Chapter 75

The server maintenance due to server integration is almost over.

I’ve been grinding ranked games like crazy to climb as much as possible during this time.

From placements to Master, I didn’t lose a single game.

But once I hit Master, the chance of encountering Enchanters dropped drastically.

Before, it felt like I faced Enchanters 30% of the time, but after reaching Master, it truly felt like 0.3%.

Clearly, everyone started caring more about their rank once they climbed higher.

Unlike old PC games where you could borrow someone else’s account or use a smurf, here people take ranked seriously since that’s not possible.

Maybe it’s because it’s 1v1. Still, with the access device’s unique features, I feel like even games like AOS would have less smurfing, so I’m eager to try it soon.

Now, just a few more wins and I can reach Grandmaster.

Honestly, the players in Platinum were boring. I could win without even trying.

But now that I’m at the top of Master, I have to start taking things seriously.

Especially when facing Tank classes.

With other classes, you can just spam attacks fast and hard without caring where they land, but Tanks are different.

You have to precisely target the weak points in their heavy armor. The problem is, those spots are really small, so you need to maintain hyper-awareness.

If they just stood still like dummies, it’d be fine, but they’re players, so they move.

Trying to hit those weak spots while both of you are moving is incredibly difficult.

*Huff!*

*Hyaaak!*

I quickly backed away from the massive shield in front of me.

“Arang’s reflexes are no joke, as expected.”

This opponent is a Knight, the most annoying Tank class.

They use a one-handed sword and shield, with some healing and minor buffs, giving them a Paladin-like vibe.

Other Tanks would slowly chip away at you while assessing the situation, but Knights are different.

If you play too passively, you’ll lose. The reason? Their healing.

You have to outdamage their heal every 30 seconds, which is tough.

Dealing with heavy armor is already a pain, but add a shield, and it’s even harder to get close.

“Flash Charge!”

The Knight user charged at me with a buff active.

This is where the mind games begin.

If it were just a melee class, I’d only need to think about skills, cancels, and combat techniques, but with Knights, there’s an extra layer: the shield.

A small shield wouldn’t be a big deal, but the Knight’s shield is huge.

While the Great Sword user last time hid their intentions with their shoulder, the Knight hides everything behind their shield.

Naturally, I can’t see their one-handed sword or their stance. No matter how sharp my senses are, if I can’t see it, it’s useless.

“Assassins without CC are so pitiful!”

One of the reasons Assassins are at a huge disadvantage against Tanks.

Assassin classes generally lack useful PvP crowd control (CC) skills. Sure, they have great mobility and diverse skills, but the problem is Tanks are hard to deal with without CC.

The only CC I have is from landing attacks to inflict a stun, but that’s easier said than done…!

*Clang clang clang!*

I unleashed skills on the shield to reduce the impact of the Knight’s charge.

“Damn, I just can’t get used to this…!”

*Bang!*

I thrust my right hand forward with a piercing skill, but my dagger and the shield clashed and bounced off.

The yellow effect of the one-handed sword hidden behind the shield.

One of the Knight’s key skills: the 10-hit Chain Attack.

A powerful skill with high damage and fast attack speed—nothing lacking.

Sorry, but… this kind of straightforward skill attack is exactly what I love to see.

Even with only my left hand, it’s the same for the Knight.

If it were just daggers vs. a one-handed sword, I’d win!

*Clang clang clang!*

A perfect parry with zero error, thanks to hyper-awareness.

I’ve already memorized the trajectory of every class’s skills, so attacks with skill-based adjustments are no problem!

The moment I decided to aim for PvP Challenger, I engraved every class’s skill videos deep into my brain.

Watching on YouTube at 0.25x speed made it easy to memorize without needing hyper-awareness.

“No way, this is insane…! How is this even possible…?”

Sorry, but this is the only way to stand a chance against a Knight.

Now comes the real challenge.

I need to attack the weak points in their heavy armor, but the Knight won’t just stand still.

Maybe it’s because I’m so well-known, but rumors about me have spread, and now they know how to counter my attacks.

*Huff!*

The Knight prioritizes protecting their neck now.

They’re anticipating my attack. But if they raise their arm to block their neck… I’ll just attack their arm!

*Stab!*

*Zap!*

“!?”

The moment I stabbed the weak point between their wrist and arm, an electric shock traveled through the dagger and into my body.

“Kyaaah…!”

“Did they store a CC spell in their wrist joint…!?”

