MAX 3

[Objective: Cooperate with your teammates to defeat the Hive Queen.]

[Time Limit – 00:02:00]

The objective had changed. There were now 2 minutes remaining on the time limit, and the warning that forced joint responsibility had disappeared.

Only then did Han Jiho let out a low sigh and adjust his grip on the mouse. Now that the shackles were gone, he felt like he could run wild a bit more comfortably.

It seemed the same was true for cogus2.

As if he had been waiting for this, he lunged into the gaps between the Kraksairs who were pouring out attacks in formation. His movements were incomparably nimbler than before when he was holding back for the sake of the team.

Not to be outdone, Han Jiho also shot at the enemies to cover cogus2. The enemies appearing this time were elite monsters that were sturdier and dealt more damage than the ones seen in the cave.

However, those guys were merely bait.

The one they had to kill was the ‘Hive Queen’ at the very center of the pack, distributing vitality while being protected by the monsters.

Han Jiho, dodging attacks with repeated jumps and slides, threw a grenade at them and took advantage of the opening to quickly scout the Hive Queen.

It had a massive, grey, mechanical circular body. In the very center, there was a blue-tinted pupil, and numerous hoses were connected to it. It seemed to be distributing vitality to the monsters through them.

Since it looked like a weakness to anyone’s eyes, Han Jiho aimed his muzzle without hesitation. The quantity of mobs swarming was immense, but fortunately, thanks to cogus2’s aggro, the area where he stood was relatively clear. With his line of sight wide open at just the right time, he even had an angle to deal free damage to the Hive Queen if needed.

The moment he realized that, for some reason, Han Jiho thought that this situation was exactly what cogus2 had intended.

Despite not saying a single word to each other, cogus2 was drawing aggro as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and he himself was looking for a free damage angle while providing cover.

It was not easy to approach the Hive Queen while killing enemies within the short time limit of 2 minutes. This was because endlessly respawning mobs blocked the path and poured out attacks.

Therefore, a Tanker was needed to divert the attention of the mobs, a Dealer was needed to target that moment to attack the Hive Queen, and a Supporter was needed to heal and cover the two of them.

This was a cooperative tutorial intentionally designed so that it could not be easily cleared alone.

If you looked at the objective right now, didn’t it explicitly state to “cooperate”?

Even though Han Jiho had to deal damage and heal simultaneously because the Dealer was shitting the bed, anyway.

[Server] cogus2: Vitalis-nim, Ult go go

[Server] cogus2: Shoot the Hive Queen

At cogus2’s chat that popped up at just the right moment, Han Jiho felt a momentary thrill. As expected, his hunch was right. Cogus2 was intentionally drawing aggro right now to give him a free damage angle.

A peculiar light flickered in Han Jiho’s eyes as he looked at the nickname ‘cogus2’ in the chat window.

In a game played for the first time, with a person met for the first time, what were the odds of being perfectly in sync without any conversation?

He had played countless games for a long time, but cogus2 was the first person to make him feel this way. It felt as if their thoughts and hearts were connected as one. It was the feeling of meeting a kindred spirit he had been searching for for a long time.

“…”

Lest he miss the timing cogus2 had created, Han Jiho quickly activated his ultimate, ‘Solar Burst,’ just as he was told. His ultimate gauge had been filled long ago, and he had been saving it to find the right time to use it.

A massive sphere flashing with golden light floated above his head, illuminating the surroundings. Standing beneath it, his entire body turned golden and shone dazzlingly.

Han Jiho immediately aimed at the Hive Queen. A buff indicating that his attack power, defense, and recovery had increased by thirty percent appeared at the bottom left of the screen.

And then, fire.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

In that manner, he emptied three consecutive magazines in an instant. The 60 bullets were embedded accurately into the Hive Queen’s eye, and red damage numbers indicating critical hits popped up without rest. The Hive Queen’s health, which had been full, soon had only about 40 percent remaining.

At the same time, as if he had been waiting, cogus2, who had leapt into the air, also activated his ultimate. His entire body, which had been pitch black, was covered in burning red flames. He looked like a sun on the verge of exploding.

Soon, a massive pillar of fire emitted from cogus2 covered the Hive Queen and everything around it.

KABOOM!

A thunderous roar echoed. Han Jiho immediately checked cogus2’s health bar and activated Blessing of Light. Due to the aftermath of the ultimate and the aggro, cogus2’s remaining health was only around twenty percent.

Soon, seeing the health recover rapidly, Han Jiho moved his mouse to check the place where the Hive Queen had been.

