“Could you please sit here and wait a moment?”
A man wearing a T-shirt with the logo “Fusion Gaming” waved at me.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he was a player directly participating in the game. I regretted a little not doing some research on which players were here before my visit.
His demeanor was both natural and awkwardly uncomfortable.
He quickly scanned my entire face, then glanced at my chest before hastily redirecting his gaze.
Whether he was conscious of it or doing it unconsciously, his reaction was pretty impressive. I suppose it was due to my body as Camilla, having a sight that surpassed human limits, but typical women probably wouldn’t even notice he was staring at their chests.
The glances directed at me, or rather at Camilla, were no longer surprising.
When they first contacted me, Fusion Gaming expressed a desire for me to visit.
However, considering I was a no-cam streamer who hadn’t revealed my face, and being a woman, they said it was perfectly fine to share my know-how online. They assured me that whatever assistance I provided would definitely be repaid in kind.
Yet, I wondered why I bothered coming all the way here.
Honestly, I couldn’t pinpoint an exact reason. I’d always been reluctant to go out, and even now, I wasn’t too fond of outdoor activities.
The reasons were complex—a mix of various things, I guess. But the initial thought of wanting to physically visit the team came from wanting to make sure things were solid.
I had already conducted several training sessions. I wasn’t exactly a professional educator, yet somehow, I had trained both Nicang and Riri, along with a few other team members.
Teaching techniques through screens on the internet was a pretty challenging task.
For starters, there was the issue of the students not understanding what I was saying, and going through convoluted explanations instead of just demonstrating something right in front of them.
Of course, these were pro gamers. They were probably just as passionate about the Abyss as I was. So there shouldn’t be too many difficulties explaining things online.
Still, I felt a bit uneasy. What if I failed to pass on everything about Camilla? What if she couldn’t even compete and ended up getting nerfed?
Moreover, I was curious. If I truly gave my all and coached them from the side, how much could the players of the team, considered the best of the best, absorb those techniques?
With the mixed feelings of anxiety, curiosity, ambition, and interest piling up, that’s how I ended up here.
One of the people in the practice room handed me a piece of paper and a pen.
One of the people in the practice room handed over a piece of paper and a pen.
“F-Fan here.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. Kayak, it’s you….”
He looked a bit awkward. With skinny limbs and horn-rimmed glasses. He was wearing the same logoed uniform as the others, but somehow didn’t seem very confident. Even when I tried to make eye contact, he just kept his head down.
“Do you watch my broadcasts?”
“Yes, I’ve been subscribed for three months, but I’ve actually watched your streams for a while.”
“When ‘a-no-mike’ were you watching?”
“Um… since when you were doing broadcasts without a mic.”
“Oh.”
So, one of the thirty-something original squad was here.
A sudden spark of intimacy formed. This guy seemed to be a true gamer and a founding member from back in the day.
I wondered if he might be someone I knew, like Yusia, so I asked.
“Can I ask your TwiSy and gallery nickname?”
“Uh, um. That’s….”
“If it’s too much pressure, it’s okay. I’m just curious.”
“Mudfish… do you remember?”
Mudfish? That rings a bell.
Mudfish, Mudfish… ah.
“Didn’t you ask me for advice back then? About wanting to go pro?”
“Yes! You remember?”
“You really made it pro. Congrats! That’s awesome.”
Back then, he was just a young boy. Was he 16 or 17?
He was a student constantly climbing the ranks alongside me, wanting to be an Abyss pro gamer, but worried about the future of gaming like I was and whether he could go pro.
And here he was, solidly established. I felt a little proud seeing his dreams come true and squeezed his hands tightly. He immediately turned red and pulled his hands away.
“Ah, sorry! I did it without thinking.”
“Ah, no, it’s not—uh. It’s just…”
He scratched his head a bit and mumbled on.
“Anyway, thank you. The advice you gave me back then was really helpful…. The part about not giving up if you really want it, or seriously thinking if it’s something you love… The realistic advice you gave about trying until your early twenties and then going to the military if it doesn’t work out—no one’s ever given me that kind of practical advice.”
“Uh, um. Yeah. That’s right.”
I did give that advice, huh? Hearing it reminded me… Really, what kind of advice was I giving back then not knowing anything?
“Turns out, you weren’t an older brother or sister but only a year older than me. Thanks to you, I became a pro. I’ve been steadily watching your streams ever since you made your comeback….”
It was super cringy but also warmed my heart a little.
Wrapping up the conversation, I left a cute little drawing of Camilla and a small signature on the paper.
“Here you go.”
Meanwhile, other players started taking their places in front of me, one by one.
