In front of the fire implemented in the game.
Have you ever stayed up all night chatting?
Have you ever spent hours talking in a voice channel?
Some intense memories can change a person’s perspective on gaming.
Just as internet friends become simply friends over time, time and memories are the source of deep relationships.
That’s why the guild Infinity Black is more than just a simple community.
Those who haven’t experienced it wouldn’t understand.
When an injustice happens in the hunting grounds.
The sight of a guildmate rushing to your aid and stopping what they were doing can make them akin to a hero.
Regardless of the fight’s outcome, they become comrades.
That’s why Invul’s wars were like wildfires.
Once they started, they became uncontrollable flames.
[‘Soobin’s Roots’ has defeated ‘Dan-dol’.]
[‘Soobin’s Roots’ has been defeated by ‘Barber’.]
[‘Croffle’ has been defeated by ‘Immaenglyang’.]
The beginning is usually personal disputes that escalate.
When a guild member is attacked, both sides send reinforcements, and the fire spreads.
The real point of no return comes when emotions are involved.
The pride that prevents bowing down to those guys.
The deep-seated sense of injustice buried within.
Wildfires fueled by such emotions often become uncontrollable disasters.
That’s why Soobin has always been cautious of wildfires.
No unnecessary trouble with any guild.
Unjustified wars will result in immediate expulsion without warning.
In unjust situations, gathering evidence is a must.
In short, they’ve done a good job of early suppression.
But what if the opponent is just an arsonist who wants to see the world burn?
What if they bring a helicopter to pour oil onto a mountain and then throw torches on it?
What if there are not just one or two, but six such arsonists?
Merely being careful and prepared isn’t enough to resolve the situation.
– Brother, this isn’t going to work.
“I know. Is there any way out?”
– It seems difficult. There is a big gap in active participants. Shall we try retreating towards the ravine?
“Alright. I’m not entirely sure if this isn’t just a setup.”
– Two dark knights are flanking. Beware.
“Got it.”
The magic struck the ground.
The purple flash. The robust ice spear. The flaming meteor shower.
Most of these were blocked by the frontlines’ shield, but the rain that began falling showed no signs of stopping.
So, what they call it in shorthand—active participants.
To be more precise, there was a significant numerical disadvantage.
The enemy ranged attackers unleash their firepower with ease while our side’s attackers are struggling just to survive.
We’re barely managing to fend off the assassins wreaking havoc from the rear.
And it’s not like we can just deploy assassins of our own.
The numerical disadvantage is obvious, almost double at a glance.
If we overstate it, we might even say triple.
Sending someone into the enemy ranks without any backup is tantamount to a suicide strike.
– Brother, I think our position is exposed. Two kunoichis are coming our way.
“…Alright. Let me know once the area’s clear.”
To make matters worse, the sniper responsible for overseeing the field has retreated.
It was a painful blow to Soobin.
The sniper, often called a ‘guardian,’ was one of the guild’s key forces.
Sure enough, cracks were already forming in the battlefield.
The absence of the sniper who coordinated the field meant there was no one to cover the gaps that formed in the front line.
Or rather, it’s not that there’s none at all.
Soobin boldly stepped forward.
The warrior in gray lunged towards the intruding warrior with a clumsy but effective weapon.
A slight pause in timing—a rhythm break—right before the parry.
It was a signature Reaper move, a trick passed down by Gawol, which worked perfectly.
[‘Tanglestangle’ has been defeated by the ‘Lion’.]
[‘Soobin’ has defeated the ‘Lion’.]
[‘Soobin’ has defeated the ‘Firm One’.]
[‘ThighLicker’ has been defeated by ‘Immaenglyang’.]
As Soobin officially joined the fray, the balance shifted.
It’s just that he keeps running into irregulars like Gawol; even by conventional battlefield standards, he was a strong fighter.
His destructive power was enough to crumble the enemy line in an instant.
The great sword struck the ground, causing the enemy ranks to momentarily shrink.
Even though the frontlines that had been steadily retreating regained some spirit, it wasn’t necessarily a hopeful situation.
The guild master stepping into the battlefield is akin to playing their last card.
If Soobin falls, his guildmates here will be practically annihilated.
It would be like a four-hour power outage for the guild.
How much further can the risk-taking judgment last?
At the moment of desperation when they clenched their teeth, it seemed the enemy ranks began to stir.
Their previously aggressive assault was beginning to weaken.
What is this? Am I imagining things?
Soobin blinked his eyes.
– Brother, push forward!
“What’s going on? Have you already secured a position? I trusted you.”
– No, I’m still being pursued, but just go! There’s a huge gap behind them!
“…?”
– Gawol has arrived! Wow, this is insane. I’ll send you the video later, but you must see this. This is what it takes to be a pro gamer and win championships.
