute Momentum.

[Effect of White Moon’s Contract applied.]
[All martial arts skills enhanced. All action speed…]
[Shadow-type skills disabled.]

The buff I received from the Miko’s Rite: Spirit of the Martial God was still active. This was a build that had taken down even Cerberus. If the Inquisitor thought they could handle it, they were welcome to try.

“White Moon?”

I caught the flicker of surprise in the Inquisitor’s eyes.

When emotions waver, thoughts narrow. As my dagger aimed for his forehead, he hadn’t anticipated it could be a feint.

I hadn’t put much force into the attack. Changing direction mid-strike, I kicked upwards, pushing against his shield from below. The shield rose higher than he expected, leaving a noticeable gap below.

With a quick crouch, I stomped on his foot. I immediately drew my dagger and slashed his Achilles tendon as I withdrew.

[White Moon’s Contract enhances critical strikes.]

[Critical Strike: Achilles Tendon applied successfully.]
[Enemy movement speed reduced by 18%.]
[Bleed poison: Hemotoxin applied to target.]

With the Miko’s buff, my attack power was more than sufficient. Given that, focusing on bleed and poison effects was the quickest way to finish him. Reducing his shield size was his critical mistake.

He must have been thinking I’d be as slow as Reaper. But Reaper’s strength isn’t speed.

One attack wasn’t enough to stop me. With his lower guard reinforced, my next move aimed high. The reduced size of his shield meant I could now disrupt his shield control.

I deflected his blade sideways with my dagger. With my left hand, I pinned his lowered shield, jumping up to knee him in the helmeted face, and then slashed his carotid artery with my reverse-grip dagger.

[Critical Strike: Carotid Artery applied successfully.]
[Bleed damage on target increased by 24%.]
[Bleed poison: Hemotoxin applied to target…]

Blood sprayed, staining the Inquisitor’s armor a deep red. Pools of blood spread across the ground and his shield. Even with a knight’s durability, that level of blood loss likely slashed his health bar by half.

This would be the moment he’d use his ace. If I timed it right, I’d exit this sanctuary in under 15 seconds.

“Faith is the act of believing despite knowing it isn’t the truth.”

The Inquisitor invoked his skill Testimony with a brief incantation. A red aura enveloped his armor, and magic extended the reach of his blade, expanding his attack range. Abandoned weapons scattered across the sanctuary flew toward me.

I couldn’t break through that armor if I approached now. But it wouldn’t last long. At most, it’d persist for eight seconds, during which he’d have the upper hand, but that was all the Inquisitor had.

Even though his sword’s range had extended, his mobility remained sluggish. He couldn’t close the distance with me in one go. I dodged his swings, parried projectiles, and kicked the iron maiden’s door aside to block another assault.

“Three, two, one. Now.”

I sprang off the wall, charging toward the Inquisitor. His magical aura faded before his blade could touch me.

One second of enforced groggy status—more than enough time to close the gap.

[Critical Strike: Hepatic Artery applied successfully.]
[Critical Strike: Subclavian Artery…]
[Critical Strike: Abdominal Aorta…]

Before he could regain his stance, I targeted his arteries—first the hepatic, then pushed aside his sword to strike his subclavian artery near his chest, and finally hurled my dagger into his lumbar artery.

I took a hit from his shield due to my ambition, but still, I’d say it was a success.

The timing was flawless, with the Spirit of the Martial God buff active until the end. Seeing the Inquisitor’s helpless expression made me smirk.

“End.”

[Active: Massive Hemorrhage]
[Inflicts critical bleed damage based on the number of successful critical strikes.]
[Effect of White Moon’s Contract has ended.]

[‘Sigma Ga-wol’ has defeated ‘Q Prime Holy.’]
[With the caster’s death, you have exited the Sanctuary of Judgment.]
[Skill cooldown reset due to successful elimination of caster.]

“Ga-wol has been pulled into Sanctuary of Judgment. Meanwhile, it seems Sparrow is also moving to locate his target.”

“Looks like they’ve set their sights on Hekate?”

“Yes, The Place Where the Storm Sleeps is a particularly dark battleground. Assassins can find ample hiding spots, but snipers can also use this to their advantage.”

“Rather than fixating on Outlaw, they seem intent on taking out Hekate to cripple Sigma’s sustain.”

“In a dim setting like this, a sniper’s aim can be challenging, too.”

The assassin lurked, peering out from between wrecks. Although the core damage dealer, the Beast Hunter, had lost significant health, he wasn’t in immediate danger.

The grappler would be preoccupied with Luche. The assassin would go for the unguarded Miko, allowing the Beast Hunter time to finish off Luche. Even if Outlaw managed to take out one of their own, it would be a worthwhile sacrifice.

After all, a sniper alone couldn’t turn the tide. Any remaining melee classes could hunt him down soon enough. Besides, without the assassin’s position revealed, the sniper couldn’t fire the opening shot carelessly.

With the location exposed, he’d be killed instantly. Ideally, two to three of them would survive and finish off Ga-wol.

“Luche and Frek have locked onto each other. The grappler is closing in on Luche with enhanced muscle strength.”

“I’m curious about Sigma’s approach here. Realistically, their composition doesn’t need to face them head-on, does it?”

“Ga-wol could have taken a reconnaissance role, while the sniper whittled down their health. Choosing direct confrontation shows a great deal of confidence.”

“The teams collide!”

The grappler charged toward the paladin. Just as his bulky hands reached for the shield, Luche skillfully dropped the shield to the ground, widening the gap with a shockwave.

A sharp blade lunged for his wrist, but the grappler was no easy target. Luche couldn’t advance further; as soon as he concealed himself behind the shield, shotgun rounds ricocheted off his guard.

Luche was more resilient than last season. Even while handling two opponents, he wasn’t easily subdued. As the plan went awry from the outset, Sparrow started moving.

[Effect of Ashen Moon’s Blessing applied.]
[For up to 10 seconds, you blend into shadows within 10 meters of any player…]
[Caster: Q Prime Sparrow]

A blade hidden in shadow aimed at the Miko’s neck. It was an ambush in the chaos of battle. Such an attack was hard to counter, even for first-tier players.

Yes, difficult to counter. But not impossible.

Muttering something under her breath, Hekate whipped her head around.

The crack of a Beast Hunter’s gunshot, the paladin’s shield impact, and the splashing of footsteps through rain…

“I heard you.”

Her staff struck the ground, creating a barrier through magic talismans. Though the shield shattered against the shadowed spikes, it bought the Miko enough time.

An old demon proverb advises that, in an assassin’s ambush, it’s unnecessary to block perfectly. Just deflect the primary weapon and protect critical areas. Achieving even one of these goals gives you a moment to survive until backup arrives.

As she deflected the assassin’s arm with her staff, a sharp kick struck Hekate’s head.

Her vision blurred from the impact, with shadows piercing her body all over. Yet, a smirk played on Hekate’s lips.

Her staff came around again, blocking the dagger once more.

“Yes, yes! I told you I’m not that helpless! It’s them that’s weird!”

If it weren’t a battle, she’d probably be jumping up and down with excitement. However, a voice she didn’t want to hear cut through.

“What exactly did I do?”

“Aah!”

Before she knew it, a silver-haired assassin lunged at Sparrow.

The urgency of the situation kept her from fully processing it, but a kill log flickered in her peripheral vision. Hekate, though startled, activated her area buff instinctively.