The Heavenly Demon Helps With My Promotion (4)
I have a few things to check.
“What is it?”
First, does the Dragon Hunter have a javelin technique that can be used with the system correction?
“Yes. I do.”
The javelin was one of the Dragon Hunter’s few long-range checking skills. Throwing the spear and retrieving it was so difficult that most players treated it like a sealed ability.
Second, can the Dragon Hunter fight using the correction even without a spear?
“It should… be possible?”
Since there was a javelin technique, Enri knew close-quarters combat skills existed for when she had no spear. She had never used them herself, though. From the moment she first started playing Apis, she had been taught to keep her javelin sealed, so she had never once let go of her spear.
That’s all I needed.
“So what should I do now?”
For now, just hold on.
It was a rather vague instruction, but Enri decided to trust Ara. When it came to fighting, Ara’s skill surpassed anyone else’s. She had never once been wrong when she made a bold claim.
The moment the alert sounded, the Elemental Archer used a wind spirit to kick up a thick cloud of dust. Visibility vanished, and the archer’s figure disappeared for an instant. It was one of his standard opening patterns—steal their sight immediately and force a fifty-fifty guess. Shoot an arrow to deal damage, or create distance. The way to tell which was simple: listen. The instant Enri heard the sound of a bowstring being drawn, she rolled to the side. The arrow that followed buried itself exactly where she had been standing.
When the dust settled, the Elemental Archer’s face reappeared. Even though his first attack had missed, his expression showed no disappointment. It was only natural. He had already seized the momentum. The worst possible situation for an Elemental Archer was having the distance closed right from the start, leaving him unable to shake off his opponent and losing helplessly. But right now? The distance was open, and the initiative belonged to him. He was the hunter, and Enri was the prey.
The player who usually checked her opponents with almost petty persistence was now the one who had to break through that same pettiness.
The Elemental Archer’s attack power wasn’t particularly high because of his signature checking ability. Thanks to that, enduring his arrows wasn’t all that difficult. After roughly ten seconds of standoff, Ara finally spoke again.
I get the picture now. Do exactly as I say.
“Got it.”
The arrow he’s aiming right now will fly toward your left thigh. Dodge it and take one step forward.
Enri obeyed. The arrow meant for her thigh pierced empty air and stabbed into the ground.
Now pretend to rush forward, then immediately pull back.
She shifted her weight forward and then retreated. The ground in front of her exploded upward. If she hadn’t pulled back, the rock would have smashed into her.
He should be aiming at you from behind that rock by now.
“Probably.”
Doesn’t it annoy you that only he gets to shoot? Let’s throw something back at him.
“...You want me to throw my spear?”
What else would you throw?
Enri definitely trusted Ara. Still, she couldn’t help wondering if this was really okay. If the gamble failed, she would lose on the spot. This wasn’t a normal match—it could be the final game of her promotion series. Was this really fine?
“Ugh, whatever!”
After a brief moment of hesitation, Enri shook her head. Thinking like this didn’t suit her at all. If I lose because of this, it’s Ara’s fault, not mine. Then I’ll have something to complain about later. Perfect!
The instant Enri stepped out from behind the rock, the Elemental Archer fired. She caught the arrow on her left arm and immediately prepared a javelin throw. It was her first time ever throwing a spear, but the correction system turned her into an expert in a single breath.
Maybe he hadn’t expected her to throw it. The Elemental Archer, who had been drawing his bow again, froze for a split second. The moment Enri released the spear, he threw himself into a desperate roll.
Now! Run! Close the distance before he recovers!
“And after that?!”
Beat him to death! Start a dogfight.
“Will that actually work?!”
Enri was stunned by Ara’s reckless instructions, but it was already too late. She had thrown her spear away.
By the time the Elemental Archer recovered from his roll, Enri was already standing right in front of him. As he rolled his eyes in confusion, Enri clenched her fist and drove it straight into his jaw. The Dragon Hunter’s superhuman strength combined with the system’s correction sent the archer crashing back to the ground.
Keep charging! Don’t think about defense or evasion. Just swing your fists like a madwoman.
