Chapter 97: The Gamer

Of course, team games and 1v1 matches are completely different.

This applied to Aeor War, a game marketed as a hyper FPS, as well.

A battlefield where strategic movement and team tactics were crucial

was vastly different from one where you fought alone.

Shooting a gun was the same,

but the strategies changed drastically depending on whether it was 1v1, 1vX, or team vs. team.

Ah, though in this case,

it wasn’t shooting at all.

My character was wielding a sword.

Unlike my match against Jimin,

this time, I held nothing back.

Because these guys?

Just from a glance, I could tell they were the real deal.

They were Division 2 players, sure.

But I knew better than to underestimate them.

If I played with too much confidence,

I’d end up getting destroyed.

So, I didn’t let my guard down—

From the very beginning, I went all in.

“W-Whoa…!”

A shaky voice came from my opponent.

Understandable.

His character was being shredded apart,

unable to land a proper counterattack.

Did he not expect me to go aggressive from the start?

Or did he simply let his guard down?

Maybe it wasn’t just underestimation.

Maybe he genuinely couldn’t imagine

someone this pretty being this good at a game.

Whatever the reason,

I had taken control of the match.

And I never let go of that lead.

I secured victory in the first round,

with my HP still mostly intact.

“Ji-hoon lost without even putting up a fight?”

“That was a complete beatdown…”

“Did he get overconfident?”

The murmuring audience reminded me of a PC café crowd.

Still, no one was giving Ji-hoon any backseat coaching.

They respected each other as players.

“Ji-hoon, come here for a second.”

Coach Kim Kwang-chul pulled him aside for a quick talk.

For a moment, I thought—

“Isn’t this kind of unfair?”

But since their conversation was short,

it was probably just something simple like:

“Stop playing lazy and take this seriously.”

The second round began.

Character swaps weren’t allowed.

My opponent switched to a retired soldier,

armed with a shield, pistol, and throwing dagger.

I remained a swordsman.

The main difference this time?

I started with only 70% HP.

There were no resets between rounds.

Like a deathmatch,

the fight continued where it left off.

Bang!

Ji-hoon broke the silence with a precise gunshot.

His aim followed my movement perfectly,

gradually chipping away at my HP.

And whenever I tried to deflect bullets and counterattack,

He immediately raised his shield or created distance.

“Way better than the first round.”

“That’s how you play against a swordsman.”

“Looks like he’s warmed up.”

He was playing a lot cleaner now.

Enough to make me feel the pressure.

Aero War had a hidden balance system—agent matchups.

Some players joked that it was like an AOS or fighting game,

where certain characters naturally countered others.

In chaotic team fights,

these matchups weren’t as noticeable.

But in 1v1 situations,

they mattered a lot.

At first, people dismissed it as a baseless community theory,

but as the meta settled,

certain matchup advantages became practically official.

Swordsman vs. Retired Soldier was one of them.

The swordsman relied on mobility and unpredictable attacks.

But against a specialist with a shield, solid defense, and precise ranged pressure—

they struggled hard.

Not completely unwinnable,

but the win rate was around 30-70.

And in a 1v1 setting,

that kind of disadvantage hit even harder.

I lunged forward.

Blocked by the shield.

He backed away,

firing his pistol.

I dodged and dashed in,

trying to close the gap.

Shield Charge.

I got staggered and was stunned for a moment.

A throwing dagger came flying—

I narrowly dodged with a quick sidestep.

But then—

The follow-up pistol shot hit me dead-on.

“Damn, he’s playing well.”

“Honestly, just winning a single round as a swordsman is impressive.”

“Look at him—just chipping away bit by bit.”

Ji-hoon’s playstyle was as solid as expected for a pro.

He was playing defensively,

gradually gaining small advantages.

If this kept up,

I would eventually crumble under the pressure.

It was also just the nature of the agent he picked.

The Retired Soldier was designed to be a calculated, tactical veteran.

Frustrating enemies,

managing resources efficiently,

and slowly draining their HP.

That’s why he was considered one of the most annoying agents in the game.

Anyone who played him well would inevitably get called “disgusting”.

Ji-hoon was exactly that kind of player.

And it was a compliment.

But I couldn’t stop there.

If I just sat here complaining about his playstyle,

I’d be admitting defeat before the fight was over.

This battlefield was not in my favor.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t win.

Of course, team games and 1v1 matches are completely different.

Aeor War, despite being a hyper FPS, was no exception.

