[Team Leader’s Rict Show OMG]
[What the hell is this? LOL]
[Is the “All-in strategy” really gonna work?]
[What a combo! LOL This looks like the type of team composition you only see when someone picks something weird in solo queue.]
[Isn’t that the support for Camilla?]
[With the meta changing, it’s totally becoming obsolete. Just look at the traits; seems like a regular Camilla to me.]
[I’ll admit, the firepower is there, but the sustainability is lacking.]
[I’ve noticed that when they actually manage to match their compositions, their win rate is higher than when they prepare ahead like this.]
[Can we ban chat for players under Platinum, please?]
[If you just play by the book, you won’t win. It might actually work better this way.]
[If you’re gonna do it, at least try it in the first set before starting the second. You might win the first game after all.]
[Nah, nah, these amateur tournaments are all about momentum. Who takes the first round matters way more.]
[Kayak really has no fear, huh? Always bringing the strangest strategies.]
[This woman really loves unconventional tactics. LOL]
[If we’re gonna lose by following the rules, it’s better to try out a bunch of things. I think it’s a good idea.]
[From a viewer’s perspective, this is fun! LOL It’s entertaining to watch, although it may be tough for the players.]
[As expected, strategy and tactics belong to Camilla! LOL]
As the official broadcast chat was rapidly scrolling, the match began.
There was a three-minute delay to prevent match-fixing.
The actual game started about three minutes ago, and the commentators and viewers were now watching it after the delay.
“The Kayak team’s players aren’t showing any signs of confusion, nor did they call for a pause. It seems this no-support strategy was intentional and well-prepared.”
“Kayak was famous for bringing unique strategies during their player days. The opposing team’s director at the time, Director Sangsoo, remarked that ‘analyzing against Kayak is meaningless.’”
“That statement is proving true once again. Judging by the viewers’ reactions, it seems like this combination didn’t show up during their practice broadcasts. It’s definitely unusual: a no-support team composition!”
Since it was still early in the match, there weren’t any particularly noteworthy scenes. Filling in the gap during these slow moments was also the commentators’ role.
“Usually, you see these types of compositions tried more often in the European leagues. On the other hand, our ACK, as a top-tier league, creates and popularizes standard combinations, while they feel a bit like an experimental laboratory with all sorts of attempts.”
“Exactly! It requires a spirit of challenge, which is essential for advancing techniques.”
“It’s not entirely a risky composition either. Both Chae-kyung’s pick, Casiana, and Anya’s pick, Remyuer, have a decent amount of utility. They’re not just ordinary support heroes; they can maintain a balance.”
As the commentators continued their analysis, the Kayak team suddenly started to scatter.
Camilla was chosen by the Taker, and Nanning picked Nox as they began to break off from the team formation and head to the side.
“They’re abandoning the power struggle in the center and spreading their wings!”
“It looks like these quick heroes are trying to gain an advantage on the side!”
“Now, the choice made by the opposing Valhalla team becomes crucial. They’ve already seen Camilla and Nox maneuvering, right?”
[If they just push through the center, won’t they get crushed?]
[They have good defenders and Alex, so they can’t push through in one go.]
[It seems like it’ll take some time, better to take out one or two from the side.]
[Send Joon-tae to the Taker, and we can push with five.]
[Nox has to be stopped too.]
It was time to choose.
Since the Kayak team made the first move, the Rozie team had to respond.
No matter how much viewers in the chat debated which judgment was right, it didn’t reach the Rozie team.
The judgment rested solely on the shoulders of the team leader, Kainik.
“The Rozie team’s players have stopped moving.”
“It seems like the team leader Kainik is about to give an order.”
“Kainik, what judgment will you make!”
*
‘So this is how it is…’
He had no idea what the opponents would pull next.
His conclusion for a response was to push through with their size. The team was still much stronger than the Kayak team, so they should stick to what they needed to do without getting flustered.
Before the tournament began, Kainik had heard enough from Director Rozie that it felt drilled into his ears.
So he wasn’t flustered by unexpected situations or the unusual strategy from the Kayak team—unlike his panicking teammates.
“Should we push through the center?”
“Hyung, what should we do?”
“The side objects are pretty significant too…”
The Taker headed up while Nanning went down. Both areas had objects, but the one up where the Taker was going looked more threatening if it was claimed.
Even if they ignored the lower area, at least one person had to engage in the upper area.
Kainik quickly ran through his thoughts and made a decision.
“I’ll go up alone, and the rest pressure the center. Think of breaking the stronghold within 4 waves.”
“Um, wouldn’t it be better if I went up and you held the central power struggle…? I have a feeling this is a bait.”
