NOVEL NEXT Chapter 134
Inside the training room of the EOW (Agent of War) Chinese representative team, Li Chao stared seriously at the monitor.
One of his teammates, Bingbing, approached and asked, “Hey, Li Chao. Are you in practice?”
Despite Bingbing’s question, Li Chao remained silent, continuing to gaze at the monitor in the same position.
This was a familiar sight of Li Chao among the team. He was probably reviewing the last match. He had a habit of analyzing games where he felt he needed to be important, and he was quite known for it within the team.
That’s why he reigned as a star in China. Bingbing softly murmured as he quietly observed the cause of his team’s ace’s intense focus.
“Damn, we got wrecked.”
The round score was 5 to 1, and 1 was for Li Chao’s team. The opposing team had scored 5 points.
Bingbing quickly assessed the situation. Tsk, poor Li Chao. He must have suffered a crushing defeat against a team member who clearly wasn’t up to par. In fact, Li Chao’s KDA was the only decent one among them.
The rest were all seriously over-dead. What even were those levels? Bingbing’s face scrunched up in distaste.
This earnest player was clearly analyzing the cause of their defeat, blaming himself. Bingbing felt that it was pointless.
“Li Chao, there’s no need to review that match. It’s obvious we lost because of the difference in team quality. Those Korean server players have a whole different level…”
Bingbing genuinely thought so. He found it almost amusing how Li Chao, when facing such subpar teammates, couldn’t seem to realize what was wrong after playing with high-level teammates all this time. The team practices were mostly scrims within the team and scrims against other teams, so he might not have felt such a disparity before.
“Anyway, don’t push yourself too hard. Just keep your condition up until the match. Are you listening to me? …Oh, you’re not listening.”
Bingbing patted Li Chao’s shoulder once as the team captain and older brother figure before walking away, thinking that Li Chao, being a pro, would manage his conditioning just fine.
Meanwhile, Li Chao, as Bingbing expected, was reviewing the earlier match. However, it was in a slightly different direction from what Bingbing thought.
‘Why did we lose?’
Was it because of the lack of skill from his teammates? No, they were lacking, but so was the opposing team. If both teams had similar skills, it should have been Li Chao’s team winning due to their asymmetric power.
However, the fact that they did not meant the opposing team also had an asymmetric powerhouse like Li Chao.
‘That swordsman.’
Li Chao recalled the ace from the opposing team from the last match. A player whose skills rivaled that of any pro. That was the biggest reason for their defeat.
‘Is he a pro? Someone I don’t know?’
That swordsman’s proficiency was considerable. He couldn’t recall any player the scouting team had flagged as someone to watch out for fitting that description.
This meant that he was a nobody even they had missed considering. He never expected to encounter such a player. A subtle smile crept on Li Chao’s lips.
‘The world really is wide.’
He couldn’t stay at the top forever. Perhaps this time would be challenging.
Li Chao recalled that fact once again.
He wouldn’t have known that the one who handed him a defeat was not even a pro, but an ordinary streamer.
*
“Finally, the group stage of the 2023 Ed Cup has begun! The first match is about to kick off!”
“Match 1 of Group A: VIX7 vs. BEG, representing North America and China, respectively. Many say this feels like an early finals.”
A week later, the Ed Cup commenced. Once again, I found myself as a commentator sandwiched between Bang Hyeongjae and Kang Seonghun. When I asked if it was okay to do commentary for such a massive scale event, I was told that it would be chaos without me.
As a well-known trio of commentators, many viewers sought me out. I felt proud of my hard work so far.
But I couldn’t handle every match, and I was assigned to commentate on several matches, all involving strong teams. Most were expected to be closely contested.
The upcoming first match was no different. VIX vs. Beijing Gaming. Both teams represented their home leagues. I wondered how these matchups were arranged. This first match was incredibly exciting right from the start.
“It could be seen as a probing match. As it’s the group stage, everyone excluding 5th and 6th places can advance. We should consider that both teams might hide their strategies as well.”
“Given both teams’ skill levels, they should be able to secure 1st or 2nd place, so there’s no need to go all out,” I replied.
“Yes, indeed. What’s really important is the subsequent group stage!”
