“Who called the Gravekeeper?”
Recently, the mysterious black man had appeared on the screen.
A Gravekeeper dressed in black, wielding a longsword. The sight of him with a cigarette hanging from his mouth was quite delinquent.
Cigarettes. Cigarettes! This too was something that originally didn’t exist. A cigarette in a family-friendly game? Just how lenient is this parallel world?
Well, if you look at Camilla’s outfit, it would have been regulated back in the original world for various reasons.
With all those regulations gone and the Abyss turned into a superb game, a cigarette might be nothing at all.
Gravekeeper Lennok, a stylish hero who uses a longsword as his main weapon.
Due to his unique appearance and skill set, he’s always in demand. You’d hear ‘pings’ for him in lower tiers, but if played well, he’s as cool as they come.
Thanks to this, he often ends up in those epic montage videos, and there’s even a dedicated BGM for him on VTube.
But honestly, he’s not really my type. Not his looks, not his gender.
I always pick female characters in any game, so regardless of performance, I didn’t care much about him.
There’s no reason for me to choose this gloomy middle-aged man when I have a sea of warmth in Camilla, whose mere face can dissolve my anger.
That’s how I felt, but the reason I picked Lennok instead of Camilla this time might be a bit emotional, to say the least.
But I have no regrets. If I didn’t do this, I’d feel unsatisfied.
It must have been heavily influenced by the last match.
The sentiment of getting Camilla suddenly stolen from me in the previous match and having to hastily pick Alex felt like getting walloped with a hammer on the back of my head.
Fortunately, my first disciple Nicang inherited my will, which was a silver lining in my misfortune.
Seeing my disciple dance around and showcase her talents in-game eased some of the negative feelings I had.
And thus, we arrive at the current outcome. It was nice to watch my disciple play again, and there were enough elements for some leniency, but still, I felt the need to give the instigator of this brazen plan a good thrashing myself.
This was my own traditional method of revenge.
In the past, when I’d meet a player who unknowingly stole my Camilla, I’d take their most cherished character in the next match and return the favor, restoring things to how they were.
Even though it would take 20 minutes to queue up and only face specific heroes who exhibited excessive performance, those days had their own romance.
Ah, the good ol’ days. Those bygone days…
“Kayak, then you’re going to check Yu Hye’s location and go, right?”
“Yes.”
It was Han Kang’s words that broke me from my moment of nostalgia. He had taken charge of the overall orders and team leadership in this match, covering for me.
I didn’t feel anxious at all. I had already confidently assessed the team’s skills. I had no doubt we wouldn’t lose even without me.
“Isn’t it just a matter of holding out like last match?”
“Assuming Kayak overcomes the blockade and supports us, yes. That’s right.”
“The teacher can’t lose! We’ll definitely win!”
With the absence of our strongest player, team leader Yu Hye, I knew both teams were evenly matched.
With me, the opposing team is at full strength. In the absence of our team leader, Yu Hye, both teams are equally matched.
I think the atmosphere favors us, but that alone won’t secure any advantage.
Ultimately, the key to victory rests with me, but oddly enough, I’m not feeling particularly tense.
It’s nothing new. The Abyss, like the game itself, has that brutally honest trait: win if you play well, lose if you don’t.
Instead, I was focused on something else. How can I mess with the opposing team just a little?
In that regard, Camilla is perfect. I could dance around without using my sword and still kill them, taunting them like that.
It’s a real shame that Lennok doesn’t have skills like Camilla’s dance.
I guess I’ll have to settle for emotional expressions instead. I’m pretty sure there’s an expression for holding a sword while striking a pose like a rhythmic gymnast…
“Teacher, please receive the buff and go.”
While I was thinking, my three great disciples, Riri, looked at me and waved her staff.
Some holy light fell above me, but for someone who has to act separately now, this buff is utterly useless. It lasts less than a minute anyway.
Riri surely knows that. But why did she give me the buff? It’s simple. She wants me to win. It’s a kind of encouragement.
As if in response, I raised my sword high and declared.
“I’ll return before this buff wears off.”
I will behead the enemy commander and return like a triumphant general.
With that final word, I turned to leave.
*
A heavy suit of armor, a shield with a pointed end, and a one-handed sword.
A giant was pounding through the battlefield, each step echoing like thunder.
Behind the giant, a brilliant halo shone, proving he was favored by the gods, engraved with holy symbols on his armor.
Paladin Alex. A kind of spare pick that Yu Hye selects whenever she can’t pick Lennok.
Even though it’s a spare pick, it’s by no means insignificant. In fact, Yu Hye often boasted win rates comparable to Lennok with Alex too.
However, Yu Hye’s feelings heading toward the battlefield were a tangled mess.
Anger, irritation, doubt, vigilance, anxiety… a whirlwind of emotions swirled within her. Because of that, even wearing her usual mask felt burdensome.
“Yu Hye, what should we do? Should we pressure the center like last match?”
“Of course we should pressure the center. That’s all we practiced! Are we just going to not go to the center?”
“…Ah, yes! I’ll go to the center.”
An instinctively prickly response bubbled up. I realized I reacted sensitively without even meaning to.
This kind of attitude might spark controversy on the broadcast and I could end up with posts in the community or getting emails.
But right now, Yu Hye had no time to worry about that.
‘How dare they provoke us with such cheap taunts?’
Yu Hye’s mind was filled with one person. Kayak. That cocky one-champ user.
Deliberately and openly stealing Lennok was something that couldn’t have happened without the order of the team leader, Kayak.
It was an act so deliberate and in-your-face that taking Lennok away was only possible under the orders of Team Leader Kayak.
