Permafrost Onslaught
“Permafrost!”
Crack!
An wave of ice surged out from Carpe at the center, plunging the players into shock.
“Permafrost?! No way, that's a 9-star skill!”
“Wait a sec. Does that mean he drew a 1-star Patron Spirit at character creation? And he's this strong?”
In RaSe, mastering a 9-star skill was an extraordinarily difficult feat.
Skill packs from level-ups only went up to 8-star at best.
Even after completing the third job change and opening an “advanced skill pack,” it was the same story.
9-star skills could only be acquired through legendary-grade or higher special quests, or by defeating a boss monster that had learned one and hoping for an “extremely slim” chance of a skill card drop.
It was practically impossible.
Thus, the users in RaSe who had mastered 9-star skills were mostly gamblers.
People who had deliberately drawn a 1-star Patron Spirit in the gacha, aiming straight for a 9-star skill!
They figured since they couldn't draw an 8-star or higher Patron Spirit anyway, they might as well start with a 9-star skill.
It seemed like a rational choice at first glance, but in reality, most ended up as total failures.
No matter how great the 9-star skill was, a 1-star Patron Spirit had no future potential.
What good was a single 9-star skill without a job or other skills to support it?
Growing with just one 9-star skill—one that couldn't even be used effectively in low levels at that—and a 1-star Patron Spirit? Near impossible.
But “near” impossible wasn't the same as truly impossible.
In that 99.9% failure rate gamble for a 9-star skill, a tiny 0.1% struck gold through sheer heavenly luck stacked on luck, rising to the ranks.
And among those who succeeded in the 9-star skill gamble, the most famous was the one who wielded Permafrost.
Top of the top 10 guilds. A player from The Sun guild and rank 6 worldwide: Cheonoeocheon.
“Ice Queen Kate! So you're the one behind The Sun's dirty tricks!”
“Kate?! That explains it! No wonder he didn't go down to a single Wind Cutter!”
“Filthy bastards! Acting all high and mighty, then pulling this shit?!”
“Gahhh! Spare me!”
The Silver Lion guild members caught in Carpe's Permafrost turned into ice statues on the spot.
You have defeated a player from a hostile nation. Merit points acquired.
You have defeated a player from a hos……
……Merit points acqui…….
Unleashing an AoE skill right in the heart of the enemy lines triggered a frenzy of notifications.
Carpe grinned in satisfaction and immediately withdrew from the battlefield.
“Ah, he's running!”
“Get him! You think you can pull that crap and just escape?!”
“Kill him!”
But with Haste and movement speed buffs stacked high, Carpe slipped away effortlessly.
Diving into a nearby forest at full speed, Carpe caught his breath and pulled out a mana potion.
“Whew. MP is never enough, no matter how much you have. Thought I had plenty, but it bottomed out in seconds.”
-You're the one spamming like crazy. What'd you expect?
“Nah, but who's this Kate everyone keeps yelling about? Ice Queen sounds like a chick, but how do I look like a girl?”
-……Wrapped head to toe in that robe, it's easy to mix up. Plus, they were panicking.
With the hood covering his face, the Silver Lion guild members couldn't easily identify him.
Of course, a close look at his build would've screamed male, but the shock of Permafrost left no room for that kind of scrutiny—another source of the misunderstanding.
-Eh, let 'em misunderstand. The more the top 10 guilds snarl at each other, the easier it gets for us later.
“Think it'll escalate that far? Can't she just say 'not me' and done?”
-Won't be that simple. Officially, Ice Queen's the only player with Permafrost. Name like a title or something.
“Huh. Oh, cooldown's up.”
Confirming Permafrost's cooldown was ready, Carpe stood.
“Lemme see. Where to drop it next? Ah, there looks good.”
A nice cluster of Silver Lion goons had conveniently gathered.
-Rack up those merit points. You can trade 'em for Ramark-exclusive items later.
“You bet. RaSe is such a god game. Feels like freebies.”
Hit and run, hit and run.
Blast Permafrost, hide till cooldown, blast again!
If revolutionaries were around, it'd be unusable, but surrounded by enemies on all sides? No holds barred.
“Man. If war gave EXP and item drops, it'd be perfect. Could praise it as godgame three times a day.”
-……Yeah. Was wondering why your conscience seemed quieter lately. If items dropped in war, who'd fight? Everyone'd bail.
“Some games do that though?”
