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March brought the second Space League match of the year.
This match, like the opening game, captured the attention of the whole world.
And for good reason:
=Is there ever an unimportant game in the Space League?
=But today’s match is particularly crucial.
=Since the human race has become the last place among the victorious races.
=And now there isn’t much of a score difference between us and the 71st ranked World Tree Elf either.
Humanity’s ranking situation was not exactly favorable.
-Dungeons are starting to pop up frequently.
-From the North Korean territory where the Sword King had once purged completely, dungeon portals are resurfacing, right?
-Yeah, and the GP prices are climbing too.
It seemed like the world was in better shape than during the tutorial times when we were co-leading the rankings.
But as the points discrepancy between races widened and humanity dropped to 10th place, the situation began to decline more than during the tutorial times.
For now, humanity could still manage the increasing dungeon portals with known strategies.
But if rankings dropped further, the outcome was uncertain.
=Thankfully, the opposing race is the bottom-ranked, the Orcs.
=This is the race that player Seong Jihan encountered during the promotion match.
=They may resemble pigs, but all of them have bodies like robust warriors.
=During Seong Jihan’s promotion match, they were easily subdued, so it’s hard to gauge their full strength.
=Isn’t every race that goes up against player Seong Jihan like that anyway? Haha!
Fortunately, the opponents being the 20th-ranked Orcs meant the prognosis for the game was positive.
-The Orcs truly seem like nothing special lol.
-No wonder they’re always near the bottom.
-They just got swept away during the promotion match.
The opposing race, the Orcs.
In the BattleNet, ruled by powerful alien races, they were seen as the most vulnerable opponents.
Everyone anticipated victory in this second match.
‘This is rather burdensome like the opening game.’
Perhaps because of that, Coach Davis felt the pressure for this game.
Not knowing what hidden cards the opposing race might have, everyone assumed we would win.
With a serious look, he inspected the players in the BattleNet waiting room before his eyes softened as they landed on Seong Jihan.
“Player Seong Jihan, you really kept your promise to be 11th rank. Thank you.”
Davis approached Seong Jihan and offered a handshake.
As requested, Seong Jihan stopped at the 11th world player rank.
Not vulnerable to any ban cards, able to play all positions, and demonstrating overwhelming power.
For a coach, having such a player at his disposal was a blessing.
“A promise is a promise.”
“Haha. At this rate, you might be playing every match. I count on you.”
“Then let’s end this in three sets and head back home.”
“Trustworthy as always.”
Upon hearing Seong Jihan’s words, a pleased Coach Davis responded,
[Both teams’ coaches, please report.]
“I’ll head out.”
He was summoned to a separate space by the BattleNet.
=Davis, the coach who was conversing with Seong Jihan, was summoned.
=The scene is changing.
=Like the last time, the representatives were summoned to the office.
=The Orc coach… translates to the ‘Great Chieftain.’
Suddenly rising from the darkness was a pristine white table.
Standing at the massive table’s two ends were the human coach, Davis, and…
An Orc, easily 1.5 times larger than Davis – an enormous figure.
“Grrr…”
The Orc, with his lower fangs protruding sharply, growled upon seeing Davis.
“Humanity… the race with the hidden boss.”
=Ah, the hidden boss…
=Is he referring to player Seong Jihan?
=He’s famous even out of the Earth! The one-shot, one-kill hidden boss, Seong Jihan!
=Speaking of which, apparently a memo went out to all guilds to maintain Seong Jihan’s rank at 11. To ignore him and not challenge the hidden boss.
=Haha. A strategic move to prepare for the ban cards. Since only those up to 10th place will be affected!
=Yeah. But when we interviewed players, it seems they were running scared even before the memo came out. No matter how appealing the rewards, they didn’t dare to challenge him anymore!
=Just one swing from him and you’ll split in half, what do you expect!
Hidden boss Seong Jihan, notorious even beyond Earth, causing fear in dungeons across many worlds.
Was he also making a name on the Orc planet?
Upon encountering humanity, the Great Chieftain immediately mentioned Seong Jihan.
