Chapter 181

The opening match of the World of Aura featured the team from ‘The Blory.’

The single elimination 6-team league was being streamed through the Letterbox official channel.

Viewers who consistently followed the scrims probably had a good grasp of each team’s strength, but that was not the case for most.

A staggering 200,000 viewers tuned in for the opening match, and when Wigrasil appeared on the map, the excitement of cheering for their teams escalated.

And the ones fueling this excitement were the passionate commentators.

“The ‘Mankai Castle’ team must be regretting their decisions right now. What did we do wrong…? What did we do wrong?!”

“Yes! But there must have been something wrong for them to end up like this, right?”

“Exactly. They even took out loans during the early setup just to earn that one coin to take down No Name. They went all in, but they lost? They’re paying the price for that now.”

“Why is the one coin so expensive?!”

The first match, which was expected to be tightly contested, continued to flow one-sidedly.

1,000 gold and level 2 experience were credited to No Name.

Even if they ignored this as the work of a healer with no influence, it was clearly a case of overgrowth.

And in games, overgrown characters tend to sweep the battlefield.

“That level 1 knight Bella is actually winning one-on-one, is he crazy? HAHAHA!”

“Isn’t Mage Bella the weakest in one-on-one? Knight Bella is different, right?”

“Yeah, around early game she was really strong. Think of her as stronger than a level 1 hero.”

“Knight Bella can’t even take down one opponent in a 1v3 situation.”

“Starting with 1,000 gold? LOL it’s not like World of Aura is League of Legends or anything. HAHAHA!”

“In League, if you start with 1,000 gold in invade, the game breaks, let alone World of Aura. HAHAHA!”

“I thought putting down the sword and stretching the fist would be a gamble, but they turned that around instead.”

“Actually, getting to that point meant they were losing, but it turned out to be the only option they had to win.”

World of Aura’s NPCs always make reasonable choices.

During battle simulations, they choose the moves that have the highest win rates, and if you follow the orders of the NPCs, you would at least avoid taking losses.

This was a system designed to allow lower-tier players to focus more on combat than on management.

Thus, when a knight confronted a priest alone, the decision to run away was difficult for both humans and AI.

“Back then in the single combat, No Name directed the fight somewhat into close-quarters combat. They kept leaving gaps around the head, but when Isabelle tried to hit with the heavy Flamberge, she cleverly countered just at that moment.”

“Wouldn’t a human also fall for the provocation, even if they were an NPC?”

“I think I would have tried to engage in close combat out of anger!”

“To clarify for those who don’t know, the priest has no combat adjustment skills except for daggers. To put it simply, every movement made by No Name is a manual command! All of it!”

“Wow, that’s incredible! And right now, Kariri is on the move! Kariri is running! No Name is providing cover from behind!”

Despite the game being tilted early on, the Mankai Castle team was firmly holding their ground with solid teamwork.

With limited healing options in World of Aura, healers were the top priority targets in team fights, and being the target allowed them to expertly avoid large-scale engagements.

Hence, No Name ran. Together with Kariri. To Wigrasil.

Those who watched scrims frequently would know what they were doing.

Early backdoor.

Before the game even hit 20 minutes, they led the enemy line deep into their territory and then went to burn Wigrasil on the opposite side.

While it had only worked as a fun build in VTubing, it was a highly credible strategy approved all the way up to the director.

The agile movement of the priest, and despite being a tank, Kariri’s unique presence made her mobility incredibly fast.

The guarding NPC at Wigrasil was relaxed. And the enemy team had one member left.

As their eyes met, Kariri quickly closed in on the enemy, swinging her claws.

The approaching enemy, wielding a long spear in the shape of a partisan, tried to restrict her approach, but there was no reason to dodge.

Kariri’s health dropped sharply, a red aura surrounding her skin indicated she was the target for healing.

Now, it was Kariri’s trademark suicide assassin.

However, that was limited to solo ranks, and in team games, having received healing from No Name, she had become a bizarre character who wouldn’t die.

The damage based on health fluctuated, making it difficult to calculate.

The sharp claws of the spear wielder scratched Kariri multiple times, but she refused to back down.

The girl soaring into the sky threw a punch full of weight.

