Chapter 54

China.

This country, boasting the largest population in Asia aside from India, prided itself on the massive scale of most of its industries.

UA was no exception.

In Korea, the number of Users who enjoyed UA, combining everyone from youths to adults, was merely around 500,000, but in China, there were over 30 million UA Users.

A whopping 30 million.

A scale more than 60 times that of Korea’s User pool.

A large population didn’t necessarily mean they were good at the game, but with such a difference in scale, the depth of the player base was bound to be vastly different.

The quantity and quality of players emerging each year were on another level.

In Korea, it wasn’t uncommon to see a decent regular player go toe-to-toe with a pro in the Third Division League, but in China, even the Third Division League was formidable.

Objectively, the consensus was that China’s fourth division was better than Korea’s third.

With such a disparity in scale, player salaries also differed greatly. Liu Xuan, the Leader of the Chinese team, was considered a top-tier powerhouse in China, with an Annual Salary of a staggering 3.5 billion Won.

3.5 billion a year.

It was a fortune large enough to make a Korean player retire from their career and beg to be scouted.

In reality, although China lagged behind Japan in terms of skill, its salary scale surpassed Japan’s, allowing it to suck in talented individuals from neighboring countries like a vacuum cleaner.

The reason few Korean players advanced to the Chinese League was simply a lack of skill; players who met the conditions always received an Offer.

And today, on this stage, was a Korean Prospect that the Chinese League was paying close attention to.

Seo Dami.

An Attacker for Team Super Sylph.

Though a Second Division League player, the fact that she had already succeeded in the Legendary Challenge and that Shanghai Cheonhwa had made her a public Offer was a fairly well-known story even in China.

Cheonhwa was a powerhouse, one of the top three women’s teams in China.

They had a Rivalry with Beijing Cheonryong, the team Liu Xuan belonged to, so Liu Xuan had also been keeping an eye on Seo Dami ahead of this match.

‘China is already overflowing with talent, yet they’re making an Offer to a Korean player? Cheonhwa’s downfall must be near.’

She was just a Korean player, after all.

Liu Xuan, who considered it nothing more than a big-fish-in-a-small-pond fight in a tiny League, led her teammates onto the Battlefield.

Boundary.

A Deathmatch Battlefield where the objective was to secure efficient kill exchanges while fighting for control over the Mana Pack in the center.

There were access routes like corridors and side paths on the left and right, where one could also obtain items like Heal Packs and ammo supplies.

Liu Xuan spread her team out in a 1-3-1 formation, focusing on collecting Objectives.

Since the Chinese players were relatively more skilled than the Korean players, spreading out across the Battlefield was a natural decision.

In such a situation, the number of options available to Korea was not very large.

If they also spread out, they would be crushed by the difference in individual skill. If they attempted a single-point Breakthrough, they would be hit from multiple angles by the Chinese wings.

With no easy path in either direction, the option Korea chose was a single-point Breakthrough.

Liu Xuan sneered as she watched the Koreans charge, huddled tightly behind their Defender.

It was because Korea had moved exactly as she had predicted, without a single deviation.

‘They must have thought it’d be easier to break through three people than to fight a Chaotic Battle.’

However, Liu Xuan had arranged her players with precisely that in mind.

China’s central formation consisted of the Leader, Liu Xuan, one Supporter, and one Attacker.

It was a composition designed to thoroughly back her up and hold the center.

And so, the clash began.

The first to strike were China’s wings, which had spread out to the sides.

The Chinese Sniper fired at the charging Korean team.

Long Range Shot.

An enhanced bullet, fired straight and true after a Skill Enhancement, aimed for a Korean player’s head.

‘One of them will go down here.’

Liu Xuan thought as she watched the Korean team charge.

Because the Korean team’s defense was a mess.

With a Third Division League player as their Defender, their defense was bound to be weak.

Moreover, the Chinese Sniper had run to the side and secured a perfect Flank angle, making it an attack that couldn’t possibly fail.

However.

When the Korean team’s Shield, moving like lightning, Guarded the Sniper’s attack, Liu Xuan sensed that something was wrong.

‘Her face is different.’

No matter how shabby the Korean team was, Liu Xuan had checked the player roster before the match.

But the face of the enemy Defender holding the Shield was different.

And what was with her skill level?

The Defender, who had smoothly Guarded the sniper shot, countered with a Handgun, and the enemy Attacker followed up with an additional attack, taking down their Sniper.

At that sight, Liu Xuan’s train of thought grew taut.

‘The one with the Rifle is Kim Seunga. Then the Defender is… Seo Dami?’

A position change?

A team with a weak Shield could never become a top-tier team.

Knowing this fact better than anyone, Liu Xuan was more impressed than scornful as she watched Korea’s position change.

