Ch. 200

Chapter 200: For Whose Sake? (2)

«Assimilation» allowed one to take the lead directly, but it was also a peerless skill for supporting an ally who held the initiative. To read the other person’s intent and provide perfect assistance—is that not the most important virtue of a Supporter?

‘Huh?’

Thump, thump. Hyun was startled when Satin suddenly began running somewhere. His expectation that she, as a Golem, would naturally focus on a frontal clash was proven wrong in an instant.

‘She’s going to continue with management?!’

Satin moved as if to carry on the strategy he had demonstrated. However, seeing her recklessly crossing enemy lines, a chill ran down Hyun’s spine.

‘No, that’s not it!’

He realized she was merely mimicking the action of “destroying the fortress’s key facilities” without having the situational awareness to actually manage the flow. In short, Satin was currently executing an empty shell of a strategy. She was bound to be exposed to the threat of enemy troops and watchtowers.

‘Phew, well, a Supporter’s job is to cover even these kinds of outbursts!’

It was a mistake that should have led straight to death. However, Hyun had the ability to turn that mistake into a masterstroke.

«Invisibility» , «Acceleration» !

Vroom—! As the two skills enveloped Satin, the Golem, who had been shaking the earth, leaped over the dense defensive line and reached the interior of the fortress in an instant. Right up to the summoning magic circle—the most core structure of the Ranking Ceremony.

‘I’m through!’

When the invisibility wore off and Satin’s form was finally revealed— Flash! —a blade of demonic energy had already been fired from her greatsword.

[Pitch Black Blade Lv.5 (-2)]

• Fires a sword strike dealing [Str] x [Demonic Energy] / 1,000 damage to the front!
• If used with maximum Demonic Energy, the direction of the blade can be changed once!

• (Demonic Energy Cost: 5,000 ~ 50,000)

• (Cooldown: 30 seconds)

Kwadudududu! The black crescent grew larger and larger until it was massive enough to gouge the earth. The defensive towers and the troops stationed nearby were split in half simultaneously by the demonic blade, which resembled a giant axe. But the attack didn’t end there.

‘Maximum Demonic Energy activation…!’

As Satin swung her greatsword through the air, the crescent moon flying forward turned at a 90-degree angle. The blade swept perfectly parallel to the fortress boundary, obliterating the barricades atop the walls.

[Durability: 161]

‘It’s okay for now, but…’

Nearly 20 points of durability had been chipped away by a single skill. Though he felt a hint of anxiety, Hyun did not stop Satin’s actions. This, too, was the process of her proving herself.

‘It might get dangerous if she keeps fighting like this.’

Even if he didn’t move her directly, Hyun provided direction so that her durability wouldn’t be entirely consumed by excessive combat.

「When the cooldown is up… no, when your strength gathers again, break the defensive towers first.」

「The black towers in the surroundings…?」

「Correct.」

Meanwhile, he used the magic circle’s communication function to make a request to Bahimir. It was to create the optimal environment for Satin to run wild.

「Please focus your attack on the front from now on!」

Before long, Bahimir’s reply came back.

「Hmm? Was your plan not to remain strictly on the defensive?」

「It just changed!」

「Kuhuhu, good. I was getting bored anyway.」

If the Duke and his subordinates shook up the front, the burden on Satin would be significantly lessened.

‘Ugh, Shadow Shield!’

Clang! Hyun reacted to spears suddenly flying toward them. Before he knew it, Satin had pushed deep into the enemy camp, and the fortress’s elite troops were swarming to catch her.

「Fight with your back to the wall.」

「Wall…?」

「It’s on your left!」

Even in a crisis, Hyun did not take direct control of her body. He only mitigated damage with «Shadow Shield» or cleared the path with «Wind Barrier» . Occasionally, he did nothing more than point out “priority targets.” This kind of backseat driving was possible because he could read Satin’s intentions through her gaze.

Whoosh!

With a massive swing of her greatsword, Satin broke through the enemy encirclement in an instant. Right after escaping the danger zone, she was able to observe the battlefield for a moment. Suddenly, Satin brought her hand to her chest. She had the illusion that she felt something there.

