After confirming our common goal with Luce,
my daily routine didn’t really change.
I still played games during all non-essential hours.
If nothing special happened, I would sleep, eat, and occasionally go exercise.
There was also rehabilitation therapy every weekend, but with Sigma having booked lodging, commuting became easier.
I used the newly available time entirely for gaming.
Of course, there were some changes.
I no longer needed to desperately gather gold like before.
[Training Mode – Mock Battle]
[Battlefield: Bamboo Forest]
[Rules: Duel]
[vs Sigma Luce (Paladin)]
Luce didn’t go home even during her vacation.
She claimed the lodging was close enough to home that it wasn’t necessary, but who knows? Perhaps her performance in Prelude was frustrating her.
Lee Ga-yoon is most strict with herself.
The woman I know has an indomitable will that doesn’t stop, and that was indeed the case.
With the Summer League not taking place right now, Luce made sure not to waste the moment when my schedule was most free.
She has to raise her skills up to the championship level too.
She’s probably pushing herself the hardest in this team.
[You are affected by the ‘Whisper of the Black Moon’ effect.]
[All attack power, movement speed, and counter judgment receive beneficial effects.]
[Some skills are enhanced…]
A radiant blade extends fiercely.
The sharp blade tears through the air.
What a good momentum! Hiding behind the clear sword path was a solid foundation built over time.
Although the sword barely missed my shoulder, the attack didn’t end there.
Luce swings her sword vertically while blocking my retreat with her shield.
It seems she aims to strike my arm without being overly greedy.
I can dodge.
But more than that is possible.
The target is the side of the blade.
I strike strongly from the tip of my dagger to twist its trajectory and aim for the upper space of the blade.
The weapon meant to stop me loses its way. I take a step forward and leave a mark on Luce’s forearm.
“You’re slow! Faster!”
Luce’s gaze flickered slightly.
She was lost.
Until recently, she had the initiative in the attack.
Yet, she suffered several counterattacks, and the reason is clear.
I had the leeway to regain my stance.
Giving the opponent leeway is no different from saying you were slow yourself.
So I need to ponder where this speed difference arose.
Is it because Luce is a Paladin and I’m an Assassin?
That can’t be right.
If it were an insurmountable problem, I wouldn’t have even brought it up.
It wasn’t easy.
I pointed out the path Luce needed to take.
“It means my mind was slower, not my body. Especially between attacks. If you don’t prepare for the ‘next’ in advance, gaps naturally appear.”
If you can’t increase your physical speed, at least speed up your thinking.
During combat, your mind shouldn’t have a single moment of rest.
You must constantly predict your opponent’s actions and prepare for the next move in advance.
This small difference in time ultimately turns into an opportunity.
Luce aimed for my neck with a dagger, but she narrowly dodged it.
I stepped back a couple of paces to evade the strike aimed at me.
Low. I spotted a gap and threw a quick jab.
“It’s not going to be easy…”
“That’s why you need to practice. It seems tough when you hear it, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll improve faster than you think. After all, movements that you use frequently are set.”
“So, you’re saying to engrave it into your body.”
“Exactly! There will be a time when your body moves just from observing the tiny movements.”
You learn one concept mentally.
You hammer that learned concept into your body through practice.
When your mind becomes relaxed again, new paths open up.
Once your skills reach a certain level, you can only accumulate differences one by one.
That’s why professional fights seem to be a hair’s breadth apart but, upon closer inspection, there’s a staggering gap.
Just a little bit. Luce’s sword path changed.
“Alright, keep going!”
*
[Infinity Black has ended.]
[Thank you for using, Gawol.]
Practicing with Luce wasn’t just for others.
Teaching someone else often makes you realize things anew.
You rediscover what you’ve overlooked or forgotten.
Outside of the game, I sometimes found myself in a learning position.
Following Luce led me to a more disciplined lifestyle.
I learned a lot about managing time.
Even though we live the same 24 hours, there was a difference in efficiency.
“So next week, you’re going out for fun, right?”
“Yes. For now, I’m saying it’s for a broadcast… but I think I’ll only do that for a little while.”
A few days later, I also have a vacation scheduled.
I’m planning to meet with Elderin, San-sae, Sulbbang, and also Ryu-hi, whom I met before, making it a total of five people.
I actually suggested to Luce, but it seems she wants to align her schedule separately with me.
