Chapter 93

‘What in the world happened to that game…?’

After losing the first Set, the Egyptian players returned to the Waiting Room with somewhat dazed expressions.

The match against the Japanese team that had just taken place.

Samira Nabi, who quickly reviewed the first Set, tilted her head.

Rather than being upset about the loss, her face showed that she couldn’t understand how such a result had come about.

‘Strange.’

It was certainly strange.

Before the game started, Japan had declared war on them.

They said they would execute the exact same Build they used in last year’s Meta, at the World Championship.

She had wondered if it was just a Deception Tactic to fool them, but Japan had actually come into the first Set with the same strategy.

So, the first Set should have been their clear victory.

After all, there wasn’t a single player here who didn’t know what kind of Build Team Kamui had used to win last year’s World Championship.

But the result?

In a game they thought they couldn’t possibly lose if Japan really came out with the same strategy, they had lost.

As if they knew exactly how Egypt would act, Japan had launched a Counter in the temple passage.

Still, that part was fine.

The problem was what came next.

In a Domination Battle, dying once doesn’t completely collapse the game.

You respawn in the base area, and until the Point Gauge is completely filled, you can’t definitively say who the winner is. That was the nature of a Domination Battle.

However, after their initial Ambush failed, Egypt’s offenses were repeatedly blocked by Japan.

This was the part that made no sense.

Because Japan had also followed last year’s Meta to the letter in the central Engagement.

Last year’s Meta meant classic, old-school Skills.

It meant a game decided purely by shooting precision and individual Physicals.

What happens to the game then?

It goes without saying that the instantaneous burst damage drops because you can’t use Skill Chain Attacks like stacking Acceleration, and your resistance to the Debuff-type Skills the opponent unleashes also falls significantly.

And yet, Japan beat Egypt.

How?

With overwhelming Engagement skill and Teamwork.

Of course, Egypt didn’t just take it lying down.

They were National Representatives, after all.

To counter Japan’s Teamwork, Egypt activated a host of New Meta Skills.

The floor of the Attica Temple wasn’t concrete or steel, but earth and sand.

For this reason, it was one of the Battlefields where terrain-altering Skills were used most, and Egypt actively exploited this.

The feet of the Japanese players standing on the Control Point began to sink deep into the sand.

In such a case, one would normally respond by using a Flying Skill or a Skill that hardens the ground, but Japan had declared they would use last year’s tactics.

If they used a new Skill to counter here, they would be breaking their own word, so Egypt pushed Japan with confidence.

In fact, after using the terrain-altering Skill, Egypt succeeded in taking down the Japanese team’s sub-Dealer, Shimizu Misaki, and Supporter, Takahashi Haruna.

They hadn’t missed the split second when their feet were stuck to the ground, halting their movement.

However, this was where Japan’s true strength was displayed.

“Shield!”

Kato Mikane, who had avoided a Fatal Wound by weaving her upper body to dodge the enemy’s Line of fire, requested her teammate to throw a Shield.

Defender Sasaki Sena gave up her defense and hurled her Shield toward her.

Kato then stepped on the sturdy Shield to escape the quicksand, then kicked off a nearby stone pillar to attempt an Attack.

A lightning-fast movement following Full Acceleration.

It was only natural that a deafening Cheer erupted from the Spectators.

And as if to answer it, Kato began landing Headshots on the Egyptian players from mid-air.

Samira Nabi, whose position was Sniper, was able to stay out of that attack Range, but the other Egyptian players were not.

The Egyptian players tried to raise their Guards to defend against Kato’s attack.

But when Kato Mikane precisely targeted the Egyptian Defender, stepped on her shoulder, and spun into a Gun Kata, the Egyptian team was swept away by the attack like fallen leaves.

It wasn’t even stacked Acceleration.

To be able to produce such movement with just a pure Acceleration Skill.

Samira Nabi, who was aiming at Kato through her telescopic sight, was genuinely impressed by her movements.

And by the time she came to her senses, the first Set was already over.

“Was there a problem with our strategy…?”

At Samira Nabi’s murmur, the Egyptian players shook their heads.

“Then why did we lose?”

“Kato Mikane is too strong.”

“Right. I felt the other players were manageable enough, but Kato was definitely on another level.”

When would the Egyptian players have had a chance to face Kato?

Of course, they knew she was a good player from watching her on screen or in videos.

But seeing her in person, her destructive power was beyond imagination.

“If we invest too many resources into taking down Kato, we’ll be at a disadvantage in Engagements with the other players… what should we do?”

“Still, it’s too early to give up. We have the luck of the Battlefield on our side.”

