NoveLight ™
Heckate, I’m sorry, but there’s no way I can block both of them.
The ranger, Rika, has survived, so that’s good enough.
If I just take down the Beast Hunter, it won’t be such a bad trade.
[Effect of 'Rite: Guardian Spirit' applied.]
[Grants a shield that absorbs damage for the duration...]
At this moment, Heckate began to desperately unleash all her skills. I glanced back, seeing her block the cavalry’s lance with skill. The lightning-fast spear strikes were consistently deflected.
The clear sound of parrying rang out, one after another. The cavalry seemed taken aback by the flawless defense.
The exchange of attacks continued, but even the surrounding shield couldn’t be touched.
Heckate and Cornet’s eyes met briefly. They weren’t complete strangers.
It felt like there was a silent conversation passing between them.
‘What’s up? How are you blocking so well?’
‘I don’t really know either.’
‘Why don’t you know?’
Heckate succeeded in parrying seven times in a row. But once the in-fighter joined in, the miracle came to an end. A merciless fist slammed through the air with a terrifying sound.
Guardian Spirit is one of the best shield abilities for a priestess. Although it has a long cooldown, it’s incredibly difficult to destroy — it’s the go-to skill for breaking through enemy lines. It can even withstand a barrage from a mage, so it wouldn’t be destroyed anytime soon.
While the high-quality shield held, I had to focus on what I needed to do.
[Effect of 'Whisper of the Black Moon' applied.]
[All attack power, movement speed, and counterattack properties are enhanced.]
[Certain skills are empowered...]
Normally, the Beast Hunter would be a difficult opponent for an assassin to handle. The shotgun pellets are tricky to dodge, and being a melee damage dealer, the damage output is no joke. To kill one as an assassin, I’d have to be ready to die myself.
But now, with Heckate’s legacy behind me, I couldn’t let my friend’s sacrifice be in vain. Although she might be suffering at the hands of the men, I had to press on with what had to be done.
I relied on the thick shield and charged straight into the Beast Hunter.
Boom, crash, boom!
The destructive gunfire created cracks in the shield. The firepower was so overwhelming that it was almost dizzying to think how strong the Guardian Spirit shield was. The Beast Hunter, trying to stall, grabbed onto the chain tied to a tree.
"This is savage."
"I’m a fast learner. If you give up some things, you can gain something."
The shield might be lacking a bit.
I’m confident I can kill him.
Without any guards nearby, it’s impossible for him to escape my grasp. The issue is how little damage I can take.
The Beast Hunter’s attack power exceeded my expectations. He had entered this game planning to die, focusing entirely on maximizing his instant firepower at the cost of other advantages.
His intention was to make sure my health was shredded, even if he had to die. But I had no choice. I had to clash with him.
The nearly destroyed shield made its final resistance. With the sound of glass breaking, several blasts of buckshot grazed my skin. Before the next attack could land, I twisted my body to the side and summoned a clone.
"...?!"
I didn’t expect anything special from it.
Once again, it was an illusion with no substance. The clone wouldn’t be able to land even a single hit on the Beast Hunter. But when a dagger suddenly appears in front of someone, it’s human instinct to recoil.
As he instinctively pulled back, there was a brief gap.
The shadow that formed the clone and the Beast Hunter’s face collided.
Because the clone was composed of shadows, its interior was filled with a deep darkness.
I used my skill to block his vision once again, while his hesitation grew in front of the barrel.
I didn’t have long to hold him. At most, a second or two. Even in that brief moment, the Beast Hunter’s trigger could go off at any time.
The opponent didn’t hesitate. The barrel roared once again.
And with the flames, the scenery around me shifted.
In the reversed world, my unprotected back was exposed.
Two daggers stabbed into my armpits, slashing at the brachial artery.
[Effect of 'Vital Strike: Artery' activated.]
[Effect of 'Enhanced Hemorrhagic Poison' applied.]
An assassin must always be aware of their shadow position when fighting. Not only do weaknesses appear when skills are used, but it’s also the sharpest weapon one can wield.
The only thing in this game that can be used without any conditions is their own shadow.
Just 50 cm.
I used my shadow to reposition behind him in order to dodge a single shot.
