Chapter 96

During last year’s Jeju Island Challenge, Korea achieved a Set Score of 1:1 against Japan.

The match, which should have been decided through Overtime, ended with Japan’s forfeit due to Kato Mikane’s health issues, but the fact that Korea had achieved a significant result remained unchanged.

Until then, no team had been able to handle Kato Mikane’s Attack Power, even when marking her two-on-one.

The Coordinated Play of the Kim Seunga and Seo Dami Duo was certainly powerful.

Powerful enough to put sufficient pressure on Kato, who was called the world’s strongest Attacker.

Wouldn’t this pair be good enough to compete on the world stage?

That’s what I, who had watched the match closer than anyone, had thought at the time.

But I realized that was my delusion while living with Team Kamui.

The reason Korea was able to put up a good fight against Japan in Jeju Island back then was simple.

At the time, the Japanese joint team had no one to support Kato Mikane.

All the players except Kato were mediocre talents scouted from the second and third Leagues.

Naturally, there was a limit to the tactics they could execute, and thanks to that, we were able to see through the fact that all of Kato’s Set tactics on the Battlefield were repeated at a fixed time and in a designated place.

But what about now?

The ones supporting Kato’s back, who had to receive the Attack from the Seo Dami and Kim Seunga Duo, were no longer mediocre lower-league players.

Just looking at the Supporter proved it.

Team Kamui’s Supporter, Takahashi Haruna, who had joined the team as a member of the Japanese national team.

She was a talented player who could land Long-Range Heal Shots with a Sniper Rifle as if they were Targeting Skills.

And what about the other players?

With these players, it was hard to imagine a scenario where Japan would lose to Korea.

‘Still, I can’t be careless.’

I used Acceleration and jumped backward, but the opponent rushing at me was faster.

At the forefront of the Attack was Seo Dami.

It seemed she had received an Acceleration Buff from the enemy Supporter from the moment she started her Attack.

The muzzle of Seo Dami’s gun, who was rushing at me with a frightening expression, spewed fire.

One shot, two shots, three shots, a total of three shots.

I used Gun Kata, attempting to evade and Counterattack at the same time.

I had discarded the thought of completely dodging from the start.

I hadn’t raised Seo Dami to be a sloppy player who couldn’t even land her attacks, and as long as it wasn’t a critical hit like a Headshot, I wouldn’t go down in one hit, so that was enough.

Seo Dami’s speed in her Double Acceleration state was fast, but since I counterattacked while evading her attack, I was able to reduce the gap quite effectively.

How efficient it is to attack and defend at the same time.

But my attack didn’t reach Seo Dami.

Kim Seunga, who was sticking close behind Seo Dami, had blocked the attack with razor-sharp precision.

The attack, which should have hit Seo Dami’s leg and arm, was deflected by a small Shield, losing its power.

And Seo Dami, not missing this opening, continued to attack.

An attack that seemed utterly impossible to dodge.

But this time, too, I dodged the attack by a paper-thin margin.

How?

By using stacked Acceleration.

Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly beat the opponent’s Double Acceleration with just a single Acceleration, a long-range Acceleration Buff flew in from Haruna.

It was Support with truly impeccable Timing.

‘Nice one!’

I gave Haruna a thumbs-up in my mind.

This was why Team Kamui was so terrifying.

The way the necessary plays were chained together around Kato Mikane like interlocking gears, at the exact Timing you thought you needed them.

Once our speeds were the same, a way to respond would emerge.

Instead of retreating, I dashed forward, closing the distance and getting into Seo Dami’s personal space.

For an ultra-close-range Offense and Defense exchange, a pistol was more advantageous than a Rifle.

With the pistol in my left hand, I pushed the tip of Seo Dami’s Rifle away from my body and attempted to attack with my right hand.

However, as if she knew I would do this, Seo Dami’s body momentarily vanished.

‘I haven’t seen this Pattern before…?’

Teleport.

Seo Dami consumed Mana to get behind me.

And in front of me was Kim Seunga, aiming her muzzle as if she had been waiting for this from the start.

Die!

The moment Kim Seunga, who said as much with her eyes, was about to pull the Trigger, I had to make a decision.

‘I’m sandwiched from the front and back.’

