Chapter 166
“Alright…”
I muttered to myself as I unconsciously clenched my fist.
[Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru!]
[Mollru, is she a goddess? Mollru, is she a goddess? Mollru, is she a goddess? Mollru, is she a goddess? Mollru, is she a goddess?]
[The God of Tactics ㄷㄷ Indeed, the Tactic God Mollru]
[Aah, Mollru… I, Lee Jaehyun, will acknowledge you as a ‘Master’]
[Moltai Yong’s trick show enters the chat ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
I won with the tactic I had prepared for the first set. It wasn’t a standard strategy but a slightly modified one. In a way, it could be seen as a wild card.
The fact that one of my prepared strategies worked greatly boosted my confidence. The match flowed exactly as I envisioned it, without a hitch.
However, I must admit I got lucky. The strategy with the highest completion and success rate was needed in this situation, one that I had practiced a lot. It was all a coincidence that the invasion battle was on the map called the Garden of the Gods.
But it’s still not a time to relax. The match is best of five. I’ve only just won the first round.
While our team did well, the opposing team’s confusion played a big role in their inability to counter properly. After all, how well can amateur gamers respond to unexpected situations?
There were counter-strategies that could easily be thought of, but they simply didn’t come to mind. When a specific situation arises, it’s hard to respond adequately. I merely exploited that gap.
From the next round, this unusual strategy likely won’t work. The opposing team was definitely no weaklings. After the first round ended and during the break, they likely entered immediate feedback mode to address any issues.
At least one of the prerequisites for victory has been met.
In a way, the toughest challenge was simply to win that first set, whatever it took.
Now, if Dae-sik can butcher the opposing players in the rounds ahead when the consecutive wins rule is in place, victory is ours.
What if Dae-sik can’t do that? Well… that possibility hasn’t even crossed my mind. I trust Dae-sik without doubt.
The trouble arises if we don’t get a consecutive wins map. If that happens, we’ll have to face the Dakdak team purely as teams. Winning against them would likely be tough. After all, the skill gap isn’t something that can be bridged by just a week of practice.
In the end, there’s only one thing I can do. Pray for the consecutive wins map to appear. From now on, I’m entering prayer meta mode.
If my prayers don’t work… well, what can I do? At that point, I’ll just settle for fourth place.
*
“Ah, GG! The Dakdak team takes the second set!”
“Unlike the first set, they displayed steady gameplay and calmly secured victory.”
“It was as if the five players were one body. They showcased an ideal team, taking on their respective roles.”
“And just like that, the score is back to 1-1! Wow, this match is really tense. They traded a few punches. It’s thrilling!”
The second set continued. It looked like we’d put up a fight, but our team lost after a tight battle.
“We lost.”
Watching the broadcast, I shook my head in disappointment. Even though I expected the loss, I couldn’t help but feel let down.
Knowing how hard the team practiced under my supervision made me feel this way even more.
[Huh]
[Mollru shaking her head… What does that signal mean?]
[Mollru is disappointed in you all]
[Aah… I roughly understand your level now]
[Going with Formation C]
[Ah ㅋㅋ You purposely threw this to tighten it up]
[The Dakdak guys are good, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ They’re at least the level of a runner-up in a decent PC bang tournament]
[What’s with the runner-up, not even the championship?]
[A runner-up is still a big accomplishment!]
[Second place did well ㅇㅇ… Second place did well ㅇㅇ…]
It’s clear there’s no answer unless it’s a winner’s consecutive matchup. Unfortunately, this round didn’t end up like that, but what about the next round? I have a feeling it might.
The odds are 25%. If it doesn’t work out again, Dae-sik’s efforts could go to waste. All that time he spent sparring with me to improve his 1v1 skills.
And if we fail to win again, the nickname of “winless ghost” strengthens even more. Might Dae-sik have been forsaken by the gods in that world? Or perhaps he’s chosen by the God of Winlessness.
It was a future not far off. Soon the 3rd set would begin, and the randomly selected map would be revealed.
“Alright, Dakdak team versus Mollru team. What map will grace the final set…?”
“The new map appears! It’s the Battlefield of Radiance.”
“It’s a map where players must come out one by one, defeat enemies and keep the battle going. In a way, it’s a map where a single person can carry the game.”
“Selecting the players for both teams will be crucial. Placing those strong in 1v1 towards the back, or sending out characters with advantageous matchups will likely be tactics used here.”
[It’s game over]
[Isn’t our chance even slimmer now?]
