The Survival battlefield was named the Shadow of the Abyss. Just as Siege battles unfolded in the Battlefield of Champions, Survival matches took place in the Shadow of the Abyss.

True to its name, the Shadow of the Abyss was dark like an underground cavern without a single ray of sunlight. Even if sanctuaries existed, champions hesitated to approach because of the murky energy.

Because of that, summoners could not enter this place already bound by a contract. Instead, they had to obtain runes here and persuade a champion into forming a contract.

Runes were crystallized forms of sanctuary energy that could strengthen champions, making it most tempting. Of course, champions did not rush in for just any rune. Each champion coveted different types of runes.

Naturally, tanks favored defensive runes while damage dealers preferred offensive ones. Even within the same damage dealer role, preferences differed by champion.

For example, the Pure Sniper Ran specialized in long-range bombardment and favored runes that increased attack range and percentage-based attack power. Meanwhile, Frost Archer Leon relied heavily on crowd control and preferred runes that extended status effects.

Depending on the rune’s properties, one could roughly predict which champion would appear. It was never guaranteed and just a prediction.

— Raina probably won’t show up

— Those runes... that’s basically Ran

— Please, Raina!

The chat scrolled by while Almond ran toward the rune box. Certain champions simply wouldn’t appear depending on the environment.

[Attack Power (or Spell Power) +3% per Level]

[Attack Range Increased by 15%]

Every rune that Almond picked up favored long-range bombardment like Ran’s style. Champions with high single-target damage from afar, like Rifleman Sharyl or Terrorist Bonnie, were also likely candidates.

Most rune stats were percentage based, so champions with rapid-fire attacks gained very little benefit. Raina, in particular, struggled to make proper use of these effects. At least, that was supposed to be the case.

‘Got it.’

Tap.

Almond finally grabbed the rune box.

[Three champions have answered your call.]

Three cards unfolded one by one.

[Pure White Sniper – Ran]

First was Ran. The blond boy in pristine white clothing calmly gazed down at Almond.

Next was a girl with messy hair holding a rocket launcher.

[Terrorist – Bonnie]

She flashed a wicked grin and beckoned with her hand. “Heeheehee.”

As a ranged damage dealer, she disrupted enemies with long-range splash damage bombardment and trap placements. So far, everything felt exactly as expected.

Then, one more woman appeared. Wearing a blue robe, her hair shone so radiantly that it could be mistaken for silver.

[Cold-Blooded Evil Archer – Raina]

— ?

— ??

— ?

— Are you kidding me? LOL

— Bugged game LMAO

The other champions all stared at Almond as if urging him to choose them. Raina alone seemed oddly distracted, looking elsewhere.

[Recommended!]

A recommendation alert appeared right beside her.

— What the hell LOL

— “Recommended” my ass

— LMAO

— Acting cool but still flashing “Recommended!”

The viewers felt baffled by Raina being marked as recommended because of Almond’s runes.

[Rune – Common]

[Attack Power (or Spell Power) +3% per Level]

[Rune – Rare]

[Attack Range Increased by 15%]

— None of them fit Raina

— Is this for real?

— Attack power on Raina LOL

Raina was a ranged damage dealer, but she didn’t deal damage through raw attack power. She stacked a skill called Mana Exposure to output damage. In other words, her spell power damage was extremely high. Those runes did nothing for her.

As for increased attack range, she already had a short base range. A percentage-based increase was terribly inefficient. What would increase by 150% for Ran wouldn’t even reach 50% for Raina.

— Go Ran

— Even if it’s Raina, this is too much

— Bonnie time

— I wanna see Bonnie too

— It’s Ran, no question

— But picking Ran right now won’t do anything

— The runes scream Ran though

The chat was completely divided, but Almond had already decided.

“I’ll pick the recommended one. It’s the tutorial, after all.”

— LOL

— LMAOOO “recommended”

— Gigachad just picks recommended

— Because... it’s the tutorial.

— Raina, don’t get cocky. I’m only picking you because you’re recommended, got it?

Almond didn’t hesitate after he saw the recommendation. He decided to go along with what the game intended since it was a tutorial match against bots.

Thud.

A bright light descended around Almond, and Raina’s form settled beside him. Even through the shadow of her robe, the corners of her lips clearly curved up, if only slightly.

She stiffened her expression and said in a cool, businesslike tone, “Summoner, seems like it’s your first time in the Abyss. I’ll be watching.”

— Kyaa

— Don’t lie, Raina LOL

— “Business mode”

— She separates work and personal life, damn

— Liar

— LOL that instant mood switch though

It was probably just standard dialogue programmed for first-time summoners. Almond’s viewers, whose fantasies about Raina had long passed a point of no return, misunderstood it as Raina hiding her true feelings. Of course, Almond was partly to blame for how these misunderstandings kept piling up.

Whoosh!

[Roll]

He rolled to reposition himself after forming the contract.

[LazySoldier has achieved a Double Kill!]

Boom!

Stacks of Mana Exposure instantly piled up, and two enemies vanished.

— ?

— ...?

— ???

— Whoa LOL

The chat felt stunned by what had just happened.

Raina seemed to be pondering something. “Hmmm... Hmph.”

However, she said nothing more.

— ?

— Why does this make sense?

— “Hmph?” LOL

— This is insane

— Is she still sulking? LOL

— Power struggle, for real?

— That hmph is legendary

***

Baegi blinked, unable to process what he had just witnessed.

‘No, what the hell... Is this a bug?’

LazySoldier had contracted Raina and suddenly vanished.

Boom!

A blue explosion erupted, and two perfectly fine enemies suddenly died.

‘What was that? A double kill?’

