Free Web NovelSeason 5: Chapter 42. The Legend of Zela (1)
Combat in LIL was divided into two states: a champion with or without an ultimate skill. An ultimate skill was a powerful ability that could be learned starting at level six. A technique in which an avatar manifested through the contractor’s body. Contractors could unleash power far beyond their natural limits.
Because of that, team fights became entirely different beasts. Sometimes, a single contractor vanished the moment the fight began. Other times, three or four players were rendered combat-incapable by a single ultimate skill, ending the engagement outright. A buildup of 20 to 30 minutes could be decided in under 5 seconds. That was LIL as it was meant to be.
“Survival battles let you revive dead teammates, though. Sometimes, they drag on way longer,” a woman said this as she sucked on a tube-shaped ice cream.
Slurp.
Almond’s stream was playing on the monitor in front of her.
“Like Zelu right now. They just keep reviving him.”
After taking Almond’s ultimate skill and disappearing in almost a single hit, Zelo had become Zelu.
“It’s Zelu.”
“Whatever.”
“You even did Treeana, and you don’t know that?”
She cut off the conversation without even making eye contact. “Don’t bring that up.”
She never wanted her friends to see that. Unfortunately, that ship had already sailed. They had all figured it out.
“The Curse of Low Resolution was cast by one being alone. That being was... the Dragon of Streaming Destruction...”
“Hey!”
Crash!
A mouse flew over Popcorn’s head.
He dodged it. “Hah? Too slow.”
“Behind you.”
Thud!
A vicious blow landed on the back of his head.
“Guhk!?”
What the hell was that? Looking closer, Choi Sa-Rang was gripping the mouse cable. She had thrown it and yanked it back.
“What era are we in to still be using a wired...”
“Wired is fastest.”
“R-right. Yeah, it’s fast,” Popcorn muttered while rubbing the swelling back of his head.
“Basically, Survival battles actually get safer in the late game?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Well, I don’t really have experience in other modes.”
“No, I mean, why are you asking another team’s coach, Ok Su-Hwan?”
Unlike JeonJaPa, who had conquered everything from Survival to Siege, Popcorn (aka Ok Su-Hwan) had never been particularly interested in anything but Siege. If anything, he preferred Civil Empire.
Popcorn tried to laugh it off, but it didn’t work. “Another team? Hey! We ain’t strangers, are we!?”
“You ditched me and made a team without me. Of course, we are.”
Popcorn scratched his head. “Hey... that was...”
‘You said you wanted to hide your identity.’
JeonJaPa appearing in Civil Empire and in LIL were completely different matters. Account rerouting was impossible. Even if they used every trick available, someone would recognize her. She knew that better than anyone.
‘Maybe... she’s just sulking.’
In the end, she was simply hurt from being left out while the rest of the team banded together for an event. Thinking that made Popcorn feel oddly sympathetic.
Something Cosmic, aka Han Woo-Joo, once said came back to him. “She never once abandoned the path of a pro.”
After the match where Best Yi Sun-Shin played, Han Woo-Joo had remained in the arena for a long time, unable to stand.
“She didn’t abandon our team either.”
Su-Hwan had asked him back then.
Woo-Joo regretfully confessed, “It was me... I was the one who abandoned our team.”
Tap. Tap.
Su-Hwan was lost in thought when Sa-Rang nudged him.
“Hey, then say it. What are you thinking?”
“Huh? Ah... nothing. What?”
“Your team is mid lane, no. The other member, who is it?”
She really asked. He knew she would be curious, but he hadn’t thought she’d actually ask. In a way, she was impressive. Things that could never be said, she kept silent about. Things that others hesitated to ask, she asked as if it were obvious.
Popcorn couldn’t be the one to leak it. “I don’t know, you idiot.”
“What? Then why ask me about Survival?”
“You trying to trade information right now? You really think that works?”
“Yeah.”
Popcorn hesitated, genuinely torn. “Ha... Hmm...”
He suddenly pointed at the monitor.
“Oh. Zelo, no, Zela is coming in late!”
Popcorn had bet on Zelo’s team winning while Sa-Rang had bet on Almond’s.
This mattered more than it seemed.
“He’s really coming in late like that. That’s not easy. He handles chakra well.”
“It’s not easy, but... it’s pointless.”