‘Such a talent existed in this small country?’

When a player who primarily played Attacker switched to Defender, their skill would naturally drop, but if they could protect their allies to that extent, it could ultimately lead to a net gain in Score.

This was especially true in a situation like this, playing with a makeshift coalition team that included Second and Third Division players, not a full roster of First Division League-level players.

How well each team’s Shield could protect their allies and prevent score loss.

That was the key to today’s match.

‘I accept your challenge!’

Having occupied the hall first, Liu Xuan blocked the entrance where the Korean team would enter and raised her Shield.

If she held her ground like this, she could naturally absorb the Mana Pack that would spawn behind her, putting her in an advantageous position.

The Korean team threw Bombs and simultaneously unleashed a barrage of attacks.

Kim Seunga, who had finished off the Sniper and rejoined the fight, was with them.

As the attacks rained down on her, Liu Xuan stomped her foot with a surge of Fighting Spirit.

Earth Shatter.

The ground broke, and the fragments of earth and rock that shot up from it effectively absorbed the impact.

Of course, it couldn’t absorb all of the shock, but Liu Xuan endured it with her innate strength and quickly recovered her Stamina with Support from her Supporter.

-Shit, is that a human or a troll?

-Her strength is insane, isn’t it?

While the Spectators were stunned by her incredible power, Seo Dami had the same thought.

‘Can I even break through that?’

<Not a chance. You just protect the kids.>

Seo Dami had three lives to protect right now.

Han Chaei, Kim Soyoung, and Lee Seulgi.

It was more important to protect these three and secure their 3 points than to waste energy trying to take down the rock-like Liu Xuan.

So how would they Score?

Today, scoring was entirely Kim Seunga’s responsibility.

The three hiding behind Seo Dami’s Shield would soften them up, and Kim Seunga would deliver the finishing blow.

Meanwhile, Seo Dami protecting this “spice rack” was the main key to today’s strategy.

This was also why Kim Seunga had been annoyed when Seo Dami said she would change positions.

It was obvious that protecting three people with minimal Movement Path to conserve Stamina meant that Kim Seunga would have to run that much more.

Unni, you do it.

At that request, Kim Seunga, though angry, ultimately accepted the strategy.

After thinking it over, it certainly seemed to have a higher chance of victory.

Twenty-five years old.

Kim Seunga’s Stamina, which boasted overwhelming perfection from a number of meals eaten during training that would easily be several times that of Seo Dami’s, was on full display.

Kim Seunga slid forward, breaking through the Flank of the central passage.

Naturally, Suppressive Fire flew from the opposing side, but Kim Seunga casually dodged the attacks.

Her movements, using Acceleration and her enhanced Dynamic Visual Acuity to evade attacks, were certainly befitting a player knocking on the door of World Class.

This threw Liu Xuan’s movements into disarray.

She had to block Kim Seunga who was hitting the Flank, and also block the main Korean force led by Seo Dami.

In the end, Liu Xuan fell back and prioritized cutting off Kim Seunga’s attack.

Her assault was too fierce to ignore.

“Liu Xuan is falling back!”

“Kim Seunga’s Attack is dragging the game into a Chaotic Battle!”

The Korean Broadcast Team praised Kim Seunga’s Attack.

But Kim Seunga herself felt a slight sense of urgency.

She had unleashed her skills to their fullest, but she wasn’t getting any kills.

Monstrous defense.

Liu Xuan, with Acceleration active, precisely Guarded the attacks, protecting her Chinese teammates.

Normally, in a match between First Division League teams, a Defender can’t cover all angles, so the main force would use this opening to land an effective attack, but unfortunately, their Dealers’ skill level was too low to hope for such a Pincer Attack.

With Seo Dami moving to Defender, Kim Soyoung, who had previously played Defender, moved to Attacker, but as a Third Division League player, her skills were far from reliable.

The same went for Lee Seulgi, the Sniper.

She was also from the third division, so her shots were far from sharp.

The only consolation was that the Handgun shots fired by Seo Dami, who had switched to Defender, were appropriately exploiting Liu Xuan’s openings.

As kills failed to materialize as expected, the tension among the Spectators rose rapidly.

They had expected a one-sided match, but the thought that it could be turned on its head by a hair’s breadth made them lean forward in their seats.

The Chinese Spectators, in particular, were getting very excited.

-Korea is playing an even match with us?

-How is this possible?

-It’s the Shield! Because of Korea’s Defender, our wings can’t Score!

-You’re telling me they can’t even take down a player in her sub-position!

The excited Spectators screamed, but it was the undeniable reality.

Even after the Chinese Sniper who died in the Early Game had revived, not a single kill had occurred for over 30 seconds.

During that time, Kim Seunga, who had been pressuring the Flank of the central hall with hit-and-run tactics, temporarily retreated.

