It’s all over.
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a wave of exhaustion hit me.
It’s like all my strength just drained away in an instant. I guess I had been more tense than I realized.
Well, it’s not like I was actually physically tired, though.
“Ugh….”
The mental fatigue is something you can’t ignore either, so I moved Mike away from my mouth and stretched widely.
At first, I would stretch regardless of whether Mike was there or not, but every time I did so, the team members would freak out, so it became a half-habit through the practice period.
Every time I stretched, the chat would speed up, so it seems there’s something I’m unaware of, but the exact reason remains a mystery to me.
As I sprawled over the chair, blankly staring at the computer screen, the chattering voices of my team members filled the background.
“Wow, victory! We won! Victorious! Kyaaa!”
“I really didn’t think we would win… This actually happened….”
“Thank you, thank you. Thanks, everyone. You all did great. I’m sorry for dragging you down….”
“I’m definitely going to rewatch the official broadcast from other people’s perspectives tonight. Seriously.”
“I can’t resist the chat reactions. Right, right?”
By the time the game was wrapping up and we were smashing the enemy core, those who couldn’t hide their excitement seemed to still be caught up in that moment.
And no wonder. The tournament was huge, and maybe because of the team members, I too was fully absorbed and seriously engaged in the match. Because of that, I even said things I usually wouldn’t.
Saying I beheaded the enemy commander… what an utterly embarrassing statement!
What kind of immersion made me say that? Remembering the other things I blurted out made my face gradually heat up.
– “Ah, Yu Hye’s team! This isn’t right! Why are you playing like this all of a sudden? It’s too rushed!”
– “Communication doesn’t seem smooth, does it? The typical signs of a team losing their mental composure are starting to show for Yu Hye’s team.”
– “So disappointing, so unfortunate. Is this the downfall of a strong contender team? Even if they dropped two sets in a row, they shouldn’t lose the final opportunity in the third set so pitifully!”
Trying to divert my attention, I looked at the screen.
The delayed broadcast of the tournament caught my eye.
The camera was panning around the map, capturing various locations.
As always, the tournament observer seemed confused about where to focus, but even in that chaotic footage, you could easily tell which team had the upper hand.
The Kayak team. In other words, our team was solidifying our victory more effortlessly than in any match we had played so far.
– “Yu Hye is hurrying toward the bottom, but it’s already too late. Cheonhun is obliterating the bottom stronghold!”
Cheonhun completely destroys the lower castle!
– “This can’t go on. Yu Hye’s team is getting dragged too much by Kayak’s team. We need to find a way to regain the initiative!”
– “But as long as Kayak has their player, that seems tough. Ah, speaking of the devil! Camilla from Kayak is starting her dance moves again! Showtime! It’s showtime!”
I thought it was easy while playing, but viewing it from a third person’s perspective makes the difference even more pronounced.
Unlike the first and second sets, the opponent is moving awkwardly. It feels like a robot that has some programming issues.
It’s common for soldiers without a commander to move like that. They probably aren’t receiving proper orders.
I had somewhat predicted this.
From the moment I took down the enemy team’s leader in a one-on-one duel during the second set, I figured their mental state must have taken quite a hit.
I knew he was someone with a strong ego from the start.
That’s just how the Lennok users are. You can tell their tendencies by the character they play; Lennok is a character that inherently requires skill and often emphasizes style over substance.
Because of that, players using Lennok tend to have a stronger sense of game pride compared to others, which is a common belief among users.
This had been a tradition since before the official release of Abyss, so I was somewhat suspicious, if not entirely sure.
The leader of the opposing team must be someone with a strong ego.
And it turns out my guess was spot on.
Old sayings are never wrong.
As I nodded in agreement, I heard a voice calling me.
“Our hero of victory is quite silent, isn’t she?”
“Right? Where did she go? Honestly, she had the toughest time.”
“Teacher, you’re not doing something weird on cam again, are you? Holding up your middle finger is just rude.”
“I’m not, not right now.”
…
-GG! The finals come to an end like this! Final score 3-0! Kayak team defeats Yu Hye’s team in the finals to claim victory!
-We can’t miss getting a word from our winning team players, right? Before we do an interview with the victorious Kayak team, we have the final MVP announcement.
-You all expected this result, didn’t you? Let’s cut to the chase and reveal the results! In the three matches leading up to the finals, the overall MVP is!
-Congratulations to the Kayak player! Before we proceed to the winner’s interview, let’s have a word with the final MVP, the Kayak player!
*
“Nice to meet you! Kayak player, you’ve been named the champion and the MVP of the 2nd Abyss Streamer Championship. Please share your thoughts.”
