90. Assassin Class
90. Assassin Class
***
Click.
The silver-haired woman who opened the door and stepped inside smiled brightly as she looked around the space.
Then the clean and familiar interior filled Serin's vision.
A simple, sleek modern style.
That was putting it kindly.
Putting it less kindly, the space was a bit empty and didn't look like a place where anyone lived.
"I was only gone from the house for... a day."
She muttered that as she took off her shoes and stepped inside.
The time she confirmed upon arriving home was 3:13 p.m.
She'd meant to have lunch with Sua and chat about this and that before coming back, but it had taken longer than expected.
When she'd tried to leave, Sua had asked if she couldn't just stay at her place since there was plenty of empty space. Even thinking about it again now, it was funny.
'Living together does sound like it could be fun.'
But immediately accepting just because the other person suggested it would be imposing on her.
No matter how much the distance between her and Sua had narrowed and how comfortable they felt with each other, living alone and living together were completely different feelings.
Thud.
She set down the various things Sua had given her as gifts in one corner of the living room, and as she leaned back against the sofa, a sense of ease settled over her.
"Home really is... comfortable."
Sua's place hadn't been uncomfortable, but the ease that came from this being entirely my own home, my own space, was different.
The stillness of the empty space wrapped around me, but if anything, I felt relaxed.
"It was fun, though."
Then Sua came to mind.
What I'd felt while spending about a day with Sua was that, unexpectedly, being together was comfortable.
Neither of us wanted anything big from the other, and we'd become the kind of people who could just talk about all sorts of things without any real burden. That struck me anew.
They say there's nothing like alcohol for getting close quickly, and the more I thought about it, the truer it seemed.
It felt like having a friend, or maybe a capable younger sister? Unlike Seoyun, Sua felt like an affectionate, cutesy younger sister.
Click.
I opened my room, went in, and stripped off my clothes, tossing them onto the bed.
Buzz!
My phone vibrated and kept ringing.
Tap.
Seoyun.
[Sis, have you been struggling lately or feeling emotionally fragile?]
I checked my phone.
A message with hard-to-read intent had come from Seoyun.
"What's this all of a sudden?"
Me.
[I'm fine. Seoyun, why all of a sudden? Is something going on?]
Seoyun.
[Just, I was wondering how you've been doing lately. Maybe it's because I haven't seen your face in a few days, but I think I suddenly missed you.]
The messages kept making me tilt my head.
Seoyun had been sending messages for the past hour, and the content had gradually gotten stranger.
"Is something really going on?"
~You are like a light to me... so do not compare yourself to me...
Thinking once again that the ringtone was unusual, I brought the phone to my ear.
Replying by text seemed like it would go on forever, so I figured it would be better to just call Seoyun.
Before long, the ringtone cut off and Seoyun's voice came through instead.
—Sis?
"Yeah. Seoyun. Did your exams go well?"
—Yeah, they went well. But why the sudden call?
"You seemed especially worried today, so I wondered if something was going on."
We'd been a bit out of touch during exam period, but after Seoyun sent the message that exams were over, her mood seemed to have changed.
—No, nothing happened. I just... felt a little anxious today. Don't push yourself for no reason, okay? Take it easy, got it?
For a moment, I turned my head and checked every corner of the room and the house.
Was there some CCTV I didn't know about or something?
I'd pushed myself a few days ago recruiting an editor, but there was no way Seoyun knew about that.
I wondered if that was what she was worried about.
'No, that can't be it.'
Thinking about it a bit, Seoyun acting like this now didn't add up.
"Okay, so don't worry too much. Seoyun, you said your exams ended today. If there's anything you want, I'll buy you whatever. Is there something you want?"
To change the subject away from Seoyun's oddly worried state, I shifted topics entirely.
—...Something I want? Hmm... I don't think there's anything in particular. If I think of something later, I'll tell you then.
"Sure. That works. Oh, and while we're at it, can you send me your account number? I think I'll feel better if I send you some money."
—Tch... Sis, what am I, a little kid? You think I'd take allowance from you?
At my words, Seoyun spoke playfully as if she'd finally relaxed. I didn't know why she'd sent those strange messages, but I was relieved.
—And besides, I earn my own money and spend it.
Hearing that she earned money herself, I wondered if she was working a part-time job while being a student.
I'd looked up the university Seoyun attended last time, and it was one of the most prestigious universities in the country, competing for the top spot.
So she'd obviously be busy just keeping her grades up, and now she was saying she earned money to live on. That didn't seem right either.
"No, still send it. You're probably busy enough just studying, and it's hard to juggle work on top of that."
This time I spoke deliberately firmly.
—Even if it's work, it's not that hard... Still, it makes me feel good that you're saying this out of concern for me. Fine, I'll send my account by message, so you only have to send a little, okay?
I smiled softly at Seoyun's reluctant agreement.
"Yeah, okay."
......
Click.
After that, I ended the call with Seoyun after some light parting words. For no reason, I laughed.
"I really don't know who's the older sister here."
Unlike Sua, who pouted and acted cute and felt like a younger sister, seeing my actual younger sister Seoyun keep talking to me as if worried about me felt completely different.
No, if anything, Seoyun was too mature. When we talked, I wondered who the older sister was.
Afterward, I sent a reasonable amount to the account Seoyun had given me, then changed clothes and got ready to stream.
