Chapter 84: “Defeat (Revision)”

What kind of confidence is this?

Should it be called audacity or arrogance to challenge a pro gamer to a 1v1 match?

From the first meeting until now, she was someone completely unpredictable.

From her appearance, overly resembling Camilla, to her bizarre skills and knowledge.

Even though she had received permission, her boldness in pointing out flaws to someone she just met—a professional at that—was astonishing.

Back when one of his teammates was watching her stream, Minhyung had no particular thoughts about her. But now, he couldn’t help but be intrigued.

“Has there ever been someone like her?”

Minhyung turned his head slightly to glance at the woman sitting to his side.

Her small head, silver hair gleaming with luster, and her blue eyes.

Minhyung had already finished his preparations, which allowed him to observe her with some leisure.

She had a serious expression, but the corners of her mouth were subtly lifted as if she was secretly enjoying the situation.

Minhyung found it slightly puzzling.

Was she not nervous at all?

Even though she was about to go up against a professional gamer like him…

As a professional, it was only natural for Minhyung to have a high level of pride in his gaming skills.

Hadn’t he even received the MVP award in the league just last season?

She must have the same natural competitive spirit that Minhyung had.

Win or lose, she likely just enjoyed playing the game and facing strong opponents.

Truly, she was quite a fascinating person.

Now that he thought about it, he understood why people were drawn to her as an up-and-coming popular streamer.

She had such a unique and vivid personality.

Of course, the first thing that caught his attention was her appearance.

But now, he was even more curious about who she really was and what kind of person she was inside.

He adjusted his headset, moving his mouse back and forth as he checked his equipment, all while watching Kayak.

“Huh?”

When she suddenly turned to look at him, Minhyung reflexively looked away.

What a stunningly beautiful woman.

If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up staring at her blankly without realizing it.

Minhyung himself didn’t even know why he turned his head so quickly.

Maybe it was because he felt like he had been caught sneaking a glance at her, and like a thief fleeing the scene, he instinctively looked away.

While he sat there awkwardly, Kayak’s voice, tinged with amusement, reached him.

“Um, Minhyung? The player?”

“Yes?”

“How about we make a little bet? Just to make the game more fun.”

“A bet?”

Hadn’t they already agreed that whoever won would have the final say on the build?

But now, a bet? What kind of bet could she possibly mean?

“What kind of bet…?”

“It’s nothing big, just something like a wish ticket. A light favor that we could grant each other, nothing burdensome.”

Was this what witches in the Middle Ages were like?

The way Kayak smiled as she said it, her face looked as if she was plotting something.

It made Minhyung feel uneasy.

A wish ticket, a wish ticket, huh?

Objectively speaking, Minhyung had no real reason to accept such a suggestion.

He wasn’t someone who enjoyed gambling, nor did he have any particular request to make of Kayak.

But somehow, refusing her proposal made him feel like less of a man.

It felt as though declining the bet would make it seem like he was too scared to accept a fun, lighthearted challenge from her.

Minhyung’s thoughts were further influenced by the chatter of his teammates around him.

Hearing their whispers as they eavesdropped on their conversation, Minhyung caught phrases like:

“Is he really going to back out of this?”

“Is he not going to accept this?”

The peer pressure was undeniable.

“Wow, a wish ticket. If it were me, I’d accept it right away.”

“Scared? Scared? Choi Minhyung is such a cowardly man.”

“Guys, quiet down.”

The voices quieted under the command of the team captain, Junhyuk, but they were enough to shake Minhyung’s resolve.

It wasn’t because Minhyung was easily influenced, but because he felt there was some truth to their words.

‘If I don’t lose, that’s all that matters, right…?’

Just the thought of losing before the match had even started was the wrong mindset.

Choi Minhyung—how had his entrance test gone?

The entrance test, which was conducted as a series of 1v1 matches.

Even when facing first- and second-string players one after another, his record was 9 wins and 1 loss in 10 matches.

And that single loss was to the team captain, Junhyuk, who was considered one of the best in the current era.

When it came to 1v1 skills, Minhyung was top-tier within Fusion Gaming.

Being recognized as the best in 1v1 by the domestic top team, he was objectively acknowledged as one of the strongest in the professional scene.

‘What kind of professional worries about losing to an amateur…?’

Minhyung suddenly felt embarrassed by himself.

What was he so afraid of?

His opponent couldn’t even hide her excitement about the upcoming match against a pro gamer.

At this point, Minhyung decided to accept Kayak’s proposal.

He didn’t know what she was plotting, but he figured it didn’t matter as long as he won.

“Alright, let’s do it. A wish ticket bet.”

Kayak’s face lit up with joy.

The game began.

The hero Minhyung chose was Lennox, a character every professional was expected to know how to play.

As usual, Kayak picked Camilla.

Camilla’s equipment was as minimal as could be.

A two-handed sword with no shield, an iron shoulder guard covering her left shoulder, and stockings that didn’t look very functional as defensive gear.

With such a setup, as Minhyung had mentioned earlier, a single properly landed attack could instantly kill her or leave her so injured that she’d have to retreat.

