Each league has players who represent their regions.
Even without pointing out the top players from Europe or North America, there was always at least one famous player from regions like Northeast Asia, including Korea, West Asia, or South America.

But the most frequently mentioned ones were undoubtedly from Europe and North America. Not only because their international results were good, but because the influence of these players was different. Representing a league meant that you were defining the style of that league.

For example, in Europe, the league was one where ranged damage dealers were especially obsessed with firepower. It was due to the dominance of long-game specialists like Cerberus and the backline disruptor, Reaper.

If you dragged the game out against Cerberus, you were bound to lose. However, since there were no players capable of defeating him in close combat, the team had to rely on ranged dealers. To prevent being devoured by Reaper, specialized bodyguards became a common strategy.

As for the North American league...

It was a league dominated by two notorious figures.

“Did you gain some weight?”
“Shut up, you rude bastard. You’ve got nothing better to say as soon as you meet me.”
“I was just joking. Did you really put on weight?”
“You better watch out when you’re walking at night. I’ll come find you one of these days.”
“That’s why I never go out at night. There are too many people looking to get me.”

In a café in Los Angeles, California, a small woman frowned. Across from her, a man sipped his coffee with a smirk.

The rough-talking woman was a professional gamer known by her nickname, "Hero."
And the man across from her was "Phantom."

Together, they influenced the North American league, turning it into one focused on survival and mobility. The assassin class, known for its high kill potential, had to survive Phantom’s grip and face Hero’s overwhelming power.
As a result, North American matches often featured flashy and stylish classes.

“This café is nice. It’s not too remote, but not too crowded either. The coffee tastes good too.”
“This is the place my coach recommended. I liked it too, so I come here often.”

America was a land far from their hometowns. Despite being on different teams, both of them had started living in a foreign land at the same time, which created a sense of camaraderie.
A meeting that started by chance had lasted for several years now.

Hero's fork cut through the cheesecake.
The piece of bread stuck to the fork, and a bright smile appeared on her face. Phantom stared intently at her before speaking.

“Is that cheesecake really that good?”
“Yeah. Whenever I come here, I always get it.”
“Let me try a bite, I want to see what it tastes like.”
“Are you crazy? Why would I give you a bite of mine?”
“You won the last match, right? If you like it, I’ll get one for myself, but let me try a bite first.”
“Ugh...”

Over the years, a certain unspoken rule had developed between the two of them.

In the league, the two were constantly trading victories. Familiarity alone couldn’t soothe the bitterness of defeat.
Whenever they met, the winner would cover the meal costs, allowing them to clear the air.

In the second round of the North American league, Hero had claimed the victory.
Finally, with her hands trembling, Hero shared a small portion of the cake.

In short, even after years, the sting of defeat was still painful.
Despite accumulating championship titles and many wins, they remained obsessed with the outcome.

Professional gamers at the top are all like that.
They were people for whom only victory and the game mattered. So, their conversation was hardly ever special.

“I think I’m starting to see which teams will make it to the World Championship.”
“Well, it’s about that time.”
“Do you have any teams you’re watching?”
“Same old ones, and maybe Japan.”
“I think that necromancer looks interesting.”

A good amount of time had passed since the start of the second round, which came with a new patch.
At this point, the rankings in most regions were beginning to stabilize.
The exact results would take a bit longer to confirm, but the teams heading for the World Championship were already becoming clearer.

Some teams had fallen while others had risen.
Naturally, a new team to watch had emerged in this year's World Championship as well.

Falcon, who had made an impact in the Prelude, had smoothly taken control of the Japanese league.
The team of Crow, who had showcased corpse bombing in the arena, was also gaining attention.
Team CP was being highlighted for its unusual tactics.

And lastly,

“Are you really not going to mention the Korean league?”
“That country is done for.”
“Have you not seen any matches at all?”
“...I’ve seen it. But only because of one team.”

Hero smiled broadly.
Phantom's distaste for his home country was something that had been around for quite a while, as he had long since become a naturalized American citizen.

