It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

『CravingWarmAmericano: Jinhee-nim』

『Ark: I will hold my breath until you call me unnie』

『Ark: …… Yena?』

『CravingWarmAmericano: You have a good lung capacity 😅』

『Ark: That’s so mean…… 😭』

『Ark: You said we were closer than fans 😭』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Still』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Calling someone who got eliminated in the first round unnie is a bit……』

『Ark: 😭』

『Ark: Why are you sending hate comments through Discourse?』

『CravingWarmAmericano: 😅』

『Ark: Anyway!!』

『Ark: What’s up?』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Ah』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Jinhee-nim, remember you did a cosplay to commemorate your first-round elimination last time?』

『Ark: It was a punishment』

『Ark: Not a commemoration』

『Ark: You’re doing this on purpose』

『CravingWarmAmericano: 😅』

『CravingWarmAmericano: It suited you so well』

『CravingWarmAmericano: I didn’t even think of it as a punishment』

(Ark is typing a message……)

『Ark: You’re really doing this on purpose』

『CravingWarmAmericano: What?』

(Ark is typing a message……)

『Ark: Well………………』

『Ark: Anyway……Cosplay……?』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Hmm』

『CravingWarmAmericano: No way』

『CravingWarmAmericano: That’s a horrifying thought 😟』

『CravingWarmAmericano: I’m going to make you』

『Ark: ?? Make who』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Revan and the first one to lose a bet』

『CravingWarmAmericano: I’m planning to make them cosplay as a logger and complete The Rogue2 on broadcast』

『CravingWarmAmericano: I don’t feel like doing it myself since it’s VR…』

(Ark is typing a message…)

『Ark: Yena』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Yes』

『Ark: By any chance』

(Ark is typing a message…)

『Ark: Never mind』

『Ark: You want a recommendation for a place to rent clothes, right?』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Yes』

『CravingWarmAmericano: As expected from Jinhee-nim』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Like a magic lamp』

(Ark is typing a message…)

(Ark is typing a message…)

『Ark: I’ll send you the contact and address via text』

(Ark is typing a message…)

『Ark: But if you lose』

『Ark: Will you do cosplay too?』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Not sure』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Revan didn’t say much…』

『Ark: Then I’ll have to cheer for you』

『CravingWarmAmericano: Thank you 😄』

* * * *

To be honest, it was quite unexpected. Even with a friend bonus, there was at least a five-level difference in their skills. In terms of ELO rating, it would be about a 400-point gap.

So, out of ten matches, one would win just once and lose the other nine straightforwardly.

And yet, they broke through those odds impressively.

Of course… if asked whether it was a fair game… well, it was a bit, just a bit ambiguous.

But no matter what anyone says, a win is a win. Just because it was achieved by crawling through the mud doesn’t mean the victory’s shine is dulled.

《So, if we look at the replay here- here’s where the dagger shows up. Wow, what can I say about this…》

While the commentators on the official broadcast struggled to maintain the veneer of the match, the chat was flooded with messages like “Isn’t this a bug?”, “So dirty”, and “Shouldn’t this be invalidated?”

Of course, there were quite a few people just enjoying poking fun at Pagol. Regardless of that, Revan was calmly preparing for the next match.

The rogue card he had kept as a surprise was admittedly an excellent move. It would have driven the opponent crazy. Trying to prepare a Knight build while considering Warrior, Knight, and Rogue was no easy task.

Moreover-

-ㅇㅇ sponsored 1,000 KRW!-

【Teacher, as an authority in the field of rogues, is that a skill or a trick?】

“……It’s a skill.”

If one counted even unconventional skills, it was even more so.

But…… When did the rogue practice that? When we talked about rock-paper-scissors a while ago, he didn’t seem particularly interested.

No matter how much of a ‘build-crafting elder’ he was, he must have practiced quite a bit to master the taunt canceling technique. He wouldn’t have been able to practice this on a live broadcast.

……He must have gritted his teeth quite a bit.

Watching him, I was somewhat reflective. Wasn’t that a sense of professionalism? The determination to win no matter what, to enthrall fans.

While the bet was indeed a bet, I felt I needed to become a bit more serious as well.

After all, when you think about it, a tournament was the battlefield of pro gamers. Approaching it lightly was disrespectful. Up until just recently, I couldn’t tolerate anyone who didn’t take winning seriously, so it wouldn’t be right for me to approach the game half-heartedly either.

