Time seemed to fly by, as if it had wings.
After leaving a voice recording in the community, I didn’t post any more posts.
Not only was I already fulfilled, but also because the image people had of me had gotten somewhat strange.
[Search Result: Gawol]
[Title+Content]
– Gawol is so vulgar just from her voice.
– Is breathing like that the same as wagging your tail?
– I couldn’t help it and took a break.
…
How did things come to this?
That’s really disrespectful to me.
To say someone’s voice is vulgar—it’s not like I chose it. I have to live with this voice for the rest of my life.
…Seriously, is it really that sexy?
If everyone says the same thing, I should probably question whether I’m wrong.
“Hmm, Ahem. Aa. Aeiou.”
Still, I don’t really know.
I’ve been using this voice for quite a while.
It’s hard to suddenly start feeling something strange about it now.
Anyway, the reason I haven’t been posting is that the siege date has arrived.
It’s also about time to hear my connection restriction results.
After checking with slight trembling, it seems the final decision will be out two days after the siege.
As of now, only Elderlyn knows about this fact.
Since my contract period with Soobin is over, I didn’t bother mentioning it.
There’s no need to worry unnecessarily before an important battle.
If I truly need help, I can always talk then.
For now, it’s best to clear my head. I started a shower with cold water.
Back in the day, I craved even the warmth of water, but I no longer feel that way.
Even strangers’ attention is attention, and with that thought, the feeling of loneliness fades.
Comfort follows naturally.
[Upcoming Alarm: Siege Preparation – 08:00 PM]
[Current Time – 07:32 PM]
Various emotions wash away with the cool water.
The agitation that had been playing with my mind over the past few days, formless anxiety, and even the faint excitement before the battle fade, clearing my head.
I’m unsure if I’ll continue being Gawol in the future.
But if this is the end for Gawol, I don’t want to end the first light I’ve gained with a defeat.
Carefully soaping my body, more meticulously than usual, I dried off with a towel. The familiar scent of body wash rose softly.
In my pajamas, I deeply breathed in as I entered the terminal.
[Launching Infinity Black…]
[1st Regular Siege of Zephyrion]
[Region: Ancient Kingdom Territory]
[Defenders: Croissant and 9 Additional Guilds]
[Attackers: Cross and 12 Additional Guilds]
Around the towering walls, people moved in perfect harmony. Archers and wizards filled the towers, while knights armed with shields gathered behind the walls.
Infinity Black is a fantasy world filled with showy skills, but the fundamental structure of the battlefield is not much different from that of the medieval era.
Phalanxes and battle formations formed the basis.
Arrows flew swiftly on the wind. The moment the arrowheads at the sky reflected sunlight,
a flash of blue light rained down like a cascade of wind.
The warriors sought cover from the downpour under their shields or clung to the wall to find safe corners.
– Frontline, don’t falter. You must endure until your HP is down to 20% while maintaining defense.
– Supporters, follow Sansa’s order and coordinate cooldowns.
– Is there a response to the enemy cannon?
– We entrusted that to Gawol. You don’t need to worry about that.
– Understood.
They’re counting on me quite a bit.
I shouldn’t let them down.
An assassin like me can’t accomplish much in such a large battlefield.
Wise decision to leave the gate and main field activities to others.
Instead, my target should be the artillery in the enemy’s siege camp.
Game-system cannons don’t deal much damage to players.
However, they cause significant additional damage to attached structures, so ignoring them would mean our allies’ recovery, supply systems, and communication would be disrupted.
“Do you have the cannon’s location?”
– Yes. At your current position, it’s at 7 o’clock.
“I’ll head there soon.”
Taking advantage of the chaos, I made my way outside the wall.
As expected, some pursuers quickly followed.
They’re using stealth but poorly handling their footfalls.
While they’ve muffled the sounds effectively, they’re not rookies.
There are two of them… no, one more just joined, making it three.
It’d be burdensome handling cannons and dealing with them simultaneously.
I’ll have to take care of them here.
[‘Whisper of the Black Moon’ effect activated.]
[Increased attack power, movement speed, and counter-attack effectiveness are active.]
[Some skills are enhanced…]
These guys seeking me out directly must be my personal team.
They’ve probably been handpicked by the league.