“The next Battlefield is…”

At her teammate’s words, Samira Nabi’s eyes sparkled as she checked the next Set Battlefield.

The Nicaea Research Lab Battlefield.

A space station where gravity shifted irregularly. If they applied the New Meta, there was a chance they could completely lock down the enemy’s movements.

‘On the other hand, Japan will probably stick to last year’s Build-up until the end, right?’

In the New Meta, the main strategy for Nicaea Research Lab was to use hacking Skills to trigger a Gravity Shift at a desired Timing.

If the opponent had also properly adapted to the Meta, they would respond by investing Mana in hacking defense, but if Japan executed last year’s strategy as is, they would have no way to stop this move.

“Alright. Let’s give it a shot.”

Samira Nabi encouraged her teammates, raising their morale once more.

Of course, she knew it too.

If Egypt won this Set, it wouldn’t be because they had the upper hand in skill, but because Japan was being arrogant.

But Samira Nabi was a Pro Gamer.

And right now, she was an Egyptian National Representative.

She was more than willing to exploit the weakness her opponent revealed through their arrogance.

She didn’t care if people said they only won because Japan went easy on them.

A Pro Gamer’s job was to win first and ask questions later.

“Let’s go…!”

And so, the Egyptian national team charged into the Battlefield once again.

Into the space station floating in the middle of a sea of stars.

At that same time, while Los Angeles was buzzing with the heat of the Olympics.

There were players who had come to watch the game In-Game, to see it firsthand.

National teams from various countries had secured their spots to get a preview of the much-talked-about Japanese players’ match.

Players participating in the Olympics could go to the Los Angeles Arena to watch the match in person, but there, they could only watch the game on a screen.

So, surprisingly many players and fans bought tickets for the separately prepared VR Arena within the game, as if watching a League match.

Unlike the offline Arena, this one offered zoom-in and zoom-out functions and made you feel like you were watching the match right next to the action.

For this reason, the Arena tickets that allowed you to Spectate the Olympic matches directly within the game had been sold out for a long time.

“You saw a lot of Kato’s matches back in Jeju. But you wanted to see them again?”

“…Yes.”

Among those who came to watch the match was the Korean national team. Seo Dami, who had come to see Japan’s match, sat with her hands clasped on her knees, watching the game with intense concentration.

Two players from the Korean national team had come to watch the match.

Kim Seunga, and Seo Dami.

The other players had a moderate interest in the Japanese team’s match, but unfortunately, the Japanese team’s matches were so popular that it was difficult to get tickets.

There were so many participating countries, and the UA Association didn’t offer any special privileges to the teams regarding In-Game tickets.

So, as a result of only the players who really wanted to see this match coming, Seo Dami and Kim Seunga were chosen.

Watching Seo Dami, who was so focused she wouldn’t have noticed if someone poked her in the side, Kim Seunga thought.

Is the match that interesting?

Of course, the match was interesting.

Kato Mikane’s Provocation was amusing, and her destructive power, which managed to crush Egypt using only last year’s Build-up, was something to be admired as a player.

But it wasn’t so amazing as to be completely mesmerized…

Just as Kim Seunga was thinking that, the two teams clashed on the Battlefield, and sparks began to fly.

Nicaea Research Lab.

A Battlefield where, in the New Meta, how well one responded to Gravity Shift had become a significant focal point.

With a rumbling sound, Egypt, which had clashed with Japan, launched the First Strike.

Since Egypt was the Defending Team, the standard procedure was to leave behind backup personnel to guard the data room.

Therefore, in a normal game, it would be very rare for the defending side, Egypt, to launch a First Strike against Japan, but right now, Egypt had neatly mobilized all five members to the center and was pouring on the Firepower.

It was a play that completely disregarded the possibility of the Japanese team attempting a Base Raid.

‘What kind of game is this…?’

Whether it was Egypt, who believed Japan’s word that they would use last year’s Build-up, or Japan, who was actually replaying last year’s game, Kim Seunga, who was watching the match, couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

In any case, based on the fact that Japan hadn’t done a Base Rush at Nicaea Research Lab last year, Egypt focused its Firepower on a head-on fight in the center.

A fierce Engagement unfolded at the central crossroad.

Last year, Kato Mikane had used Blink to get behind the enemy and Disperse their attention, but she couldn’t do that this time.

A Teleport Barrier, a regional field that blocked Blink, was protecting the Egyptian team.

As a result, Japan was in a situation where their effective means of getting behind Egypt was completely sealed off.

On the other hand, Egypt was in a position to hit Japan’s Rear at any time.

