Chapter 55

“How absurd!”

Liu Xuan shouted.

How many players had challenged her, trying to break the Shield that had earned her the name “Iron Wall”?

But every single one of them had become a corpse, their numbers easily surpassing several hundred.

And today, some rookie whose main position wasn’t even a Defender had once again picked a fight with her.

Enraged, she channeled all her Concentration at this moment, boosting her Defense Power.

Moving her Shield to Guard Seo Dami’s Lightsaber, Liu Xuan simultaneously aimed for a Headshot with her Handgun.

With Acceleration active, the speed at which they clashed was difficult to follow with the naked eye.

The Spectators’ eyes widened at the breathtaking, high-speed Offense and Defense.

-Look at that speed.

-I turned on Slow mode a while ago;;

-But it looks like General Seo is holding her own?

-Her mastery of Acceleration is seriously already World Class.

-How could anyone think she’s an Attacker?

-Dami…

-Do it!!!

Liu Xuan with her Shield and Handgun,

And Seo Dami with her Shield and Lightsaber, were engaged in a close-quarters Offense and Defense.

Within the darkness of the Smoke Screen, Liu Xuan’s power charging exploded.

With a loud bang, Seo Dami’s body shook violently.

A power charge, unleashed with perfect Timing during an ultra-close-quarters battle while under Acceleration.

Even in the Chinese First Division League, very few players could block Liu Xuan’s charge when it exploded at such a Timing.

It was an Ambush optimized to shatter an opponent’s Balance.

Only about 1.5 seconds remained until the Mana Pack spawned.

The plan was to take down the off-balance Seo Dami with a Headshot, then step on the Mana Pack behind her to seize the Momentum.

Having finished her calculations in a split second, Liu Xuan raised her Handgun.

‘……!’

But her plan went awry from the very beginning.

Seo Dami hadn’t collapsed.

Although she staggered backward, Seo Dami held onto her Shield, protecting her vitals to the very end.

Having no other choice, Liu Xuan attacked another target as Seo Dami was pushed back, clearing the Line.

It was the Supporter right behind Seo Dami, Han Chaei.

Han Chaei let out a cry of “Eugh!” as she was hit by a Headshot.

But there were no more kills.

Letting out a “Hoeeeng,” Kim Soyoung and Lee Seulgi quickly stuck themselves behind Seo Dami.

The mission Kim Seunga and Seo Dami had given them today was simple.

Don’t die, and stick to the back of the Shield like glue.

Since that was the only order, the third-division rookies carried it out as diligently as possible.

As the Korean team managed to stay alive, Liu Xuan’s eyes turned cold.

Her plan to take down Seo Dami, sweep away the players behind her, and secure 4 points.

That plan had been completely ruined by Seo Dami holding her ground.

If it had succeeded, even if Kim Seunga, who had gone to catch the flanker, got 1 kill to make it 2 points for the Korean team, her side would have scored 4 points, allowing them to lead the game advantageously.

‘It’s not a complete failure yet.’

Gauging the Battlefield situation, Liu Xuan revised her strategy.

At the same time, she slid her foot back, and just as the Mana Pack spawned, it was caught by her back foot with a pat! sound.

Mana Charge complete.

The team composition was 3 versus 4, but with her Mana full, Liu Xuan felt the match was still winnable.

‘If I use Earth Shatter one more time to break their Balance and Ambush them…’

Just as Liu Xuan, judging that there was still a way to win, was about to give the Order for her Supporter to Support her.

The Supporter’s Portrait beeped and turned gray, signaling they were down.

Startled, Liu Xuan looked toward where her team’s Supporter had been, only to see Kim Seunga, who had moved to the opposite side and was now pushing in.

‘I’ve been had…!’

Throwing the Bomb visibly and setting off the Smoke Screen to create a commotion must have been to prevent them from noticing Kim Seunga circling back.

Soon, the Attacker would also be taken down by Kim Seunga.

Finding herself on the verge of being isolated in an instant, Liu Xuan whipped her head around and glared at Seo Dami.

‘Are you smiling?’

A wrinkle formed between Liu Xuan’s brows.

Because Seo Dami, looking at her, was faintly smiling.

Liu Xuan didn’t know.

She didn’t know that this strategy’s success had already been decided the moment Seo Dami entered the center and held her own in a one-on-one fight against Liu Xuan.

‘Only Liu Xuan is left! It’s just like Oppa said!’

<I told you we could win if you just held on.>

Compared to a top-tier Defender, her skills were naturally inferior, but if it was just a matter of holding on.

You can do it, too.

