The Ninja's Fatal Miscalculation
Hanjo received the predicted movement path of the intruder from a member of the Monkey Unit. She immediately set to work installing traps.
'Even a lion hunts a rabbit with all its might.'
No, if the Monkey Unit members had been taken down without a fight, this was more like a wolf. Of course, it wouldn't matter against her.
This wasn't arrogance at all. In fact, Hanjo was far removed from such a word.
She had been a top 100 player in RaSe, a game with over 500 million users worldwide.
'But that was as far as I got.'
She couldn't climb any higher.
The top 20 was a realm you could only enter if talent, luck, and effort all exploded in perfect harmony—a place she could never set foot in.
'Of all the Patron Spirits to draw!'
Hanjo's Patron Spirit was a 6-star one, which wasn't bad in terms of grade. But that was just on the surface.
It was the neglectful type that didn't care what the player did and offered no help whatsoever—one of those so-called "safe skips" that users always filtered out.
It wasn't just her; back in the open beta days with zero game info, this happened all the time.
The frustration of watching lesser talents and efforts surge ahead thanks to their Patron Spirits was beyond words.
Crack.
'Hah. Even this lowly one got worked up.'
Recalling her previous character's Patron Spirit had made her tense up, ruining the trap. Hanjo steadied herself and reset it.
'But that's all over now.'
Truth be told, she'd agonized over deleting that character. Why wouldn't she? It had been a top 100 ranker.
But Hanjo had a reason to climb higher.
'(Fighting God).'
The life before her reincarnation... no, not her previous character, but a user she'd met in the arena of Real Fantasia, the game before RaSe.
A comet-like prodigy who shook up the arena and rocketed to rank 2.
Hanjo had fought him there too—and lost completely.
'Overwhelming talent.'
She prided herself on her combat sense, second to none, but there was an uncrossable gap.
'One more time!'
She'd wanted a rematch after the loss, but it never happened. He'd vanished like a mirage, just as suddenly as he'd appeared.
Tracking him down wasn't hard, though. There was Last Savior, the pinnacle of games.
'Tusin is surely here.'
Talent like that wouldn't go to waste.
He was probably top 20... no, maybe even in the heaven-beyond-heavens top 10. And those peaks were mountains no top 100 character could dream of scaling.
'I want to fight Tusin again.'
That burning desire had driven her to the bold decision of an alt character... and the result had been a smashing success. She'd drawn a Patron Spirit so much better than her last, it was embarrassing to compare!
Flame Trap installation completed successfully.
When the target passes over the Flame Trap, flames will erupt, inflicting fire damage. The struck target has a very low chance of suffering the Burn status ailment.
"Perfect."
With the trap set, Hanjo concealed herself in a nearby tree. This wrapped up the job.
'A contract's a contract, but tormenting newbies doesn't sit right with this heart.'
Back with her main, she'd owed a huge debt to the Mammonism guild master. In repayment, she'd signed on for exactly three fights on their behalf—and this was the last.
Just like the previous two: subdue, add as friend, collect reward. That was Hanjo's plan, right at that moment.
Rustle.
A figure emerged from the bushes. Hanjo's instincts screamed: this was the target.
"So, this way's got a ton of mutant deer, right?"
An average-looking guy. Medium build, kind face—like he embodied "harmless human."
But Hanjo narrowed her eyes slightly.
'A streamer?'
Talking to himself with no one around? Nine times out of ten, it was a streamer. Or chatting with a Patron Spirit, but who here had that kind of bond?
"Deer are fine, but I was hoping for more Monkey Unit guys. Need more loot."
That sealed it.
The intruder was a streamer, broadcasting alt-character wipes of the Monkey Unit!
'Excellent! If he's an alt too, this lowly one might even enjoy—'
Hanjo shook her head. He was out of luck. Her old self, the Sword Emperor, might've made it a fair fight.
'Ninja combat is all about ambush!'
Too bad—he'd die without even noticing her. Hanjo held her breath, watching.
"Hmm. This the spot?"
Step.
The man took another step—straight toward her trap.
