Chapter 41

Am I really teaching her well?

Whenever Dami said she understood, I often wondered if she was just saying that without really getting it.

It was inevitable, as I had just kept moving forward without checking how much she had understood of what I taught.

But today’s game made it certain.

Seo Dami had properly understood my teachings.

Against Royal Gaming, Dami moved as if she were me.

Her movements were almost identical to the ones I had shown in countless games over the past year.

If I were to put a number on the replication rate, it would be over 95 percent.

I figured that the remaining 5 percent was just because she was getting used to it, and she would become much more familiar with it in a few days.

Being able to teach by moving her body directly was a more incredible thing than I had thought.

Putting myself in Dami’s shoes made it even clearer.

How this kid was moving now, with what kind of sense she was using her Skills, how she was steadying her wavering Aim.

By sharing all those senses, I could clearly see where and how she was different from me.

It must have been the same for Dami.

I had completely changed the game mechanics she had known until now.

That was how she had transformed into what she was now.

Riding the Momentum, Seo Dami displayed explosive scoring power in the second Set as well, bringing victory to Super Sylph.

She was, without a doubt, the MVP.

“You’ve received the MVP award for the second consecutive time. It felt like the match went very smoothly for you today. If you were to give yourself a score, what would it be?”

“Umm…. 95 points.”

Coincidentally.

The score Dami gave was exactly the same as the one I had in mind.

“It’s even more surprising that you feel you’re lacking 5 points after playing so well. Could you tell us what part made you think that?”

“Since it was my first time in a real match, I was a bit nervous…”

“Your first time?”

“Ah, no. Anyway, I think there are areas that will improve if I put in more time.”

“So there’s still a lot of room for growth! I’ll interpret it that way.”

The Broadcast Team laughed, and the fans also seemed extremely satisfied with today’s match.

-General Seo is growing…!

-What’s going to happen if she gets even better than this? lol

-Are we really watching the birth of a World Class player?

-You think World Class is a joke?

-A kimchi World Class player lololol

-Why are you calling a mere Second Division player World Class?

The Royal Gaming fans grumbled, but the Super Sylph fans genuinely believed it was possible.

World Class.

A word that refers to a player with the Class to compete on the world’s top stage.

Korea, ranked in the top 10 not just globally but also in Asia, had been evaluated as having no UA World Class players so far.

Even Kim Seunga, who had shown the best performance on the women’s national team, had one or two shortcomings compared to World Class players.

But if it was Seo Dami.

Nineteen this year, if she could maintain this Momentum of steady growth.

Korea could also become a nation that possessed a World Class player.

‘Dami as World Class…’

Imagining Dami smiling brightly on a stage where the world’s best were gathered made me feel good too.

But at the same time, I was anxious.

Even if such a day were to come, would I be able to watch it?

It might be a groundless fear, but I was now like a candle in the wind, not knowing when I might disappear.

A state where I could be extinguished by a sudden puff of wind without any warning.

‘Please, I hope there’s enough time left.’

With that thought, I gently stroked Dami’s head.

The expression on the kid’s face as she waved to the fans couldn’t have been brighter.

「Super Sylph, on a 5-game Win Streak including the Opening Match!」

「Seo Dami. Proves she is a player worthy of the upper League.」

Super Sylph achieved a 5-game Win Streak, including the Opening Match.

The team atmosphere couldn’t be better.

Articles popped up without a single day’s rest, and it was now hard to find anyone calling Dami a viral marketing stunt or anything of the sort.

It was only natural.

She had proven that the rumors and popularity surrounding her were not just hype.

The game was already over when Artemis and Shanghai Cheonhwa publicly made Offers.

Seo Dami as an individual had already proven herself to be a talent worthy of the First Division League.

As her popularity skyrocketed endlessly, even some First Division fans began to take an interest in Seo Dami and Super Sylph.

The volume of articles was a good measure of this popularity.

It got to the point where some articles were made with Seo Dami in the title for truly trivial things.

「A Flaw Found in the Seemingly Perfect Player Seo Dami. Ecstatic.」

「Player Seo Dami Gets Free Admission to Art Museums. Her Play is Already a Work of Art.」

Whenever articles like this came up, Hwang Jua would clutch her stomach laughing and make sure to show them to Dami.

