Nightmare of the past (Part 2)

"Oh, what is that?! Lee Gaon has chosen to play the scythe master? The weakest class in the game?"

"Don't tell me she gave up before even trying... I understand it's her main character, but picking a counter pick like mage or berserk warrior would have been a more logical decision."

"Let's not rush to conclusions yet, Mr. Lee Minjun and Mr. Park Ji-Ho. I've watched all her matches so far in the tournament, and I can confidently say she's the most skilled scythe master in the history of this game."

"That's very high praise coming from the world champion himself!"

"Thank you. Let's watch the match; it's already in countdown."

"You're right! Let's all count together!"

"THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

"LET THE MATCH BEGIN!"

"Both players are keeping their distance, but it seems the warlock will be attacking first with Poison Touch!"

"The damage-over-time effect on this skill is so strong!"

"It'll take a lot of effort for Scythe Master to heal up."

"The scythe master is finally taking the initiative to attack. The first skill seems to be Ten Directions Slash!"

"Perfect move to close the distance and inflict powerful damage on the opponent!"

"The warlock casts Soul Shield to block the attack, but the scythe master quickly follows with Darkness Slash!"

"The warlock uses instant teleportation to run away, and once again, the distance is so great!"

"Yet another poison attack lands on the scythe master, and her hit points keep decreasing like sand in an hourglass!"

"That's why this class is so strong right now; it's almost impossible to catch unless you play a class with long-range or many dashes!"

"What's that? It seems the scythe master managed to close the distance in an instant!"

"Wait! That skill! No one uses that teleportation skill because of its long cooldown!"

"Did she know he'd be playing warlock today?"

"Well, it was easily predictable. Kim Ha-Joon has been playing warlock exclusively and is very confident he'll win this tournament, exploiting this powerful class."

"But to use such an ability against a warlock! If she can't hit a combo, she'll be left with no abilities to catch up! Is she taking a gamble?!"

"The scythe master is right in the warlock's face, and the stun attack hits directly!"

"The warlock dispels and prepares to use instant teleportation again! But wait!!! The scythe master puts him in a daze and cancels his skill!"

"How is that possible? There was no time to cast another skill for the scythe master! How did Lee Gaon do it?"

"It might have been animation canceling, but I've never seen anyone find a way to cancel animations on this class! She might be the first in history!"

"The warlock has no chance to move as the scythe master quickly annihilates his health!"

"What are these moves from the scythe master? I've never in my life witnessed such fast skill casting!"

"At this point, Kim Ha-Joon might actually lose! Look at his face; he looks extremely worried!"

"Twenty percent! Ten percent! Only five percent health remains for the warlock!"

"He hasn't lost yet. The daze will wear off in a second, and he can use instant teleportation to escape!"

"Yes! You're right, Mr. Jeong Suhan! The warlock is already several meters away, and the smile has returned to Kim Ha-Joon's face!"

"The warlock is casting his most powerful skill, Inferno Blast. If it hits, the scythe master would instantly lose."

"What will Lee Gaon do?"

"Look at her face—it's perfectly calm! Is she that confident in winning, or has she already given up hope?"

"The Inferno Blast has been launched and is speeding toward the scythe master!"

"It's over! She's lost… What a pity! I expected more from her... what!?!"

"The scythe master has used Damage Exchange to send fifty percent of the damage back to her opponent!"

"But does she have enough health to survive?"

"The attack has been sent back to the warlock, and it seems Kim Ha-Joon has no time to dodge!"

"Direct hit!" 

"The warlock has fallen. Lee Gaon wins the tournament with a single health point left!"

"Unbelievable!" 

"Are we witnessing history!? The first-ever female champion has emerged!"

"LEE GAON!"

"Congratulations, Lee Gaon!"

"Congratulations, Gaon!"

"Congratulations, big sis!"

"Congratulations..."

...