It seemed like she was planning to sneak out for a little while on her own.
Probably, it would coincide with when the team members return after their vacation.
“Have a good trip! When you’re resting, try not to think about anything else and just bring a joyful heart,” I said cheerfully.
This was the first time going out after the incident.
Naturally, my anticipation began to swell.
“So where are you going?” I asked.
“I heard we’re heading to Gapyeong. We’re renting a pool villa,” she replied.
“A pool villa, sounds nice. If there aren’t any other people around, it’ll be fine to go into the water.”
It had gotten really hot outside.
Elderin seemed eager to get into the water.
It felt like she was mulling things over precisely because of me.
I didn’t dislike water, in fact, I’d say I rather enjoyed it.
Most of my past memories associated with water were warm and happy ones.
So maybe that’s why I was a bit giddy.
But getting into the water requires some tricky conditions.
I need someone by my side to assist me, and crowded places are a no-go.
If I accidentally bumped into something with my left leg, all my fun would just shatter into pieces.
Of course, back in the days when I was alone, I couldn’t even dare to think about it.
I probably would have to rely on San-sae again this time, but just this once more.
I wouldn’t be asking for favors constantly.
I had a desire to just wear a life jacket and float around.
Then Luce came and poked that little corner of my heart.
“By the way, Da-eun, just to ask if it’s not too much trouble. Do you have a swimsuit?” she inquired.
“Oh.”
“…Would it be okay to just go in wearing a t-shirt?”
“Your underwear’s gonna show through anyway.”
“Then how about wearing only the t-shirt…”
Luce started to look at me with cloudy eyes.
A look that seemed to question my sincerity.
That’s when I realized my blunder.
If I just wore the shirt, my skin would be on full display.
Only men had the right to completely expose their upper bodies.
As I bowed my head in embarrassment, Luce provided me with one last chance.
“Shall we go buy one?”
“Yes….”
*
The place Luce and I arrived at was, of course, the high-rise dungeon on the 44th floor.
In other words, a shopping mall near the terminal.
With summer approaching, many people were preparing for their holidays.
There were even places decorated entirely around water activities.
Thanks to that, I didn’t have to wander around to many different spots.
Even when buying underwear, there’s a strange sense of guilt in such stores.
Shopping in a place like this gives me a weird sense of guilt. Just wandering around a bit makes me feel like a creep.
I couldn’t even imagine browsing the shelves, but there was no choice if I wanted to buy clothes for myself.
“What’s your favorite color, Da-eun?”
“Not particularly, but if I had to choose… maybe black?”
“Mature choice. Nice. Let’s pick something together.”
Inside the store, there were swimsuits in all sorts of bright colors. I saw girls around my age happily flitting between the displays. Those bright and pretty colors must be the vibe of the trendy crowd.
But who am I? I’m Han Da-eun, a hermit who’s spent years stuck in my room.
Cute colored swimsuits? Not a chance. I prefer wearing black or white even when I go out. If it’s not monochrome, I feel like it’s “attention-grabbing clothes,” and wearing those is exhausting.
So, at first, I picked something like a standard athlete’s swimsuit. Then, I shifted my attention to short-sleeve or shorts-style rash guards.
“Da-eun, I picked out a few things for you to see… but what’s that in your hands?”
“It’s a swimsuit. I think this one has no exposure and should be okay.”
“Is that so? I respect your choice, Da-eun.”
Luce didn’t push me. Well then, maybe I’ll stick with this. Finding one that’s long-sleeved would be great too.
“Still, it’s a bit disappointing.”
“Disappointed?”
“As a streamer, it’s important to show what viewers want. With your figure, any swimsuit would look great on you.”
Luce’s voice echoed in my head.
To be honest, I felt happy hearing the compliment. Lee Ga-yoon is amazing not just professionally but as a person too. But still… I don’t want anything too feminine.
“If you’re worried about exposure, you can always wear a cover-up.”
Oh, that’s an option too. But still…
“I wish you would wear a pretty swimsuit, Da-eun.”
Hmm.
“Thank you for your service!”
In the end, I decided to wear a bikini.
I bought a thin white cover-up to go with it, so it should be fine.
I feel a bit uneasy for some reason.
Or maybe not?
“You made a great choice! It suited you really well.”
“Yeah…”
Maybe I don’t think so after all.
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