Season 3: Chapter 211. Treading Lightly (1)
Hui-Chul raised his body in the hospital room and rubbed his stomach with a grim expression. He knew it already. He had always known that something like this would happen one day.
However, the seizures were not supposed to be this severe until later this year. He recalled what the doctor had said.
“It's spreading faster than expected.”
Hui-Chul bitterly smiled. He knew it. This was life and not some movie.
People easily believed in fate when afflicted with such a disease because nothing else could explain it. They had no choice but to believe that they felt an irresistible, giant current. The truth was that everyone was trapped in this current, protecting their ego within the illusion of free choice.
Hui-Chul simply realized this a bit sooner, so perhaps this event was nothing special. He accepted it.
Looking at the word on the screen, he even smiled.
[Victory]
The faces of the rejoicing soldiers passed by one by one and highlights played. They had completely overcome their anxious appearance in the second game by the middle of the third game. As he expected, Best Yi Sun-Shin was an excellent commander. No, she exceeded his expectations.
‘I can't believe it’s her first real battle.’
She had no experience in competitions. When he asked out of curiosity, she simply replied that she was a regular college student on a leave of absence due to health issues and had never competed. However, she possessed extraordinary skills and was indeed a promising commander for the next generation. Of course, that depended on her accepting.
“I am not someone who can take on such great responsibility. I can help next year, but I can’t replace that position."
She had clearly refused. Hui-Chul wanted to persuade her more, but could only accept her decision at that time. As strange as it sounded, she could not lead the team or take responsibility with such a determined refusal. He thought it could’ve been due to a bad group project experience, but grew certain of it after watching today's match.
‘She has some experience.’
Her skill, finesse, and quick wit weren’t just natural talents. He had seen many excellent commanders, but they usually struggled initially in real battles. Was this person simply outstanding? That made no sense.
Theoretical geniuses existed, but no one was a genius in real combat. Even Almond's battle strength was due to his experience as a player. Hui-Chul thought Best Yi Sun-Shin was similar. She had led a team in the past and the outcome seemed to have been unfavorable, leading her to refuse such an experience again.
“What a shame,” Hui-Chul muttered and his expression darkened again.
If she couldn’t lead them next year... what would happen? No, she had led the team to the quarterfinals this year. Would she continue taking responsibility for this sudden task right now?
‘Why now?’
Gritting his teeth, Hui-Chul swallowed something.
‘Why now!’
He wanted to scream like a madman. It felt like he was losing his mind. His goal was within reach, but an absurd barrier blocked him. Even if he accepted it as fate, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
The shadow of depression crept over him like dusk again. He needed a light. Even a small streetlight would do. His lover usually played this role, but she was currently away. It seemed that no light would illuminate him now.
However, as always, a light emerged unexpectedly.
“It’s not the three archers. It’s eight archers.”
“Did you perhaps mistake the number? Haha...”
“Since all eight are equally skilled, I just changed it to the eight archers.”
A giggle like a ticklish laugh escaped from Hui-Chul like a sneeze while watching Almond’s interview.
“Puhahahahaha!” he burst into laughter.
Hui-Chul laughed heartily. Strangely enough, he felt fine.
‘Right. I can prepare for the quarterfinals here.’
Hui-Chul realized he could help them like a think tank without directly participating. He could join them like that until he recovered. He wondered why he hadn't thought of this remarkably clear solution before.
***
“Ah! Really! Such a fun interview! Thank you! Alboy... No, Almond!”
— Alboy, LOL
— True feelings revealed
— Who’s Alboy hahaha
— LOL
— Almond seems regretful, haha
The interview with Almond finally ended.
The reporter took a breath and looked at the next subject.
“Next is...”
‘Best Yi Sun-Shin, I thought she was a normal person.’
However, she also seemed formidable judging from her reaction earlier. When Almond mentioned winning this year, she immediately talked about winning next year and said it without even being asked.
‘Does she want to beat Almond?’
The reporter picked up the microphone, determined not to ask anything about Almond.
“Then, I’ll interview the MVP of the third game, Best Yi Sun-Shin!”
— Wow
— The big one is coming!
— The Best!
— She's young, but seeing her in a wheelchair is concerning :(
— Wow
— But she was walking in the last video. Just an injury?
Interest in the mysterious Choi Sa-Rang was quite high out of curiosity. Why was she in a wheelchair, how did she join, and so on.
“Best Yi Sun-Shin! You showed an incredible performance in your first participation today! Were you nervous? It’s your first competition!”
— For real, the first time??
— Hasn’t she even been in amateur tournaments?
— Amazing
— Impressive
“I was nervous at first.”
“Ah, you mean the second game?”
“Yes.”
“Ah. So, was it because of nerves that things didn’t go well?”
“...”
At this point, Sa-Rang hesitated. She didn’t think the game went poorly due to nerves. The tension disappeared within the first five minutes of the game. It was just that they weren’t yet in sync.
“Yes. I was nervous, so my orders were off.”
However, she answered completely differently.
“I corrected it with feedback for the third game.”
Hearing this, Sang-Hyeon stared at her blankly for a moment.
— Wow
— That’s a leader
— Comment: My team members were more talented in running than Civil Empire.
— Almond looks puzzled by her statement
— Cool... Chief Choi!
“Ah! There was feedback! You changed your order style and even won MVP in the third game! It seems like very effective feedback!”