No need for careful judgments or leisure.
The moment a nearby branch swayed slightly,
I turned and initiated a close combat.
“Welcome.”
“……”
As my knee hit their jaw, their stealth was canceled.
So, you’re also an assassin, huh?
Don’t try to sass your senior.
The opponent isn’t stupid. With one being exposed, their whole plan fell apart.
The other two immediately hurled weapons at me.
I had to take a small step back, but this revealed the positions of all the enemies.
I fended off their throwing knives and daggers in sequence, then landed another kick to the assassin’s head.
Seems they’re composed of an assassin, shinobi, and tracker.
The tracker’s face seems familiar.
Not sure if it’s because of a costume change or something, but the other two are new faces to me.
“Being a stalky fan is a bit inconvenient.”
“Who’s your fan?”
“Maybe we’ll leave that. Your numbers have drastically increased recently.”
I had roughly guessed as much.
They’ve been on my tail since I entered the game.
It wouldn’t happen without skilled trackers.
As in any game, you tend to meet the same people when you’re at the upper levels, though we don’t necessarily share any remarkable memories.
It’s not like we’re in an industry where rivals become overly friendly.
As the tracker closed in, they fiercely swung their sword.
Swift and concise, yet simple.
Reliance purely on physical prowess tends to create such predictable sword moves.
I parried from the side with my dagger, deflecting the sword like a stamp, then threw a throwing knife at their neck.
Unfortunately, it hit around the clavicle.
“Ugh!”
“Nothing’s changed about you, huh?”
“You’ve changed far too much. Hardly recognizable.”
“Guess so.”
I heard this guy was a former pro trainee.
Standard in this fortress scenario.
Not everyone with talent becomes a professional gamer.
Especially in the recent environment where the gap between pros and regular players has widened, it’s even more challenging.
Losing is inevitable when victory emerges.
Someone needs to fall by the wayside.
Those who’ve failed are not much different from me.
It’s not easy for those who once chased professional dreams to now start over.
In the end, they end up lingering around the fortress.
Thus, many pros harbor hatred for this fortress.
There’s this notion that it’s a gathering place for losers.
With its notorious reputation, it’s almost taboo in some circles.
“Today, how many friends did you bring? Surely you didn’t just bring three to kill me.”
“Would you tell me if you were in my shoes?”
“Absolutely not. I just asked out of curiosity.”
“Maybe you should have changed that trait.”
Anyway, these foes are leagues above regulars who just meet the stats.
Reinforcements will likely join too.
I can’t afford to linger here.
I must end this assassin quickly.
Before they regain composure.
Shaking off the tracker, I leaped forward again.
Aiming to pierce the throat with my dagger, the body vanished instantly.
They must’ve entered the shadows, but overlooked something important.
It was me who deflected the weapon you threw.
Of course, I’ve been preparing for this.
“…How?”
“Skillfully.”
This is why battles between members of the same class boil down to pure skill.
The same skills being used prevent any clear advantage.
My shadow-blended body appeared alongside the enemy’s.
Emerging, I found myself in the same situation again.
The difference now is that the opponent has no survival means left.
The dagger pierced through the neck, red blood trickling down.
Mounting the body, I ensured death even as the foe’s throwing weapons hit my back.
[‘Gawol’ has defeated ‘Chainscythe’].
Two more to go.
Let’s finish them in 2 minutes.
“Sorry. There are some assassins inside the fortress.”
“Our support was minimal, but you’ve already handled it.”
“Anyway, I get to support Gawol once again today. Kindly take care.”
“Don’t worry too much. If we just follow the plan, there won’t be any hard feelings in this business.”
– Thank you.
– If you go straight in the direction you’re heading, you’ll find the cannon.
– The enemy count is two. Standard artillery formation.
– …For some reason, that fighter looks familiar, haven’t we met him a few times?
“Ah.”
An immediate thought comes to mind.
There was someone who desperately wanted to fight me but was turned down.
Sure enough, ahead of the cannon stood an unwelcome face.
Hundoshimania.
The bizarre fighter charged directly toward me without a word.
[Entered the special zone “Night Gathering”]
[All debuff effects from summoned spectral entities increase by 30%.]
[Caster: Immaenglyang]
With this horrifying support backing me.
*
