After a 15-minute break, the time for the second round’s match selection had come.
This time, the match choice is WoW.
WoW must choose one of the four events, excluding the flag capture they played in the previous round.
Of course, the most reliable option is the team brawl.
Although they lost the flag capture match, they won’t fall for the same technique twice after using the hidden move.
─Alright! Time to choose for round 2! Captain Baekseol of the WoW team! Please select the match!
─……
Baekseol, with eyes closed heavily, fiddled with the microphone, seemingly deep in thought.
But eventually, as if resolved, she opened her eyes.
─I choose the team brawl.
─Team brawl! The WoW team has chosen team brawl!
“This time there’s no surprise.”
“Well, considering they lost the first round, there’s a lot of pressure to take risks.”
CO had their momentum soaring after winning despite picking a match favorable to their opponent.
On the other hand, WoW found themselves in a situation where they were favored yet still lost.
If they were to pursue the same type of adventure and lose again, they would stack up two losses, leading them to a precipice.
One loss is a crisis at best, but from two losses onward, the meaning changes drastically.
─Alright! Then both teams, please prepare for the team brawl!
■
The team brawl is a much simpler match than the flag capture from the previous round.
After spawning on a designated map, the goal is to annihilate the opposing team.
You have one life, and while resurrection is possible with special items or skills, once you die, it’s pretty much game over.
“Well, I guess I can’t use that.”
“There’s no helping it. It was tougher than I thought.”
At the designated location for Team Choco.
Choco fiddled with the Golden Spear and responded to Leiter’s words.
Originally, Leiter, having achieved level 80, planned to show off the ‘Mirror Cube’ during the team brawl.
When the designated person breaks the cube, it teleports to another preset cube.
As a secondary player, Leiter had a hard time leveling up, which kept his level low compared to the pros.
However, he recently stepped into the World Boss raid and managed to reach level 80.
“This is all thanks to Lady Lily. If it weren’t for her, I’d be in big trouble.”
“Yeah, yeah. Once you lift the championship cup, I’ll praise you, so think of something else.”
The plan to kill a few opponents and then escape using the Mirror Cube when Baekseol unleashes her big technique was already found out.
Now that the opponent is aware of the ‘Mirror Cube’ existence, they need to think of another strategy.
The pros aren’t fools; they won’t fall for the same trick twice.
With only 5 minutes left, they had already contemplated numerous variables and strategies, so they had to choose the most ‘rational’ plan.
“I have to pick the most ‘reasonable’ strategy since I placed it.”
“…How about quickly melting Baekseol with D?”
“Why hesitate?”
“?”
At that moment, the sky wrapped in blue energy appeared.
From behind him, arrows of alien blue magical power surged upwards.
“I’m here this time.”
As the Sky nodded confidently, the four of them stared blankly at him before turning their heads away again.
“Choco’s suggestion of D sounds plausible, doesn’t it?”
“No way. I think F would work…”
“Let’s just go with E. It wouldn’t make sense to kill Baekseol anyway.”
“…Excuse me?”
■
Round 2 began.
The map was of an abandoned old castle, where no one lived anymore.
The castle walls were entirely broken, making it hard to find any trace, and the towering royal castle swayed precariously.
─Round 2 has begun! The battleground for the group brawl is the old castle.
─The map is randomly determined. With many obstacles, the WoW side holds a slight advantage, but… the obstacles are not really obstacles, right?
─That’s right. A pro would be able to break through such a ruined castle like it’s paper. Essentially, it should be considered a stone mountain.
The battleground wasn’t that large for a castle.
Compared to the flag snatching map, which was quite spacious, it’s only a tenth the size.
At this level, they could sense each other’s presence just by their psychic vibrations as soon as it started.
Bang–!!
As soon as it began, the Gunner fired his gun once again.
This time, he intended to break the WoW’s shield laid out in the field once more…
Crack!!
─Baekseol is generating an ice wall!
A massive ice wall appeared on three sides, except for the rear side of the shield facing the edge of the map.
A giant wall that seemed to be at least 50m tall.
Tiiing~ Tiiing~
It wasn’t just any ice wall; even the Gunner’s bullets got eaten up and bounced back.
“I guess we have to break in now.”
Baekseol’s team had left their positions. Having been hit once before, they were taking a passive stance.
The mage is the one who prepares.
If Baekseol and the three mages focused solely on defense, even if Choco threw her spear, it wouldn’t get through.
Choco’s technique was strong, but it was not a perfected technique.
It wasn’t even a technique used with holy power, and above all, Baekseol wasn’t ignorant.
‘At least she can manage her mana skillfully.’
The skill level of my students who are learning from me is sufficient.
─The ice wall is quite sturdy. It probably won’t break through easily.
