Was the shock of losing the first set too much to bear?

The second set against Q Prime was even more one-sided.

In a deathmatch, the significance of a quick decision diminishes greatly. The battle turned into a contest of standard formations, and the outcome was as predictable as it was clear.

The players' base stats were simply on a different level. Q Prime couldn’t overcome the gap in combat abilities and crumbled.

You can’t win by clashing with traditional strategies head-on.

Naturally, a person’s mind turns toward underhanded tactics.

In the third set, Q Prime once again pulled out the bruiser-all-in strategy.

And the result was…

"AAAH! Even like this, even like this, I can't kill him!"

"Assassin! Where's our assassin?! Please do something! But the assassin is only on the enemy team!"

"Those so-called standard formations. They didn’t become standard for no reason. They’ve been proven in countless ways, that’s why they’re the standard."

"Extreme formations do pack a powerful punch, sure. But once they break, recovery is damn near impossible!"

"Formations that haven’t been proven as standard exist for a reason."

The 5-player deathmatch, like a death sentence passed by the gods, was upon us.

Q Prime paid the price for their unconventional tactics.

We, on the other hand, were prepared. From the first match, we had prepared countermeasures, and with Camellia joining the team, we gained confidence in close combat as well.

No matter who was pulled, no one could bypass the formation and dive in recklessly.

Kill score: 20 to 3.

For a team that had made it to the playoffs… this was an excessively gruesome result.

On the flip side, our team’s morale was excellent.

And the next day, while I was spending a leisurely time in my room, I heard a knock on the door, followed by Hekate calling me.

"Daeun, we’re ordering chicken for the game later, are you eating with us?"

"Chicken? Of course, I’ll eat."

"Then hurry and come out. Let’s pick the menu together."

Such a sly girl.

When she calls like that, there’s no way I can ignore it.

"Got it. I’ll be right out."

Hekate. Seoyeon’s hands sneaked under my armpits. The ticklish sensation that came with the eerie touch made me laugh uncontrollably despite myself.

"Hehe... hihi... hick... hehe... hhh!"

I’m about 156 cm tall. For some reason, no matter how hard I exercise, I can never seem to build muscle in my limbs.

In contrast, Hekate is around 160 cm, average height for a Korean woman, but she’s undergone professional training.

The situation was quite different from mine, where weight training was difficult for me.

"That’s revenge for set one yesterday, you little! Do you have any idea how much I was beaten up? Eh, eh!"

"Th-That was... hick... that was the best... hick... heeee!"

"Who doesn’t know that? Just take it quietly!"

So, I couldn’t push her off by myself. The weight pressing down on me. The strength far surpassing my own arm muscles.

All I could do was squirm on the soft sofa.

Her fingers, like playing a string instrument or piano, relentlessly poked between my ribs.

I couldn’t help but gasp for breath.

Outlaw, who had gotten off the elevator, glanced over at us before rushing into the room, escaping.

"Phehe... hhh... hhh"

"Phew. I’ll let you off easy today. Chicken will be here soon."

"Y-You crazy girl."

"What? Are you saying that my friend Daeun lacks laughter and happiness?"

"...Nothing."

It was maddening.

I wasn’t someone who lacked physical strength before. If I wasn’t a born monster, there was no way anyone could overwhelm me like this.

But now, I was pitiful.

I wasn’t even planning revenge, just relieved that the tickling was finally over!

Lying on the sofa, arms limp, I exhaled hot breaths, panting.

My pride hurt, but my dignity as a human being hurt even more.

This disgraceful body was, just a little bit... really just a little... but the pleasure starting from my toes made its way to my lower belly.

A tingling sensation, like an electric current, coursed through my veins, spreading through my body.

The sensation, like being electrocuted, soon turned into heat, and that heat reddened my face.

I didn’t want anyone to see my expression right now.

So I buried my face in the cushion on the sofa, hugging it tight.

Fortunately, Hekate was so excited about the chicken coming that she cheerfully went downstairs.

"Hey, the chicken’s here! I’ll go get it!"

"Hhh..."

As always, chicken had a magical allure.