Han Youngin, who had proposed the strategy with that explanation, replied nonchalantly as if it were no big deal.

Of course, even as he said that, Han Youngin’s heart was, in truth, pounding a little.

Because Korea, which had been considered the weakest in international competitions, was about to bring down China with his strategy.

This thrilling feeling was hard to describe in words unless one experienced it directly.

<Alright, now only Liu Xuan is left. Finish her for good.>

‘…Yes!’

If they took down Liu Xuan, they could completely seize the Momentum.

At that signal, Seo Dami once again swung her Lightsaber, pressing in on Liu Xuan.

From her fingertips blossomed the sense for the sword that Han Youngin had instilled in her.

Her shield work also showed considerable promise.

It was a power that would have been rated as high-level even if she were a Defender.

With Kim Seunga’s backup from behind added to the mix, even the great Liu Xuan had no way to endure.

Despite fighting desperately, pouring out all her Mana, Liu Xuan’s Portrait eventually turned gray, and another Score was added for the Korean team.

-There it is!!!

-That was huge!

-I’m so happy I got to see this match in person.

-Wow. I expected it, but seeing it in person, Korea’s Roster is just broken.

-She’s second-division in name only, General Seo is first-division level.

-Did you see that? If she can hold her own in a direct confrontation with Liu Xuan, she’s a First Division Starter, no questions asked.

-And not even as an Attacker, but as a Defender;;

-When the Transfer Market opens, teams that need a Defender are going to be drooling over this, aren’t they?

-FR;;

-DamiDami! Thank you so much for being born in Korea…!

The Korean Spectators cheered, chanting Seo Dami’s name.

In contrast to the ecstatic atmosphere in Korea, the Chinese Spectators on the other side were filled with gloom.

China, which had pulled off an upset by beating the Japanese team in a practice match and had intended to raise its international standing this time.

For that same China to be struck down by Korea, considered the weakest, the mood couldn’t possibly be good.

The points they gave up after collapsing in the center once had a devastating effect on the Chinese team.

Afterward, the Korean team played passively, focusing solely on defense to protect their lead, and the score gap refused to close.

In the first place, Liu Xuan’s position was a Defender.

As a player specialized in defending rather than racking up scores, her Attack Power was lacking.

In the end, the first Set Score was 25 to 21, a victory for Korea.

The Momentum of China, which had intended to lead the Event Match Opening Match to victory with the iron-walled Liu Xuan at the forefront, was severely broken.

「Seo Dami, showcasing her versatile charm. A major contribution to Korea’s victory.」

「”The game was easy.” Seo Dami’s thoughts in a post-victory interview.」

「Player Kim Seunga, “Seo Dami is a Talent who will lead the Korean UA industry in the future.”」

「Korean Sport & Olympic Committee states there is a player they are keeping an eye on ahead of next year’s Olympics selections.」

A 2:0 Dominant Victory.

Korea, which had sprinted at full power until the second Set, brought down China.

Point Capture.

When the second Set Battlefield was decided as the Attica Temple, Seo Dami switched her position back to Attacker and, along with Kim Seunga, launched a two-pronged assault.

In the second Set, Seo Dami poured all her strength into it, as if there was no tomorrow if she lost this time.

And spurred on by her Momentum, Kim Seunga also went on a rampage, and the Chinese players fell like scarecrows.

The picture might have been a little different if they were First Division League players from China, but the attack was too strong for second and third-division players to withstand.

No matter how good Liu Xuan’s defense was, there was no way to play the game when all her allies were dead and she was left alone.

And so, Korea claimed victory against China.

Although it was just an Event Match, it was their first international win in a year and eight months, and because the opponent was China, one of Asia’s top three, the Korean fans rejoiced as if they had won a championship.

There were countless reactions asking if a true World Class player was finally emerging in Korea, and opinions on what would happen if Seo Dami went abroad were also easy to find.

-Seriously, what do we do if General Seo goes abroad?

-We can still see her once every two years.

-Two years? The Asian Games and the Olympics?

-Yup.

-Fuck, then we can’t see her in the domestic League!!

-Ahem. Seo Dami is too big of a fish to play in the domestic pond.

-Shut up. General Seo is with Super Sylph. She’s not going anywhere else.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Are you crying?

-Super Sylph must be shitting their pants right now.

-Her contract is only for one year, too.

-It seems like she signed a short-term contract because she was confident she could prove her skills in the first place.

-Is she really going abroad…?

-She can change teams, but I hope she continues to play in Korea…

Players leaving Korea, with its small market size, to advance to overseas leagues existed regardless of the sport.