And then he looked at Coach Davis with sharp eyes,
“You… you’re weak. Why would you represent your race?”
“Because I’m the coach of our national team.”
“Coach? Grrr… I don’t see how a coach without fighting ability is of any use.”
Laughing mockingly right in Davis’s face, the Great Chieftain said.
[Please place your ban and select cards on the table for the first match.]
“It’s here.”
Upon the system’s prompt, He took out the cards he had prepared in advance.
=Our select card is…
=The Tower of Magicians!
=Isn’t this map a solo matchmap for the mage class?
=It turns into a team match map for Space League. 100 players will participate!
The Tower of Magicians.
This map featured two gigantic magic towers at a certain distance.
Mages would dwell there and unleash their firepower upon each other’s towers.
=We have some interesting data on this map.
=Yes, player Seong Jihan participated as a magician during that match!
=Everyone thought China’s top magician Je Galheon would end the game, but they were counter-suppressed by Seong Jihan. It was the game that revealed the utmost utility of all Seong Jihan’s classes.
=Is Davis picking this map today targeting Seong Jihan’s participation?
Just as the commentators mentioned,
‘Orcs… it could be prejudice, but judging by the appearance of their race, their warriors seem mightier than their magic forces.’
Coach Davis had his strategy for choosing The Tower of Magicians map.
Humanity’s strongest point was the vanguard of warriors with Seong Jihan and the Sword King at the forefront.
Based on ranking alone, there were more magicians in the TOP 10.
Factoring out the irregularity of Seong Jihan, humanity’s magicians actually held more power.
Conversely, the data for the Orcs was only from Seong Jihan’s promotion match.
‘From that game, undead adversaries were bested by warriors and archers; there was barely a glimpse of magicians or supporters.’
Thus,
There was no need to directly face what seemed to be the more formidable Orcian warriors.
Driving the game into a magician’s map, especially with the hidden card Seong Jihan in play, was the optimal strategy.
On the other hand,
=The Great Chieftain of the Orcs is taking out their select card. Thankfully, they are not doing any strange stuff like the Elves did.
=The map’s name is Warrior’s Valley… This map is said to be a large battlefield where only warriors, 2000 of them in total, can participate!
=2000? Can our representatives even meet those numbers?
=It’s not just the team representatives, the races from 1st to 2000th ranking warriors are conscripted for the play.
“Selecting a magicians’ map even with a hidden boss present… Does your race lack the pride of a warrior?”
The Great Chieftain, taking out his card, mocked Davis.
Confident in the superiority of Seong Jihan, the warrior above warriors.
‘This is way more comfortable than with the Elves.’
Faced openly with a warrior card from the Orcs, Coach Davis answered with a smile.
“Why? Are your magicians weak?”
“Insects! Orc pride lies in strength, not in magic’s trickery!”
“Really? Just take out the Tower of Magicians card, then.”
“Impossible! We will face the hidden boss. I will prove that I am the supreme warrior, not him!”
With a thud, thud, the Great Chieftain pounded his chest.
As the table shook, Coach Davis inwardly broke into a cold sweat.
Why, whether it’s the Elves or now…
Why are all the representatives such formidable players?
‘Of course, I don’t think Seong Jihan will lose against that Great Chieftain, but to win for humanity, we need to thoroughly exploit their weaknesses.’
Deciding not to select the warriors’ map, Davis took out the ban card.
[‘Orcs’ 1 to 10 ranked players will receive a ban on 3 of them.]
[Players ranked 1, 7, 9 are banned and won’t participate in the first match.]
[‘Humanity’s’ 1 to 10 ranked players also receive a ban on 3 of them.]
[Players ranked 2, 3, 10 are banned and won’t participate in the first match.]
Both species were subjected to reciprocal bans of three players each.
Sword King Yoon Sejin, pondering the ban results, remarked,
“I got banned. Maybe I should’ve pushed harder to go for 1st place.”
“The gap to Oliver closed quite a bit, you’ll probably overtake him next month, right Brother-in-law?”
