Ednfelt Wall: Parting Under Twin Moons
“Berga?”
I set down my glass and stood from my seat. Lena looked up at me. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from the alcohol.
“I’m just going to step out for some air.”
A short distance from the plaza, and the clamor faded a layer. The avenue was quiet. The singing was as dim as the hazy lamplight. Night air brushed my cheeks. It felt cool against my own heated skin.
Is it the booze?
I let out a long breath and looked up at the sky. The pitch-black night sky held two moons, the rest crammed full of stars. This world’s night sky was unnecessarily bright. No—beautiful.
The booze again.
Making me all sentimental. Back when I was Jeong Ji-hoon, I’d never seen stars over Seoul’s sky. The city noise blotted them out. It was a city, after all. Or maybe even before that, my days had kept my gaze pinned downward. Nights ended with a drink back then too, but today I was looking up.
From afar, the singing drifted faintly on. Unfamiliar tunes. Countless stars. The bitter tang of ale lingering at my nose. This memory would stick for a long time.
“Berga?”
Footsteps sounded behind me. I turned to see Lena standing there.
“Are you leaving now…?”
She was as quick on the uptake as she was considerate. She must’ve figured since I’d slipped away from the table, it was time to go. She wasn’t wrong.
Will you remain longer in the summoned battlefield?
Yes / No
(Warning) Fees are charged hourly in Cron.
The popup dangling at the edge of my vision was telling me it was time.
“Yeah. Time’s up.”
“…”
Lena’s lips twitched a few times before settling into place.
“See you again.”
The words slipped out unbidden. Damn. The booze. And “see you again”? That was a whopping 2,000 Cron summon.
“Yes! See you next time! Definitely!”
Her neat lips curved into a smile. It looked stunning paired with her blush. By the time I realized I was mirroring her expression, my vision was starting to go white. The star-packed sky washed away in light. The singing faded into the distance.
The booze, huh.
Lena stood there for a while. Letting the cool night air soothe her heated cheeks.
“Commander, what are you doing out here…? Ah. The hero must’ve gone back.”
“Yes. He left.”
The commander approached, his mustache damp with ale.
“He’s an impressive one.”
“He really is…”
“The elite-grade merc from last time was a total mess of a human being.”
Lena couldn’t help but laugh at the commander’s rare bit of trash talk.
“Hehe. Even so, he helped defend Ednfelt Wall.”
“Defending Ednfelt Wall is your job, Commander.”
The commander continued without a change in expression.
“But today, without Berga, we might not have made it. Even if we did, the casualties would’ve been massive.”
They both recalled the same scene. The goblin rider sliced in half with one blow. The brief sandstorm. Bosses reduced to chunks of meat. The ensuing slaughter.
That nightmare of a battlefield had been salvation from their side.
“Really… And yet he didn’t ask for anything. He even tried to teach me something in the time left. For Ednfelt’s sake.”
“A man versed in strategy too. I didn’t know.”
Lena suddenly remembered the lesson in the command tent. One of her few happy memories lately. Especially precious with the weight on her shoulders. For the first time, it felt like she had someone to lean on.
“Of course. More tactical than me, the commander… Hehe, I’m rambling. Thank you for coming to get me, Commander. Let’s head back.”
“I’ll escort you. It’s a joyous occasion, after all.”
“Right. It’s the first time no one died.”
The commander nodded slowly.
White ceiling. No more star-filled sky. No roasted meat smell. No tough bread. No bitter, thick ale.
Ednfelt’s endless grind, that scarred soldier had called it. I let out a chuckle.
A settlement sheet popped up before my laughing face.
Ednfelt Wall (Wave 12)
Contribution:100%
Base Pay:2,000 Cron
Settlement Fee:30% (-600 Cron)
Final Payout:1,400 Cron
(Excess contribution used for internal evaluation; not disclosed.)
Not bad. Not bad at all.
I closed the settlement sheet. Plenty to think about.
Hadn’t checked [My Info] fully. Time to plan long-term. But not now. Really not.
I threw myself onto the bed. Pulled up the thin blanket.
Didn’t feel like I needed rest. Just wanted to sleep.
Didn’t drink that much…
Under the covers wasn’t cold or hot. Stuffy, if anything. I shoved my consciousness far away.
No idea how long I slept. Felt like ages, but impossible to tell. No windows, no clock—couldn’t count seconds anyway.
At least the procrastination was gone. That was progress.
I pulled up the popup.
Skills (Sorted by Usage):
[Cold-Blooded]
[Agile Movements]
[Feather Step]
[Gap in Consciousness]
[Symphony of Battle]
[Throat Slash]
[Guillotine]
[First Kiss Addict]
[Pure Step]
[Shadow Step]
…
A cascade of skill names. At least two pages worth.
Wonder if I can check them one by one…
Conveniently for mercs like me, there was a tiny “sort by usage” in the top right of the skill list. Overly thoughtful? Or not?
Prediction confirmed. Two summons meant passives topped the usage-sorted list. Most-used active was Pure Step, so up to First Kiss Addict were probably my passives.
Something used more than Agile Movements?
[Cold-Blooded]: Reduces emotional fluctuations.
[Feather Step]: Drastically reduces noise during movement. Footstep sounds completely eliminated.
[Gap in Consciousness]: Attacks unnoticed by enemy deal 200% damage.
[Symphony of Battle]: Grows stronger the longer combat persists.
[Guillotine]: Attacks hitting the neck deal 300% damage.
Ah. Still running even now.
Skipped what I knew, checked the rest.
As expected, passives were mostly conditional bonus damage.
No sound when I dropped behind the goblin? Feather Step. Mobs were easy? Symphony of Battle.
Better than expected. More synergistic. Dodging skills from the shop would cover the gaps.
And who knows what actives are on the next page.
[Sky Step]: Prepare a leap to jump farther. Longer charge = greater distance.
[Avenger]: Once per wave, on a lethal blow: 1) Delay death and deal 500% damage to attacker. 2) Return lethal blow to attacker.
Wait, what?
That’s it?
Actives looked pathetic next to passives. Actives have that distinct activation feel. Thought I’d missed something.
Sky Step I’d used. That weird sensation on the stockade? It.
Practically flight.
Next.
Bomb necklace skill. Super useful, but hoped never to need it. Lethal blow? No thanks.
Got the picture. Hit B-grade: buy gear. A-grade: survival skills galore. No defense rating, evasion just Agile Movements—basic assassin passive. Face it. Glass cannon extreme.
Strictly, prior battlefields weren’t hero-unit worthy. Could get summoned to insane difficulty anytime. Prep survival or Avenger once and done. Easy to picture.
When does grade go up…? Auto-hunt okay?
A new thought, and the contracts tab lit up like it read my mind.
Consulting Contract (1): Lena Kraus (Ednfelt Wall)
Status:Valid
Unread Messages:2
Unread messages? That why it lit up?
Already two?
Wait, what? The text bomb made me dizzy.
Ballis…? Ballista?
No, start with that! What’s she doing?
Assumed Ballis = ballista issue. Drafted reply.
Ballistae have great power but poor fire rate. Better focus on archer development.
Thumb hovered over send.
What if send limit here too? Anything else? Need wave info for more…
Attach wave details next time for valuable advice.
Okay. Send.
Too stiff…? This hero’s no help, no empathy. Worst consultant. 0 stars. Nah…
Even Cold-Blooded couldn’t shake the worry. Reread Lena’s wall of text.
Did good right…?
Perfect.
Two tweaks, sent with pride. Reply next wave. Hope it helps. And racks up contribution.
Prayer to no one, then another popup.
Gained contribution via consulting contract!
Already?