[Battle] ‘Killer’ has used Shadow Pact on ‘Chasa.’ Evasion increases by 1,000 for 30 seconds.
[Battle] ‘Killer’ has used Encouragement on ‘Chasa.’ As long as a 10-meter distance is maintained for 1 minute, attack power increases by 20%.
As the buffs stacked in succession, Chasa’s body shimmered like a firefly. After confirming the buff status, he stowed his staff, only for Oath’s blue shield to strike him with an upward blow.
[Battle] ‘Oath’ has used Charge, but you evaded it.
This time, instead of being launched into the air, the words “Evasion” appeared over Chasa’s body. Thanks to Killer’s buffs, his evasion stats were greatly inflated, allowing him to dodge physical attacks.
At the same time, Chasa’s hands glowed blue as he counterattacked Oath.
[Battle] Using Invasion. Knocks the enemy back and deals 2,381 damage.
“Resistance” counteracts magic, while “Evasion” defends against physical attacks.
Since Oath was up against a warlock, a magic-based class, he had invested everything into resistance. But conversely, this left him more vulnerable to physical attacks. And Invasion was the warlock’s only melee physical attack.
There are moments like this—when focus becomes so intense that even breathing stops, and not even a blink interrupts the flow.
This was one of those moments.
It took less than three seconds for everything to unfold. Oath, who had jumped in for an attack, was knocked back mid-air by Chasa. And behind Chasa, there was only a cliff.
In an instant, Oath was sent tumbling into the void.
[Battlefield] Oath’s Vow: …
[Battle] ‘Oath’s Vow’ has used Howling Roar.
Refusing to die alone, Oath activated a skill as he fell. His lance shone brightly, and like the repelling force of opposing magnets, Chasa was yanked toward him.
It was a tank’s taunt skill, dragging nearby enemies into melee range. If this wasn’t a suicide move, nothing was.
“I’m falling.”
As they plunged together, Sa-yoon quickly checked the party members’ HP. Since buffs were still active, that meant the caster was nearby—which also meant the fall damage would be absorbed by Killer.
Sure enough, as they hit the ground, Killer’s health plummeted. What they hadn’t expected was that Killer had been waiting just below the cliff.
“Oh, express delivery.”
[Party] Killer: lol
With a short laugh, Killer immediately thrust his blade at Oath. The impact from the fall had left both Oath and Chasa stunned.
The hunter, whose burst damage was second to none, seamlessly chained his attacks. Oath, who had once seemed like an unshakable fortress, was now bleeding HP at an alarming rate.
3 seconds… 2 seconds… 1 second…
[Battle] ‘Killer’ has used Backstrike.
Just as the stun from the fall was about to wear off, Killer landed a direct hit with another stun skill. Oath, whose physical defense was already abysmally low, slumped once more.
Chasa, now freed from his stun, coated his hands in blue light again and unleashed his only physical skill. The instant-cast spell drained his mana as much as it dealt massive damage. But right now, conserving mana didn’t matter.
[Battlefield] Oath’s Vow: Ah.
[Battlefield] Oath’s Vow: So close.
[Battlefield] Shokrates: ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ? No way.
Shokrates, unaware of what had happened since he had already died, sent a confused message in chat.
No one survives a dogpile.
Before long, Oath’s limp body crumpled to the ground.
[‘Oath’s Vow’ has died.]
[You have earned 200 points.]
[Victory!]
Wait… We won like this?
Oath’s duo had earned 600 points by taking down three monsters. Meanwhile, Chasa and Killer had only gained 200 points since they were ambushed after their first kill.
Then Killer had taken down Shokrates, adding 300 points to bring their total to 500.
In duo battles, the match ends when both members of a team are eliminated. If Chasa and Oath had died simultaneously, the final score would have been 900 to 800 in the enemy’s favor.
Oath had known that too, which was why he tried to drag Chasa down with him. But Killer had saved him at the last second.
An absolute super carry.
[You have earned 155 battlefield points. Your rank has increased.]
Even the points they gained were far above average. That was because Oath’s duo had been ranked significantly higher than them. Sa-yoon suddenly felt a rush of satisfaction.
“Wow, this actually happened…”
He had wanted to win, but he hadn’t actually expected it. Just thirty seconds ago, they had been scrambling like chickens fleeing a hunting dog. Not to mention, the enemy team’s composition had been much more advantageous.
He knew Killer was good, but… he was even better than expected.
They say true skill shines brightest against tough opponents. With a pleased expression, Sa-yoon scanned the dazzling peacock on his screen.
“You’re seriously amazing.”
That was the sound of pure, unfiltered truth, spoken straight from his overflowing sense of satisfaction.