-Who plays that crap!
“Plenty do……”
Normal field PK had item drop risk on death, but war was exempt—a measure to encourage participation, as Cheonma said.
Death penalty still applied, though: no log-in for a set time after dying in war.
-Top 10 guilds treat time as money. Let's cull their forces now. These Silver Lion scum have filthy backsides anyway—no need for guilt.
“Perfect. Games gotta have this flavor.”
Delivering justice to oppressive elites!
Impossible in reality, but doable in-game.
Carpe kept hit-and-running, throwing the Silver Lion rear into total chaos.
“Damn! Hit again!”
“Something's off? Was Kate this nimble?”
“Who cares! Our guys are getting wiped—that's what matters!”
An overwhelmingly dominant performance.
Yet surprisingly, Carpe's antics didn't draw much attention.
Except for one spot on the battlefield.
Where an even more terrifying battle raged than Carpe's exploits.
“You scum!”
Gillian charging through the fortress gates was a tiger incarnate.
His massive black steed, and the equally enormous black greatsword—seeing it alone made foes shrink back.
That aura was pure munchkin protagonist from manga or novels, making Silver Lion guild members falter and retreat.
Against just one guy.
“Ignore everything else—take down that NPC! Victory's ours!”
Evans snapped out of it first, rallying his guild.
Right. Continent 11-strong or whatever, it was still just one.
No monster could handle 5,000.
“Spears up! Full assault on that brutish old geezer……”
“You're the leader!!!”
Splat!
Gillian vaulted from his saddle just before smashing into the front line, soaring into the air.
Thud!
Landing beyond the front line shook the ground hard.
And right in front of him sat Evans on horseback, face frozen in horror.
“How dare you attack my people before me? Atone with your death!”
Gillian's greatsword swung at Evans.
That ferocious swing looked like it could cleave a mountain.
“Guh?! You crazy old bastard!”
But Evans was among the world's top players.
He reacted instantly, swinging his own sword to meet it.
Clanggg!
“Gahk?!”
Evans's unique sword shattered pathetically against the greatsword.
And that wasn't the end.
It sliced the horse's neck next.
Then slammed Evans's waist.
“Gahaaaah!”
Evans flew back at horrifying speed, skidding to a stop after a long slide.
A strike that could've bisected him, yet incredibly, he lived.
Because he was a level 130+ top ranker?
No. Purely thanks to his item.
The necklace around his neck crumbled to ash.
Unique item [Phoenix Necklace].
A lifesaver that blocks one instant-death blow at the cost of breaking.
It had saved Evans's neck.
“N-no way!”
Evans paled.
No skill, no fancy moves.
Just a horizontal greatsword swing.
Yet it shattered a unique sword and “killed” him once?
Something's wrong!
Marquis Huinan had said the continent 11-strong was old news, that Gillian was just a washed-up tiger now.
That a capable guy like him could win easily……!
Where's the washed-up tiger here?!
Even if they took the old NPC down, the casualties would be massive.
With top 10 guild rivalries heating up, they couldn't afford that bloodbath.
“Attacking civilians unrelated to war is a grave crime, no need to explain! In my god's name, I shall punish you all!”
“B-block that mad old coot from reaching the master!”
“Mercy! Can't die again!”
Silver Lion guild members tore apart like paper against Gillian.
Evans stared blankly at the surreal scene.
How did it come to this?
Tracing back, he reached one conclusion.
Did I get played?
He'd thought Marquis Huinan favored him.
Bribed with unimaginable sums, handled the dirty work.
And reaped a quest from it……!
All part of the marquis's scheme?
Blinded by imperial rank rewards, he'd fallen for the marquis's trap.
Just a pawn to the marquis. Expendable if it didn't work.
Realizing that, endless rage boiled up.
“How dare a mere NPC!”
Toy with a human?
Gillian, Marquis Huinan—neither forgivable. Evans yelled.
“Contact everyone on standby! Log in now and head……”
“Whelp! What're you muttering?!”
“H-heck?!”
The roar right in his face cooled his rage-fueled head instantly.
Around him: gray corpses of Silver Lion members. Only the greatsword-wielding old man had color.
“N-no……! I can't fall like……”
“That's your last words? Pitiful even for an outsider.”
Slash!
Gillian's greatsword lopped off Evans's head.
-…….
-……Ah.
And that shocking scene broadcast live.