[Rank Match – Diamond I]
[Battlefield: Mountain of Proof]
[Rules: 5-Man Annihilation Match]
The wind blew, scattering tiny fragments of snow that fell onto my head.
From the crown of my head to my neck. Occasionally, the cold flakes touched the exposed skin of my chest.
As they met my skin, the melting snow left a cool sensation in its wake.
Carefully, I covered my mouth with the edge of my clothes and took a deep breath.
“Haah…”
The white puff of breath that escaped my lips rose briefly before dissipating, halted by my coat.
Next came a deep inhalation—hheeeuuhhh—and then I held my breath again after filling my lungs.
This battlefield was the “Mountain of Proof,” draped in eternal snow. Key gimmicks of this field were the rare but dangerous avalanches and hidden crevasses that lay like traps.
In the game’s lore, it was said to be a place where the northern barbarians would prove themselves. The legend tells that those not chosen by the gods would fail to find the crevasses and fall to their deaths.
In short, this battlefield required vigilance against hidden cliffs shrouded in snow. In lower-ranked matches, there were frequent incidents of allies dying before even encountering the enemy.
That said, hiding beneath such cliffs could be advantageous—but this time, the opposing team included a Monk.
[Passive: Ambush]
[If you remain stationary for 6 seconds, you will remain undetected by most detection skills while maintaining your position. However, this effect does not stack with stealth.]
A class often chosen in tournaments to counter assassins.
Monks possess detection skills that pinpoint movement. Among the ways to counter an assassin’s stealth, these skills are notable for their short cooldowns.
Of course, there’s a drawback—if the assassin stays still like me, they can remain undetected by merely lying in ambush. This forces a tiresome psychological battle on multiple levels.
[‘Ambush’ effect ignores ‘Revealing Wave’ effects.]
But on the other hand, it’s a skill that’s used somewhat carelessly due to its relatively short cooldown.
The cooldown for Revealing Wave is about 12 seconds when minimized, though generally it’s expected to be within 15 seconds.
I started counting silently from the moment the first wave reached me.
[‘Ambush’ effect ignores ‘Revealing Wave’…]
Good. The cooldown is roughly 13.5 seconds. From now on, I’ll base my timing on this.
Not long after initiating Ambush, footstep sounds appeared nearby, following the predicted trajectory. Every time someone moved nearby, I could feel vibrations run up my back and legs.
The sound indicated a bulky figure, likely a knight-class member, nearing me. Given their composition, there was a high probability the Monk was around.
I was currently hiding within a crevasse, isolated from any allies nearby. Everyone around me was an enemy. This was no longer a match for lower ranks—opponents were carefully checking each crevasse.
And the moment the search reached my face, I circulated magic power before the snow covering me could be moved. Thankfully, the timing was perfect.
[Active: Hermit]
[Enter a stealth state for 12 seconds. Moving will cancel the effect.]
[Ambush effect has been canceled.]
“Just in case, check inside the crevasses too. There might be an assassin hiding.”
Oh, correct.
I barely suppressed my urge to smirk. Being caught while fully aware of it is always the most frustrating.
Next time, checking by shoving some snow around would be wise. Even under stealth, physical checks still apply. Snow blocking the path of an invisible form would give it away.
In any case, the enemy Monk failed to detect me and moved on.
Fortunately for me, they missed. Honestly, they were troublesome, but Monks can be a challenging foe for assassins.
Slowly emerging from the crevasse, I slipped behind the enemy ranks.
The cooldown for the revealing wave was down to about four seconds. My Ambush won’t return in that time, so I needed to act immediately.
I set up a targeted area skill between the main enemy force and myself, then threw a snare toward the Monk.
“…!”
I had to finish before they could scream. As a robust cable coiled around the man’s neck like a snake, I pulled with all my might toward the cliff.
No matter the knight-class strength of that neck, my arm’s strength was too much when it came to pulling them from their footing. A single moment of carelessness in this battlefield could lead to death.
Once their balance was lost, the body fell endlessly into the abyss, never to return.
[You have eliminated ‘GarlicSauce’. Cause of death: Falls.]
While my ambush itself was silent, the kill log was visible to everyone.
Looking back quickly, the enemies reacted. The fastest was the Gunslinger, who aimed a long rifle barrel right at me.
