LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 13
Chapter 13 – Are Rogues Supposed to Do This?
The spark of realization came unexpectedly. Thanks to the success of the rogues’ revival movement, new sprouts of rogues were flourishing in KoK Forum.
While I was happily nodding in satisfaction at the popular posts about rogues’ experiences, a particular post caught my eye: “Are rogues supposed to do this?”
In the attached short video, a rogue covered head to toe in plate armor was moving like a wooden puppet before being decapitated by a warrior.
The caption read, “I tried to increase my defense since my stamina is low, but is this the right way to do it?”
As always, the comments were filled with vivid criticism and laughter. Yet, it felt like a blow to the head with a hammer. Of course, it wasn’t because of the idea of a full-body plate rogue.
I had experimented with every build possible for rogues and even tried builds that conscientiously should not be used for rogues. The plate armor rogue was one of the builds that I had tried out with various characteristics and combinations, only to discard it due to its lack of practicality.
In KoK, depending on the material and weight of the armor, adjustments are made to the character’s movements per body part. If a rogue wears plate armor, despite reacting swiftly when facing enemies, they must always yield the initiative.
I had tried to create a build that would counterattack after taking the initiative, but with a slow response, I couldn’t win psychological warfare against opponents who were quick to seize opportunities.
The only advantage was that it allowed me to survive being hit by five blows instead of four. Obtaining minimal survivability at the cost of clear disadvantages was not a typical choice for a normal KoK user, let alone for an assassin.
However, if the goal was to embrace the disadvantages from the start, the conversation would be different. The rogue, whose movements were slightly hindered due to the effects of the plate armor, responded slowly to the commands I input, which was exactly what I needed.
After hastily adjusting the reaction timing based on the armor material for each body part and completing the setup, the appearance was somewhat… unusual, but it was fine.
After all, rogues are naturally cool. Sure.
『Ark (Mage) has been slain!』
『EatNSteal (Rogue) is going crazy!』
『EatNSteal (Rogue) → Ark (Mage)』
『WhiteMachineGun (Archer) (All Chat): Are you abusing the Mage?』
『WhiteMachineGun (Archer) (All Chat): Are you abusing Mage? Asking for the 2nd time』
『WhiteMachineGun (Archer) (All Chat): Are you abusing Mage? Asking for the 3rd time』
『WhiteMachineGun (Archer) (All Chat): Is it all about rushing to respawn when it’s 12 and giving kills to the Rogue?』
『WhiteMachineGun (Archer) (All Chat): Are you abusing Mage? Asking for the 4th time』
『WhiteMachineGun (Archer) has been slain!』
『EatNSteal (Rogue) is going crazy!』
『EatNSteal (Rogue) → WhiteMachineGun (Archer)』
『WhiteMachineGun (Archer) (All Chat): What the @$*( are you doing @(!*』
And most importantly, isn’t it showing results?
Finding the familiar timing back.
Even more, not predicting but reacting.
『Ark (Mage): Top lane support』
『Ark (Mage): Archer, top lane』
『Ark (Mage): Defense breached』
『Ark (Mage): Last one』
『Ark (Mage) has been slain!』
『EatNSteal (Rogue) is sweeping through the battlefield!』
『EatNSteal (Rogue) → Ark (Mage)』
In fact, honestly speaking, the appearance feels like having put weights on the arms and legs.
Even though there’s a hidden power, it feels strong, right?
It would have been even better if there was an effect of a thud sound and sandstorm rising when throwing the armor on the ground after winning.
=Red team has captured the central point!=
By clearing the backline twice, we naturally ended up seizing the central point in return.
This is carrying the team.
* * * *
When newcomers first connect to VR KoK, most of them are overwhelmed by the sense of battlefield before enjoying the game. The pounding sound of drums and the trumpet announcing the gathering resound in their ears.
Soldiers, each holding different weapons and wearing loosely coordinated armor, stare ahead with stern expressions. The desolate and bleak view of the village inside the castle, looking as if it has reached its limit, and the flags fluttering weakly on the castle walls.
As they gaze blankly at the somewhat nostalgic scenery, turning around, they are met with the fearful eyes of a child peering out from a shabby house window.
Even though they think it’s not real, feeling startled by the aura emanating from the weapons carried by their fellow knights heading towards the castle gate, they finally lower their heads, examine their own bodies, and, like any first-time VR game player, start moving their hands around, watching with leisure.
KoK received acclaim for its realistic combat system that even incorporated delicate movements, and the graphics proclaiming to open up new horizons in VR games received praise from all.
Most users gather at the central stronghold, waiting for the tower to appear, which is when the true value of the graphics shines, they say.
After a fierce battle, when they have defeated or driven out all opponents and successfully captured the strategic focal point, the moment they feel a strong sense of achievement, a roaring sound signals the appearance of a building over 12 meters tall as if by magic.
Like robots combining, the bricks summoned one by one in mid-air gracefully float for about a second before, with a thud sound, sequentially slotting into place.
If they look up at the tower that has manifested from the top floor down to the entrance on the first floor, a sense of omnipotence surges within them, feeling they can dominate the enemy from this stronghold.
However, in terms of the game, the true magnificence of the tower comes from the guardian standing before it.