A battlefield where strategic movement and team-based tactics were essential

was vastly different from a fight where you had to operate solo.

The mechanics of shooting were the same,

but whether it was 1v1, 1vX, or team vs. team,

the way you played changed dramatically.

Well, in this case,

it wasn’t even shooting.

I was wielding a sword.

It felt like my opponent already knew I’d pick the Swordsman—

choosing the Retired Soldier to counter me.

A high-risk matchup.

I needed something to flip the game.

“Heh.”

A small laugh escaped me.

“Ah, this is bad. Everyone else is serious, and I’m over here laughing… I must look weird.”

But I couldn’t help it.

I was having too much fun.

It had been so long since I had to think this strategically in a match.

It felt like I was going back in time,

back to when I wasn’t physically gifted and had to rely purely on strategy.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Why bother thinking about disadvantages?

If I’m at a disadvantage, am I supposed to just give up?

I’ve always been the underdog.

And I’ve always found a way to overcome it.

This time won’t be any different.

As always, I’ll prove myself through results.

“How many have lost already?”

“Where did this person even come from?”

“Do all streamers play at this level now? This is scary.”

“She’d completely dominate the women’s league.”

“Didn’t she say women’s league was too easy for her?”

“…Yeah, I can see why.”

A crowd had gathered, pressing in as closely as they could without disrupting the game.

After Ji-hoon lost,

two more players had followed in defeat.

Men and women are different.

Their hormonal and genetic makeup is inherently distinct,

which naturally creates physical differences.

There’s a reason why men’s and women’s leagues exist separately.

But now, the Titan Underrock players

no longer saw Molru as just a “pretty female gamer.”

No—

At this moment,

they couldn’t see her that way even if they wanted to.

To them, Molru was a player.

“She’s insane. I almost never lose to Swordsmen when I play Retired Soldier, but she’s different.”

“What makes her different?”

“Her entire playstyle. She doesn’t play like other Swordsmen.”

“She’s great at mind games, yet also aggressive. But at the same time, she’s calculated in her trades…”

“So basically, she’s just good.”

“Yeah. At first, I thought I lost because I let my guard down.”

“But no—she was just better. Even from the very beginning, she had everything planned out.”

“I felt the wall.”

Ji-hoon spoke with calm resignation,

his voice laced with frustration, disappointment, and admiration.

Kang Min-hyuk,

who had yet to face Molru,

shifted his gaze toward her.

Most of the players were impressed by her skills.

But Min-hyuk noticed something else.

“She’s smiling.”

She wasn’t nervous.

She wasn’t under pressure.

She was having fun.

Min-hyuk let out a small laugh.

Molru wasn’t the type to show her emotions openly.

After watching her for over an hour,

he had realized her default expression was a blank, neutral face.

But because he had been paying attention,

or maybe because he was just naturally observant,

he noticed the subtle changes.

Her lips curled up slightly.

Her eyes softened.

The moment the game ended,

she returned to her usual neutral expression.

But just a moment ago—

she had definitely been smiling.

And once the next match started,

he was sure her expression would shift again.

As if to say—

“I’m really enjoying this.”

Min-hyuk couldn’t help but be impressed.

“She’s a true gamer.”

It had been a long time since he’d seen someone this passionate about the game.

Her raw skill was one thing.

But what shocked him even more was her pure enjoyment of the game itself.

Most pro gamers don’t start out aiming to be pros.

They play as a hobby,

discover their talent,

and eventually turn gaming into a career.

But once a hobby becomes a job,

it’s hard to still enjoy it.

And yet—

just look at her.

From Min-hyuk’s perspective,

Molru was standing at the crossroads.

This was the moment when her hobby was about to become a profession.

Min-hyuk had been a pro for a long time,

and he could no longer say he loved gaming like he used to.

But Molru’s smile—

That was exactly the kind of pure joy he had been searching for.

And suddenly, he found himself wondering—

“If she becomes a pro, will she still love the game?”

“Alright, let’s move on to the next match.”

As that question lingered in Min-hyuk’s mind,

Molru’s next opponent stepped forward.

[Author’s Note]

Molru going pro is not something I, the author, particularly want.

I don’t like dragging out story arcs for too long.

At most, an arc will last 3 chapters.

But if she debuts as a pro,

the story would naturally extend into national and even world tournaments.

I appreciate all the concerns left in the comments.

However, don’t worry—I didn’t change the story based on reactions.

I’ll continue striving to write and improve.

Thank you.

→ Next Chapter