Kim Seunga in front. Seo Dami in back.

So, who should I prioritize, and how should I move?

A brief moment that felt like a flash.

I instinctively decided to disregard Seo Dami and deal with Kim Seunga.

The reason such a judgment was possible was because of this team.

It was because I had faith that my Kamui teammates would definitely provide Support.

‘Besides, it’s too disadvantageous a fight to take on alone.’

The reason I chose Kim Seunga between the two was that, from her angle, it was easier for Suzuki Rina, who was up on the second floor, to snipe Seo Dami.

There was also the basis that since the Korean team’s Sniper had suffered the First Death in the second-floor fight at the very beginning of the game, Rina would surely have the leeway to help me here.

As I used Gun Kata once more and closed in on Kim Seunga, she drew her Lightsaber.

Her intention was to parry the attacks pouring out from my Gun Kata with her sword.

‘What, is she some kind of Jedi Master?’

Kim Seunga was attempting something you’d only see in movies.

But surprisingly, the result wasn’t bad.

The movements of a first-league Pro Gamer using Double Acceleration are difficult to follow with the naked eye.

In such a high-speed Offense and Defense, Kim Seunga not only deflected the incoming shots with her sword but also tried to slice me in return.

‘It’s because of Seo Dami!’

Such a move is not something that can be perfected overnight.

It was undoubtedly the result of countless hours of practice, but the problem was that it was hard to find a player who used Gun Kata in Korea.

It was a laughingstock.

Whoever used it would be compared to Kato, so not many players wanted to make Gun Kata their signature Skill.

Therefore, it must have been difficult to find a partner to research such a Counterattack technique against Gun Kata.

But this situation was turned on its head by Seo Dami’s participation in the national team.

That girl had the amazing Talent of learning the Skills of players she fought against just by watching them.

So, if there was a player who had humored Kim Seunga’s trick practice, it could only have been Seo Dami.

Seo Dami joining the national team had, in effect, elevated Kim Seunga’s Performance by another level.

<You’d better not lose with my body…!>

Kato grumbled for a moment.

She looked thoroughly annoyed that the game was dragging on.

It’s not like I wanted to drag it out.

<Why aren’t you using what I taught you!>

‘Hey. I’m still your Oppa…’

<Don’t you know that in a game, the better player is the Sunbae? And you haven’t even won a championship.>

‘……’

At that moment, Kim Seunga’s eyes, having blocked all of my Gun Kata, flashed.

I could see her determination to finish me off this time.

<Do it properly!>

‘It’s a probing battle. A probing battle.’

I wanted to prolong the probing battle since I didn’t know what moves the opponent had prepared, but since Kato was getting angry, I had no choice.

In the end, I drew out all of Kato’s potential and entered full-power mode.

The red Power of the Ley Line surged up from the tips of my toes and enhanced my body.

The world’s strongest, the undisputed No. 1 Attacker.

My arm, armed with explosive energy, moved like a thunderbolt and spewed fire.

“Damn, that was tough…”

End of Set 1.

The result was a 1:0 lead for Japan.

Returning to the Waiting Room, Kim Seunga wiped her sweat and caught her breath.

It wasn’t an easy match.

Even with the New Meta, Kato was still Kato.

She couldn’t even count how many times she’d been hit by a Headshot from those terrifying movements.

And the reactions of the Korean fans watching this were divided between those who were saying “what did you expect” and those who were saying “but they put up a good fight.”

-Sigh. How can Korea beat Japan?

-Still, they did well to get this far.

-The fact is, no one even expected them to be this competitive.

Score 65 to 49.

Although they suffered a 16-point defeat, this score was definitely significant for Korea.

-At this rate, haven’t we seriously avoided being the worst in Asia?

-Maybe we can look forward to the next Asian Games?

-Next Asian Games, my ass. This team is a retirement home!

-In 2 years, everyone on the national team except Seo Dami will be on the path to retirement lololol

-Still, last year’s World Championship Finals had a similar score difference…

-They really did put up a good fight!

-Basically a moral victory;

-No, you newbies. Japan was holding back just now.

-They were taking it easy because they didn’t want to waste energy on Korea.

-For real, do these people not know the game?

