Season 3: Chapter 244. The Verdict (3)
Thunderous cheers from the Japanese audience filled the stadium. Amidst it all, Sang-Hyeon looked down at his right arm.
‘I made a mistake.’
He bit his lip. Thinking that just one more victory would end it, he had overextended himself without considering the next step. In the end, they lost.
It wasn’t just his problem. Joseon had been continuously losing in the broader scope of the fight. His gaze naturally shifted to the capsule from which the commander would emerge.
He didn’t blame her. He was worried.
‘...’
His worry became a reality. It was evident at a glance. Although not as severe as him, her hair looked damp in places and showed signs of having dried after sweating. Her skin looked pale with her veins visible. Her eyes, unable to look at the audience, trembled as they stared at the ground.
Sang-Hyeon was sure that her legs, covered by a blanket, were in a similar state. He hurried over to Chi-Seung, who was pushing her wheelchair, to convey that they couldn’t continue like this.
“Chi-Seung.”
“Oh? Yes.”
“Is Cookie coming back?”
With her right there, he couldn’t say that she couldn’t continue. Instead, he indirectly suggested that they needed to prepare for the next game.
“Cookie won’t make it back before the semifinals,” Chi-Seung replied and lowered his head.
Still, Sang-Hyeon didn’t give up and asked again, “Check again. That’s what they said yesterday.”
“What? But the hospital said...”
“If they know we need...”
Clench.
Sang-Hyeon stopped speaking abruptly. A pale hand tightly gripped his thigh. It was Sa-Rang.
She spoke with difficulty, “I can do it.”
Saying this confidently despite her appearance was an ability in itself. Her trembling hand made it clear that she still believed.
‘Really...?’
She seemed to have no doubt that she could do it. If her condition was what Sang-Hyeon suspected, it was unimaginable. When he was about to say something, she spoke first.
“To me, this is like archery.”
“...”
Chi-Seung felt startled and looked between them. He thought Sa-Rang wasn’t particularly passionate about this and only just started showing interest. He didn’t know her true identity like Sang-Hyeon and only knew her as a solo ranker who played hard.
“Okay.”
Sang-Hyeon knew. He was the same. His heart never changed despite the ten years he spent changing his way of speaking, actions, and personality to fit into society. He had confirmed that she still had that same spirit.
“Got it.”
He walked past them to the waiting room with no more need for words or persuasion. Knowing her state, continuing to watch would only be more painful for both of them. They couldn’t stop now.
“I understand. I get it.”
Muttering to himself, Sang-Hyeon headed to the waiting room.
***
The once fervent Korean audience now showed signs of fatigue. They would cheer when the match resumed, but no one cheered with the players gone.
“Haa...”
Even Miho, who acted like a cheerleader in the previous games, now leaned against the railing exhausted.
“What should we do? Almond must be tired now...”
Despite them losing only one game in a best-of-five, she knew about Almond’s condition and grew anxious. Balloon Stars had always considered Almond’s condition when participating in the LIL Tournament. Back then, the situation was similar with them also not using special capsules.
“Hm. Right.”
Tako scratched his smooth head and nodded.
“Almond will have a hard time performing now. He can’t shoot a bow with one hand.”
LIL had ways to play with one hand depending on the avatar, but Almond had to use both hands to shoot a bow here.
“Also, isn’t the enemy commander over there some sort of comeback warrior?” Miho mumbled anxiously.
“It’s not just a nickname. The data supports it.”
“I saw that too.”
“Oppa, but our berserker will win, right?”
“......?”
“Why can’t you answer?!”
She shook Tako by the collar, but such a straightforward answer wasn’t easy to give.
“How would I know?!”
Tako didn’t change his stance.
“You said earlier our win rate was high!”
“That was...”
Tako had indeed predicted a victory.
“That was... before seeing the third game. I didn’t expect them to be so exhausted.”
“Gasp. Almond’s stamina decreased?”
“No. Not Almond.”
Tako had considered Almond’s stamina, but not the commander’s. He had accounted for Almond’s condition, but didn’t foresee their commander’s stamina dropping.
“Our commander... seems weaker in the late game.”
Tako scratched his chin while examining her tired face. Although it was hard to see from a distance, she clearly looked exhausted from her appearance on the big screen.
‘She looks like she’d be amazing at games.’
Every time Tako examined her face closely, he felt that she was reliable. Not in the conventional sense of looking like a great gamer, but she somehow seemed trustworthy.
“Hm... I can’t tell. Can’t tell.”
“Right! The commander is unpredictable! Probably because she’s a rookie!”
Miho instinctively didn’t trust the commander and kept blaming her. While she wasn’t wrong, Tako's point was different as the commander was a total rookie.
“No, not that—”
“That commander is good.”
Suddenly, someone interrupted.
“......?”
Miho, not knowing who it was, blinked. Tako’s expression changed.
“What!? Woo-Joo! You’re in Korea!?”
“Well, it’s the offseason. Besides, this is Japan.”
“...... Oh, right. It is Japan. Anyway, you came back from the US?”