Naturally, Seo Dami’s face would turn red.

“Dami Unni, why do you always wear the same t-shirt? Pretty? Puhehehehe!”

At Hwang Jua reading out the ‘pretty’ pun, even Kim Dain couldn’t hold it in and sputtered out a grain of rice with a gasp.

“What are you doing at the dinner table!”

Dami couldn’t say a word, and Jung Yunseul, who was watching, got angry.

“Don’t laugh! And my Unni really is pretty!”

“Oh, look at the superfan. You should pay to be a Pro Gamer.”

“I can pay if you tell me to!”

After saying that, Jung Yunseul said, “Unni~. Don’t worry about it and let’s eat!” and looked at Dami with a warm gaze.

Dami said thank you and continued eating.

The atmosphere was good, and the team was on a Win Streak.

But it wasn’t a stage where we could be completely at ease.

Right after the weekend, on Monday.

A very important Big Game was scheduled for our team.

It was the match against team Supernova.

Supernova.

A team that had belonged to the First Division League until last year.

The 11th and 12th place teams in the First Division automatically swap places with the 1st and 2nd place teams in the Second Division League, which was why they were currently down in the Second Division.

Their record from the previous year was 11th place.

The only teams currently on a perfect Win Streak since the opening of the Second Division were Super Sylph and Supernova.

Since Infinity Gaming, who had come down after placing 12th in the First Division, had already been broken by Supernova, this matchup would determine who the true powerhouse of the Second Division League was.

‘Of course, there’s no guarantee that an Early Game Win Streak will necessarily continue into the Late Game.’

The race of 132 matches over a year is long.

There was no guarantee that the Early Game Momentum would last until the end.

But nevertheless, this match was important.

Attention was focused on it.

If we lost this match, we would be taunted for a while with comments like, “What did you expect, how could a Second Division League team beat a First Division one?” and couldn’t avoid being ridiculed.

This was all because the expectations for Super Sylph had grown.

-Didn’t they say General Seo got an Offer from the First Division too?

-She might be able to just crush the Lower Bracket teams in the First Division?

-She needs to get promoted to the First Division right after this year and start competing, so it’ll be a problem if she struggles here ㅇㅇ;;

Everyone was thinking that it was doable, that we could win.

Not just the fans, but the players too!

“We trained like a First Division team~. What’s the big deal about Supernova?”

“If we play like we’ve been doing, we can definitely win.”

I felt that everyone was being overly optimistic.

It was fine at other times, but not this time.

It was better to go into the game a little nervous.

If we went into the game with high expectations and ended up losing, the aftermath would be even greater.

“What part are you so worried about?”

Dami, who was resting on a chair after a light training warm-up, asked for my opinion.

<The level of polish is different.>

“Level of polish?”

During the last Off-Season, we had basically studied the fundamental framework practiced in the First Division League.

For example, having the Supporter practice Heal Shots even if the difficulty was a bit high.

Or practicing to increase Skill Efficiency through the use of Advanced Mode or high-level Skill Chain Attacks.

As you can see from this, the playstyle of the First Division League was fundamentally high in difficulty.

Mastering methods that not just anyone can easily do to create a gap and dominate the game.

This had been the prevailing trend that had dominated the UA League for the past several years.

Fortunately, our players had formed a consensus that this kind of playstyle needed to be the foundation, and they had relentlessly overhauled their own playstyles during the winter.

From what I saw, that change was sufficiently successful.

It still lacked polish, but it was clear that they were heading in the right direction.

But our opponents were players who had been playing this way for a long time.

Naturally, there was bound to be a difference in proficiency from that time spent.

Even if they used the same Heal Shot, the opponent’s accuracy would be higher, and even if they used the same Acceleration, the opponent’s Mana Efficiency would be better.

This difference was not something that could be closed just by going hard for one Off-Season.

“You said we could go to the First Division League if we practiced like this…”

<That was obviously including this Season.>

One Off-Season and one Season.

Even so, that’s only a period of one year.

Go grab any Director or Coach and ask them.

If they could take a Second Division team and make them master First Division operations in just one year.

Ten out of ten would say no.

That’s how important the type of training and the amount of time invested were in the world of Pro Gamers.

