By Zephyria 
Of all people, he was the one closest to Kim Factory.
‘Should I try crouching in front of that parasitic bomb?’
But even if he blocked it with his body, what would be the point if he were knocked unconscious immediately? He might be able to block one shot, but that would be it.
‘I’ll just stay quiet here. It won’t help if I step forward for no reason. I’ll be lucky if I don’t get in the way by blocking the view…’
When considering it realistically, he kept feeling that staying still was the best way to help.
—Hyung. You’re still there, right?
“Yeah.”
—Can you keep a close eye on things?
“…Yeah.”
So, staying still… was right. The fact that even Kwon Mi-eon only told him to watch and didn’t request any specific action made him feel that way even more. However.
‘If Kwon Mi-eon is even slightly late, won’t the core just explode?’
And if the core exploded, all power to the Alliance would be cut off, and since resource supplies would stop, it would effectively be a defeat.
‘Then what about all the time the Alliance Members spent holding out?’
If that happened, what would become of the hard work of the Alliance Members who had struggled and clung on for hours without surrendering? And.
—Yeon-hu Hyung?
…What about Kwon Mi-eon, who had endured those hardships alongside them?
“Kwon Mi-eon. Do you think we can beat the mechanic?”
Mo Yeon-hu, who had been thinking in silence, spoke up.
“What happens if Kim Factory eventually blows up the core?”
Inwardly, Mo Yeon-hu thought that if it were Kwon Mi-eon, he would say they wouldn’t lose. Because hadn’t the Kwon Mi-eon in the game always found a way out, even if the sky were falling? However.
—There’s a high possibility we’ll lose.
This time, even he was skeptical.
—Actually, the situation at the outer wall isn’t good either.
From the outside, the mechanics’ attacks were growing more intense, and most of the Alliance Members were already dead.
—The core side too… Even if I go, it’s not like I can take all the bullets Kim Factory is firing without them hitting the parasitic bomb.
The situation at the core was also at its worst.
“……We might lose?”
47, Kwon Mi-eon… losing. It was somehow unimaginable, and as Mo Yeon-hu remained speechless, Kwon Mi-eon spoke.
—Considering how much I’ve put you through, Hyung, it’s a shame.
Kwon Mi-eon was calm.
—I’m the one who lost because I didn’t realize who the spy was. They had been here for so long, so I trusted them.
He admitted his defeat very simply.
Because Kwon Mi-eon was blaming himself, Mo Yeon-hu felt strange.
‘The people who planted the spy are the ones who are strange. What’s so wrong with trusting your teammate? Kwon Mi-eon really did his best…’
Even though he wasn’t Kwon Mi-eon, the Alliance Master of 47, he felt an odd sense of injustice, and his expression darkened.
The days Kwon Mi-eon had worked so hard, and the moments they had put their heads together to deduce and find the spy to protect the Alliance, flashed before his eyes like a panorama.
‘But Kwon Mi-eon has to lose?’
Mo Yeon-hu knew himself very well. He wasn’t the type to burn with competitiveness or harbor a strong will for victory. The only exception was when he loved someone; then, he would disregard everything.
What was the point of trying to beat an opponent? It wasn’t like anything came out of it.
But for the first time in his life, Mo Yeon-hu had this thought.
“I hate it.”
I don’t mind losing.
“I don’t want to let you lose.”
He didn’t want to see Kwon Mi-eon lose.
Mo Yeon-hu spoke firmly, his gaze fixed on Kim Factory, who was aiming at the core without moving in the screen. His tone was cold and steady, enough to make him feel like a different person.
—What?
Kwon Mi-eon asked back, sounding puzzled.
—Hyung…? Are you angry?
Unable to hide his bewilderment at the cold voice, Kwon Mi-eon asked cautiously. The voice that had accepted defeat was gone, and Mo Yeon-hu could feel that Kwon Mi-eon’s attention was now entirely focused on him, gauging his reaction.
‘Time remaining: 1 minute…’
The only thing Mo Yeon-hu was looking at was the time.
The numbers had already dropped to under a minute. Yet, despite the pressing time, Mo Yeon-hu actually became calmer. He racked his brain quickly. Strangely, his mind felt clear.
‘What can I do?’
Kim Factory was currently in a state of mutual invincibility with 47. There was no way to break that rule. Mo Yeon-hu had to wait 50 seconds. Because he was an Alliance Member of 47, and this was 47’s land…
‘Wait.’
Mo Yeon-hu paused. Then he chewed over his own thought.
‘This is 47’s Alliance Territory.’
The bushes on the screen and the long stretch of Kim Factory’s muzzle.
‘Kim Factory is an exile who left the Alliance less than 3 minutes ago.’
Alliance Member, exile, 3 minutes.
‘I am an Alliance Member of 47.’
Invincible state, system rules…
‘System rules.’
Mo Yeon-hu’s eyes flashed.
“Kwon Mi-eon.”
—Hyung, why did you call me and then not answer? Is something wrong?
“Tell me one thing.”
—What?
Mo Yeon-hu quietly switched weapons. A long, matte barrel extended coldly.
