Season 3: Chapter 148: Steep Mountains (1)
The difference between online and offline was clear. If this was an online preliminary round, Sang-Hyeon would have simply worn comfortable shorts and a T-shirt while lounging at home before entering the capsule. Now, he waited in the player waiting room along with two hundred other players.
The noise from their chatter, the sound of their breathing, the stuffy air... everything felt different. As the match approached, the chattering gradually died down. Silence thickened in the waiting room because it was almost time.
"Players! Enter!" a staff member shouted.
Cookie rose first and stood at the front.
"Alright."
He raised both arms and looked back at the players.
Then he shouted, "Let's go! To victory!!!"
The players responded in unison.
"Let's do it!!!"
Given the limited time and space, they kept it to a short and simple chant.
Cookie put on his white uniform jacket and walked outside.
The Viking players emerged from their waiting room on the opposite side.
Both sides exchanged brief nods and walked side by side. The narrow, dark corridor led to the bright lights and cheers from the stands seeped in.
"Wow…"
The echoing cheers made Sang-Hyeon's heart pound. He met Jessie’s gaze along the way. She smiled at him, but didn’t say anything. She probably felt nervous too.
It was the first match of the main event. The Vikings couldn’t afford to lose. Of course, the same went for Korea.
Sang-Hyeon simply nodded and walked alongside Jessie. As they neared the lights, the cheers grew clearer.
"Now, players! When you go out, shake hands with the person next to you and move to your positions!"
The staff’s voice seemed to disappear into the air.
"Wooooaaaahhhh!!!"
Bright sunlight poured in from the stadium’s open ceiling and the spectators who filled the stands welcomed them.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The players couldn’t differentiate between the beating drums and their hearts. Strange noises from various cheering items mixed with fans shouting out player names.
Looking around, countless white crosses could be seen in the stands. The Viking supporters overwhelmingly outnumbered the others. Few had expected Korea to make it this far, so not many supporters from their side could be seen. Perhaps no true fans of Civil Empire in Korea wanted to go through the trouble of buying plane tickets to support them offline. Various reasons existed.
Regardless, the current atmosphere made it feel like a home game for the Vikings. Facing this number of supporters in person brought immense pressure. The cheers were so loud that it almost felt like no sound at all.
The staff member waved and shouted something barely audible, "Shake hands!"
Following the cue, Sang-Hyeon turned to the side. Next to him was Jessie. Both of them smiled faintly at each other without needing to say a word.
Click!
At the end of the handshake line, a photographer’s flash went off.
Afterward, the players turned their backs to each other and walked in opposite directions. In front of them waited two hundred and one capsules.
***
"Hello! Greetings to all wandering mercenaries across the nation! Reporting live from Osaka, Japan!"
The caster's booming voice signaled the start of the broadcast.
— Wow~
— Hi hi
— The beginning of a legend
— Let’s goooo
— Fighting!
— Fake national team, fighting!
Was it the power of the Fake National Team? Messages flooded the chat even at the start.
"Today! Finally, the first main event match for Korea! It's against the Vikings. How do you see this match going, Mr. OrangeKing?"
"Ah, yes. To start with, the Vikings clearly have the upper hand."
"That's straightforward!"
"Yes, that's the general consensus. We must acknowledge that."
— LOL, exactly
— :(
— They’ll do well anyway
— Oh no…
— The main event seems really tough
— OrangeKing couldn’t even sugarcoat this…
OrangeKing evaluated from the very beginning that the Vikings had the advantage.
"Do the Vikings have the advantage due to civilization matchup?"
"No, the civilization matchup is actually quite balanced."
— :(
— “We’re just bad”
— Is the caster trying to corner OrangeKing? LOL
— Oh no…
"For the Vikings, interestingly, they're extremely strong in the first era, peak in the second era, and the third era is surprisingly just like the second era for them." ꭆἈɴＯ฿ÈṠ
"Wait, does that mean they peak in the third era too?"
"No, it means they don’t have a real third era."
— ???
— Japan: ???
— Why suddenly Japan? LOL
— Localization of commentary LOL
— Isn’t this in Japan? LOL
— OMG LOL
— Currently in a 50 year recession~
— Lost Samurai LOL
"Hahaha, I see. So they're weak in the third era?"
"Yes, they are really weak because they’re a barbaric, raiding, and combat focused civilization."
"Ah, while Joseon is quite strong in the third era, right?"
"Yes, in the third era, Joseon can compete with top-tier civilizations. The problem is what they show in the process of getting there."
"Wow, this sounds like an exciting matchup where both sides counter each other well?"
"Yes, it’s quite balanced."
— Perfect balance LOL
— Ouroboros matchup
— So the civilizations are balanced
— But the Vikings initially have the advantage and taking the lead is a bit of a disadvantage, isn’t it?
— Agreed~
"Then why did you say Joseon is at a disadvantage?"
"Well…"
"It’s not the civilization matchup, but a skill difference. We’re just not good?"
— LOL assassination attempt
— The patriotic viewers are going to get mad, OrangeKing
— LOL
OrangeKing quickly added to the caster's statement, "But! Listen!"
— LOL
— King of Packaging, time to shine
— How will he turn this around? LOL
"Everyone, look at the countries Joseon has defeated so far. Was there ever an advantageous match?! Our country!! When was Korea ever at an advantage?! We never had enough resources! Everything was destroyed by war!"
— Build-up starting LOL
— Laying the foundation with a thick layer of patriotism concrete~
— LOL
— Did you prepare this?
OrangeKing shouted as if he was spitting blood just to survive, "So! Joseon will! Eventually! Make it!!! Long live Korean independence!!!"
