-1713- He's mine

———Magus.

This title has recently risen to prominence in GGO, becoming as renowned as the sun in the sky. Not only the players in GGO, but even those in other VRMMOs are paying close attention to the man holding this title, granting him celebrity-like popularity and recognition.

Sinon had heard the name numerous times in the past. After learning he planned to join GGO, her interest only deepened. Recently, whenever she saw his name, she made a point to thoroughly read every report, post, comment, or evaluation mentioning him.

Sinon's reason for doing so was simple.

"He's mine."

When she saw the news of Magus entering GGO, this thought arose in her mind and solidified immediately.

Especially after observing his various actions in recent times, Sinon felt even more invigorated, longing to confront him face-to-face.

Of course, her reason wasn't due to romantic affection but rather an expression of her fighting spirit.

Sinon's sole purpose for playing GGO was straightforward:

To use her gun and blow away every strong opponent.

Even though Sinon had achieved 22nd place in the BoB Tournament, meaning there were only 21 people stronger than her in the world, she wasn't satisfied.

She constantly yearned to battle strong opponents.

Her reason for doing so wasn't a love of combat, nor was it to savor the process of fighting.

Sinon simply wanted to keep winning and growing stronger.

Relentlessly defeating various strong foes was the only way she could grow. That was her belief.

Therefore, as soon as Rozen's decision to join GGO became known, Sinon set her sights on him.

Because this person was a strong opponent—a very strong one.

Even though other GGO players mocked Rozen, claiming a player who had only played fantasy sword games would struggle in GGO, Sinon wasn't convinced.

In her view, strong individuals weren't merely knowledgeable about combat techniques; they were inherently strong.

That man, who had even conquered that death game, was undoubtedly among the strongest.

Sinon believed Rozen would certainly emerge as an unstoppable dark horse in GGO, climbing to the top of everyone.

And reality confirmed Sinon's belief.

The latest intelligence over the past few days demonstrated to all just how strong this man truly was.

Under these circumstances, when Dyne claimed he intended to ambush Rozen, Sinon couldn't stay away.

"He's mine."

Sinon repeated this mantra to herself, for the first time enthusiastically engaging in the squadron's activities. Upon receiving the summons, she immediately rushed over.

However, Sinon was surprised by Dyne's decision to ambush Rozen.

"For someone as cautious as you to decide to ambush such a formidable opponent—it's truly surprising," Sinon said in a low voice after sitting down, addressing Dyne.

Sinon had joined Dyne's squadron two weeks ago at his invitation.

But she regretted it almost immediately.

Sinon had chosen this squadron because Dyne had claimed they specialized in player-vs-player (PvP) combat.

In other words, the squadron mainly targeted other players who were out hunting monsters. They ambushed these players, took their rare loot, and sold it for profit.

Sinon wasn't interested in defeating monsters; she simply wanted to face and defeat strong opponents, which was why she had joined Dyne's squadron.

However, Dyne turned out to be someone who only attacked players significantly weaker than himself and retreated at the first sign of danger, prioritizing safety above all else.

This made Sinon deeply regret her decision.

She hadn't joined this squadron to bully the weak. Her goal was to face and defeat strong opponents.

Though from a practical perspective, Dyne's approach made sense—targeting weaker opponents reduced risk, while challenging strong opponents increased the likelihood of failure and losing loot—Sinon couldn't understand this mentality. To her, battles under such tension were the only way to hone one's soul and skills, becoming stronger.

For this reason, Sinon didn't criticize the squadron's methods; she simply carried out Dyne's orders quietly, waiting for the day she could face him in battle.

This wasn't out of loyalty but so that, when the time came, she could use the knowledge she'd gained about his strategies and deliver a single, fatal bullet to his forehead.

Despite Dyne's distasteful personality, his skills and his rare weapon, the 〈SIG SG 550〉 assault rifle, firing 5.5mm rounds, were undeniably formidable.

In Sinon's eyes, Dyne was another prey to conquer—someone she intended to eliminate to advance her own strength.

Thus, Dyne's decision to ambush Rozen genuinely surprised her.

The other squad members voiced their thoughts as well.

"Are you sure about this, Captain?"

"While I'd love to shove a grenade into Magus's mouth, the fact remains—he's wiped out so many players, even Submachine. Can we really handle this?"

"This isn't like our squad's usual style."

"What if we get wiped out instead? That'd be embarrassing for you, Captain."

The four squad members openly shared their doubts.

Though Sinon looked down on their remarks, she, too, was curious. Why would someone as cautious as Dyne suddenly propose targeting such a strong opponent?

Dyne, however, wore a smug expression.

"I got intel from a broker. Apparently, Magus has been hunting outside the safe zones since yesterday and is on his way back to Glocken today. He'll be passing through the southern canyon."

Hearing this, Sinon immediately understood Dyne's plan.

So did the others, who reacted with delight.

"He's actually coming through the southern canyon?"

"Doesn't he know that place is a death trap?"

"Talk about walking into his own grave."

"No wonder Captain made this suggestion."

The four members were overjoyed.

The canyon they mentioned, the Marion Canyon, was notoriously known as a death trap.

Not because of strong monsters but because its terrain made it ideal for ambushes.

Steep cliffs flanked the canyon, with only a single path through. The path offered no cover, making anyone passing through an open target for snipers positioned on the cliffs.

Meanwhile, the cliffs provided ample cover, making it difficult to target anyone positioned above.

As a result, the Marion Canyon had earned its reputation as a death trap. Many players preferred taking detours rather than risking passage through it, as doing so was akin to walking into a death sentence.

"We'll take up positions on the cliffs and ambush him. This time, we'll take Magus's head and prove that GGO players aren't to be trifled with!"

Dyne declared enthusiastically.

Sinon regarded Dyne with a faint hint of disdain.