─Although both the Gunner and the Sky are firing magical arrows, not even a scratch is appearing. It looks like WoW doesn’t plan to come out, does it?
“It doesn’t seem like WoW intends to come out, does it?”
─ The group brawl is a game without time limits, meaning they’re essentially saying, “You guys come on!” WoW has to win this match.
Someone might find it uncomfortable.
I had high hopes after watching the movie-like matches of the previous round, but now in the next round, they’re just hesitating and exchanging long-range attacks instead of getting involved.
I don’t know since I didn’t turn on the broadcast, but if there was a chat window, it must have been chaotic.
There would definitely be a lot of messages saying “Don’t lie down, fight!”
But WoW is desperate for victory.
CO also finds it daunting to break through that solid wall.
If it’s for victory, there’s no choice but to make the tough decision.
─ Haah.
In the end, it was CO that stepped forward.
The CO team slowly advances to the front of WoW’s field.
As they move, Gunner and Sky keep shooting, while Leiter detects the trap magic spread around.
Choco is prepared for a big technique that could come at any moment, with Asa positioned at the front.
Step by step.
They finally get close enough to be in the ordinary person’s line of sight, but that massive wall still silently blocks the field.
It’s blocking all three sides, and they can’t pass without breaking through.
In the end, the remaining path is…
“The sky is Evan…”
“It would make a good target for bombardment. It’s going to be a freezing, fiery mess.”
I agreed with Yena’s mumble.
Just trying to get over that wall with that kind of field setup is a mistake.
Inside, it must be filled with dozens of spells, and unless they have wings, it would definitely be a feast for the mages.
-… Huh.
But there’s no other way.
If they put all their strength into breaking that wall, there’s definitely going to be a counterattack.
If they go into a brawl, CO’s chances of losing would skyrocket.
In the end, there’s only one path.
─ Choco player! We’re going over the wall!
─ It seems like there’s no choice since it’s an ambiguous situation to break the wall.
To prepare for the brawl, Gunner and Leiter stay on the ground while the remaining three go over the wall.
A wall with no support for 50 meters is something that rankers can definitely surpass.
As soon as they got over the wall, Choco unleashed a storm.
The shield that was hidden behind the wall by the storm broke, and waves of intense heat surged through the gap.
– “Leiter!”
The violet cubes that were next to each of them block the pouring heat.
In the meantime, below them, Baekseol quietly opens a book and looks up with her pure white eyes.
Choco hurriedly smashed the cubes inside, but it was already too late.
‘The cubes are already frozen.’
– Frost of Truth.
Everyone except Choco became frozen in place.
■
Casting time: 15 seconds.
Baekseol’s ultimate technique, consuming half of her mana.
The effect freezes ‘everyone’ around the caster.
It’s a technique that nullifies even considerable cold resistance, and Baekseol once used the Freeze’s Essence to defeat Choco in her debut match.
This nightmare-like technique jeopardized Choco’s spot, who was gaining overwhelming popularity at the time.
“Ugh…”
Choco looked around, enveloped in golden mana.
Everything was frozen solid.
“Pretty much, huh? I prepared for this, you know.”
Even the entire WoW team, except for Baekseol, was frozen.
The Freeze’s Essence was as threatening as Choco’s ‘Roar’, so she had researched counters for a long time and actually succeeded.
Even just three months ago, during the last scrim where the Freeze’s Essence was used, everyone except Gunner managed to hold on without freezing.
The only things affected were status abnormalities like slowing or frostbite.
Even if they couldn’t block it, they had anticipated escaping with the Mirror Cube, but…
‘Everyone is frozen.’
It’s not because the team couldn’t handle it.
The team members had become much stronger and their skills improved.
In fact, they were already securing one win, so it wasn’t a psychological disadvantage.
If there is a side being pushed back, it’s Baekseol, who is now covering her frozen hands over the book.
Baekseol created a spear of ice with the other hand, hiding her trembling hand.
It’s clear.
‘What changed is Baekseol, who has crossed the ‘wall’ along with herself.’
Baekseol is using abilities beyond her limits that even impact ‘reality’ now.
“That… if you keep using it like that, it’s going to be a big deal, right?”
“……”
“I know well that overusing it isn’t good. Plus, if you’re already like this, then the next round─”
“Hana, are you scared? Always worrying about me.”
Is she worried it’ll become like her debut match?
“……”
“Just quietly die and let’s meet in the third round. You know we love the relay battle, right?”
“Shut up. You think you can beat me with a spear?”
Even though things got to this point, there’s absolutely no way she’s losing.
Baekseol reacted excessively but foolishly pulled out her spear.
She must think she can crush her way back to confidence, but in a spear vs. spear fight…!
Poof.
“Huh?”
“Yeah. You’re already caught.”
Choco is already half-frozen.
“How are you gonna block it when you’re not even Lily?”
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