Crack-!

The sharp blade at the end of her fist pierced through the enemy’s sturdy armor.

Continuing to attack until it was torn to shreds, her previously full health disappeared in an instant.

Cheers erupted from the spectators at that moment.

In terms of damage, it was comparable to being hit by a meteor learned at level 25 by a sorcerer.

Is that the power a tank can unleash?

She wasn’t a special dealer like a berserker. Berserkers have low defense.

Yet, she wasn’t an assassin, either. Assassins don’t usually have that much health.

A tank? Tanks definitely couldn’t run that fast.

“Is this the tank-assassin? Is this the tank-assassin? Is this the tank-assassin? Is this the tank-assassin? Is this the tank-assassin?”

“This is ridiculously overpowered HAHAHA!”

“Please nerf it HAHAHA!”

“I feel a sense of self-doubt and pain wondering if this is really okay with 25,000 health…”

Hexagonal characters were often criticized for being useless when small, but conversely, a solid hexagon had no way to be stopped.

Kariri’s might, having consumed resources relative to suppressing No Name, was being profoundly revealed.

Top in damage dealt. Top in damage received. Top in capture time.

Finally returning to base and trying to stop the backdoor, Kariri stood alone against incoming enemies.

No Name drove the sword into the great tree.

Meanwhile, the directors analyzing The Blory team clutched their aching heads.

If No Name covers, they might generate an overwhelming result, but if Kariri covers well, the game simply ends.

It seemed that the outcome of the game had been decided.

*”So close! If only I could hit a few more times, the game would have ended!”*

Kariri expressed her regrets as she respawned with Nameya.

But it wasn’t a major issue.

Having defeated the spirit golems guarding Wigrasil, victory was almost assured.

In chess terms, it was like capturing the enemy’s queen.

In League of Legends terms, it was like destroying all twin towers.

“If we take the third objective, it’ll be ours. If the enemy makes reckless forward movements, let’s immediately look for a backdoor. Otherwise, we can engage in a team fight. Right now, they have to regroup and can’t come out right away, so we have the advantage.”

Nameya, who had meticulously calculated the respawn time after failing to end the game with the early backdoor.

14 seconds of combat time in the enemy territory. 32 seconds of respawn wait time. 21 seconds to move to the objective.

And when all that time had passed, the third objective’s spawn time was perfectly aligned.

Once would be coincidence, but twice, thrice was not. There were always enemies who had to bear significantly greater losses after finally managing to catch No Name.

As they won successive matches following Nameya’s orders, Isabelle’s grip on the conversation noticeably lessened.

“There is currently only one NPC guarding the enemy Wigrasil!”

“Are they seriously planning to engage? The ones in a hurry are the enemies, so we have to act quickly!”

The six mercenaries aligned their ranks and prepared for the final battle.

During this time, Isabelle’s gaze quickly swept over the battlefield.

“I can probably defeat it by myself right now… I’m confident.”

The mage is weak against knights in one-on-one combat. However, with the stats and weapons acquired from countless battles, along with sufficient mana to support powerful firepower, she could predict a win rate of over 50%.

Isabelle mounted her prepared horse and grasped the reins.

There were no pursuers.

They believed they could win the team fight even without her.

However, Nameya looked at Isabelle, who was moving away into the narrow forest path, with doubtful eyes.

“Nameya?”

“I can handle the team fight 5v6 without me. I’ll chase after Isabelle.”

“Are you two planning to backdoor again?”

“This is the right choice now.”

* * *

Isabelle Entweeder’s Easter Egg.

She cannot kill her own doppelgänger.

To be precise, if the next attack qualifies for the final hit, she withdraws the attack and instantly enters non-combat mode.

Thus, deploying Isabelle in one-on-ones or team fights requires even more attention than other NPCs.

The sound of hooves pounding the ground grew closer and eventually stopped.

As they emerged from the dense forest, they reached a golden-gilded temple.

Nameya avoided the collapsed pillars and the deeply gouged floor from the previous battle as they continued forward.

As expected, the two Isabelles, who were nearly out of health, were locked in a peculiar standoff against each other.

‘No one knows this far.’

