ALL NOVEL Chapter 96
[Sigma e-Sports Membership Contract]
The Sigma e-Sports professional gaming team (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Team’) and player Han Da-eun (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Player’) agree to the following mutual agreement to enter into a player contract (hereinafter referred to as ‘this Contract’).
Article 1 (Purpose)
This Contract is designed for the Player to maximize their abilities…
…
The Team will ensure that the Player can dedicate themselves to their player activities…
…
Contract Date: YYYY-MM-DD
Player: Han Da-eun (signed)
*
– Do you specifically know which clause was the basis for the connection blockade?
– The concerning part is here. ‘Connection methods that pose safety concerns for users are not recognized.’
– It doesn’t specifically state which connection methods should not be used.
– How about collecting a large amount of data that could serve as evidence and continuously improving the connection device at Sigma?
*
Hobble. Hobble.
Many gazes pierced me as I limped, clutching my ankle.
As expected, they were not exactly kind gazes.
I couldn’t quite tell who was who, but there might be someone who I had encountered in the game.
It likely wasn’t a pleasant experience.
Back then, I was a much stickier person than I am now.
I spread that dark and damp feeling all around.
There was no reason to feel strange about the rough emotions I received in return.
– The stability issues with the connection device vary greatly among individuals.
– So, there’s room to make exceptions specifically for you, Da-eun.
– Luckily, Sigma has a research model of a brainwave connection device internally.
– Although it’s exclusively for the practice server, not for the main game.
Of course, I had no reason to feel small.
In Inbl, unilateral PK is considered bad manners, but it’s not an illegal act that violates the terms of service.
I had never committed an act of undue harassment that exceeded systemic allowances.
So, I hadn’t done anything wrong.
After all, it’s a dog-eat-dog game. The weak are at fault.
I held my head high without bowing down.
This is reality, but I came here as Gawol, not Han Da-eun.
I clenched my fist so tightly that the color drained from my face.
Silence filled the practice room until the connection device opened.
– Let’s gather combat data with us. Having Sigma on that level will result in credible data.
– We can practice with the team while we’re at it and try to sync up?
– What do you say? Are you interested in doing it with our team?
The price I’d have to pay was the connection device at home.
They said they would tear apart the internal hardware and decompile the software to use it for developing new connection devices.
With conditions like this, my parents wouldn’t be upset.
After all, it’s just that their son wants to try doing something.
Please understand.
Anyway, the ‘combat data’ that could be obtained from the practice server ultimately amounted to just one thing.
A mindless fight. Hitting and getting hit until I gasped and bled from my nose.
I forced a smile as I opened the connection device.
“You seem to have a lot to say. Want to untangle that all in game? You’re all pros after all.”
Stop being petty and let’s see some skills!
*
[Training Mode: Regular League Simulated Match]
[Sigma A vs Sigma B]
[Score – 0:0]
[Match 1]
[Battlefield: The Realm of the Dead]
[Rules: 5-man Winner-Stays-on]
[Sigma Shooter (Rapid Archer) vs Gawol (Assassin)]
The undead screamed in the gloomy field.
While the rotten head surveyed the surroundings blankly…
An arrow flew, piercing through the undead.
A short yet swift arrow.
While each one didn’t carry much power, it was tricky to deflect them all.
I kicked a suitable zombie to block my line of sight.
The Rapid Archer (速弓師) is a class that sacrifices the long range typical of archers in exchange for speed.
In the league, I was employed as a close-quarters specialist archer.
Although it’s a downside that I’m weak in the range battle against traditional long-range dealers, I perform significantly better in close combat against melee warriors.
To say this again, it meant I was a cocky brat.
How dare they send an archer against me?
They seem to be unaware that an objective self-assessment is part of being a professional.
[The ‘Eye of Truth’ observes the battlefield.]
[For 8 seconds, all concealment skills cannot be used.]
[Installed traps will be revealed.]
This guy seems to have thought I would use concealment despite his utter ignorance of the situation.
He underestimated me, thinking I’m just another Kelberos.
‘Am I going to give you concealment?’
This isn’t a chaotic field with many opponents; here, there’s only one foe.
Moreover, the winner-stays-on rule means the winner faces the next challenger immediately.
To achieve high performance, one must know how to conserve skills and resources wisely.
After revealing myself once among the undead, I immediately vanished below the hill.