“Yeah. I’ll get a taste of the freshest air up there before brother-in-law takes the first place.”
“It seems like you need to hurry there.”
“…Seong Jihan, your 1st place ranking now seems inevitable.”
Listening to their conversation, Lee Hayeon couldn’t help but look at Seong Jihan with a sense of disbelief.
“Naturally.”
For Seong Jihan, 1st place was an expected progression.
‘In the current situation without national bonuses, there is no chance of my ranking dropping.’
Previously, being a latecomer and national bonuses playing a significant role, the rankings dipped.
But now, in the absence of such, level became the prime factor for ranking.
Despite not providing as much experience as when first introduced as the hidden boss, even so, his level was closing in on 249.
“But about the Orcs. Are they truly only strong in the warrior class? What if they are hiding their strength like the Elves did…”
“What about it, Brother-in-law? Have you had any premonitions?”
“A premonition? No, I didn’t have any.”
Seong Jihan observed the Orc Great Chieftain intensely on the screen.
This chief was the most powerful Orc warrior before being executed by the Elves, the player who defeated the Sword King in the previous life’s second match.
‘And if the Orc planet was chosen by BattleNet, there must be something…’
Despite playing relegation with them later on,
he couldn’t be complacent.
Seong Jihan, pointing at the chieftain said,
“That chieftain looks quite strong.”
“Hmm… I thought so too. We’ll need to be cautious if it’s the warriors’ map.”
“Could they be concealing their magical strength?”
“It’s unlikely.”
In his previous life too, the Orcs’ weakness was their magicians and supporters.
They were a race that laid everything in plain sight.
Having made his certainty clear,
“Phew…”
“I feel relieved now that Boss has said so.”
Not only Lee Hayeon but also other players around sighed in relief upon hearing him.
After many doubts with the Elves, they felt secure with Seong Jihan’s prophecy-revealing ability.
And then,
[The map for the first match has been decided.]
[The first match will proceed in ‘The Tower of Magicians’.]
“Ooh!”
“The Tower of Magicians it is.”
“It’s a favorable outcome!”
“The coach has good luck.”
As per Coach Davis’s intentions, the first match map was settled.
Seeing the result, the Great Chieftain of the Orcs grimaced.
“Humanity, even with a hidden boss, you lack spirit.”
“Let’s see how superior your magician forces really are.”
“Hmph…!”
With Davis’s retort, the Great Chieftain snorted, but once the game started,
“Grrr…”
He turned his eyes away from the screen and closed them.
Because,
=Uhh…
=The Orcs’ magic is weaker than expected.
=Their spells are hardly reaching our tower, see.
=Oliver and Je Galheon are bombing the enemy’s magic tower in competition!
The game was embarrassingly one-sided.
‘Their level of magicians is even more tragic this time.’
In the Space League’s Tower of Magicians map, with towers piercing the sky, and despite the considerable distance,
Humanity’s magicians could bomb from afar without hindrance, unlike Orc magicians who suffered.
A battle like cannon against bow.
=Player Seong Jihan… is flying towards the enemy’s magic tower but…
=The game will end before he gets there.
=The Orcs stand no chance against our firepower!
Seong Jihan prepared to use the Ice Sword Rain as promised, but
‘…it’s finished already?’
Before he could even use his martial technique, the game was over.
=We won the first match easily!
=Player Seong Jihan had to stop advancing midway.
=The game ended before he could start!
The game concluded with American Oliver as the MVP, and Davis smiled more relaxedly at the Great Chieftain.
“Great magical forces, huh.”
“…Magic, a mere cowardly trick. Orcs revere only strength!”
“Is that so? It will always be magicians’ maps only.”
The Orcs were much more transparent than the Elves.
Coach Davis picked a magicians’ map for the second match as well.
But this time, luck was not on his side.
[The map for the second match has been decided.]
[The second match will proceed in ‘Warrior’s Valley’.]
“Good!”
The Great Chieftain, upon seeing the result, flashed his vicious teeth.
“Bring out the hidden boss immediately. I will personally send you all to your deaths.”
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