There was a strange, almost magical charm to ramen.
It wasn’t particularly a special food.
It’s cheap, easy to get, and so ubiquitous that you can find it anywhere.
In fact, nowadays, it’s even exported well, so you can easily find it in faraway foreign lands.
Yet, despite being such a simple food, ramen has a way of drawing people in.
If you don’t eat it, you feel drawn to it.
If someone else is eating it, the smell pulls you in.
During the World Championship Quarterfinals, even though we were in London, far from Korea, we still found ourselves making ramen, and that was for a reason.
In a large pot, a bright red broth bubbled.
Golden strands of noodles were divided into individual bowls.
“Unni, could you give me just a little bit of kimchi?”
“Here you go. Can you give me some more water? It’s spicy since it’s been a while.”
“Is there any milk in the fridge?”
“Yeah, but why milk?”
“I always drink milk with ramen. It balances the spiciness. It’s a scientific principle.”
“Ah....”
Beside me, Azure from Eunha Gaming was drinking white milk.
Yes, the same Azure who had faced off against us in the IKL finals.
His younger sister, Crimson, and a few other team members from Eunha Gaming had come over to our accommodation.
The Round of 16 was a sweet victory for us.
For the IKL team, it was our best result in years. The team we defeated was one of the world’s top championship contenders.
However, not every team got to enjoy a victory.
Eunha Gaming had lost to Rime's LB.
The score was 3:2. It had been a bloody battle.
Now, it’s become the norm to enjoy some international travel after such matches.
But things had gotten chaotic this year with the international competitiveness issues in Prelude.
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
For various reasons, it seemed like the teams had agreed to have Eunha Gaming stay behind and help our team.
After all, they were part of the same IKL family.
As the championship neared, there were fewer places to practice scrims, so this wasn’t a small form of support.
They, too, would gain valuable experience from us.
I ate just enough ramen to feel satisfied and then stood up.
It had been delicious, but eating it continuously was a bit uncomfortable.
It’s ramen, but it still brings back memories.
“Hmm? Daeun, aren’t you going to eat more?”
“I’m not that hungry. I’ll go to the bathroom for a bit.”
“You barely ate breakfast. Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
I waved my hand at Hekate, who was staring at me with concern.
It wasn’t a lie. There was nothing wrong with me.
From experience, I knew that these things were psychological.
I’m really fine. I can overcome it.
It’s not as hard as before.
This is the kind of thing that can be cured by splashing some cold water on my face in the bathroom.
I filled my hands with cold water and dunked my face right in.
The chill that seeped deep into my bones awakened my mind.
There was no better way to erase useless thoughts.
It felt like I was quickly receiving the benefits of meditation.
With my mind in a state of awakening and no sound reaching my ears, my thoughts cleared up in no time.
How many minutes did I hold my breath?
Just as the feeling of suffocation started to rise, I pulled my head back out.
Behind the mirror stood Luche.
She had a puzzled expression on her face, mixed with a bit of worry.
Feeling awkward, I explained.
“...It’s like meditation. It’s good for clearing my mind.”
“I see.”
“Really.”
“I didn’t doubt you. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Really.”
I truly am.
Everything will be fine.
The typical match cycle for Inbel eSports is about a week.
From the group stage to the knockout stage, there was about a week’s time.
Preparing for the quarterfinals also gave us roughly the same amount of time.
The physical time was likely the same.
But as crucial matches approach, it feels like time flies by.
This was true for any match, really.
Would it have been better if we had a little more time?
No. I don’t think so.
We did our best, and if there was a shortage of time, the same was true for our opponents.
It’s best to leave the regrets as regrets.
Now, we’re facing the match. In front of the fans, we always have to present ourselves confidently.
“Hello, viewers!”
“Here at the World Championship quarterfinals. The third match is about to start!”
“Sigma eSports faces off against Acid Gaming in the London Grand Central Hall!”
“Caster Hoeun and analyst Hwang Yul, Haehwa, greeting you.”
Following the staff’s guidance, we entered the arena.
Many fans reached out their hands as we passed the entrance.