The opinion that the gap wasn’t wider because Japan was doing Stamina Management.

The opinion that Korea did well because they were genuinely good.

The Spectators exchanged various opinions.

And in the meantime, Kim Seunga was furtively checking the next Battlefield.

Garden of the Gods.

A Domination Battle-type Battlefield where you had to capture Objectives to take the Control Point was decided as the Map for Set 2.

“Isn’t it a bit iffy?”

Kim Seunga didn’t turn her head, but she spoke as if for Seo Dami next to her to hear.

“It’s not the worst.”

Seo Dami said in a calm voice.

For Team Korea, the worst-case scenario was getting a Deathmatch Battlefield twice in a row.

If that had happened, no matter how well they had prepared, the probability of beating Japan would have dropped significantly, Seo Dami had thought.

But fortunately, this Battlefield was a Domination Battle.

They had avoided the worst, so the best-case scenario for Team Korea was to secure a victory now, tie the score at 1:1, and then get a One-on-One next.

“Let’s settle this in the Late Game of this Set.”

“Right.”

We have to at least show them what we’ve prepared before we die.

Having said that, Kim Seunga steeled her resolve.

And so, Set 2 began.

In the Garden of the Gods, Korea chose an all-in strategy for the center, without a Sweeper.

Not having a Sweeper in the Garden of the Gods, where Objectives spawn, was an extremely radical Strategy.

It was a method that clearly revealed their intention of not letting the game drag on until the Late Game to the opposing team, so it wasn’t difficult to counter.

The standard ways to deal with a team that comes out with an all-in strategy are usually divided into two.

A strategy to aim for a Stat advantage by grabbing just a few Objectives (running the Sweeper for only a short time), and a method of aiming for the Late Game by running one Sweeper full-time.

In a Domination Battle, you ultimately have to capture the Central Point, and since you have to stand still and occupy a designated location, it was possible to keep the opponent in check to some extent even with one less person.

Against Korea’s all-in strategy, Japan chose a strategy where their Sniper, Suzuki Rina, would go to the outskirts while the other four would keep the center in check.

Even if Korea had used a Sweeper, Japan would have likely chosen the same Strategy.

Because that was the standard in the Garden of the Gods.

-Isn’t an all-in a bit much?

-They probably did it because they weren’t confident they could win otherwise.

-It’s probably because of Stamina?

-Stamina?

Among the fans watching the game, a surprising number had noticed why Korea had come out with such an extreme Build.

-What’s the standard strategy in Garden of the Gods? Having one Sweeper, right? If you do that, you just keep each other in check and then clash in the Late Game, but do you think checking is free? It’s not like your ancestors use up Stamina for you.

-I don’t really get what you’re saying…

-It means that since you have to drag the game out until the Late Game, Stamina consumption increases. That’s disadvantageous for Korea.

-Doesn’t Japan consume Stamina too?

-The quality of the players is different. In the first place, those guys are world-class talents from the start. They don’t get tired.

-Then what about Korea?

-You’re asking even though you know? They’ve been Asia’s weakest doormat for years. They’re doing well just to be competitive against Japan.

In other words, the viewers’ main prediction was that because the quality of the players was different, if they used Stamina at the same rate, Korea would be the first to burn out in the Late Game.

And so, the two teams clashed in the center over the Control Point.

Korea had one more person, but the match was incredibly tense.

To win the game, you had to get on top of the Control Point and have your feet on the ground, but Korea couldn’t easily enter the Control Point.

This was because Japan’s harassment was incredibly sharp.

In particular, the Attack from Kato Mikane and Shimizu Misaki, who repeatedly entered and exited with Double Acceleration, was fierce.

When both teams occupy the Control Point at the same time, the gauge doesn’t fill for either side.

Ultimately, one side had to be completely pushed out, but the situation kept dragging on.

All the while, Japan’s Sweeper, Suzuki Rina, was steadily accumulating Objectives.

A situation where Japan was getting more advantageous as time went on.

In the Late Game, when it seemed Japan would comfortably win Set 2, Korea’s movements became a bit more daring.

It started with Korea’s Defender, Kim Seohyun.

“Kim Seohyun! Attempting a Breakthrough!”

Kim Seohyun, with her Shield in front, attempted an Attack toward the center.

