Chapter 62

When Seo Dami used a Grenade to disrupt the Japanese team’s Supporter and charged in to take down Kato Mikane.

I was satisfied with Seo Dami’s play.

If I had been on the Battlefield instead of Dami, it probably wouldn’t have been much different.

I don’t know about observational skills or other things, but at least in terms of pure Attack skill, she was my spitting image.

But at the same time, I had to taste frustration.

I was too happy watching Dami follow her master’s teachings so well, because the Kato Mikane before my eyes was just too strong.

Kato Mikane, whose Debuff hadn’t been removed because she couldn’t receive a Purification Bullet.

She unleashed her Gun Kata in that state.

Naturally, she had to be slow, and I thought Seo Dami would be able to take her down without a problem.

But the result was Kato Mikane’s victory, shattering all of our expectations.

<What kind of monster is this…>

That was all I could say.

While Debuffed, Kato Mikane accelerated once more in an instant, entering an evasive maneuver. She narrowly dodged our attack and then launched a Counterattack.

The bullet from the Arclight Rifle grazed her cheek.

Dami’s attack failed to inflict effective damage, while the opponent’s attack lodged in Seo Dami’s thigh and Abdomen, inflicting a Fatal Wound.

The strong stopping power put a brake on Dami’s body, breaking her Balance.

This was something that shouldn’t be possible, by common sense.

Seo Dami’s Attack just now was perfect.

She had absorbed my teachings, as I was known for having a knack for Acceleration.

But Kato Mikane accelerated once more in the middle of accelerating, showing off a truly magical feat.

I had never seen such a monster, nor had I been able to teach Dami how to defeat one.

Just as I was starting to feel sorry for not teaching her better, Dami remained focused until the very end.

Even as she fell, she rolled her body, struggling to land even one more shot.

Mana bloomed at Seo Dami’s fingertips, and the Arclight Rifle’s bullets changed to Slow Bullets.

It was astonishing.

This was a situation that had rarely happened during the past year of teaching.

Maybe once or twice?

Even so, Seo Dami squeezed out her remaining strength to hold Kato Mikane’s feet, just as I had done.

A play that seemed to be a clean copy of my own.

At this point, it felt like we could swap bodies and continue our pro careers without anyone noticing.

At least, in terms of the game.

A shower of Slow Bullets struck Kato Mikane’s Shield.

The reason for switching to Slow Bullets was to seize the initiative of the attack and pass it on to Kim Seunga.

Originally, Kim Seunga was supposed to apply the slow, and Dami was supposed to finish it, but things had gone awry due to Kato Mikane’s monstrous Performance.

So, Dami changed the plan so that she would hold Kato’s feet, allowing Kim Seunga to deliver the final blow.

And Kim Seunga was not one to misunderstand this intention.

Though she must have been exhausted from running around for 10 minutes straight, she went into Full Acceleration, Lightsaber in hand, and moved to get behind Kato Mikane.

Her Close-Quarters Combat ability was World Class.

That Kim Seunga rushed in to split Kato Mikane’s head open.

Seo Dami was squeezing out attacks from the front, and Kim Seunga was charging from behind.

No matter how World Class a player was, unless they were a Defender, they should have died from this Pincer Attack.

Please, just die.

In that moment, I desperately wished for Korea’s victory.

When Kim Seunga’s Lightsaber swung and the attack unfolded, I thought we could do it.

But a fleeting moment later, I saw Kim Seunga’s body collapse.

Kato Mikane had drawn a Lightsaber in one hand, just like Kim Seunga, and countered.

It was the moment she overpowered Kim Seunga in a Swordsmanship versus Swordsmanship duel.

-Kato!

-Kato!

-Kato!

The Spectators’ Cheer, chanting Kato Mikane’s name.

The voices were so loud they easily pierced through the walls of the Waiting Room.

In the end, the point difference in the second Set was never closed, and the Score was 1 to 1.

The game now had to go to a third Set.

Listening to the cheers of the Spectators supporting the Japanese team, Kim Seunga had a dazed expression.

The other team members were in a similar state.

They couldn’t see any way to win.

‘Oppa. How can we win?’

I couldn’t readily give Dami an answer.

Even reviewing the game again, there was nothing lacking in Kim Seunga’s or Seo Dami’s performance.