I was curious about the result of the third set…… But there would be a chance to watch it later.

From now on, I needed to focus entirely on my match.

“Then…… I’ll go warm up. See you all on the official broadcast.”

『??』

『?』

『No way』

『Why leave your own broadcast』

『Teacher?』

『Oh my, seriously』

When the broadcast was on, I kept wanting to look at the chat.

“See you later.”

Regrettably, I had to set it aside for now-

I decided to genuinely…… give it my all.

* * * *

The snowy mountain.

The landscape was something that made me marvel once again at VR technology. The falling snowflakes were distinguishable, and the endless expanse of white snow and the sheer cliffs were indeed a spectacle.

However, there was no time to enjoy such scenery. The Warrior slowly walked toward the opponent who had begun to appear in the distance.

A careless outfit disregarding defense. A plate gauntlet equipped on only one hand. And a huge sword slung over her shoulder.

The natural disaster that appeared at the end of the first season. It was GetDevoured.

Of course, solo rank was just solo rank. Recently, a former pro had chanted that “solo is solo and pro is pro” and got utterly destroyed, making it a bit of a foolish statement, but still. Just standing out in solo rank didn’t mean you could handle a pro. It was common sense.

However-

‘Stay calm.’

That Knight was an exception. He had climbed to the top, tearing everyone apart among the pros. He had no intention of taking her lightly.

‘I thought she would bring out the rogue in the first set. Still, it’s a versatile build. It’s fine.’

The tension that hugged the Warrior’s body was pleasantly palpable. Unlike regular team battles, he only needed to focus on the enemy right in front of him. There was no need to worry about ambient noises or glimmering maps.

He just had to purely compete in skill. In that sense, he rather enjoyed this clash more. If a separate Clash League were established, he would seriously consider transferring to it.

‘Focus.’

The Knight raised his greatsword leisurely. A textbook middle-stance. However, this was the kind of guy who might suddenly throw his greatsword. An unpredictable bundle of variations.

‘Don’t give him time.’

– Whoosh!

The Warrior’s axe swept through the snow as he lunged forward, targeting the Knight. She would likely dodge. The Knight was particularly adept at gauging distances.

‘If only he aimed for a perfect dodge.’

The savage horizontal slash, seemingly intent on cutting through the armored figure, halted mid-air as if it were a lie. A feint. The first bait. If the Knight aimed for a parry or perfect dodge, he would exploit the gap for a solid hit.

However, the Knight stood unfazed.

‘…Did she see through it? No, that doesn’t make sense. She must have read the feint.’

Either way, it showed immense courage. Such boldness was not something an amateur showcased on a stage being broadcast to tens of thousands. The Warrior elevated his assessment of his opponent’s level and charged again.

Having already invested in stamina and breath, retreating now would only mean facing a higher wall next time.

– Boom!

The re-swinging axe met with the blade of the greatsword in a harsh collision.

It could have been an attack he dodged. Opting for defense instead of evasion held some meaning. Even as his mind calculated the exchanges, the Warrior’s body moved on instinct.

– Whoosh!

A high horizontal slash. The Warrior’s torso bent backward, and the greatsword swept through the space where his head had been moments before.

His balance wavered slightly. It was a stance vulnerable to follow-up attacks, making sideways movement difficult.

The second bait.

Certainly a blind spot. He would come from below. Though he couldn’t see it with his eyes, the Warrior visualized the Knight’s moves in his mind.

Checking the gap, the size of the greatsword, the Knight’s gaze, and even his moving shoulders.

‘Now—!’

Instead, he took a large step forward and smoothly swung his axe. Counter timing. If he disrupted the greatsword’s striking point by hooking his axe to its base, it would create a deadlock. In a melee, the lightly armored Knight would end up a bloody mess.

As he thought this, the Warrior’s axe sliced through air.

‘What?’

Only then did he notice the Knight’s greatsword being withdrawn. The Knight’s supporting leg had dug deep into the snow, showing marks of a powered abrupt stop from his spinning body.

His counter was perfectly read.

More precisely—

‘…She induced the counter… Unbelievable.’

Looking up at the greatsword descending to fill his vision, the Warrior let out a defeated laugh.

‘And they said it isn’t even her main job. Damn, what awful luck for matchups.’

At that moment, the Warrior envied his colleagues who had fallen out earlier in the stages where anonymity was still maintained.