Bosom Buddy
'We're screwed.'
A straightforward numbers game—seven against two. Especially in the Hunters League, that kind of numerical disadvantage created an overwhelming gap in firepower. The more numbers you had, the less it was about simply adding up individual stats and the more it multiplied through synergy. A natural outcome, really.
"No point watching anymore. Let's forfeit."
Ryu Jae-jun shot me a deflated look.
'Yeah... I probably would've done the same.'
I could gauge the team's level without even looking. In a situation like this, motivation went out the window—no point dragging it out. Just call it quits.
But we'd come this far. No way was I backing down now.
"Without even fighting?"
"You think I'm saying forfeit just 'cause I wanna end it since we're gonna lose anyway?"
Ryu Jae-jun spat the words with clear irritation.
The obvious answer was yes, but that wasn't it. He meant the team was so pathetic there was nothing left to see.
But...
"They're fired up to take us on, and you're saying we just surrender 'cause we might lose? What's the difference?"
"I get what you're driving at, but you gotta push it to the end, huh..."
Ryu Jae-jun clicked his tongue.
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
It was close to a scolding tone, but thankfully, he didn't slack off or throw in the towel. No surrendering to the enemy or sacrificing himself.
'True to form—once he commits, he follows through.'
Not that he was brimming with enthusiasm, of course. More like, Whatever, I get your team's level now. Go ahead and do your thing.
It left a bitter taste, but hey, better than nothing. Zero chance if we didn't even try.
'Only way is to fan these dying embers somehow.'
Step one: Stop Ryu Jae-jun from quitting. Next up...
'Even if PER isn't top-tier, how'd they wipe out all five at once?'
Kim Do-jun, Yoon Han-gyeol, Han Ji-su, Yi Gil-han, Yi Yeon-ju. Sure, they lacked experience overall, but there were aces with killer one-on-ones and guys quick on their feet in a pinch.
No way a standard seven-on-five gank takes them out that fast.
Likely some destructive nuke in play.
'Can't let my guard down...'
With that final thought, my eyes sharpened as I charged into the fray alongside Ryu Jae-jun.
Endless fields of tall reeds. Scattered massive rock pillars jutting straight up.
'No obvious map gimmicks. Practice match, so probably no relics either.'
Thoughts racing nonstop, I kept moving—and before I knew it, we'd reached the spot where PER and TAK had clashed.
TAK's team members clustered together, chatting casually in high spirits.
"Heh. Seriously."
Ryu Jae-jun tsked at their relaxed vibe, as if the match was already over.
They'd dropped their guard completely, even though we'd gotten pretty close.
Or maybe they just didn't care.
Either way, this brief window was my golden opportunity. A split-second glimpse revealed tons of intel.
'No visible injuries on TAK. Our PER teammates...'
Yep, one-shotted. Hard to make out details, but they looked crushed by something overwhelming.
Enemy conditions. Fallen teammates. The casual chatter among the clustered foes.
Everything was fair game for observation.
'Something's up for sure, but can't Piercing Eye all seven...'
Not impossible, but without Bloom unlocked, against superior numbers, mana conservation was key.
"Whoa... Being 2nd Division pros really shows. Way better skills than 3rd Division scrubs."
"Eh, this is standard. You know it's crazier in 1st Division or international leagues."
"Must be awesome teaming with you, sunbae. I'm seriously impressed."
"Nah, credit goes to the barrier guy and the team who set up the ambush."
'What a wholesome vibe.'
Seeing Kim Jin-seung play the star pissed me off for some reason. Wasn't he the type wagging his tail everywhere for praise?
Remembered him gushing over my plays before. Felt wrong lumping me in with these guys.
Anyway, their chat handed me the clue on what nuked our team.
Held-back Piercing Eye flashed on a TAK player—the one just talking to Kim Jin-seung.
'Got it.'
Skills explained the team wipe perfectly. Not easy to land given the rank, so allies probably pinned them for the shot.
Made sense one had some binding tech too.
"So, what's the plan? They haven't spotted us yet."
Silence stretched, so Ryu Jae-jun spoke first.
Our eyes met, and countless tactics flashed—discarded, reformed—boiling down to one.
"Rush 'em with pure mobility."
"What?"
Ryu Jae-jun's eyes widened in disbelief.
Seven vs. two. Absolute numbers gap, skill disparity. Like eggs against rocks.
Obviously, normal plays wouldn't cut it. But after crunching the angles...
It felt doable. My body itched, something bubbling up.
Definitely gonna be fun.
Synergy—good or bad—wasn't casually assessed. That's why practice matches existed.
It was trickier to pin down than you'd think.
Obvious links like Yi Yeon-ju → Yoon Han-gyeol → Han Ji-su's "Bomber Combo" were easy—clear purpose, synergy for one goal.
But abilities were hard to measure fully: range, utility, even self-understanding. Principles, effects, outcomes—all murky beyond the visible.
Thus, synergy stayed unpredictable.
Even my pairing with Ryu Jae-jun's Wave seemed oddly perfect on paper, hard to explain. No obvious power spike from merging.
Just proven in results.
"Let's go."
In a real season match, I'd snipe to thin 'em first for max win odds.
'No need here.'
Not what I needed to show Ryu Jae-jun. PER might've disappointed him, but PER had me.
Had to prove our synergy exceeded imagination.
"No clue what you're thinking, but I'll give it my all."
Ryu Jae-jun led, Air Beat propelling him straight into TAK's core.
Wave (S+)—ideal for one-vs-many.
With teammates nearby, you exclude their range, limiting full power.
But let him dive solo first...
Wave (S+)
Omnidirectional mana shockwave. Near-zero delay, efficient AoE strike via vibration/resonance.
Peak efficiency. Minimal delay, wide-area heavy hits.
Not one-shotting the whole group, but...
'The scary part? It's near impossible to block.'
Not fully grasped the mechanics, but vibrations or resonance-based.
TAK threw up mana shields at the intruder—useless.
Dazed by the shock, their reactions slowed. Perfect entry window.
'Overwhelming dealer support, but weak finisher—that's his flaw.'
But not alone now. I knew his strengths, weaknesses, habits inside out.
My sniper rifle shifted to dual pistols, mana surging, Ether rounds chambering—one fluid motion, gun and body as one.
Every part linking, priming, breathing in sync. A familiar rush after so long.
Air Beat for burst start. Then Air Anchor for a wide aerial swing to position perfectly. Land, assume firing stance.
But against seven, no instant wipe power.
Resistance came.
"Nngh...!"
Mid-aim—likely Kim Jin-seung's Telekinesis. My center of gravity yanked back hard.
Muzzle jerked skyward, but 'Within expected range.'
Familiar foe—we'd even fought together once. No shock.
But the numbers played dirty.
'...!'
While off-balance from telekinesis, the ground underfoot crumbled.
Now I saw how PER fell.
'Immobilize with surprise, then Destruction Ray sweep.'
Solid play. But not on me.
Why? Clocked mobility locks when I saw the ray.
'No way they held everyone with just telekinesis.'
Ground collapsing, body dropping—I kept mana pumping into the Air Anchor linked to my hand. Drew a smooth arc through the air, unfazed.
Reversed the downward momentum, rocketing up for a clear view below.
From mid-air, locked the weakness—instant trigger pull.
Tat-tat-tat-tang—
Seamless firing sequence, no disruption. Crisp gunshot rang out.
Unhindered, it pierced the vital spot clean.