“How do I use a sniper rifle?”
It wasn’t a shotgun, but a rifle for snipers.
—A sniper rifle?
“Yeah. How do I hit a headshot?”
—Hyung, suddenly… are you planning to aim at Kim Factory? He’s in an invincible state right now anyway—
“Whatever it is, hurry.”
He seemed surprised by the abrupt request, but urged by Mo Yeon-hu, Kwon Mi-eon eventually continued the explanation quickly.
—A sniper rifle starts with a right-click. If you right-click to aim, a crosshair will appear on the screen.
Mo Yeon-hu pressed the right mouse button as Kwon Mi-eon instructed. Within the instantly narrowed field of vision, the scope’s crosshair appeared. The problem was the sensation.
“It’s shaking so much…”
The view swayed as if he were on a boat.
Because of the undulating screen, the aiming point couldn’t even stay near Kim Factory’s body.
“And I don’t know where Factory’s head is. I can only see the tip of the gun peeking through the bushes…”
—If you press Shift, the shaking will decrease a bit. By the way, the head… hmm. Can you see Kim Factory’s nickname appearing in red above the bushes?
Just as Kwon Mi-eon said, the red nickname <Kim Factory>, indicating a hostile relationship, was faintly visible in the air above the bushes.
“I see it!”
—And you said you can see the tip of the muzzle sticking out of the bushes.
“Yeah.”
—Draw a straight line between that muzzle and the nickname. If you go down about one character’s head from the nickname, there’s a point that aligns horizontally with the muzzle. That’s the head.
Mo Yeon-hu drew a virtual line according to Kwon Mi-eon’s orders. The red nickname, the tip of the muzzle, a gap of about one head…
‘Is this the head?’
Fixing the scope’s crosshair on a single point in the bushes where the two lines intersected, Mo Yeon-hu blinked and his eyes widened. Through the shaking leaves of the bushes, Kim Factory’s head was slightly visible.
—But you’re a bit far from Kim Factory, right? Then there’s bullet drop, so the bullet will curve downward. You have to aim slightly above the head. Just a little bit higher…
“Yeah. I got it.”
—Hyung, I know what you’re trying to do, but don’t worry too much. I’ll arrive in 30 seconds anyway.
There were 30 seconds left for Kim Factory, and it would take 30 seconds for Kwon Mi-eon to arrive.
There was no great expectation in Kwon Mi-eon’s tone. For a beginner like Mo Yeon-hu, hitting a headshot with 0.1 seconds of error the moment invincibility wore off was nearly an impossible feat.
“Kwon Mi-eon, remember? My grades.”
—Your grades, Hyung?
“Yeah. I told you I once got in trouble for forging them because my grades were so bad.”
—……Ah. The thing you talked about on the stairs? Of course I remember.
While Kwon Mi-eon was puzzled by the sudden reminiscence, Mo Yeon-hu added.
“Actually, I did really well in a few subjects. I was 300th in the whole school, but later I even hit 2nd. Well, that was eventually because I wanted to look good to my crush, but…”
—What? A crush?
Oops.
“Anyway, the teachers said my head turns quickly when it’s something I’m interested in.”
At that moment, Mo Yeon-hu’s eyes sparkled.
[Do you wish to leave the 47 Alliance?]
“That I’m incredibly good at using my wits!”
The moment he clicked without hesitation, a notification popped up simultaneously.
(Notification) You have left the 47 Alliance! (You cannot join a new alliance for 3 days!)
(Notification) Your current location is the 47 Alliance Territory. You will be marked as having a hostile relationship with the members of this alliance.
(Notification) Time until invincibility: 00:00:09
(Warning) Please evacuate to a safe place quickly!
—What is this… Yeon-hu Hyung?
Kwon Mi-eon’s bewildered voice burst out. But soon, as if realizing something, he murmured in a shocked voice.
—No way.
There were 10 seconds until Kim Factory could attack, and it would probably take 10 seconds for Kwon Mi-eon to get here. But Mo Yeon-hu didn’t need to wait.
At this moment, Mo Yeon-hu was no longer a member of 47. Therefore.
‘I can attack right now.’
Now it was a fight between an outsider and an outsider within the Alliance Territory.
However, since his skill was lacking, he only had one chance. He instinctively knew that if his presence were discovered by Kim Factory, he would lose immediately.
‘Right-click, crosshair, Shift, nickname, head, bullet drop, a bit higher…’
So he had to aim for Kim Factory’s head in one shot…
‘How will it go?’
While the invincibility rule existed between an Alliance Member and an exile, Mo Yeon-hu didn’t know what would happen between a leaver and an exile.
‘If the 10-second rule also applies between a leaver and an exile, I’ll just be exposing my position! Ah, I’m nervous to death!’
In truth, his hands were trembling with tension, wondering if he had made the wrong choice. Because of that, he readjusted his grip on the mouse several times, but strangely, he felt a sense of certainty.
Specifically…
‘I absolutely won’t let you lose.’
The certainty that he would not see Kwon Mi-eon lose.
—Bang!