[Let’s go~]
[Oh C! Oh C! Oh C! Oh C! Oh C!]
[CO is winning, right?]
[Baekseol! Baekseol! Baekseol! Baekseol!]
[Choco, I believe in you]
[Wow, the viewers for the public match are crazy lololol]
[The win is CO’s anyway, goodbye lololol]
[What the heck is 7 million concurrent viewers???]
[Bring Lily back! Bring Lily back! Bring Lily back! Bring Lily back!]
[Why isn’t Lily here? Why isn’t Lily here? Why isn’t Lily here?]
[lolololololol]
[The winner is definitely Lily, right?]
[The public match chat is a mess lol]
[Lily is inside the stadium, you know?]
[Isn’t Lily coming out as an invited ranker?]
[Will she show up as a commentator?]
[Why is Lily diving?]
The highly anticipated DCK finals have begun.
Numerous broadcasters, Twitch channels, and influencers are covering the finals, and the official channel, commonly called the public match, has an astounding 7 million concurrent viewers.
7 million.
This number only includes viewers from Korea, not counting any overseas audience.
[Wow, overseas numbers must be on a whole other level]
The overseas channels had viewership numbers that were several times higher by population.
To manage all 7 million viewers, the chat window was set to allow messages once every 10 minutes, but that didn’t stop the chat from going wild.
The players were determined and held fairly ordinary interviews, but the team leaders with deep narratives were different.
“I will definitely win. Just like we have every time.”
“Isn’t it your turn to lose now, Choco?”
The two glared at each other, and as their rivalry escalated, the chat erupted even more.
Kim Yong-woo finished the interview with a smile, and the players each entered their entry devices.
The screen transitions.
For regular DCK viewers, the commentary desk looked very familiar.
Two familiar faces and one newcomer caught their eyes.
─Hello! DCK’s highly anticipated finals! I’m the caster, Kim Yong-woo.
─Commentating is Lacl!
─Special commentator Crack here! Nice to meet you!
[?]
[Oh, it’s Crack, Crack]
[Where’s Lily?]
[Give us Lily! Give us Lily! Give us Lily! Give us Lily!]
[Wow, it’s definitely Crack, crazy lol]
[Oh, it’s not Lily]
[Where did Lily go? Where did Lily go? Where did Lily go?]
[Lily fans are out in full force lololol]
[Lily is said to be on site]
[Crack seems okay though]
[Neck! Neck! Neck! Neck!]
[Is that Deoen around again?]
The man called Crack waved with his short gray hair flowing.
Gray phantoms lingered around him.
A person never seen before in DCK.
─We’ve brought the notorious high ranker of necromancy! Welcome, Lord Crack!
─It feels like it’s almost my first time greeting like this, but I’m glad to be here. It’s a great honor to be present.
─Oh come on, an esteemed high ranker like you, we’re the honored ones here!
─Thank you. I’ll do my best to provide commentary today.
Crack nodded his head.
Then the specters beside him also bowed their heads.
The chat window exploded with activity more than before.
“Oh, it’s Lord Crack!”
“Do you know him?”
“…? You don’t know Lady Lily?”
I shook my head at Yena’s question while watching the banter of the commentators on the screen.
I’ve never seen that person before.
It’s partly because I don’t watch community or broadcasts often, but even when I had chances recently, I didn’t catch them.
…Well, considering my videos have flooded NewTube.
“Currently ranked 6th. Sorcerer Crack. Due to job characteristics, he doesn’t show himself as much as Lord Sword Saint, but he has appeared on broadcasts a few times.”
“Sorcery… Doesn’t Miss Yena have a similar ability?”
Yena also has a built-in skill from the Pendant called Echo of Death.
It summons an Orc sorcerer and a group of about level 60 Orcs.
I understood it was quite useful back then, but I haven’t heard that she used it after getting the Green Hermit.
“Well… comparing it to that, I’m too insignificant.”
Well, that’s true.
Yena said this calmly and focused on the screen.
─…so, what do you think about the outcome of this match?
─It will probably depend on the type of match. The power difference leans slightly towards CO, but depending on the match content, I think WoW has a sufficient chance to win.
─ We need to see what match unfolds ahead! Alright! Then, it’s time for the match selection!
With the caster’s words, the screen switched.
Before long, the captains of both teams facing each other in a place that looked exactly like the shrine of the stadium entered Deoen.
It’s match selection time.
DCK’s professional matches have various formats, among which five are chosen as finals.
─The formats are team brawl, relay 1v1 battle, flag snatching, boss annihilation, and deathmatch!
