This Bastard...!!
“This bastard...!!”
G. Basel gripped his greatbow with both hands, swinging it like a club. Sharp blades adorned both ends of the bow, slicing through the air with a resounding whoosh—as if wielding a sword.
“Watch out!”
Ryu Chanhu's spirit spreads around.
Gemini Archer's brothers cannot see each other with their backs pressed together.
Complete Concealment Lv1 used!
All party members concealed within 3m radius of the constellation.
In an instant, Jin-su vanished, and Basel's swing cut through empty air.
“......!!”
Basel's shock was plain as day when Jin-su disappeared.
'So that's the Gemini Archer's power.'
Among the Zodiac successors, the Gemini Archer's Complete Concealment synergized perfectly with a hunter like the Sagittarius Archer. It shone in large-scale wars, but small guerrilla fights like this highlighted their duo even more.
He had grand ambitions to crush the Eight Great Clans, but his current influence was limited to a handful. To build forces for massive wars, you had to win these small skirmishes first.
Jin-su seemed to have chosen a versatile class perfect for early-to-late game clan foundation.
'But he didn't pick Sagittarius Archer just for the clan.'
Back in Dimension World 1, when we ran the arenas together, most thought his job was Martial Fighter, an advanced from Brawler. But actually, it was the hidden class Rune Master—far from melee, mastering elemental magic, swords, spears, axes, and even special curses or spells engraved on artifacts called grimoires.
Rune Master was more accessible than my Supreme class, but Jin-su was the only one who'd pushed it to third advancement. Versatility could mean excellence across the board or mediocrity in all—take Muak Clan's Geom-san as an example.
But that was surface level; Geom-san and Jin-su were worlds apart.
'Geom-san dabbles in whatever catches his fancy, but Jin-su picks only what he needs, perfectly.'
Never satisfied with one path, he'd built a foundation for multiple skills, then forged new combos from them. While I kept Chilya Sword Master secret, he'd tease me with his own hidden ace. His growth potential was sky-high.
Do Jinsu's spirit condenses on the arrow.
Gemini Archer's six stars react to Do Jinsu's spirit, forging a new path.
South Dipper Star Arrow Lv1 used!
The first arrow infused with spirit energy strikes with 100% accuracy.
'Insane...'
I couldn't help but gasp at the silver arrow streaking through the air. Whatever "first shot" meant, 100% hit rate plugged the archer's deadliest weakness. Even maxed Hawk Eye or Precise Shot topped out below 100%—spirit blessings were straight-up broken.
Crack!—The arrow thudded home, its fletching quivering.
“Kuh...?!”
Jin-su's arrow buried in Basel's shoulder.
“Captain!”
His hidden subordinates cried out in alarm.
“Stand up like that and you're a sitting duck. Asking to die?”
“......Hngh!!”
A chill grazed the assassin's back as he rose. He whipped around—only for Baek Yiheon's sword to sever his neck in one stroke.
“R-run!”
The assassins scattered, but Black Eye's greatsword awaited.
Black Eye activates Focus Lv3.
Attack success rate increases.
Beheading Sword Lv1 used!
Crunch!—A heavy whoosh cleaved the air, bisecting three fleeing assassins at the waist.
“Argh!!”
“Guh...!”
As Black Eye smashed down on the fourth's head, faint light leaked from his greatsword.
Beheading Sword absorbs massive blood.
Proficiency greatly increases.
Beheading Sword Lv1 → Lv2
Beheading Sword's power strengthens further.
[Hmm. Nice.]
No major changes, but Black Eye's already ferocious swordplay got deadlier with raw power boosts.
[The surest path to strength is live combat.]
Crunch!—Black Eye stomped over the fallen assassins, their bodies crumbling to ash.
“W-what the hell is that...?”
“Monster...”
The survivors muttered in horror at Black Eye's form.
Black Eye activates Crowd Control Lv4.
All hostile entities within 10m radius slow down.
A few enemies fall into panic.
“Hngh...!!”
“Cough.”
“S-spare me...!”
“Hey!! Snap out of it!!”
“Don't break formation!!”
As Black Eye's gaze swept the area, some assassins shuddered violently.
[There.]
Shrieeeek!—As if on cue, Yeomhwa-ryeong blasted through the air at blinding speed.
Slash—
“......Huh?”
Her crimson wings flashed like a blade, grazing an assassin's neck. He touched the stinging spot.
Drip.
A shallow cut below his Adam's apple gushed blood.
“Guh, guhhek...!!”
Vital struck.
Yeomhwa-ryeong's precise blow counts as critical hit.
Double damage inflicted.
Yeomhwa-ryeong wheeled mid-air, targeting another.
“Arrrgh!!”
“Cough...!!”
Screams echoed through the forest.
[Thought she was just a playful one, but even a lesser god is a god.]
Black Eye commented as Yeomhwa-ryeong zipped around too fast for the eye—like a razor blade in flight.
“Damn it...!!”
G. Basel yanked Jin-su's arrow from his shoulder and tossed it aside, grimacing.
Thud!—But moments later, an unseen arrow from concealed Jin-su pierced his foot.