The voice of his close younger sibling was filled with excitement.
It was then that he noticed a late-arriving system message.
[‘Gawol’ has joined the battlefield as a mercenary. Will you approve? Y/N]
[‘Yoru’ has approved as proxy.]
…
[‘Gawol’ has defeated ‘Immaenglyang’…]
[‘Gawol’ has… ]
*
[Contract for Hire: Battlefield Mercenary]
During the contract period, the mercenary will be treated as a member of ‘Croffle.’
Through this contract, participation in sieges or guild wars is allowed.
The contract payment will be instantly deducted from guild funds, with a victory bonus paid upon siege win.
If the contract is arbitrarily canceled, three times the contract amount will be paid as a penalty.
Contract Duration: Until the end of the Zephyrion’s first siege.
Contract Payment: 100,000,000 Gold
Victory Bonus: 900,000,000 Gold
Special Clause 1: 5,000,000 Gold per 10 kills during guild wars.
Special Clause 2: 10,000,000 Gold per 10 kills during sieges.
Special Clause 3: 5,000,000 Gold for killing an enemy guild’s officer.
Special Clause 4: 10,000,000 Gold for killing an enemy guild master.
Special Clause 5: Any money earned through these bonuses will be paid out in one lump sum at the end of the contract.
Hirer: Soobin (Proxy: Yoru)
Contractor: Gawol
It’s annoying. Clear it away.
A mace shot whizzed through the vacant spot between neck and shoulder.
An ‘Unstable Ember’ from the back was already being deployed.
It was about to explode.
It’s impossible to completely escape from the blast range.
Rather, I might as well use the blast pressure as thrust.
A burning sensation hit my back just as the body surged forward with great speed.
It felt as if a force was pushing me forcefully.
Just slightly extending my weapon left deep wounds on two enemy attackers.
Killing three with a knee strike to the firecaster’s face while maintaining full speed.
One more fell as I pulled my ‘Shadow.’
It was a profitable harvest, but my real target is him.
The masked figure in white martial attire:
The named phantom swordsman ‘Immaenglyang’ of the Venom Guild, toward whom an axe was thrown.
“Long time no see, Gawol.”
“Likewise. I didn’t particularly want to meet on the job though.”
“Can’t help it. Did you permanently settle down here?”
The first attack failed.
A shapeless black fiend, a single ‘Ghoulshade,’ blocked my attack with its sharp claws as I pressed forward.
When I overpowered it with sheer force, it stepped back.
“No. They paid me a lot. I’m just a mercenary.”
“I see. That’s fortunate. Next time, I’ll have to pay more attention to your positioning.”
“Hey, take it easy. I’m already exhausted.”
“What I was about to say…”
A few phantoms surrounded me from behind.
It’s just a temporary measure, though.
He wouldn’t have thought a single summoned creature could stop me.
At the moment when the Ghoulshade stretched its arms to attack.
I broke through its core, grabbed the phantom swordsman by the face, and struck a hatchet into his neck before using his limp body as a shield.
A barbarian’s spear grazed through Immaenglyang’s stomach and grazed my ribcage.
“I’ll see you again later.”
“Ugh…”.
I don’t want to see that guy again.
As an assassin excels in one-against-many battles, so does a phantom swordsman shine in many-against-many.
It’s obvious he’ll be surrounded by guards on my next encounter.
Immaenglyang is one of those people you really don’t want to run into in a battlefield or siege.
He doesn’t dominate with an overwhelming presence but consistently becomes a nuisance.
Rather than being a lone hero, he’s the type who can effectively replace a hundred soldiers.
It felt like he gave in easily because he wasn’t fully aware of me this time.
It will be difficult to face him like this again.
[‘Gawol’ has defeated ‘Immaenglyang’.]
Anyway, the job’s done.
As soon as I confirmed Immaenglyang’s death, I threw an axe at a wizard casting a spell.
You shouldn’t relax just because you’re behind a shield.
Axes can be thrown with altered trajectories.
A decoy sent toward the enemy ranged attackers.
While distracting them with feints, I targeted the annoying barbarian.
Most wasted their skills on the decoy, but the ones with good eyesight hit me accurately.
They must’ve thought it necessary to protect the barbarian until the very end.
‘Because there was nothing left in the frontlines but him.’
While most warriors were busy with Soobin’s forces,
The enemy’s rear, filled only with ranged attackers, was effectively open to me.
The most expensive asset in professional gaming scenes is a top-tier assassin player.
This is not only because they are hard to master, but also because their unique strengths are exceptionally high.
This high value holds true in the battlefield’s sieges as well.
An assassin capable of independently wreaking havoc on the enemy’s rear is considered at least as effective as a whole party.
And obviously, I could do far more than they could.
