Chapter 43

It works…?

This is just a guess, but I was probably in a Spirit Body state from the moment I flew into Dami’s body.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense how I traveled that far to meet Dami.

In any case, Dami had never been far from her own body.

She couldn’t see anything beyond my own field of Vision.

She was simply sharing exactly what I saw, heard, and felt, and nothing more.

But I was different.

Could I maybe move a little away from Dami’s body?

As I struggled with that thought, I realized I could actually move.

So I slowly turned my head, peeking out from Dami’s body to look around.

That’s when I knew.

I really am a ghost!

Even if I wasn’t a ghost, I could guess I was in a state similar to a Soul.

And so, I became the eyes watching over the back of Seo Dami’s head.

<To take out the enemy Sniper, we have to make a move, but us going up to the second floor is likely the enemy’s trap.>

Even before we entered the second Floor.

I had anticipated the enemy’s ploy to some extent.

From Supernova’s perspective, Seo Dami would be the most troublesome opponent.

Sure enough, an enemy Attacker got behind Dami.

The moment I saw it, I gave the signal to Attack, and Dami, without even looking, brilliantly pierced the head of the enemy standing behind her.

The Headshot was a coincidence.

She had originally fired at the torso, just hoping for a hit.

‘Did it hit?’

It did.

But what was important wasn’t the result, but carrying this Momentum forward.

Our Stealth broke because we had launched a Counterattack.

I shouted at the hesitating Seo Dami.

<Our Stealth is down! Run! We’re wiping out the Sniper too!>

‘Yes!’

The enemy seemed quite flustered as well.

I could see the startled expression on the enemy Sniper’s face.

I would have been surprised too.

If there was an enemy on the opposing team who could land a Headshot without even turning around.

Right now, Seo Dami was a huge stone thrown into everyone’s minds.

Everyone was bound to be shocked, to varying degrees, and that hesitation was enough to make the trajectory of their bullets waver.

The Sniper, who registered Seo Dami’s Attack a little late, hastily fired a Suppressive Fire shot, but it missed.

Just like that, Dami’s shot pierced the Sniper’s shoulder and chest, clearing the second floor.

<Grab the railing and help the others.>

From then on, it was our pace.

With Dami providing Support from the second floor, the Engagement on the floor below became much easier.

Supernova had lost two members in an instant while trying to take down Dami.

The Momentum had completely shifted to our side.

A Deathmatch game lasts for a total of 15 minutes.

Thanks to seizing the advantage in the Early Game, we were able to take the lead in Score, but the enemy’s Counterattack was quite fierce.

With one minute left in the game.

The score difference was a mere 3 points.

3 points.

A score that could be tied if our team died just three times.

Everyone knew it was a score difference that could be overturned in the blink of an eye.

The problem was that our teammates were so conscious of this that their bodies were gradually stiffening up.

<Uh oh? This isn’t good.>

When your body stiffens, you can’t perform at your best.

This was why fearless rookies who didn’t know how to be nervous sometimes hit it big in their debut Season.

Everyone knew it in their heads.

That nothing good comes from tensing up with nervousness.

But in a Big Game, especially a Close Battle with a small score difference, you couldn’t help but feel nervous.

<Dami’s an exception, though.>

With the end of the game in sight, Seo Dami was maintaining the same level of Game Performance as she had at the start.

It meant she wasn’t nervous.

Considering her usual personality, this definitely wasn’t her natural disposition; it seemed my presence was helping her maintain her Mental.

I was happy she trusted and relied on me that much, but on the other hand, I was also worried.

What would happen to her Game Performance if I disappeared?

I had a feeling it would literally be thrown into the gutter, into the abyss.

How could I help her develop the mental strength to stand on her own?

Just as I was pondering the future, Dami shouted.

‘I think they’re about to make a decisive move over there!’

The Supernova players, having waited to Respawn, were coming out through the passage.

The enemies split up before our eyes, Cast Blink, and instantly broke through the Encirclement, turning the pressure back on us.