Clad in full plate armor, the towering guardian stands at over 2 meters tall, and the halberd that even makes them look small reaches up to 3.5 meters.
This formidable gatekeeper, who is adept at long-range interception or easily dispatching clumsy intruders even in the presence of mage’s spells, handles the 3.5-meter halberd as if it were a twig, effortlessly repelling any feeble invaders.
It’s not uncommon for three bronze-level knights to rush in and be executed at a 3:1 ratio.
Thus, it’s not just users jokingly saying, “Just send the guardian to the enemy castle and we’ll win instead of unnecessarily using knights and mages.”
Hence, having faced death for the third time already, Ark couldn’t believe that the guardian was being pierced so helplessly, even as she saw it firsthand through her grey-tinted vision.
Once again, a rogue approaching with a bizarre stance threw a dagger with armored hands. The guardian, as if feeling sorry for its halberd, swung it to block the dagger, but the rogue had already taken advantage of that gap, penetrating into the embrace of the halberd.
Stepping back quickly, the guardian adjusted its weapon and swung it horizontally, a move that created distance between them, a form of defense that could lead to a lightning-fast piercing attack if the opponent’s posture was disrupted during evasion.
Approaching the guardian recklessly was not advised for a reason. However, instead of the usual swoosh sound followed by a clang as the target was struck, a clear sound of metal meeting metal resonated,
Clang.
When the attacker initiated an attack, rather than evading or blocking, by swinging the weapon in the opposite direction at the perfect timing, one could successfully deflect the opponent’s weapon and momentarily render them unable to act.
Failure in this technique would result in getting hit instead. Hence, it was common sense to use a shield that provided some defense even on a failure, or if opting for a weapon, a broadsword that allowed for a more forgiving evaluation of the target point.
And of course, although no one dared attempt it, trying to execute the technique with a dagger that required timing accurate to 0.0x seconds would give you time to enjoy the chat messages of your team members expressing concern for your safety through a gray-tinted perspective.
However, the rogue’s dagger accurately found the halberd’s target point, causing the guardian, who was preparing for a follow-up move, to stagger back three more steps.
Following the guardian like a shadow, the rogue’s dagger managed to slip through the gaps in the plate armor, landing three precise strikes with each step the guardian took.
Looking as if determined to cut off the opponent’s breath, the rogue with a fierce glint in their eyes tore into the guardian, but before the drops of blood from the pulled dagger could even touch the ground, they swiftly leaped back without hesitation.
As if being led by the rogue’s controlled movements, the guardian swung the halberd vigorously from the lower left to the upper right towards the empty space, but naturally, the tip of the halberd barely missed the rogue’s body by the width of a piece of paper.
Seeing the guardian swaying in a vulnerable position after missing a big attack, the rogue, without closing the distance, crouched down to slowly recover their breath.
As if knowing well that such an opening was nothing but a trap. Indeed, the guardian swiftly regained balance at an extraordinary speed and thrust forward as if chasing after the retreating rogue with a big step forward with its right foot.
An attack that even Ark, observing the fight as a third party, failed to anticipate in time. However, the tip of the halberd that was clearly aimed at the abdomen passed by the rogue’s side, missing her by a wide margin.
A missed target.
It was only after a while that Ark noticed that the rogue’s armored right arm had made contact with the halberd’s shaft, realizing that the rogue had deflected the attack with minimal movement as the thrust came in.
A subtle move that made even using a dagger for parrying seem effortless. It had reached the point where not even a bitter laugh could escape.
The rogue, forcing her way back into the gap with a dagger, stabbed it twice before the guardian could retrieve her halberd, as if she had already anticipated the ensuing counterattack and then stepped back.
It was the moment when the impregnable defenses turned into a vulnerable point in front of the spearman. The rogue, leisurely surveying the surroundings in front of the bleeding bull, gradually blurred into the scenery and disappeared from sight.
The guardian quickly scanned the surroundings with a tightening gaze, adjusting its weapon, but the inevitable end was already clear to Ark, who had tightly closed her eyes.
* * * *
『WhiteMachinegun(Archer) has been defeated!』
『EatNSteal(Rogue) → WhiteMachinegun(Archer)』
『(All)WhiteMachinegun(Archer): Open』
= The Red Team has captured the Blue Team’s stronghold! =
『(All)Birmeok(Warrior): Ha, seriously 12 rounds』
『(All)Birmeok(Warrior): When the mage cast, the broadcast got hit, so this happened, right?』
『(All)Birmeok(Warrior): Ah, this is really annoying』
= Victory! =
The exhilarating sensation she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Watching the praises pouring in through the game chat, regardless of friend or foe, she relaxed her tense shoulders that had been stiff with nerves.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had concentrated so much on a game. At least it was a first for Lee Yena. As the game drew to a close, she clicked on the opponent’s warrior ID, reported ‘insults’, ‘derogatory remarks’, and ‘discriminatory speech’ in order, then reached out to grab her phone.
Having done her best and achieved the desired outcome, now was the time to take credit for the victory.
– Ding, ding, ding.
– Ding dong ding dong.
– Ding dong ding dong.
– Ding dong ding dong dong.
Now it was time to savor the fruits of victory.