“I understand what you mean. So are we going to lose this time…?”

<Well. If we do win this time, it will be entirely thanks to your performance.>

“Me?”

<Isn’t it obvious? You’re the only player on this team who can completely overwhelm the opponent in combat power, whether it’s Skill Efficiency or anything else.>

Dami’s contribution to Super Sylph’s Win Streak so far was by no means small.

If a mediocre Attacker had been in her place, the Win Streak would have surely been broken.

But to win this time, a contribution even greater than what she had shown so far was needed.

For victory, everyone had no choice but to cry out ‘do it for us’ to her.

<If the pressure is too much, it’s okay to take a break.>

I said.

That even if we lost this time, I would definitely get them promoted by the end of the Season.

That I would keep my promise to make them a team with an operational style befitting the First Division League.

So I told her not to feel too burdened.

I didn’t want to see Dami’s shoulders slumped in defeat after collapsing from trying to meet excessive expectations.

Not long after I waited for her answer, Dami opened her mouth.

“Still, I want to give it a try.”

<You’re not giving up until the end, is that it?>

“Yes.”

Seo Dami, her resolve hardened.

If the kid wanted to do it, helping her was my job right now.

<Then let’s go find Hwang Jua.>

“Jua?”

<It’s a team game. How long are you going to get by being a one-trick solo Carry.>

Dami, who was about to say, “Until I can’t anymore,” flinched and shut her mouth.

It seemed even she thought that wasn’t right.

<If Jua helps out, it’ll be easier to create an opening.>

Super Sylph vs. Supernova.

A showdown between two teams that, coincidentally, both had ‘Super’ in their names.

To see who the true powerhouse of the Second Division League was, the Spectators once again filled all 15,000 seats as they entered.

-It’s getting harder to book tickets by the day;;

-No suckers who didn’t buy a Season Pass, right?

-Can I still buy a pass now?

-Of course you’re too late, you sucker;;

-lololololololol

-lolol

The Season Pass was an annual ticket for enthusiasts who wanted to watch the games in person all year round, providing a fixed seat so they could comfortably enter the Arena without having to fight a ticketing war.

However, as it required a payment of over 1 million Won a year, it was a product that required a certain level of commitment.

At first, there were opinions like, “No matter how much I like Dami, the Season Pass is too expensive,” but now that the ticketing war had intensified, the pass buyers were being praised for their excellent foresight.

-Players entering!

-Let’s go for the perfect Win Streak!

The ratio of fans who came to watch in person was over 60 percent for Super Sylph.

The Sylph team fans had won against the Nova team fans in the ticketing war.

-Supernova? So what if they’re from the First Division.

-They seem to have fewer fans than us.

-Dami… do it for us!

-One, two, three!

-SU PER SYLPH!!!

Having more fans meant having an advantage in the cheering battle.

The fans beat their thundersticks and powerfully chanted Super Sylph’s name.

And so, the match began.

The first Set Battlefield was a Domination Battle, the Attica Temple built on a sand planet.

-These bastards…

-Their footwork is on another level.

-Is this First Division movement?

It’s rare for Viewers who aren’t Pro Gamers themselves to watch other teams’ matches.

Naturally, the Super Sylph fans were the same, and the fans who saw Supernova’s game for the first time today immediately felt that their movements were somehow different.

Supernova began to take positions, appropriately using Acceleration and Wind Walk.

The moment the Spectators were marveling at their organic movements, Super Sylph’s Attack began.

As always, it was an Attack that started with Seo Dami’s charge.

In a Domination Battle, who charged the Control Point Gauge first greatly determined the advantage in the situation.

To stop Seo Dami from capturing the Control Point first, Suppressive Fire poured from the Supernova players.

“Supernova! Fierce Suppressive Fire!”

The moment the Commentary Team praised their sharp Aim, Seo Dami’s body kicked off the ground and soared like a bird.

The gravity of the Attica Temple was only thirty percent of Earth’s.

Seo Dami dodged the enemy’s attacks by leaping several meters.

The moment the Sylph team fans let out a Cheer for her magnificent acrobatics, a trajectory fired from the enemy Sniper’s hand accurately pierced Seo Dami’s torso.

-Aaargh!

-General Seo!!!

-Noooooo!

It was a clean hit.