Schrödinger’s Cat (1)

Translator : Elizabeth

In Legend Frontier, as soon as the game begins, you can immediately unlock one of your four skills—specifically, one of the three basic skills, excluding the ultimate.

Normally, I would always unlock 'Point Break' first, as it is the most efficient for hunting monsters. Point Break allows for a rapid forward thrust with the rapier while simultaneously restoring a portion of the caster's HP. With its relatively short cooldown, it is the optimal skill for clearing jungle camps quickly.

However, for this match, I chose a different path. The skill I activated was a buff-type called 'Blessing of Swiftness.'

Blessing of Swiftness grants the caster a small shield and a significant boost to movement speed. For a Speed Swordswoman, it is a fantastic skill that pushes her primary strength—Agility—to the extreme. Yet, it is a tragic, neglected skill that most other classes utterly ignore. Since the birth of Legend Frontier, it is perhaps the only skill that has never received a single buff or nerf. I suspect even the developers might have forgotten it exists.

‘I wonder if they’ll ever buff it...’

I contemplated. Was wishing for a buff too greedy? But if the number of Speed Swordswoman players increased, perhaps the developers would at least give it a second look. I had to hurry and start my lecture broadcasts to usher in the Great Era of the Speed Swordswoman and foster new talent.

Yes, I had to. Glory to the Speed Swordswoman.

"Whew."

Regardless, for a Speed Swordswoman whose top priority is slaying the Golden Monkey as fast as possible, Blessing of Swiftness is rarely the first pick. However, the current situation was special. I planned to invade the enemy Jungle at a speed even faster than my usual pace—before Sakiride’s 'Detection Sonic' could finish its cooldown cycle.

Sakiride would have reported to his Jungler that I was simply farming in my own territory. By invading now, I could achieve a perfect surprise attack. As far as I can recall, Blessing of Swiftness has never been unlocked first in a high-tier ranker match. I doubt the rankers have even bothered to research this invisible skill. Thus, Sakiride would never imagine I could cross into his Jungle this early at such a terrifying speed.

Of course, a Speed Swordswoman attempting an early invasion is, in itself, a reckless gamble that falls outside the bounds of any standard scenario.

"...It feels good, though."

A satisfied smile played on my lips. Beyond the gambling aspect, for a Speed Swordswoman—who usually spent every match trembling in fear of being invaded—to launch a counter-invasion was a massive rush of dopamine.

Is this what pleasure feels like? I wanted to try this in a real ranked match, but I’d likely only hear screams of horror from my teammates in the voice chat. This was a strategy I could only attempt because it was an event match and several conditions had miraculously aligned.

[Blessing of Swiftness effect applied.]

“…….”

Under the buff of Blessing of Swiftness, my Agility temporarily broke past the hard cap of 120. Possessing a total Agility of 150, I became a wild horse—the wind of a vast prairie—as I bolted toward the enemy Jungle.

[First Blood!]

[Mimi has been slain by HeavyBrown!]

“…….”

While en route, news arrived that the allied Fighter had died, handing over First Blood. I didn't flinch. It was a scenario I had expected from the moment I heard her tier was Bronze. Furthermore, with Sakiride on the Plain, her death was an unavoidable fate.

‘So they plan to crush the Plain early, huh?’

The fact that Sakiride, who should normally be at the Beach, was on the Plain meant they intended to exploit the Plain’s nature—where direct combat happens frequently—to close out the game as fast as possible. Sakiride was wary of me, a fellow single-digit ranker. He was showing a firm resolve to end the match within 15 minutes, before a Speed Swordswoman like me could scale.

‘It’s not a bad plan.’

Certainly, it was a sound strategy. Under normal circumstances, a Speed Swordswoman doesn't start showing real power until after the 10-minute mark. But if "normal circumstances" didn't exist, I simply had to create them.

‘Time for a lesson.’

Sakiride was my first student. It was time to teach him that while a Speed Swordswoman is weak early on, she is by no means a class that only knows how to hide and run away.

— Hup...!!

“…….”

Arriving in the enemy Jungle at a speed no one could have predicted, I found the enemy Jungler, the Ninja 'Sol-ji-geum,' busy hunting a monster.

— Uwoooooooh!!

‘A Hobgoblin...’

He was fighting a Hobgoblin, a monster that provides a massive amount of experience and gold. Along with the Golden Monkey, Hobgoblins were treasure troves for Junglers. Though they took time to kill, successful hunting resulted in an immediate level-up and a new skill unlock.

