Chapter 21 : Don’t be arrogant . Always be humble(5)

“Are you kidding me?”

Kang Arin, who had logged in with the ID ‘Ragnarok,’ tilted her head.

The player Rydel had called in as a substitute—‘SilverSilver.’

Above ‘SilverSilver’s’ account, a yellow chick sticker was displayed.

A chick sticker.

A symbol of a newbie, given to those playing Raid & Master for the first time.

That sticker disappears after just one game.

In other words, ‘SilverSilver’ hadn’t played even a single match.

No… Could it be?

Did she actually bring in a pro gamer?

It had to be a pro’s alternate account.

There was no way someone would bring in a complete beginner as her opponent out of nowhere.

She’s streaming, isn’t she?

Kang Arin quickly opened Soopjijik and entered Rydel’s stream.

And before long, she frowned.

“No way?!”

From Rydel’s words and the chat reactions, it was clear.

That ‘SilverSilver’ was really a first-time player.

Not just for Raid & Master, but it seemed like it was their first time playing a VR game at all.

“Hah… I don’t know what the intent behind this is, but…”

She had already agreed to play, so there was no backing out now.

Even if the opponent was a complete beginner.

She would just crush them completely.

To match her against a rookie, knowing full well how skilled she was—there was no way she’d let this slide.

How should I handle this?

Kang Arin twisted her lips into a sadistic smile.

***

“Silver-nim, even if you lose, don’t take it too hard, okay?”

Rydel sighed as she explained the game mechanics.

「For real, for real.」

「The important thing is to fight, I guess.」

「But honestly, they’re just gonna get beaten up and that’s it.」

「Their first opponent is basically a pro—there’s no way to win.」

「I don’t see any way this ends well. Is this even fair?」

「Isn’t this just bullying a newbie?」

“Seriously.”

Rydel glanced at the chat and deeply sympathized.

It was, quite literally, an unwinnable situation.

Even she, a Diamond 1-tier player, had been completely overwhelmed.

There was no way Silver, who had just started playing, could stand a chance against that monster.

“What champion do you want to pick? If it’s your first time, I’d recommend going for a Warrior type.”

[SilverSilver: I’ll play Rogue Master.]

“Uh… Rogue Master isn’t really a beginner-friendly champion.”

「Yeah, Rogue Master is hard.」

「Assassin champs are usually banned for the first month after you start playing.」

「Isn’t Silver-nim new to VR games? Jumping straight into an assassin champ is gonna be chaotic.」

「The mobility is insane, so it’s tough to get used to.」

[SilverSilver: But that’s the only one I’ve seen…]

Rydel suddenly realized her mistake.

She had called this a tutorial stream, but all she had shown was Rogue Master.

So now, Silver had no experience with any character other than Sniper and Rogue Master.

“Ha… Haha… Well, I mean, Rogue Master isn’t that bad, I guess.”

Rogue Master.

It was definitely not a beginner-friendly choice.

But that didn’t change the fact that it was a counter to Sniper.

“It’s not like picking something else would help me win anyway.”

Rydel decided to relax.

At this point, choosing a different pick wouldn’t change anything.

[SilverSilver: Also, I just like the Rogue Master character.]

With that, the selection was locked in, and the game began.

SilverSilver had picked Rogue Master.

Their opponent, Ragnarok, was—unsurprisingly—a Sniper once again.

“It’s best to buy Guardian’s Shield first.”

Rydel gave instructions while watching SilverSilver’s screen.

Guardian’s Shield was one of the few items that could slightly reduce a Sniper’s attacks.

Since Silver was a beginner, playing it safe was the best approach.

However, SilverSilver made a completely different choice.

「? They bought boots?」

「Who even buys boots first these days?」

「There was a time when buying boots first was a meta.」

「Is this really the right move?」

「It’s their first time playing. Just let them have fun~」

「For real, just let them do their thing.」

Silver’s choice: Leather Boots.

