My vision darkened as my throat was slit.

The pain inside my neck burned fiercely.
The hot and sharp wound throbbed repeatedly before disappearing.
Not completely, though. The high synchronization rate left a slight aftertaste.

[You have been defeated.]

I lost. The red letters were vividly visible.
It wasn't a message I wanted to see for long.
I immediately closed the game and tried to sort my thoughts.

This was the first set I had lost since joining Sigma.
It was bound to happen at some point.
Given the opponent, it wasn’t that surprising, and there’s no such thing as a player who wins every match.

As for the record... I was a bit disappointed, but just slightly.
It was just a little bit disappointing. Nothing to dwell on. A perfect record in the Championship? That's a foolish dream.

The problem was Hekate.

Hekate returned to the waiting room, clenching her fist tightly.
Our team coach was behind her, managing her mental state.
He kept patting her back, offering comfort.

"It's alright. You did well in the first match. This time, Phantom's entrance angle was just too good."
"You don’t have to worry. I’m really fine. It’s just... we practiced this setup, but I died too easily. It... frustrates me."

It would be better not to say anything unnecessary.
Se-Ye-won took a big gulp of bottled water and watched the replay of the last round.
Specifically, it seemed like she was watching the part where she died.

There was no need to worry.
In her red eyes, there was as much determination as there was sorrow and anger.
Hekate would be a bit different in the next match.

Of course, I wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes from the last round.
I had been too caught up by Phantom.
Fighting on the battlefield where the opponent excels is pointless.

[World Championship - Round of 16]
[Battlefield: Remains of the World Tree]
[Rules: 5v5 Team Deathmatch]
[Sigma eSports vs Veiled Nightmare]

"The match has begun. It's currently 1-1, tied in the 3rd set."
"This battlefield seems to bring back good memories for Sigma eSports."
"But things are getting interesting, aren't they? The setup here is reminiscent of the Falcon match..."
"Except the teams have swapped. Sigma, the winners, are now using the Falcon's fire archer, while Nightmare has brought in a ranger."
"Looks like you guys like this setup? It's as if they're saying 'let’s see how each team interprets this.'"

The vertical battlefield from the Falcon match had come up again.
A massive battlefield set inside the World Tree's remains.
A field with mechanics like controlling high ground, falling damage, and terrain destruction.

The basic strategy on this battlefield was to control the high ground.
Positioning ranged damage dealers to shoot uninterrupted while blocking opponents trying to climb up.
It was like a siege battle that naturally unfolded.

But the basics are just the basics.

In the end, the rule of this battlefield was simple:
Use any means necessary to wipe out the enemy.
There was no bonus for controlling the high ground.

"Nightmare players have taken control of the high ground. They’re using a pretty wide space."
"They’re probably being cautious of the fire archer. This battlefield is great for archers."
"On the other hand, the ranger excels in assassinations. Phantom would have an easier time moving freely."
"Meanwhile, Sigma is staying tightly grouped, with only Ga-wol moving around busily."
"I'm curious about what Ga-wol is doing. It doesn’t look like he’s moving without purpose."

The observers tried to follow Ga-wol’s movements.
But the screen soon shifted.

Sigma's arrows began to fly.
Arrows imbued with mana. The priest tried to respond appropriately, but now the real fight was beginning.
Attacks filled with red mana poured down.

The fire archer had clear pros and cons.
Among archers, it was the strongest in long-range combat.
However, it was incredibly vulnerable in close combat, making it easy prey for assassins.

"In the Falcon match, they used the fire archer to draw Ga-wol in."
"And Sigma... well, it doesn’t look like they’re trying to draw in Phantom."
"With them grouped like that, Phantom won’t engage directly."
"If they end up fighting head-on, that could be troublesome."

There's one universal truth in almost every game:
The side with the shorter range has to initiate combat.

