Whenever the water flows, my body moves.
Doon-sil doon-sil. I felt like a boat drifting in the sea, swaying easily with no strength.
Strangely… my thoughts began to blank.
Still, this warm feeling was quite pleasant.
I chuckled at the words of San-sae and Elderin, or sometimes I drifted off into other thoughts.
It felt oddly languid, as if I might fall asleep.
How many times had I blinked like this?
Elderin asked with a worried expression.
“Da-eun. Your face is red. Are you okay?”
“Ah… um? Oh my.”
Is something wrong with me?
I shook my head slowly to confirm, and felt a dizzying sensation.
I’m not sure, but it was definitely not a good sign.
“Exactly. I guess I’ve been here too long.”
I hadn’t even thought about that.
My body is much smaller and weaker compared to when I was a guy.
So there must have been a difference in how long I could endure in the bath.
I had been too relaxed thinking I succeeded in getting in.
That’s why a person shouldn’t get too excited.
I should probably get my body out of the water.
Just when I was about to slowly rise from the bath floor…
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness surged through me, and I lost my balance.
“Uh…?”
“Da-eun!”
It took me a moment to grasp what was happening to me.
It took an additional three seconds to realize that I had stopped toppling over.
Thanks to San-sae and Elderin responding quickly.
It would have been dangerous if I had fallen over.
I might have hit my head on the corner.
Getting hurt in a place like this, at a time like this, would be disastrous.
It would ruin the fun atmosphere we had come to enjoy.
Having breathed a sigh of relief, I had to say something.
“Thank you, guys. You saved me.”
“You need to be careful. You almost got into trouble.”
“Yes, but… my body… I feel okay now. Can you let me go?”
“Oh. Sorry. Were you hurt?”
“I wasn’t hurt.”
I was just a bit embarrassed.
*
The Traveler’s contract to move to England was indeed a true trade.
Timing was dangerously ahead of the roster submission, and due to the nature of the contract, international match participation was possible immediately.
Naturally, the Traveler participated in the Prelude with his new team.
[Champion’s Prelude Group B – Match 2]
[Acid Gaming vs Qingyun Club]
[Battlefield: Ruined Castle]
[Rules: 6-Person Deathmatch]
This transfer caused quite a stir domestically.
However, it didn’t attract much attention in the European League.
The fact that the Traveler was receiving top treatment was only a story in Korea.
In this league, a ‘foreign ace’ isn’t that rare.
We’ve seen the disillusionment of stars from distant lands countless times, so it’s not that surprising anymore.
Of course, public opinion can always turn around.
The fast-changing meta of e-sports is always ready to switch evaluations.
That’s definitely one reason people are so enthusiastic about e-sports.
《 This is something that has been mentioned for quite some time, right? Professional gamers can be largely categorized into two types. One is the commander-type player, while the other is the soldier-type player. 》
《 The Traveler at Q Prime was definitely a commanding player. However, honestly evaluating, he wasn’t a player who particularly stood out in terms of commanding abilities. 》
《 Normally, if you can give orders, the player’s evaluation goes up, but… in this case, it’s the opposite. 》
The Traveler’s first match after moving to England.
He completely put down the main order as a commander and became a warrior focused solely on combat.
No more wasting focus on unnecessary places.
There was no longer a need to take risks.
His teammates were catching the opportunities he picked. No, they even occasionally outpaced him.
The chariot, having shed its heavy burdens, began to unleash its power.
《 It’s devastating. The current score in the deathmatch is 15 to 2. China’s third seed, Qingyun Club, isn’t able to resist properly. 》
《 The phrase ‘between a rock and a hard place’ comes to mind. In the forefront, the pressure from the Traveler supported by his priest. In the back, the Ripper is slowly tightening his grip! 》
The shield has become sturdier, and the spear sharper.
Originally, the Traveler’s specialty wasn’t strategy.
It was the instinct moving towards victory.
His inherent senses, which he couldn’t even clearly define, are even more fitting to call beastly.
The ‘strength’ that comes from unyielding practice is the Traveler’s true weapon as a warrior.
《 Just as I mentioned, counter-strike! The knight’s retaliation explodes! 》
Its power was strong enough that he could have a “good match” with Kelberos even in an unfinished state.
