Chapter 85

<You felt the energy? You’re not lying, are you?>

After gaining a faint understanding of the Power of the Ley Line last night, I told Kato that I had succeeded.

At first, Kato didn’t believe me.

She even thought I was lying because I wanted to play in the match.

But as I explained in detail what I had felt, her reaction turned into, “So it’s real, then?”

“So, there’s this round energy in my stomach, and it’s connected to me?”

<Of course it is. I poured a ton of energy into you to save your life.>

“Anyway, when I examined that energy, it gave me the impression of being very soft, yet sturdy.”

Kato said that the Power of the Ley Line was an energy that could change in any way according to the user’s will.

Just from the explanation, it really felt similar to Mana in a game.

But the problem was that I still didn’t know how to use it.

Since it was similar to Mana, I thought I might be able to move it in the same way I use a Skill in a game, but my attempts ended in failure.

And when I told Kato about my trial and error, she said that just feeling the energy was a huge achievement.

<There are plenty of people who can’t feel the energy at all in their entire lives. To detect its existence in just two days is a very admirable accomplishment.>

“What’s with the sudden praise?”

<What are you talking about? I’m the type of person who gives credit where credit is due.>

Kato added, “The reason you got yelled at was because you suddenly popped up and did something unimaginable.”

<Let’s go to the Training Room for now.>

“Right now?”

It was early morning.

The sun had yet to rise, a time when no one in the Team House would be awake.

To be honest, I wanted to get some sleep, too.

I had meditated all night, so I needed at least a little bit of sleep.

In fact, a surprising number of Pro Gamers practiced or played games late into the night and then slept until lunch.

The League matches started after 5 p.m. anyway, so waking up a little late didn’t affect the games.

On the contrary, many players insisted that waking up three or four hours before a match was the best for their condition.

Considering that, the Super Sylph team, which made sure to have breakfast together every morning, could be called unusual.

Anyway, Kato Mikane reiterated that we had to go train now.

<You’ve only felt the existence of the Ley Line, but you have no idea how to use it, right?>

“Right.”

She said that using the Power of the Ley Line in earnest was a different matter from just feeling the energy.

From that point on, it was the domain of a professional Onmyoji, so nothing was easy, or so she said.

But if I could feel the energy’s existence, I could see its effects just from that, and she said we were going to train now so she could show me.

<Try running.>

As I opened the door to the Training Room and stepped inside, Kato ordered me to run.

I got on the treadmill and increased the speed, and slowly, I started to feel out of breath.

Kato Mikane’s Stamina, even to my senses, was close to perfect.

To think a Pro Gamer could train their body to this extent.

Could it be that she used the Power of the Ley Line when she trained her body, too?

Her Stamina was so incredible that the thought crossed my mind.

Having already experienced the Stamina of the women’s Pro League through Dami and Yunseuli, I could tell the difference even better.

Kato Mikane was a player who possessed both explosive power and long-lasting Endurance.

Players with explosive power usually had weak Endurance, or vice versa, but this person lacked nothing in either department.

And so, I ran for a longer time than others before I became exhausted.

Since she was a player with good Endurance, it took a long time for her to be completely out of breath.

Phuha-! As I let out a breath and stepped off the treadmill for a moment, Kato spoke.

She told me to feel the energy again.

With a question mark in my mind, I followed her words.

And then, I felt a strange sensation.

The Energy of the Ley Line began to enter my muscles, which had been pumped up from expending energy, all on its own.

“Um… why is this moving?”

<Because you observed it.>

According to Kato Mikane, the reason the energy was moving now was to manifest a healing effect on its own to help my tired body recover. She said it wasn’t truly automatic, but that one had to be able to feel the energy’s existence.

<This speeds up the body’s recovery. It means I can train more than others.>

This is amazing…

Other players couldn’t do high-intensity training during the Season for fear of it affecting their Game Performance, but Kato Mikane was different.

If this effect was that outstanding, it meant she could do Stamina Training all year round without a break.

“Does it also speed up recovery during a game?”