One of the weaknesses of firearms is that attacks only happen where the barrel is aimed. In real life, this is a minor flaw, but in this game, where physical abilities far exceed human capabilities, firearms in close combat are far weaker than melee weapons.
I sliced through his belly, leaving a deep wound in his intestines.
I pushed my leg inward to restrict his movement. The Beast Hunter struggled to escape, but his side tore open, and he collapsed.
It was over.
An opponent who collapses helplessly in close combat will never rise again.
I pressed his shoulders down with my knees and drove a dagger into his neck.
[‘Q Prime Furek’ has been slain by ‘Sigma Heckate’.]
[‘Sigma Ga-wol’ has slain ‘Q Prime Slug’.]
As expected, Heckate’s death came much quicker than mine.
Once the match was over, I would make sure to tease her about the first death.
I tucked away the things I needed to do in my mind, standing up. The in-fighter and cavalry were now approaching me.
Well, it didn’t matter much.
Guiding the opponent to where I want them during a brawl is one of my specialties. To them, it probably seemed like I was randomly playing tag, but I had to be aware of how I was maneuvering both sides in the fog.
Heckate and Rika didn’t flee just anywhere.
If they had separated too much, I wouldn’t have been able to track them in the fog, and if they stuck too close together, I wouldn’t have been able to intervene. Naturally, they were following orders on where to go.
[‘Sigma Luche’ has slain ‘Q Prime Holy’.]
When the kill log appeared, the sharp in-fighter froze for a moment and looked behind him.
There, standing with a bloodied flail, was Luche.
Right. This was the place where Luche had been dragged into the Sanctuary of Judgment.
Was the fight inside one-sided, after all?
Luche didn’t seem to be in bad condition.
After locking eyes with the paladin, he slowly began closing in on the enemy.
The arrows raining down from the sky were fired by our ranger.
A soft laugh escaped.
"That was fun. Don’t you think?"
[Author: ㅇㅇ(922.521)]
[Title: What the hell are these guys doing?]
(Attached Video: Heckate-Furek-Ga-wol 3-player tag)
Is this the first set of the playoffs?
It’s like they’re just having fun.
[Comments]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(411.571)]
[Title: Furek, is he really mad?]
(Attached Photos: Furek getting kicked in the back)
(Attached Photo: Close-up of Furek’s lips about to curse)
(Attached Photo: Red face, bulging veins, eyes burning with malice)
(Attached Video: Furek "Aaaaahhh!!!")
Will someone be murdered after this match?
Should we get a bodyguard for him? Haha.
[Comments]
[Author: SigmaFan]
[Title: Heckate’s 7 consecutive parries capture]
(Attached Video: Heckate successfully parrying against Cornet)
Is this really our Heckate?
[Comments]
[Author: AssassinNoob]
[Title: Ga-wol’s 50cm backstab]
(Attached Video: Ga-wol killing Beast Hunter)
Using a clone to block vision
Shadow movement for a backstab
At 1 minute 42 seconds, you can see him positioning himself based on his shadow’s location.
Despite bullets flying right at him, how does he manage to check his positioning in that situation?
[Comments]
The first match ended with Ga-wol and Luche leading the charge.
The in-fighter was reduced to mush by Luche’s flail, and the cavalry fell off his horse, stabbed by my dagger.
We were up against an opponent who had a basic skill gap. With the ranger’s long-range support, it became even harder to lose.
On the way back to the player waiting room, I saw the Q Prime players. They seemed to be in a worse mood than I expected. I hope they resolved things smoothly. After all, I was their opponent.
Even Heckate, who looked like she had a lot to say, was smiling brightly now.
"This match will have symbolic meaning for Sigma eSports."
"Heckate’s performance has really improved recently. If it had been just Cornet, he might have held out for a lot longer."
"Luche doesn’t even need to be mentioned. It’s hard to find a scene where our ranged dealers are taken down so easily."
"At the start of the league, Ga-wol’s performance was so outstanding that he didn’t get enough attention, but now it feels like Sigma as a team is truly coming together."
"But, the match isn’t over yet, Q Prime! Let’s see if you can come back for some revenge!"
I couldn’t help but laugh at the praise. I wondered who I had inherited that from.