Chapter 122: Breakthrough

The team is being pushed back.

There’s no clear solution in sight.

“So, what should we do?”

“Let’s gather at mid first.”

That’s right.

First, we gather.

In any team game, when you’re losing, this is a card you can always play.

The reason is simple.

There’s no way I can match the overall speed of STK with just my own pace.

Even if I monopolize the hunting grounds, we’re outnumbered when it comes to turning that into actual gains. How could I possibly keep up?

I even considered redirecting my allies into the labyrinth like a great migration of Germanic tribes.

“If only they hadn’t all been wiped out back then…”

By the time I respawn, it’s already far too late to recover.

The score gap keeps widening with no way to close it, and meanwhile, their advancing troops in the mid lane just keep growing stronger.

They’re high-ranked players too.

They know exactly how hopeless our situation is.

That’s why, when I gave the order to gather, no one objected.

Well, what other choice did they have?

“Now that we’re all here, let’s reorganize our formation.”

“Uh… If I go to the other side of the labyrinth now, I’ll be too late. Are we seriously trying to take it back?”

“No, even if we head there now, it’s like trying to catch up in a marathon where the winner is already decided. There’s no point. So instead…”

I pointed forward.

“Let’s push mid. The central lane isn’t too far gone yet, so now’s our chance.”

“Can we do it? They still have their turret, so it’s tricky.”

“Their frontline is already stationed in mid.”

I took a deep breath and began my briefing.

“The entrance to the labyrinth is completely blocked, so even if we wanted to fight their main force, we can’t. They’re hiding inside like turtles in their shells. If we let them farm the labyrinth mobs and push us back slowly, we’ll eventually run out of options.”

“But in mid, there’s still a gap we can break through. If I draw their attention and create an opening, the rest of you can dive in. We’re grouped together, while they’re split across the labyrinth—there won’t be a better opportunity than this.”

Hmm. I felt like my explanation lacked conviction.

I had thought I was being pretty logical, but now I felt kind of pathetic.

Well, if we don’t do something, this will just be a one-sided slaughter.

‘And where’s the fun in that?’

I clapped my hands together, trying to lift the mood.

“Don’t worry. If this works, we’ll score a massive victory in the mid fight. We could turn the whole game around. But more importantly…”

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the wind from the grand castle brush against my forehead.

Even in virtual reality, sensations like this could really boost my excitement.

With a deepening smile, I asked, “Say my name.”

…

…….12|G||.

Oh! They actually said it.

“That’s right. Let’s make the impossible possible. Because Friede is here with us.”

Just standing around doing nothing would be even more frustrating, right?

Maybe my speech worked, because the weight on their expressions seemed to lighten, as if shedding a heavy burden.

“Now that you put it that way, we have no choice but to go for it.”

“If we’re going down anyway… might as well go out with a bang.”

Yeah, that’s the spirit.

As we got up and formed our formation, we could sense movement from the other side.

‘Had they figured out our plan?’

Not that it mattered.

The die had already been cast.

“Let’s go!”

With that battle cry as the signal, I launched myself forward, charging straight at the enemy.

***

Kim Woochan was holding the mid lane firmly.

Behind him, the ranged DPS was in position, while the frontline troops pushed forward, ensuring they wouldn’t be overwhelmed.

Mid lane in Soul Warfare was usually a dull affair, the kind of place that made you want to yawn.

But at that moment, something flickered in his eyes.

“Wait… how many of them are there?”

Beyond the clashing frontline troops, the number of opponents gathering looked ominous.

He quickly connected to the voice channel to alert his teammates.

[Looks like they’re all-in on mid. Get here fast.]

[Of all times?]

Warden Chan-hyuk’s voice carried a hint of frustration, and Woochan could already tell that the timing was off.

He hastily checked the in-game clock.

“Damn it…”

It was the exact moment when the most critical objective—the Ancient Dragon—had spawned.

[We’re already in the middle of the fight. We can’t just pull out. Jinyoon and Minho, go help mid first. We’ll finish up here and come as soon as we can.]

[I’m almost done clearing our side. I’ll catch up in a minute. Just hold out for one minute.]

[Got it.]

So they had already started.

In objective fights, anyone could enter the boss room, but once the battle began, retreating was nearly impossible.

Of course, the enemy had planned for this.

Even as they broke the labyrinth’s siege to reinforce mid, there was no guarantee they could make it in time.

Their heavy gear might slow them down just enough to miss the window.

‘Would they make it?’

