LS 1

1. Puts down ‘s’ but doesn’t even know what a Supporter is.¹ “시옷” is the Korean consonant ㅅ, pronounced like “s.” The phrase is an idiomatic expression, something like “puts the ‘s’ down but doesn’t even know what a Supporter is” implying someone’s clueless while pretending to know.

Sword of God

Season 3 Update!

− The Lost Demon Hunter −

If your sincerity reaches the heavens, you will gain steadfast comrades. If you pray to God, a bright light will illuminate your path.

When the swords of the Empire come together, a new era of salvation shall begin.

“What a load of crap.”

Dohee scoffed at the video playing on the massive screen above the department store’s first floor and the subway entrance. Thankfully, his muttered curse was drowned out by the surrounding noise.

It was cold. Winter had truly set in, and though he felt it in every inch of his body, Dohee ordered an iced Americano, just like always. A gust of wind smacked him in the face the moment he stepped out of the café. His fleece turtleneck and thick leather jacket weren’t cutting it anymore. It was about time to pull his wool coat out of storage.

He’d gone all out on shopping for the first time in a while, and his hands were full. Carefully securing his shopping bags so he wouldn’t spill his coffee, he started walking toward the outdoor parking lot. His thoughts grew heavier with each step.

Season 3 update. A season update in a game usually meant a major shift. In the past, he’d have waited eagerly in his warm room, counting down the days with popcorn in hand. But now? Not anymore.

If your sincerity reaches the heavens, you will gain steadfast comrades.

What a joke.

One of the fun parts of MMORPGs was meeting other people, but that was also the most annoying part.

Gain steadfast comrades if your sincerity reaches the heavens?

Dohee scoffed again, even knowing that was the tagline Sword of God had been pushing since the open beta. Steadfast comrades, his ass. If they didn’t backstab you mid-quest, that was already a win.

Once the number one supporter on the Sword of God server, number one in server rankings, number three in world rankings, and a popular streamer with 450,000 subscribers, Baek Dohee opened the car door without hesitation.

He no longer knew how to rekindle interest in a game he’d grown cold toward. Even if God himself descended, it wouldn’t be enough to reignite his dead passion.

💎

[Miscellaneous] Is it Xeno vs. People again this time?? No other raid teams?

Author: BuffSupportPlz

Likes/Dislikes: 36/11

So the Demon Hunter raid’s coming with this season update, right? How much longer do we have to wait, ffs

And is the focal conflict this time again between Xeno and People? No news from any other raid teams?

Comments

1122: Don’t think there’s any news on People yet? Is Xeno acting up again? lol

MomIMAWizard: Wasn’t People always kind of quiet? Then they suddenly drop a clear and post proof pics, lmao

⤷ DontMessWithSpirits: Fr tho lol same thing happened last time

HunterAssocPresident: Honestly, I hope People gets the first clear this time, lol. Can’t stand Xeno still milking that 2-year-old clear. Like, give it a rest already

⤷ Umai: That comment has nothing to do with the actual Hunter Association. This guy’s not even the real president

⤷ Lalala: Quickest disavowal ever lolololol

TinyAcorn: I heard Wonderfull’s forming a raid team? They’re a streamer crew, so they get tons of viewer support and decent firepower

⤷ BiggestHater: ?? Wonderfull? Aren’t they like, a comedy group? lmao

⤷ Lalala: They really are a meme squad. No way they can beat People or Xeno in specs

YongKnight: People complain about Xeno milking their clear, but aren’t People full of toxic jerks too? Their guild drama’s legendary

⤷ HunterAssocPresident: That’s ‘cause they’re always brawling with noobs. At least they’re not as toxic as Xeno

⤷ YongKnight: What did Xeno even do?

⤷ UltimateSupporter: You don’t know the chaos during Hana’s world first? Huge drama over loot and support treatment. There’s a summary post somewhere, try searching ‘Xeno’ or ‘GoingSupport.’ That’s when Gosup-hyung… ended his stream not long after. Hyung… come back… hope you’re doing okay…

⤷ YongKnight: Damn, really? Gonna look it up.

💎

After scrolling through random posts on the Sword of God community board, Dohee looked up and turned off his phone. The flood of nonsense wasn’t even worth reading. Everyone was jumping the gun.

And if God can’t fix it, then neither can a cousin.

“Not really interested.”

Dohee slurped his coffee lazily, giving a half-hearted reply. The one burning up inside was Baek Yeohoo.

“Come on, once the Demon Hunter raid drops, those Xeno assholes are gonna go full-on ‘first clear’ mode again. You know how annoying that’s gonna be? We gotta crush their pride one more time. I seriously can’t stand watching them strut around.”

