《Hello, viewers. Welcome to IKL Summer, where drastic changes are anticipated! I’m commentator Ho-eun, greeting you from this monumental first match.》
《And I’m Hae-hwa, here for the analysis.》
《And I’m Hwang-yul. It’s a pleasure to work with you all today.》
The familiar voices of the commentators rang out.
As the league progresses, teams and players experience rapid rises and falls, but the commentators remain largely unchanged.
It crossed my mind that perhaps the face of a league isn’t its star players, but its commentators.
Some voices are so familiar that reading them in text alone brings back the feeling of hearing them.
For me, it was Ho-eun.
《This summer season has already drawn the interest of many, and it seems quite extraordinary from the kickoff match, no?》
《Yes. It’s the clash between Sigma eSports, the champions of the Spring season, and the traditional powerhouse Q Prime.》
《It certainly feels like a fierce match already. How do you both gauge the strength of these two teams?》
《Sigma eSports requires no introduction. Already a team with tremendous potential, they’ve completed their lineup perfectly with the addition of Gawol.》
《In the case of Q Prime, we’ve seen the departure of Traveler but gained Holy and Slug. We can certainly expect a different style from them compared to before.》
The two weeks flew by in what felt like the blink of an eye.
This was the final preparation period before the Summer League.
I worked on syncing up with the team while focusing on improving individual strengths.
By my standards, it was a satisfying time.
Even if there’s still a long way to go, I have no regrets.
If time could rewind, I doubt I would be able to work any harder.
Occasionally, other players glance at me with surprise.
But I know they’ll get over it quickly.
Still, Hecate might take a while longer.
《What points should we look out for in this match?》
《It’s probably going to be Gawol versus Holy. Given that both teams have strong aces, the role of the Inquisitor becomes crucial.》
《The outcome of the ‘Sanctity of Condemnation’ will significantly influence the momentum of the game.》
《Given that it will likely be used on Gawol, it makes one curious about how much his one-on-one capabilities will shine.》
The skill ‘Sanctity of Condemnation’ is the reason why the Inquisitor class took on the role of an anti-carry type.
The effect forces a designated opponent to isolate with the Inquisitor in a one-on-one battlefield until the time runs out or one of them dies.
Old movies often referred to it as the “Chamber of Truth.”
Its limitation usually dictates its use on the enemy’s ace who specializes in close combat.
But given its poor synergy with Warriors… there’s a high probability it’ll target me or Luche instead.
The waiting room’s screen changed, and Luche placed a hand on my shoulder.
“The battlefield info is out. Are you ready? This is Da-eun’s debut match.”
In Sigma eSports, there’s a ritual among the players before entering a match.
We join hands.
Watching it during broadcasts, I always envied it so—having an urge to try it once. Finally, I accomplished it.
The rallying call, simple and unremarkable—”Let’s go!”
Did that simple ritual hold some magic?
It certainly felt like I got a surge of strength throughout my body.
My vision briefly went dark before clearing, and the distinctive briny scent of the sea filled the air.
[IKL Summer Round 1 – Match 1]
[Battlefield: Where the Storm Rests]
[Rules: 4-Man Elimination]
[Sigma eSports vs Q Prime]
The gloom of the sunken shipyards settled in.
As soon as the match began, icy raindrops began soaking my head.
Getting water in my eyes would be problematic mid-battle.
I pulled up my hood and chose one of the sunken ships to move towards.
No one need chatter aloud for everyone to know their roles.
Outro, our Sniper, was heading in the opposite direction of me, armed with his rifle.
Luche and Hecate moved towards the central wreckage, the largest in the field.
[Team Member ‘Sigma Outro’ has requested activation of ‘Operator’. Y/N]
[Confirmed.]
[‘Sigma Outro’ now has drastically enhanced communication range available during combat.]
[Shared vision and signaling systems have been activated.]
“Did you see the Assassin from the other team? Think you’re alright?”
– I can handle it. Shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself? Assassins aren’t easy to deal with.
“Even if you don’t use your Dagger, you could still win.”
– Understood. I apologize for the unnecessary concern.
Q Prime’s lineup lacked a Supporter, making their longevity insufficient.
Our team, with a Sniper, holds the advantage in a shooting match.
If the match drags on, we’re guaranteed the win.