Tako knew him well and so did many others. Quite a few people whispered upon seeing him.
“Hey, isn’t that Cosmic?”
“Isn’t that the former CK ADC?”
“Yeah, Cosmic.”
“Wow, is it really him?”
Miho, feeling out of place, pretended to know him.
“Cosmic? You’re the player Cosmic, right?”
She smiled and Cosmic nodded while blushing.
“Um... do you know me? I thought Miho’s generation wouldn’t...”
“I know! The toxic ADC!”
“.......”
Tako interrupted, “Cough. Hey, Miho.”
“Yes? It’s just a nickname.”
“Okay, we get it. Let me talk to him.”
“Ah... okay.”
Miho slunk away and Tako turned back to Cosmic.
“I heard you’re doing well in the US.”
“Well... it’s easier than our league. The land of the free, right? They even accept toxic players.”
“Ahem... don’t take it too hard. She’s just blunt.”
“Yeah, I’m used to it.”
“But do you know the commander?”
“Hmm?”
“You said they’re trustworthy.”
“Oh.”
He paused briefly before answering.
“Well, I know a bit about Civil Empire. She’s famous there.”
“But saying that she’s trustworthy? Isn’t that different from tournament play?”
As a former pro gamer, Tako immediately sensed the oddity. They knew better than anyone how different a tournament was from ranked games.
“I’ve seen her play a lot. Why are you grilling me?”
Cosmic seemed irritated by the questioning.
“Okay...?”
Tako sensed something was off but let it go, thinking that Cosmic was just prickly.
“Do you still not meet with them? Popcorn misses you.”
“Misses me? Please. What’s the point? They’re...”
“Yeah, that was a lie.”
“.......”
“I thought time would heal it, but I guess not.”
“Why would it? We’re not playing together. Ah, the match is starting. I’m off.”
He quickly disappeared. His seat was evidently elsewhere. Watching him leave, Tako scratched his head.
“Weird. Even in the offseason...”
It was rare for an active pro gamer to attend another game’s tournament, especially alone.
“Celebrity syndrome?”
He concluded that perhaps like celebrities showing up at events, Cosmic wanted to be seen here.
***
When the players first returned to the waiting room, Chi-Seung frantically looked for a towel.
“Cold towel! Cold towel, please!”
The commander’s condition was dire. Her face was flushed with sweat and then dried by the fan.
“Heek!”
Water Dumpling felt so shocked by Sa-Rang’s state that she stepped back.
“Oh, no! What do we do?!”
At that moment, the commander couldn’t respond and merely held a cold towel to her forehead.
‘No wonder Almond asked about Cookie.’
Chi-Seung only realized how serious her condition was in the waiting room.
‘But...’
How did Almond know? He seemed to sense that her condition was off before even seeing her.
‘Is it the same phenomenon?’
Almond also had issues with his arm while Choi Sa-Rang had problems with her legs. Both had extremely high VNS scores and extraordinary gaming abilities. The similarities were striking.
‘How did he know it was the same?’
Choi Sa-Rang rarely showed herself among the Civil Empire members, mostly staying in the think tank. Almond, who didn’t usually attend the strategic meetings, couldn’t have known.
“Are you okay?!”
Bang!
The two vice commanders burst into the waiting room. Barum approached and checked Sa-Rang’s complexion.
“What do we do...? Can we continue like this?”
Barum looked worriedly around at the think tank members.
“Don’t make a fuss.”
“You don’t make a fuss. She looks really unwell...”
“She needs to rest. Will fussing help?”
“Are you a doctor or something?”
Chi-Seung intervened to stop their bickering.
“Please, stop fighting! The doctor is coming! They’ll decide soon!”
Both were on edge because the commander seemed to be collapsing.
“Doctor?”
“Yes! The doctor is coming!”
The designated doctor left a contact number for emergencies.
“Once the doctor arrives, the noisy ones will have to leave.”
Tzzt.
Do-Joon added a snide remark against Barum, only to be embarrassed when the doctor arrived.
“Kyaa!”
“???”
Song Ha-Na screamed upon seeing Sa-Rang’s condition.
‘Is she a real doctor?’
‘Yes, she is.’
The members doubted her professionalism. Unlike a typical physician, she looked more like a researcher.
“This is a disaster! Sa-Rang, you said this was just an easy game!”
“.......”
Sa-Rang looked away, not wanting to engage, and expected a scolding.
“You look like a zombie! This is insane! You’re three times uglier!”
“It’s not that bad.”
Sa-Rang sat up to protest. Ha-Na smiled at her.
“Oh, you’re answering?”
“.......”
“Then answer this. How did this happen when it’s an easy game?”
“... We got an ocean map.”
“Can’t the soldiers handle it? Just leave it to them!”
Ha-Na was incredulous.
“What commander does that in a tournament? When it’s desperate times—”
“Enough! My verdict is...!” Song Ha-Na firmly placed her finger between her eyebrows and declared, “You’re banned from the fourth game!”
“!”