And yet, we lost the game.

It was all because of Kato Mikane.

How on earth were we supposed to take down a monster who could withstand a Pincer Attack from two National Representative-level players and launch a Counter?

No matter how much the Pro Scene was a matter of Talent, I felt this was going too far.

<I’m sorry, Dami. I don’t think it’s possible today.>

‘…No. Why are you sorry, Oppa? I’m just saying it because I’m disappointed. Don’t worry about it.’

Dami spoke calmly, telling me not to worry.

Of course, I knew she was just saying that and that she really wanted to win, so I racked my brain until the very end.

Is there really no way to win?

No matter what we do?

But there really was no answer.

The luck of the Battlefield wasn’t on our side either.

With the previous two Battlefields out, the probability of getting Nicaea Research Lab out of the remaining four was 25 percent.

But in the end, the Set Battlefield decided for the third Set was Garden of the Gods.

A Domination Battle where you had to secure Buff Objects and occupy the Central Point.

Our morale was so low that I wondered if we could win a power struggle against Kato Mikane in the center with this atmosphere.

A game where you’ve poured out everything you can do is usually one without regrets, regardless of the outcome, and this game was exactly that.

‘Still, I’m going to see it through to the end.’

It doesn’t matter if the result is already decided.

Watching Dami vow to do her best until the end, for the sake of the fans who came to see her, I almost teared up.

<Dami… I think you can really graduate from my teachings now.>

‘Huh? No, that’s not what I meant by that…’

And so, we stood before the door of the Waiting Room.

It was time for the third Set to begin.

Kim Seunga let out a sigh, and from her expression, it didn’t seem like she had given up on the game either.

Like Dami, I could see her will to finish the game well until the end.

And so, we waited for the gate to open.

But strangely, even though it was past time for it to open, there was no news.

The gate should have opened with a beep, and we should have already gone out to the Battlefield.

Wondering what was going on, I peeked outside through the glass slit in the gate door, and the Spectator Seats were also buzzing with murmurs.

“A-Attention, please. We have a brief announcement.”

Soon, an announcement from the Broadcast Team flowed throughout the Grand Stadium, including the Waiting Room.

It seemed something had happened.

“Today’s third Set match… has been canceled due to the personal circumstances of Japan’s player, Kato Mikane.”

-What?

-Why is the third Set canceled?

The Korean Spectators were bewildered, and the Japanese Spectators were the same.

-Then what about the game?

-It’s not decided yet?

“Due to the Japanese team’s forfeit, the winner of this Event Match is Team Korea. We ask for a round of applause for the players who did their best.”

They tried to manage the situation somehow, but the reaction was utterly cold.

A win by forfeit in a match they had paid a lot of money for and struggled to get tickets for.

It was a result that was hard for the Spectators of both countries to accept.

-Booo!

-How can you do this! Set a date and have a rematch!

-You just need to replay the third Set!

-This is an insult to the fans!

-Have a rematch tomorrow!

-Have the players explain themselves! What kind of management is this!

The fans poured out all sorts of boos.

But no one knew.

That in the moment they were booing and demanding a rematch, the Japanese team was in absolute chaos.

We only heard about it later.

That after the second Set ended, Kato Mikane’s Log In, who had been holding on during the break, was unilaterally disconnected.

There was only one reason for a player who was playing UA to have their Log In suddenly cut off.

It was when there was a major problem with the player’s health.

Things like a heart attack or respiratory distress.

They said Kato Mikane had lost consciousness while vomiting blood during the break.

Was that perhaps the price for using an ability beyond her limits?

After all, the play Kato Mikane had shown In-Game was amazing enough to be considered beyond human limits.

In any case, the International Event Match on Jeju Island came to an end like this.

It was a bit unsatisfying, but the result was three wins for Korea.

It meant Korea had taken first place in the International Event Match.

“Geez. We got first place, but what’s with this mood.”

On the plane back.

Kim Seunga muttered several times.

It had left a bad taste in her mouth.

If the third Set had proceeded normally, it was a game Japan had a high chance of winning against us.

Even after finishing the winner’s interview, packing our bags, and boarding the plane to Cheongju, the atmosphere of the Korean team was very unsettled.

