Riding the New Wave – Bang!
A sharp bang! echoed through the Void Plaza, a map conceptualized like a cosmic maze where one felt as if floating in empty space.
But Takumi had no chance to dodge upon hearing the gunshot. For one, Lee Chang-hyun's bullets traveled faster than sound. And the gun he wielded now was a magic engineering masterpiece that fired Ether.
Even so, there was one variable Lee Chang-hyun hadn't accounted for.
Every time a wormhole was used, ripples formed on its surface, creating faint vibrations.
Of course, given the bullet's speed, the window to react after it passed through was a mere instant—but that instant was enough for Takumi.
The bullet, ricocheting through the wormhole like a blind shot ignoring all angles, grazed him just before impact. Takumi successfully reacted with Swiftness: A.
'……!'
But he hadn't fully evaded it in his unprepared state. Despite using a near-teleportation skill, the shot had clipped his left arm.
'If I'd been even a fraction slower…….'
Takumi didn't even want to imagine it. The result would've been a direct hit to a vital spot. Game over, instantly.
It was a strike he never saw coming.
Of course, he knew in theory that those wormholes connected somewhere, enabling attacks from invisible angles.
But predicting the opponent's position, organically calculating wormhole routes to reach it, and actually landing the sniper shot? That was on another level.
No matter how experienced, no one memorized every wormhole connection perfectly.
It was a feat even Takumi couldn't pull off.
Whoosh……
A tension rose that he hadn't felt even in the recent Hunters League Korea-Japan match.
'I was planning to take it easy…… but damn.'
Just as Lee Min-seok had warned, this guy was ridiculous. Takumi suddenly felt like he might get eaten alive by a rookie if he slacked off.
In that moment, he slipped into a blind spot via wormhole where no bullet could reach, even if its trajectory bent.
He needed time to readjust his strategy and thinking.
Takumi's original plan had been simple.
Lee Chang-hyun picks a standard map, they trade ranged shots, and with his overwhelming stats, Takumi outpaces him—firing faster, dodging quicker—while gauging his level.
Then, close in behind with Swiftness: A and end it effortlessly.
'But he doesn't pick a normal map, and he has no intention of fighting in plain sight…… huh.'
It was cleverness he hadn't anticipated. A seasoned playstyle, like he'd faced far stronger foes countless times.
As if hiding all his weaknesses while forcing the opponent to play to his strengths.
Takumi couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just danced to the tune set by this guy with that single shot.
But in that situation, Takumi grinned instead.
A sense of awe welled up at a rookie showing such play and experience. And on another level, pure, primal fun.
As Japan's unrivaled ranged dealer in 1v1s, his days had grown dull. Who'd have thought he'd find a gem like this in Korea, of all places—without even expecting it.
And the guy was from the 3rd Division League, not even 1st.
'Life's worth living long after all…….'
Of course, that didn't mean he planned to lose.
The better the opponent showed himself to be, the less Takumi could afford to hold back.
Eyes locked on wormhole exits to evade, he unleashed rapid fire from the crossbow mounted on his right hand, shattering the walls.
The combo of Rapid Fire: A and Weak Point Strike: S.
Just two shots crumbled the labyrinthine, formless walls of the Void Plaza with ease.
And with the first wall down, holes began punching through the maze-like map one after another.
Takumi was demolishing them relentlessly with his crossbow, dead set on erasing every wall.
'Once all the walls are gone and it's just me and him, it's my overwhelming win.'
***
BOOM……
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM……
'What the hell is going on?'
Something kept shattering beyond the wormholes, the sound reverberating endlessly.
The epicenter was clearly around Takumi, but Lee Chang-hyun couldn't imagine what he was up to.
Takumi's main weapon was a modified rapid-fire crossbow. What could it possibly do to cause such massive explosions……?
Using Piercing Eye to track him, Lee Chang-hyun simply maneuvered through blind spots, dodging bullets emerging from wormholes.
'After that first shot missed, he's definitely devising new counters to sniping…… and that noise is tied to it.'
He could think that far, but nothing concrete surfaced.
All he could do was hop wormholes to distance himself from Takumi's Piercing Eye-tracked position.
In the midst of that translocation—
Plop.
A small chunk of stone fell from the ceiling.
'The ceiling…… it's shaking……?'
Yes. The entire Void Plaza was trembling.
As if…… someone was smashing the walls.
That must be the source of the breaking sounds.
He swiftly revived the one option he'd dismissed due to the crossbow: wall destruction.
The vibrations continued unabated, walls still crumbling.
'He's planning to smash them all…….'
It felt like scattered puzzle pieces snapping together in his mind.