[Their tiers are higher; they’ll probably get picked off one by one]
[Unless Dae-sik awakens…]
[Fourth place here we come ㅠㅠㅠ]
[Coach, can we win this?]
Can we win, huh… I smiled faintly and answered the viewer’s question.
“Who knows.”
It seems that the gods of this world have not abandoned Dae-sik after all.
*
It’s true. Just as Mollru said, the winner’s consecutive matchup came into play.
And that too, for the deciding final set.
“What do we do? What do we do? We’ve never practiced this!”
“We only practiced separately for Dae-sik…”
Dae-sik panicked and hurriedly set the team members as per Mollru’s instructions.
Dae-sik goes last, and the rest is up to them. Everyone should pick their confident characters.
They should do their best to whittle the opponent’s health as much as possible and then retreat.
Once the command was issued, a sort of order seemed to establish as everyone chattered and set their turns. They all appeared cautious, knowing the fate of this match was at stake.
Dae-sik remained quiet, not participating in the conversation, focusing on his own thoughts.
Mollru’s not-so-prophetic prophecies had been spot on so far. He won the first set by taking a big risk, and then played a regular game to lose the second set.
True to her word, the winner’s consecutive matchup appeared, and he was told he needed to shine in this one. He held the key to victory, and the other teammates likely wouldn’t have much impact.
That was probably true. Mollru’s predictions had never been wrong.
‘Can I do this? Can I?’
As Dae-sik pondered these thoughts, he noticed his right hand was trembling. He was gripping it so hard that it left a mark on his palm.
It’s not about whether he could; it was that he had to.
Now was the moment. If not now, when would the opportunity come again? This time, it had to be victory.
With that mindset complete, he turned his focus to the screen. The match had already begun.
Three of his teammates had already retired by this point. On the other hand, the opposing team had only lost two and their third player was now in action.
In front of the final player Dae-sik, Rariri was fighting bravely but was taken down after bringing the opponent’s HP down to about half.
This was a winner-takes-all match that didn’t require teamwork. The voice chat was muted for concentration, but he could feel his teammates’ spirits.
He could hear their voices apologizing to each other, lamenting how poorly they performed. Dae-sik felt immense guilt being left to face three opponents alone.
To make matters worse, the last player on the Dakdak team was the ace, holding the highest tier in the group, just like Dae-sik.
Even if Dae-sik managed to take out the two previous players, there was still that one left. Facing that player in perfect condition would be tough, and now he faced them with reduced health.
But it didn’t matter. He hadn’t been caught off guard by such a situation. In fact, hadn’t he been training specifically for circumstances like this?
‘That person really is sharp.’
How could she predict the remaining members so accurately?
Dae-sik, you’ll have to take on three opponents alone-. He could almost hear Mollru’s voice as he trained.
Heading over to the battlefield where Rariri had fallen, O Dae-sik approached.
The character Dae-sik chose was… Swordsman. It was a character he hadn’t used in a long time, one he had sealed away for reasons related to his physical abilities, befitting the name Weapon Master.
The last time he handled it was back in his prime, when he used to climb to the top of the Challenger ranks with ease.
And now, he was about to wield it once again.
As a swordsman appeared from the opposing side wielding a katana, he could see the opposing team flinch in surprise at the unexpected choice.
It was understandable. Dae-sik himself hadn’t imagined he’d choose the Swordsman either.
‘Considering all the hell I went through practicing this for a week…’
After enduring grueling training with Mollru, he reached a point where he was at least proficient, even if not perfect.
The test of whether that proficiency would hold up in a tournament started now.
– The battle will begin shortly. 5… 4…
As the AI system began the countdown, Dae-sik readied his stance. Just like in practice, he always had the initiative.
Five seconds passed, and as the barrier between him and the opponent faded, he made a quick advance. The sword strikes came so unconsciously that he couldn’t even recognize them.
– 5dasick // Kuhihi
The opponent was overwhelmed by the combo that started from the first strike, unable to resist as they fell. Dae-sik, who had been expecting a counter, was left dumbfounded by the result.
Thirty seconds later, an alert signaled the start of the next battle, and once again, Mollru’s voice echoed in Dae-sik’s mind.
– This should work well enough, Dae-sik. Don’t stress, you’ll do fine. It’ll probably be easier than practice.
‘That’s true.’
His body, once tense with anxiety, relaxed, and a playful smile crept onto Dae-sik’s face. In this state, he felt he could take down anyone that stood before him.
The glory of Season 1 was once again approaching him.