Chapter 49: Camilla Is Strong

It was over.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, a wave of fatigue suddenly hit me.

It felt like all my strength just drained out at once.

Maybe it was because I had been subconsciously tense all along.

Not that I was physically tired, though.

“Ughhh…”

Still, the mental and emotional fatigue was not something to be ignored.

I moved the microphone away from my mouth and stretched my arms wide with a big yawn.

At first, I used to stretch without worrying about the mic, but my teammates would always freak out when I did, so over time, I got into the habit of being more careful during practice.

Whenever I stretched, the chat would go wild, so I figured there was something I didn’t know going on.

Even now, I had no idea what that was.

As I slumped back in my chair, staring blankly at the computer screen, the chatter of my teammates filled the background.

“Wow, we won! We actually won! Victory!”

“I really didn’t think we’d win… but we did. Unreal.”

“Thank you, thank you. All thanks to everyone… and me, of course.”

“Today, I’m going to watch all the replays, from the official broadcast to the other players’ perspectives, before going to bed. Seriously.”

“Can’t miss the chat reactions, right?”

Ever since the game ended and we smashed the enemy core, the team had been buzzing with excitement.

The euphoria of that moment hadn’t worn off yet.

It was understandable.

The tournament was huge, and maybe it was thanks to my teammates, but even I had gotten fully immersed in the matches for the first time in a while.

I even ended up saying things I wouldn’t normally say.

“Cutting down the enemy commander,” for instance… what an embarrassing thing to blurt out.

I must have been so caught up in the game to say something like that.

Just thinking about the things I’d said made my face heat up with embarrassment.

—Oh no, Team Yu-hye, this won’t do! Why are they playing like this all of a sudden? They’re way too rushed!

—It seems like communication isn’t going smoothly.

This looks like the kind of disorganized play typical of teams that have lost their mental focus.

—It’s such a shame, really.

Could this be the collapse of a strong championship contender?

They’ve lost two sets in a row, but to lose the decisive third set like this would be so anticlimactic!

Trying to distract myself, I glanced at the screen.

The tournament broadcast, still delayed, appeared on the monitor.

The observer’s camera was darting around the map, showcasing different areas.

As always, the tournament observer seemed unsure where to focus, but even amidst the chaotic scenes, it was clear who had the advantage.

The Kayak Team—our team—was consolidating victory in the most dominant match we’d played so far.

—Yu-hye heads down to the bottom lane in a desperate attempt, but it’s already too late.

Chunhoon destroys the bottom tower as well!

—This is bad, really bad for Team Yu-hye.

They’re completely caught up in Kayak Team’s tempo.

They need to create an opportunity to regain control somehow!

—But with Kayak on the field, that seems unlikely.

Oh, and there it is!

Kayak’s Camilla begins her dance again!

Showtime!

It’s showtime!

Even while playing, I thought this match felt easy.

Watching it from a third-person perspective, the difference was even more apparent.

Unlike the first and second sets, the opposing team was moving awkwardly, almost like malfunctioning robots.

It reminded me of how soldiers without a commander would behave.

They probably weren’t receiving clear orders.

It was something I had more or less predicted.

After I took down their team captain in a one-on-one duel during the second set, I had a hunch.

This would definitely take a toll on their mental state.

From the start, I knew they were someone with a strong sense of pride.

Renoch players tend to be that way.

They say you can tell a player’s personality based on the character they play.

Renoch, in particular, is a character that requires skill and leans heavily into a flashy style, often described as overly stylish.

As a result, Renoch players are often known for having a stronger sense of pride in their gameplay compared to other users—this is a widely accepted notion among players.

This tradition has existed since before Abyss’s official release.

So, while I wasn’t 100% certain, I had my suspicions.

The opposing team’s captain must be someone with a lot of pride.

It turns out my assumption was spot on.

The old saying is true—people don’t change.

As I nodded in agreement with myself, I heard someone calling for me.

“Our MVP is awfully quiet, huh?”

“Right? Where did they go? Honestly, they worked the hardest.”

“Hey, you’re not doing something weird on camera again, are you? Flipping people off is considered rude, you know.”

“I’m not doing that, not this time.”

—GG! The finals conclude with a 3-0 score! Kayak Team defeats Yu-hye Team to claim the championship!

—We can’t miss hearing from the champions, right?

Before we move on to an interview with the victorious Kayak Team, let’s first announce the Finals MVP.

—I’m sure many of you already have an idea of the results.

Without further ado, let’s reveal the MVP!

—Congratulations to Kayak!

Before the winner’s interview, let’s have a few words from the Finals MVP, Kayak!

“Welcome! Kayak, congratulations on winning the 2nd Abyss Streamer Tournament hosted by Taker and being named Finals MVP!

Could you start by sharing your thoughts with us?”

“Ah, yes. First, I’d like to thank my teammates.

It must have been a tough and demanding training period, but they stuck with it, and I’m grateful.

