“Phew….”
I took off the slightly damp headset and exhaled.
It had been quite a contest. More than I had imagined.
To be honest, I had been harboring a bit of a quiet disdain for these pro gamers in the back of my mind.
First, back when I was actively competing, the league wasn’t as active, and second, I had been approached with pro offers myself.
Idols should be far beyond reach, after all. I could probably become a pro myself if I wanted to, but there was no room for respect in that.
However, through this opportunity, I learned: pros are pros for a reason. It wasn’t easy to win against people who only ate and played games.
Starting with a somewhat close win in the first match, players flocked to me asking for one-on-one matches for some reason. Did they feel something after watching my first game?
Well, it was a good thing for me. Even if I lost, I didn’t have much to lose, and if I won, I could have Camilla’s human rights declaration read at the tournament as a prize.
I even got a few of them to promise that if given the chance, they would definitely play as Camilla in the league. I could definitely consider that a major achievement.
“W-Wait, what?! I lost…?”
It seemed that one particularly young-looking player was in shock, but it couldn’t be helped. It’s not like I could let it slide.
That player would eventually experience defeat, but maybe this opportunity would help them grow more.
However, I couldn’t win against every opponent. There were a handful of players who had actually beaten me, and among them, there was one I thought winning or losing again would be hard to guarantee.
I heard he was the team captain. His play was so impressive that I remembered his name immediately.
Lee Jun Hyuk. Hearing that name reminded me of something I’d read somewhere. A true patriot who turned down a hefty salary overseas to remain with Fusion Gaming, the pride of our country and an Abyss world-class player.
His gameplay was definitely impressive. It was clear why he was called world-class; each play was filled with unpredictable brilliance.
His physical prowess seemed to rival even Camilla’s physique, responding calmly to sudden attacks.
It seemed more like dodging by sight than prediction. Considering that half of my team couldn’t respond to him, I guess I had to conclude that this player was abnormal.
Judge my chances in a rematch? Yeah, that’s why I decided I was unlikely to win.
It was because of that.
Was the probability about 50/50? I thought it might be worth a shot if I somehow brought out relics from the past. After all, he had started playing the game only after the Abyss became a legendary game, just like most players.
If we take him as an example, it hadn’t even been five years since he started playing, yet he had already become a top-tier pro gamer.
It made me a bit sad, as if the diligent common folk couldn’t outshine those with talent. Indeed, the world is unfair—.
While I was mulling over how I could increase my win rate by reflecting on my match against Jin, the person in question approached me with bright eyes.
“Good job! You must be really tired having to face all those guys.”
“Oh… It’s okay. I’m pretty good with stamina.”
In reality, I wasn’t that tired. After all, it was Camilla’s body; it really did have great performance.
As I smiled and waved my arms around, looking perfectly fine, Jun Hyuk’s eyes began to shine even brighter than before. It could be described as slightly glaring.
“Uh… Teacher? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Don’t you think about going pro? Like, really?”
Suddenly, he grabbed my hand out of nowhere. It was so fast that I couldn’t even react immediately.
The surprise was short-lived. Seeing him hold my hand while shooting me that fiery gaze made it clear what kind of person he was. Ah, so this person is into that—.
A guy who was truly passionate about the game, a somewhat hot-blooded character. If I had to sum up Lee Jun Hyuk in one line, that would be it.
I guess he saw me as a bit of a rival or something? That’s why he was asking me why I wasn’t going pro.
“Well, pro… I don’t know.”
“With your skills, you could win the women’s league right away, or even the men’s league. You’ve got talent that could compete globally. So why—?”
“Uh, um….”
Honestly, I had a bit of a weak spot for characters like that. Characters who are genuinely passionate about everything, like LimeTack from the last tournament. I felt uneasy saying anything against someone who was so hardworking and full of enthusiasm.
The person in front of me was no different. It felt wrong to just say I wasn’t interested when he was earnestly inviting me.
What saved me was the player I had first defeated to earn a wish… but what was his name again?
“Hey, you can’t just do that to anyone, you know. The pro offer is good and all, but first, let go of that hand, alright? These days, that could lead to serious trouble. You remember what happened last time with a fan? Luckily, you’re good-looking, so it’s okay, but still….”