He could now predict Takumi's current strategy—and future moves.
Yeah, Takumi must feel threatened.
'That first snipe probably spooked him right after he cooked up his tactic…….'
With such a stat gap, that unexpected blow would've rattled him.
Then he'd brainstormed a surefire win.
And his chosen path to victory: make invisible-angle sniping impossible.
A 1v1 in an "open field" with sightlines everywhere.
There, Takumi's superior firing speed, power, reaction time—even mobility—would let him seize control effortlessly…… or so he'd think.
A smile crept onto Lee Chang-hyun's face without him realizing.
'This match might get really interesting…….'
No matter Takumi's stat edge, on the Void Plaza map, he wasn't worried about losing a straight-up fight.
***
Lee Min-seok sat alone in the Hunters League player lounge, watching the match.
'Didn't expect Chang-hyun to hold his own like this…….'
The flow wasn't as one-sided as he'd thought.
Lee Chang-hyun had picked the wildly unexpected Void Plaza, then pushed map tactics to the extreme.
'Sniping from wormhole blind spots…….'
It probably wouldn't work on melee dealers, tanks, or shield users.
But he'd fully accounted for Takumi's traits—blocking his strengths while exploiting the glaring weakness of a pure ranged dealer: poor defense.
Of course, the first shot landing clean was key to its success…….
As Lee Min-seok analyzed, the lounge door opened.
"Oh…… long time no see, Min-seok hyung?"
It was Jin Kyung-tae, former Korean national team member. He'd apparently left something behind after his match and returned.
"Yeah…… Kyung-tae. Must sting after today's game."
Jin Kyung-tae scratched his head, averting his eyes.
Probably embarrassed about the loss.
But that passed quickly. Spotting a new spectacle, he glanced at the screen broadcasting the ongoing match.
"Huh? Isn't that Takumi playing today? Who's the guy in the 1v1 with him?"
"Mm…… a promising kid I introduced. He's doing better than expected."
"Promising kid?"
Jin Kyung-tae racked his brain for prospects using a distinctive weapon like a gun—but drew a blank.
Anyone using guns should've rung a bell. Even in 2nd Division…….
Okay, maybe not 3rd Division; he wasn't that idle to memorize everyone.
But…… pitting a 1st Division national team hopeful against a 3rd Division player? In a 1v1?
And the match looked neck-and-neck…….
"Hyung, is this kid someone you're personally training? How'd I not know about him?"
"Nah, he's a pro hunter who debuted in 3rd Division this season."
Jin Kyung-tae was floored.
No way…… really 3rd Division?
And they were fighting on even footing.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
But soon, as the tide shifted, calm returned.
"Yeah, figured…… Even if he's your pick, the opponent's a Japanese national……."
He could foresee the rest.
Takumi, with his absurd two hits to destroy cheat skill, was blasting away the Void Plaza walls to prevent hidden snipes.
Once walls vanished, only floating wormholes for cover. Raw stats would decide it.
Having fought Takumi himself, Jin Kyung-tae foresaw his victory all the more clearly.
Convinced the match was all but over, he turned back to Lee Min-seok.
"Hyung, why'd you come to the stadium but skip meeting the Korean reps? Lots of guys wanted to see you."
He seemed disappointed that Lee Min-seok lingered watching prospects instead of the team.
Thus, he kept talking.
"Showing your face before the matches could've boosted morale…… That's what I mean, it's a shame…… Everyone likes you. We even repped together back in the day."
But Lee Min-seok stayed silent, eyes glued to the monitor, offering no reply.
Sigh……
Jin Kyung-tae felt even more hurt.
They'd fought hard to make nationals, lost, and got no encouragement—instead, more focus on a Japan vs. 3rd Division kid match.
'It's basically over already…….'
He glanced at the screen.
The moment the walls crumbled, Takumi's pinpoint crossbow barrage knocking Lee Chang-hyun out in one go—it was easy to picture.
Frustrated by Lee Min-seok's mute focus on the screen ignoring him, Jin Kyung-tae stepped in front, blocking it. His feelings were hurt.
"Lee Min-seok hyung!!"
But only a cold response came.
Memories resurfaced perhaps—of carrying the team like a boy breadwinner, hauling undisciplined nationals on his back.
Lee Min-seok spoke coldly, heavily.
"Move. This match matters more than yours right now."
Stunned by the sudden chill, Jin Kyung-tae stepped back unwittingly—and the match had ended.
"...?"
'No way…….'
A nameless 3rd Division player.
Had snatched victory from Takumi—one of the Japanese nationals who'd effortlessly crushed Korea's team.