“Sorry, but I already saw that in a video and knew about it.”

*Thud!*

“Ugh!”

Stunned by the paralysis CC, I took a hit from the now-free shield.

The damage was low, but the stun effect was high. Then the one-handed sword followed up.

As soon as the stun wore off, I quickly distanced myself from the Knight.

“One CC and I lost 40% of my health…!”

Their health and defense are ridiculously high.

I’ve been relentlessly attacking the Knight, bringing their health down to 30%, but by backing off, I gave them time to cast a heal, which they obviously used to recover.

I made one mistake, but the situation isn’t bad yet. My health is at 60%, and the Knight’s is at 30%. If their heal goes off now, it’ll go up to 50%—

*Pop!*

A heal number appeared above the Knight’s head, followed by something that shouldn’t have happened: an exclamation mark.

“Lucky. A critical hit just landed here.”

“Don’t screw me over!!!”

In the arena, where stats are adjusted, the Knight’s heal normally restores only 20% of their health.

But in Leore, critical hits can trigger on heals too. Normally, Tank classes have a mere 3% crit chance.

That’s the base crit rate. And it just happened on a heal?

Instead of going to 50%, the Knight’s health jumped to 60%. The only saving grace is that crits in Leore are 1.5x, not 2x.

Still, it’s frustrating.

“If I drag this out, I’ll lose…!”

The Knight’s buff cooldown is almost up. If I waste more time, they’ll start stacking buffs and heals to solidify their advantage.

That’ll put me in a tough spot. Honestly, I’m already on edge.

Honestly, if I used my Awakening now, I could easily win, but I avoid using it unless absolutely necessary.

Mental exhaustion isn’t good, and I can’t snap out of Awakening on my own. Plus, the depressive aftermath is awful.

To prevent that, I’d need someone to watch over me all day, which is just a hassle.

So, I have to win this the normal way.

I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them and charged at the Knight.

Of course, the Knight isn’t just going to stand still. That smug look on their face like they’ve already won… I’ll crush it.

I gripped both daggers with a forward grip.

Normally, a reverse grip is better for consistent damage, but against an opponent familiar with my patterns, I need the forward grip’s buff.

Faster attack speed. I need to be so fast they can’t react.

The forward grip x2 buff gives 20% attack speed and 20% skill haste.

Using the basic skill [Xenos] doubles the buff effect for 5 seconds, meaning 40% attack speed and 40% skill haste.

Plus, other skills with forward grip effects increase attack speed, so I can practically double my attack speed.

Normally, just increasing attack speed makes control nearly impossible and lowers damage, reducing efficiency.

But if you can’t land attacks, high damage is useless. So, even with lower damage, overwhelming attack speed is the way to go.

“Quickly.”

I dodged the one-handed sword and moved to the Knight’s right side.

As the Knight naturally turned to face me, I precisely struck the side of the moving shield with my right-hand dagger.

*Clang!*

The shield, mid-movement, was blocked. The one-handed sword couldn’t move in time.

“Precise and meticulous.”

With my right hand, I kept hitting the vulnerable side of the shield to prevent it from covering the Knight’s body, disrupting their defense and attacking them.

The Knight realized this wasn’t working and tried to back off to regroup, but that’s the worst move.

The downside of heavy armor: movement speed.

And limited visibility.

I used the same trick as before.

I threw a dagger at their feet as they tried to move.

The Knight, unable to see their feet properly due to the bulky armor, tripped over the dagger and lost balance.

Tanks rarely move backward, especially against an Assassin with no CC.

But I made it happen, and the Knight, in a panic, didn’t check their footing.

From there, it was simple.

I can’t lose to a Knight who’s already fallen. With just 7% health left, I barely secured the win.

“Ah, Grandmaster achieved.”

I climbed to Grandmaster without a single loss.

To celebrate reaching Grandmaster, I was about to queue for another match when I heard Hyeseon’s voice.

[Arang, can you hear me?]

“What’s up? Oh, it’s already this late.”

I usually don’t speak first, but I was so focused on climbing to Grandmaster that I lost track of time.

It’s already time for my shower and half-body bath.

[Time for your massage.]

“Got it.”

[Starting today, we’re doing abdominal massages too, right?]

“Yeah, I know.”

Since last month’s period, I’ve been having a lot of stomach pain, so Hyeseon decided to learn abdominal massages.

We’ve been doing full-body massages to prevent stiffness, but today’s the first time we’re focusing on abdominal health.

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