I went into the waiting room and talked with the other team members.
It was a bit awkward. We hadn't really talked much during scrims or while preparing, so that was only natural. Still, it felt different from before.
When I hesitated or got stuck while talking, Ponia, the team leader, and Yeonju helped out from the side. Because of that, the awkwardness eased a lot.
I think this was partly an issue of my own will, too.
It's true that we didn't really have opportunities. But using that as an excuse, I also hadn't been proactive about starting conversations. That was on me too, at least a little.
As I thought that, I also wondered when I had become this kind of person.
"If it were the old me, I would've tried harder to talk first."
I muttered that and logged out of the capsule.
Tomorrow was the tournament, so to manage my condition, I didn't do any extra training and came out. I hadn't slept properly the past few days, so if I lay down right now, I was confident I'd fall asleep faster than anyone.
"Ugh…"
I stretched and looked at my bed.
I was sure I could fall asleep immediately, but regardless, my stomach was twisting. Thinking about it, I hadn't really eaten lunch.
Not wanting to sleep like this, I opened the refrigerator.
"Hm."
But there was nothing edible, no matter how hard I looked. I hadn't gone grocery shopping in a while, so of course.
And I didn't have any money left in my account. Since there were still a little under two weeks until payout day, it was only natural that I was broke right now.
I'll go to the convenience store and buy something like a hot bar.
This impoverished life would improve once I won the tournament prize money. I believed that without a doubt. After buying and eating a hot bar, I immediately lay down on my bed and fell asleep.
"Alright! Hello everyone, this is the 2046 Quasdae! I'm Seong Jinyu, and I'll be your commentator."
"And likewise, I'm commentator Yoo Jinhyo."
"Hello. I'm Margus, a pro gamer with GG."
With the commentators' introductions, the official broadcast finally began. The broadcast had started, but there was still a little time before the matches began.
In the meantime, our team had gathered early and was talking. It wasn't obvious on the surface, but I could see the tension in their eyes.
"We're definitely getting first."
"If we show that we've been hiding our strength, the viewers and the opponents are going to freak out, right?"
They were trying to shake off the nerves by talking optimistically. I wasn't that outward about it, but I had anxiety too.
I just wasn't letting it show.
The core of this strategy is me. If I get shaky, the whole team could shake.
Because of that thought, I didn't express my nerves or pressure. Time passed in that unspoken tension, and then the coach called us together.
"Everyone's probably nervous."
No one answered him. But everyone in that room knew the silence meant yes.
"Everyone on this team knows how hard you worked, so you don't need to be so nervous. Up until now, we've been losing to hide our strength, but now let's show them. Show them what kind of team we are."
It was simple encouragement, but for me and the tense team members, it was the strongest support possible. And as that settled in, the match start time drew near.
There were three games total. We would play every map in Battle Hill. Points were awarded by placement, and the team with the highest total score would win.
First place was 20 points, second was 10, third was 5, and fourth was 0.
If we mess up even a little, it might be hard to even get second, let alone first.
That was why my role was so important.
"Ah, is your team ready?"
At that moment, a staff member opened the door and asked from the waiting room entrance. Ponia nodded on behalf of the team. After confirming the signal, the staff member left, and soon after, the official broadcast announced that preparations were complete.
"Alright, go get 'em!"
With the coach's spirited send-off, we moved to Battle Hill's pre-match room. Once there, we quickly entered the tournament lobby, selected our job and class line, and were transferred to the pre-game staging area.
Gathered there, our team quickly reviewed the plan. If things went as intended, we wouldn't lose.
"Don't worry too much, everyone. Let's do this."
Time passed, and we were transported to the map together. A wide field stretched out before us.
It was the countryside map.
The moment our team opened our eyes on the countryside map, we moved immediately.
"Then… good luck."
Ponia said that and started running off in the opposite direction with the other team members. I ignored them and began moving right away on my own.
The viewers were a bit thrown off by the sudden situation.
Why isn't he moving with them?
They ditched him
So that's why he trained alone? This was the point?
So that's why he was getting personal feedback - he planned to move separately
If it's going to be like this, just say you're not even on the same team lol
This had been our strategy from the start: run the game while excluding me, since I wasn't helpful in a team game.
Battle Hill didn't suit me as a team player. My real power came out when I moved alone.
On the day of the temporary auction, after receiving a lot of support from my teammates, I fought the enemy while moving alone. I could've chosen to fight alongside the team, but I deliberately moved alone.
Maybe you could call it instinct.
After the official auction, in team games, I couldn't contribute much. But in the last scrim on auction day, I moved alone again, and while it wasn't like before, I got results.
Seeing that, the coach drastically revised the strategy. Instead of forcing me to fit the team, he made the team fit me.
I move alone toward first place, and the team plays while accepting that they're down one member.
That was why, up to now, I had deliberately joined the team and moved with them during scrims. If our plan got exposed, opponents would develop counterplay, and then our strategy would likely lose its power.