At first the Elemental Archer tried every trick he had to shake her off, but Enri charged in like a berserker, accepting every hit and throwing punches nonstop. He never got a chance to nock an arrow or command his spirits, so in the end he had no choice but to raise his own fists.
And so the dogfight began.
The viewers burst into laughter at the pathetic fistfight between two people who clearly had no experience with brawling.
What are you doing? The jaw! Aim for the jaw! Yes! Then hit the stomach twice to shift his focus and go for the face again!
Ara was shouting advice like an excited old man watching a boxing match.
Enri was the one who won the dogfight. An elemental archer with low specs, as expected of a long-range character, simply couldn’t defeat a Dragon Hunter.
She had achieved the victory she wanted, yet her expression remained complicated.
“Why the long face? You won. You should be happy.”
“I did win, but…”
What she had just done wasn’t a flashy Apis duel or professional UFC-level combat. It had literally been a back-alley dogfight. Sure, she had won in the end, but it was the kind of fight that viewers would clip and upload to the community forums.
“Did I really have to win like that?”
The strategist behind it was Ara. If she was capable of perfectly dismantling an opponent like she had shown before, couldn’t she have found a different path to victory? Something more elegant than a brawl.
“That was the most reliable strategy. Your opponent only prefers standard, textbook methods. People like that usually freeze when faced with something outside their expectations. So I simply shattered the standard and forced him into a blunder.”
It was true—the sight of a Dragon Hunter throwing away her spear to charge in with fists was completely outside common sense. The opponent hadn’t known how to respond and ended up fistfighting to his own defeat. Ara’s reasoning was clearly correct.
“What? Do you think there was another way and that I deliberately chose this method anyway?”
“No! That’s not it!”
Her voice rose as the remark struck home. She waved her hands in denial, but it was practically a confession. When Ara frowned, Enri panicked and started spitting out excuses. It was a joke. She had complained too much. She was sorry when Ara had been helping her. And so on.
Watching Enri dig herself deeper, Ara eventually relaxed her frown and burst out laughing.
“Your senses are sharp. You were right. I figured a standard fight would be boring, so I deliberately guided the match into a dogfight.”
After openly admitting she had done it for fun, Ara continued chuckling. Enri froze solid.
So this person had made her fistfight just because it looked entertaining? She had created footage that would tank Enri’s name across the community for the sake of a laugh?
“Hwaryeong!”
“Ahaha. Sorry. But Enri, I need to enjoy myself too, don’t I?”
Even when Enri glared at her, Ara only laughed harder, completely unfazed. If anything, she seemed to find it cute, her eyes softening with affection.
“Anyway, you won. That’s what matters, right?”
“Thanks to you, I’m about to become a total meme.”
“That’s something a streamer should celebrate.”
Any mention was good for a broadcaster, but that wasn’t something Ara should be saying!
Enri stared at the shamelessly grinning Ara and swore revenge. You seem to have forgotten, but I still remember that promise you made about going out with me. Just wait. I’ll get you back for this.
Ara, who had been calmly meeting Enri’s burning gaze, suddenly turned her head. Her eyes moved as if checking a message, then she shrugged apologetically.
“Sorry, but the food I ordered just arrived. I’ll be going now.”
“Yeah. Have a safe trip.”
Ara smiled bitterly at Enri’s resentful tone, then offered one last piece of advice before leaving.
“During the final match, turn off every way you communicate with the viewers. You have a tendency to get swept up in their reactions.”
“...Understood.”
“And sometimes, if you truly believe something is right, it’s okay to follow your heart. You’ve grown a lot compared to before.”
Ara patted Enri’s shoulder and exited the game.
Playing with someone and then acting cool at the end. Did she really think Enri would forget her grudge just because of that? Still, it was true that she had earned this final chance thanks to Ara, so she could cut her some slack.
Grumbling to herself, Enri let out a long sigh.
In the end, it had come down to the final match.
After pressing the start button, Enri closed her eyes. Even though she stood at the crossroads that would decide whether she could reach Diamond, there was no tension in her heart. It was probably because Ara had caused so much chaos earlier.
Did she plan for this too?
Any normal person would have dismissed the thought, but this was Ara. Somehow, it felt like she would have predicted even this situation.
Since they were meeting tomorrow anyway, Enri decided she would just ask her then.