“…?”
When I made a face that said I didn’t understand anything, the players opened their mouths.
“I’d like a signature too, hehe…”
“I’m planning to be a fan from today. You’re streaming on Twitch, right?”
“You’re so pretty.”
It was clearly supposed to be a visit to pass on know-how, so why did it feel like a fan meeting?
I got an inexplicable feeling and diligently gave each one of them their signatures.
*
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Did you wait long?”
“Oh, yes. A little…”
The woman, Kayak, who answered, looked much more tired than earlier for some reason.
Had something happened? Jun Hyuk, the team leader and eldest, surveyed the practice room.
“Guess those kids were a handful.”
It was obvious. Though they weren’t showing it, there were a few who were giggling. Experiencing excitement because an outsider, and a stunning woman at that, had come was understandable.
Jun Hyuk, being a man in his prime, couldn’t help but sympathize with that feeling; however, on this day, he hoped his teammates would behave themselves.
“We can’t let our energy get drained for no reason.”
If they couldn’t showcase their abilities due to being thrown off by distractions or poor condition, that would be a problem. The idea of learning to play Camilla from the player, Kayak, had fundamentally been Jun Hyuk’s.
She was someone they’d managed to bring along with great difficulty. Even having conveyed the message that it would be nice for her to visit, he never imagined she’d actually come, which made it all the more significant.
With the important time before the new season of the league about to begin, and having gone through the trouble of bringing someone in, Jun Hyuk hoped for some results.
“Yes, please choose any empty seat. If you’re uncomfortable with the keyboard or mouse, feel free to move.”
“Okay.”
As Kayak wore an expression that finally signaled the start, Jun Hyuk gently cautioned the team members.
While watching was fine, he asked them to refrain from distracting words or actions as much as possible.
Three people would be receiving instruction from Kayak.
Min Hyung, who had met her in solo queue, Hyun Gyu, who had analyzed her play, and finally the team captain, Jun Hyuk.
The reason was that if they completely absorbed Camilla’s play, the picks would revolve around these three. It was a decision made knowing that they might consider swapping, not just playing one character.
“What should we start with?”
“First, can you tell us about this friend? About Camilla. How does Kayak primarily play, and what kinds of decisions does she make in various situations… No, that’s too broad. Could you show us how to play this build right here? And we can ask questions as we go.”
Making a decision in this situation… No, that’s too broad. Could you just show us how you play this build right here? And we can ask questions as we go along.
“Umm, sure. Then I’ll start with solo ranked.”
Thus began a ranked game.
Kayak showcased her unique playstyle, which captivated Jun Hyuk, as she dominated the top tier.
“Why did you drop down instead of going straight ahead just now?”
“If I keep pushing, I get a bit shaky. Even though Camilla seems invincible, she’s actually quite weak in direct combat. With the build concept, I’m trying to draw it into a chaotic brawl as much as possible.”
“It feels like you’re gaining an advantage through skirmishes. It’s like guerrilla warfare when you hit and run.”
“Exactly. I’ll poke once more. It’s hard to predict the timing.”
She calmly continued playing, responding to casual questions as if they were no big deal.
They say if someone makes something look easy, they’re incredibly skilled at it. That was exactly how Kayak appeared right now.
And thus, the ranked game concluded with them examining the build.
Jun Hyuk spoke with a satisfied expression.
“You’re doing great. This time, could we have this friend play with the build while Kayak points out any weaknesses in real-time?”
“If you’re going to point out, how far can you go? Just the overall structure, or can we get into details?”
“You can point out every little detail. We’re professionals after all.”
“Is that so?”
Jun Hyuk felt a momentary spark in Kayak’s blue eyes, as if the in-game Camilla had awakened and was glaring fiercely.
But maybe it was just a trick of the light; Kayak’s eyes were still her normal, calm blue. Naturally, it would be abnormal for someone’s eyes to light up.
Soon enough, a ranked game for Camilla began, with just the pilot switched.
However, unlike before, there was a voice chattering beside the player.
“You could’ve gone in deeper just now.”
“It’d be good if you pushed the ping-pong to the limit.”
“How about aiming for a counter?”
The in-game voice. The voice perfectly matched Camilla’s voice in the game and was gently critiquing Min Hyung’s play.
“Wh-what’s happening here?”
“Oh, if you press qw at the same time, it sometimes happens. I think it’ll sort itself out after respawning.”
“What kind of trash character is this…?”
“Hmm… have you never played Camilla before?”
A hint of disappointment crept into that remark. Jun Hyuk observed this and thought that it seemed that acquiring know-how wasn’t going to be easy after all.
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