It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

It was a massacre.

The dark underground showed no signs of illumination. Afraid that a rogue might be lurking in the shadows, even taking a single step became exceedingly difficult. This was the fate of a team that had lost control over all areas.

However, the real problem wasn’t the underground. The true catastrophe was happening on the surface, which was being ambushed through the underground.

After the priests, the mages, and then the archers. The rogue’s dagger spared no one and drew blood each time.

It was impossible to stop. When the Holy Knight rushed to protect the backline, the rogue would engage in a 2-on-1 fight to buy time, then retreat smoothly. And when they returned after growing stronger in the underground—

Desperate shouts, almost like screams, asking where their own rogue was, filled the Red Team’s voice chat. If it wasn’t for the fear of public backlash, about seventy percent of the conversation would have been swearing.

By this point, the backline, half-abandoned from their roles and just struggling to survive, was practically out of the game, and the unsupported frontline was being overwhelmed in terms of strength.

It was a continuous broadcast of stifling situations.

High-level games rarely get overturned. Therefore, the Red Team could feel with their entire beings that they couldn’t stop the snowball that had started rolling. Finding a rare item might have reversed the situation, but even the control over the chests had completely passed to the enemy.

The only thing keeping them from surrendering in this seemingly inevitable loss was their pride as professional gamers. They couldn’t kneel so easily.

Perhaps their tenacity paid off. An opportunity arose as if by magic. During a skirmish that was once again about to end in the Red Team’s retreat, the Mage and Priest from the Blue Team floated into the air due to the Guardian’s death-charge pattern.

It was a rash move to quickly take the turret and bombard support from above to end the game. A combination of carelessness and urgency. The result was a critical opening—

The rogue from the Red Team, who had been stomped on throughout the game, clenched his teeth and dashed into the gap.

Even a rogue who had wandered uselessly all day could wipe the slate clean if they managed to break the enemy’s backline even once. The rogue instinctively knew this was the last chance to do so.

Charging, cloaked in blue, the Holy Knight tried to block their path. The rogue’s mind was filled with memories of the acrobatics GetDevoured had repeatedly showcased. Approaching until just before the collision, they cast their survival skill forward, and with all their might—

-Thwack!

The bright sound signaling a critical hit. Blood spurted from the neck of the mage standing at the destination.

Had the mage taken damage in the previous skirmish? The robed old man crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut, rolling onto the dirt ground.

“Mage down!”

-Thud

-Thud

Shouting a briefing while overwhelmed by adrenaline. At almost the same moment, two arrows pierced the opponent’s priest’s head in succession. Somehow shaking off the tenacious GetDevoured, even their archer managed to pull off a crucial play.

They could turn this game around. Believing so, the rogue clenched his sweaty fists tightly.

* * * *

『Author: ReformedGwangjil』

『Title: KekLOL KingGetDevoured ranks 1st ten minutes ago』

『As a rogue master, I judge this game is over.

They’re not surrendering out of sheer pride.

At last, the great work of the rogue is complete……』

“Will there be a fan meeting to commemorate first place?”

– Teacher…

– Why would they hold a fan meeting when they don’t even show their face?

– Cyber fan meeting would be nice too. There could be one-on-one conversations, right?

– No, teacher…

– Oh, what’s this? Could be a comeback if we’re not careful.

– The broth’s curse is legendary.

– Shut up.

* * * *

There was a time when I was obsessed with rankings.

Back when I wanted to become a pro gamer. During Season 2, when the pro scene was still unorganized, rumors spread that those with high rankings received scout offers. Thinking I could at least receive a message if I got into the top 400, I spent hours on the game every day.

Perhaps it’s similar here. By now, my email inbox might be full of offers from various teams. Or maybe not. Perhaps I was an exception. Pros had to live in team houses.

It would be difficult for a woman.

Considering that, it could have felt a bit disappointing. But there wasn’t even a hint of regret in my heart. I had had plenty of time to let go of my dreams of being a pro gamer. All that was left was a small curiosity about the path not taken.

Then, why was I so desperate to reach first place?

Many answers came to mind. To prove… my skills, to prove my rogue abilities. I also wanted to repay the viewers who supported my journey.

And… it might be fun to tease someone who hit their head against the 200th rank wall and rolled down to 300th…

All of this were genuine reasons.

However, a more honest answer surfaced in my throbbing, fatigued mind.

I wanted to leave my mark.

Just as I had arrived one day, I feared I might be banished one day. How many years had I spent hiding in a small fortress out of fear?

I tried to fit in but never got too accustomed. While trying to gather interest to change the world a bit, I ran away when too much attention came my way. Even knowing it was foolish, I continued.

Because of fear. I was even afraid to recall what I feared, trying to erase the thoughts from my mind.

But no more.

It didn’t matter how things turned out now. Because there were people who made them feel that way. So, here, now… I just wanted to live doing my best. To say thank you to the people grateful to them and not push away people I wanted to see with bizarre behavior.

And if I had to leave one day—so what?

As long as I could leave a mark saying I had been here, it would be enough.

That would be satisfying. And there was no place better than KoK to leave my name. Hanging on this small bridge, I had acquired fans… friends…and, viewers—online companions.

– Phew…

I groaned as I pulled up my arms again, feeling the pain shoot through. The chest muscle was hurting so much I’d forgotten for a while. It hurt.

The situation wasn’t good. After the team’s mage and priest were out, even the knight had become fodder. One member was surrounded and the other was in a standoff.