“You bought it, didn’t you? Good thing you’re somewhat handsome…”
The player, sighing as he intervened between Jun Hyuk and me, couldn’t stop fidgeting as he turned to me.
“I’m sorry. This guy doesn’t have any ulterior motives; he just goes crazy whenever Abyss is involved… It was his idea to contact Kayak first.”
Somehow, it felt like the roles of older brother and younger brother were reversed.
In this dangerous world, I reassured him, who was nervously fretting over the possibility of trouble.
“It’s okay. You seem harmless.”
Honestly, I couldn’t detect even a hint of malice. If he had some superhuman ability to hide his devious intentions, I might understand, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Just a pure game addict. The fact that he held my hand was simply an expression of his sincerity.
“Thank you for understanding…”
“You must be having a tough time too, dealing with stuff like this a lot.”
“Yeah, well…”
I patted his shoulder, trying to comfort him, but his face somehow fell. He turned his head back to me and asked again.
“…You remember my name, right? You even earned a wish from me.”
I smiled once before turning back to Jun Hyuk, ignoring the whispers of “that’s too much” from behind me.
“Jun Hyuk.”
“I’m sorry! I got a bit too excited—no, it’s not that kind of excitement, I just got really thrilled for a second.”
How does he manage to choose such words? One might say it’s pure; seeing his pretty face made me understand why he had so many female fans.
Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now.
I had come up with a really good idea.
“That’s fine, but more importantly…”
In any negotiation, it usually goes smoothly when the other person wants something from you.
Seeing how eagerly this top player wanted me to debut as a pro, I decided to lay down one condition.
“You asked me how about going pro, right?”
“Yes, Kayak, you really have potential. Although you’re a Camilla artisan, watching you play, I think you could handle other heroes just like other artisans, which means in the pro scene—”
Wait, wait. Don’t overstep.
“I only play Camilla.”
As soon as I said that with a serious expression, Jun Hyuk looked momentarily stunned. Seizing that moment, I finally revealed what I wanted to say.
“I took it out.”
“But if I become a pro, I’ll be playing with other heroes. You know, like Lennok and Jerome, who are pretty OP right now…”
“So—!”
“However, if I do debut as a pro, I want my first match to be with Camilla. This season is perfect for her since she’s being treated as OP… Unfortunately, by the time I go pro, she’ll be nerfed.”
He makes a feigned nostalgic face as if he’s genuinely sad. Just thinking about Camilla becoming obsolete brings a tear to his eye.
“Could you show me Camilla performing in the league before the end of this season? If that happens, I might really want to go pro…”
As he says this, he takes my hand again, which had been released by another player earlier. Jun Hyuk flinches, and I hear someone beside us gasping.
Well, it’s just hands. They’re not going to wear out, so it’s fine.
Plus, I figured I might make an escape route just in case— I said I didn’t know, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t.
A normal person wouldn’t respond to such a proposal. After all, it was just an oral agreement.
However, it seems my words managed to touch the heart of our world-class player, Lee Jun Hyuk, who fervently supports the idea of Korean stakeholders.
“It’s the season where my favorite hero can finally play in the league… It’s late to debut as a pro…”
“Motivation… top talent… promising players… I have to lead them…”
He mumbles these words while appearing somewhat drained.
Then suddenly, his eyes spark back to life. They start to gleam even brighter than before.
“I promise! I will make sure to shine in the league as Camilla! I will play in a way that won’t embarrass Kayak, who will be watching somewhere!”
“Th-thank you.”
With that, he grips my hand more tightly than before. Maybe it’s unconscious or perhaps he intends to show me his determination.
I had intentionally led him on, but I didn’t expect such a heated reaction. I felt a slight twinge of guilt, like I was playing with a pure-hearted person.
But, well… good is good. After all, the original purpose of coming here was that. To get Camilla to play in the league.
Having accomplished my goal, I smiled brightly, and seeing my face made Jun Hyuk smile passionately as well.
“You’ve really been enchanted…”
The nameless player watching from the side could only mutter that quietly.
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