To my question, Kato replied that there was a way to use it like that, but merely realizing its existence wouldn’t produce that level of effect.

“Then what should we do about today’s match?”

Today was Monday.

The day the League schedule started again after the weekend.

Kato Mikane had said that if I learned to handle the Power of the Ley Line, I could continue to play in the matches, but if I couldn’t, we would put in a trainee and buy some time.

Right now, I could feel that the Power of the Ley Line existed, but it was ambiguous whether I was in a state where I could handle that power, so I asked Kato for confirmation.

<Hmm. Can you not move it by any chance?>

‘This energy?’

Kato nodded her head.

Now that I had observed the power, if I could send it to various parts of my body at will, it would mean I had mastered the most basic method of operation.

<Then you can draw out a bit more explosive power, but well, you probably can’t.>

Kato said, as if she hadn’t expected much.

She said that she herself had only started using the power in earnest after quite a bit of practice, so it would be strange for me to be able to use it right away.

But surprisingly.

The moment Kato said she had no expectations for me, the Power of the Ley Line began to move.

Following my will.

Even I was surprised at that moment.

It definitely hadn’t moved at dawn.

But now, I didn’t know what had changed, but when I thought about sending power to my legs, the energy that had been gathered in the center of my body moved smoothly into my legs.

And at this moment, I realized for sure.

These legs were definitely buffed.

I had a feeling that if I ran as I intended, they would follow.

‘This is seriously broken…’

What would it feel like to play UA with a body that followed my thoughts exactly?

Wouldn’t it be beyond imagination?

While I was lost in such thoughts, Kato Mikane kept muttering, “No way, this can’t be,” over and over.

<No, there’s no way this can happen so quickly…>

I felt inwardly pleased, as if I had gotten one over on her.

“It’s easier than I thought.”

<…….>

“So, can I play the game myself now?”

When I asked if it wouldn’t be better for the team for me to continue playing in the League rather than sending in a trainee, Kato let out a groan.

<Fine. I have to keep my word.>

To be precise, she had never made such a promise, but now that I could handle the power, it was true that her justification for stopping me from playing had weakened.

<But keep this in mind. The moment you embarrass me, I’ll request a Substitution again.>

Don’t I have to be the one to make that Substitution request to the Director…?

Kato Mikane, trapped in my head, couldn’t possibly tell the Director that my body hurt and I wanted to switch with a trainee for a while.

If I kept my mouth shut, she was in a situation where she could do nothing.

Of course, she would obviously get angry if I said this, so I decided to keep quiet and pretend I didn’t know.

“Then, first, let’s go over the team members’ names again…”

I rechecked the names of the team members, which were hazy since I had only glanced at them briefly.

I had run into them while using the Training Room together during the weekend practice, but not only did I have no reason to call them by name, but they would also ask, “Yes, Unni!” the moment I looked at them, so I hadn’t had a chance to learn their names.

“Defender, Sasaki Sena…”

Defender, Sasaki Sena (21).

Attacker, Shimizu Misaki (20).

Sniper, Suzuki Rina (19).

Supporter, Takahashi Haruna (19).

And Attacker and Leader, Kato Mikane (23).

There were no players on this team older than Kato.

The players’ Average Age was even lower than Super Sylph’s, and the fact that these young players had won a world championship was clearly significant.

After all, besides Kato, the other players hadn’t even reached their prime, yet they had already achieved so much.

It was easy to predict that if no internal problems arose in the team, they would be able to build the best careers.

‘This means that if our kids grow more in the future, they’ll have to clash with this team until they retire.’

Super Sylph was also a young team compared to others.

I had a feeling that if they climbed higher in the future, they would constantly clash with Team Kamui.

Could Super Sylph really beat Kamui?

With that thought, I asked Kato Mikane for advice on today’s game.

Although I had gotten a clue on how to handle the Power of the Ley Line, I still needed to know the basic team tactics to be able to navigate the game.

Each team would have different signals, strategies, and tactics that came out at set timings.

But Kato’s answer was absurd.

There were no tactics.