— Die, die, die...

That was why Sol-ji-geum was striking the monster so fervently.

“…….”

Hiding in the nearby thickets, I watched the Hobgoblin’s HP drop with every one of the Ninja's attacks. I was waiting to steal it.

"...Just a bit more."

In Legend Frontier, the experience and gold go to the player who lands the 'last hit.' Even if Sol-ji-geum did 99% of the damage, the rewards would go to the one who dealt the final 1%. Currently, Sol-ji-geum had no idea I was even capable of an invasion. It was the perfect timing to monopolize the rewards.

"...A bit more, just a little more..."

— Hah!

"...Now."

The moment I confirmed the Hobgoblin's HP had dropped into the Red Zone, I burst forward like my namesake—the Gale. Like a sharp arrow, I pierced the Hobgoblin’s neck and ended its life.

A flood of gold and experience poured in.

[Level Up!]

[Please select a skill to unlock/upgrade!]

"Unlock: Point Break."

With my level increased, I immediately unlocked Point Break.

— Wh-What?! Where did you—?!

Sol-ji-geum couldn't hide his bewilderment at my sudden appearance and the theft of his Hobgoblin. I had no intention of giving him an answer or a moment to breathe. I simply thrust my rapier forward.

— Gah!!

"...A pity."

Sol-ji-geum’s abdomen was cleanly pierced, but since I lacked the Golden Monkey buff, my attack power was abysmal. Even with a vital strike, I was about 2% short of a one-shot kill.

— How are you here?! They said you were in your own Jungle!!

“…….”

— D-Die!!

Seeing that he hadn't died instantly, Sol-ji-geum counter-attacked by throwing shuriken.

— She dodged it...?!

“…….”

But my speed under the Blessing of Swiftness was beyond imagination. Even at close range, I had no trouble evading the attack. Rolling to the side to clear the shuriken, I regained my balance instantly and lunged at him again.

These sudden transitions in movement—this was the first "Great Wall" that Speed Swordswoman aspirants failed to climb. Most people couldn't handle their own speed, failing at simple direction changes, let alone micro-control.

Hmm, I wonder how I should give tips on this. Is there a good analogy?

— F**! Where did she go?! Blink? What did she do?!*

“…….”

Sol-ji-geum had lost track of me entirely, screaming while wildly swinging his dagger. Approaching from his rear, I spoke to him in a blunt voice.

"I'm over here."

— Huh?! B-Behind ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me—?!

"Point Break."

Sol-ji-geum spun around in shock, but it was far too late to react.

— Gah!

With his throat pierced, Sol-ji-geum lost the rest of his HP and dissolved into hologram particles.

[Sol-ji-geum has been slain by SION!]

The announcement rang out. Simultaneously, another massive influx of gold and experience hit my account. Between the Hobgoblin and the kill, my gold rank was now 1st out of the 8 players.

"...Good."

With this, Sakiride's assumption—that I would do nothing and only join the frontlines after 10 minutes—had been shattered from the start. His briefing, born from the false perception that a Speed Swordswoman must play passively in the early game, had led to a catastrophe. It was a premature judgment. Sakiride likely thought he was being cautious, but subconsciously, he held a prejudice against the build.

I suppose he just paid the price for it.

"Let’s go..."

I was willing to play along with his plan to end the match quickly. I didn't want to drag it out either. In fact, for Sakiride to attempt a fierce battle against me... he was still lacking. His excessive self-confidence was a problem, but above all, his position was ultimately that of a limited supporter.

And besides, I was Rank 7. Sakiride was stuck at Rank 9. The weight of those two steps between us was not light.

Numbers don't lie.

“…….”

Having made a refreshing start, I hummed a tune and moved to sweep the rest of the enemy Jungle.

02.

[Defeat!]

[Your fortress has been destroyed!]

"Ah......"

Looking at the bright red hologram screen before him, Sakiride wore a look of utter desolation. He had lost. The cause of death was the allied Jungle being completely seized by Gale’s solo invasion—a move no one had anticipated.

[4K2D has been slain by SION!]

Flustered by his failed prediction, Sakiride had rushed to the Jungle to support... but as a supporter, he was no match for a Gale who had already completed her basic scaling.

[SION is on a rampage!]