Nameya silently repeated the peculiar settings of the Wearsoft.

They had made every effort to embed the story from story mode into multiplayer.

Sometimes it followed the epic of a beggar boy who established a country, and other times it told the story of a gladiator seeking revenge against the enemy who killed their parents.

And now, a battle between two women fighting to obtain a potion that could cure an incurable disease.

Over 500 stories created by 108 NPCs.

It was normal that not even pro gamers who take victory as their job could memorize everything.

Swish—

The sound of Sciavona slipping from its sheath was particularly sharp.

It seemed Isabelle had used the Water Elemental technique during battle, as every time Nameya lifted their foot from the ground, the damp mud stuck to their western boots.

[Isabelle Entweeder (RED): HP(83/39401)]

[Isabelle Entweeder (BLUE): HP(102/23910)]

In a situation where they each had only one hit left.

So precarious that even a poke with the tip of a sword could take them down.

Without hesitation, Nameya approached the enemy doppelgänger and aimed their sword at her neck.

“Wait, just a second!”

The cry from the ally Isabelle halted her hand.

“Please don’t kill my sister right now… I’m begging you…”

Nameya, feeling somewhat crestfallen, sheathed her sword and headed directly toward Wigrasil.

The game doesn’t end just because you kill an NPC. Ultimately, Nameya’s goal was to bring down Wigrasil.

[Wigrasil RED: 8201/72482]

“We won the team fight! No Name! Just bring it down!”

“Woohoooo! We won the first match! We did it!”

Victory news rang out from the ally side where the object was located.

The doppelgänger that had just lost in battle would soon die.

“If a war is started, the loser’s head must rightfully repay with death. You’re on borrowed time, but we’ll let you live for now.”

Clang!

As Nameya swung their sword against Wigrasil, a light, melodic steel sound echoed.

The transformation had become as hard as steel.

“They’re not really doppelgängers.”

“…”

Having learned the story merely through words, Nameya doesn’t know the detailed circumstances, but Isabelle Entweeder…

“Are they twins?”

The Isabelles twitched at this revelation.

Instead of merely being doppelgängers, they were identical twins sharing the same name.

Cursed by mana, they relinquished their aura heart at the age of ten, and one was destined to perish.

However, they managed to hold on to life until their 30s, clinging desperately to each other.

The curse of mana was also a blessing of mana, as one became renowned as a swordsman, and the other as a sorceress. Though both names were aliases.

Thus, after running parallel lines, they were eventually dragged into a catastrophe with one having to kill the other.

Crack!

The sound of Wigrasil cracking thundered ominously.

The tension was palpable in the breath of the sisters watching this scene. The shadow of death loomed over Isabelle, unable to hide her anxious gaze.

“Sister, what’s your last words?”

Just before Wigrasil was about to shatter, the ally Isabelle asked.

The NPC she had faced from level 1 smiled resignedly while alternating her gaze between Nameya and her twin sister.

“I miss Alphonse so much. If we meet again later… could you ask him if he became a wonderful knight?”

“Of course. I’ll be sure to.”

“Thank you.”

Isabelle, who loves swords, and Isabelle, who loves magic.

Women doomed to live under a single name by the Entweeder family.

Their childhood friend, Alphonse, chose swords over magic across all timelines and became a respected captain of the empire’s knights.

However, only one of them could reunite with the cherished childhood friend.

[Wigrasil has been destroyed.]

The white fireflies that sprang from the roots of Wigrasil covered the entire world.

The vibrant colors of the greenery gradually lost their hue and vanished into dust.

Surrendering to the familiar sensation of being shifted from the players’ space, Nameya contemplated deeply.

[There’s no longer a reason to stay in the capital, so I should go back to my hometown. To where I originally belong.]

Nameya recalled Alphonse’s words about returning home to meet Isabelle.

[My childhood friend Bella would eagerly chatter to me in the library, telling me about the magic she had learned on her own in a sweet voice whenever she found the chance.]

[Yet, Bella also liked men who wield swords and wore armor. So, unaware of anything, I diligently practiced swordsmanship, trying to become a proper knight.]

Which side did Alphonse end up reuniting with in that timeline?

“I hate open endings for this reason.”

[Victory]