“Huh? Why?”
***
“Z-Zela!?”
From Zelo to Zelu and now Zela... Three generations passed in the blink of an eye. The Zel family line was being passed down quickly.
— Holy shit, faster than mayflies.
— Even viruses probably live longer than the Zel family LOL
— Is the short lifespan genetic?
— LOL
Zela, formerly Zelo, was determined to avenge his bloodline this time. He circled to the rear and attempted a delayed entry.
Boom!
“I’ll start by picking off the damage dealers.”
He took their back.
Thunk!?
“F-fuck! Why is there a tank in the backline?!”
— LOL
— What the hell?!
— Figures, for a team led by a guy who backlines as a tank
— Why is there a tank where the damage dealer is supposed to be?
LIL was a first-person game. When birds-eye-view games transitioned from third-person to first-person, the biggest issue that arose was positioning. Without a minimap, it was difficult to grasp everyone’s locations from above.
Compared to older PC games, positioning became far more fragile. This problem wasn’t limited to allies. It was an even greater obstacle when trying to read enemy positions.
One could at least track allies through callouts and the minimap. The enemy, though, was mostly invisible. Players had no choice but to infer. Assuming there would be a damage dealer in the backline was common sense. That assumption guided Zelo’s movement.
“Ta~~~ank!”
Instead, he ran into a pure tank.
“Shit...”
“Healthy applause~!”
[Stone Applause]
KRAAANG!
Two massive stone fists collided right in front of Zelo, sending out a shockwave.
[Stunned]
He froze for an instant.
[Deafened]
All ally pings, voice chat, and minimap information disappeared.
— Damn
— Why is this popping up here LOL
— Didn’t they already have two tanks on the frontline?
— They’ve got Gigant and Bart, and now Monolith too?
Boom!
A stone fist slammed into Zelo’s head as he stood stunned, followed by another skill.
[Falling Rock]
Massive boulders rained down from the sky. Normally, the delay made it non-lethal unless one was stunned.
“Uuugh!?”
Right now, it was extremely dangerous for Zelo.
— Holy shit...
— Uh oh?
— Zela just got born, time for his first birthday!
— Goodbye!
[Chakra Release]
KRAAANG!
Zelo barely escaped by forcefully releasing his chakra. A thick cloud of dust exploded.
— Ooo
— He dodged it?!
— Damn...
‘Do you know how many chakra stacks I have?’
Storm Ninja grew stronger as his chakra output increased with kills gained through his passive. Zelo had already earned several stacks. He could move far faster than normal.
[Chakra Adhesion]
Pop!
Zelo latched onto the terrain like a wall.
“I-I’m inside there!”
Thud.
He kicked off again and swung his blade.
“My father and grandfather’s enemy!”
He had seen Almond behind the stone mass.
— LOL
— LMAO
— Holy shit
“Not a chance!” Kutan tried to block him, but the speed difference was clear. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
“Move!”
Whoosh!
Zelo shot forward toward Almond, who was still attacking the frontline of Zelo’s team.
‘He can’t see me at all. If I take his back...!’
It looked like the perfect opportunity. His blade swung precisely toward Almond’s neck.
Their eyes met.
Almond was smiling.
‘Damn it.’
Zelo realized something was wrong, but it was too late. No one could help him now.
[Frost Arrow ]
BOOM!
An arrow buried itself in Zelo’s head. Almond had somehow fired at that angle.
‘A c-curve shot!’
[Frozen]
Zelo froze again. This time, he was right in the middle of enemy territory.
“D-Damn it!”
— Holy shit
— Again?
— ??? I told you not to be like your father.
— No way
— Is he about to show us... Perfect Death?
Then, it happened.
[AcornJelly has gone berserk!]
[AcornJelly → Bubblegum]
A notification flashed.
“I will manifest a contract stained in blood.”
An ultimate skill activated.
[Ice Wall]
KRAAASH!
A massive ice wall surged up, cutting Zelo off from Almond.
“Ooooooh!”
Screeeee!
Acorn Jelly slid up the ice wall on an ice board.
— Whoa!
— Insane...
— Damn
“I will fulfill the contract bound by blood.”
ROOOOAR!
An enormous wave surged in from behind.
[Tsunami]
Aqua also activated his ultimate skill, Tsunami.
“W-we’re here!”