─It’s a best of five, and each team takes turns selecting a match. The first team to secure three victories wins immediately!
─Then… some matches might not even be played at all?
─That’s right! Teams need to analyze their own strength and strategy well to choose advantageous matches.
It’s not just about being good yourself; it’s a matter of teamwork.
It’s not a matter of being good.
The director overseeing the team, the coach analyzing the opponent’s power, and the players in charge of different powers must all put their heads together to secure the best conditions.
I had to hear it first, but it’s quite an interesting method.
Especially having a ‘Boss Annihilation Battle’ in a professional match.
“What is a Boss Annihilation Battle? Is it about defeating it within a time limit?”
“That’s right. You have to defeat it faster than the opponent within a time limit, but usually, this option isn’t chosen.”
“Why not?”
If it were me, I’d definitely choose this and crush it in one second.
As I said that, Yena looked exasperated.
“…There’s no way that’s possible, or Lady Lily would manage it. Anyway, that’s not allowed. The balance system works very strongly.”
Unlike the simulated siege battle where the balance adjustments hardly helped, the balance system used in professional matches is solid.
Everything, except for exceptional powers like special skills, holy powers, or magic, is adjustable.
Even if the balance doesn’t quite work, the boss is likely to be very strong.
“The boss comes out based on the team’s power, so it’s almost down to luck, typically you have to go through at least the last five rounds to see that kind of match. It’s a professional game; you can’t rely on luck for everything, right?”
“That’s true.”
It’s definitely a bit frustrating if, after months of preparation and practice, the outcome comes down to luck.
─Alright! CO team, who earned the right to select the match through the playoffs! Please choose the match!
Choco steps forward.
For a strong individual power team like Choco’s, options like a relay battle or deathmatch would be expected.
Group brawls or flag captures, which emphasize team cohesion, might not suit CO as much.
Yena seems to think the same, muttering.
“They’ll probably choose the relay battle to seize the momentum early. It’s an obvious choice for their team color.”
“That would indeed make sense…”
─We choose flag capture.
Oooooooh!
Cheers echoed through the stadium.
It’s a shocking choice that CO, not even specialized in group battles like WoW, would make.
In such team games, WoW, with many mages, has a significant advantage.
Not to mention, they don’t even have an assassin type like Yena.
Kim Yong-woo from Deoen looked surprised as he grabbed the mic again, while Baekseol, facing Choco, let out a shocked chuckle.
─CO has chosen flag capture! Chuka Chip player, do you have a reason for that?
─Everyone thought CO would pick relay battle first… Team games are much more advantageous for WoW. That’s the discussion going around, right?
Chaang! Chaang!
Golden spears materialize in Choco’s hands.
One of them aimed at Baekseol.
─I’ll show you. All that talk is nonsense.
─Huh?
─Alright! Then both teams, please get ready for the match!
■
Flag Snatch.
As the name suggests, it’s a game where both teams have a flag that matches their team color.
The flag must always be carried, and while it’s possible to pass it to your team, there’s a 5-minute cooldown.
Both teams move to a specific map to snatch the opponent’s flag, and if they manage to keep it for 10 minutes without getting it snatched back, they win.
During this time, you must also hold onto your own team’s flag.
─One person can hold both their team’s and the opponent’s flag… but! The flag holder faces a ‘penalty.’
Why is flag snatching a team game?
You might think it’s more influenced by individual ability since you could just run away, but the flag holder suffers penalties.
Holding one flag reduces their movement speed by half and overall stats by about 30%.
Holding two flags decreases movement speed by 70% and halves the stats.
─You’ll have to think about it. Will you pass the flag to the team’s ace to protect it more safely!
─Or will you leave the flag with another team member and have the ace try to snatch the opponent’s?
In the end, it’s a game that you can never win alone.
“I wonder if this will work.”
“We’ll have to try. We agreed to it.”
In Team CO’s waiting room before entering the map.
As the team members prepared their gear, Haneul voiced his worries, and the team’s older brother, Leiter, shook his head.
“We’ve practiced together multiple times, right? The chances of winning are plenty.”
“…That’s true. Alright. So we’ll go with the plan we practiced, B, right?”
“Yeah.”
Formation B.
The tanker Asa stands at the front.
Ranged dealer Haneul positions at the back of the team, and support-type Leiter stands in the middle.
The sniper-capable gunner moves away from the team.
And the most important flag…
“I’ll take it.”
“Go, Chocomon. Tear them apart.”
“…Do you want to die?
The flag will be held by Choco.
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