In fact, through Object Teleportation, Egypt was continuously harassing the Japanese team’s Rear with Bombs.

The pressure of knowing the enemy could get behind them at any moment caused a rapid accumulation of fatigue for the Japanese team.

‘It’ll be hard for them to hold on.’

Kim Seunga thought.

Continuing an Engagement where you were being dragged along by the flow the opponent dictated was a very difficult thing to do.

No matter how strong Japan was, their nerves couldn’t be made of whale sinew.

Moreover, there was one more Risk the Japanese team had to consider.

The Gravity Shift.

Right now, Egypt could turn the Battlefield upside down at any moment.

Not in a figurative sense, but literally flipping the floor and ceiling to shatter the opponent’s balance in one fell swoop.

Just having Bombs flying at you from behind was enough to make you lose your mind, but on top of that, the other side held the Timing for the Gravity Shift?

This was a very disadvantageous game for the Japanese team.

Of course, the Gravity Shift itself was a variable for the Egyptian team as well, but the difference in response between the side that knew when the change would happen and the side that didn’t would be stark.

And just then.

Egypt launched its first Attack.

They broke from their stance of hiding behind Cover and pouring out Suppressive Fire and attempted to charge in.

And just before they charged, with a rumbling sound, the gravity shifted.

It was an Attack from Egypt, timed for when the players would be flailing as the ceiling and floor swapped places.

The players from both teams staggered, but Egypt’s speed in adapting to the gravity was clearly faster.

It was only natural, as they knew the Battlefield was about to flip.

But amidst this expected change, there was one player who single-handedly shattered expectations and launched a Counterattack…

“Kato Mikane! She’s meeting Egypt’s Attack head-on!”

-No way!

-Her posture control speed is…?

-Faster than Egypt?

Kato Mikane, pistols in both hands, rushed toward the Egyptians who were vaulting over the wall.

Her speed at controlling her posture in the shifting gravity was even faster than the Egyptian team’s.

Even though it was a Gravity Shift that Egypt had deliberately triggered.

Kim Seunga’s eyes widened at the sight, wondering, is this even possible? Meanwhile, Seo Dami next to her was busy clapping like a seal, as happy as if it were her own accomplishment.

Her reaction was such that anyone would believe she was a Japanese fan.

The Egyptian Defender’s Guard wavered under Kato Mikane’s Attack.

And as she forced her attack through that gap, the Egyptian players became greatly flustered.

What the hell is she?

They were the ones who had been dictating the flow of the game, yet the opponent’s response was far too masterful.

As if she knew they would change the gravity at this exact Timing.

Unable to believe the situation before their eyes, Egypt attempted another Gravity Shift.

Even though it was a manipulation of the station’s system using hacking, it was a Skill that consumed a not-insignificant amount of Mana.

The moment the gravity rotated 90 degrees once more, Samira Nabi saw it.

Very naturally.

As if flowing like water, she saw Kato Mikane adjusting her posture in mid-air and planting a knee kick into the face of their team’s Attacker.

With his teammate getting thrashed right next to him, the nearby Egyptian Supporter aimed his gun and began to Counterattack, but Kato casually pushed the opponent’s Muzzle aside with her hand, brought her own gun under his chin, and made a “Bang!” sound.

On purpose.

It must have been part of a Performance. Samira Nabi, watching the scene, furrowed her brow in annoyance, but the audience laughed loudly, loving it.

-THE GREAT KATO!!!

-You’re the best in the world!

-Wow… I don’t think anyone can beat Kato at Nicaea Research Lab.

-Her play is beyond human. She’s a god!

Who could dislike a player who finds a way to win even in a one-sidedly disadvantageous situation and takes down the opponent with a flashy Performance?

As proof, Seo Dami, completely engrossed in the match, was still busy clapping, while Kim Seunga tilted her head, lost in thought for a moment.

It was because she felt a strangely familiar shadow in Kato Mikane’s play, which was drawing such an enthusiastic reaction.

She had been a Pro Gamer for a long time herself, but she had only ever seen one player who could control their posture that well at Nicaea Research Lab.

“Hmm.”

In the end, unable to contain her curiosity, Kim Seunga poked Seo Dami in the side.

It was the point where Japan, led by Kato’s surprise Attack, had seized the momentum of victory.

“Yes?”

Seo Dami looked at Kim Seunga with a face that said, ‘Were you calling me?’

Kim Seunga asked her cautiously.

“You know… this might sound a little weird to say, but. By any chance, did Oppa go to Japan right now?”

An unexpected question.

Eh? Seo Dami’s eyes, which had questioned back, trembled faintly.