As I touched their hands one by one, they started chanting my nickname, “Ga-wol.”
My popularity had started abroad before it reached Korea.
It was hard to miss that fact, especially as the arena soon filled with chants of my name.
The accent with which they called my name in English was rather unique.
In such a warm welcome, it’s only right to return the favor.
As soon as I waved from the stage, cheers erupted.
This is it.
Everything I had practiced for, almost to the point of exhaustion, was for this moment—to stand in front of these people.
All the lingering anxiety and regrets in my heart disappeared in an instant.
Thank you.
I’ll fight hard, for you.
“Ga-wol’s name can even be heard in the broadcast booth. He’s extremely popular.”
“It seems that Ga-wol’s character really fits well abroad.”
“The story is great too. Sigma, the underdog, took down the top contender Veiled Nightmare, didn’t they?”
“He’s also a player who, like Luche, has overcome a lot of adversity and darkness.”
“We’re also cheering for Sigma eSports here.”
Acid Gaming had entered the arena first, so when we stepped onto the stage, our opponents were already waiting for us.
The team captain, Reaper, stood out among them.
We had beaten him once in the Arena.
But I couldn’t think of it the same way as before.
If Phantom was the most assassin-like assassin, Reaper was the one most specialized in team play.
Their playstyles were completely different.
While Phantom burdens his teammates when necessary, Reaper moves to relieve the burden of his team.
At times, he’s even willing to sacrifice himself for the team’s benefit.
Naturally, the main team’s power was strong.
With classes like knights and mages, sturdy and powerful, forming the lineup.
For a team like Sigma, who sticks to a classic composition... honestly, it was expected to be an unfavorable match.
Unless I could create a variable.
“We’re going to face Traveler again. You two used to split the IKL scene for a while, didn’t you?”
“It’s nostalgic seeing the two of you face off in the quarterfinals.”
“It wasn’t a long time ago that we saw you as rivals, but now you’ve both become such strong opponents.”
Traveler.
Of course, his figure was there as well.
Though I had somewhat belittled him in the interview, Traveler was by no means the same as before.
If I wasn’t careful, I might end up really facing the penalty roulette.
Had I overdone it because I was feeling good after the win?
My broadcast penalty roulette was set up with the assumption that it wouldn’t be spun.
If it ever did, it would mean I couldn’t handle the consequences.
In a way, I had backed myself into a corner.
I don’t know.
Anyway, isn’t the point to just win?
As I listened to the commentary, I entered my connection.
“Both teams are preparing for the match.”
“The analysis desk predicted a 6:4 victory for Acid Gaming. Overseas media outlets also expect Sigma to be the underdog.”
“But it’s still uncertain. You never know until the match is played.”
“That’s right. Sigma has been a team no one has predicted correctly so far.”
“We’ll confirm the battlefield and rules soon!”
Now, the distractions were gone.
It was time to focus entirely on the match.
We entered the waiting room and waited for a short while.
As the countdown finished, the panel displayed the match details.
The battlefield was the Forest of Shadows. The rule was 5-man elimination.
My brow furrowed naturally.
The battlefield luck was bad. No, it wasn’t just bad—it was downright terrible.
To be blunt, it was the worst kind of battlefield for us.
“Of all places, it’s Reaper’s home ground.”
“It’s okay. We can win. Let’s just play like we practiced.”
“I’ll make sure to gather my detection skills.”
“No. If we could find him, we wouldn’t be worried. It’s better to make it hard for him to escape once he enters.”
“I agree with that.”
The Forest of Shadows was a field with dense fog across the entire battlefield.
In a dark field, you can at least deal with light, but the fog in this forest has no way of being cleared.
For Reaper, who was skilled in fog magic, this was heaven.
Against such a tricky opponent, the fog gave him wings.
Back in ACL, I had used the fog to fool close combatants, but Reaper was the origin of that kind of play.
If Reaper started creating confusion, this match wouldn’t be easy.
I hesitated slightly.
I glanced at the settings window before shutting my eyes tightly.
As the allotted time ended, the match began.
“Prepare for battle.”
“In 5 seconds, you’ll be deployed to the battlefield.”