“Welcome, viewers! Get ready for the intense changes in IKL Summer! This is your caster, Ho-eun, greeting you from this monumental first match!”
“And I’m Hae-hwa, here to provide analysis.”
“And I’m Hwang-yul. Let’s make today a great day!”
The voices of the familiar casting crew echoed.
As the league progressed, teams and players swiftly rose and fell, but the commentary team remained virtually unchanged.
Maybe the true face of a league isn’t its star players, but the casters? Such silly thoughts crossed my mind.
Some voices have been heard so many times that I can almost hear them just by reading the script.
For me, that was Ho-eun.
“This summer season, many have already raised their voices… And the opening match looks intense, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. Sigma e-Sports, the Spring champions, are facing off against the traditional powerhouse, Q Prime.”
Just hearing it predicts a fierce competition. What do our two commentators think of each team’s strengths?
“Sigma e-Sports needs no introduction. They’ve always been a strong team, and with Gawol joining, they’ve perfectly filled their blind spots.”
“Even though Q Prime is missing Traveler, they’ve added Holy and Slug. We can certainly expect a different style from them this time.”
Two weeks went by in the blink of an eye.
It was the last chance to refine our strengths before the summer league.
I focused on syncing with my teammates while thoroughly improving our individual capabilities.
It was a satisfying time by my standards.
There’s still a long way to go, but I have no regrets.
Even if time could be rewound, I couldn’t live harder than I already am.
Sometimes, other players flinch when they see me.
But they’ll get over it quickly.
…Although Hecate might take a little longer.
“What are the key points to watch in this match?”
“Definitely Gawol and Holy. Since they are the aces of strong teams, the roles of the Inquisition will be crucial.”
“The result of ‘The Place of Judgment’ could significantly change the flow of the game.”
“It’s expected to be used on Gawol. Considering that, it makes me curious about how brightly Gawol’s one-on-one capabilities will shine.”
The skill ‘The Place of Judgment’ is why the Inquisition became an anti-carry class.
The effect allows the user and a specified enemy to exit the battlefield.
They enter a one-on-one designated field that can only end when the duration expires, or one of them dies.
The nickname drawn from an old movie is ‘The Room of Truth.’
Due to the restrictions at the start, it is typically used to take out the enemy’s close-range ace.
It was used to take Ees with us.
However, since our compatibility with the warrior is so poor… nine times out of ten, they will target me and Luce.
The screen in the waiting room changed, and Luce placed her hand on my shoulder.
“The battlefield information is out now. Shall we go? This is Da-eun’s first debut match.”
Before entering the Sigma match, there’s a ritual where the players gather their hands.
Every time I watched it on the broadcast, I felt so envious. I finally achieved something I had wanted to do at least once.
The promised cheer was nothing special, just a single word: “Fighting!”
Did this simple ritual hold magical power? It truly felt like strength surged through my entire body.
My vision momentarily darkened, then I smelled the unique scent of the sea.
[IKL Summer Round 1 – Match 1]
[Battlefield: The Place Where the Storm Sleeps]
[Rules: 4-Person Elimination Match]
[Sigma eSports vs Q Prime]
A graveyard of wrecked ships shrouded in deep darkness.
As soon as the match started, the cold night rain drenched my head.
It’s troublesome if the rainwater gets in my eyes during battle.
I pulled my hood over my head and moved towards one of the wrecked ships.
Everyone knows their role without needing to shout out loud.
In the opposite direction, the Outlaw was moving with a sniper rifle.
Luce and Hecate headed towards the central point where the largest wreck was located.
[Team member ‘Sigma Outlaw’ requests ‘Operator’ activation. Y/N]
[Granted.]
[Communication range with ‘Sigma Outlaw’ significantly increased during combat.]
[Field of vision sharing and signaling system activated.]
“The enemy also has an assassin. Are you okay with that?”
– I can handle it. Are you okay on your end? Isn’t it hard to find an easy opponent as an assassin?
“I could win even fighting with just a dagger.”
– Yes. I was worried for no reason.
Q Prime’s composition lacks a supporter, making their sustainability weak.
In ranged combat, our sniper has the advantage.
Having a sniper on our side is a definite advantage in battle.
If the game drags on, we’re sure to win.
On the other hand, the enemy has an overwhelming front line.