‘A soul…?’

The question suddenly popped into her head. A Golem’s core is contained in the head, not the chest. So why had she just tried to touch her chest? But she couldn’t dwell on the question for long because of Hyun’s shout.

「Behind you, look!」

Satin’s hand flashed. The moment the giant sword fell vertically— Kwadudududu! —a massive scar appeared on the ground, scattering debris. The ‘Pitch Black Blade’ erupting from the sword annihilated the enemy archer unit.

「Did we draw too much aggro? We’re completely surrounded!」

Swords, spear tips, and sharp claws rushed in. Satin immediately felt that she had no way to crush what aimed for her, nor any way to survive it. Suddenly, a memory of the past surfaced. The day she fought to protect Darkness. And the day she was completely broken.

Wasn’t her current situation exactly the same as her helpless self back then? Just as she was about to feel a sense of impotence in a desperate situation from which she could never survive—

Whoosh!

Satin watched as the greatsword in her hand lengthened like a shadow. Simultaneously, she felt her heavy body become as light as if it were about to fly. It was the moment Hyun activated «Sword of Darkness» and «Biorhythm Acceleration» at the same time.

「Maximum activation!」

The change in situation was sudden, but her judgment was quick. Satin immediately began to move the Sword of Darkness. Her swordsmanship felt heavy with every strike, but the effect of «Biorhythm Acceleration» made those heavy movements as light as a feather.

Spin!

As Satin’s sword drew a final circle, the torsos of the enemies charging from all directions were sliced in half. Since the soldiers—not players—did not receive the protection of life, they soon became grains of light and scattered in the battlefield wind.

[Durability: 93 / 8,930]

(※Caution: Durability restoration is required! If durability is fully exhausted, ‘Golem: Satin’ will face eternal rest!)

A moment after the Sword of Darkness faded, Satin asked.

「What was… that just now?」

「First time seeing it? It was a skill called Sword of Darkness.」

「Sword… of Darkness…?」

The roar of battle momentarily quieted. It felt as if the number of enemies had suddenly decreased. Hyun looked into the distance and realized the Ranking Ceremony would soon be over. The vampires, leading an enormous number of soldiers, were knocking on the fortress’s main gate. Thanks to the superiority of the troops, the two players were overwhelming the four opponents. With Bahimir’s ultra-long-range magic support from afar, victory wouldn’t take long.

「Fortunately, we won’t lose.」

「Is the battle… over?」

「Not yet, but it will be soon. Join up over there and fight together.」

While continuing the battle as Hyun instructed— Flash! —Satin’s vision inverted. Before she knew it, she was amidst the cheers of the monsters announcing the victory of the Ranking Ceremony.

「Is it… the end?」

「Yeah. Since the fortress wasn’t completely captured by the final offensive, the judgment was based on points.」

Satin suddenly felt afraid. Even though she felt she had played an active role, hadn’t that fight happened where no one could see? But Satin’s concerns were unnecessary. The spectators of the tournament could always watch the players.

Beings of the Abyss are simple—in that they pursue power and offer loyalty to those who possess overwhelming strength. Though Satin wasn’t “overwhelming” in the ceremony, she showed enough to be recognized as a true player. Bahimir’s subordinates were cheering for Satin as she returned from the ceremony.

“Well, it wasn’t a terrible performance.”

Lublen spat out the words as she brushed past. Then, while moving through the monsters toward Bahimir, Satin even heard voices chanting her name.

“Keuh… Miss, that was incredible. It felt like watching my own prime.”

A monster with a cracked tortoise shell praised Satin. Someone even called her ‘The Pitch Black Valkyrie.’ A Valkyrie is a puppet of the angels. Giving that name to her, a servant of Darkness, could have been an insult. But for some reason, Satin liked the nickname.

「What does ‘incredible’… mean?」

At Satin’s question, Hyun let out a baffled laugh.

「It’s a compliment.」

「A compliment…?」

「It means you were the best today.」

Even long after the Defense Battle had concluded, Satin remained in a daze for a while. The feeling of receiving thunderous cheers whenever she passed—it was a very special sensation that Satin had never felt before.