After that, Gale swept up kills like a madwoman. His allied team, all Diamond-tier except for him, had no way to cope.

‘A Speed Swordswoman doing an early-game Invade...’

Gale had exploited the brief cooldown of his Detection Sonic to launch her invasion. It was a scenario he hadn't even considered—that she, who was weaker than an insect in the early game, would invade. Had she brought a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠different skill tree? The speed she showed in this match felt even faster than usual. Every one of her actions was erratic and unpredictable.

And even after clashing multiple times, the Speed Swordswoman build remained a complete mystery to him.

‘I guess I wasn't ready yet.’

Rank 7 SION. Inwardly, he had thought he could win. He hadn't met her in ranked for a while, and thanks to his consistent streaming, his skill as a Bard had been growing even after hitting Mythic. But it was his own delusion. He still couldn't reach her. The erratic judgment of a Rank 7 player, two steps above him, was beyond his comprehension. Even in an event match.

‘Was I being arrogant?’

Sakiride prided himself on reading the game board better than anyone. He even thought his shot-calling was superior to Rank 1 Alice... but perhaps it was just overconfidence. Yes, that must be it. He was arrogant. The number 7 didn't lie; he should have been more cautious. He should have contemplated every one of the infinite scenarios Gale could have enacted.

It was an impulsive event match, but he had learned a lot. To Sakiride, who aimed to reach Rank 1 as a supporter someday, this match was a necessary wake-up call. Besides, he hadn't been in the rankings as long as the other veterans anyway. Thinking he could dominate Gale was a delusion of a "chuunibyou" proportions.

"Whew."

A sigh of embarrassment escaped him.

‘Right, the interview.’

As he removed the VR headgear—the latest model he hadn't managed to win—his most important plan came back to him. Regardless of win or loss, he had to get an interview with the mysterious Gale. His defeat was one thing, but the interview was another.

‘What should I ask first?’

Sakiride—Lee Jin-hyun—hurried toward the semi-circular table where the enemy team had been playing. He debated the first question. Should he start with a review of the last match? Personally, he wanted to know when she started planning the Invade. Had he really been in the palm of her hand from start to finish?

"The Speed Swordswoman build."

Thinking of his viewers, he also had to ask for tips on the build and what inspired its creation... hah, there were too many things to interview her about. He only hoped that the "he or she" known as Gale would allow the interview and the video upload.

“…….”

He had many questions, but what Lee Jin-hyun was most curious about was Gale’s real-life appearance. That legendarily well-made customization—who was behind it? A man or a woman? Could it actually be a beautiful girl?

...No, considering the gender ratio of Legend Frontier, a muscular man was much more likely. As the current superstar of the game, he was incredibly curious about the reality of Gale.

"Huh...?"

However, when Sakiride reached the enemy team's station, two of the four players had already received their prizes and bolted for home.

— Gale? SION-nim? That’s not me.

— Me neither. I was the Ironclad.

— It looks like it was one of the two who left first...

"Ah..."

Furthermore, since the remaining two denied being Gale, he had no way of knowing which of the departed two was the one. He could ask the registration desk... but they would likely refuse, citing privacy protection. He might even be labeled a stalker or a creep.

"Hah."

A hollow laugh escaped Sakiride, who had let the big fish slip through his fingers. It was partly because he missed the interview, but mostly because of the regret of missing Gale's real face—a chance that might never come again.

"...I thought she’d at least say hello."

Sakiride gave a bitter smile. They were fellow rankers who had met at a game store by a crazy coincidence; he had inwardly hoped Gale would wait for him to at least exchange greetings. But perhaps it was his own excessive expectation. A bird that leaves the cage doesn't return. The same likely applied to the always-mysterious Gale.

‘...Who was it?’

One of the two who had clocked out early. A girl bundled in a black hoodie, and a large man with glasses. Which of the two was Gale?

“…….”

It was a riddle Sakiride had no way of solving.

03.

---

[Today’s A-Mall match: Gale vs. Sakiride]

[Is Gale’s early-game planning for real? My heart is pounding...]

[Wow, how did two rankers end up in the same match?]

[Did anyone take a picture of Gale in real life?]

[So, what was Gale like?]

[People say the organizers rigged the match lol]

[Ah, simply the God of Speed...]

[Wow, so a Speed Swordswoman can do an early Invade]

[Great Harim, who survived 9 minutes against that Gale]

[Sakiride 4 deaths lol, where’s the name-value? LMAO]

[Seriously, did anyone see what Gale looks like?]

