"What the heck? I thought you'd just let me in!"
I looked at the man grumbling in front of me. Though his avatar appeared to be based on his real-life self, his overall appearance had been sharpened and refined. Standing before me was Harang—or rather, Hwarang, as he was known here.
He seemed to have even increased his height. Compared to real life, where I had to look up at him, his gaze from an even higher vantage point felt particularly irritating.
"If someone gets into the raid through the raid leader's connections and can't pull their weight in damage, there's nothing more infuriating, don't you think?"
"Hey, come on—"
Harang—no, Hwarang—stared at me with a pouty, almost hurt expression.
He was equipped with leather armor to take advantage of the bonus stats unique to the archer class. On his back was a massive longbow, a weapon that dealt heavy, reliable damage with each shot but suffered from a slow attack speed. With high enough accuracy, however, it was capable of unleashing devastating damage.
"Just draw your weapon."
Hwarang, fully aware of my skill, looked at me with a slightly hesitant expression. Ignoring his gaze, I activated the duel system.
A large banner descended from the sky, signaling the start of the duel.
Hwarang's demeanor immediately changed. The slightly vacant look in his eyes was replaced with a sharp intensity. He pulled five arrows from his quiver and nocked them to his bowstring.
"You're just going to stand there?"
It seemed odd to him that I hadn't moved even after the duel started. I shook my head and drew my sword.
Srrrng—
The blade slid smoothly from its sheath, scattering a faint, radiant sunlight. As befitted an item representing the season, dazzling effects surrounded the sword.
"What's that...?"
"None of your business. Just shoot your arrows."
"Wait… don't tell me—that's the Sacred Sword?"
"Stop talking start shooting."
The moment I finished speaking, five beams of light shot toward me. The glowing arrows trailed long tails of light as they slowly approached—or so it seemed.
It was just an illusion. In reality, the five beams had already grazed past me.
"Your accuracy is awful."
"I missed on purpose."
Hwarang responded with a smirk, readying his bow again.
Once more, five arrows were drawn back on his longbow. The weapon was chosen to maximize the ranger class's multi-shot capabilities. While it didn't benefit from weapon mastery bonuses, its damage output was off the charts.
Ping—!
The arrows were loosed again. This time, their light-infused speed was twice as fast as a mage's ice arrows.
I calmly focused on the incoming projectiles, my mind entering a state of heightened clarity.
This was the manifestation of natural talent. My sharpened focus allowed me to trace the trajectories of the flying arrows in real time.
With a single, precise swing of my sword, I deflected three of the arrows wrapped in sunlight.
This feat was only possible because I had remained completely still. But what if I was moving? Could I block such swift and relentless attacks in the chaos of battle?
I wanted to test that theory.
"Wait… is that even possible?!"
Hwarang's shocked expression spoke volumes when he saw me deflect his arrows.
But his astonishment didn't last long—I was already closing the distance.
Moving swiftly and unhindered, I reached Hwarang in the blink of an eye.
In that moment, his body spun in a short arc, delivering a wind-infused [Spinning Kick] to me.
It was a basic survival skill for the archer class, capable of briefly stunning its target. A very handy move, to say the least.
But I wouldn't go easy on him. This duel was a test of Hwarang's abilities, and holding back would defeat the purpose.
I immediately activated [Charge], colliding with Hwarang after a brief wind-up. Though I allowed the spinning kick to land, the skill properties of [Charge] ensured I wasn't stunned.
Hwarang's panicked eyes darted toward my sword, tracking my movements carefully. His reaction time and ability to read attacks were commendable.
Suddenly, at point-blank range, Hwarang loosed a light arrow.
Boom!
The arrow hit me squarely, leaving no room for avoidance or counterattack. The luminous projectile struck deep into my abdomen, cutting down a significant chunk of my health.
The force of the impact caused me to falter for a brief moment, during which Hwarang used the agility unique to archers to create distance. Judging by the wind swirling around his feet, he must have purchased [Blessing of the Wind] boots, which maximized movement speed.
Even as he retreated, a continuous volley of arrows rained down on me. Though they weren't as powerful due to their shorter charge time, they were strong enough to impede my movements.
Ting! Ting! Tang!
