Streamer Crazy About Slaughter - Chapter 84
—
ㅡKaaang!
A clear sound echoed, accompanied by the unique effects that are triggered upon a successful parry.
However, the outcome of that parry greatly exceeded Serin’s expectations.
“…!?”
Serin hurriedly shielded herself.
Boom!
Despite succeeding in the parry, the arrow that was deflected exploded, causing a blast. But there was no expected damage.
Feeling that the effects of the parry were in play, she ultimately found herself pushed back by the explosion’s aftermath.
The archer, who was watching Serin’s parry, was left astonished.
“Insane…”
To see a parry happen right in front of him, he couldn’t believe it. Before thinking, he instinctively reached toward the ground.
Bang! Whoosh!
Soon after, something burst forth from the archer’s hand, accompanied by a small explosion, as a cloud of white smoke quickly enveloped the area.
The cave, which had been brightly lit for an instant, transformed into a place void of visibility, filled with the thick white smoke created by the archer.
Thick darkness and white smoke.
The combination of those two trapped both the archer and Serin in its embrace.
“…”
Now, using a technique to erase his presence, the archer cautiously moved, unlike the initial attack on Serin, as he sought to escape the area swiftly.
Knowing that Lin was proficient in parrying, he had no problem loading an explosive arrow from the start. It had gone as he expected, but the mere act of deflecting an arrow that was nearly a ranged shot was shocking in itself.
With the effects of the parry likely preventing him from taking any blast damage, the archer quickly concluded.
‘I can never win.’
Thus, the archer quietly walked through the smoke.
He hadn’t approached Serin with a plan from the outset.
While having a party hunt with outlaw friends he was familiar with in the dwarf’s cave, he had simply been watching Lin’s broadcast during a break, just one of many twisted users.
That said, he held no malice toward Serin.
He only had Lin’s voice on in the background, like a radio, but upon seeing Serin, who simply seemed to brag about having obtained an item that others had failed to get even after months of hunting, he felt a sudden surge of anger and switched channels to find Lin.
Although he was lucky to find Serin without switching through hundreds of channels, that encounter made the archer realize that he could not compete with Lin.
Playing as an outlaw meant that one had confidence in their skill and knew how to conceal themselves thoroughly.
The sight of Lin deflecting a shot from just a short distance became vividly etched in the archer’s memory.
‘…I should run away.’
At that moment, as he cautiously moved his steps without even managing to exhale properly.
“How did you find me?”
Suddenly, an overly soft voice rang out.
Feeling as if his position had been uncovered by Serin’s sweet voice, the archer hesitated, but he couldn’t find her anywhere upon looking around.
He soon ignored Serin’s words.
He blended seamlessly into the white smoke.
The archer, moving with utmost stealth, had only one thought in his mind.
‘I have to escape quickly.’
He couldn’t meet d*ath in an outlaw state.
He had no intention of bearing that penalty as “Archer Please Up.”
The d*ath penalty for being an outlaw was far too severe.
The penalties for attacking users as an ‘outlaw’ were not light at all.
While Another World didn’t directly prevent players from acting freely, they had turned the system against outlaws.
The dire penalties for being an outlaw were in place, suggesting, ‘If you think you can handle the consequences, go ahead.’
Just a straightforward and very direct penalty.
ㅡBanned from accessing Another World.
The first was for a day, the next for three days, followed by a week. Finally, the last stage was a ban of a whole month.
Total access denial, making it impossible to enjoy the game.
For someone like him, who lived through Another World, where life was the game, this was the most terrifying punishment imaginable.
He was even supporting his living expenses through Another World, akin to a “rice-farming user.”
Swoosh.
Swoosh.
The white smoke continued to brush against the archer’s body, wrapping him in subtle little sensations.
The thick smoke that erased his presence was heavy and did not dissipate easily, unlike normal smoke.
While it could be good for fleeing or concealing oneself, and was quite expensive, the archer used it without hesitation.
As the archer stealthily moved, hope began to blossom as he thought he could evade soon.
Whoooosh!
A crimson crescent moon blade pierced through the white smoke that surrounded him.
—
The impact of the explosion had pushed Serin back, but she quickly composed herself.
Afterward, thick white smoke billowed up, filling the cave and obscuring almost all visibility.
Sighing softly as she observed the surroundings that were barely visible, Serin judged that whatever this was, it wouldn’t pose a threat to her, but it did not feel pleasant.
‘If I’m going to d*e anyway, I might as well d*e quickly.’
It felt like a pointless hassle.
Rustle.
As if trapped in white smoke, she couldn’t see an inch ahead.
Moving her feet, she concentrated slowly. She focused all her nerves on finding the archer who had assaulted her.