It seemed better to surrender and match the respawn time. If it weren’t for my current physical condition, I would have done it. It’s not easy.

But, it’s okay.

If there’s no capacity for a long-term battle, ending it swiftly is sufficient.

The first thing that caught my eye was a rogue with a broken stance. It made sense to combine a dash attack with an offensive, but he should’ve paid attention to his stance upon arrival.

Like this.

-Thud!

The enemy rogue collapsed on top of the dead mage. It was a relief that he was out of the way quickly.

Both my real-life stamina and in-game stamina needed to be managed carefully. They were precious resources that were diminishing rapidly.

However, It was enough.

* * * *

-Whoosh!

An arrow grazed the rogue’s cheek, spraying a thin veil of red into the air. A shallow attack. It dealt damage but did not cause any staggering.

For the knight who had preemptively started a combo thinking that the arrow would never miss, this was the worst possible outcome.

-Swish!

The tip of the sword narrowly missed the rogue as he stepped back half a step, displaying an uncanny sense of spatial awareness that was almost inhuman. It was a moment when the short arming sword felt utterly loathsome, but there was no time for useless regret. Time was undeniably on their side.

But if they could just take down this rogue somehow. If they could manage that, they could even reclaim the central tower. In other words, this would give them a foothold for a comeback.

The knight swung his sword while blocking the rogue’s attack route with his shield. And again, the rogue evaded. An effect indicating a perfectly timed dodge appeared, and the rogue who seemed to be aiming for a high strike suddenly lowered his stance almost to the ground.

A fake high followed by a low strike. It was an anticipated attack, so there was no reason to be flustered. Even if that attack landed, they would trade blows, and the rogue would take more damage.

‘Lower the shield, thrust the sword deeply—’

-Thud!

A sound indicating a successful hit. However, bizarrely, the sound came from behind instead of in front. Instinct led the knight to turn around immediately.

If the backline was under attack, they had to rejoin the group quickly, even at the cost of some damage. But the movement was pointless. The mage who was supposed to cast a debilitating spell was already falling.

All that remained of the comrade’s position was a corpse. A dagger was deeply embedded in the mage’s forehead.

‘Throwing…? When? No, there was no motion!’

A technique that canceled the throwing motion with a perfect dodge. It was a skill that teetered on the edge between a glitch and an official move, ultimately recognized as a legitimate skill after several seasons. How could someone witnessing such a move for the first time understand it?

The knight, momentarily thrown into confusion by this unexpected phenomenon, turned his gaze back to the front just in time to see the rogue’s empty left hand quickly extending. The metal gauntlet covering the hand gleamed momentarily.

The rogue, bending deeply at the waist, shot forward. Then, an immediate strike. It was deep. The knight, paralyzed by the hit, received a series of follow-up attacks using the staggered state.

A torrent of the knight’s blood poured onto the dirt, an irreversible amount.

Desperately, the knight pulled his shield up to his chest. If he could just protect his vital spots. The platoon had a numeric advantage for the moment, so if he could just hold on a little longer…

That complacent thought was clearly a mistake—but it could only be blamed on a lack of experience.

During a fight, the number of times one conjured up the possibility of an opponent hiding was too few when it came to dealing with rogues.

He desperately scanned his surroundings to find the already dissipated traces of the rogue in the air, but there was no way he could see them. Even the sound of footsteps that could be heard wasn’t enough to pinpoint the exact direction.

When he finally spotted the rogue appearing behind the priest coming forward to heal the injured knight, it was already too late.

“Behind! Behind!”

-Swoosh

The sound was so small that it was buried by the knight’s scream. Penetrating the thin skin of the nape, twisting through the gaps of the cervical vertebrae, severing the nerves. The excessively realistic sound of the puncture filled his ears.

Following this, like a puppet with cut strings, the priest slowly crumbled—

What remained were the knight engaged in a standoff with Orthodox and the archer who had exhausted all her skills. And himself, dying in a state of hemorrhage. Thanks to one of them taking out an opponent in a mutual kill, the numerical superiority of 3:2 was maintained.

However, Could he count himself as one?

Watching the back of the rogue approaching the archer, deflecting the flying arrows with his gauntlet, the knight felt his previously burning determination dying out.

.

.

.

The knights’ assault on the castle gate was fierce.

The warriors defending up to the edge of the cliff, knowing there were spectators, fought to the bitter end—but everyone busy swinging their weapons already felt it.

This fight was over.

Perhaps that’s why.

On the turret clearly visible, drenched in the red light of sunset. The rogue who had left the battlefield was merely sitting haughtily on the railing, looking down.

Hiding her face under a deeply pressed hood, repeatedly tossing and catching the only remaining dagger in the air.

Yet, not a single person rebuked her for savoring a victory not yet fully attained. Because she was the very one who overwhelmingly crushed the enemy, shattering the fleeting chance at a comeback—

《I was here.》

Rather, it was perhaps more because of that somehow refreshing, slightly trembling voice to which no one felt like adding words.

《I was, here.》

Words transmitted to tens of thousands of people, their meaning unclear.

《I will stay, here.》

-Heh heh

With that, a small laugh echoed out. It was a very gentle, and yet wistful laugh for someone sitting on a throne seized through blood and fire.

GetDevoured.

Main Character, rogue.

MMR 2830.

Rank 1.

The moment the first season’s winner was born.

Over 60,000 people flocked to CravingWarmAmericano’s broadcast, the protagonist of that moment.

TL’s Corner:
She was here!!!