— LMAO
— Didn’t you say the comp was trash? LOL
— You said that earlier loool
The surge swept away Almond’s team. Their formation briefly broke. At that moment, the Frost Archer’s skills rained down.
“Ice Age!” Acorn Jelly chanted loudly.
[Frost Barrage]
This skill scattered icy arrows in a wide fan.
— What’s with that voice bluff LMAO
— Ice Age my ass
— LOL
— He’s feeling himself
Acorn Jelly wasn’t exactly known for good aim, so he relied heavily on this skill. It usually hit everything.
[Frozen]
[Frozen]
Indeed, it froze Almond’s team.
“Shoot them to death!”
Slash!
Zelo, Aqua, and the Frost Archer unleashed a flurry of skills the instant they broke free.
“Huh?”
“N-no one died.”
Only Kutan and the Hammer Paladin had frozen solid.
[HP: 45%]
[HP: 78%]
Both were absurdly tanky.
“Where the hell are the damage dealers?”
Creeeak.
A bow being drawn could be heard from somewhere else. The tanks had taken the frost head-on while Almond had already repositioned.
“Aaaah... No!” Zela screamed.
Brrrraam!
Three arrows instantly struck Acorn Jelly.
“N-no way... You can’t shoot that fast...”
Those were his last words.
[Nail Scatter]
The Paladin’s Nail Scatter unleashed the moment he broke free of the freeze.
“A contract bound by blood? Did something like that even exist!? I’m made of stone!” Kutan activated his ultimate skill. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
By fusing with the earth, he surged forward and launched the enemies skyward.
Ruuuumble...!
[Earth Cataclysm]
KRAAANG!
The ice wall shattered along with the terrain. Acorn Jelly, Aqua, and Zelo all bounced up.
“Haah! Three-man airborne, that was filthy!” CrispyCrispy had tasted the ecstasy of tanking.
[Wind Arrow ]
A Wind Arrow pierced straight through Acorn Jelly’s head.
BOOM!
His health plummeted from 100% to 10%.
‘My arrows...’
Clack.
Almond’s quiver was now empty. It took two seconds to reload, but that didn’t matter.
[Rope Movement]
Ziiip!
He used Rope Movement on Acorn Jelly. During that time, an elemental arrow refilled.
[Fire Arrow ]
The Fire Arrow exploded with splash damage.
Fwoooosh!
Acorn Jelly exploded.
[LazySoldier is Legendary!]
[LazySoldier → Acorn Jelly]
At that moment, Zela witnessed a legend and despaired. “D-damn it...”
He knew exactly what it meant for someone to die after Rope Movement.
‘That’s too fast.’
Zelo and Aqua were still suspended in midair. In that tiny window, three more arrows came flying.
[Fire Arrow ]
Another elemental arrow flew out and exploded, followed immediately by more.
[Rope Movement]
[Fire Arrow]
Two explosions occurred in succession. Aqua burst apart as splash damage rippled out. Rope Movement reset again because someone had died.
‘I-it’s over.’
Zelo was certain that he would die before even landing. How many CC skills could be used here? A ninja had no escape. One more Wind Arrow would finish him.
[Frost Arrow]
“Stop the DPS!”
Ting!
A low-damage Frost Arrow flew in, freezing Zelo in place.
Almond suddenly vanished, and the tanks closed in around Zelo. The massive Kutan, greatsword-wielding Gigant, and hammer-bearing Paladin all looked like hired thugs surrounding him.
“Hey, big bro is stepping out for a smoke. Wait here.”
“?”
“What’s with the question mark? We can have a smoke before we kill you, right?”
— LOL
— LMAO
— Isn’t that something the guy dying should say? LOL
— Holy shit...
— What even is this?!
— Why??
— This is the Perfect Death...
— Are they gangsters?!
Wooooong...!
Almond flew over to Bubblegum and revived his rune spirit.
‘I still have to complete the mission.’
Ending it here meant mission failure.
Unaware of this, Zelo furiously shouted, “Just kill me already, you bastards!”
— LOL holy shit
— And thus, the legend of Zela is born...
— Is he gonna die to Gum again?!
— Defy the Lord and three generations shall suffer...
— The Legend of Zela... (Protagonist: Almond)
— Damn
— Zelo...
— This is straight-up humiliation