The reporter glanced back at her script. She wanted to recheck her notes when talking about strategy.
“The winning method of the third game gained a lot of attention. It’s said to be very different from what Joseon has shown so far. Efficiently using resources while inflicting significant damage to the opponent and finishing them off decisively!”
— ??
— Decisively, LOL
— ??? When they come, we strike!
— Decisively! The direction subtly points toward Almond!
— What’s this? LOL
“It’s said that you won in a Roman style. Do you agree?”
“Basically, the resource factions present from the start in Rome make the situations different even though the results may look similar.”
— LOL. How can you compare to Rome?
— Interpretation: Rome is OP. My pure skill is superior.
— Interpretation: Try it! Joseon!
— Do you think rolling a snowball without a resource faction is easy?
“The current top commander ranking is Anton of Rome. Did you take any references from him?”
“No. This match was the result of various factors coming together. While Rome's mid-to-late game strategy is strong, I don’t know if it suits Joseon. Cookie might have won even faster.”
— Wow
— She’s good at interviews too
— Feels like she’s done a lot of them
— Cool
— OG Respect
Sa-Rang deliberately hid her intentions to avoid exposing her strategy. Although various factors contributed, she had been considering a late-game victory as soon as she saw the map. The Persian defensive strategy was too advanced to simply break through with early pressure. In the interview, she made it sound like failing to end it in the second era was an accident.
“Ah. Thank you for the very thoughtful and respectful answer regarding Cookie.”
— Respectful LOL
— Almond’s interviews make you appreciate daily life
— Hahahaha
— A sense of peace
The reporter seemed to glance at Almond while saying that. Almond thought it could’ve just been his imagination.
“Then, Best Yi Sun-Shin, was there a particularly impressive moment in the third game? Like, if you hadn’t received MVP, who would have?”
Sa-Rang pondered for a moment, but she already knew what moment impressed her most. It didn’t take long for her to speak.
“When the arrow struck the worker at the gold mine.”
“... Oh, that moment? It’s simpler than expected.”
“I didn’t expect any archer to hit the worker at that distance in one shot. It usually takes several attempts to gauge like zeroing in. Hitting the enemy in one go sped things up.”
“Shall we watch that moment again?”
The scene briefly appeared on the screen. Almond drew his bow on the wall.
Creak...!
His bow growled briefly and the arrow shot out, cutting off the prey's breath.
Bang!
Like a gunshot, the worker collapsed almost instantly.
The reporter and viewers felt amazed by two things.
‘It was Almond?’
First, the reporter felt shocked that Almond nearly became the sole MVP.
‘It’s that small?’
— The target looks like an ant
— Did he really hit that?
— Wow, did it hit?
— His aim is insane
Secondly, the workers looked as tiny as ants from Almond’s perspective. Seeing it from the player’s view made it clear how difficult it was to hit a worker at the gold mine with a bow.
“Once one person hits, it becomes a bit easier for the others. The archer squad could then easily engage.”
This was why the lead archer was important. The arrows shot by the leader marked the targets for the other soldiers, allowing them to gauge the distance and aim.
“Ah. I see. Thank you for the great answer. And...”
The reporter did not ask Almond for his thoughts. She moved on immediately not just to avoid Almond's answers.
“Gulp.”
‘It’s coming.’
She heard something through the in-ear monitor.
“The next match’s opponent has been decided. Have you heard?”
Now came the most dangerous question.
***
Ju-Hyeok felt overjoyed after the match between Joseon and Persia ended. Advancing to the quarterfinals meant a successful start for his new venture.
“Yessss!”
This marked a 90% success rate of his plan. As he thought about this, Ju-Hyeok suddenly paused.
‘Why 90%?’
Advancing to the quarterfinals should mean a 100% success rate for his plan. Reaching the quarterfinals itself was a significant challenge, so why did he think it was 90%? He momentarily forgot, but then he remembered.
“Oh my gosh!”
He felt like banging his head against the sofa.
“Crazy!”
The remaining 10% was the last variable that would make his plan explosively successful. He had no time to waste.
Tatata.
Ju-Hyeok quickly typed on the keyboard and immediately switched to another game.
[National Battle: Japan vs England, Game 3]
The winner would face Joseon in the quarterfinals. They also engaged in a fierce third game, which had been delayed and started later than Joseon's match.
Ju-Hyeok clasped his hands again. His remaining 10% hinged on this. He watched the match with intense focus.
Bang!
He subconsciously hit the desk and stood up.
“!”
***
The microphone turned back to Sang-Hyeon.
“The next match’s opponent has been decided. Have you heard?”
He tilted his head.
“No, I haven’t heard yet.”
He didn’t know about the next opponent since he immediately came to this interview.
“Okay. The opponent is...”
The reporter gulped and nodded.
She spoke solemnly, “Japan.”
Sang-Hyeon's eyes seemed to instantly light up.
— Wow
— Korea vs. Japan... Damn...
— Let’s go, Yi Sun-Shin~~~~
— The change in his gaze is hilarious
— Cool!!
— Amazing
— What’s Nutty going to say now?!
— Breaking News: OrangeKing’s 1TB notepad is ready~
— Japan is strong!
— Lol
— It’s not just Korea vs. Japan, it’s Joseon vs. Japan. Legendary.
— Reverse Eulsa Treaty, let’s gooooo
— It’s really happening. Wow