ALL NOVEL Chapter 103
[Author: ㅇㅇ(461.118)]
[Title: Isn’t it a fact that Q Prime is in a slump these days?]
[Upvotes: 1,058]
[Downvotes: 410]
(Attached video: Gawol Guest Commentary)
They’re just continuously beating up weak players,
but when it comes to stronger teams, they get smashed like crazy, haha
Last year, at least the game seemed to function,
but this year, they’ve just been getting beaten up nonstop.
What kind of game have they been playing apart from doing the same old thing?
[Comments]
– Does 2nd place in the regular league look like crap?
– What does Gawol know about it when she’s not even a pro?
└ When you can’t argue with the message, attack the messenger.
└ Q-Bung, come quickly! haha
…
*
“Well then, after a short ad, we’ll be back for match two!”
After spilling nonsense for a bit,
the moment I regained my senses, it was easy to intuitionalize.
Ah, I messed up.
I had clearly been told not to belittle specific teams.
But I definitely lambasted Q Prime.
As expected, the official broadcast’s chat was flooding in like a riot.
It must be the case that even typing in the chat earns a waiting period of several minutes.
If the chat is this crazy, the community must be in flames.
“Uh… so, um, sorry about that.”
I couldn’t face the commentators next to me.
As soon as the camera turned off, my head naturally lowered.
I covered my face with both hands.
I felt like I could die from guilt.
The people here must have believed in me and invited me to this place.
There had to be some minimal prerequisites, some foundational trust that I would uphold basic decency.
They probably never expected that I would cause a ruckus like this.
At that moment, Ho-eun patted me gently on the shoulder.
I couldn’t pretend not to notice.
Eventually, I lowered my hands that were covering my face and had to face her.
“Hey, cheer up! There are probably a lot of people who think the same way.”
“I’m really sorry… I should have held it in.”
“It’s okay, don’t dwell on it too much. The match isn’t over yet; we need to prepare for the next commentary.”
With her hand soothingly patting my back,
for some reason, my heart settled down.
The tears that were about to come out retreated.
Ho-eun looked directly at me and grinned.
“At least you don’t have to apologize to us. We’re not the ones getting the hate anyway.”
“Huh? Is that so?”
“We’re not really the ones being affected by this.”
What?
I thought she was comforting me,
but I was reminded that the real world can be quite cold.
But I guess this might be better.
No matter how warm words are said, it would only make me feel guiltier.
The burden of guilt lessened, and my heart felt a bit lighter.
I wondered how dazed I must have looked.
Ho-eun burst into laughter, holding her belly.
“Hahaha! Just kidding, just kidding. Please don’t worry too much.”
“Really? But…”
“I’ve been in this industry for over ten years. Gawol’s comments were strong, but it probably won’t be too big of a deal.”
“Is that so?”
“You could say the timing was quite fortunate.”
Her words sounded somewhat portentous.
I wanted to ask what she meant, but Ho-eun just smiled warmly.
Soon, time passed, and we flowed into the second match.
*
[IKL Semi-Final – Match 2]
[Sigma eSports vs Q Prime]
[Score – 1:0]
[Battlefield: Shadow Arena]
[Rules: 4-player winner-takes-all]
“Let’s watch the second match of Sigma vs Q Prime unfold!”
“The battlefield is Shadow Arena, a place where you can utilize the darkness. Especially, this is the home ground for Assassins who can use stealth or shadow skills.”
“Coincidentally, Sigma’s roster doesn’t have an Assassin player at the moment. It looks like Q Prime is set to have a good time in this match.”
Currently, Sigma has no core Assassin players aside from the second team or trainees.
They tried recruiting at some point, but it seems luck just wasn’t on their side.
That’s why Luce said they wanted to recruit me even more.
Honestly, I was happy.
Playing on the same stage as Luce had always been a dream of mine.
Having my role model wanting me — could there be a greater reward than that?
“By the way, the guest commentator Gawol is also primarily an Assassin. What do you think?”
“Well, generally, it’s advantageous for the Assassin, but… I think we shouldn’t let our guard down.”
