In Nomine Dei
The strategy was simple: in the early game, when the gap between laners was still narrow, the supporter would roam aggressively to apply pressure. Then a powerful jungler would join the fray to crush the opponent outright.
‘In the early game when the gap with the laner is small, apply pressure through the supporter’s active roaming. Join forces with a powerful jungler to completely crush the opponent.’
It was the sole undefeated run with the highest score in the round, an ultra high-tempo meta that had whipped the stagnant guild scene back into frantic motion.
And so it became the defining first option of the Mir Guild, the strategy that now ruled the global trend: Roaming Battle.
After the season ended, countless experts and guilds spoke of Mir Guild’s roaming tactics. Most of them spent their time praising the duo of Hwarang—the so-called perfect tanker—and Sanwang, who had grown even more explosive and ruthless than in his prime.
But the real veterans focused on something else.
A top laner who could pressure any opponent.
A bottom laner who could survive even a two-on-one.
A mid laner who could never be broken.
These were the true prerequisites and foundation of Mir Guild’s roaming strategy.
And right now, that foundation was crumbling.
“……I can’t believe it. That monster—monster Park Su-bin—is being pushed back.”
Son Yul has slain Park Su-bin
The moment hundreds—no, thousands—of arrows of light rained down from every direction, the resulting flash was blinding.
The orbs of light were helplessly pushed back. The hundred white orbs that had never once been pierced, the very wall of the league, were driven back until they looked pathetic.
“The effective hit was crucial! The moment the arrow pierced Park Su-bin’s shoulder, the Divine Archer changed! Let’s look at the highlight.”
“Even while watching, I can’t understand the mechanism. Did he teleport to where the arrow landed, or did he fire himself like an arrow? Either way, the Divine Archer closed the distance in an instant and followed up with a point-blank shot.”
The highlight played in super slow motion.
Son Yul released the drawn bowstring. The arrow left the bow and became a streak of light. Naturally, the orbs of light moved to block it.
But then… a flash, and it vanished?
The real shock came next. An arrow appeared behind the orbs and, like a beam of light slicing through the surrounding radiance, brushed past Park Su-bin’s side.
And at that moment—
“!!”
Son Yul appeared where the arrow had been.
He drove the arrow held in his hand straight into Park Su-bin’s shoulder.
This was the Son Yul that Lee Shin knew.
The SSS-rank trait He Who Shoots the Sun, which imbued his will into arrows that could strike any target, paired with the archer’s version of Unity of Sword and Body—Heart Arrow—where the arrow became him and he became the arrow.
Two SSS-rank traits achieving ultimate synergy. In a world where magic power and supernatural abilities were real, he was a living miracle.
How could the commentators possibly understand? In modern terms, they could only feel it.
“……I don’t know. But I can tell that the card the Divine Archer prepared against monster Park Su-bin was close-range combat.”
“Theoretically correct. After all, Park Su-bin’s defense comes from those white orbs. If you get inside their operating range, he’ll be like a peeled fruit—soft and vulnerable. Yes, theoretically speaking.”
“And the result is in the data. Among all those who theoretically tried to break monster Park Su-bin in close combat, not a single one succeeded. Not even the Sword Master.”
It was a common misconception.
People thought Park Su-bin was a mage. Get close and he’d be weak.
But that wasn’t true at all. In fact, it was the opposite—because he had that giant now.
The giant opened its mouth toward Son Yul, who had once again become a streak of light to attempt close-range combat, and roared.
Shockwaves and ripples swallowed the surroundings.
――――!!
The ground boiled. The air trembled.
And every living thing was paralyzed.
“Stun Roar! The shockwave is devouring the area!”
“As you can see, Park Su-bin’s giant is no longer the crude cluster of orbs it used to be. It’s solid, powerful, and versatile.”
“It started with one arm, then another, then a full body. Now it’s a monstrous giant praised for its versatility!”
“The key point is that the Divine Archer knows all of this. Look—he’s retreating at the exact moment of the giant’s Stun Roar.”
“Ah, and now the opposite shoulder has been pierced. There really seems to be no counter to these point-blank shots.”
He blinked across distances and fired at the speed of light.
Three hundred and sixty degrees. From anywhere within the territory the Divine Archer ruled, arrows rained down in a relentless assault, and every place those arrows touched became his domain.
With the orbs blocked and the giant unable to keep up, finding an opening against Son Yul was almost too easy.
Thud. Thud.
No matter how sturdy the shield, the one holding it was still human. A person with a pierced heart died. That was an immutable truth that not even the ‘control’ of this canyon could override.
‘Son Yul’ has slain ‘Park Su-bin’.
“Divine Archer kill! Park Su-bin down!”
“Mid is open! Mir Guild’s pillar has collapsed!”
The top that could pressure anyone.
The bottom that could survive a two-on-one.