In fact, Yu Hye felt the same way. Unless someone in a leadership role took charge, such a bold strategy couldn’t even be attempted in the first place.
‘What do they think a streamer like that can truly understand?’
What do they hope to achieve by stealing Lennok away?
Yu Hye felt pathetic for falling for such a cheap provocation while also wondering how they could think so little of her to pull such a stunt. Her insides were boiling with frustration.
Picking Lennok, who was specialized for 1v1 encounters and side plays, outright meant they wanted a battle.
Consequently, even amidst the awkwardness of having her pick taken, Yu Hye immediately chose Alex to respond.
Did they really think winning the last match by luck meant they could beat her in a 1v1?
Regardless of the game’s outcome, she felt that at least once, she had to show this streamer their place and establish some order.
‘What a bunch of nonsense-.’
Thud—
Alex stopped his heavy steps, and there stood a man in black before him.
Gravekeeper Lennok. That guy.
Yu Hye might have different settings, but the fact that Lennok was also primarily using a greatsword meant they weren’t too different.
Just then, while briefly observing Lennok who had planted his sword into the ground, he unexpectedly raised both arms above his head.
Then, he took three steps to the left, three steps to the right, shuffling back and forth like a crab while facing forward.
Watching this baffling behavior, Yu Hye, who had been slightly tense, couldn’t help but scrunch up her face as it didn’t take long for that feeling to bubble up.
“What the hell—”
Ding—
Lennok waved his finger as if beckoning her to come forward, holding his middle finger up.
Seeing that, Alex charged right in.
*
Clang—
The clear metallic sound announced the start of battle.
Yu Hye was the first to strike, swinging her one-handed sword and using the shield in her other hand to jab, following up with a brutal series of kick attacks.
The well-known national combo of Alex executed quickly and sharply from Yu Hye’s hands, without a single mistake.
Lennok was left scrambling to defend against Alex’s onslaught. The size difference between the two was quite apparent.
One was a Paladin boasting a giant physique, while the other was the relatively petite Gravekeeper.
As Alex started landing combos, it looked as if an adult was bullying a child with one-sided violence.
Yet, Yu Hye’s earlier frown showed no signs of disappearing.
‘What do you know about this…?’
It was because the attacks weren’t landing properly. There was this feeling of missing something. In reality, Lennok’s HP hardly dropped compared to before the confrontation began.
On the flip side, Alex’s stamina was noticeably waning compared to earlier.
‘So, I won’t be taken down easily, huh?’
Yu Hye’s excitement over Lennok’s evasive skills began to fade. Instinctively, she realized that she needed to remain calm to win.
With Alex continuing his attacks, he took a step back. He blocked the opponent’s heavy greatsword with his sturdy shield, finding openings to poke with his sword.
Stabbing the sword once each time he can counterattack.
It was a slow but sure plan to win, exchanging moves bit by bit to wear down the opponent’s stamina.
Ultimately, this was Yu Hye’s specialty: making the opponent charge in, unable to bear the losses anymore.
The long one-handed sword specialized for keeping the opponent at bay was already set up for battles like this. There couldn’t be a better tactic for someone who could see the exchange of blows from a different perspective.
Round and round.
Like a hunter stalking a beast, Alex began to slowly circle around Lennok. Every time he spotted an opening, he would stab his sword in.
Though his moves seemed sneaky for his size, the effectiveness was undeniable.
Lennok couldn’t keep blocking the attacks being made from such a wobbly movement forever.
“What’s this punk messing around for?”
Lennok’s HP was steadily declining. Yu Hye’s mouth corners crept up slyly. Lennok’s HP was down to half while Alex still had close to full health.
“What are you gonna do now, huh?”
The atmosphere had already shifted, but Yu Hye was not about to let her guard down. It was about to be the moment when the opponent, unable to withstand the pressure, charged in. She needed to maintain her focus. If she could slip through just once, victory would be hers.
“Here it comes!”
In an instant, as if her prediction had come true, Lennok suddenly leaped forward, having been pierced by Alex’s sword in the body once again.
Such a predictable move! Yu Hye’s grin stretched wide.
“Too obvious!”
A different brilliance radiated from Yu Hye’s one-handed sword this time.
Alex’s unique skill, ‘Holy Strike.’
She intended to finish off the opponent, whose guard was down and whose blood was pouring out in one fell swoop.
Ting-!
“…Huh?”
Yet the ensuing scene was one that Yu Hye could not have possibly predicted, something she couldn’t comprehend.
Alex’s sword was heading off course. The blade that should have pierced Lennok’s body was flying toward the sky instead.
Blinking in confusion, Yu Hye finally grasped the situation.
Parry. A unique technique that only sword users who had invested a certain number of points into that trait could use.
That technique had just been performed right in front of her eyes.
“What the hell, who even puts points into Lennok for parrying these days?”
But disregarding her disbelief, Alex’s sword continued to soar into the air, while Lennok’s sword flew straight and true towards its target.
And soon,
Thwoock-!
The greatsword, boasting a characteristic white blade, pierced Alex’s heart.
When a strong technique is evaded, its power is doubled. The attack Alex had initiated was a unique skill surpassing a strong attack.
Consequently, the recoil left his upper body wide open.
His heart was directly pierced.
Even though Alex, being a high-ranking Paladin, wouldn’t die immediately, the outcome of the battle had become almost definite.
“What the hell is this….”
With Yu Hye’s last word of dismay echoing, her once vividly red vision slowly faded to darkness.
*
“The enemy leader has been beheaded!”
“Kayak! Kayak! Kayak! Kayak! Kayak!”
“I believed in you, Teacher!”
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