[LazySoldier → Maybeme]

[LazySoldier → Chills]

Another enemy had also been killed before touching the rune box. It had practically been a triple kill, but it didn’t count because of the timing.

‘Wait... there are only two left now!?’

Only two enemies remained. The Gigant Machine player and another guy who used magic. As a rune champion, Baegi bounced around in place.

‘Hey! Save me! Save me!’

If LazySoldier saved him here, they would have two summoners. The enemy side only had Gigant Machine as a summoner.

‘If I revive, we win for sure.’

Reviving a rune champion was simple. Another player just had to stand nearby and wait. Once the gauge filled, the rune champion revived on the spot. Instead of doing that, Almond started running.

Tap tap tap tap...

‘Huh!? Hey! Hey!’

Baegi, as a rune champion, bounced after him to draw attention. However, a rune champion could never run faster than a summoner.

‘Why are you charging straight at the Gigant Machine!?’

LazySoldier sprinted directly toward the Gigant Machine. Gigant Machine was a bruiser specialized in dealing with ranged attackers. Its greatsword could hook and pull enemies in and even deflect ranged projectiles. Each deflection granted a shield and increased attack power as a bonus.

‘Damn it! Did he not see me!?’

Baegi kept bouncing along desperately. In chaotic situations, beginners often failed to notice rune champions that were about the size of a small puppy. As he followed along, he witnessed a shocking scene.

‘Huh?’

Pyuwoong!

Raina’s blue arrow struck its target with pinpoint accuracy. That was a standard Raina play, but it wasn’t just one arrow.

Bang!

‘Again?’

Gigant Machine swung its sword to block, only for another arrow to land as if mocking the attempt.

Boom!

Then, two more arrows landed.

‘What the hell...!?’

Fwoosh!

Blue flames erupted since Raina’s skill detonated when three or more hits connected.

[Mana Exposure]

[When the target is hit three times consecutively, Raina’s mana accumulates within the body and explodes, dealing heavy damage.]

Boom!

Blue fire spread across Gigant Machine’s body.

“D-Damn it, what is this!?”

Even the Gigant Machine player seemed to sense something was wrong.

Baegi could tell just by watching. This wasn’t just good mechanics.

“I-I’ll freeze him!”

The staff-wielding enemy beside Gigant Machine fired a spell.

[Roll]

Whoosh!

Raina vanished from sight, and the spell missed entirely.

‘That’s why he asked for a bow. He’s insane.’

Baegi tried to smack his own forehead, only to remember that he had no arms as a rune champion. While he was at it, Raina’s blue arrows landed without a single miss.

Shu-shu-shuk!

Another relentless volley followed.

[Mana Exposure]

Boom!

Another Mana Exposure detonated.

‘Doesn’t her arrow damage keep increasing the more that combo stacks?’

Raina’s combo showed no sign of stopping.

‘That’s got to be close to a ten-hit combo by now.’

Something only ever seen in highlight reels was happening right in front of Baegi.

[Mana Exposure]

Boom!

A beginner had triggered the notoriously difficult Mana Exposure three times in a row. Dealing this much damage simply didn’t seem possible.

Gigant Machine complained for the last time, “Just hit her already!”

Kraaaash!

Blue flames consumed and erased him.

[LazySoldier Triple Kill!]

[LazySoldier → Showme]

“Uh... uh?”

The remaining staff-wielder wore a completely blank expression. Then, Raina’s targeting reticle appeared on his forehead. Only then did he realize.

‘I’m dead.’

With over fifteen combo stacks built up, the arrow damage became absurd. It didn’t take many shots to kill someone who wasn’t a summoner. Two shots were enough.

Boom!

[LazySoldier Quadra Kill!]

[LazySoldier → Onionkun]

Raina had wiped out the enemies all by herself.

‘Whoa! Wooooow! An unofficial penta!’

Baegi bounced around in excitement. An irregular had appeared on their team.

‘This is crazy! That Raina is on our team!?’

Didn’t she basically kill all five enemies by herself? She was nothing like the Raina he’d seen on YouTube. Such a Raina had descended onto their side.

‘Finally...’

He felt tears welling up.

‘Mom... I think I’m getting seven wins in a row!’

His hands were already shaking at the thought of bragging to his friends.

‘If she just revives us now, it’s our world.’

Thinking that, Baegi rolled and bounced toward Raina. Not just him, the other rune champions gathered as well while praising LazySoldier. Their large eyes sparkled as they looked up at him.

‘Our hero, LazySoldier...’

“Ah... They’re all dead.”

A tip popped up.

[Don’t worry, summoner. Your allies can be revived at the Sanctuary of Resurrection.] 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

“Ah. I see. I should head to the Sanctuary of Resurrection.”

All the bouncing rune champions froze.

‘What?’

Eight large eyes blinked in unison. What Sanctuary of Resurrection? He could just stand there and revive them.

Tap tap tap tap.

Almond started moving.

‘H-Hey! Where are you going!’

Four rune champions bounced desperately after him. Naturally, they were far too slow.

[The Shadow of the Abyss will descend shortly.]

The shadow crept closer, slowly engulfing the rune champions.

‘Aaaah!’

‘W-We’re going to die!’

‘Damn it! Look over here!’

Silent screams echoed through the field. Meanwhile, Raina offered her evaluation of Almond’s quadra kill.

“Ugh... tch.”

— ?

— What was that LOL

— She’s holding back after a quadra?

— ??

— What is this, holding in a bathroom break? LOL

— Patience GOAT

— How sulky is she, seriously?

— LOL

— That didn’t work? She’s really mad

***

[Beginner’s Tip]

[Did you lose all your allies? Can’t see any rune champions either? Don’t be discouraged. You can bring everyone back if you find the Sanctuary of Resurrection in the Abyss.]