“Damn it!!”
Even maxing his stealth detection, Basel couldn't pinpoint Jin-su or Chan-ho. It wasn't basic stealth draining stamina to mask presence—like a mage's Blind spell, powered by Chan-ho's Gemini Archer spirit, not mana. Undeflectable by assassins' mana sense, it drove Basel mad.
Whoosh!Whoosh! Whoosh!!
Arrows homed in like rats in a trap, piercing Basel precisely.
'South Dipper Star Arrow guarantees the first hit, but the rest is pure skill.'
In Dimension World 1, his style was martial—archery talent surprised even me.
“Raaargh!!”
Enraged by the unbelievable onslaught, G. Basel loosed arrows wildly.
But with minions dropping, his lost composure sealed his fate.
Groooan!—He drew his jet-black bowstring to its limit, unleashing a volley overhead.
Shoosh! Shoosh! Shoooo!
A rain of arrows formed a wall between us, as if shielding him.
“Hup...!”
Basel retreated hastily, widening the gap.
'Hmm, even learned Fox Eye's secret Fox Rain? Not bad.'
“Definitely different from Jang Il-mun, like you said.”
I admired G. Basel's skill.
“Catching that guy nets solid EXP, right?”
Space rippled as Chan-ho appeared beside me, pointing at Basel.
“......Shut up!!”
Basel bellowed in fury. He twisted his planted left leg—fierce winds erupted from his sole, tripling his speed for 10 seconds at half max stamina. The extreme arts' fourth technique: Flying Step.
But he didn't know.
[Pfft, that all? I'll show you a god's speed.]
Fwoosh!—Yeomhwa-ryeong, done with minions, perched on my shoulder mockingly. Flames erupted from my back.
Fire Command used!
Yeomhwa-ryeong vanished into the fiery wings sprouting from me.
Whoosh!—Wings flared wide; one step closed the gap to fleeing Basel.
True Chilya 1st Sword
I lunged at his shoulder, swinging with full force.
Shlaaash!—Basel twisted instinctively, but my blade severed his wrist just before evasion.
“......Kuhk!!”
Flying Step canceled from shock; he tumbled, clutching the stump. Drained of stamina, escape seemed impossible.
Thwack!—Baek Yiheon hammered Basel's staggering side; he crumpled with a guh!.
“You... son of a...!!”
As he struggled up, arrows from nowhere pinned both legs.
“Argh!!”
Basel collapsed messily, screaming.
“Give up. Your men's all dead.”
Baek Yiheon told the fallen man.
“Ugh...”
Jin-su picked up Basel's dropped bow, inspecting it.
“Bit big... but better than mine.”
“S-stop!”
Basel panicked more over his weapon than his plight.
◈ Replica of the Jet-Black Bow used by Yulmun assassin Fox Eye. Despite being a copy, performance is excellent.
◈ Passed only to Fox Eye-approved assassins; said to be prerequisite for crafting true Jet-Black Bow.
◈ Attack Power: 110
◈ Archery Lv +1
◈ All Stats +1
“Pretty high attack for Rare. Fits assassins.”
Jin-su nodded, pleased.
“N-no...!!”
Basel's panic made sense—that bow was key to Fox Eye's real one.
“I-I'll get you another bow! You can't reforge it without Yulmun assassin status anyway!”
He'd forgotten trying to kill us, pleading desperately.
“Gonna need to survive first for that.”
“......What?”
Step-step-step—Our group parted around him; my approach turned his face ashen.
“Jang Il-mun or you. One lives.”
“W-wait!!”
Jang Il-mun cried out desperately—he'd already sold all his items and info to me for mercy.
“I like skilled enemies. Telling you first: revival penalty locks you out days. With Six Formations competing, even you might lose to trash.”
I whispered in G. Basel's ear.
“Better than logging out, even if hell awaits. Your call.”
“......What do you want?”
“Ship to Yulmun. You crossed continents—gotta have one.”
Gulp—Conflict etched his face.
“N-no way you'd tell...!!”
Clang!Thud!
“Ku, cough...!!”
My thrown Amur dagger plunged into pillar-bound Jang Il-mun's chest. He convulsed, then slumped lifeless—HP bottomed, one-shot.
“Knew already. Jang Il-mun spilled everything.”
“......What?”
“Curious how he sang, huh.”
G. Basel flashed to Jang Il-mun bound, limbless, neither dead nor alive.
“I-I'll talk!”
“Where?”
“South from here—small isle Salt Island. Ship's docked!”
“Got it.”
I nodded.
“Can't blame Jang Il-mun.”
“......Huh?”
“He never mentioned the ship. Mutsa'll love grilling you back at Yulmun.”
“W-wait!!!”
Stab!—I beheaded pale G. Basel without hesitation.
Hummm!—His body dissolved into light particles, absorbed as EXP.
[Now they'll tear each other apart. Didn't ask Jang Il-mun about the ship—he'll blame Basel. Basel reports the Fairy's Eye loss. Who survives? Heh.]
Black Eye chuckled at the empty spot.
“Who survives?”
I yanked Amur dagger from the pillar, grinning at him.
“Me, obviously.”