“Ah, yes. First, I want to thank my teammates. It must have been a tough period of practice, but I appreciate everyone sticking with it, and as a team leader, it feels great to win together.”
“Thanks for following along! As the Team Leader, it feels amazing to win together like this.”
[What’s that voice… what’s that voice… what’s that voice… what’s that voice… what’s that voice…]
[That voice is nice, though~]
[Kayak talks well.]
[Where did you get your voice acting skills?]
[Definitely sounds like a woman.]
[Oh lol, you know Kayak! She’s a legendary user who played Abyss since early access and founded the Abyss gallery…]
[Isn’t it just a guy pretending to be a girl?]
[For real, it’s probably a female voice; it’s hard to believe a girl could be this good.]
[What year is it for you to say something so outdated…]
[Is she just an assistant? Who knows, maybe her boyfriend plays for her.]
[Even with Handcam, her boyfriend can’t help but lol.]
[How can you tell if those hands are male or female?]
[You can tell just by looking; those hands are definitely female, haha.]
[Sometimes I can’t tell if I’m male or female either, yeah.]
[Shouldn’t we reveal the face too?]
[Don’t be rude now;]
“Wow, you really spoke fluently. I have a few questions about the match. In the finals, unlike the semifinals, you used different heroes instead of Camilla.”
“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”
“In the first set, you lost Camilla, but in the second set, you picked Lennok while Camilla was still available. Was there a particular reason?”
I was wondering when this question would come up. I chuckled and answered so everyone could hear.
“Well, isn’t it the same reason you all expected? I naturally can’t just sit back and take it.”
“Ah, so that means since Team Yu Hye took Camilla first, you took Lennok. Is that right?”
“Yes, exactly.”
[Hmm… not one to just take it… Hmm… not one to just take it… Hmm… not one to just take it…]
[Oh… can’t just take it…]
[That’s a bit risqué…]
[Well, you should experience being on the other side as well.]
[Yu Hye’s expression was legendary, lol.]
[Right, if you target someone, you should be targeted too.]
“Regardless of the reason, thanks to that, there were some stunning scenes in the match. Like Alex the Berserker in the first set or Lennok vs. Alex in the second set. You showed everyone that Kayak isn’t just a player who excels with Camilla.”
“Hmm, yes.”
I’m just a person after all, so I can’t help but smile when receiving compliments. It felt like dopamine was being released in my brain. I cleared my throat a bit and focused on the commentator’s words.
“As for the next question, the opponent you faced in the finals, Yu Hye, was also a former pro player until recently. You performed well against someone like her; do you have any intention of entering the pro league? Could you give us a little hint?”
“Do you have any intention of advancing to the pro league? Could you give us a slight hint?”
“Um…”
“I’m asking this as a fan, so please don’t feel too burdened when answering.”
Saying that just makes it impossible for me not to feel pressured, you know.
Pro. Pro.
Honestly, it’s not like I never dreamed of going pro.
There was a time when I was consistently hitting Challenger and climbing the rankings, and I thought I wanted to be an Abyss pro.
But back then, the league wasn’t properly established, so I felt really uneasy about it.
The game could end any day, so what’s the point of going pro?
I focused more on trying to save the game and doing other activities in my spare time rather than becoming a pro in a doomed game.
Life is all about timing. If the league had been alive then, I might have really become a pro.
Even now, I could still do it, but the allure of being a pro isn’t as strong as it was back then.
Plus, with my appearance having turned into Camilla, things got a bit complicated.
“Well, for now, I’m quite satisfied just streaming. Participating in tournaments and chatting with people…”
That’s about all I can offer as a vague answer.
Still, the commentator seemed satisfied, chuckling as he continued the interview.
“That was a sufficient answer, thank you. Lastly, do you have any words for the fans supporting Kayak and the viewers? Feel free to promote your personal stream or anything you like.”
Ah, I have something prepared for this.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far. Your support has been a great help and thanks to you, I was able to win. Yes, and… actually, this is the main point.”
“Haha, yes. What are you trying to hint at? I’m curious too.”
This is my kind of, well, a sort of major announcement.
I licked my dry lips and opened my mouth.
“Representing the millions of Camilla users nationwide, I boldly declare: Camilla is not a weak character. For those of you who have been dodging ranked games just for picking Camilla, and for those who have suffered from all sorts of slander in the community – you can now stand proud. I guarantee it with my name as someone who has won in such a competitive tournament.
I declare that Camilla is neither the adopted child abandoned by Eonix, nor a character born from the heavens that’s just plain weak, nor a poorly designed character.”
A brief silence.
The commentator’s baffled face appeared in my view.
“…Uh, is that all you had to say?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Ah, um. Yes! That was streamer Weak Camilla, Kayak!”
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