Sigma used Luche’s unusual spear tactics, but that was hard for Nightmare to imitate.
So, Nightmare chose the most traditional and straightforward strategy.
Nightmare, having observed from the high ground, slowly began to descend.

They had no reason to avoid the fight.

Nightmare's main force began to descend.
In response, Luche advanced alone. Camellia remained behind to protect Hekate and Rica.
I slowly took a breath.

The dagger in my hand felt solid with power.
And as soon as the enemy priest entered range,
I dropped down from my concealed perch and aimed for their back.

"Behind! It’s Ga-wol!"
"That’s reckless!"

Instantly, the fire turned toward me.
A muscular fighter blocked my path, and a druid, transformed into a bear, swung flaming claws.

I wasn’t clumsy enough to take such hits.
I had already analyzed their positions and made the first strike.
Naturally, I was prepared for the first wave of retaliation.

There was no need to rush.
I left the priest to escape while I avoided the attack.
Instead, I drove my dagger into the fighter’s arm, which had gotten too close.

It was a dagger tied with a long rope.
The fighter laughed mockingly, but well,
It wouldn’t be as easy as you think.

[You are receiving the effect of ‘Contract of the White Moon.’]
[All skills related to martial arts are enhanced. All action speeds...]
[All shadow-type skills are disabled.]
[Remaining duration: 19 minutes 59 seconds]

The physical specs between the fighter and the assassin, especially in terms of strength, were drastically different.
Even with the "White Moon" buff, the assassin couldn't overcome the fighter’s strength.

But that’s only when facing head-on.
If I were to fight a losing battle, I wouldn’t even attempt it.
If the opponent’s stronger than me, I just need to stop them from using their full strength.

This battlefield, the "Remains of the World Tree," was vertical in structure.
Meaning, from the upper levels, anyone could fall to the bottom at any moment.
Pretending to strike with the other dagger, I leaped with all my strength from the edge of the platform.

The fighter had one hand ready to respond to my dagger.
Even his right foot was preparing to kick.
If he had tried to hold his ground from the beginning, maybe it would have worked, but with only one arm, he couldn’t stop my strength.

[You are receiving the effect of ‘Venomous Fang.’]
[For the next 10 seconds, your thrown weapons will not leave the enemy’s body.]

The fighter was dragged down with me.
It wouldn’t be a long fall.

In a vacuum, an exceptional character would land safely with a roll.
But in mid-air, there's no way to maneuver freely.

The white spear came crashing down like a blinding storm.
It was Luche’s spear.

It hit the fighter in the side.
It would have been nice if it had killed instantly, but that would have been greedy.
In this situation, just landing the hit was worthy of praise.

"Ugh..."

Even as blood poured from the wound, the fighter didn’t stop.
He pulled on the connected rope, attempting to reach me.

A weak assassin like me wouldn’t survive if I were caught by the fighter.
But wasn’t he mistaken about something?

The only one who could pull the fighter in with that rope was me.
The blade was stuck in him, not the rope I had grabbed.
Once the tool has outlived its usefulness, it's discarded.

And with one hand free, I was able to take another action.
I pulled a vial from my sleeve and threw it.
It hit cleanly. The injury wasn’t severe, but it was a satisfying hit.

The fighter tried to grab the next platform with his hand but failed.
By now, he had multiple long wounds all over his body.
He managed to land on the next platform, but his eyes glared up at me with fury.

"Heh..."

What a stupid ape.
I had laid down my traps the moment the game started.
Seeing him grind his teeth made me laugh.

I should have done this from the start.

I’m faster. I’m stronger.
Why should I waste my time playing Phantom’s ranged sniper game?

I don’t know where Phantom is now, but that doesn’t matter anymore.
Our fire archer will keep shooting arrows, and Luche and I will stall.
The only way Nightmare can win is to break through us within the time limit.

If you don’t like it, then face me like I did.
If you can kill Camellia, Rica, and Hekate by yourself, then you win.
If you can do that, of course.