During the peak years of IKL, Phantom had faced events that were beyond “unfair” in Korea.
His allegations had led to the explosive end of one team, an Exodus within the league, and it was during that time that Hero had escaped to the U.S.

Since then, IKL had weakened and struggled to regain its strength.
However, recently, Phantom had come across a team that particularly bothered him.

Hero had no hard feelings toward his hometown, so he was able to easily mention the name of this team.

“Sigma is pretty scary. I lost one-on-one to them when I went to Korea.”
“I saw it. That’s why I still don’t get it. How did someone like that emerge from Korea?”
“They probably did something else before gaming. I’m sure of it. When I faced them, their movements clearly showed they had been trained in combat. They must have come from a real elite background.”
“Exactly. If they weren’t that good, there’s no way I’d believe it.”

Sigma eSports had become the dominant force in the Korean league.
In the second round, they were still on track for an undefeated season. They crushed their competition without even a single match loss.

Even though IKL’s reputation had fallen so far, the rise of an outlier team had turned heads.
Rumors about them were already spreading in various parts of the world.

Objectively... they weren’t yet strong enough to win the World Championship.
But a spot in the top eight seemed very likely. Given the right circumstances, the team might even make it to the semifinals, which was the general consensus.
They were being evaluated as a team that could potentially cause an upset.

Phantom was especially concerned about the changes in IKL.

The appearance of an invincible predator.
Every team had to adapt and go through trial and error to survive. Once the research was complete, the results would likely become IKL’s “style.”

Wasn’t this a scenario that felt eerily familiar?
It mirrored the development of Europe and North America almost perfectly.

“Alright. We don’t know yet. There’s never been an undefeated team in the regular season, after all. It’s still the Korean league.”

Phantom had no objections to Sigma being a strong team.
But there was still much to prove.

eSports was a field with frequent upsets.
Unlike other sports with fixed rules, in eSports, unconventional tactics could emerge at any moment.
With enough data accumulated from the regular season, it was about time for something new to appear.

Phantom frowned as he spoke. He seemed to be talking a bit faster now.

“There’ll be a lot of variables in the playoffs. Once the momentum is broken, weaknesses start to show...”
“Do you know how ugly you sound right now? Just admit it already.”
“...”
“Ugh, what a pain.”

Hero’s lips curled into a sly smile.
It had been a long time since Phantom had been silenced.

Match Commentary:

"This is really tough. We need a super play to turn this around."
"Things have gotten pretty bad. They barely shook Hekate, but the kills haven’t continued."
"Luche has been consistently improving since the beginning, but the recent performances have been truly remarkable."
"At this moment, Ga-wol enters the enemy territory!"

The assassin, using stealth, targeted Gunslinger’s neck.
The dealer, who had already used up their survival skills, couldn’t put up any resistance as they were immediately silenced.

Gunslinger was the class that used the most firearms in Inbl.
While it was hard to get the bonus damage, shooting from the backline remained a serious threat to supporters.
Ga-wol picked up a sniper rifle, loading it with a satisfying click and pulling the bolt back.

"However... doesn’t Ga-wol’s play seem unique?"
"Yes, in many ways."
"Picking up a firearm is something you see often in plays, but without any buffs, it’s usually just about shooting. But Ga-wol seems to be preparing with a serious stance."

The game was already overwhelmingly tilted.
At this point, there was only the matter of closing out the loose ends.

Boom. Bang.
The sound of gunfire echoed several times.

"Ah, I see. Hwang Yul, the analyst, was probably from the UDT, right? What do you think of Ga-wol’s shooting skills?"
"His knee-shooting posture is exemplary. He’s a player who knows how to handle firearms. He could be chosen as a demonstration coach."
"His gun swaps are perfect. Where could he have learned this?"
"There’s a saying that if three high school girls team up, they can take down a tank..."

A few minutes later, Luche finished off the last enemy, and the game ended.
IKL’s second round had come to an end with a flawless record in the Summer regular league.