Chapter 45: First Disciple

A man sat with a long sword strapped to his back, longer than his own body.

Black hair, black eyes, a black hat, and black clothes.

Except for the patches of exposed skin, the man was clad entirely in black, exuding a peculiar aura.

At first glance, he resembled a crow scavenging corpses in a field of the dead.

Yet, his attire suited him so well it inspired subtle admiration from onlookers.

In a world full of colors, the man in black seemed to live in a monochrome world all by himself.

That grayscale figure, with a cigarette between his lips, rose from his seat and swung his sword almost immediately.

A slow slash followed.

The greatsword, seemingly swung meaninglessly into the empty air, ghostly blocked an incoming attack.

As if he had foreseen the path of the attack.

A fist slicing through the air with a sharp sound of breaking wind was neutralized in a single, simple motion.

The man who threw the punch bit his lip in frustration and quickly retracted his hand.

The martial artist’s well-trained body boasted explosive reflexes as he sprang backward, frustrated by the failed strike.

And so, they returned to square one.

Neither side gained nor lost an advantage.

The undertaker with the greatsword and the martial artist stood their ground, keeping a wary distance while glaring at one another.

They were locked in mutual recognition as enemies.

That tense standoff was abruptly broken by the martial artist’s words.

“This is suffocating. It feels like I’m fighting a wall. Are you sure this is okay?”

In response, the undertaker lowered his greatsword and spoke.

“You’re doing just fine. If you perform like this in the tournament, you’ll be great.”

A clear and bright voice.

It was a voice that starkly contrasted the undertaker’s dark and somber appearance, as well as his stoic demeanor.

This was the Kayak team, currently in the middle of personal practice.

The tournament was just two days away.

Hangang was training for a match-up against Lennox, a key pick for the opposing team’s Yoo Hye.

The simulated practice opponent was none other than Kayak himself.

[Wow, this Lennox skin hasn’t been sold for ages.]

[All-black style, so sleek.]

[I think I might ascend to heaven from this.]

[Finally showing off Lennox.]

[Wait, he’s good with Lennox too?]

[Why does he even bother playing stuff like Camilla? If he just stuck to Lennox or another top-tier champion, he’d hit Challenger easily.]

[But Lennox has that sickly look, though…]

[Camilla’s MVP animations are worth watching, LOL.]

[Imagining that scummy Lennox getting zoomed in for an MVP scene already gives me a headache.]

[Honestly, if he grinded more games with Camilla, he’d hit Challenger anyway. He’s been juggling the tournament, streaming, and practice, so his rank doesn’t reflect his actual skill.]

[Haha, does Kayak’s Camilla look like a joke to you?]

[With solid fundamentals, anything he picks looks good.]

Would Kayak truly be able to play the role of Yoo Hye, serving as a proper practice opponent?

Many doubted it at first, considering Kayak was best known as a Camilla specialist.

Specialists—those players who mastered one champion and perhaps had a backup or two, with limited champion versatility.

But Kayak’s current performance shattered those assumptions without a second thought.

“You’re flattering me too much. I haven’t even managed to land a single effective hit on you,” he said.

“It was sharp, though. I’m barely managing to block it each time by the slimmest of margins… I doubt I’ll be able to keep this up for long.”

An impenetrable defense.

Kayak’s Lennox, with its defensive swordsmanship, was in no way inferior to Yoo Hye’s Grandmaster-tier Lennox.

At least, that’s how it appeared to the viewers.

Perhaps it was simply because this was a one-on-one practice session with Hangang, but in some aspects, Kayak’s performance seemed even better.

“Even just clinging to Yoo Hye’s coattails is an achievement.”

‘That’s true.’

The opposing team’s captain, Yoo Hye, was Grandmaster-tier, a rank two full tiers above Hangang’s Diamond.

The idea of winning against such a higher-tier opponent was absurd.

Hangang wasn’t aiming for that anyway.

He simply hoped to hold out a little longer should he face Yoo Hye directly.

This entire training session with Kayak was for that purpose.

“Nixon’s matchup is better overall. As long as you keep playing hit-and-run, you’ll be troublesome enough.”

“Hit-and-run, then wait for an opening for a lucky punch… right?”

“Exactly. But against an expert like Yoo Hye, cheap tricks won’t work. Even a lucky punch probably won’t come easy.”