[Gale! Gale! Gale!]

[Gale’s form is insane lately lol]

[Was the Speed Swordswoman actually OP all along...?]

[Dammit, did anyone see Gale's real face or what?]

---

"Hmm..."

Though unintended, I had set the Legend Frontier community on fire for sixty consecutive hours. Every real-time post seemed to include at least one of three keywords: 'Gale,' 'Speed Swordswoman,' or 'Sakiride.'

"Even I think..."

Even as the person involved, the situation was absurd. On a weekday, at a mall game store, two rankers "accidentally" participated in the same event. How could anyone not talk about a situation that looked this rigged? Whether positive or negative, the entire community was showing an explosive reaction to the match between Sakiride and me.

"This is a good thing, right...?"

Looking at the continuous stream of related posts, I offered a hesitant smile. Had Gale and the Speed Swordswoman ever received this much attention? It was a level of sustained interest that felt fresh and new.

While the direction of the attention wasn't exactly focused on praise for the Speed Swordswoman build... what did it matter? Just having people interested in the build was something to be grateful for. Perhaps this was the optimal timing to start the lecture broadcast.

"Should I... give it a try?"

I carefully toyed with the VR Headgear 4.0+ I had won as a prize. It was an item worth millions of won. The most expensive thing in my house.

"I have a computer, too..."

Along with the headgear, I already had a computer suitable for streaming, so all the preparations were finally complete. All that remained was my own resolve.

"...I should work hard."

I nodded vigorously. I didn't know how well I could communicate with viewers because of my trauma, but I planned to do my best. For the sake of the precious Speed Swordswoman aspirants who had been waiting so desperately for a lecture, what wouldn't I do?

"Alright."

Strike while the iron is hot. With the attention on Gale and the Speed Swordswoman at its peak, and the timing perfect to attract new players, I resolved to start the stream immediately. Once the decision was made, there was no reason to hesitate. I immediately accessed the streaming site 'X-witch' and began setting things up.

"Hmm... SION is probably best...?"

For my streamer name, I used my Legend Frontier nickname: SION.

[Nickname is already in use!]

"Ah."

Apparently, someone was already using my nickname. Then again, 'Sion' was a surprisingly common name, so it wasn't strange for someone to have claimed it. But I couldn't exactly tell that person to hand it over because I was the "true" owner of the name.

I let out a sigh and added the number 7—representing my rank—to differentiate myself.

SION 7

Fortunately, this one wasn't a duplicate. I confirmed the name with satisfaction. It was a monumental name that I would now share with our pure Speed Swordswoman aspirants.

"That's everything..."

After finishing the minor settings, all that was left was to enter a title and start broadcasting.

"Whew..."

Facing this historical moment, I took a deep breath. In a way, it was a completely new type of challenge, so nervousness was inevitable.

“…….”

Before entering the title, I glanced at my phone screen, looking at the Legend Frontier community still ablaze with talk of 'Gale' and the 'Speed Swordswoman.'

"Huh...?"

I was checking to see if the interest had died down... but a popular post I hadn't seen before caught my eye.

【Popular Post】

[Gale’s real face that you guys wanted lol (Photo)]

"Me...?"

Had someone taken a candid photo at the game store? It was a popular post claiming to include a photo of my real self. With such a provocative title and content, the recommendation count was rising uncontrollably.

“…….”

I clicked the post as if possessed. Whatever the case, I didn't like the idea of total strangers gossiping about my appearance. Furthermore, my current form was the 'Gale/SION' body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that I cherished more than my original self.... I didn't want to be mocked.

---

【Popular Post】

[Gale’s real face that you guys wanted lol (Photo)]

[Author: DeathGodSimp]

(Photo)

[ I took this at the game store myself. There were three guys and one girl. There’s a 75% chance that Gale is a military-finished XY chromosome dude weighing over 80kg lol. Just give up and simp for our Death God Noona, the doors to the Death God Corps are always open. ]

---

"Hmm..."

Was it a relief? The photo attached as "my real face" was a group photo of our team from the event match. The faces were all blurred with mosaics, and my face—which was already hard to see under the hood—was completely unrecognizable. Furthermore, unlike the pro scene, our nicknames weren't on our clothes, so the poster was just asking people to guess which of the four was Gale.

"Whew."

