Analyzing the opponents before a match is a fundamental aspect of being a professional gamer, especially when it’s predicted that the enemy will be stronger. The more one feels like the underdog, the more thoroughly one must exploit their weaknesses while blocking their strengths.

This was the situation for Galaxy Gaming ahead of their match against Sigma. Just recently, they had suffered a devastating defeat to the nemesis ACL. The team members, along with the coach and staff, were all on edge.

“Are we all here? You’ve all seen the matches, but let’s quickly go over a few important moments.”

Early in the morning, all the team members gathered in the briefing room. The central screen displayed the first set of the ruined fortress battle between Sigma and ACL.

Since the Summer League began, there was a saying that had taken root in the IKL:

“No one can defeat Ga-wol in a one-on-one match.”

This led to the conclusion that they wouldn’t be able to gain an advantage in side battles either, making it difficult to create variables. Once a game tips in a certain direction, it becomes hard to turn it around.

Various methods had been tried until now. They included completely ignoring Ga-wol and going for a direct team clash, or attempting to isolate her using the Inquisitor. As a result, Sigma eSports had been on a winning streak without even a single set loss.

“Oh, it’s hard to watch, really.”
“This is a snuff film.”

The battle at the ruined fortress was symbolic of that situation. With short range and no guard classes, the chaotic combination was pushed to the brink. They were getting beaten from start to finish… it was a nightmare of a match for any professional gamer.

The coach of Galaxy Gaming paused the screen. The time rewound to the early part of the match. The moment a battle priest was helplessly executed flashed on the screen.

“Here at this moment. What do you think?”
“It’s horrible. If the support dies like that, it’s hard to keep playing. It’s not like the gunslinger was slow to react. Look, they immediately went for cover fire.”

The gunslinger who was supposed to cover the battle priest was Mamba, a player who consistently delivered good performances. However, there was nothing he could do against an enemy who never gave him an angle to shoot.

“The entry angles and hidden positions also seem tricky. There was definitely a scene where they were searching but couldn’t find anyone, right? They were just a few steps away from the boundary.”
“But we can’t just keep the support guarded the whole time because of one assassin. We never know when they’ll come.”
“Our youngest will have a tough time again. What are we going to do?”
“Ah… It reminds me of when I faced the Reaper. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. Where did that thing even come from?”

The feedback continued loudly. The players of Galaxy Gaming actively shared their thoughts. The coach wore a smile.

It wasn’t 100% the answer he wanted, but nothing they said was wrong. It was a difference in direction. Since it wasn’t something to be corrected, it was better to respect it and suggest alternatives.

“Shall we take a look at this too?”

The monitor switched displays. This time, it showed a clash between Sigma and Q Prime, where Ga-wol was entangled with the Beast Hunter and was being pulled towards the Sanctuary of Judgment.

“What do you think about this?”
“What do I think? It was shocking. They weren’t that easy to deal with.”
“From a team perspective, Ga-wol was hasty. Sigma isn’t a team with great breakthrough potential... Ah.”

The woman who had been most actively voicing her opinions was Azure, who nodded her head.

Galaxy Gaming is characterized by its intricate battles and teamwork, a style that primarily stems from its captain, Azure. She is the most highly regarded long-range dealer in the IKL and also the main order of the team.

Just as people think of Luche when they hear about paladins, Azure is synonymous with Ice Mages. Although she had given up her position to Sigma after the Hero’s transfer, she had reigned as a strong contender for a considerable time in the country.

To put it differently, now that Crimson has returned, Galaxy Gaming has begun to spread its wings properly. The coach and Azure also had a good working relationship.

“Should we aim to catch Ga-wol first, then?”
“I wish we could. Individual skill is different from team play, right? If the previous two teams had focused solely on Ga-wol, I think they could have taken her down.”
“The first two teams didn’t lose because they were foolish. It would definitely be an overinvestment. Luche is also tricky to deal with.”

Azure countered the path suggested by the coach. It wasn’t merely nitpicking. If she concluded that her reasoning made sense, she was a player who would follow the coach’s instructions thoroughly.

Ga-wol isn’t invincible. If two or three opponents rush in, they could take her down.

The issue was how to coordinate the main force of Sigma that Luche would lead. How to manage a separate battlefield from Ga-wol was the problem. Even Azure couldn’t see Luche as an easy opponent.

“If it’s just defense and not actual combat, we could hold out, right? I’ve spotted a few battlefields we could use. Since Sigma pursues a balanced combination…”

After repeated discussions, the core of the strategy began to take shape.