But still, she insisted it would work.

She had repeatedly claimed that there was no reason to use this build if it weren’t for this specific setup.

After all, this duel was initiated to prove whether her argument was correct.

And so, before the sparsely equipped Camilla stood the black figure of the undertaker Lennox.

Minhyung was struck with a wave of nostalgia.

He thought back to the old days when he first showed up for Fusion Gaming’s entrance test, brimming with anticipation.

Back then, he also played 1v1 matches, repeatedly picking Lennox.

There were many differences between now and back then.

For one, his opponent was Camilla this time.

His opponent wasn’t a professional but an amateur.

And, perhaps because of his years of experience, he wasn’t as nervous as he used to be.

Even so, the memories came rushing back, likely because the opponent standing before him seemed more formidable than he had expected.

Kayak stood still, tightly gripping her two-handed sword, staring straight ahead without moving.

Her posture looked as though she was a master giving a novice the first move, which made Minhyung let out a small chuckle.

“Ha.”

The game had already begun.

Regardless of her intentions, there was no reason to hesitate.

Minhyung’s Lennox raised his massive greatsword.

Bang!

The sound was less like metal striking metal and more like the thud of a blunt object smashing down.

The distinctive heavy impact effect of Lennox’s greatsword signaled the start of the battle.

Top of Form

Minhyung was known as an aggressive player, even among professionals.

True to his reputation, Minhyung’s Lennox continued his relentless offensive after the initial heavy strike.

Attack, attack, and attack again.

Lennox’s steps kept advancing forward, showing footwork that seemed impossibly light for someone wielding a heavy greatsword.

It was as if he was determined never to give up the initiative, pressing forward with consecutive attacks.

Camilla, on the other hand, seemed to barely deflect the onslaught of Lennox’s greatsword and kicks as they came flying at her.

“Wow, Minhyung isn’t holding back at all.”

“Look at that footwork. He’s going all out.”

“Well, there’s a wish ticket on the line… ahem.”

Minhyung ignored the teasing comments from behind him.

More accurately, he didn’t have the luxury to pay attention to them.

‘She’s blocking all of this… without slipping up?’

Kayak’s defense was far better than he had anticipated.

On the screen, Camilla swung her slender arms to block every single strike of Lennox’s greatsword.

It was parrying—a skill that nullifies attacks, activated only when the correct key is pressed with precise timing.

Hearing the sharp clashing sounds of blades meeting, Minhyung let out a bitter chuckle.

‘Even pros wouldn’t bother doing this…’

Yet, she executed it flawlessly, without a single mistake.

It was a precarious balancing act. A single misstep in timing or input would lead to disastrous results.

At the highest level, duels between top-tier players were akin to a turn-based game.

Since Minhyung’s relentless barrage of attacks had come to an end, it was now Kayak’s turn.

With lightning speed, Kayak thrust her sword forward, seizing the brief opening after Lennox’s wide swing.

But Minhyung was a seasoned pro who had encountered such situations countless times.

He knew exactly when his openings would appear and even used them intentionally as part of a psychological tactic.

In that fleeting moment, he planned to counterattack if Kayak failed to capitalize on the precise timing.

However, Kayak wasn’t fooled this time either.

She calmly stepped back, continuing a steady offense as if she was fully aware of the traps Minhyung had laid.

As time passed, it was Kayak who began to find herself at a disadvantage.

This was due to the fundamental differences in their heroes, builds, and equipment.

‘Does she really think she can overcome this?’

In a war of attrition, Lennox naturally held the upper hand.

To close this gap, Camilla would have needed defensive traits.

Kayak, however, had claimed she could turn the situation around without relying on defense.

How?

Minhyung couldn’t imagine, though he was admittedly curious.

By this point, the other players spectating the match had already sensed Minhyung’s impending victory.

In their eyes, there didn’t seem to be any way for Kayak to reverse the tide.

Only one person, the team captain Junhyuk, silently watched the match with a sharp glint in his eyes.

‘This is the end.’

Even Minhyung, as the player in the match, could feel that momentum was now fully on his side.

Without rushing, he began carefully cornering his opponent, who was now backed into a narrow jungle area.

There was nowhere left for Camilla to retreat.

Confident of his victory, Minhyung swung his heavy greatsword with certainty.

Woosh—

‘What?’

Suddenly, Camilla crouched down, planting her hands on the ground as she kicked upward.

Oddly enough, this bold and risky move produced an unexpected outcome.

By the smallest of margins, Camilla’s body narrowly slipped past the side of Lennox’s greatsword.

At the same time, her kick landed squarely on Lennox’s face.

This was a technique that was only possible in the tight confines of the jungle.

If the space had been wider, such a peculiar counterattack wouldn’t have been feasible.

Lennox, struck in the face by the acrobatic kick, entered a brief stun state.

Seizing the moment, Camilla dashed forward, swung her sword swiftly, and immediately retreated.

It was a flawless exchange of damage.

Now, the advantage in health was on Camilla’s side.

“Heh.”

A faint chuckle came from the back of the room.

It came from none other than Junhyuk, the team captain, who was known for rarely smiling.