She said that whatever I did, the kids would adjust on their own, so I shouldn’t worry and just play aggressively.

‘They’ll adjust on their own no matter what I do?’

I wondered if that even made sense, but Kato answered as if she had read my thoughts.

<They’re the kids I’ve raised for years. They’ll match you better than anyone, so you don’t need to worry.>

A team made for Kato Mikane alone.

A team tailored to the Ace’s play.

That was the color of the team called Kamui.

Thinking back to the game she had shown on Jeju Island, it seemed like it might be true.

Hadn’t Kato Mikane, who had engaged in a 1-on-2 Engagement against Seo Dami and Kim Seunga, led the battle to victory while receiving fluid Support?

Moreover, the current Meta was a Season where the Ace’s Attack Power could be further maximized depending on how Skills were used.

Just as Super Sylph had prepared for the new Season during the Off-Season, Kamui must have also prepared thoroughly for this Season.

<So just don’t be nervous. You’re a Pro Gamer too, so I don’t have to worry about that much, right?>

Hmph, who does she think I am, a rookie…

How many years have I been a pro? Why would I be nervous?

I snorted and said.

“Last time, I was just a little flustered because the situation changed so suddenly. I’ll show you today.”

A return to the League after a long time.

It was time to go back to being Magnus’s Ace, Han Youngin, for a while.

“Super Sylph! Adds one more win against Team Hyperz!”

“They look like they’ve completely regained their skills. In particular, the return of Seo Dami’s Form is very encouraging for the Super Sylph team.”

The fans roared at the Caster’s shout.

Super Sylph, which had plummeted to the bottom due to a sudden slump, had begun its climb again.

It was now June, the last month of the First-Half Season.

After finishing the match and even the interview, Seo Dami immediately searched the internet.

I wondered what was so urgent that she had run to her room, but what she looked up was none other than the match video of Team Kamui.

“Looks like they finished early…”

Confirming that the game was already over, Seo Dami was a little disappointed.

The First Division League teams all had their own dedicated arenas, so there were never any delays in the start of the matches.

Therefore, Japan and Korea, which used the same standard time, were bound to have overlapping League times more often than not.

Having no choice, she decided to rewatch the match that had just taken place.

Just as she turned on the Team Kamui match, Jung Yunseul also burst into the room.

“I told you to go with me.”

“You should have come faster.”

“Is the match over?”

“Yeah. So I was about to watch the VOD.”

The reason they were watching a match of Team Kamui from across the sea, not even a team in the same League, was simple.

Because Han Youngin was there.

Last month, Seo Dami had gone to Kato Mikane and asked her to save Han Youngin, and although there was some friction, she had succeeded in keeping him alive.

However, in return, she was put in a position where she could no longer speak to him, and even that was part of an ongoing contract with an expiration date, which would end if she didn’t defeat Kato Mikane within the year.

Jung Yunseul, upon hearing this story, had a dumbfounded reaction, asking why she would make such a promise, but for Seo Dami, it was the best she could do.

She couldn’t persuade Kato Mikane with money.

It would have been useless even if she had offered all her future Annual Salary.

Kato Mikane, the UA player with the highest price tag in the world, had an Annual Salary that reached 1 billion yen for the first time globally, and if you added in various commercial shoots, her income was astronomical.

So, persuading her with money was an impossible task.

In that situation, just by provoking her opponent’s pride and saving Han Youngin, Seo Dami could be said to have accomplished a very difficult feat.

A moment later, as the Team Kamui match began on the monitor, Seo Dami’s eyes widened, and she focused on the game.

Although she couldn’t take any action after being warned not to contact him, Seo Dami always held onto the hope that he might contact her first when he woke up.

And last Friday’s match.

She witnessed the scene she had dreamed of.

Kato Mikane suddenly started acting strangely during the match and then switched her weapon to an Arclight Rifle.

The moment she saw that, Seo Dami let out a “Wow!” without realizing it.

Her Oppa, whom she had wanted to see so much, was there.

For him to be playing the game in place of Kato Mikane, his Soul must have recovered to some extent.

