Chapter 32

When a Blue Team player went down while both sides were holding up their Shields and keeping each other in check.

Among the countless viewers, not even ten percent understood why the player had fallen.

That’s how instantaneous it was, a Chaotic Battle that was utterly impossible to follow on screen.

Spectators who purchased paid tickets to watch the Regular Season could share a player’s individual Vision or enjoy conveniences like zooming in, but one couldn’t expect such features from a Streaming platform Broadcast.

-What was that just now?

-Who died?

The kill log appeared at the very moment the screen was shaking from the Gravity Shift.

Before anyone could get their bearings, I moved on to the next step.

With both allies and enemies staggering and collapsing, I threw a Smoke Screen at my teammates’ feet.

“What the f…! Which troll did this?!”

An ally, their Vision completely obscured by the Smoke Screen, panicked and activated Red Sight, a Vision Skill.

But this was a clear setup.

If I deployed a Smoke Screen, my allies wouldn’t be able to see, but the enemy wouldn’t be able to see us inside it either.

Especially since it was difficult to see inside a Smoke Screen even with Red Sight activated from the outside, it was an even more difficult situation for the opponents to push in.

‘Then wouldn’t the opponent only have one choice?’

The subsequent development was just as I expected.

They started with Concentrated Fire, since pushing in was tricky.

But it wasn’t a very effective attack against us, who were hiding perfectly behind the Defender.

So what’s next?

Since the Attacking Team would win just by stalling for time, the opponent had no choice but to make their next move.

“Bombs are coming!”

I warned my teammates.

A Chain Attack of Bombs like Grenades and Grenade Rounds.

There was nothing better for creating a variable in a standoff.

Sure enough, I could see the enemy throwing their Bombs all at once.

There are two ways to respond to this Pattern.

Either pull off an amazing feat and shoot the Bombs out of the air, or everyone falls back.

Naturally, in a Solo Rank game with no coordination, falling back was the right answer.

Intercepting a volley of Bombs with Skills and good aim was a difficult play even with a lot of practice as a team.

So there was clearly no other option but to retreat.

Clearly…

‘You son of a bitch! What the…’

As I hastily threw myself back, I realized there were still people standing there dumbfounded.

It was the Defender, who thought of blocking with a Shield, and Chen Sui, who was aiming for an aerial intercept.

The Performance wasn’t bad.

Chen Sui actually showed off the trick of intercepting two Bombs in mid-air.

If this had been a team game, it would have been a really good choice.

But in a situation where not all the Bombs could be intercepted, it was useless, and in the end, Chen Sui and the Defender were swept away by the explosion with a scream.

I looked at the Sniper uncle who had approached me, and we just exchanged dazed glances.

“Should we just run for it?”

“Let’s.”

I threw another Smoke Screen and ran to the Supporter who was working on the Release.

“How many seconds left!”

“10, just 10 seconds! No, 15 more seconds!”

What a crazy bastard.

After all that chaos up front, he still needed 15 more seconds?

It seemed like the Release reset point had gone up quite a bit because he fell from the door during the Gravity Shift.

Damn it, I should have been the one to release the door.

As I thought that and aimed my Muzzle toward the Smoke Screen, I suddenly felt a chill run down the back of my neck.

“Behind you! Watch out!”

Blink.

Kim Seunga, who had cut through space with a flash of light, riddled the back of our Supporter, who was holding the release kit, with holes.

The Supporter collapsed with a gasp.

I threw the dumbfounded Sniper toward the Supporter’s corpse and shouted.

“Grab the kit!”

He couldn’t let go of the kit.

The only way for us to win now was to protect that remaining time, no matter what.

‘Blink consumes a huge amount of Mana.’

If it was just about holding on, it was still doable.

At least the other enemies weren’t rushing in yet.

I threw another Smoke Screen.

For the record, Smoke Screens are not standard issue.

Every time you deploy one, you have to use the Smoke Grenade summon Skill, which consumes Mana.

But I had to use it now.

If this Smoke Screen cleared, the Sniper holding the kit wouldn’t last two seconds.

Deciding to leave the rest to luck, I activated Red Sight, the Vision Skill, and charged at Kim Seunga.

Two-round Burst Fire.

Activating three Skills almost simultaneously—Acceleration, Red Sight, and Shot Enhancement—I pressured Kim Seunga.

No matter how much I used Acceleration, it was hard to dodge an opponent’s attack at such close range.

As the Arclight Rifle’s attack landed, I saw the Shield Kim Seunga had cast on herself shatter.

But my opponent was also a top-tier player in the First Division.

The girl minimized the Damage by evading to the extreme and tried to pierce my head with a sharp shot.

‘If I’m going to last 10 seconds against her…’

In that moment, I recited the Skills almost like a machine.

Rebound Force Grant, Compressed Shot.

As the Chained shot struck Kim Seunga again, her body was thrown back with a loud bang.

An attack not meant to kill, but solely to push the opponent back.

At that moment, Kim Seunga’s eyes glinted fiercely.

She had noticed what I was aiming for.