With a grunt, Kim Dain was the first to be cut down.

She had been holding the second floor when her head was pierced by an enemy’s snipe.

Immediately after, the enemy Defender slammed into Shin Aram, tying up our Shield.

Jung Yunseul, who was closest, tried to help Shin Aram, but the enemy’s backup was good.

In an Acceleration-off against the enemy Attacker, Jung Yunseul was pushed back, and her Health Gauge was nearly shattered in an instant.

Hwang Jua quickly saved her with a Heal Shot, but the state of the battle was still unfavorable.

Even with this long explanation, all of this happened in the 1-2 seconds it takes to blink.

If it were me, the first thing I would have done in this situation was move toward the second floor.

Because the most threatening opponent from Supernova was their Sniper.

So I was about to advise Dami that the best course of action was to take out the enemy Sniper first and protect our lead.

But this kid.

She moved first.

And toward the second floor, no less.

Dami, who had poured her Attack toward the second floor, unfortunately missed the Sniper.

Their Sniper also recognized that they were the key to this Late Game Comeback.

That’s why they were so agile, anticipating the Attack and pulling back.

The enemy Sniper had temporarily retreated to avoid Seo Dami’s Attack.

To protect the lead, we had to actively use this situation to take the heads of the enemy Attackers on the Battlefield.

At least for a moment, the enemy wouldn’t be able to provide Support through sniping.

But then, something amazing happened.

This time, as if she had read my mind again, Dami consumed her Mana and used Blink to get behind the enemy Dealer.

One shot at point-blank range.

And then Suppressive Fire on the Supporter who was helping the enemy Defender.

For a moment, I had the illusion that I was controlling Dami’s body.

And this lightning-fast play hammered the final nail in the coffin of the match.

“Seo Dami! Scores once again! She will Carry her team to victory!”

Game over.

We successfully defended our 2-point lead.

As Dami, panting, lifted her head, the Roar of the Spectators poured down on her.

-Seo Dami!

-Seo Dami!

-Seo Dami!

The kid looked moved by the thrilling victory.

Dami waved both arms above her head and gave a bright smile.

<You felt it?>

‘I’m telling you I did.’

When the game ended.

Dami said as much after logging out and catching her breath.

‘Oppa, you shouted in my head. Shoot the second floor. When the Sniper pulls back, you have to push the Dealer.’

I never did that, though.

When I told her I never said that, Dami confidently thumped her chest.

‘Even if you didn’t say it, it was conveyed through our hearts.’

According to her explanation, she could feel the thoughts I was strongly thinking at that moment without hearing them.

If that was true, it was a much bigger deal than I thought.

It meant that I could give her advice completely, without the difficulty of having to speak it out loud, which was hard in UA because the game Tempo was so fast.

<You can give advice in an FPS Game with just your thoughts, without speaking…?>

In UA, since Attacks are exchanged with guns, the situation changes in a flash—pababak.

Even if you spoke as fast as a rapper, there were times when the situation had already passed, making the advice useless.

But we had succeeded in shortening that time significantly, conveying advice with consciousness alone.

<Isn’t this a total cheat?>

A player who not only has eyes on the back of her head but can also receive Feedback at the speed of a neuron?

Man, this was a cheat-level ability, enough to make me tilt my head in disbelief.

‘Hmph. Oppa and I are connected by the heart, after all.’

<The heart…?>

Seo Dami said such embarrassing things so casually.

Just as Dami was looking happy, her teammates, who had just gotten out of their Capsules, came over, ruffled her hair, and each told her how cool she was today.

“Wow. What was that earlier on the second floor, taking out the enemy without even looking back? I was seriously shocked.”

Hwang Jua poked her in the side, asking her to share such a good technique, and Kim Dain also shouted, “Our Dami is the best!”

But it wasn’t long before their expressions turned glum.

Park Chaerin, who had been watching the whole match, had laid down the law, telling them they had a mountain of things to fix and to follow her for Feedback.