That day, Seo Dami excitedly told Jung Yunseul the news of Han Youngin’s recovery, and since that day, the two’s hobby had become collecting news about Team Kamui.

And today was the first match day after Han Youngin had woken up and the weekend had passed.

If she had her way, she would have bought a ticket to watch the game live.

But that was impossible as she also had to play her own League schedule.

Having no choice, she had finished her match as early as possible and run to her room to at least watch the VOD like this.

“The opponent they faced today is the 2nd-ranked team in Japan.”

Jung Yunseul, who had been searching for information separately on the side, said.

“Even if they’re 2nd, my Oppa will win.”

What’s the big deal about the 2nd-ranked team? Seo Dami replied, thinking that Han Youngin would win no matter what.

As the match began, both of their gazes were fixed on the monitor.

The opponent was Star Sapphire, which boasted the 2nd rank in Japan.

But Team Kamui’s appearance on the Battlefield was nothing short of majestic.

And upon seeing Kato Mikane, holding an Arclight Rifle and charging onto the Battlefield, Seo Dami and Jung Yunseul clapped like seals, without anyone having to go first.

“Did they win today’s match? Ah, no. Don’t spoil it.”

Jung Yunseul, who had been curious about the match result, immediately regretted her words and asked not to be told the outcome.

She thought it would be more fun to watch without knowing.

The Battlefield was the Garden of the Gods.

The match proceeded with both sides showing a standard move of placing one Sweeper to collect Buffs.

Over the capture of the central Capture Point, both sides entered a fierce 4-on-4 Engagement.

“The level is high…”

Seo Dami, unable to take her eyes off the match video, muttered.

The game in the Japanese League, which boasted the highest level of skill in Asia, had an overwhelmingly fast Tempo.

Even though it was a League team, it felt like watching a National Representative match.

If I were to play there, could I show the same kind of Performance as I do now?

Just as she was thinking it wouldn’t be easy, the flow of the game began to fluctuate.

The cause was Kato Mikane, who had started to chip away at the opponent’s Health Gauge with machine-like shooting.

“Great Youngin-!”

Jung Yunseul, watching the scene, flapped her arms and shouted.

The Arclight Rifle, which had started to spit fire from Kato’s hands, was definitively melting the opponent’s Stamina.

The opponent was also at Full Acceleration, so it wouldn’t be easy to hit them, but his speed was faster.

It was a play worthy of Han Youngin, who was reputed to have the best Acceleration in the country.

With a thwack!* sound, Star Sapphire’s Supporter finally went down.

He had not missed the opening created when the enemy Defender made a defensive mistake against Kato Mikane’s Pattern, which mixed tactical movement with Acceleration.

The movement was so fast that even with a Pro Gamer’s dynamic visual acuity, it was possible to miss the movement for a moment.

Seo Dami covered her mouth in admiration, but a thought suddenly occurred to Jung Yunseul.

‘Wait. Isn’t this a technology leak…?’

Come to think of it, it was.

Han Youngin was living with Kato Mikane right now.

They were probably doing Sensory Sharing too, and the thought suddenly struck her that Kato Mikane would also get to experience the perfection of her Oppa’s Acceleration Skill.

Kato Mikane, who was already known as the strongest.

When she thought about Han Youngin’s strengths being added to that, she wondered, “Then how is anyone supposed to beat this player?”

She also remembered what Dami Unni had said—that if she couldn’t defeat Kato by the end of this year, there was no telling what would happen to her Oppa’s life.

As her thoughts reached that point, Jung Yunseul let out a lamenting cry, “Ah-!”

“Ah! Oppa, no! Stop being so good…!”

“······?”

At Jung Yunseul’s shout, Seo Dami turned her head as if she had no idea what was going on.

But whether she knew of these worries or not, the Kato Mikane on the screen picked up the Tempo even more, pressing her opponent.

Kato Mikane, who began to prove she was the strongest not only in Gun Kata but also in Rifle Attack.

The Star Sapphire team’s home Arena was being completely covered by Kato’s name.