No matter how you cook chicken, it’s hard for it to be bad.

Fried chicken, when done right, is nearly impossible to mess up.

The guaranteed combination of the cooking method and ingredients made it delicious, and the chicken we ordered after a long time was naturally tasty.

Plus, Sigma’s dorm wasn’t just me and Hekate.

Though they hadn’t come out because of my laughing fit, there were many players who were eating together.

Since there were a lot of people, we ordered a lot.

In addition to the usual sauces, there were also several unique items, but I found the oven-baked ones the best for my taste.

"Ah, it looks like the game’s about to start."

It’s true that chicken is loved by all.

But that wasn’t the reason we gathered—there was a game to watch.

The large display lit up with the IKL logo, and the faces of the commentators appeared.

Watching the game of another team is essential.

Analyzing the opponent is a professional’s duty.

But even without thinking about that, everyone here was a professional gamer because we loved the game and were good at it.

Watching a game with people who understand each other is fun just for that reason.

"Daeun, who do you think is going to win?"

"Hmm, well... I think the Galaxy team was stronger when we fought them."

"Azhur is a tricky opponent. We always had a tough time against him."

In this playoffs, no surprises were coming.

The results seemed to be a reflection of the regular league rankings.

Though there were no lack of strategies, they didn’t quite work.

Yesterday, we played against Q Prime, and today it’s Galaxy Gaming and ACL’s turn.

It’s a rematch between the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the regular league.

Despite differing opinions, many were predicting Galaxy Gaming’s dominance.

The reason, of course, was the player Azhur.

"Wow, 40 kills in the first set of a deathmatch?"

"Focus will drop really fast with that."

"If they keep this up, it’s going to be a tough game for them."

Azhur stood out as a commander with exceptional leadership skills.

Even when their roster was much weaker, he had carried Galaxy Gaming as their ace.

With Crimson’s return and better soldiers, Galaxy Gaming was continuing to grow.

In contrast, ACL relied heavily on individual player physicality.

That’s not a bad thing. It guarantees a solid baseline for the team.

There’s no better way to consistently beat weaker teams.

The problem, however, is how far it will take them.

In the domestic league, it might not matter, but internationally, monsters like Cerberus or Hero run rampant.

No matter how optimistic you are about ACL, they couldn’t compete with those two.

Yet, the match was going the other way.

"No, the ACL players are on fire today!"

"When did the swordsman class start only using unsheathing skills? Pure swordsmanship? I can do that too!"

"Ga-wol, Sigma, we’re coming! Wait, did I go too far? There’s still plenty of sets left."

"Hahaha... still, with this momentum, today’s game really looks promising. ACL!"

ACL had prepared a variety of strategies.

One of them, a pure swordsmanship swordsman, was almost entirely based on techniques I had used before.

I noticed the moves resembling my own, but oddly enough, I wasn’t angry.

To acknowledge something like that as my imitation would’ve felt more insulting.

A swordsman using pure swordsmanship receives the passive effect “Strike,” which lets them cut attacks with non-physical properties.

It’s difficult to use, but it can easily deal with slow casters like a fire mage.

"ACL seems to have prepared thoroughly."

"Crimson’s magic keeps breaking, and the combos are starting to get shaky."

"The combos are based on the premise that the enemy’s fire mage attack will be avoided, but when magic itself gets cut, it’s hard to continue."

"Plus, Donghae’s close combat support has tipped the scales."

It’s a strategy that would only work for Galaxy Gaming.

While ACL pulled out multiple cards, there was no noticeable counterattack from Galaxy Gaming.

Azhur held onto his cards tightly, even as the match ended in a 3:1 loss.

Such a player wouldn’t have been idly sitting around in the playoffs.

Even if they lost one round, they wouldn’t be eliminated immediately.

If they win the remaining matches, they can make it to the finals.

So perhaps…

"I don’t know what they’re preparing for, but it looks like they’re getting ready for something."

"Seems like they don’t want to show it yet."

Galaxy Gaming must have been looking further ahead.

It was hard to shake the thought that the end of that road was us.