While Korean Users were chattering about wanting to see Seo Dami in the domestic scene for even a little longer.

There was one person lost in thought while rewatching the video of the China match—Kato Mikane.

She, who had collapsed vomiting blood from the Recoil of hitting Seo Dami’s forehead with a fan, had watched the China match on the hotel room TV, her body still ailing.

And after watching the entire match, the conclusion she reached was—not bad.

A strange player who carried around an unidentified Evil Spirit.

After her clash with Seo Dami at the barbecue, Kato Mikane had separately investigated and gathered information on Seo Dami.

Seo Dami.

A player who had received a mediocre evaluation early in her debut.

In the first place, she lacked the aptitude to be a player.

A player with aptitude wouldn’t debut in the third division.

Kato Mikane read an article about how that player, a year after her debut, had suddenly improved as if she had become a different person, leading her team on a Win Streak, and thought.

This is when the Evil Spirit attached itself to her.*

The reason she could guess this so easily was because she herself was well-versed in that kind of power.

Kato Mikane was a Talent who had received training as a traditional Onmyoji, something rarely found in this day and age.

As science developed, such things were usually treated as superstition, but from a young age, her spiritual Talent was recognized, and she became a true ‘Onmyoji’ who had reached a level that could be called orthodox.

Thanks to that, she could beat down most Miscellaneous Ghosts and Evil Spirits with just a fan, but this time was different.

As usual, she had seen a Miscellaneous Ghost attached to a person and tried to remove it, but instead, she was the one who got hit.

It was an unexpectedly powerful spirit, a being with enough power to change a person’s life.

If she had known it was such a being, she wouldn’t have approached it so easily, but the energy it revealed on the surface was so ordinary that her casual approach had been the cause of her trouble.

As a price for her clumsy attempt at Exorcism, Kato Mikane was hit with a Counter, and thanks to that, she was now in a state where she needed to rest for at least a week.

Clutching a tissue and catching her bloody cough, she pondered.

Considering only her physical Condition, it was best to return to Japan for treatment.

The repeated coughing up of blood made it seem like she could die at any moment, but in reality, it was at a level where she would get better quickly if she returned to her hometown and received the earth’s energy.

However, it wasn’t something to be taken lightly; if she missed the window for treatment, a case that could be cured in a week could often require her to be bedridden for over a month.

‘Should I just fold and go back…?’

Kato Mikane pictured herself catching a plane and returning home.

If she suggested folding now, the Japanese UA Association would surely be furious.

This room she was staying in now.

While the Korean team shared rooms between two or three people, she had exclusive use of a royal suite that cost well over 5 million Won a night.

It was an absurd waste of money, but she was enjoying such luxury because the association, wanting to send her as the Leader for the Event Match, had accepted all her demands.

But to be beaten in a practice match and then declare defeat and return home before even playing the game?

The infuriated association would surely mobilize the media to torment her.

And what about this year’s World Championship?

This year’s UA World Championship was scheduled to be held in Tokyo, so many Japanese fans were greatly looking forward to it.

Kato Mikane herself had predicted a very high chance of winning since the tournament was on her home turf.

By the end of this year, the picture of her standing tall at the top of the world would be complete.

But what would happen if a commotion arose from a measly Event Match like this?

Wouldn’t it tarnish her brilliant career?

Winning the League right after her debut.

She, who could be said to have walked a royal road, put a great deal of effort into managing her career.

Her head aching from all the trouble, Kato Mikane took a cloth out of her bag, spread it on the bed, and took out divination sticks to prepare for a reading.

When one thinks of an Onmyoji, they usually think of Exorcism, such as ghost-busting, but originally, Onmyoji spent more time telling fortunes.

She briefly contemplated what fortune to tell.

It was not good for a fortune-teller to read their own fortune.

The results were often inaccurate, and it was an act that invited bad luck, so after some thought, she decided to tell Seo Dami’s fortune.

With a clattering sound, the sticks spread out on the cloth.

Kato Mikane frowned as she carefully examined their formation.

It was a displeasing divination.

Thinking she must have messed up the reading because of her poor Condition, she shook the sticks once more.

But.

The exact same divination result came out again.

“Kuso!”

Her mood soured, Kato Mikane lowered her head and examined the cloth closely.

But no matter how she looked, the result indicated by the divination was clear.

It was a divination that said if she didn’t eliminate the strong energy lingering nearby, something bad could happen to Japan.

Since it was obvious what that meant, Kato Mikane packed up her things and stood up from her spot.

She had to find Seo Dami and have a talk before it was too late.