Unlike a longsword or shield, this item only increased movement speed.

Sure, it made them faster—but compared to other items, it didn’t improve their combat ability at all.

As a first item, its efficiency was questionable.

“Uh… So, you can actually refund purchases right away? Maybe now would be a good time to—”

[SilverSilver: Nah.]

[SilverSilver: I picked it on purpose.]

But SilverSilver didn’t back down.

Rydel felt a bit dizzy for a moment but decided not to interfere any further.

Even the chat seemed to be encouraging Silver to do whatever they wanted.

After all, no matter what they did, losing was inevitable.

“Step, step—”

The Sniper appeared from the direction of the enemy tower.

Rydel swallowed hard.

A wave of PTSD hit her—just seeing that presence felt overwhelming.

Maybe the Sniper had realized that Silver was a complete newbie.

Unlike when fighting Rydel,

This time, the Sniper stepped forward aggressively, moving out from the safety of the tower and advancing toward Silver.

Meanwhile,Silver’s Rogue Master remained still, quietly holding their position within the tower’s range.

Then.

「Wait, huh? They’re running?」

「Can they just charge in like that?」

The moment the Sniper crossed a certain distance, Rogue Master suddenly took off.

A full-speed sprint—so fast it could almost be called reckless acceleration.

“Good! Silver-nim, use your dash skill!”

Rydel shouted.

The Sniper had clearly underestimated Silver as a newbie.

They had stepped way too far forward, beyond even the tower’s attack range.

And since it was still the very early game—before monsters had even spawned—this was a prime opportunity.

If Silver used their dash skill to close the gap, they could turn the situation completely in their favor.

“….?”

But Rogue Master didn’t use the dash skill.

「??」

「They’re just charging straight in??」

「Does Silver-nim not know how to level up skills?;;」

「I mean, it can be confusing for a first-timer.」

‘Do they really not know how to level up skills?’

They just ran.

No looking back—just a full-speed sprint straight at the Sniper.

Instead of using a skill, they relied on their own two legs.

Even Ragnarok, the Sniper, seemed a bit taken aback.

Not because they were intimidated by the play,But more like, “What the hell is this guy doing?”

“That was such a good opportunity!”

Rydel made a frustrated face.

The reason Rogue Master had a massive advantage over Sniper.

It was all thanks to their dash ability, which completely negated Sniper’s biggest strength: long range.

‘But if they just charged in like that…’

They’d become nothing more than a target.

Click.

The Sniper reloaded their gun.

Bang—!

The muzzle flashed as a bullet was fired.

A direct shot aimed right at Rogue Master.

And then.

Paak!

Instead of hitting their body, the bullet struck the ground with a sharp impact sound.

「They missed?」

「What the heck?? Was that a mistake?」

「They charged in so recklessly that even the Sniper panicked, lol.」

The bullet embedded itself in the ground instead of hitting Rogue Master.

No.

Rydel narrowed her eyes.

Her opponent, Ragnarok, wasn’t just any Sniper player.

Their aim was nearly perfect.

Even against Rydel, who constantly weaved around, their shots always landed with pinpoint accuracy.

A target running straight at them?

They could land that shot blindfolded.

Which meant.

Silver dodged it.

Just barely.

The shot had been aimed precisely at the right knee.

The Sniper’s accuracy was flawless.

But SilverSilver made the smallest possible movement, just enough for the bullet to graze past their knee and hit the ground instead.

“They moved just enough to dodge it.”

So precise that it was almost calculated.

They had moved so little that most viewers assumed the bullet had simply missed on its own.

Clack!

Sniper Kang Arin tilted her head.

Her aim had been perfect.

Yet the shot had missed.

She had seen it too—SilverSilver had dodged.

But weren’t they supposed to be playing a VR game for the first time?

Was that just luck?

“Well, either way, there’s still distance between us.”

For some reason, Rogue Master still wasn’t using their dash skill.