Meanwhile, the opposition boasts an overwhelming front line.
Their Grappler aims to forcefully break Luche’s guard.
Their objective is likely to melt her with the Monster Hunter’s firepower.
A Priestess with offensive skillsets plays the support role, but when concentrated firepower bursts through, she simply won’t suffice to protect Luche.
Which basically means our strategy is similar to a war of attrition from a distance.
However, there’s only one issue—Sparrow, our rival Assassin.
If Outro were to fall, our combination’s advantage could completely vanish.
Thus, my role has become clear.
I must handle either the opposition’s threat, the Assassin, or their primary firepower: the Monster Hunter.
[‘Ritual: Martial Spirit’ effect has been applied.]
[Maximum Magic Power and recovery rates decrease while all attack stats…]
[Incantor: Sigma Hecate]
As I stepped just out of the Priestess’ effect range, Hecate’s buff came in perfectly timed.
Though my low survivability limits were evident, her skill management was impeccable.
With all preparations complete, all that remained was finding the enemy.
In this match, there’s no assassin faster than me in Invul.
Traveling at maximum speed, I finally located the enemy main group.
There was no time to hesitate.
Avoiding enemy sights, I moved along the exterior wall of a wreck and left a message for the team through Operator.
“Enemy sighted. Inquisitor, Monster, Grappler trio. Sparrow hasn’t been confirmed yet. I’m going in.”
– Incredible speed… understood.
[Enemy positions have been marked for the team.]
[‘Sigma Outro’ has ended ‘Operator’ support.]
[Effect of ‘Snake Fangs’ activated.]
[Thrown weapons will not dislodge from enemy bodies for 10 seconds.]
When the cooldown is complete, Outro will relay my signal to Luche.
I hurled my Hook Dagger at the Monster Hunter’s body without worry.
Once I confirmed the blade embedded, I pulled forcefully, initiating a leap.
The deal damage dealer of the enemy, stripped of his protection, rapidly closes in.
However, there was one final barrier I needed to overcome.
Slug is a pro from North America.
A top-tier damage dealer who’s experienced Phantom’s stealthy ambush.
Clearly, the sudden attack caught them off guard.
But the Monster Hunter quickly regained composure and prepared an attack.
The customized shotgun is locked onto me.
‘Confirming muzzle position.’
Given the presence of the Grappler nearby, the shotgun wouldn’t have been loaded with buckshot.
That would put our allies at risk, no matter how precise the aim.
Loaded shells must be Slug rounds.
Rather than deflecting them, think of it as intercepting the trajectory.
As soon as I slipped in the Dagger, a sharp clang confirmed the parry.
“…!”
“Phew. Blocked, huh?”
Now within much closer range, my Dagger can reach them.
To intercept their next attack, I sliced their wrist.
Severing the arteries, I jabbed twice into the neck.
A decisive critical strike for sure…
But would it kill him?
Not against an extraordinary Player character like this.
Seems impossible to finish them.
Since the Grappler is still far, but the Inquisitor is quite close by now.
[Effect of ‘Brand of the Sinner’ applied.]
[Upon Inquisitor hit, extra damage incurred, and the player becomes eligible for specific skill targeting.]
Let it be enough for now to reduce the burden on our main team.
My plan was to blind the Monster Hunter by slashing their eyes.
But I only managed half the objective.
Before I could completely damage their second eye, the Monster Hunter’s figure vanished.
[‘Sanctity of Condemnation’ initiated.]
[Will be transported to the sanctum with the caster, unable to leave until the time is up or if the caster is defeated.]
[Caster: Q Prime Holy]
The persistent rain has now ceased to be felt.
The salty tang still lingers but now it’s a place where the scent of blood overwhelms—a “Sanctum.”
If the Paladin’s sanctum resembles a holy shrine, the Inquisitor’s sanctum takes its design from a torture chamber.
Burning coals and bloody iron maidens can be seen.
The opponent wields a Round Shield and Longsword.
A configuration that sacrifices some guard potential for better speed and range.
It signifies that they’ve already tailored their setup specifically for me in this round.
“Very impressive, as far as I heard. But you’re beyond that.”
“I’m not sure you should be celebrating yet.”
Could they possibly not have foreseen my entrance here?
Time is limited. Let’s finish this quick.
