Chapter 48: Before the Buff Wears Off

“Who called the undertaker?”

A familiar black-clad man who had appeared often lately was now on screen.

The undertaker, dressed in black and wielding a longsword, exuded an air of defiance as he held a cigarette between his lips.

A cigarette.

Cigarettes, too, were something that originally didn’t exist in this world.

A cigarette in an all-ages game?

Just how lenient was this parallel world?

Well, considering that even Camilla’s outfit, which had once faced various regulatory restrictions in the original world, was now entirely free of such constraints in this alternate reality where Abyss had become a masterpiece, cigarettes were hardly worth noting.

The Undertaker Renoc, a stylish hero wielding a longsword as his main weapon, was always in demand because of his unique appearance and skill set.

While often criticized as “trash” in lower tiers, in the hands of a skilled player, he could achieve an unmatched level of flair.

“Who called the undertaker?”

The familiar black-clad man once again appeared on screen.

The undertaker, dressed in black and holding a longsword, had a cigarette dangling insolently from his lips.

A cigarette.

That too was something foreign to this world.

A cigarette in a game rated for general audiences?

This parallel universe certainly had its liberties.

Come to think of it, even Camilla’s attire, which had been subject to various restrictions in the original world, faced no such scrutiny here.

In this timeline, where Abyss had become a masterpiece of a game, such regulations had vanished, and the existence of cigarettes seemed trivial by comparison.

The Undertaker Renoc was a hero with a unique charm, wielding a longsword in a stylish manner.

Because of his distinct appearance and impressive skills, he was a popular pick.

Though considered “troll-tier” in lower rankings, a well-played Renoc could elevate the game to something unforgettable.

At least my “first disciple,” Nicang, had inherited my will, which was a small blessing amidst the misfortune.

Watching my disciple dance around in the game, showing off some flashy moves, even quelled the petty annoyance that had crept up in me.

Thus, I arrived at my current decision.

While seeing my disciple’s play was enjoyable and there were sufficient mitigating factors, the mastermind behind this heinous strategy would have to face my wrath.

This was my own traditional method of vengeance.

In the past—those were the days—if I ran into a player who banned my Camilla without knowing better, I would snatch their main hero in the next game and return the favor just as I’m doing now.

Though queues back then took 20 minutes, I kept running into the same players repeatedly, and certain heroes dominated excessively.

Still, those were the good old days, full of romance and nostalgia.

Ah, those bygone days.

How fleeting they were…

“Kayak, so you’re waiting to confirm Yuhye’s location before moving, right?”

“Yes.”

My moment of reminiscence was interrupted by a comment from Hangang.

He was leading the team’s strategy and overall orders this round in my stead.

I felt no anxiety about it.

I had already assessed the team’s skill, and I knew they wouldn’t falter just because I wasn’t at the helm.

“We just need to hold out like last round, right?”

“If we assume Kayak wins his duel and comes to support us, yes, that’s correct.”

“There’s no way the teacher will lose! He’s definitely going to win!”

With the opposing team’s leader, Yuhye, out of the equation, both sides were evenly matched in terms of power.

Though I believed the momentum leaned slightly in our favor, that alone wasn’t enough to secure victory.

In the end, the key to our win lay with me, though I wasn’t particularly tense about it.

After all, it was nothing new.

Abyss, like most games, was brutally honest.

Perform well, and you win.

Fail, and you lose.

Instead, I was preoccupied with something else.

Figuring out how to mess with the opponent just a little more.

“In that sense, Camilla really is perfect. You could even mock your opponent by killing them without using your sword and just dancing instead.”

It was unfortunate that Renoc lacked a skill like Camilla’s dance.

Maybe I could substitute it with an emote?

If I recall correctly, there was an emote where the character struck a rhythmic pose while holding their sword…

“Teacher, take this buff before you go.”

While I was lost in thought, my third disciple, Lily, looked at me and waved her staff.

A divine light descended upon me, but as someone who was about to split off from the group, the buff had little practical use for me.

The effect wouldn’t last even a minute, after all.

Lily must have known this too.

And yet, she cast the buff anyway.

Why?

The reason was simple—it was a gesture of encouragement.

A way of saying, Go and win.

Responding in kind, I raised my longsword high and declared,

“I’ll return before this buff wears off.”

With those words, I turned and set off.

I intended to sever the enemy commander’s head and return victorious, like a conquering hero.

Heavy armor, a sharp-edged shield, and a one-handed sword.

The giant warrior, whose every step thundered on the ground, strode across the battlefield.

A bright halo shone behind him, and the holy symbols etched onto his armor proclaimed that he was loved by the gods.

This was Alex, a holy knight.

Whenever Yuhye couldn’t pick Renoc, she would choose him as a backup pick.

Though a backup, he was by no means weak.

In fact, Yuhye often boasted an impressive win rate with Alex, rivaling her performance with Renoc.

But at the moment, Yuhye’s emotions were a stormy mix.

Anger, frustration, confusion, vigilance, anxiety—everything was swirling together.

Because of this, she found it hard to put on her usual cheerful mask.

“Yuhye, what should we do? Should we push mid like last game?”

“Of course, we should go mid. It’s all we’ve practiced. What, do you think we shouldn’t go mid now?”

“Ah, y-yes! I’ll head to mid!”

Her sharp response came out naturally, almost reflexively.

Even she realized that her words had been unusually harsh.

It might lead to backlash from her stream audience, spark a debate on online communities, or even flood her inbox with complaints.

But Yuhye had no time to care about such things now.

“How dare they pull such a cheap provocation?”

Her thoughts were consumed by one person: Kayak.

That arrogant, one-trick champion player.