Especially, the Ripper specialized in rear disruption and psychological warfare… he was practically his perfect partner.
The Ripper’s mist gradually spread in range.
The knight unleashed firepower at the cost of overheating. Three mages unleashed their spells at random times.
The fighter and warrior had battled several times… but, to be honest, it was insufficient.
《 Visibility is difficult. They’re pouring ruthless bombardment while covering the enemy’s sight! 》
《 Ah, this is making it tough for the match. It seems we need to think of other methods. 》
《 Qingyun’s composition specializes in melee combat, but lacks breakthrough ability. Continuous losses are occurring, causing revival timing to be skewed… 》
The Korean player’s performance.
For fans of the Traveler, this was a joyous event, but not everyone was thrilled.
In the world of competition, last year’s colleagues are no friendly faces.
Rather, the stronger the ties with an opponent, the more gamers burn with desire to ‘definitely trample them’.
The Traveler’s strong performance meant a new strong adversary for the Korean team.
Moreover, there was already a record in the Korean League.
The previous generation of Luce and Traveler.
Veteran players with even more experience than the two.
Where have the key players that led the golden age gone?
《 The next match will be Group C. Veiled Nightmare with Phantom will compete against Korea’s ACL. 》
《 …what a bad connection. 》
*
In Korea, there are mainly two types of saunas.
One is the humid wet sauna, while the other is the dry sauna commonly thought of when mentioning “jjimjilbang”.
The teacher enjoyed the wet sauna in the bathhouse.
But I much preferred the dry one which didn’t suffocate me.
Well, even if I liked the wet sauna, I would have to give it up this time.
In the dry sauna, you enter wearing jjimjil attire in a separate space.
But the wet sauna has a designated room within the bath, so you can’t wear clothes.
For now, I’m just sprawled out on the floor.
San-sae brought a refreshing drink to my cheek.
“Here, drink this. How’s your body?”
“I feel much better.”
Even though I said that, the heat from the bath still hadn’t left me.
I held the ice-filled drink with both hands and placed it on my forehead.
The refreshment was so stimulating that my mind felt clear, easing my body.
“I’ll drink it well.”
“Was that the Inbl tournament we were watching?”
“Yes. I was just curious about how it’s going. I’ve talked to the Traveler a few times.”
– You’re one of the people I definitely want to beat.
– So let’s meet in the international tournament.
– I’ll definitely smash you, so wait for it.
What a ridiculous thing to say when we finally met.
Honestly, at the time, I found it a bit laughable.
But now, I wonder what it’s like.
From what I glimpsed, he seemed to have adapted well to the top team.
He’ll probably gather plenty of good experiences.
As a member of a strong team, he’ll wield the privileges of strong teams properly.
In comparison, I feel like I haven’t even properly started yet.
Whether it’s the Traveler or the Ripper, I feel like I wouldn’t lose in a 1:1, but Inbl is a team game.
In sports, it wouldn’t be unusual to combine one and one to yield three.
‘Alright. I just need to practice. There’s no way I’ll lose.’
Suddenly, an urge of enthusiasm sparked inside me.
I want to stand on a stage like that too.
How many times have I imagined clashing with other strong players in the international tournament and claiming victory?
Winning and winning again, proving that the time I spent practicing Kendo hasn’t been in vain.
I shot up and drank the frozen shikhye.
The feeling of coolness settling in my chest. My condition had definitely improved.
Just then, Elderin returned holding a tray filled with snacks.
“Let’s eat this and head to the jjimjilbang.”
“Are you okay? Don’t you need to rest a bit longer?”
“I’m fine.”
Eating a brownish egg fills me up surprisingly well.
I feel like if I pop an ice cube in there, I’d be completely satisfied.
Just as I opened the plastic container and was about to put one in my mouth…
One ice cube slipped from the container and fell onto my clothes.
“Ah, cold. Ugh, ah!”
I could easily pick up what fell and throw it away.
The problem was one ice cube that fell between my chest.
It’s more slippery and colder than I thought.
Even if I tried to catch it with my hand, the ice slid across my chest as though it had legs.
In the end, I simply lifted my chest and popped the ice into my mouth.
Then the two women looked at me with worried eyes.
“Da-eun, what are we gonna do with you?”
“Uh?”
“You should never be alone with just a guy.”
“…?”
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