Compared to Ga-wol’s speed and boldness, Sigma’s main force isn’t a combination with great breakthrough potential. They are strong in battle itself, but there is a clear limit to settling things in one go. If they deliberately drag out the game, they can certainly buy enough time.

“Our team has great performances from the ADCs. If we can handle Ga-wol well, we can clean up the main force as well.”

It isn’t about tying down Ga-wol to empower the main force. It’s about tying down the main force and empowering Ga-wol to land a heavy blow. Galaxy Gaming sharpened their strategy.

A sweet taste lingered in my mouth. I could feel warmth on my cheeks, and my stomach tingled slightly. My body heated up, producing a soft sound.

“Ugh… haah…”

In the sinking darkness, a hand touched my abdomen. The gentle fingers that had been caressing me began to move lower, eventually reaching my lower abdomen. A subtle stimulation felt as if it was teasing me, pressing in gently.

It wasn’t strong. It was a faint sensation that wouldn’t be felt if I didn’t concentrate. Still, a weak current of pleasure flowed through my nerves, making me dizzy.

‘It would be nice if you could do it a bit harder. Don’t tease me like this; it doesn’t hurt anymore, so just push a little harder…’

My submerged consciousness gradually began to awaken. Strangely, my body didn’t move well.

Was I drunk? It felt a little different from that. It wasn’t that my body was swaying; it felt like my limbs weren’t being controlled properly at all. My vision seemed to sway around randomly as well.

Then, the moment my legs drew together, my eyes opened wide.

“Ugh, huh?”

When I opened my eyes, I was in my room. Ah, it was a dream.

Of course, there was no one around. Instead, only a very quiet and cozy darkness surrounded me. The reason I couldn’t move my body well was probably because I had wrapped myself in my blanket too tightly. Maybe I tossed and turned too much while sleeping, as my body was in a position that was tightly bound by the fabric.

I checked my phone, and the time was 2:05 AM. I hadn’t been asleep for long.

I sighed softly, only to frown.

I felt a bit uncomfortable and damp.

“Surely my period should be over, right?”

An uneasy feeling rose up. This isn’t my one-room apartment. There are other players sleeping in the room next door. Leaving a bloody mark in a place like this would be a disaster.

I checked with my phone’s flash, and thankfully, the worst-case scenario hadn’t happened. I wasn’t entirely relieved, though.

It had only been a short time since my period had ended. After checking, I realized it wasn’t blood, but it had a strangely sticky quality, as if I had committed an embarrassing faux pas. So, this must be...

“…I did laundry yesterday.”

There was nothing I could do about what had already happened. As my physical condition improved, such incidents were becoming more frequent. It should mean that I was getting healthier, but when it happened like this, I couldn’t purely be happy about it.

I wrapped my underwear carefully in a corner to avoid any smell and changed into clean clothes, efficiently tidying up the aftermath.

Since I was a bit awake, I went out to the lobby to grab a drink. I needed something caffeine-free since I planned to go back to sleep. I took a warm soy milk in my mouth.

Halfway through, I heard someone approaching.

“Oh? Weren’t you going to sleep?”
“I woke up. How about you?”
“I did too. That soy milk looks good; I think I’ll have that too.”

It was Hekate, Seo Ye-won. Though she seemed to be a little scared of me, she approached confidently, behaving strangely bold. Knowing we were the same age, she immediately dropped the formal speech.

Hekate, who had brought her soy milk, naturally sat down beside me.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow’s match?”
“Not really. I’ve never been the type to get nervous. I wasn’t nervous during the arena matches either.”
“Lucky you. I was a mess even during the Spring matches.”
“You didn’t seem like that at all.”
“That’s because you were there. I’m naturally timid and actually very introverted.”

Her gaze drifted off somewhere. An awkward smile returned.

“I recently managed to change that. I really worked hard before our opening match. Oh, did you know? Training got so tough that there were times I resented you.”
“You looked that way. I wondered if I might have gone a bit overboard, but I have no regrets.”
“It’s fine. At some point, I also felt more at ease. I trained hard enough to have no regrets, and you kept telling me to believe in myself. Even though I debuted before you, I felt embarrassed… but I was really inspired.”

Ye-won lightly raised her glass. Although it wasn’t alcohol, we clinked our cups together. Her beaming smile was quite pleasant to see.

“So, let’s do well in tomorrow’s match. Let’s work hard together.”
“Yeah, let’s definitely win.”