Even after quickly washing my face, as I turned on the PC to start the stream, the only thought filling my chest was the urge to grab my Crescent-Moon Weight.
"Today, let's go arena all day."
Before even starting the stream, I connected the PC to Another World.
***
Whoosh!
I swung the black Crescent-Moon Weight once through the air, then looked around the arena interior.
The arena, shaped like a massive circular stadium, brought to mind the commonly known Colosseum of ancient Rome.
From obstacles like rocks of various sizes and rough stone scattered throughout the Colosseum, to the faded flags and weapons planted around its outer edge, everything left behind the lingering traces of a fierce battlefield and stirred a strange feeling.
The arena's backdrop, the Colosseum, seen for the first time in a while, pulled me into a small moment of appreciation.
It was the place I'd seen most since connecting to Another World, and the place I'd spend the most time in going forward.
—Ding!
Less than a minute after queuing, a match was found, and as the queue popped, the distinctive grand sound effect rang in my ears.
Across from me, my opponent materialized in a cluster of light.
—The duel will begin shortly.
Maybe because I hadn't played Another World during the suspension, even the holograms I was seeing for the first time in days felt welcoming.
I'd turned on the stream right at 4:00 on the dot while queuing, so the chat was moving actively.
[??? Didn't the stream just start, what's this]
[Another World right as the stream starts???]
[I came as soon as I saw the stream notification]
[I enjoyed the collab with Plea yesterday!]
[If you're gonna play Another World, at least warm up first!!]
[So many people were waiting for arena and you're doing it right as the stream starts?]
[You should've been waiting for Rin's stream lololololol]
"Ah, the mic's working fine, right?"
I hadn't touched any settings, but I asked just in case.
[Yeah, sounds fine]
[I love Rin's voice]
[A two-day tweetie suspension is so unfair fr]
[The people who mass-reported are hilarious lololol]
[It was pretty brutal back then lol]
[It sounds different from what I heard on Plea's stream yesterday, is it because the setup's different?]
[Hearing Rin's voice after a while, doesn't it sound even better?]
[It was only two days lolololol]
—3. 2. 1.
Watching the chat confirm there were no issues, I announced the start of the stream as the countdown ended in another part of my vision.
"August 7th, Saturday. I'll be starting the stream."
I quickly swung the Crescent-Moon Weight and deflected a dagger that had already closed in right in front of me.
Clang!!
As my Crescent-Moon Weight struck the dagger away, the clear ringing sound naturally lifted the corners of my mouth.
More than the feeling of tearing, stabbing, or splitting something, I loved this sound of iron ringing when weapon met weapon.
Clang! Clang!
I continued deflecting the attacks of my opponent, who kept throwing daggers while widening the distance from me, and observed them.
The opponent had the typical appearance of an assassin, covered in near-black darkness.
Their face was obscured below the eyes by black cloth, so I couldn't see it properly, and in many ways they seemed shrouded in mystery.
But the silhouette revealed the curves of a woman, so my gaze naturally drifted there. Jet-black short hair, and beneath it, pointed ears.
"Since it's the first match, I'll warm up a bit."
As I said that, I narrowed my eyes at the projectile whose form was indistinct.
I knew the projectile was a dagger because I'd seen the hand that threw it, but the way its form turned opaque as if swallowed by blackness the moment it left my opponent's hand was fascinating.
Clang! Clang!
I lightly swung the Crescent-Moon Weight up and down, deflecting the black projectiles, and at the same time narrowly parried the final projectile that suddenly accelerated.
Clang!
The flashy effect unique to a successful parry burst out, and at the same time, the blackness burst apart.
Whooosh!
The moment I deflected it, a small gust of wind rose from that spot and lightly coiled around my body.
"...?"
For a moment, I checked whether something had gone wrong with my body, but since I'd deflected it with a parry, there didn't seem to be any damage. Still, watching my opponent mix skills in among ordinary throws felt strange.
"Viewers, what class is that person?"
[Assassin Class?]
[Assassin yeah]
[Elf assassin, oh my]
[Seeing her measure distance and throw daggers, she looks like an assassin built for extreme ranged specialization]
[Isn't Rin's tier still Plat 2?]
[The tier's shown on screen, Plat 2 302 LP]
[Looking at the tier, guess she didn't play during the suspension]
While checking the chat, I turned my head and dodged a dagger that appeared right behind me.
Fwit!
I stomped down on the dagger stuck in the ground and wondered what this was.
"No, seriously."
The distance from my opponent was already quite far, close to what I'd had when facing other archer classes, so a dagger suddenly flying out from behind me was absurd.
Even if it's a skill, there's a limit.
"Isn't this way too broken?"
And on top of that, it was silent.
Since every attack made no sound, it was irritating in a different way from an archer's arrows.
[Wasn't that Shadow Ambush just now? She dodged that?]
[That skill's damage is trash though lololol]
[Ranged assassin is seriously garbage with PvP adjustments, as long as it doesn't hit your head you can just tank it]
[Yeah, instead of chipping away, assassins have terrible durability, so one tap and they're basically near death]
[Says it's broken while dodging everything, what's that lol]
As I skimmed the chat, I kept a wary eye on the assassin, who had at some point hidden behind a rock in the Colosseum.
It looked like they'd hidden to use a skill, and I felt a spark of curiosity about which skill they would use.
And then, in that moment.
As if the light had vanished, the entire Colosseum was dyed in darkness.