— LOL
— Wow
— LOL
— This is hilarious
— OrangeKing's back must be bending like a bow...
— He nailed it
— Right in the middle of Osaka LOL
— LOL
— Is it March 1st today?
— He tore the wrapping paper apart
— Conclusion: Win with spirit
As reflected in the chat, OrangeKing didn’t just give a vague pep talk about winning with determination. He actually believed that Korea had a fair chance.
"Oh. They're about to select the map for the main match. It seems like it's about to start."
It was time for the map selection.
"Yes! Now, right?! This could be a huge advantage for Korea! A rare opportunity!"
"Is that because of the map selection?"
"Exactly! This is huge for a country with a commander as capable as ours!"
— Exactly
— True
— Let’s gooo
— What have they prepared?
— Oh
"The overseas opinion is that the selected maps are quite balanced for competitive play, so it might not be too advantageous."
"That's true, but! Remember the clever strategies Cookie has shown so far? If such a person can choose the map…?!"
— True
— Go Cookie!
— Exactly
"There's no way not to be excited!"
Given Cookie's past displays of brilliance, he would clearly bring out something impressive in the main event.
OrangeKing was counting on that.
"Alright, the map has been selected. Cookie."
"What will it be?"
Cookie had chosen the map, but it wasn't revealed yet.
"Ah. The broadcasters haven’t been informed? It doesn’t appear on the screen either? It seems we'll know once the game starts."
What the caster mentioned seemed correct. Enough time had passed for it to be revealed, yet the camera only showed the two commanders’ faces.
"Ah, now we see the expressions of the commanders. The Viking's chief commander, Exmaster, doesn’t look pleased."
"Yes, we need to pronounce Commander Exmaster carefully. It can't be pleasant for him that the opponent is choosing the map."
— TMI LOL
— Suddenly talking about pronunciation LOL
— LOL
"Well, it must be uncomfortable. Also, I heard the Viking’s wackjassey came in second and just missed out..."
"Yes, she came in second for Best Dressed. The first place went to a Korean team member and Korea secured the map selection."
— Jessie
— Jessie was good, but...
— We could have lost the map selection LOL
— If it weren’t for the last minute hero
— But who exactly is that person from Korea?
Some viewers knew about the Best Dressed selection from the dinner party since it was streamed live on an official overseas channel.
"And! While we were talking, the game started! Now we can see the map! Let's go!"
As the screen changed, the factions and map were revealed.
"Korea wouldn’t have chosen a map with a short rush distance. They would want something allowing mid-game control... Ah, there it is. Hmm?"
OrangeKing seemed puzzled.
[Rugged Mountain Gorge]
"Well, they did choose a map where rushing early is impossible."
"Ah, yes! The Rugged Mountain Gorge map, I think it’s a good choice. Is something off?"
"It's good for avoiding early rushes, but…"
"But?"
"Joseon's strength in the third era isn’t just about archers."
OrangeKing felt concerned that this map could neutralize Joseon's strengths.
"Joseon's horse archers are also strong. They're expensive, but well-handled and actually good. Joseon’s cavalry isn’t bad either. These Vikings can’t ride horses, can they?"
"Ah!?"
Joseon didn’t specialize in cavalry, but the Vikings who couldn’t ride horses at all would struggle against Joseon's cavalry tactics.
"This map is mountainous, making it impossible to use horses. I thought they’d choose a map with flat lands and fortified bases like an ancient fortress."
"Ah, I see. Hearing that, it does seem… No, but Cookie must have a plan! You have to realize that, OrangeKing!"
— LOL
— Realize that, OrangeKing!
— LOL
— True, don’t doubt
— But it’s a bit worrying
While the caster chastised OrangeKing, the scouts from both sides expanded their vision.
"Alright, Joseon at 7 o’clock and the Vikings at 11 o’clock. As expected, the scouting is slow in the Rugged Mountain Gorge."
"Yes, especially for the Vikings. Joseon has the mountain tribe trait, so they move slightly faster on this map!"
"Ah, that’s good news!"
The mountain tribe trait was one of Joseon's basic traits. It simply and clearly increased movement speed on mountainous terrain. Its efficiency varied with the map, but it was extremely useful in the right situation. Of course, Joseon wasn’t the only civilization with such advantages.
"However, the Vikings are barbarian warriors. They can wield axes starting from the first era. Production has already started."
"Oh, it’s like England’s shield? That’s scary."
"They use those axes through to the fourth era! Throwing axes, fighting with axes, and continuously using them!"
— OMG LOL
— Seriously?
— They fight with axes up to the fourth era LOL
— Wow, an extreme civilization
As OrangeKing explained, the Vikings produced axes one by one.
Joseon moved quickly, revealing almost half of the map.
"Joseon will likely use the terrain information they’ve gathered for stable play up to the third era."
"But the Vikings won’t just let that happen, right? No matter how rugged the mountain gorge is!"
"Right! That’s where Cookie’s strategy comes in. Typically, Joseon’s defense involves archers, defensive towers, and walls."
"Right?"
"The problem with this map is there’s too much wood! Didn’t I say archers are at a disadvantage in dense forests?!"
"Yes, that’s right!"
"It applies here too! There are many places to hide! Trees can block arrows and melee soldiers have plenty of cover!"
"Oh… neither cavalry nor archers work… They’ll face various difficulties. What is Cookie's plan? Did he choose the wrong map?!"
Listening to this, it seemed like a bad map choice.
However, OrangeKing shook his head.
"Still! Isn’t it our Cookie!? Cookie wouldn’t have chosen this map without a plan! There’s a strategy behind this!"
— True LOL
— There’s gotta be something
— OrangeKing has realized it now;
— There must be something
— Agreed