Kim Seunga’s Muzzle, which had been aimed at me, twisted.

Her target was the Sniper holding the release kit.

Not a chance!

I cast a Shield on my gun and threw it into the Line of fire.

With a dull thud, Kim Seunga’s attack hit my Rifle, causing weapon damage.

It was an everyday occurrence for weapons to be destroyed or communication earpieces to break during an Engagement.

Of course, it wasn’t a big problem since they would be restored in the next Round or upon Respawn, but losing a weapon in a One-on-One was practically a death sentence for that User.

Even if you had Mana left, there wasn’t much you could do without a gun.

But I threw my gun without hesitation.

Perhaps because it was an unexpected play, a look of interest appeared in Kim Seunga’s eyes.

Her gaze seemed to ask, If you were going to put up a Shield, you could have just thrown your body in the way. Why throw your weapon?

‘Why else? I threw it for this!’

The moment my Rifle shattered, my body was already Sliding toward Kim Seunga like a Tackle.

Then, I sprang up like a jack-in-the-box and drew my Lightsaber like lightning.

Faced with a sword strike that surged with the Momentum to cut down everything, Kim Seunga also quickly drew her sword.

Her skill was still amazing.

Just looking at the speed of her draw, Kim Seunga was much faster than me.

‘Seunga really is good with a sword.’

Back when we were training for the national team, there wasn’t a single player, male or female, who could beat Kim Seunga with a Lightsaber.

The male players said it was embarrassing to lose to a girl.

And since Swordsmanship wasn’t the main focus of UA anyway, they avoided practicing with her, saying they didn’t want to do it anymore.

But I kept pestering her to teach me how to use a sword.

I thought it would definitely come in handy someday if I learned.

Even after that, I spent time on Swordsmanship whenever I had a spare moment, and that effort, after a long time, was now paying off.

‘You’re the one who taught me, Seunga.’

A sharp upward slash clashed with Kim Seunga’s sword.

The Mana generated by the collision created sparks.

But Kim Seunga’s face crumpled at the development that followed.

My Lightsaber had completely destroyed her sword and pushed through.

It was because of the difference in Mana.

Kim Seunga, who had charged in after using a great deal of Mana on Blink, couldn’t withstand my attack.

The Mana difference between us was just too great.

Kim Seunga collapsed with a look of disbelief.

Her face showed she couldn’t understand how she had lost a sword fight to a mere Second Division League player, an eighteen-year-old at that.

‘Seunga. Isn’t this what they call the student surpassing the master?’

The pride of having bested my Swordsmanship teacher, even just once, was fleeting. I left the collapsing Kim Seunga behind and quickly picked up her gun.

A purple-tinged, Live Round-type Rifle.

The Violet series.

It lacked a heavy feel, but the precise Line it drew during rapid fire made it a favorite weapon among many players.

The moment the grip settled in my hand, I pulled the Trigger.

Backup for the Sniper, who was stubbornly working on the Protect Release, covered head to toe in a Shield.

3 seconds.

2 seconds.

1 second…

Finally, the Round ended.

A green circle lit up, signaling the Red Team’s victory.

First Score.

It was a Comeback.

When the first Round ended.

All the viewers watching this match, regardless of nationality, went wild.

Who on earth was that female player?

Where did she suddenly come from?

The reaction in China was even more heated than in Korea.

They didn’t even know the player’s name over there.

-A player like that is playing in the Korean Second Division League?

-Don’t lie!

-That movement just now was on par with a Chinese First Division Starter!

-One of that player’s parents must be Chinese!

Some Chinese viewers who were watching the Broadcast got kicked out for typing in the Chat things like, I think she was even faster than Chen Sui…*

Chen Sui was just as surprised.

She knew best.

As a pro player, she knew what Level of skill Seo Dami had just displayed.

‘I’ll have to see her play on other Battlefields, but at least in the Nicaea Research Lab… she was at a top-tier level!’

Chen Sui coolly analyzed the situation.

The reason for Seo Dami’s strength.

It was probably her sense of balance, which allowed her to recover her posture faster than anyone else when the gravity shifted.

‘Fine. I’ll admit you have something I don’t.’

Chen Sui quickly assessed the situation.

She drastically raised her internal valuation of Seo Dami.

Of course, she still thought she was better, but she considered Seo Dami a player worthy of respect.

“Your name. Is it read Seo Dami?”

“That’s right.”

During the short waiting time before the second Round.

Chen Sui approached Seo Dami first and extended her hand.

“I’m Chen Sui. Let’s do our best for the remaining rounds.”

“Sure.”

Chen Sui extended her hand first.

Seo Dami took her hand and shook it.

They would part ways after a short time, but there was no harm in being friendly.

As they shook hands willingly, Chen Sui liked Seo Dami even more.

Her easygoing personality seemed like they could get along without any trouble.

‘It seems like it would be fun to play with her. I should ask her after this if she has any thoughts about playing in the Chinese League.’

While Chen Sui was revising her opinion of Seo Dami, the atmosphere on the Blue Team, whose turn it was to attack, was like a funeral home.