If I could gauge the opponent’s field of vision, there’s no need to waste skills on concealment.
The essence of an ambush is to evade the opponent’s predictions.
If I can exploit a gap in their thought process, I can succeed in an ambush without concealment.
Using the window of opportunity while they were wary of the spot I vanished from— I took a longer path.
Quiet as a mouse. Yet my speed didn’t diminish.
I approached from behind the opponent.
They’re not complete fools.
Since I didn’t show up from the monitored point, the Rapid Archer unleashed their arrows.
If I still didn’t appear, there could only be one answer.
The cautious Rapid Archer successfully found me.
‘It’s okay. I’ve closed the distance enough.’
Two arrows flew towards me…
In addition, several arrows flew on predicted escape paths.
True to the name Rapid Archer, the shooting speed was quite extraordinary.
Even if it was an enemy, the intention to deal certain damage ran true—but their prediction completely missed.
The arrows that should have hit ‘Gawol’ simply passed through without resistance.
This meant the Gawol they saw was merely an illusion.
Since there was no hit message for the arrows, it wasn’t hiding behind a clone either.
—That’s what you get for thinking that.
“Hello?”
“Whaaaaaaa?!”
As the illusion disappeared, my real self was revealed from behind.
However, the distance had already been closed enough.
Pulling the bowstring now would be a useless endeavor.
There was no way I’d let that happen.
I stabbed the wrist with a dagger and pulled it back. As I charged, I sliced through the heart to the abdomen.
As I buried two arrows into the nape of their neck, they essentially became defenseless.
Only when they saw the arrows lodged in their neck did the Rapid Archer realize what had just happened.
“Wow, whoa…”
Genuine admiration flowed out.
That raw reaction made me chuckle.
There’s one significant flaw that only archers among ranged classes have.
Projectiles are relatively large and slow.
It’s a class-specific flaw of loading magical energy into physical arrows.
Hunters using firearms have speeds that are far too fast.
The attacks of mages don’t even have a physical form to begin with.
But with arrows, it’s not impossible to catch them.
While it might be impossible for most, it wasn’t for me.
“See? This is why archers are overly reliant on hit messages.”
“No. That sounds a bit forced…”
What’s forced about it?
I just pulled it off, right?
[You have won.]
[Prepare yourself. The next opponent will be deployed without delay.]
*
I easily claimed the first victory, but the next one wasn’t going to be simple.
The berserker’s reckless attacks left injuries on my left arm and thigh.
I lost mobility after yielding my left leg to the Kunoichi and couldn’t escape the Blood Mage’s self-detonation, causing my health to plummet.
By the time my final opponent, Camelian, arrived, I was already in no condition to fight.
I couldn’t even hold a dagger or stand up.
By the time the opponent Camelian arrived, I was sitting down, expelling blood in a choke.
[Current synchronization rate: 65.8%]
Well, that’s a relief to say.
The brainwave connection device from Sigma had a lower sensitivity than the one I used at home.
It still hurt like hell, but it was a bit more bearable than when I was at home.
What do I do, though?
This is… fun.
In the midst of burning pain, I coughed.
Even when coughing, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Thinking about ‘What can I do next to win?’ made my mind whirl.
“Ah, damn it. The league and the arena are different, huh?”
The difference in levels in a one-on-one match was clear.
I thought I could handle about five of these guys without breaking a sweat.
But experiencing it firsthand was another story.
It’s natural that there’s a gap between general players and aces in winner-stays-on matches.
So, I developed a mindset where I wouldn’t even consider winning from the start.
I sacrifice myself to pave the way for the win.
Leaving injuries for the next opponent to finish off.
It’s not like ace players are only on the enemy team.
In fact, in the first-string professional league, there had never been a clean sweep record in matches with five or more participants.
Had this opponent not been a bunch of newbies from the second string…
If a first-string professional had sacrificed themselves, reaching even two takedowns could have been my limit by this stage.
As Camelian arrived, she aimed her knife at my neck.
Her hesitation lingered at the knife’s tip.
Is she feeling guilty about killing me?
“What are you waiting for? Just kill me quickly. That way, the data can pile up.”
“…Yes.”
As an intense pain surged through my heart— my vision faded to black.
[You were killed by Sigma Camelian.]
[You will not receive a death penalty due to being in ‘Training Mode.’]
[You will respawn in the ‘Player Waiting Room.’]
Again.