“No.”
Kainik shook his head at team member Stu’s suggestion. It seemed like bait—a thought he hadn’t dismissed himself—but objectively, this was the right call.
Stu’s character Nixon didn’t have skewed specializations; he was what they called a jack-of-all-trades hero, so he had a balanced stat distribution.
Compared to the Lennok that Kainik picked, he had less mobility. If Stu followed up, there was a possibility that he might get dragged around by Camilla’s agile movements.
If Camilla gets caught, there was a possibility she’d be dragged around with her signature nimble movements.
But sending another team member was concerning since the one going up was a Taker.
No matter how much of a diamond he was, he used to be a challenger-level user. It would be a disaster if a half-hearted team member got caught and turned the tables on them.
However, in the heat of the urgent match, there was no time to express all these thoughts. Kainik simply gave orders, and the team members followed.
“Got it, then I’ll call the center.”
“Yeah, if it feels too rushed, fall back and then apply pressure again. You know the feel, right?”
“Sure, sure.”
“Just do what we practiced.”
With those final words, Kainik leaped upwards. Towards his rival, the Taker.
*
-Taker_01 (Camilla) has defeated the Vampire Count!
-The seal of the southern altar is lifted! – Nanning (Nox)
‘Did they jump straight at the Count?’
It seemed like they were executing a tactic they had practiced a lot; there was not even a hint of hesitation. They said optimal builds are key, and indeed, their speed was impressive. It felt like they had been separated for only a moment, yet they had secured beneficial objects for the team from both sides.
However, that was where it ended. Defeating the Vampire Count meant they had stepped deep into the high castle area above.
Once they were in that deep, there was no escape route for the Taker without encountering Kainik.
‘I just need to catch the Taker and circle back to the altar.’
A rough route began to form in Kainik’s mind. After defeating or incapacitating the Taker, he would head towards the southern altar where Nanning was.
But first, he needed to quickly catch the Taker.
‘There he is.’
How long had he been moving to find the Taker? Finally spotting him, Kainik charged in swiftly.
While some insisted that Lennok and Camilla had a fair match, most believed Lennok had a slight advantage, 6 to 4.
When they faced off one-on-one, Lennok tended to win most duels against opponents of equal skill.
All the more so when Kainik was far more confident physically than the Taker. He had the upper hand in matchups and physical form; there was no reason to hesitate in attacking.
Clang-!
‘Parrying.’
A unique skill possessed only by characters wielding weapons. A skill that allows for a counterattack in an instant, theoretically the strongest skill.
Indeed, as expected from a seasoned director, his ability to gauge parry angles was exceptional. Even under Kainik’s fierce assault, the Taker calmly deflected each strike.
Kainik was receiving every single blow.
‘Still, clumsy.’
But that was all it was. With just an awkward level of skill, they couldn’t stop Kainik.
In reality, the Taker receiving the attacks couldn’t land a proper counterattack and was letting through valid hits. Parrying was part of it, but they couldn’t showcase the divine movements like the director, Kayak, who slipped through every attack.
If it continued this way, the outcome was painfully obvious.
Kainik simply needed to keep applying pressure comfortably. As time passed, the exhausted Taker would self-destruct.
That was when it happened. Kainik, who was ongoingly attacking, felt something off and flinched.
‘Wait, this person’s stamina…’
They had definitely seen the attacks land, yet Camilla’s stamina wasn’t dropping as expected. By now, she should have lost about half her health, no at least two-thirds. That was how it was supposed to go according to Kainik’s calculations.
However, the Taker’s health bar was only about a quarter down. Even that was gradually recovering now during this brief standoff.
‘…No way.’
Kainik, known for their quick thinking, grasped a possibility they had been denying lurking in the back of their mind.
The Taker, who had only been countering in the battle without attempting any attacks, the unexpected amount of stamina remaining, and the director Kayak’s peculiar tactics, all fell into place like a puzzle.
“Ha.”
Kainik let out a scoff. It was a complex blend of emotions that could be defined as either anger or sorrow.
‘Giving up on attacking? You mean to keep me tied here?’
To Kainik, it seemed the Taker had intentionally neutered their aggression. Though unseen, it was highly likely they had brought their traits and detailed templates solely for endurance.
They had decided to sacrifice themselves to keep Kainik tied here. Whether that was their own intent or a directive from director Kayak, it was unclear.
But one thing was certain.
‘They’ve thrown away their pride…’
The Taker had long discarded any sense of pride as a player.
Like a turtle, Camilla was adopting a guarding stance. The rising stamina in real-time was proving Kainik’s theory correct.
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