"Lee Gaon, the world champion of the most popular MMORPG, The World of Dragonia, has been found cheating during her performance. Our news reporter Park Jong-Woo is currently interviewing the Sun God team CEO, who claims to have evidence that Lee Gaon indeed cheated during her match. Let's listen to what he has to say. Park Jong-Woo."

"Yes, thank you, Park Jong-Woo here with the CEO of the Sun Gaming Team, Yun Beomseok! We're glad to have you here, sir."

"No, no, no, it's my pleasure!"

"Is it true that you have concrete evidence of the current world champion, Lee Gaon, cheating in the finals?"

"We do. I must say I'm very disappointed in Lee Gaon; we even had plans to invite her to join our team, but… As you can see, she tricked us all by using a cheat engine during the match. We spoke with the game's technicians and programmers, and they confirmed that movement like hers and animation canceling is not possible with the Scythe Master class."

"So you're saying she used a cheat tool to perform animation cancels that led to her victory?"

"Sadly, yes. We had professionals inspect the computer she used during the match, and it turns out she received outside help to install a cheat tool before the match. We've already caught the culprit, and the tournament organizers have given us an open apology."

"You heard it here first! Lee Gaon, the current world champion of The World of Dragonia, is a cheater! Shame on her!"

...

"How dare you dirty our family name, Gaon!? You're a disgrace!"

"Father, I never…"

"Silence!"

"Gaon, I want to believe you, but the evidence..."

"Mother, not you as well..."

"I never want to see you again, big sister..."

"Nuri... please..."

"Get out, Gaon!"

"Father, please!"

"Now!!"

...

"No!"

"No!"

"I would never cheat!"

"Why doesn't anyone believe me?!"

"Why?!"

"WHY!?"

...

"Haa... Haa...!"

The morning sun welcomed my eyes. It was a dream. A dream I have almost every night. I wish I could forget all of it. But until I can personally take revenge, I'll never sleep well.

"Kim Ha-Joon! I know it was because of you they made me out to be the cheater. I know you were part of it. I'll find you in this game. I refuse to believe that the person or thing that created this world wouldn't want you here." 

I could feel it. My fated enemy was out there somewhere, waiting to meet me...

Where's the fox?

The fox I saved yesterday was no longer here.

"Tsk... Even you ran away from me... I guess I'm truly fated to be alone... haha..."

The daylight was now bright, a sign that I'd survived my first night. Good job, me! 

I had to level up as fast as possible; I didn't know what the max level was, or if there even was one. But one thing was certain: getting stronger and more powerful was my main priority.

"Wee"

What was that sound?

"Wee, wee"

It was coming from the distance... huh? Isn't that the fox I saved yesterday?

"Hey, foxy! Over here!"

I waved at the fox, and to my surprise, it rushed over at lightning speed. The purple fox held a chicken-like creature in its mouth, and not only that, but its wounds were already healed…

What terrifying healing speed...

Before I could say anything, it dropped the creature at my feet and sat down, smiling at me and wagging its tail.

"Is… is that for me?"

"Woo"

"Thank you, but sadly, I can't consume real food. You see… my body is very special. You eat."

The fox's actions left my heart smiling warmly.

"Woo..."

It sounded sad, and I didn't know how to cheer it up. But it seemed this monster was intelligent enough to understand what I said, as it nodded its tiny head and rushed into the den with the chicken.

"What an interesting creature..."

I couldn't help but smile; not only was it cute, but also very kind. I'd be sure to treat it kindly every day.

After ten or so minutes, the fox emerged from the den and jumped into my embrace. 

"You want to accompany me?"

"Woo!"

"Hehe... I suppose that's a yes."

I was truly happy… for the first time in a while, my heart felt alive.

"What should I name you?"

Hmm... it is quite squishy and soft.

"I know! I'll name you Malrang.1"

Woo!

"So you like it! Haha! Good."

I may not have realized it, but my smile was very warm at that moment.

"Let's go, Malrang! This world isn't ready for the two of us! Haha!"

WOO!

"A girl with a scythe and the Purple Foxterit, a dream team!"

This morning was perfect. But I knew that soon, we'd face many dangers together...