As the team captain, I’m just thrilled that we could win together like this.”

[Noonaaaaaaa]

[What’s up with that voice… That voice… That voice… That voice… That voice…]

[Okay, the voice is good.]

[Kayak’s really good at talking too, huh?]

[Are they, like, a voice actor or something?]

[Wait, Kayak’s a woman?!]

[Ahaha, for those who don’t know, Kayak has been a legendary Abyss player since early access and is the founder of the Abyss Gallery.]

[Are they pretending to sound like a girl? Some kind of netkama?]

[They’re probably a female gamer. No way a girl could play this well, though.]

[What kind of outdated comment is that? Seriously…]

[What if they’re just using a carry service? Could be their boyfriend playing for them.]

[They’ve already shown their hands on stream—boyfriend, my foot.]

[How do we even know if those hands belong to a man or a woman?]

[Come on, those are obviously women’s hands.]

[I’m honestly not sure if they’re a guy or a girl.]

[Should they just show their face too?]

[Stop hating for no reason.]

“Wow, you’ve certainly given us a smooth and eloquent response!

Now, I’d like to ask you a few questions about the match.

In the finals, Kayak Team’s performance was noticeably different from the semifinals—”

“Instead of using Camilla for two consecutive games, you chose other heroes.”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”

“In the first set, you lost Camilla to the other team, but in the second set, despite having Camilla available, you chose Renoch instead. Was there a specific reason for this?”

I was wondering when this question would come up. Smiling faintly so everyone could hear, I responded.

“Well, isn’t it obvious? It’s probably for the same reason everyone’s thinking. I’m just not the type to sit back and take it.”

“Ah, so you’re saying that since Team Yu-hye took Camilla first, you decided to take Renoch as a counter, is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”

[Ohhh… the type who doesn’t just sit back… Ohhh… doesn’t just sit back… Ohhh… doesn’t just sit back…]

[Wow… the kind who doesn’t just take it…]

[So spicy, noona…]

[Basically, ‘Now you try it.’]

[Yu-hye’s expression was legendary during that, haha.]

[Haha, right? If you snipe someone, you should be ready to get sniped back.]

“Regardless of the reason, we got to see some visually stunning moments because of it. For instance, Berserker Alec in the first set, and the Renoch versus Alec showdown in the second. You’ve shown everyone that you’re not just a skilled Camilla user.”

“Hmm. Thank you.”

As much as I try, I can’t help but smile when receiving compliments. It feels like dopamine is flooding my brain. Clearing my throat slightly, I refocused on the commentator’s next question.

“Moving on, let’s talk about your opponent in the finals, Yu-hye. Until recently, she was a professional player. You performed admirably against such a skilled player. Do you have any thoughts about potentially joining the professional league yourself? Could you give us a little hint?”

“Well…”

“As a fan and not just a commentator, I hope you can answer without feeling too pressured.”

Seriously, saying that just adds pressure, doesn’t it?

A pro career, huh.

There was a time when I dreamt of becoming a professional player.

When I regularly hit Challenger ranks and held top spots on the leaderboard, I thought about joining the Abyss pro scene.

However, back then, the league wasn’t fully established yet, and everything seemed uncertain.

How could I think about going pro when the game’s future was so shaky?

Rather than risk being a pro in a dying game, I decided to focus on keeping the game alive while exploring other pursuits during my free time.

Life is about timing. If the league had been thriving back then, maybe I really would’ve gone pro.

Even now, it’s not impossible, but the allure of being a professional doesn’t hold the same pull it once did.

Besides, there’s the issue of my body physically resembling Camilla now, among other complicated factors.

“Honestly, I’m pretty content with streaming right now. Competing in tournaments like this and interacting with people—it’s fulfilling.”

It was the best response I could manage in the situation.

The commentator seemed satisfied, chuckling as they moved on.

“Thank you for your answer. Lastly, do you have anything you’d like to say to your fans and viewers who’ve supported you? Feel free to plug your channel or anything else.”

Ah, I had something prepared for this.

“First, I want to thank everyone who has supported me so far. Your encouragement has been a huge source of strength, and it’s thanks to you that I was able to win.

Now, onto the main point…”

“Haha, I wonder what you’re about to say, holding us in suspense like this. I’m curious too.”

This was my personal, big announcement.

Licking my dry lips, I began.

“On behalf of the thousands of Camilla users across the country, I declare this: Camilla is not weak.

To those who’ve been dodged in ranked matches simply for picking Camilla, to those who’ve endured endless slander in online communities—hold your heads high.

I, the champion of this prestigious tournament, stake my name on it: Camilla is not a discarded adoptee of Ionix, not some useless creation of the heavens, nor a flawed weakling.

She’s a strong and capable hero, and I stand by that.”

A brief silence followed.

On-screen, the commentator’s dumbfounded expression was visible.

“…Uh, is that all you have to say?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Ah, well. Okay! That was CamillaIsNotWeak, Kayak! Thank you for your time!”