If I judged the aiming point correctly, it’s probably aimed for my forehead from this distance.
Not bad skill for this range. I’d better deal with that guy quickly.
The rifle spat fire, but dodging was unnecessary. The skill I had queued was about to trigger.
“Leaving mid-sprint.”
“What a surprise.”
[‘Black Moon’s Elegy’ effect applied.]
[All actions using Chain Scythe receive positive effects for 30 seconds.]
[Damage inflicted by Chain Scythe increased by 17.6%…]
Several chains plunged down from the heavens.
A white mist spread through the mountain as it absorbed the shock, and the bullet flying toward me shattered against the chains.
In this moment of obstructed vision, I moved the Chain Scythe.
Before me stood several giant columns, obscuring the vision between myself and the enemies completely. But no worries—I’ve memorized it all.
[Active: Assassin’s Intuition]
[All senses are amplified…]
Direct weapons like guns can’t penetrate the chains, but a versatile weapon like the Chain Scythe can bend and attack.
I recalibrated the trajectory of my last-seen target. Using the sensation at the blade’s end, I continued my next attack.
[‘Nianbach’s Curse’ effect applied to the enemy.]
[For the next 8 seconds, all stats of the enemy will drop… ]
I’ve hit.
It wasn’t deep, but the debuff activated upon impact was reassuring. I could trust the sensation in my hands now.
The terrain was already analyzed. Sensations transmitted through the chains and the urgent footsteps causing vibrations provided ample clues.
Every voice I caught faintly became a hint.
Even without clear sight, I have skills that can bend the Chain Scythe’s trajectory. That’s one of the reasons such a wide-ranging weapon is advantageous. If I roughly know the enemy’s position, I can hit them through trial and error!
The metallic clangs echoed continuously.
After the match.
[Author: Anonymous (321.212)]
[Title: Wtf is this chick doing here??]
(Attached: Picture of Gawol wielding chain scythe)
(Attached: Post-game stats)
(Attached: Gawol’s rank record)
This game’s completely insane.
Is this record even real?
[Comment]
– I’m a lower-tier Paladin but thanks for the free win. lol.
└ Ha.
[Author: Anonymous (321.212)]
[Title: Improve the Matchmaking system.]
(Attached: Picture of Gawol wielding chain scythe)
(Attached: Martial arts build of Gawol)
Why do I keep meeting her?
Why am I always her enemy?
Fix it already.
[Comments]
– Play better.
└ How is anyone supposed to beat a high-tier Diamond player?
└ Scrub.
└ (Deleted by the moderator)
[Author: NerdTree]
[Title: Ever been wiped out by an Assassin’s solo rampage?]
(Attached video: Snow Mountain Rank Game vs Gawol)
Not just getting ambushed mid-fight…
but have you ever fought against an Assassin 5v1?
I just experienced it.
[Comment]
– Pathetic.
– If there’s no witness, it’s an assassination.
Following the Rank Match, our victory continued smoothly.
[Victory Achieved]
[MVP: Gawol (Anonymous Adventurer B)]
[Promotion Match: ∨∨∨ ‧ ‧]
[Promotion Successful]
[Diamond I 150 RP → Black Tier 0 RP]
[Region: Korea]
I genuinely felt a slight sense of guilt.
The win rate was abnormally high. The match was something rarely seen in normal gameplay. It could be considered what some might call “yanghak” (a term for extremely lopsided outcomes).
I don’t exactly have any other methods at my disposal though.
It’s normal for tiers to get soft-reset at the start of new seasons.
Though not a complete reset, they place me significantly lower than my original tier.
The problem is, I haven’t played a single rank game since the season began.
Normally, I’d grind ranks early to secure seasonal rewards, but this time my access was blocked.
With no other options, I had no choice but to win quickly and climb back.
However…
I originally planned to continue playing the game, but that doesn’t seem possible right now.
“You could’ve at least reached out after something good happened.”
“You should have. I feel a little hurt, sis.”
“Well, getting my ban lifted made me a little overexcited.”
“Yeah, it shows. You’re appearing in every stream I check.”
“Ah. People actually watched that much?”
At the café where I met up after a call, two women greeted me with bright smiles.
And as for why I’m here…