And behind her, Seo Dami and Kim Seunga pushed in.

In response, Kato fired her gun, aiming to destroy the Defender’s Shield.

Incapacitating equipment while both sides were moving quickly was not an easy task.

Because it required fulfilling the difficult condition of hitting the same part consecutively.

However, Japan achieved this condition without much effort.

Hidden in the shadow of the monster that was Kato, the Talent of Kamui’s sub-Attacker, Shimizu Misaki, was not to be underestimated.

Under the attack of the Japanese team, who took turns shooting the same spot, Kim Seohyun’s Shield broke and cracks appeared on her Shield.

Judging that she could no longer hold on, Kim Seohyun gathered a large amount of Mana at the tips of her toes and stomped on the ground.

Earth Shatter.

With an intense vibration, a wave of earth surged up, momentarily swallowing Japan’s attack.

<Just throw away your Mana. Throw it away.>

Kato Mikane clicked her tongue, pointing out the level of Korea’s play.

And at that moment, breaking through the pile of dirt, the enemy’s Attack began like a thunderbolt.

Just like in Set 1, Seo Dami and Kim Seunga rushed in.

Due to the aftermath of the dirt pile and vibration, Shimizu Misaki’s Support was not readily available.

It seemed Korea thought that in this situation, where Kato was momentarily isolated, they could definitely take her down.

<Don’t go easy on them this time.>

Since being surrounded from the front and back would be disadvantageous, Youngin first put up a TP Barrier.

This would make it difficult for the opponent to Teleport behind him and strike his back.

Simultaneously, Han Youngin deployed the Power of the Ley Line.

Kato seemed satisfied with his play.

It wasn’t that there was nothing to be desired, but with her Condition in shambles right now, it would be difficult for even her to play better than Han Youngin.

Han Youngin, using the Power of the Ley Line to charge forward with explosive power.

At that moment, the Korean pair coming from the opposite side split their direction and separated.

Kim Seunga, who had been sticking to Seo Dami’s back, broke off and fired a Rapid Fire.

It was a powerful attack that had invested a considerable amount of Mana.

Because he had put up a TP Barrier, Han Youngin couldn’t Teleport either.

Dodging the opponent’s bullets with his Physical, Han Youngin gauged the opponent’s aim.

Judging by Seo Dami’s speed, she was already in a state of having received an Acceleration Buff before the Attack even began.

If this was the case, when Seo Dami used Acceleration, it would become Double Acceleration, and he would inevitably be pushed back in a speed battle.

Han Youngin had also received Acceleration when he came out, but considering the Skill’s start time, his Skill’s duration was shorter.

‘They must have come in calculating the Skill duration.’

To prevent being pushed back in speed, Han Youngin called Haruna through the comms.

Even with Vision limited by the vibration and dust, Haruna would be able to provide perfect Support.

However, a variable arose here.

Kim Seunga, who had fired a powerful harassing shot, maintained her Attack speed and then cast a Debuff.

‘Gravity Control?’

The moment his body was crushed toward the ground with intense pressure, Han Youngin felt that something was wrong.

It was the moment his posture was severely broken, and Haruna’s support shot missed.

<Uh…?>

Kato, who was spectating in his head, seemed to have felt this sense of unease as well.

Although UA had become able to use a more diverse range of tactics as Skill restrictions were lifted, the fact that there were Skills that suited each Class remained unchanged.

Shield Skills were most effective when used by a Defender, and attack-type Skills were most effective when used by an Attacker.

On the other hand, support-type Skills like Buffs or Debuffs could produce the best effects when used by a Supporter, but the output right now had a strange aspect to it for an Attacker like Kim Seunga to produce.

For that to be the case, its power was too strong.

‘So this is what they were aiming for…!’

The moment Han Youngin, who had figured out what was happening, urgently drew out more Energy of the Ley Line and went on the defensive, the speed of Seo Dami, who was in Double Acceleration, broke through the wall once more and went into a Boost.

Triple Acceleration.

At a speed that even Han Youngin, who was trying to respond with Acceleration and the Power of the Ley Line, couldn’t follow.

Closing the distance, Seo Dami fired her rifle, pummeling Han Youngin’s Health Gauge.