It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

A Knight’s longsword was never a weapon with considerable reach, but compared to a Rogue’s dagger, it might as well have been a spear. It was an unfair fight. In the meticulously constructed combat mechanics of KoK, the reach of a weapon was indeed an overwhelming advantage.

Of course, it wasn’t without solutions. If it were, rogues would have been nothing more than trolls. Rogues, compared to all other characters, had overwhelmingly high stamina. Even if they were whittled down at a 1:1.5 ratio, it would still be to their advantage.

This was one of the reasons StarPork had been told to run around. Catching a rogue fleeing to the end was no easy task, and Rogues darting around opening chests were trickier than they seemed.

However… simply opening chests didn’t win the game; it wasn’t a viable choice for Dodat, who had to carry the team. If he wanted to win, he would have to somehow get close into the Knight’s range and approach an effective distance.

By the book, he needed to control the space with attack feints, repeatedly bait unsuccessful swings, and at the decisive moment, use his survival skill aggressively to create an opening.

With Season 1 just barely beginning, such orthodox strategies hadn’t been established yet… but for someone like Dodat?

His first approach. As the Rogue slowly closed the distance and stepped forward, the Knight’s longsword lashed out like a jab. A textbook check move.

Similarly, the Rogue appeared to take a textbook step back, seemingly recalibrating his timing, only to suddenly dash forward. Timed as a preemptive input movement.

Did he trust this as his last opportunity? It was a recklessness uncharacteristic of Dodat.

However, with just 45 seconds left until the enemy archer’s respawn, it genuinely was the most optimal moment for a comeback. Perhaps this was a typical Dodat decision.

The official broadcast showed PadaPada on the screen. The way broadcasters who revealed their cameras had to endure such moments. The sight of him flinching and his eyes widening was quite satisfying.

He surely hadn’t expected someone to stick as a Rogue from the very beginning. Dodat had exploited a perfect psychological gap.

The Rogue succeeded in closing in to a distance where he could feel the breath of the Knight, even before the knight could recover his extended sword. It was likely the result of cumulative groundwork laid throughout the match.

“Dodat has penetrated the defense! PadaPada is flustered! He has allowed the Rogue to enter striking distance!”

Though the commentator’s excitement mirrored that of the supporters… the real test began now.

As Dodat’s determined face appeared on the screen’s corner, his dagger, in a seamless movement, swung towards the Knight’s neck.

Dodging it would be difficult—

—Thunk!

The Plate Swordguard was optimized to block such variables right from the start. It was the kind of build that those confident enough chose, precisely because they could accurately block their opponent’s attack points with a relatively small buckler.

Although the first attack returned to nothing, there was no time for disappointment. The rogue held daggers in both hands. Even now—

*Thrust*

In the end, Dodat succeeded in landing the second follow-up attack to the opponent’s thigh and quickly sidestepped in the same motion.

That’s a bit much… How many counter maneuvers did he employ? He must have used up two-thirds of his stamina.

Instead of thrusting twice from the beginning, using psychological warfare to make the opponent conscious of the attack would have been better.

However, since the situation had already reached this point, there was no time to waste thinking about stamina. Not even a second had passed before the knight’s longsword sliced through the air. If he had been even a little late, he might have lost an arm.

But as the commentator screamed, winning wasn’t guaranteed just because one’s arms remained intact.

He had to change his strategy now. This was not an opponent he could win against by merely chipping away at their health.

Just once… Just this once, I desperately wanted to give advice. Even if it meant risking a ban, but unfortunately, Dodat’s broadcast had both chat and donations disabled.

The rogue, having abandoned the future, now had a grip on the knight’s flank. Holding the priority to attack, the desperation to do something was evident in the trembling daggers.

No.

He had to retreat while the opponent was tense. There was no reason to extend an attack to a Plate Swordguard who was expecting it.

A phone call… No, that wouldn’t work. No one answers calls in the middle of a game.

While hesitating, Dodat decided to go for a strong attack.

The dagger rushed towards the knight’s face and then stopped. A feint. The rogue’s body twisted sharply, and the opposite dagger gleamed towards the knight’s lower body.

It was a powerful slashing attack.

A strong attack to quickly end the fight right after significant stamina depletion. If it landed, he could certainly gain the upper hand… but it was too hasty.

*Clang!*

As expected, it was read. It wouldn’t work against a former pro, except if they were wielding a weapon so unwieldy—like a ridiculously large two-handed axe—that they couldn’t react.

Dodat’s face, which had been twisted in concentration, relaxed all at once, showing a vacant expression.