“The Assassin’s strength can often overcome unfavorable matchups with skill. Conversely…”
“It means even advantageous matchups can be turned around.”
I glanced.
My gaze turned toward the Player Waiting Room.
In Q Prime, the selection naturally went to the Assassin, Sparrow.
In Sigma, perhaps wary of the Traveler, Luce came out to play.
The Warrior generally has a bad matchup against the Lancer.
Well, even if that weren’t the case, Luce would still have been the one selected.
“Both sides have decided on their players.”
“Paladin vs Assassin. I have to ask your opinion on this one-on-one setup.”
“Hm… I think it’s a fight worth seeing, right? No matter how strong a Paladin is, in the Shadow Arena, um… I think they will struggle.”
“Curiously, your tone lacks confidence, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, it’s not like that.”
Right. I lied.
It would be tough for Sparrow to win.
She seemed to be facing a lot of challenges lately, but I had no personal regrets…
The reason I guaranteed Luce’s victory was obviously because of me.
How long had I been longing for a duel with her?
For me, it would be the day I achieved my dream for the first time, and for Luce, a new challenge would descend upon her.
Luce’s tenacity is top-tier among the pros.
The one I’ve fought with the longest isn’t Camelian, but Luce.
Her ways of dealing with Assassins are already perfected.
Commentator Hwang-Yul glanced at me.
It seemed he wanted me to say more.
“In this match, if Luce wins, the return will be higher. Given the structure of a win-ahead showdown, she’ll have means of recovering herself afterward.”
“So you mean combat sustain ability?”
“Exactly. Compared to an Assassin who struggles to recover on their own, a Paladin has their own healing means.”
“If Luce defeats Sparrow and faces the next opponent, she’ll likely fight in a relatively whole state.”
Fortunately, he didn’t leave me to speak alone.
Whenever I hesitated, he’d jump in neatly.
While still letting me express my thoughts, it felt like he was encouraging me once more.
The camera panned to the skirmish of the two players.
Sparrow opted for movement using pillars and ceilings.
Utilizing the thick darkness from the beginning, she gained an advantage out of sight.
Rather than acting hastily, Luce calmly measured the time.
“Even though the match has started, Luce isn’t moving. What could this mean?”
“In fact, even if a Paladin acts first, it’s not easy to find the Assassin. Focusing on her senses in calmness might be a better choice.”
“Hm, I think she might be timing her arrival.”
Based on the Shadow Arena,
when I didn’t move a single step from the random start point,
the time I spent detecting Luce would be roughly between 1 minute 40 seconds to 2 minutes and 20 seconds.
Adding the time I need since I’m faster than other Assassins.
Considering that I can’t leap into action immediately after discovery, dismissing the most extreme cases,
and factoring in skill duration…
‘Right now.’
As Luce drew her sword, radiance enveloped the surroundings.
Right nearby.
Sparrow, who was intent on sneaking up behind Luce, was revealed.
[The light of truth reveals all darkness.]
[For 10 seconds, it unveils the location of all enemies struck by the light, nullifying mirage-type abilities.]
Close by.
Unluckily, within the striking distance of the Paladin’s charge.
Luce’s legs moved forward without hesitation, and her shield collided with the Assassin’s body.
With one skill, the greatest benefit of the Assassin was wasted.
At the same time, the Paladin initiated combat and took control.
It was no exaggeration to say it was the worst start for an Assassin.
“Sigma has done well against the Assassin. Timing the attack just right, they extracted maximum gain with minimal investment.”
“Is that even possible with a random point spawn method?”
“It is. The opponent is also a first-tier pro. Depending on the battlefield’s size, it’s usually possible to find the enemy within three minutes in the Shadow Arena.”
Before Luce even moved, her route was already revealed.
Efficiently blocking the Assassin’s path, she released the light of the Holy Sword, preventing the shadow skill’s activation.
It goes without saying that where the light is strong, shadows cannot exist.
I grinned.
“That was unfortunate. That timing for Shadow Movement was too obvious. If only she’d feigned with the dagger once, she could have easily caught her from behind.”
Sigh.
That’s not how an Assassin should play.