If that happened, strategy or not, it would become useless, and we would have almost a 100% chance of failing to take first in the actual tournament.
I kept moving, repeatedly entering nearby buildings to farm and then moving again. Until the safe zone started shrinking, the chance of running into people was low, so I farmed calmly.
He's growing like crazy because he's monopolizing loot alone
Picking up heals and other items too, so it does look strong
I think getting a horse at the first house was huge. It cuts down travel time between buildings
How many level cores does he have already? Feels like he got three by himself
If he grows like this alone, one-man carry might actually be possible
So that's why they built the strategy like this
If we were moving as a group in the standard way, I wouldn't have had the luxury to look at chat. But not now.
There were no teammates beside me to coordinate with, so I had room to glance at chat while moving. So as I farmed, I checked chat from time to time.
At one point, some insane viewer tried to call out another team's location, and it genuinely startled me.
Time kept passing, and at around the ten-minute mark, I found a fourth level core. Since I deliberately rotated along the outer edge where people were less likely to go, there were still unfarmed items and level cores left behind.
I never expected the outskirts to have this many items.
Big areas had lots of loot too, but in a tournament with fewer players, rotating the outer edge might actually be better.
You have obtained a Level Core.
Please select a skill to activate.
Dagger Exchange (Level 2)
Vidoseul (Level 2)
Acrobatic Dagger (Level 2)
Unlike spears, daggers didn't have different names for each level.
Without hesitation, I chose Acrobatic Dagger. Even if Dagger Exchange and Vidoseul leveled up, I judged that I wouldn't be able to handle them if my control was lacking.
After getting the level core, I mounted my horse and started moving toward the safe zone.
The circle was about to start shrinking soon, so I headed toward the center early. And more importantly, it was time to start cleaning up the other teams.
Up until now, there hadn't been any fighting, so no kill logs had appeared.
I need to move aggressively.
Heading toward center now
Finally we'll get to see a fight
At this point, he could probably even go toe-to-toe with a UR
He's going to beat everyone solo
Alright, go!
The viewers got excited too, just from the fact that I was about to fight. Dopamine was kicking in.
I understood, because I felt it too.
While I rode, the safe zone started shrinking. Since I had left early, I entered the safe area with room to spare.
I decided there was no need to farm more in this situation, so I ignored buildings and kept moving.
"People."
As I moved, I spotted a few players with my own eyes. Three people. A full team had five, so the fact that only three were moving around meant those three were split off.
And for me, that was great news.
I rode straight into range and threw my dagger immediately. The dagger landed near them, and I instantly activated Dagger Exchange.
"Huh?"
When I suddenly appeared beside them, the three froze in shock. I didn't waste the opening and immediately pulled my dagger back with Vidoseul.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
I swung rapidly and focused one target first. Daggers didn't hit as hard as spears, so unfortunately I couldn't kill in a single blow.
Pilgong_ killed Ramen.
Survivors: 19
My first kill happened. The one who died first was none other than Ramen, an SR rank.
Why do I keep killing this person in particular?
It felt oddly strange, but there were still enemies around. I chained my dagger skills and went for the other two. After a few exchanges, the R-rank and N-rank players couldn't hold out.
Pilgong_ killed Porapo.
Survivors: 18
Pilgong_ killed Pongpong.
Survivors: 17
I killed all three, and maybe that was the signal—kill logs started popping up.
PILIP killed Pingpongcheda.
Survivors: 16
Chilchaek killed PILIP.
Survivors: 15
…
The kill logs kept rising.
They climbed fast, and then stopped when the remaining survivors hit ten. Checking the log, I realized there were three teams left including ours.
Furia's team is still fully alive.
As for our team, besides me, Ponia and Yeonju were still alive. And surprisingly, Chilchaek's team still had two members left.
That made ten survivors total. It was time for the decisive fight.
I mounted up and headed for the center of the map. I figured I'd run into other survivors there.
As expected, the center was completely controlled by Furia's team.
"I'll have to break through."
Since I was moving solo anyway, instead of trying to steal an easy win, I chose to handle them myself.
Thunk.
I threw my dagger first. The moment it flew in, they reacted sharply. When their gaze naturally shifted away from the dagger a moment later, I immediately used Dagger Exchange.
With Vidoseul, the dagger flew straight back to me, and the instant I caught it, I swung.
"Ghk!"
Four people dropped to the ground from my ambush. I wasn't trying to kill them—I cut their heels to take away their mobility.
That would force someone to react immediately.
Thud!
A fist came flying at me, fast. I moved my dagger and blocked, and at the same time my body was pushed back.
"Oh? You reacted to that? So the rumors were true."
It was Yuruba, the leader of Furia's team. I had looked him up and knew he often used the Martial Artist line that fought with fists.
That's heavier than I expected.
He must've eaten a few level cores.
I didn't let my guard down. I threw my dagger again and charged straight at Yuruba.
"Let's have some fun."