[Party] Killer: Am I?
Right now, Sa-yoon was in such a good mood he could accept anything Killer said—except if he asked for a customization share.
“Huge! You’re insane, really. I knew you were good, but how did you manage to find the perfect timing in all that chaos?”
Everything had worked out thanks to precise timing and buffs. And Sa-yoon, being an experienced veteran, knew that wasn’t just luck.
“But how did you even bring that buff?”
The number of skills a player could equip was limited. If someone added a buff skill, they had to remove something else to make room for it.
And the buffs he had just received weren’t strong enough to be worth sacrificing an attack skill for.
[Party] Killer: To protect you, hyung.
The more I called him amazing, the more charming his words became. This was the same Killer who had been so obedient and well-behaved over the past few days.
I really made the right choice picking a partner.
Of course, I had long since erased the memory of struggling through random public parties just to avoid teaming up with Killer—only to experience pure hell.
After getting showered with praise, Killer inched closer to Chasa’s side.
Come to think of it, wasn’t Killer twenty? That reminded me of Shin-jae. He was a total kid too. I wondered if he had been eating properly…
As we were transferred to the waiting room, I grabbed my phone from under the monitor and immediately acted on my thought.
[Eat well.]
After sending it, the message felt way too random. I turned on the emoji keyboard and added a winking cat sticker. That made it seem a little less stiff.
[Party] Killer: I told you Oath was nothing special.
[‘Chasa’ gives ‘Killer’ a thumbs-up, saying he’s the best.]
If I didn’t react, he’d probably keep spamming question marks like a psychopath until I did, so I used an emote.
“Well, since you’re this good, how about turning on your mic now?”
Might as well take the chance to push for what I wanted.
—Alright.
There was a bit of static in my headset before I heard his voice, slightly distant but as nonchalant as ever. He’d claimed his mic was broken, yet it sounded just fine—just quiet and far away.
Still, the atmosphere was too good to nitpick about that now. Guess all that time I spent watching parenting advice videos recently had paid off.
[Guild] Shokrates: Damn, they actually won. ㅇㅅㅜ
[Guild] Furple: It’s all over?
[Guild] Shokrates: Oath told me to trust him, but man, I’m disappointed.ㅜ
[Guild] Oath’s Vow: Haha, well, games have wins and losses. That’s just how it goes.
[Guild] Freedeal: LOL.
[Guild] Shokrates: Actually, I was just paving a flower path for our guild master to ascend first~
[Guild] Chasa: Felt more like a path of thorns.
[Guild] Shokrates: Hey, don’t doubt my loyalty.
—Starting the next match.
That was exactly what I wanted to hear.
***
[You have been online for 7 hours. Please take a break!]
Wait, how did time fly by so fast? I blinked at the notification in disbelief before glancing out the window. It wasn’t just evening anymore—it was deep into the night.
“Feels like I’ve only been playing for two hours. Weird.”
Stretching, I felt my tense muscles finally loosen up, and a small groan escaped me. Guess I really had been sitting here too long.
[Matchmaking Wait Time: 5 minutes 03 seconds]
Unlike during the day when matches were instant, the queue time had now stretched past five minutes.
“Maybe I should take a break?”
[Guild] Killer: Cancel the match?
Killer, who usually messaged me in whispers, had accidentally responded in guild chat. Guess he was feeling the fatigue too.
[Guild] GegulGegulFrog: Whoa, is our guild master duo still grinding?
[Guild] Furple: That’s some dedication.
[Guild] Freedeal: Must still be in their youth.
[Guild] Shokrates: Well, our guild master is someone who always aims for the top. ㅇㅅㅇ
[Guild] Chasa: Ah… sure…
The moment Killer threw out bait, the guild members pounced like a swarm of piranhas.
They were acting like I had thrown my entire life into gaming, but I barely paid them any attention. I had my reasons.
These people talking were also eight hours deep into the game.
[Guild] Oath’s Vow: Chasa, have you seen the first-place score?
First place? Now that he mentioned it, I realized I’d only been paying attention to my own ranking. I hadn’t checked who had secured the top spot yet.
Not that it really mattered—I’d have to beat them anyway. And in events like this, the same faces always dominated the leaderboards.
[Guild] Chasa: No, I haven’t.
[Guild] GegulGegulFrog: It’s insane. Do they not eat or sleep?
[Guild] GegulGegulFrog: Feels like they’re ♡♡♡
[Guild] GegulGegulFrog: F*cking crazy.
That bad? Who was going all out this season? Apollon? Bebegom? Familiar names ran through my mind as I pulled up the ranking window.
“…Huh?”