That meant she still had time to fire a few more shots.

She reloaded her gun while moving backward.

Taang!

Chiiing—!

「????」

「??? They blocked it?」

「Did they just deflect that with a dagger?」

「No way, that had to be luck, right?」

「Didn’t they say this was their first time playing??」

This time, no one misunderstood.

A bullet aimed at the torso had been deflected midair—by a dagger.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Rogue Master perfectly blocked the attack and continued charging at full speed.

“This is like a horror movie.”

Kang Arin was genuinely shaken.

Even so, she kept reloading and retreating.

“I went too far!”

She had pushed forward too much, letting her guard down.

And worst of all, Rogue Master’s first item was Leather Boots.

The gap between them closed in an instant.

“Assassination!”

Seeing Rogue Master rush toward her, Kang Arin realized.

There were still no minions on the field, and both players were still at Level 1.

And at Level 1, you can only learn one skill.

If Rogue Master had gotten close enough, they could use the skill Assassinate—which instantly teleports the user behind their target.

It was clear now.

SilverSilver had sacrificed their dash skill… to learn Assassinate instead.

‘Definitely.’

If she got caught from behind here, it would be fatal.

She had to retreat toward the tower, or else her escape route would be completely cut off.

Thinking she had read her opponent’s intentions, Kang Arin smirked.

“I don’t know how they blocked my bullet, but when it comes to mind games, I’m above them.”

She hadn’t picked a skill yet, either.

The same Beast Trap she had used to catch Rydel in their first fight.

Pretending to retreat, Kang Arin secretly placed the trap behind her.

Now, Rogue Master was within the range for Assassinate.

If SilverSilver used it now—They would land directly into the trap.

Once their mobility was gone, she could finish them however she pleased.

Thud—!

“Huh?”

But as if they had predicted even that,SilverSilver didn’t pick Dash or Assassinate.

They chose.

‘Paralysis Arrow?’

For a split second, Sniper’s body froze.

Completely defenseless.

SilverSilver’s daggers mercilessly tore into the helpless Sniper.

Schk—!

“Ughh!”

Rogue Master’s twin blades stabbed into the neck and heart in rapid succession.

A flawless strike to the vital points.

Accompanied by a chilling sound.

In an instant, the Sniper’s health was rapidly drained.

“Ah, still…!”

The health dropped significantly, and the frustration of losing the mind game shook Kang Arin.

Although psychologically shaken, she quickly regained her composure.

‘The stun from the Paralysis Arrow won’t last long.’

Even though her health had hit rock bottom,soon Kang Arin’s Sniper regained movement.

Fortunately, thanks to her desperate escape, she had managed to reach right in front of the tower.

“And now, close enough!”

She hurled herself towards the tower and fired the loaded bullet.

Bang—!

The bullet shot towards the Rogue Master’s head, just as they were almost right next to each other from the intense knife fight.

Naturally, the closer they were, the harder it would be to dodge the bullet.

Although Rogue Master’s health was still full, a headshot could still deal a fatal blow.

Bang—!

“Got it!”

Kang Arin quietly cheered in her mind.

Indeed, this time it seemed that SilverSilver couldn’t avoid it.

Rogue Master’s head snapped back from the impact.

‘But… why isn’t their health dropping?’

A headshot.

Rogue Master’s health should have been severely reduced,but SilverSilver’s health bar barely moved at all.

The head that had been bent returned upright,and a bullet was lodged in Rogue Master’s teeth.

“…”

Kang Arin’s mouth slightly opened.

“Am I dreaming right now…?”

They had caught the bullet with their teeth.

It wasn’t some kind of fantastic play; it felt more like a hallucination.

This was the first time she had been so flustered while playing Raid and Master.

She was so stunned that she didn’t even notice the Rogue Master’s dagger had already embedded deep into her heart.

[SilverSilver’s first point!]

[You have been defeated.]

For the first time, a red defeat message appeared before Kang Arin’s eyes.