NoveLight ™
Phantom is a figure who has made a mark in the history of INBL eSports.
It wasn't just because he was the greatest assassin to come out of Korea, or a championship winner.
It was because, from the moment Phantom appeared, INBL truly became a team game in its truest sense.
It’s been quite some time now.
Infinity Black was in the golden age of romanticism.
It was the time when powerful force-based aces dominated the meta.
Most matches were decided by “How great of a player does the team have?”
In fact, the outcome of the battle between the aces almost always determined the result of the game.
Of course, things are different now.
"Phantom player signals the end of the era of romanticism."
"By thoroughly restraining the main ace knight, Phantom carefully eliminated the other players one by one."
"No matter how strong a player is, the era where one player could win the game alone has ended."
"In fact, almost every eSports league has gone through this stage. The league has matured."
Phantom is the assassin with the highest kill efficiency.
At the same time, he is also a powerful anti-carry type assassin.
He is not a player who actively takes control of the game.
Rather, he specializes in exploiting situations and striking when the opponent reveals an opening.
In a way, he plays in the most "assassin-like" style possible.
He avoids direct combat with strong opponents and is ruthlessly cold towards those he must hunt down.
He could be called a typical strong-weak, weak-strong player, but in a world where victory is everything, such an evaluation is close to a compliment.
Of course, that doesn't mean he lacks personal strength.
When the situation is not favorable, one of Phantom’s specialties is "completely destroying the battle capability of the ace."
Such an assassin was nibbling on a snack in front of me.
It was cheese-flavored.
“Do you want some? It’s really good.”
“…Really?”
“Many Koreans dislike salty things, but I like it. Isn’t the point of snacks to have a strong flavor?”
“Well... I suppose we can try it once.”
The snack I took tasted okay.
It was definitely a little salty, but the quality was better than domestic snacks.
The strong cheese flavor had its own magical appeal.
When I asked for more, Phantom handed me the whole bag.
I sat beside him and ate together.
The surroundings were quite noisy.
There were other players here besides us.
Several teams gathered to shoot teaser videos before the top 16 match.
I really liked this atmosphere.
We would soon be fighting to trample each other.
But when gathered for such events, we were just ordinary partners, and the atmosphere on set was friendly.
The fairness and respect that come with fierce competition were what drew me to sports in the first place.
“Hmm…”
It seemed like Phantom was trying to say something difficult.
I gave him a little nudge.
“Go ahead.”
“Well, uh, could I get a few autographs?”
“Autographs? That’s not hard. How many do you need?”
“Four. I’ll tell you the names of the recipients.”
“Got it. Then, could you give me one as well? I’ll keep it.”
I hadn’t expected this exchange.
It ended up as an autograph exchange.
As I wrote on a few sheets of paper, Phantom handed over his autograph.
On the white paper was a small drawing of a ghost, as if it were trying to startle someone.
Phantom’s image is cold and harsh, but the drawing on the autograph was quite cute.
“Your autograph is surprisingly cute?”
“It’s fan service. People like receiving unexpected gifts. I don’t give off the impression that I would be friendly.”
“Oh... an unexpected gift. I feel like I learned something.”
“It won’t really help. With looks like mine, people will like whatever I do. This kind of flair is something only someone as impersonal as me needs.”
Was that a compliment?
From the way he looked, it seemed like he was just stating what he wanted to say.
It wasn’t unpleasant to hear, so I gave a small smile.
The person next to me was a senior pro gamer who had been in the scene much longer than Luche.
Every word Phantom casually threw out would probably be pretty useful.
I tried to see if I could gain more insight, and then our eyes met.
Phantom chuckled.
“Is this your first time doing a shoot like this?”
“No. I did one for IKL before.”
“That’s different. This is a championship. It’s the tournament that gets the most attention, so it’s best not to miss the opportunity.”
“Opportunity? What kind?”
“A chance to make your presence known worldwide. What better self-promotion tool would a pro gamer have than this?”
Ah, I see now.
Pro gamers are often introverted by nature.
That’s why they’re so eager to participate in shoots—they understand the importance of promoting themselves.
The world of kendo is different from the world of eSports.
There’s no rule saying that a Korean player must play for a Korean team.
If you make a name for yourself on the international stage, you can have your value assessed in a much larger market.
Pro gamers ultimately live off the attention of fans.
The more people who know my name, the better.
“Well, we’re going to win anyway, so we might as well enjoy something like this while we can.”
“What did you say?”
“Were you planning to beat me? The camera director is calling. You should go.”
Phantom waved his hand, as if telling me to go.
I didn’t like the last line, but well...
I can prove it by winning.
“See you on the battlefield next time.”
A few days later, the teaser video for the top 16 of the World Championship was released.
[Top 16 Knockout Stage Teaser | World Championship]
[IKL Official]
[Views 46,000 | 3 minutes ago]
The video began with interviews from players.
The topic was "What does this World Championship mean to you?"
Many team logos. Many languages. A lot of languages flashed by.
Among them, of course, there was Sigma’s voice.
It was easy to spot because there were not many in Korean.
It was a strange thing.
A battlefield with sixteen teams gathered.
The number of players was even greater.
But there was no one else who said the same thing.
Everyone stood there for the tournament with different goals and dreams.
In the end, only a very few would achieve those dreams.
Only one team would win, and someone would face defeat.
That’s why the competition seemed even more brutal and beautiful.
The first match in the top 16 would be AT.
A knight in black armor looked down at the challenger.
The two teams passed by, and Cerberus made a low declaration.
Sigma Esports' match was the fifth.
Their opponent was North America's powerhouse Veiled Nightmare.
Just like their nickname, the assassin dressed in a black robe.
And the white-armored paladin knight.
Phantom and Luche’s figures were captured in one scene.
It had been a long time since Phantom’s last championship win.
He hadn’t shown any particular signs of poor performance.
He had been consistently winning in the North American league and always performed well in international matches.
But he had never had a connection with the championship.
And Luche.
She had always been in the challenger position in international matches... and tasted failure.
Despite countless defeats, she stood here again.
The moment their gazes met.
The scene shifted to reveal her beautiful silver hair.
Her red eyes winked.
Her mesmerizing face could steal anyone’s soul.
Just by her slightly flushed cheeks, she made others feel the heat, and her soft exhale stirred the animalistic desires of others.
Was it true that she had attacked the camera director on set?
It seemed like a substantial amount of footage and attention had been directed toward her.
Her slender fingers gently pressed her lips.
The arena and the IKL footage passed by.
Finally, Ga-wol’s figure overlapped with Han Da-eun’s.
Now, there was no sense of discomfort.
Han Da-eun grinned.
The day of the final battle was rapidly approaching.
Amidst the pouring attention, two flags stood tall in the center of the arena.
"Hello, viewers! This is the World Championship top 16 match. The fifth match!"
"Sigma Esports vs. Veiled Nightmare, live from the Berlin Esports Stadium!"
"The best assassin of the past generation in Korea, Phantom. And the current top assassin of Korea, Ga-wol, are about to clash!"
"Now, let the match begin!"