'Flame Trap triggers, then I charge.'
Strike from behind amid the flames, hit vitals. Hanjo silently drew her dagger.
Step.
The moment he entered the trap zone.
Flame Trap triggered.
Flames flickered at his feet.
'Now!'
Hanjo leaped from the tree, aiming for his back. Perfect timing!
But midway, something was wrong.
'Why no flames?'
He'd stepped on it—notification confirmed.
Normally, a Flame Trap erupted in a blaze that could engulf an adult man, blinding and burning. The truth of low-level traps.
Yet... the flames barely reached his knees before fizzling out.
Flame Trap forcibly disarmed.
"Tch! Disarmed?!"
He'd spotted the trap! Hanjo panicked in the unexpected twist. Already mid-leap at full speed, hiding was impossible.
'No choice. Frontal assault... wait?'
Switching to open combat, she sensed something off. He'd disarmed it perfectly—yet he looked panicked. As if even a direct hit wouldn't faze him that much.
Questions flooded her mind, but experience took over. That gaping opening was too good to waste.
Special Skill 'Divine Wind' activated.
Agility stat increased by 20% for 20 seconds.
Seizing the flaw, Hanjo unleashed her ace. A Special Skill, unlocked only after high affinity with her Patron Spirit.
Maybe her old one's bad karma had paid off—this new one meshed perfectly. She'd hit level 10, got a job, and the Special Skill!
'Couldn't go full agility tree knowing I'd get this.'
Still, she'd dumped everything into agility late: 25 total. Divine Wind pushed it to exactly 30.
Overwhelming for the level. Add a former ranker's reflexes, and dodging was impossible for a level 10!
Whoosh!
Closing in, her dagger arced smoothly for his throat. As promised, too fast for any level 10 to react.
But Hanjo overlooked one thing.
Last Savior hid countless pieces, birthing outliers beyond norms.
Like a level 1 with near-30 all-stats physical monster.
"Huh?!"
Her prediction shattered again. Full-force slash at the throat—and he whipped his head back, deflecting it. A drop of blood sprayed.
Then the counter left her stunned.
The average-faced man, Carpe, had kicked her weapon hand clean.
Intense déjà vu gripped Hanjo.
"No way... Weapon Drop?!"
Rare in RaSe's early PvP scene. But Real Fantasia veterans knew it well.
Striking the hand to disarm—pure technique, not skill.
No system registration; all player sense. Simple-looking, brutally hard.
Needed dynamic vision, prediction, focus.
"Impossible!"
Not the technique itself—arena rankers pulled it off.
The quality. Cleaner than any she'd seen. Only one user wielded it so perfectly.
Real Fantasia's Weapon Drop icon. The fighting machine with unmatched precision!
Forgetting the fight, Hanjo blurted,
"No way, Tu...!"
But the shout cut short.
You suffered a powerful vital strike!
Stunned for 7 seconds.
Carpe's kick nailed her temple.
* * *
Thud!
"Whoa, that startled me."
Carpe sighed in relief at the fallen thug. A split second slower, and she'd have had his throat. All because he'd panicked in the unexpected.
—Wait, that's how that happens?
"Tell me about it. I was freaking out."
Truth was, Carpe had spotted the thug—and the Flame Trap—thanks to Cheonma Jijon's sharp eyes.
He'd baited it on purpose, tanked with high HP, planning a simple counter-ambush...
—What a cheat skill.
Stepping on it triggered a notification flood.
Stepped on Flame Trap. Inflicts fire damage and very low chance of Burn status.
Up to here, expected... except the "very low chance" proc. Absurd luck pissed him off, but Cheonma said he'd tank it, so he held steady.
The real shock came next.
Skill 'Unlock' activated.
Trap 'Flame Trap' disarmed.
Disarm successful!
Skill 'Unlock' activated.
Status ailment Burn disarmed.
Disarm successful!
"Wh-what the hell?!"
—What? Disarm? Insane?!
The secret of the first 10-star skill, Unlock, peeled back another layer.
The 10-Star Player's Lucky Draw