The snowy field that had been full of mobs just a minute ago had returned to its original desolate state. Most of the mobs had been annihilated by cogus2’s ultimate.

All that remained were the ammunition drops scattered everywhere and the Hive Queen, surviving with a sliver of health.

‘Is it Phase 2?’

Han Jiho thought so as he watched the Hive Queen’s body turn red as if in rage. Its round body was glowing bright red as if it might burst at any moment.

So, after checking the party window to confirm that cogus2’s health was full and checking the status of GoodAtAngerManagement—whom he didn’t even know had died—Han Jiho was about to run to fill his empty magazine.

Suddenly, an unidentified roar followed, and as the sky gradually darkened, a cutscene began to play.

The Hive Queen, left alone and on the verge of death, and a massive spaceship covering the sky. A blue light flowed out from beneath it and took the Hive Queen away, and soon the spaceship vanished in an instant. All that remained were the users staring at it in futility.

Eventually, the perspective shifted back to first-person, and the text [Objective Complete] appeared on Han Jiho’s screen. Following that, with the notification [The party has been disbanded], a new objective was updated.

[Objective: Find the source of the sound and activate the ‘Lumen’.]

[Time Limit – 00:02:00]

Apparently, this was the end of the tutorial combat conducted as a party.

Rolling over the ground where ammunition was dropped to fill his magazine and reloading out of habit, Han Jiho glanced at cogus2. For some reason, cogus2 was standing still without moving a muscle.

In the meantime, a message appeared in the chat window. It was GoodAtAngerManagement, who had died alone, waited out the timer, and auto-respawned.

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: No, s*it, what is the healer doing?

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: F*cking no heals

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: If you’re gonna be like that, why the fck are you playing healer? If you want to deal damage, just play a fcking dealer

As expected, GoodAtAngerManagement was a “Heal-Parrot.” Han Jiho watched the chat with an indifferent face. His mental strength was far too sturdy to be affected by something like this.

[Server] HanJiHo98: ?

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: What’s with the question mark, you r*tard?

A question mark? For a moment, Han Jiho tilted his head, not understanding.

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: Look at him not answering ’cause he has nothing to say lol

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: If you’re a healer, just stay in the back and shove heals, don’t fcking act up, it’s fcking d*ck-like

[Server] cogus2: Not “dck-like,” it’s “sht-like”

[Server] cogus2: What are you gonna do with someone else’s d*ck anyway?

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: What’s with this guy picking a fight now? lol You wanna f*cking die?

[Server] cogus2: N1ope

Han Jiho burst into laughter at the mocking chat from cogus2, who had been standing still. It was hilarious. It seemed this was the “grammar villain” he had only heard about.

At that, GoodAtAngerManagement began to run even wilder. His typing speed was so fast it seemed like he did nothing but eat and type all day.

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: Ah sit, if you’re a healer, shut your trap and just heal, you’re fcking btching so much sit

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: Look at him using his ult alone just to save himself lol

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: You fcking bstard lol

While he was yawning, wondering how much longer this would go on, another chat from cogus2 appeared. It seemed cogus2 also had zero interest in whether GoodAtAngerManagement was cursing or not.

[Server] cogus2: 98-nim, there’s still more left in the tutorial, would you like to do it together?

At cogus2’s suggestion to play together, Han Jiho’s lips quirked up into a smirk unconsciously, but he immediately hardened his expression as if it had never happened. He couldn’t understand himself, smiling at something like this.

At the end of the day, wasn’t it just an in-game connection? He hadn’t seen the person’s face, nor did he know their name. Yet, the fact that his mood improved this much just because they connected a little was so awkward and strange.

In any case, it seemed they were thinking the same thing again this time, so Han Jiho typed on his keyboard after a very brief moment of deliberation.

[Server] HanJiHo98: Hahaha, I’d love to

[Server] GoodAtAngerManagement: Lol look at these r*tards thinking they’re something special lol

[Server] cogus2: Okay, then I’ll send a friend request

At the mention of sending a friend request, Han Jiho paused for a moment. It was because of a sudden “what if.”

He didn’t know how long he would play this game, and if his identity were discovered, troublesome things might happen.

To begin with, didn’t he start the game only because of Seo Jaeyoon’s pleading? That’s why he only intended to give it a brief “tasting,” but somehow things had flowed this way. It was a direction he hadn’t anticipated.

However, it felt a bit regrettable to just end it as a passing connection. No, actually, not just a bit, but a lot.

As if to end Han Jiho’s deliberation, a window popped up.

cogus2 has sent you a friend request.

[Accept] | [Decline]