No one could say for sure.

[Hurry up and get here.]

With that one meaningless plea, Woochan closed the voice channel and clicked his tongue.

Now, he had to focus entirely on defense.

“Hey, Yoonsoo, looks like it’s just the two of us holding them off.”

“Shit! This is a disaster. I’ll do my best to keep them in check—just focus on moving around behind the frontline.”

“One minute, huh… That’s going to feel long.”

‘If things went well, they might lose the first turret. Still, they had a decent point lead, so it should be fine. If they were going to get pushed back anyway, their goal was to stall for as much time as possible.’

And then—

[??? Why is their frontline acting like that?]

[If you’re holding a damn shield, shouldn’t you be at the front instead of cheering from the back?]

[Haldir, did you finally transition or something?]

[LMAO, I’ve never seen a formation this messed up before.]

The chat was going wild, and at the same time, a group of players from the streamer team came charging in, appearing in their line of sight.

At the front, leading the charge, was a figure unlike any heavily armored frontline tank.

Clad in silver armor, a golden cape billowing behind them, their swift movements stood out.

Like a crazed vorpal rabbit, their rabbit-eared headset bounced wildly.

The most dangerous player on the streamer team.

“Huh? Why is she leading the charge?”

“Why the hell are you asking me? Just focus on stopping them.”

Woochan braced for impact.

***

Swords and shields, axes and spears, maces and hammers—all clashed in a chaotic battlefield.

Through the carnage, Friede cut down enemy vanguards, carving a path forward.

A projectile sliced through the air, aimed directly at her head.

With a swift turn, she deflected it with the flat of her sword.

Watching the wasted shot bounce harmlessly into the air, Yoonsoo clicked his tongue.

“I’ll have to keep shooting, but…”

It was pointless.

‘Was there anyone in this game capable of landing a headshot on Friede with a bow?’

‘Maybe if they overwhelmed her with a storm of arrows in an open field.’

‘But one lone ranged DPS?’ No chance.

Yoonsoo tasted the bitter reality of how broken the game balance was.

As Friede eliminated more frontline units, the rest of the streamer team poured in, widening the breach.

Ironically, their formation behind Friede was textbook perfect—shields up front, damage dealers sticking close behind.

Which meant…

Friede simply didn’t need to follow standard formations.

Even when melee fighters engaged each other, enemy players always drew aggro first.

And Friede? She was absorbing every bit of it while forcing her way through.

It was almost absurd.

Woochan, much like Yoonsoo, was at a loss for words.

Forget trying to hold them back—at this point, turtling was their only option.

One more minute until Seokgulam arrived.

‘Could they hold out? Maybe. But would three of them really make a difference?’

“We need to take down Friede.”

No—at the very least, they had to go down with her.

Otherwise, they’d be pushed all the way back before reinforcements arrived.

Woochan glanced at Yoonsoo and gave him a look.

[Just keep her in check. I’m taking Friede down with me.]

Yoonsoo met his gaze and responded with his own look.

[Just stall for time. Keep Friede busy.]

Both of them completely misread each other’s intentions.

And yet, as if in agreement, they both nodded.

“Uwoooooh!”

With a fierce battle cry, Woochan charged forward, shield raised.

No matter how good her reflexes were, she had no room to dodge in such a tight space.

She was boxed in, unable to roll away due to the surrounding melee.

His shield bash was about to slam into Friede—

“?!”

—But there was no impact.

No resistance.

His shield struck nothing but empty air.

Instead, a cold shiver ran down his spine.

He tried to turn his head—

Tried.

At the very edge of his vision, he caught a glimpse of Friede’s sword, glowing with light as it slashed downward.

A short burst of energy sent him flying.

His eyes widened at the sight below—

A vast, endless abyss.

“That balance control is insane.”

‘Even if Soul Warfare transferred real-life physical skills into the game, wasn’t this a bit too much?’

That was Woochan’s final thought before he plummeted into the void.

***

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Watching Woochan get deleted, Yoonsoo facepalmed.

He told him not to charge in, and yet, there he went, dying like an idiot.

“We’re screwed.”

The last of their midline defense was on the verge of collapse.

At this rate, they’d lose their base and be pushed back to the second tower.

“Screw it. I don’t even care anymore.”

Yoonsoo relayed their impending defeat to the team—

Then turned toward Friede, who was now charging at him.

With his arms wide open, he embraced his fate.

“Hyeuuung!”

His dying cry echoed through the grand castle as Friede’s holy sword cut him down.