Since it was mosaic-heavy and my identity/appearance wasn't specifically pinpointed, I let out a sigh of relief. If people had singled me out and started making disparaging remarks about my appearance right when I was already worried about communicating with viewers, I might have gone into shock.

...It would have felt like those moments in the subway station when people whispered while looking at the pathetic, paralyzed me of the past.

“…….”

Frowning, I slowly scrolled down to see the numerous comments.

---

— Hey, how are we supposed to know like this?

ㄴ For real, you can’t see anything. How is this a "real face" photo lol.

— Oh, so there was a female user.

ㄴ Is it really a girl? You can't even see the face.

ㄴ Can't you see that insane frame piercing through the oversized fit? It’s a girl, for sure.

— Dammit, Gale-Hyung!!

ㄴ LMAO.

ㄴ Gale is suddenly likable for real.

ㄴ What’s with that Agility... Hyung, you’re making me crazy...

— F*, if it's 75%, it just means he's a guy.**

ㄴ Fact.

ㄴ You think 25% is a joke? I believe in the 25% lol.

ㄴㄴ Statistically, 75 is the safe bet considering the user ratio.

— Gale: Rank 7, Mystery, Speed Swordswoman, Net-kama LMAO.

— As of today, I withdraw my support for Gale.

— Hah, I really liked the "all-in Agility" concept, but thinking she's one of those three guys suddenly kills the mood.

— Gale is a guy? Even better lol.

ㄴ For real, a person of taste.

ㄴ Two gay dudes caught at home above.

— But isn't Gale the only female-model customization in the game? Then the black hood must be Gale, right?

ㄴ Nope, there was one more cat-beastman. Besides, female users customize as male characters often these days, so you can't judge by the avatar.

ㄴ Dammit, I still believe in the 25%.

— Stop the fabrication and slander lol. I firmly believe our Gale-Noona is the one in the black hood and turns out to be a top-tier beauty. Replying means you're a stealth-simp.

ㄴ Welcome, gay bro LMAO.

ㄴ Just join the Death God Corps, do you really want to simp for a net-kama that bad?

— Honestly, as part of the Speed Swordswoman Corps, I don't care if it's a girl or a guy. Just give us the lectures.

— Seriously, can’t she just turn on a stream? I want to hear the voice at least.

ㄴ Don't they support voice changers?

ㄴ No, the headgear doesn't have that function. It has to be the real voice.

ㄴ Ah, then we'll know if she streams.

— If the ranker I cheered for turns out to be a sturdy net-kama? I’m killing myself lol.

ㄴ For real lol.

— Even if it is the black hood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠girl, you can't see the face. What if she’s ugly as hell?

ㄴ Just consider it a "red pill" moment for a VTuber...

ㄴ Still better than a 130kg sweaty pig, probably.

— The fact is that 25% is surprisingly high lol.

ㄴ The fact is that 75% is higher......

— I believe Gale is a big-chested silver-haired beauty? Since I believe that, what can you guys do about it?

---

"Hmm..."

The comments were filled with endless speculation and debate. However, since there were three males, the consensus was leaning toward 'Gale is a guy!' No one was guessing that Gale was the female in the black hood and that her real-life appearance looked exactly like her customization.

Well, since my inner self was still that of a man, the people's reasoning wasn't entirely wrong.

"Is gender really that important...?"

I tilted my head. It was Legend Frontier, a game where you customized and played your own character; was the real person’s gender or appearance that critical? Even for running a stream or a B-Tube channel, shouldn't skill be the most important factor?

Of course, being pretty or handsome would be a plus... but that was only in the realm of bonus points, not the main event.

[This post has been deleted.]

"Hmm..."

Perhaps the author felt guilty for taking a photo of a real person, even with the mosaics? The post about 'Gale’s real face' that had reached the popular list was deleted for unknown reasons.

"Whatever."

I shrugged. What did it matter? I wasn't going to make money with my face anyway; the primary goals of my broadcast were the Speed Swordswoman Revival Movement and overcoming my trauma.

"The stream title..."

I swept the confusing post from my memory and finally entered the title for the broadcast.

Trit-trot, trit-trot. My pale fingers tapped the keyboard carefully like piano keys, and finally, the title of the very first stream was etched onto the monitor.

【Mythic Ranker Speed Swordswoman Lecture】

Now, it was time for the glorious revival of the Speed Swordswoman.