In the first set, Brutal etched his name into the world as MG achieved an overwhelming victory.
Perhaps due to that one-sided result, the second set followed suit, showing little change from the first set’s game dynamics.
The players from the losing side seemed a bit anxious, a sign that the previous set’s impact wasn’t entirely without consequence.
IBX, was it? MG’s rival team still found it difficult to rein in the rampaging Brutal, resulting in them giving up kill scores and losing the crucial central point of the game.
Despite often being criticized for its lower standards compared to domestic leagues, ACS is still a pro league.
What kind of beings are these pros? Their play is nothing short of professional; they are merciless competitors, devoid of pity or tears.
In their field, there’s no room for errors from those with knowledge far beyond that of ordinary people.
Unlike amateurs who waste their days grinding solo rank thinking, “I could totally make it in the pro scene!” or “I’d hit Challenger on North American servers!” these players were on a whole different level.
True to form, MG did not make the blunders amateurs easily fall into.
They snowballed from early-game advantages, slowly gnawing away at their opponents.
Before they knew it, the game was in the mid-phase, and when they regained their senses, an obvious and significant gap had opened up.
“Clean play.”
That was my impression after watching the second match. IBX also didn’t seem severely lacking in performance, but MG’s play appeared tighter and more sophisticated.
As if they had prepared this strategy long before and solidified it into a perfect plan through countless practices.
They used the wild Brutal in a very strategic manner as a team.
While gaining advantages through his reckless play, they meticulously leveraged it to create even greater benefits.
All the scoring within the team stemmed from Brutal.
Even when they faced slight disadvantages, the playmaking in those crucial moments was no different.
– “Brutal! Brutal does it again!”
– “IBX won’t forget the name Brutal!”
– “I feel like Brutal’s Cruyff will haunt my dreams! So scary!”
Brutal approached the match with a quite focused expression, clenched his fists when he raised his kill points, and roared fiercely when he seized the momentum from a dramatic victory.
Looking like a young handsome man, his actions were bold and decidedly macho.
That aspect seemed to resonate quite attractively with the women watching, as every time he appeared on camera, shrieks of excitement erupted from the audience stands.
The cameraman must have been aware of this fact, as they focused on Brutal more than any other player.
The camera focused heavily on the players during the match, but oddly enough, it kept fixating on me way more than usual.
Every time the camera pointed my way, the arena would go silent, and my neighboring viewers would start whispering, which was incredibly embarrassing.
Anyway, Brutal was undoubtedly the star of today’s match.
The team’s strategy revolved around him, and he carried the heaviest burden in the game.
Only those who can bear the weight of the crown can sit on the throne. Brutal had just emerged, placed the crown on his head, and effortlessly took his seat on the throne.
“Is Rain even going to get caught? This game could be over now!”
“Brutal, Miki, Jin are charging towards the core. Are they really going to finish it?”
“Oh, the core is destroyed! The match is over! GG!”
And thus, a new star was born.
*
The season opener of ACS, the first match between MG and IBX.
The result was a solid 2-0 victory for MG.
They played so overwhelmingly well that it was a smooth win.
The team members were ecstatic.
“Brutal, you crazy guy! You really did it!”
“This dude isn’t even nervous. I was shaking like a leaf during my debut match.”
“Damn, Brutal! I like you!”
“Together with General Brutal, we’re going for the ACS championship~.”
“Get away from me, you losers! I can’t breathe!”
It’s not like they won the World Cup; it’s just their first win in the league, yet why are they so happy?
MG had only just taken its first step.
They would have to keep winning like this to secure the top spot in the league and earn a seed for the international stage.
Isn’t it a bit embarrassing to be this ecstatic over having cleared just one out of many challenges?
Brutal thought this as he maintained a dignified demeanor amidst his excited teammates.
However, the words from his teammates were not what he expected.
“Brutal, you’re happy too, right?”
“Look at that grin on your face.”
“You’ve been carrying us since your debut; of course, you feel great!”
A grin?
Brutal fumbled with his face as his teammates commented.
“Hah.”