My sword struck down the incoming arrows one after another, but Hwarang only moved farther away.
He had talent—no doubt about it. Unlike the Harang from my past world, this Hwarang possessed an innate gift for VR gaming.
Perhaps it ran in the family. The natural talent that Hayeon had might have extended to Hwarang as well.
But I was adapting quickly. Blocking the speeding arrows, I began to close the distance. As I advanced, Hwarang's expression grew increasingly tense.
The moment came when his barrage of attacks ceased. It appeared he was preparing a powerful attack, requiring a short charge time.
I seized the opportunity and started sprinting, lowering my sword behind me in preparation for a decisive strike.
Boom!
A massive explosion of light erupted. The barrage of arrows rained down on me, filling my vision with radiant light.
I remained calm, focusing on the attack.
Even in this world, the game mechanics were fundamentally the same. Timing my movements perfectly, I activated the [Counter] skill.
(Name changed from Counterattack to Counter)
By pulling my sword backward mid-swing, I deflected the blinding attack with precision. A successful effect notification lit up, confirming my counter.
Had I failed, I would've been stunned and subsequently skewered by a deadly combo.
Swoosh!
The signature red trail of [Counter] cut through the air. At the same time, the effect of [Solar's Sacred Sword] triggered.
Flames of sunlight burst forth, spreading from my neck and wrapping around my body like a radiant cloak.
Though the counter had nullified all damage, the impact itself couldn't be completely negated. I was pushed backward slightly, giving Hwarang an opening for his next move.
This time, Hwarang aimed his bow toward the sky.
The arrows, infused with light, split apart mid-air, transforming into a rain of countless projectiles that began to pour down toward me.
It was an excellent combination.
The attack's accuracy was outstanding, and his sense of timing when using skills was impeccable.
If it weren't me standing here, Hwarang would have undoubtedly won this duel.
His spatial awareness was impressive too. He'd positioned himself just outside the range of my [Charge] skill.
But there was one crucial thing he overlooked.
I had [Berserk], granted by [Heart of the Warrior].
The charge-based skills in this game had an interesting quirk: the faster the user's attack speed, the greater the skill's movement range.
Whether it was a coding oversight or an intentional mechanic, this feature allowed some players to turn into maniacs who used charge skills to blaze through resource-collection routes at breakneck speed.
[Berserk]
I activated the skill.
My vision turned crimson as the spirit of an orc warrior coursed through me.
It felt like my blood turned into molten lava, and my mind became hyper-focused.
Through the blood-red haze, I saw Hwarang preparing his next attack.
With my heart pounding like a war drum, I stepped forward.
The sound of the falling arrow rain disappeared. Not just the sound—the entire world seemed to fade, like watercolors bleeding together.
All that remained was the straight path ahead and Hwarang at its end.
The cloak of sunlight flickered in the wind as the power surged through my body.
[Charge]. Blue mana burst forth, wrapping around me like a torrent as I lowered myself into a pure offensive stance.
With a blinding golden light radiating from the sword, I swung it in a single, decisive motion.
Slash!
The blow struck Hwarang's neck, landing a critical hit.
He collapsed to the ground, unable to get back up. Lying there, he stared blankly at the sky, seemingly in a daze.
I flicked my sword, dispelling the skill's lingering effects. As the golden radiance disappeared, so did the [Solar Mantle], scattering into fragments of light.
"Am I in?"
"You're in."
At that moment, an archer joined my raid team.
With a satisfied grin, I extended my hand toward Hwarang.
"Welcome aboard, arrow bag."
"You're insane..."
Grumbling, Hwarang grabbed my hand and got up, dusting himself off.
I glanced at him, a curious thought crossing my mind.
It was only now that I noticed he wasn't in a guild.
"You're not in a guild?"
"No one let me join."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm an archer."
Hwarang began recounting his frustrations. Starting out as an archer, he'd been unable to join parties due to the class's poor reputation.
Not only had he failed to join a guild, but even after wandering around to find a party, he was met with rejection.
In the end, he'd reached max level entirely solo.
"What about friends?"
"My friends don't play this game seriously. They spend all their time gathering herbs in the mountains to sell for chicken money."
It seemed archers in this world had a reputation worse than trash.