Of course, even while doing so, Park Chaerin didn’t forget to praise Dami.

“As expected of Seo Dami. You were great today, too?”

Giving a thumbs-up back to Park Chaerin, Dami asked what she had been curious about.

‘By the way, what was that earlier? It felt like… Oppa was slipping out for a moment?’

<Ah, that?>

The Out-of-Body Experience I had tried in the game.

I decided to see if it worked outside as well.

Actually, if it worked inside the game, it was only natural that it would work outside too.

Unless the game recognized the existence of a Soul better than reality did.

I focused my mind and raised my body.

Then, with a swoop, I could see my body was halfway out of Dami.

“Uh, uh! Wait, wait!”

Flustered, Dami shook her head, demanding I stop.

<Why?>

‘Don’t go out any further. What if you really leave for good?’

Dami said.

She said she couldn’t grab hold of or see my Soul State, and it would be a huge problem if I got lost.

She has a point.

At her words, I decided to stay quietly inside Dami for the time being.

For now, it seemed that just giving her an extra pair of eyes on the back of her head would be enough.

Victory in the match against Supernova.

And the end of the first round of matches against every team.

The result of the matches was an 11-game Win Streak.

All indicators were pointing to one thing.

So far, Super Sylph was the undisputed number one in the Second Division League.

The forums, of course, went wild.

-Is there no early graduation from the League? They seem good enough to go straight to the first division.

-Ah, the League shouldn’t be this bland hahaha

-A close game? Don’t need it. I like it better when they win overwhelmingly!

-Boring, my ass! The win streak is thrilling haha

-fr fr

-121 matches left until an undefeated championship….

-Upvote if you think they’ll actually get an undefeated championship.

The team that had placed 8th the previous year was now on a roll with a relentless Win Streak, and there was already talk of them winning the championship, so the atmosphere couldn’t be better.

The CEO once again sent his congratulations, and a bonus was given to the entire team.

The players were overjoyed, saying they got a bonus.

<Dami. At times like this, you need to take good care of your teammates.>

‘All of a sudden?’

Think about it.

They were all young kids, barely twenty years old.

It was a good thing the team was doing well, but if only one person received all the attention, it could lead to negative thoughts.

Thoughts like, It probably doesn’t matter if I’m on this team or not.

Or, Am I a player who’s just here for show?

I told Dami it would be good if she frequently expressed her gratitude to the others so they wouldn’t have such thoughts.

In reality, everyone was working hard and doing their part in their positions, which was what created the good flow in the first place.

‘Okay.’

Having received the advice, Dami immediately put it into action and expressed her gratitude to the players.

“Aww. Why are you saying such embarrassing things.”

“I know even if you don’t say it!”

Even though they said that, they all looked quite pleased.

That’s just how people’s hearts were.

Even people who quietly do their work feel more rewarded and happy when someone acknowledges their value.

The team atmosphere was better than ever, and Dami was granted the special privilege of an outing, limited to Sundays.

In truth, it was unheard of for a pro player to roam around freely on a weekend.

Even during the Season, they had to train on weekends.

But since the player was doing so well, it was like, You’ll manage on your own, right?

Our Dami can do whatever she wants!* That was the feeling with which she was given her freedom.

Once, after getting permission from the Coach, we all went to her house for a meal.

It was arranged because Dami’s father had previously said it would be nice if she brought her teammates over for a meal.

When we all went to Dami’s house like that, the kids seemed a bit shocked.

“Seo Dami… was gaming just a hobby for you…?”

“Dami has it all! The world is so unfair. Boo!”

Despite their words, they all adapted quickly and just enjoyed the food.

The kids kept giving a thumbs-up, saying the side dishes were delicious, and her parents were very pleased.

The team atmosphere, and the environment surrounding us.

Everything seemed to say that Super Sylph had a bright future ahead.

It certainly did.

That is, until I started feeling something wrong with my body.

<This is a big problem…>

My Soul was becoming faint.