Following the script, I reacted to Kang Seonghun’s words while Bang Hyeongjae chimed in, raising the tension.
Despite the sudden increase in the scale of the match, the flow remained unchanged, as if the tension had been meaningless. I confidently continued to speak as the match began.
*
“The match is over! The victory goes to BEG.”
“Should we now refer to them as the traditional powerhouse? BEG has shown a solid performance for the fourth consecutive year.”
“The game was fiercely contested. What did you think, Molru?”
“Both teams displayed excellent performance. It was a visually enjoyable match,” I responded.
“Seems they didn’t hold back, huh?”
“That would only be known to each team. But if that was holding back, then they’re really terrifying teams: VIX7, BEG!”
“Now, let’s move on to the winner’s interview. We’ll see you in the next match.”
Ending our segment with a bow, I checked the screen going over to thank the people around me.
“Wow, good job, everyone.”
“Great work, everyone.”
“You seemed really worried, Molru, but you handled it well!”
Relaxing in the waiting room, we exchanged idle chatter while watching the winner’s interview on screen.
“Being designated MVP, what are your thoughts?”
The pretty announcer handed the microphone to a somewhat chubby guy.
That player is the ace of the recently victorious team, Beijing Gaming, Li Chao. It was said that he earns a staggering amount of money whenever he plays a game. Given the stature of the continent and his skills, it certainly wasn’t an unreasonable claim.
I had also played with pros not too long ago. And among them was Li Chao from Beijing Gaming. I recalled facing him. It was just one match, but it was so impressive that it stuck in my memory.
He was quite a sharp player. Almost managed to fluster me. Somehow I got lucky and won, but that doesn’t mean I’m better than Li Chao.
“The match wasn’t that satisfying, but I’m just glad we won.”
“To the opposing team, VIX7, do you have any words?”
“They’re pathetic. I don’t know if they’ll make it to the finals.”
The face of the translator momentarily looked embarrassed before he relayed Li Chao’s words with a serious expression.
An indescribable sound echoed through the arena. Some booed, others cheered. Some chose silence. It was a comment that packed a punch for a statement made in an international match.
“Wow…”
“That guy throws some heavy words.”
“He’s also famous for his trash talk, Li Chao.”
The announcer, who would continue the interview, looked unfortunate. I bet she’s sweating bullets behind her back right now.
But she maintained her professional composure and continued.
“It’s said that you didn’t showcase your full power in this match; what are your thoughts?”
“That’s true. Our team never reveals all our skills.”
Cheers erupted in the arena. Like it or not, he’s a star player. There are definitely a few fans in our country, just like abroad. In his homeland, he’s treated almost like a god.
“For the final question, is there any team or player you’re particularly concerned about? Like, this team feels a bit threatening, or I’m watching this player closely?”
The fairly lengthy question was relayed to Li Chao through the translator.
Unlike previous questions, he showed a moment of hesitation upon hearing this one.
“There’s actually one person.”
“Oh, who is it?”
“A celestial-level user who uses a swordsman. I don’t know if he’s a pro, though. I couldn’t find him in the roster since his team didn’t qualify.”
“A celestial-level user who uses a swordsman…?”
The announcer tilted her head, as if she couldn’t guess who he was, and Li Chao continued.
“I think his nickname was Moll…ru? That’s what I remember.”
“Oh, you mean Molru?”
“Pffft!”
Bang Hyeongjae couldn’t hold back his laughter and gasped. I looked at the screen in disbelief. Wait, what the heck is he saying?
“He’s the only player who has ever handed me a defeat on the Korean server. Mollru is the only person I acknowledge. I want to have a rematch with him.”
As Li Chao’s words were translated, cheers erupted from the audience.
“Korean Samurai!”
“Korean Samurai, Mollru!”
“Mollru is the hero of the Korean server!”
Bang Hyeongjae couldn’t stop laughing; even usually stoic Kang Seonghun’s face was lit up with amusement as he turned to me.
“So, what do you think about the Korean Samurai?”
I never expected that nickname, which I banned from my personal stream, would reach this far. It’s all that guy’s fault.
I glared resentfully at the screen showing Li Chao.