The mid that could never be broken.
Of those three, the one everyone had deemed impossible—even refusing to try—was the first to fall.
“The reason Kirin Guild managed to take a single set from Mir Guild in the first half was because they countered Park Su-bin with the Baekhwageom. Conversely……”
“In the second half, Park Su-bin overcame it and they lost three to zero?”
“The fundamental premise of every strategy Mir Guild deploys is ‘mid lane stability.’”
Therefore, the moment that premise collapsed, so did Mir Guild’s entire strategy.
“Divine Archer pulling out the longbow!!”
“Target is top!”
He fired.
The perfectly aimed arrow flew straight for the back of Sanwang’s head.
Sanwang, who had stopped his attack, swiftly reached out and caught it.
The arrow trembled violently in his grip. Both Sanwang and the miniature Vita grew serious at the sight of the arrow, which shone as brilliantly as his laurel wreath.
Sanwang and Hwarang immediately abandoned the dive and withdrew. It was an anticlimactic retreat given how successfully they had blocked the attack, but Sanwang had read the will contained in the arrow his disciple had fired.
It begins now. Try to stop me if you can.
And from that moment on, the Divine Archer’s one-man carry show truly began.
“Divine Archer firing the longbow again! Bottom! Bottom!!”
“Yu Ri-ra, who was dodging the two-on-one with the incoming arrow, slips! She tries to regain balance but—”
“Aaaagh!! Too late!!”
“Manwang’s binding magic hits. The Flame Queen’s flames explode!”
‘Kim Ji-ah’ has slain ‘Yu Ri-ra’.
In the meantime, the Divine Archer drew his longbow again to save the jungle, then hammered the returning Park Su-bin once more. He pushed him relentlessly into the tower, denying him even a moment to breathe, while continuing to exert influence over top and bottom with his longbow.
‘Han Jeong-do’ has slain ‘Yu Ri-ra’.
‘Shin Bo-ye’ has slain ‘Baek Yeon-woo’.
‘Kim Ji-ah’ has slain ‘Kim Yu-shin’.
·
·
Twenty-one kills.
It was the highest kill count Kirin Guild had ever achieved against Mir Guild, and every single one of those kills had begun at this man’s fingertips.
3/0/18 (KDA).
One hundred percent kill participation.
“Set one goes to Kirin Guild!!”
“I’ll say it plainly. A Kirin victory? No. This is the Divine Archer’s victory!! A win created solely by that one man!”
* * *
After the first set ended, the Mir Guild members returned to the waiting room.
Perhaps because they had never suffered such a complete defeat before, the room was unusually subdued. The kids who hadn’t even been able to do anything properly looked especially devastated.
Unable to watch any longer, Kim Jong-pil spoke to them in a gentle voice.
“Don’t look so down, Su-bin. You did well.”
“No, it’s my fault. I couldn’t hold him and ruined the match. I’m sorry, Captain.”
“No, I was complacent. The Divine Archer was faster and stronger than we had anticipated. His global strike skill was also incredibly precise. In that sense, Ri-ra worked hard too.”
“He was targeting my escape routes the whole time…… Church Oppa, I didn’t expect that from you. That was really sneaky. I’m disappointed! I’ll definitely pay you back!!”
“Hahaha, good. Let’s pay him back together. Yeon-woo, are you watching the replay?”
“……Something feels off. When I fought Gwang-seob hyung in the finals, it wasn’t this bad.”
“That’s because……”
Just as Sanwang was about to share his guess, the door opened and an answer came.
“It’s because he’s holding a Legendary item.”
“Hyuuung—!!”
“Director?!”
“Oppa! Where have you been? You’re finally back!!”
“Hi, hello, nice to see you.”
The man who opened the door and walked in was Lee Shin.
After nearly ten days away from the guild, he had finally returned.
Clap, clap!!
“Alright, that’s enough. I’m sure you all have a lot to say, but let’s focus on the match first. The Legendary item Yeonu just mentioned is most likely ‘Jeokgungbaeksi.’ Its ability is arrow replication.”
“Wait, Director. Didn’t his bow change after the finals?”
“Yu-shin hyung, exterior modification.”
“Ah……!”
“Looks like the Divine Archer really got to you, hyung. I’ve never seen you this shaken before.”
An SSS-rank archer trait. Not only that, but the two traits with the best possible synergy, plus a Legendary weapon that could replicate arrows infused with will.
A complete, two-hundred-percent potential Divine Archer.
To face such an opponent, they would have to bring out every ounce of their own full potential.
Therefore—
“Here, take this.”
Lee Shin stopped in front of Kim Jong-pil and held out a case.
Kim Jong-pil stared at it for a moment before accepting it. He asked quietly, “Will this complete me?”
“No.”
“……??”
“Not complete. It will evolve you.”