She had used up quite a bit of Mana.

Attacker was not a fundamentally defensive position.

To evade attacks, one had to fight using Cover or dodge with Acceleration, and the terrain forced her to use Acceleration, causing her Mana to deplete quickly.

On the other hand, Liu Xuan’s side was comfortable.

She Guarded most attacks with her Shield, demonstrating firsthand what efficient Mana Management looked like.

It wasn’t flashy, but it was a solid playstyle that showed no openings to exploit.

Watching Liu Xuan, Seo Dami said.

‘Her defense is incredible!’

<Of course.>

No matter how big the Chinese market was, would they pay 3.5 billion to a player who wasn’t good?

In that moment, Seo Dami’s eyes sparkled as she etched her opponent’s every move into her mind.

And Han Youngin watched this process in silence.

He didn’t say anything, thinking she might get a big head and become complacent, but Seo Dami’s current growth rate was extraordinary.

It was clear that once this match was over, Seo Dami’s shield skills would have grown once again.

<When exactly did she change?>

She probably wasn’t like this from the beginning.

If she were a player who could learn and adapt just by watching, she would have been able to debut in the First Division League regardless of her age.

But Seo Dami had debuted in the Third Division League.

She had said she trained at a Pro Gamer Debut Class Academy before that, so it wasn’t hard to guess that her Talent was average, or even below average.

So why had her learning speed suddenly increased?

Was it because she had broken through a wall?

With Han Youngin’s help, Seo Dami had undergone explosive growth.

The lessons over the past year had greatly changed Seo Dami’s mindset and way of thinking.

Every action, every minor In-Game detail, had been transformed into that of a player worthy of the First Division.

Originally, a Pro Gamer’s skill was such that once they broke through a certain level, they could understand and realize much more.

Now that she had the skills of a First Division Player, it was natural that the amount of information she could gain from surrounding players and her ability to absorb it had improved.

But even so, this speed was somewhat bizarre.

<Is it because of me…?>

Han Youngin thought.

The reason she could grow so quickly just by watching, not through direct instruction, might be because of the Energy his own existence provided.

If that were the case, Seo Dami had basically hit the lottery.

If her learning speed increased simply by watching, it was an incredible blessing for a pro player.

<Evil Spirit, my ass.>

Han Youngin, who had been briefly treated as an Evil Spirit just the other day, chuckled to himself.

Where in the world was there an Evil Spirit that only did such good things?

The kill Score was 1:0.

Korea was in the lead by one point.

His teammates’ Stamina and remaining Mana.

After reconfirming the score situation, Han Youngin spoke to Seo Dami.

<It’s about time. You remember what I told you, right?>

‘Yes!’

At Han Youngin’s instruction, Seo Dami gave a signal to the retreated Kim Seunga through her in-ear.

“Unni!”

It was just a short word, “Unni,” but Kim Seunga, understanding its meaning, started running to the opposite side of the Battlefield again.

China was not unaware of this movement, and Liu Xuan, realizing their intention, twitched an eyebrow.

‘They intend to cut off my wing.’

If the Attacker on the opposite side was taken out, Korea would Score once again.

The moment Liu Xuan signaled her ally to fall back, Seo Dami charged forward and attempted an Attack.

The first Mana Pack appeared in the center at the 1-minute mark.

This happened just 10 seconds before that first Timing.

-Woooah!

-General Seo is going in!

-Shit, why are my hands sweating over this?

-Dami Attack!!!

The Spectators clenched their fists as they watched the Korean team’s Attack.

And Liu Xuan calmly assessed that Attack.

‘A good attempt, but you will not pass me.’

If they held out for just 10 seconds, the Mana Pack would be theirs.

The central Mana Pack was a powerful item that, when consumed, restored the Mana of not only the person who picked it up but also nearby allies.

Once they secured it, even if both wings were cut down, they could turn the tide of the battle with their charged Mana.

With the resolve to never give up the item, Liu Xuan lowered her stance and firmly blocked the Main Entrance to the center. At that moment, the four Korean team members threw their Bombs in unison.

The Chinese team’s Supporter and Attacker, thinking the Bombs were falling towards Liu Xuan, tried to cut them off with Support fire.

But they were wrong.

The majority of the Bombs, flying in a high arc, were aimed not at Liu Xuan, but at the roof of the Main Entrance she was guarding.

‘Building collapse?’

The moment Liu Xuan pulled back, judging she could be crushed to death, black Smoke Screens were deployed one after another, blocking their Vision.

5 seconds left.

Just as Liu Xuan was about to tell her allies not to panic and to stick behind her, there was a strong impact.

It was Seo Dami.

Seo Dami, who had activated Charge with her Shield up, drew her Lightsaber and began to push Liu Xuan back.