It wasn’t ununderstandable. He probably lost even the will to challenge. The opponent had the upper hand in reaction speed, mind games, and strategy—in every aspect.

“‘Iron Wall! It’s an iron wall! There’s no way to break through!’”

Iron Wall… They said that used to be PadaPada’s nickname during the PoA days… whoever came up with it, it fit well.

As the rogue recoiled from attacking the wall and retreated, the knight’s shield was swung in pursuit.

Shield Bash. Though dodged—

It had to be dodged backward, increasing the distance again. The Rogue had no more stamina to approach, but the Holy Knight had the ability to heal his lost health.

In other words, it was over. Not wanting to see the end, I turned off the broadcast, suddenly finding the returning silence somewhat awkward. The team voice… I hadn’t turned it off.

Was the team shocked at the sight of Dodat being easily overpowered?

It wasn’t good to be intimidated preemptively.

* * * *

《Revan, can you break through that?》

‘Is this a provocation?’

Revan shook his head lightly, letting go of the fleeting thought. He didn’t believe they would do it on purpose at this point. With a somewhat clearer mind, he could see the reason behind the question.

If they couldn’t break through that, they couldn’t win.

《Can’t we?》

“Honestly, it’s difficult alone. With a sword and shield in plate armor, if they play defensively… even breaking through would be tough, but we can hold a stand.”

In response to Lee Yena’s persistent question, Revan unintentionally mixed in a bit of bravado. Was it the competitive spirit not to lose?

《Ah.》

In the filled audio channel, the voice of Lee Yena, who seemed to have realized something, was heard.

《But… the MVP usually comes from the winning team, right? If the MVP only came from the losing team, it would feel like declaring the rest as offenders, which would be burdensome.》

What was she talking about now? As always, I couldn’t follow her train of thought.

Revan waited for someone else to respond, but as a couple of seconds passed without a reply, he spoke reluctantly.

“Probably.”

《Then, if we end up as runners-up… the MVP from both the Mentor and Mentee would come from the Old Man and the Sea team.》

No way.

Having already scored one point as MVP in the semi-finals, if they lost in the finals and the opposing team took the MVP, would that mean she won the bet?

“No, by any chance… it’s not, is it?”

– Ha ha.

The familiar laughter.

“No, GetDevoured-nim?”

– Ha ha, hmm.

Even after hearing the laughter twice, there was no continued response.

“You little-”

* * * *

… It was a strategy with devilish efficiency. Truly.

If it had been a casual game with a small bet, I might have been somewhat tempted.

But… this was a tournament.

Even though I wasn’t a professional gamer making a living by winning in such competitions, I didn’t intend to take the weight of it lightly.

… It was just a conversation to ease a bit of the tension. Also, to boost the morale.

However, the additional effect was beyond imagination. Revan had regained his composure and raised his voice, and even Ark, who had seemed dispirited, joined the fray.

Thanks to that, by the time we entered the pick screen, everyone was fired up as if they had forgotten about PadaPada’s performance. Good. The atmosphere was perfect.

But…

《The results are out! It’s Priest, archer, and Warrior!》

《This pick is somewhat problematic for the GetDevoured and 5 Rogues team. Although it’s good news that a Warrior was chosen, it’s critical to have GetDevoured, a close-combat specialist, play either Archer or Priest.》

《On the other hand, the Old Man and The Sea team got Knight and Warrior. It’s a random pick blessed by the gods. Two players already got their main characters. The last pick will likely be either Archer or Rogue. Yes, it’s Rogue!》

《The final picks for Old Man and The Sea team consist of 2 Knights, 1 Priest, 1 Mage, 1 Rogue, and 1 Warrior. It looks like they intend to showcase their unbeatable double choices from the semifinals again.》

《That’s right. PadaPada will hold the top lane solo with a self-healing Knight and will press the center with numerical superiority through the bot lane. If three go to catch PadaPada, the main base will be breached, and if only two go, he can fend them off alone. How many should they send? It’s like they threw a puzzle for us to solve!》

《And regarding StarPork, she’s been digging Underground the entire practice period! What will GetDevoured Devoured team do now?》

《As expected, Revan takes the Warrior, ark takes the Priest. Guntak takes the Holy Knight, Gorabox chooses the Mage, and StarPork picks the Rogue. This means they plan to leave the Underground to StarPork while Revan marks PadaPada… but it won’t be easy!》

《But it’s not over yet. If GetDevoured can show the same prowess as an Archer like in the semifinals, this match could have an unexpected turn!》

This was going to be a disaster.