The deliberate, blatant act of stealing Renoc from her was a strategy that could only have been decided by Kayak, the team’s leader.

After all, she had done similar things herself.

Without the initiative of someone in a leadership role, such a bold tactic wouldn’t even be attempted.

“A mere streamer, daring to act above their station.”

What did they plan to achieve by taking Renoc away?

Yuhye felt both ashamed for falling for such a cheap provocation and angry at herself for appearing so weak that they dared to try it.

Picking Renoc, a champion specialized for dueling and side-lane plays rather than team fights, was essentially a direct challenge.

And though she had been caught off guard by the unexpected move, she immediately answered by picking Alex.

Did they really think that just because they got lucky and won the last game, they could beat her in a 1v1?

Regardless of whether her team won or lost the match, Yuhye resolved that she had to crush this streamer at least once.

She needed to assert her dominance and restore order.

“What a pathetic act.”

Thunk.

Alex came to a heavy halt.

Standing before him was a man clad in black.

Undertaker Renoc. It was him.

While the specifics of their setups might differ, both primarily wielded longswords, making their builds fundamentally similar.

For a moment, Yuhye observed Renoc, who had planted his sword into the ground.

Then, suddenly, Renoc raised both arms above his head.

He took three steps left. Then three steps right.

Like a crab scuttling sideways, he moved back and forth while facing forward.

Yuhye watched the strange display with growing tension, but her face twisted in frustration not long after.

“You’ve got to be kidding me—!”

Renoc raised his middle finger, wiggling it tauntingly as if to beckon her forward.

Seeing that, Yuhye’s Alex charged without hesitation.

Clang!

A sharp metallic sound signaled the start of the battle.

Yuhye took the initiative, launching a relentless assault.

She swung her one-handed sword, slammed her shield, and followed up with a kick—a merciless chain of attacks.

This was Alex’s signature combo, executed with precision and speed by Yuhye.

Renoc struggled to block Alex’s attacks, seemingly overwhelmed.

The size disparity between the two was striking even at a glance.

One was a giant holy knight with a towering physique; the other was a relatively petite undertaker.

As Alex’s combo unfolded, it looked almost like an adult bullying a child—a one-sided barrage of violence.

Yet, the frown on Yuhye’s face refused to ease.

“What’s this…?”

Her attacks lacked impact.

Despite her relentless offense, Renoc’s HP bar had barely budged since the fight began.

In contrast, Alex’s stamina had noticeably diminished.

“So, you won’t go down easily, huh?”

Realizing Renoc’s skill at deflecting her attacks, Yuhye’s initial excitement quickly cooled.

Her instincts told her that she needed to stay composed if she wanted to win.

Alex stepped back, creating some distance.

When Renoc lunged forward with his longsword, Alex blocked the strike with his shield, countering with precise stabs whenever there was an opening.

It was a slow but methodical strategy.

Yuhye aimed to chip away at Renoc’s health bit by bit, waiting for the moment when her opponent’s patience would break and they would recklessly charge in.

This was Yuhye’s specialty—a battle of attrition.

Her elongated one-handed sword was designed for such skirmishes, offering superior reach and control.

For someone like her, who could see the ebb and flow of combat with unmatched clarity, this was the perfect strategy.

Slowly, Alex began to circle Renoc, like a predator hunting its prey.

Whenever a gap appeared, he would thrust his sword forward.

It was a sneaky tactic, unbecoming of his size, but undeniably effective.

Amidst the erratic movements, Renoc couldn’t possibly fend off the attacks forever.

“Some nobody dares to act so cocky…”

Renoc’s HP began to steadily drop. A sly smile crept onto Yuhye’s lips.

Renoc’s HP was now down to half, while Alex still maintained nearly full health.

“What now? What are you going to do?”

Although the tide had already shifted in her favor, Yuhye refused to let her guard down.

She knew this was the moment her opponent would likely snap and make a reckless charge.

She couldn’t afford to lose focus.

If she could deflect just one of those desperate moves, victory would be hers.

“Here it comes!”

In a split second, her prediction proved accurate.

After another thrust that pierced Renoc’s torso, he suddenly lunged forward.

A painfully obvious move.

Yuhye’s grin stretched wide.

“Predictable!”

A radiant glow enveloped Yuhye’s one-handed sword.

It was Alex’s unique skill, “Holy Strike.”

The perfect move to finish off a weakened opponent who had exposed themselves.

Tiiing!

“…Huh?”

But the next scene was something Yuhye hadn’t anticipated, a moment beyond her comprehension.

Alex’s sword veered off its intended path.

Instead of impaling Renoc, it soared harmlessly into the air.

Blinking in disbelief, Yuhye finally realized what had just happened.

Parry.

A specialized technique usable only by swordsmen who had invested a certain number of points into the related trait.

That technique had just unfolded before her eyes.

“What the hell? Who even invests in parry for a Renoc build these days?”

Regardless of her disbelief, while Alex’s sword flew skyward, Renoc’s blade advanced straight and true toward its target.

And then—

Thud!

The pristine white blade of Renoc’s longsword plunged directly into Alex’s heart.

Parry not only deflected powerful attacks but also amplified the force of the counter.

Since Alex’s skill had been beyond a simple strong attack—a unique skill—its recoil left his upper body completely exposed.

Renoc’s blade pierced his heart.

Although Alex, as a high-ranking holy knight, didn’t die immediately, the outcome was now inevitable.

“What kind of…!”

With a defeated sigh, Yuhye’s vision, which had been tinged red, gradually darkened.

“The enemy commander has been slain!”

“Kayak! Kayak! Kayak! Kayak! Kayak!”

“We believed in you, teacher!”