The grappler forces Luce’s guard into a hard shutdown.
They likely intend to melt us down with the firepower of the monster hunter.
The shaman is an aggressive supporter.
If firepower gets concentrated in an instant, she won’t be able to protect Luce adequately.
Basically, we need to conserve our strength from a distance, like in a wheeled battle.
But one thing bugging me is the presence of the assassin, Sparrow.
If the outlaw dies, the whole synergy of our composition could vanish!
That clarifies my role.
I need to take care of the enemy threats: the assassin or the core firepower, the monster hunter.
[‘Rite: War God Spirit’ effect activated.]
[Max mana and recovery decrease, but all attack power and…]
[Caster: Sigma Hecate]
Just before I stepped out of the shaman’s casting range, Hecate’s buff timely kicked in.
My meager survivability was a hindrance, but Hecate’s skill management was flawless.
With all preparations done, the only thing left is to find the enemy.
In this match, no, in this game called Inbl, there isn’t an assassin faster than me.
After sprinting at full speed, I spotted the enemy forces in my sight.
Even the time spent hesitating feels like a waste.
I slipped out of the enemy’s view and moved to the wreck’s exterior.
I also left a message for the team through the operator.
“Enemy spotted. Three: heretic, monster, grappler. Sparrow unconfirmed. I’m going in now.”
– Woah, what speed… I’ll keep that in mind.
[Marked the enemy’s location for the team.]
[‘Sigma Outlaw’ has ended support for ‘Operator’.]
[Receiving ‘Snake’s Fang’ effect.]
[For 10 seconds, the thrown weapon does not leave the enemy’s body.]
Now, when the cool down ends, the outlaw will relay my updates to Luce.
With no worries, I threw the rope dagger into the body of the monster hunter.
As soon as I confirmed the blade was embedded, I yanked it with all my strength and leaped.
The dealer, akin to the enemy’s heart, lost their escort, and the distance between us closed rapidly.
But before that, I had a gate to cross.
The slug was a pro active in North America.
An A-rank dealer who’s faced Phantom’s ambush before.
It was definitely a sudden assault.
The monster hunter quickly regained composure and prepared to attack.
A modified shotgun was aiming straight at me.
‘Checking barrel position.’
With a grappler nearby, there’s no way he loaded a buckshot.
No matter how precisely you aim, you’ll hit an ally.
The loaded round has to be a slug.
It’s not about parrying; it’s like placing it on the trajectory.
The moment I thrust my dagger, a sharp sound echoed.
It came with that refreshing feel unique to parry judgments.
“……!”
“Phew. Stopped you there, huh?”
As the distance closed in, my dagger was now within reach.
I slashed at his wrist to block the next attack.
I split the artery and stabbed the nape twice.
It’s a guaranteed fatal wound, but… can I actually kill him?
If he were an ordinary human, sure, but he’s a superhuman player character.
Cutting off his breath seems tricky here.
Though I’ve kept my distance from the grappler, I’m getting pretty close to the Inquisitor.
[You receive the ‘Mark of the Criminal’.]
[You take additional damage on the Inquisitor’s successful attacks and can be targeted by specific skills.]
For now, let’s be satisfied with reducing the burden on my main forces.
I intended to take out the Monster Hunter’s eyes, but I only accomplished half the goal.
At this point, I’ve damaged one of his eyes.
Before I could blind the second one, the Monster Hunter’s new form vanished.
[You are now a target of ‘The Place of Judgment’.]
[You are transported to the sanctuary with the caster and cannot escape during the duration. If the caster dies, the skill is dispelled.]
[Caster: Q Prime Holy]
The constant rain had finally stopped feeling.
The odor of blood was still thick in the air.
However, unlike the salty sea, this was the ‘sanctuary’ pulsating with the stench of blood.
If the Paladin’s sanctuary has the aura of a holy temple, the Inquisitor’s has inspiration drawn from a torture chamber.
I could see branding irons and bloodied iron maidens among the torture devices.
The opponent was equipped with a round shield and a longsword.
A combination that sacrifices a bit of guard gauge for speed and range.
It seems they’ve been setting up just for me from the start.
“I heard you were impressive, but this is beyond my imagination.”
“It’s too early to be surprised.”
Did they think I wouldn’t find my way in here?
I don’t have time to waste; let’s finish this in one go.
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