And then he realized. He had been smiling all along.
He was so tense that he hadn’t even realized he was smiling.
‘This amateurish display…’
Soon, he would be winning so much that these victories would get boring, but nothing was as embarrassing as being this overly delighted every time he won.
“Cough.”
Brutal gave a small cough and returned to his usual poker face. In his opinion, that was the coolest look he could pull off.
Especially since there was someone he wanted to impress right now, it was better to pay attention to appearances in various ways.
Thinking of Kayak, Brutal glanced subtly towards the VIP section where she sat. Her signature sparkling silver hair popped into his view.
‘…She must have seen everything, right?’
She had seen him carry the match beautifully, while the opponents fell like leaves in the wind due to his gameplay.
Brutal unknowingly pressed down a rising smile with his hand.
He had invited her to the event with tickets hoping to show off, but now that things were like this, he felt a mix of shame.
‘Everything I know, I learned from you.’
Kayak was not just his ideal type; she was a mentor.
Though not an official teacher, she had given him a sort of enlightenment.
She had smashed the arrogant genius’s big head; after that moment, the old Brutal and the current Brutal had become completely different people.
If he hadn’t experienced that enlightenment, he might have crashed and burned from the start today.
That’s why Kayak, who had given him that realization, was nothing less than a benefactor to Brutal.
‘Is it time for the interview now?’
After a winner’s interview, there would be a brief communication time with fans. Then it was back to the team; that was today’s schedule.
At this rate, securing the MVP seemed like a done deal. It was a debut match, and he had to do an interview anyway, but this time felt completely different.
It would be an interview not with a rookie just debuting in the league, but with a monster rookie who crushed the game right upon arrival.
‘They said they would do a broadcast.’
In that interview, Brutal intended to mention Kayak’s name.
He didn’t plan to say anything particularly special. Just a brief anecdote from their time together whenever the topic of his victory secrets or outstanding skills came up.
The skilled streamer who had defeated this Brutal in solo rank!
Brutal hoped that such a title would be publicly given to Kayak. His reason? To help her stream.
‘I owe her a debt, so I should repay it.’
“I lost, so I have to repay the favor.”
Brutal thought this and smiled slyly.
However, if Kayak had heard this, she would have freaked out and run away.
Brutal was a genius, but he had zero sense when it came to this kind of thing.
No matter how much of a genius he was, he was still just a 17-year-old kid, proving that fact once again.
He never considered that mentioning someone’s name in official settings might burden or trouble them.
*
“That was fun.”
Ugh. I stretched my stiff neck and shoulders, having sat for a long time.
All that was left now was an interview and a chance to communicate with the players.
I could have gone back to the hotel after watching the match, but Riri had asked me to get autographs from Brutal and the other MG players.
Moreover, even if it wasn’t her request, I felt it was only polite to show my face to Brutal who had given me the match ticket.
So, I sat there with a somewhat dazed expression, waiting for the players’ interviews. I had been so focused on the match even though I wasn’t participating.
Just then, Brutal was selected as MVP and was being interviewed by the announcer.
“Oh, Brutal! Your performance today was unbelievable for a debut match. Weren’t you nervous for your first game?”
“I just played as I practiced. It wasn’t really a big deal for me.”
Woooooah—
His rather arrogant and cocky statement rocked the arena once again. This must also be part of his showmanship.
“That guy…”
It was clear that Brutal had the qualities of a superstar. Watching him made me want to laugh in disbelief.
“Still, your mental strength is impressive. Your ability to stay calm under pressure is truly remarkable.”
“Well, actually, there’s a bit of a story behind that.”
At that moment, despite the distance, I felt like Brutal looked my way and made eye contact with me.
“This happened when I was challenging for the number one spot on the Korean server…”
“Oh, no way.”
I suddenly felt a bad premonition and blurted out my thoughts.
“A streamer named Kayak gave me a lot of insights—”
Nooo, don’t say that…!
But my voice wouldn’t reach Brutal, who was conducting the interview.
“…Kyaaa…!”
In embarrassment, I rolled around in the stands, quietly howling.
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