A Legendary item born from the support of the Rothschilds, the craftsmanship of the legendary master Akbong, and Lee Shin’s knowledge.
“Its name is……”
He whispered it into his ear. Sanwang’s eyes widened.
His gaze then turned to the side, where a small Vita stood. The spirit was staring at the object inside the case with great interest.
“You understand? Go. Break them.”
* * *
The second set began.
Both guilds moved to their positions just as they had in the first set. Son Yul and Park Su-bin met in mid lane again. Seeing Park Su-bin’s determined expression, Son Yul smiled as if he found it adorable.
“I thought you’d run away, but you came anyway.”
“……I’m not so weak that I’d run away after losing once.”
“I like that. You’ve taken one step closer to becoming my disciple.”
Son Yul laughed brightly as he drew his bowstring. His arrow glowed with light, and countless streaks of light filled the space behind him.
Spotlights? Stars? The sun?
It didn’t matter. A baptism of light came crashing down.
Park Su-bin clenched his teeth and summoned his giant to block it.
“Su-bin. I’ll be direct. Right now, you can’t hold the Divine Archer back.”
Two hundred potential wasn’t simply a difference in strength.
“It is a realm only those who have surpassed the wall of human limitation can reach. Just as the old man did, the Divine Archer standing before you has crossed that wall.”
Manwang’s potential had been stuck at one hundred and ninety-nine for life because he could not surpass Super Intuition and relied on it. Flame Queen, who focused only on what was visible, was also stuck at one hundred and ninety-nine.
Those who stopped at one hundred and ninety-nine despite having two hundred potential had ultimately failed to overcome the wall of possibility.
That was why Lee Shin had called Son Yul special.
That was why he had told Park Su-bin to endure.
“Hold the line no matter what. Return to your roots. For this match, don’t pay attention to anything around you. Think only of holding on, just like when you first stood in mid lane all those years ago.”
“If you do that, the opportunity will come.”
Park Su-bin bit down hard and clasped his hands together. In that instant, he recalled every orb and absorbed them into the giant.
He boldly abandoned the orbs that had already been pierced once and focused entirely on the giant. Of course, that meant he would take one-sided damage from long-range attacks, but Park Su-bin chose to trust Lee Shin’s words over pride or anything else.
Yes. The opportunity will come.
Hyung said the opportunity would come. So he would endure as long as possible and wait for it. The milk-colored giant’s eyes turned red as it crouched and shielded the lane.
The moment he openly switched to a pure defensive stance, the one who reacted was Son Yul.
“Hm? You’re giving up?”
“I’m not giving up.”
“How disappointing.”
“I won’t say another word.”
Son Yul shrugged as if the fight had gone stale, but inwardly he was surprised.
What is this? He’s abandoning his own style so easily?
Normally, someone his age with that level of talent would lack composure and have too much bravado, but Park Su-bin was the opposite.
Son Yul’s evaluation of Park Su-bin rose. There was nothing uglier than forgetting one’s role because of emotion.
In that sense, Park Su-bin crouching like a pill bug passed the test.
Then I suppose I should move on to the next role as well.
While maintaining the barrage of replicated arrows using the Legendary weapon Jeokgungbaeksi, he drew his longbow.
The target was bottom lane, where they were sending SOS signals saying Sanwang was nearby.
Son Yul pulled the bowstring with all his strength and closed his eyes.
The world stopped.
Soon, droplets of water fell inside the pitch-black darkness.
Drip—
Time’s line awakened along the ripples.
Terrain was revealed. Forests appeared. Rivers appeared. The entire canyon was drawn out, and the back of his master hiding in the bushes became visible.
Fire!
Just as he was about to release the bowstring—!
“!?”
In that instant, Son Yul froze as if struck by lightning.
Because in the mental world, something was staring directly at him.
A deer with lush antlers like tree branches.
Vita was looking at Son Yul from beyond the mental world, smiling crookedly.
“Is this your world?”
“!!”
“Strong human. You are qualified to hear my voice.”
Therefore, I shall give you a gift.
Cloth wrapped around Vita’s neck and fluttered. It was a flag. A pure white background like a lily, with a cross and a dragon intersecting.
Golden trumpets that had appeared at some point cried out toward the heavens. The mental world, which had been darkness, shattered. Lush greenery spread out, and when those trees took form—
Cannons unfolded behind Vita. A plant artillery corps.
“Artillery is the god of war.”
The moment Son Yul urgently opened his eyes, sand particles were floating around him.
A circular green targeting reticle had been drawn on the ground with him at the center.
“Hahahahaha.”
Before the laughter could even fade—
KWAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!
The Divine Archer holding the longbow was already engulfed in an explosion.
◈ The ‘Flag of Joan of Arc,’ long buried in dust and robbed of its light, regains life in the hands of a master artisan who appears once in a millennium.
◈ Evolves the target.