There is a several-hour gap between the Defense Battle and the Usurpation Battle. During that brief hiatus, the Duke and the monsters stayed at the main castle. As a player, Satin could have waited in a luxurious room, but she chose a dusty old warehouse. That place, where only a single beam of light entered, was the most familiar and stable location for her.

When Hyun visited, the twins were talking about the Ranking Ceremony. Noticing Hyun’s approach by the creak of the door, Satin made a request.

“If you meet Darkness in the future… could you tell her the story of today…?”

“Why? Do you also think you did well today?”

“Did you not say I was incredible…?”

“Haha, you were. I have the recording. I can even show her directly.”

Hyun felt relieved that Satin’s self-deprecation seemed to have faded significantly. The goal of the Hidden Quest was for them to realize their own value. But why hadn’t the quest been cleared even though Satin’s heart had moved?

‘Do I have to win the ceremony one more time?’

Yes, if they won once more soon, she would definitely realize her value. Until the next match, Hyun and the twin sisters shared trivial stories inside the old warehouse. Occasionally, the twins would whisper something to each other. Since they communicated through the resonance of divine power, like a whisper, Hyun couldn’t tell what they were saying.

Finally, the time for the Usurpation Battle arrived. Bahimir and his subordinates opened the giant portal again and began their march. At the same time, Hyun, who intended to Assimilate with Satin for the match, was met with an unexpected obstacle.

[The target has disabled permission for Assimilation!]

[To Assimilate, the target’s consent is required!]

‘What…?’

It didn’t take long to realize the situation. After the battle, Satin had once again refused Assimilation with him.

‘Wait… this is.’

And in the spot where the player should be, he saw Satina stepping up instead of Satin. Neither the monsters nor the Duke seemed to know the difference between the twin golems, but Hyun, who had watched them for a long time, could distinguish them.

‘Are they serious…?’

He couldn’t afford to cause a scene right before the ceremony. Hyun Assimilated with Satina for now. In the next moment, a voice even fainter and more broken than Satin’s was heard.

「I… also… want… to ask… a favor.」

「Hey, do you even know what happens if you fight now?」

Hyun was about to tell her to stop this nonsense and persuade her sister immediately when he happened to see Satina’s durability.

Durability: 82 / 82

‘Huh…? Wait.’

He was shocked. He remembered Satina’s durability being over 100 just three days ago. This meant the maximum had been shaved off by about 20% in just a few days. A Golem’s body is similar to a human’s. Just as a human falls ill and dies in an instant, they too meet the end of their time within a few days of the moment their balance collapses. Satina likely had less than a week of life left.

‘When did the collapse start…?!’

Was it wrong of him to forcibly activate the core? Should he have left it alone? Or was there a way to stop the core’s operation even now?

「I… heard… from my sister…」

The moment he heard Satina’s next words, Hyun understood why they had done this. The twins had already accepted Satina’s death. They had come up with this method because they feared he wouldn’t allow it. As if reading Hyun’s thoughts, Satina continued to murmur.

「She said… she learned… that we too… have souls…」

Bzzt!

Even as they spoke, a giant magic circle covered the sky, completing the arena. Once the player registration is finished, the choice cannot be undone. Furthermore, this was the Usurpation Battle, not the Defense Battle. It was certain to be a tougher fight than before if the rival Duke’s rank was higher.

‘So that’s what it meant.’

Hyun finally realized why the quest hadn’t been cleared all at once.

– The two broken sisters are merely waiting for Darkness to return.

– One of them will likely run out of her allotted time before that meeting occurs.

– Before that time comes, will you help them realize their own value?

The quest objective was to move the hearts of both Satin and Satina. Yes, Satina’s death had been presumed within the quest description.

Vroom—!

As the giant magic circle surrounded the entire several-kilometer area, a red flicker rose from Satina’s body. It was proof that the player registration magic was complete. Soon, as the translucent curtain dividing the space vanished, the second Ranking Ceremony would begin.

End of 200