The cause was their key player, Kim Seunga, who had clammed up after her defeat.

“Looks like Kim Seunga’s Mental is shot.”

“I can see why. Her opponent was a Second Division player.”

The Blue Team members whispered among themselves, glancing at Kim Seunga.

A national team player getting wiped in a one-on-one against a Second Division player must have been a huge blow to her pride.

But in reality, Kim Seunga’s Mental wasn’t shot at all.

She was quiet because she suddenly had a lot to think about.

‘What is this feeling?’

During the short break, Kim Seunga was constantly replaying the Engagement from a moment ago.

That seasoned play, unbecoming of a rookie, was familiar somehow.

‘Why did she block with her gun?’

Kim Seunga started from there.

She could have activated a Shield and blocked with her body.

In fact, that would have been easier.

Although an Attacker wasn’t a defensive position, if she had layered on enough Shields, she could have easily absorbed one attack.

And yet, she deliberately cast a Shield on her gun, accepting the weapon’s destruction to protect the Sniper, and then initiated Close-Quarters Combat.

Was she that confident in her Swordsmanship?

If so, it made sense.

If she had thrown her body in for Tanking, her Mana would have been greatly depleted even if she had saved the Sniper, and then it would have been difficult to gain the upper hand in the Engagement.

But what still didn’t add up was her Swordsmanship skill and her age.

She had only seen Seo Dami’s play a few times on video, but she knew she was a player who was good with a gun.

But she never dreamed she would be good at Swordsmanship too.

That upward slash was no ordinary attack.

It wasn’t a level that could be achieved with a day or two of practice, and it was even stranger considering the nature of UA, where guns are the main focus.

Young kids aiming for their debut were short on time just from Stamina Training and shooting practice alone.

An exception would be an older player.

A case where they were given some time to practice separately, but Seo Dami didn’t fit this case either.

Eighteen years old.

Seo Dami was a Prospect who had just entered the Second Division League.

‘Maybe she attended a dojo?’

Kim Seunga let her imagination run wild, drawing from her own experience.

Kim Seunga’s father ran a kendo dojo.

So she was naturally more accustomed to using a sword than others.

If she had a similar experience, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible for someone that age to be good with a sword.

A crystallization of innate Talent combined with experience.

If that was Seo Dami right now, the situation made a certain amount of sense.

‘Alright. I’ll have to ask her after the game.’

Coincidentally, at that moment, Kim Seunga had a similar thought to Chen Sui.

That if a spot opened up on her team, she wanted to make an Offer to Seo Dami.

And so, the second Round began.

Kim Seunga, her Momentum regained, commanded the Blue Team.

It was good news for the Blue Team members, who had thought she would collapse after her Mental broke.

“We’re rushing the center.”

“Let’s do it.”

Not everyone in the top tier of Grandmaster was a pro player.

In fact, the proportion of regular people was higher.

The younger players followed Kim Seunga’s Order well.

“Are we going to keep running straight through?”

As they neared the central intersection, the Defender running ahead asked for a decision.

If they kept running, it meant they were going for a win within 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

If not, they had to hide behind Cover and wait for the data to be transferred to another room.

“Let’s wait.”

It was just as they were pressing their bodies against the Cover to catch their breath.

The Defender User who had been in the lead was engulfed in flames with a scream.

The startled Supporter activated a Healing Skill, but the Damage was immense.

“What the hell is this…”

“An Ambush?!”

“It’s a Trap! The enemy set a Trap in advance!”

The Blue Team members were in a panic.

At the same time, Grenades flew in, turning the area into a scene of chaos.

“Fall back! Provide covering fire and pull back! Supporter! Get a count on the enemy!”

“Search complete! Five of them! They’ve gone completely all-in, these bastards!”

The battle had started with them already taking Damage.

A vein popped on Kim Seunga’s forehead at the completely unexpected enemy Ambush.

‘Such a gamble!’

The fact that all five Red Team members were here.

That meant if the Blue Team had sent just one person to flank, they could have easily stolen the data.

In fact, games where one person flanked to hit an empty base happened occasionally in Solo Rank, so the basic defensive strategy was to either set up a formation in front of the research room door for 2 minutes and 30 seconds or to post at least one person to prevent an empty base rush.

That was because even one person standing guard could easily take care of two or three players running in with depleted Mana.

But all five of them were here?

It had to be a plan they concocted because they were certain the other side wouldn’t send a single person to flank.

And there were even Traps laid out.

They must have used Acceleration to rush to the center quickly, intending to settle the match early on.

“Fall back! We can still make a Comeback!”

Kim Seunga was backing up her teammates, creating an opening to retreat with a sharp Counterattack.

Just then, another powerful explosion erupted from the wall and swept over the group.

‘Just how much Mana did they pour into this…’

Without using an extraordinary amount of Mana, it was impossible to set up a Trap this quickly in the center, and one that was closer to the Attacking Team’s side at that.

An all-in Rush that was no different from a gamble.

This isn’t tactics!

As Kim Seunga screamed internally.

The Blue Team’s Stamina was literally being torn to shreds.