Even as they spoke, the two continued exchanging moves.

Once again, Kayak’s Lennox gave no openings.

With a loud clang, Nixon’s fist was once again blocked by the solid greatsword.

Hangang muttered in frustration.

“Seriously… I thought you were all about Camilla, but you’re great with other champions too.”

“Well, even Camilla can wield a greatsword… and I’ve been playing for a long time.”

Swinging his greatsword, Kayak added, “Don’t rush yourself too much. You’re among the best of my students, Hangang.”

“So, I’m officially one of your students now?”

“Yes, Hangang. You’re my third disciple.”

Amused, Hangang responded with a chuckle in his voice.

“I’m the third? So, Ririyang must be the first? Who’s the second?”

“Ririyang is my second disciple. As for the first…,” Kayak murmured in a meaningful tone, “You’ll meet them soon.”

“Let’s steal Camilla back,” a calm, deep voice resonated in the Discord channel.

True to his position as the leader, the man went straight to the point.

No one dared to oppose or question his statement.

How could they?

This team practically revolved around Yoo Hye, who was not only its captain but also its core.

Even when playful viewers mocked them as a “one-man team,” there was no way to refute it.

Frankly, the team was often jokingly referred to as “Yoo Hye and the Extras” or “Yoo Hye and her Five Lackeys.”

It wasn’t an unfounded claim.

Yoo Hye oversaw and commanded every aspect of the team, and that leadership formed the backbone of their strategy and identity.

Yet, it was hard to criticize such a strategy outright, considering how Yoo Hye’s leadership consistently made them a strong contender for the championship.

Take the semifinals, for instance.

The final score was 2-0, and it wasn’t just a 2-0 victory—it was a completely dominant performance, the kind of match people called a clean sweep.

Winning the championship was non-negotiable.

Given the scale of the tournament, the rewards for the winning team were substantial.

From prize money to new viewers drawn in by the competition, and the prestigious title of Official Tournament Champion, the spoils were too significant to pass up.

Nicang had remained silent even when they heard the remarks about low-tier players relying on their egos or being mere puppets of Yuhye.

Moreover, the team leader, Yuhye, was an excellent strategist, and there was little room to challenge her decisions.

“Nicang, you will pick Camilla.”

“Excuse me?”

However, there was no way Nicang could stay quiet about this. When their name was suddenly called and Yuhye made her statement, Nicang was shocked and asked again.

“Me, pick Camilla…?”

“You said you could play Camilla to some extent, right? Didn’t you learn from Kayak?”

“Well, I did…”

Nicang never expected to be asked to play her in the competition. They swallowed their next words.

Yuhye, like Nicang, or perhaps even more so, was someone who wanted to win for the team. There had to be a reason she was making this suggestion.

“Kayak’s Camilla is definitely a threat. In the semi-finals, the first match was almost entirely carried by Camilla alone.”

Yuhye continued her explanation.

“Taking away the specialized weapon from a master… there’s no more deadly tactic than that.”

“Yeah… But Kayak is really good at other champions too.”

“Still, nothing beats Camilla, right? Facing Camilla would be harder than dealing with any other champion.”

“That’s true…”

Nicang briefly recalled the past.

When they were playing ranked games and met Kayak, they had been brutally killed by Kayak’s Camilla several times.

During those games, Nicang had died so many times that it felt like the time spent in the game surpassed the time spent outside of it.

Nicang, reminiscing about those days, shuddered.

“That’s right, yes. Camilla… Camilla should never be given away!”

They couldn’t let that nightmare repeat itself. Nicang raised their voice with determination.

Yuhye, who only knew that Nicang had learned Camilla from Kayak but didn’t know the full backstory, was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm from Nicang but decided to let it go, thinking it was better to have a positive attitude.

“Then, if the opportunity arises, we will definitely take Camilla as the first pick, and if the pick order is fast, Nicang will take her. The rest of the team will handle the others.”

Yuhye continued her briefing, and the other team members listened attentively.

Nicang, however, was lost in thought.

“Can we really win…?”

Although the overall team strength seemed to be in Yuhye’s favor, and viewers were predicting Yuhye’s team as the favorites to win, Nicang couldn’t shake the uncertainty about the victory.

They felt a subtle sense of anxiety and shook their head in doubt.