He might’ve made a mistake agreeing to this coffee meetup. The moment he sat down, Yeohoo slammed the table and declared his bold proposition:

— Let’s get the first clear on the Demon Hunter raid.

Dohee just scoffed. Why the hell should he bother? First clear wasn’t some pet dog’s name. To get that, you had to sacrifice sleep and meals, ruin your mental health, and stare at a screen until your eyes bled. Why the hell should he go through that again?

And frankly, he was tired of the drawn-out feud with Xeno. That kind of drama was fun once or twice, but after a few years, even that thrill faded. Maybe this was what they called a gamer’s midlife crisis.

Two years ago, the world raid Corrupted Hana was claimed by the Xeno raid team. Last year, the Vengeful Snow Witch was cleared first by their own team, People. A nice one-for-one exchange. There was no fire left in him to fight tooth and nail for the next first clear of The Lost Demon Hunter.

Yeohoo might feel differently, but Dohee had no reason to play along.

Back during Corrupted Hana, he and Yeohoo were both in the Xeno raid team, aiming for world first. They pulled it off in the end, but things soured with the other team members, and the aftermath was a nightmare. Thinking about it still made him shudder.

Dohee shook his head, brushing off the chill running down his back.

“Then go make a raid team with the others. Just leave me out of it.”

“Oh come on~ Without you, we’ve got no brain~ You know how the others are… no critical thinking. They’re just dumb DPS monkeys. We need you~ Please~?”

Yeohoo made his usual pitiful face, pulling his eyes down like a starving fox. It might have worked on strangers, but he picked the wrong target.

Dohee had grown up with this cousin, rolling around in dirt and playground sand together. That kind of manipulative pity routine didn’t work on him.

“You’re seriously creepy when you make that face. I mean it. I’m tempted to just quit the game entirely.”

“What!?”

Yeohoo, who’d been poking and prodding like a foxy breeze, now exploded for real. This wasn’t a joke. Dohee raised an eyebrow and looked away.

“You idiot! Quit? After all the time you put in? Who’s gonna keep the support mains in check if you’re gone? Get it together, Baek Dohee!”

Yeohoo’s words came pouring out like a waterfall. Dohee just scoffed again.

“Keep them in check for what? Support’s a dead class. NGA’s not gonna save it. Might as well let it rot.” name of a major Chinese gaming community forum

“But your Assassin is maxed too! No one knows that’s your alt anyway, and you got the Snow Witch clear last year with that! Just go in as that. Who knows? If we show some effort, maybe NGA will toss supports a bone. You still like playing support, don’t you? Don’t say you’re quitting out of nowhere! I don’t want to play alone! Boohoo!”

The fake sobbing only proved how much he hated the idea of being left behind. Though honestly, he wouldn’t really be alone.

“You’ve got the guild. Things’ll run fine without me. You’re the guildmaster too. I just don’t care anymore. Even if NGA dropped a bombshell update like ‘we’re fixing support balance!’ I doubt I’d feel a thing.”

Dohee’s indifference made Yeohoo look like he’d lost everything.

They’d been playing together since the Sword of God trailer first dropped and the beta opened. Back then, Yeohoo was just bored, and Dohee had nothing better to do. But the game quickly became serious for both of them. Time, money, even streaming—it all added up.

And now, Dohee said he didn’t care.

Yeohoo couldn’t whine anymore.

“…Let’s think about it more before quitting, okay? Check out the update first. Yeah?”

“…Fine. I’ll look.”

“Doheeeeeee~”

“What now.”

“Wanna go eat something good?”

“If you’re paying.”

“My treat. So will you do the Demon Hunter raid with me? Huh? Please?”

“No.”

“Aaaaaah! Baek Doheeeee!”

“Maybe. If I feel like it when the time comes.”

In the end, Yeohoo gave up trying to persuade him. That was just how Dohee was. He didn’t get into things easily, but when he did, he went all in. And once the spark was gone, he could walk away without looking back.

Yeohoo had asked him once how he could give up on something he once loved so easily. What had Dohee said back then?

— It’s not giving up easily. I’ve done enough, so there’s nothing to regret.

Yeah, that was it.

As Dohee got up and pulled on his coat to leave the café, Yeohoo clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Even with the rest of the guild, no one matched Dohee’s playstyle or synergy like he did. Yeohoo truly hoped he wouldn’t quit.

Whatever it was that could hold on to Dohee, he was ready to support it with everything he had.

“I’m gonna step outside for a smoke. Take your time.”

Yeohoo’s heart sank watching Dohee’s back vanish through the café doors.

Just one thing.

He wished something, anything, could hold him back.

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  “시옷” is the Korean consonant ㅅ, pronounced like “s.” The phrase is an idiomatic expression, something like “puts the ‘s’ down but doesn’t even know what a Supporter is” implying someone’s clueless while pretending to know.