As she heightened her senses to react sensitively to even the smallest noise or presence, it became evident that the opponent had not moved far.
In the narrow cave, it was impossible to escape without leaving any traces.
If they had managed to slip away quickly, she would have felt it and could have pursued.
No matter how thick the white smoke was, sound would inevitably travel.
Moreover, the fact that the opponent concealed themselves using smoke indicated that they lacked a means to escape immediately.
With that reasoning in mind, the conclusion was reached.
‘He must realize that an ambush or surprise attack is meaningless due to the recent parry.’
And perhaps, though it was slim, he might still be targeting her. That thought crossed her mind.
Rustle.
“How did you find me?”
She calmly asked conversationally in the pitch-black smoke as she took careful steps, using a voice even sweeter than usual.
The person before her had intentionally come to seek her out, whether out of malice or not.
Ultimately, it meant that he was interested in her.
So she thought that if she asked gently, he might give her some reaction, but there was none.
In such situations, actions typically revealed reactions more than words.
The crescent moon blade shot out as if it were about to pierce.
Whoosh!
The bl**d-red crescent moon blade broke through the white smoke that looked ready to fill the entire area.
And at its edge, no response was felt.
“…”
That recent attack wasn’t directed because the opponent was right there.
Swiftly!
Retrieving the crescent moon blade at the same time.
Once again.
She swung the crescent moon blade rapidly.
Whoosh!
Without following the trajectory of a crescent or any other path, it simply flew straight as a solid line.
For the moment, she thought her opponent might be hiding or moving stealthily.
So she chose carelessly explosive attacks.
The confined space was unsuitable for unleashing techniques, and obscured by the white smoke, she couldn’t gauge the distance at all.
In such circumstances, hastily using skills could give her opponent an opening, so she repeatedly attacked with the bl**d-red crescent moon blade.
Thus, she swung the blade while contemplating where her opponent might be.
Calmly moving as if merely strolling around.
Rustle.
She leisurely searched for her opponent concealed in the smoke.
Whoosh!
Swoosh!
The sounds of her blade extending and retrieving continued.
And only the light footsteps of Lin rustling filled the space filled with white smoke.
Although it was Serin who had been attacked first, the situation turned oddly.
The ambushing archer had completely lost the will to fight and was attempting to escape since the initial assault, while the ambushed Serin was instead in the position of hunting someone down.
Serin was so focused on the situation that she even forgot she was broadcasting.
A determined intent to k*ll.
Whether as an outlaw or otherwise, the fact that someone had attacked her was enough for Serin to be unwilling to let the opponent go.
With her lips slightly moving, Serin spoke softly as if to comfort the opponent.
“Wouldn’t it save us both time if you just died quickly?”
Whoosh!
Unlike before, the bl**d-red crescent moon blade shot out quickly, now tracing a crescent as it flew.
—
[Why does it have to be an outlaw? It makes supporting the archer awkward, haha.]
[Doesn’t it seem like Lin is actually enjoying meeting an outlaw?]
[I]
[Is it really possible to parry an explosive arrow just now?]
[The item the archer used is expensive.]
[Rock]
[Seeing Lin use an item right after parrying makes it seem like he was scared, haha.]
[Well, dying as an outlaw has no mercy in penalties.]
[I]
[Isn’t it funny how an outlaw would dare to challenge Lin? Haha.]
[Rock]
[For real, Lin defeated Plea and Gosu, yet an outlaw is acting out. Haha.]
[Honestly, is there anyone actually supporting the archer? Haha.]
[It’s fine because she’s pretty.]
[Agreed.]
While observing Serin’s broadcast, Eunha was slightly troubled as she checked the chat.
ㅡDwarf’s Ring.
One of the eleven treasures of Another World. A treasure that is difficult to acquire and still held by very few.
Moreover, the dwarf’s cave required high specs, so the user pool was not wide, resulting in rare appearances in the auction.
On average, only about one would appear in a month, and during times it didn’t, it could take much longer to see even one, making it an item owned by a very minimal number of users.
For that reason, there were many who poured years’ worth of time into the dwarf’s cave in hopes of striking it rich, yet plenty gave up in the end without gaining a single ring.
“What a coincidence this is.”
Lin had clearly said the Dwarf’s Ring was the ‘first treasure’ he obtained.
And that was the same for Yoon Eunha; her first obtained treasure was also the ‘Dwarf’s Ring.’
Thus, she and Lin share the condition of having the ‘first treasure’ in common.
If so, the subsequent quest about the truth of Ailanete would naturally follow…
ㅡ『The broadcast has ended.』
Just as she was lost in thought, the broadcast abruptly cut off.
“What…?”
Eunha muttered blankly.