We had to carry this lingering dissatisfaction despite winning.

It was no exaggeration to say that Kato Mikane had really shit all over everything and left.

But that was only for a moment. When we arrived at the airport, we were met with a completely different atmosphere.

A huge welcoming crowd.

An incomparable number of fans had flocked to the airport, waiting for us, compared to when we had just arrived on Jeju Island.

Seunga Unni, you’re so cool! I love you! Seo Dami! Look over here! The airport was filled with such shouts.

The pterodactyl-like shrieks, as if we had entered the Jurassic era, were a bonus.

<What is all this.>

‘I-I know, right.’

A Flash Barrage poured down.

Even at a glance, the line of fans seemed to stretch endlessly.

Guards urged the players to move forward.

We hurriedly exited the gate, and an association staff member who was waiting beforehand guided us, saying, “This way.”

A limousine was waiting there to pick up the joint team players.

<Wow. Dami, you seem to be a real star now. Riding in a limousine and all.>

‘Hmm? Don’t we ride in limousines occasionally…?’

<……?>

‘……?’

And so, we moved in the car provided by the association.

I had wondered why they put us on a plane to Cheongju instead of Incheon, and it turned out there was a reason.

The place we headed to after returning from the International Match was the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism building.

When we arrived at the building, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who had been waiting early, applauded us along with his officials.

Saying he enjoyed the match very much, the minister took pictures with the players, shaking each of their hands.

There was even a member of the National Assembly who had come to get in on the action.

His intention to build his image under the pretext of visiting and encouraging young players was obvious, but it was a good thing for Seo Dami.

It was proof that this match had enough influence in the country to receive the government’s attention, and it meant she had become a player who received that much notice.

Although it was a victory obtained through Japan’s forfeit, what remains is the result.

Everyone seemed greatly pleased at the news that Korea had achieved one win in an international match.

After exchanging greetings with Kim Seunga and shaking hands with Seo Dami, the minister offered words of encouragement, saying he had high expectations for the future and asking them to keep up the good work until the Olympics.

The next Korean UA National Representative.

Seo Dami was now recognized as a player who had proven that level of capability.

The July Academy Challenge was a clear opportunity to make the player named Seo Dami known to the entire nation.

She was now at a level where she couldn’t simply be called a good player in the second division.

The Front Office must have been worrying a lot.

Dami’s contract was only for one year, and if they offered mediocre terms, she could easily leave for another team.

In fact, I was of the opinion that it might be better for Dami to go to another team.

I wondered, could Super Sylph fully compensate Seo Dami for her value?

The teams that would likely offer the best conditions were foreign teams.

Shanghai Cheonhwa or Beijing Cheonryong, and even limiting it to domestic teams, Artemis, where Kim Seunga was, or other First Division League teams had a higher probability of presenting better conditions.

But Dami herself had grown very attached to Super Sylph and wasn’t considering a Transfer.

She said that if possible, she wanted to go all the way with these team members and win a championship.

<Hmm.>

From my perspective, with Super Sylph’s skill level, they could aim for a championship in the domestic League.

In fact, we had even changed our training methods with a First Division win in mind.

But the world was different.

Just as we had seen a crazy monster like Kato Mikane, the wall of the World Championship was high.

Moreover, the world’s top-tier teams were places where even the players supporting such a monster were outstanding.

To be honest, unless all the Super Sylph players broke their limits and their skills fully blossomed, it was difficult to expect international competitiveness.

Regardless of gender, the reality was that it was not easy for the domestic League champion team to even make it to the World Championship Main Round.

But the decision was Seo Dami’s.

If she had made her decision, all I could do was help her to the best of my ability.

And so, one day, while I was helping Dami with the team’s training during the remaining Break Period.

I realized the time had come.

It was my Energy Recharge Time.

I thought it would last much longer, but my energy had depleted faster than expected due to the clash with Kato Mikane.

This time, Dami wasn’t too worried.

She said she had been through it once.

She even cheered me on, telling me to have a safe trip.

<I’ll just Charge a moderate amount of Energy this time so I don’t take over your body.>

‘You can Charge it all the way, just come back quickly.’

And so, just as the Break Period was about to end, I left Dami.

Completely unaware of the repercussions this would have on us.