LIGHTNOVELSTORY The sound of footsteps echoed in the wide corridor.
It’s just me using Sigma’s Player Lodge right now.
With the coach and all the players off on vacation, it felt empty and dark.
This will probably be the case until right before the Summer League.
I’ll likely have most of the building to myself.
The office staff might show up occasionally on the lower floor, but I hardly ever need to go that way.
Normally, I should have vacated the lodging too.
Outside Sigma, it’s tough for me to play games properly.
Luce, knowing the situation, has been quite accommodating.
It’s a bummer that I can’t use the player restaurant, but that’s something I can’t help.
The surrounding infrastructure is decent, so I’m somewhat satisfied.
– 8th floor.
– The door opens.
Fortunately, my room is close to the elevator.
It’s just a few steps away.
But as soon as the door opened, something caught my eye.
At the end of the long corridor.
I saw a place where light was coming in.
‘That’s… Luce’s room, right?’
Not many people live on the 8th floor.
The lodging building is large enough that there are vacant rooms, and the de facto owner, Luce, prefers a quiet environment.
Besides me, the only ones I can think of are Camelian, Hecate, and Outlaw.
Most prefer to stay one floor down.
Having Luce around makes everyone act a bit more carefully.
It feels like I’m walking on eggshells.
Lee Ga-yoon is always friendly, but she’s not the easiest person to deal with.
As I approached slowly, I could hear some careful rustling sounds.
Peeking in, I saw Luce in the middle of unpacking.
It seems she returned to the lodge right after coming back to the country.
When I knocked on the door to announce my presence, Luce looked startled.
“Did I wake you up?”
“No, I just came up from the practice room.”
“Good to hear. I thought you were asleep. It’s late, and it’s been a while since you turned off the broadcast.”
The digital clock on the shelf pointed to 2:15 AM.
It’s just that I have a terrible sense of time; for normal folks, it’s definitely bedtime.
Honestly, I have been trying to get my routine back on track lately.
I don’t need to wake up at 6 AM like in my kendo days, but I should align my schedule with others.
The days of living solely on games are finally behind me.
The time of the past has passed.
Still, there was a reason for not sleeping and spending time in the connection device.
“I need to review… because I got blindsided.”
“Are you talking about the hero?”
“You were watching. That’s right.”
The unexpected hit from the hero.
I was just curious about how far things could go, so I was running the practice mode.
There was a realm that couldn’t simply be felt with just strong attack power and strength.
“I only watched the edited version on the way here. Da-eun was impressive too.”
“Eh….”
Suddenly, I felt better.
She must be quite tired coming back from the trip.
As I sat next to the carrier to help out, Luce politely declined.
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of the cleanup. Da-eun must’ve had a hard time practicing too.”
“It’s a bit awkward to just watch.”
“Then shall we go grab something to drink for a bit? I was just thirsty.”
“Sounds good.”
*
No matter how late it is, at least an unmanned café should be open.
There was a vacant café not far from the lodging.
They say the atmosphere gets better around dawn, so Luce settled in comfortably.
Casual chatter flowed along with the gentle breeze.
Well, most of it was about games.
That’s our common interest. Or rather, it was the only topic I could even talk about with myself.
If I had to add another, it would be about streaming.
Before becoming a pro, Luce did personal streams, and still does occasionally.
“If you’re okay with it, can I help out with that drinking stream?”
“Is that okay…?”
“It’s not hard at all. I’m no stranger to streaming.”
Thanks to that, one tough homework was solved.
I could trust Luce to help me out without worrying.
I would answer the viewers’ questions at a reasonable level too.
For professional-related questions, I’d be a good guideline for “how far can I go in answering?”
It was a perfect combination for me.
There was a filming studio and equipment in the lodging for shooting team vlogs, so I decided to rent that for a day.
Talking with Luce made me feel like everything gets resolved quickly.
I felt compelled to say this.
“Thank you, really.”
“Yeah, really.”
“You don’t have to think too much about it. I’m just doing it because it looks fun too.”
“That’s true, but… the Connection Device and my pro debut mean so much to me. No one knows how long I’ve longed for this position.”
Luce smiled softly.
I felt like I needed to divert attention since I might have said something embarrassing.
The easiest distraction was the milkshake in my hand.
I spun the straw around in my hand.
It felt like my complicated thoughts were melting away with the ice.
As the sweetness spread in my mouth, strangely, my heart relaxed.
I was finally a pro, something I had dreamed of for so long.
I became a team with someone I idolized, and that person was sitting right in front of me drinking tea.
There was only one thing I wished for: that this moment wasn’t a dream.
“I’m not sure if this expression is right, but I just got lucky. Da-eun happened to be within my reach, and I could help. It wasn’t a big deal.”
Your not-so-big deal changed my life.
“I also had personal ambitions. It might seem like a foolish dream, but I want to win the championship. A person who couldn’t even hold a shield properly… I want to stand proudly at the very top. From the bottom to the top.”
It’s surprising, but having a dream isn’t just my story.
Luce has dreams too. The Traveler set off on a new journey to find their dreams.
Even Kelberos, who seems to have achieved everything, must still have some dreams left.
If not, they wouldn’t fight so fiercely even from the position of a conqueror.
He asked, “Does dreaming really make everything come true?”
But, eventually, someone’s dream is bound to come true.
Dreams are more beautiful and valuable because they overcome adversity.
“The Prelude ended in failure this time. It’s okay. If it doesn’t happen today, it will tomorrow. If it doesn’t happen tomorrow, it will the day after. My heart still hasn’t wavered, but I’ve realized one thing.”
“Do you think it can’t go on like this?”
“Yes. That’s why I wanted to have a sincere conversation with Da-eun like this.”
Objectively, Sigma isn’t a weak team.
Some might dispute that, but they should keep quiet from the Summer League onwards.
Because I’m here now.
But can our current strength win the championship? Well… who knows.
Can we win… well, who knows?
It doesn’t seem easy.
The Dune Sentinels, who defeated Sigma, are basically a one-man army of the Hashashin.
The team operates on the grand premise that the Hashashin will dominate the sides and join the main force.
However, even with the capabilities of a top-tier assassin, they tasted defeat against Falcon.
Inbl isn’t a solo game.
Ultimately, everyone’s capabilities need to rise.
Am I an exception to that?
“Honestly, tell me. How do you see our team, Da-eun? We haven’t played any matches yet, but we’ve at least practiced individually together.”
That’s not a question I can answer right away.
I needed some time to gather my thoughts, so I popped a straw back in my mouth.
And the conclusion I came to was, to be honest, simple.
“If the goal is Kelberos, Phantom, Ripper, or Hero… to be frank, we’re not there yet. They are definitely opponents we need to face if we want to win the championship.”
Kelberos’s AT, Ripper’s Acid Gaming, Phantom’s Veiled Nightmare.
The aces of the three teams are clear, but that doesn’t mean they are one-man teams.
A team with holes can never win a championship.
Luce is a nearly perfect hexagonal figure.
Her game understanding is high, but there doesn’t seem to be any ‘extraordinary’ strength.
Camelian has great physical abilities, but she’s severely lacking in skills and experience.
Hecate is thorough with skill management but lacks survivability.
Outlaw hesitates despite having a high baseline.
Naturally, this leads to a lower high point.
“Still, I think the members are good. It’s not that they lack talent or effort; it’s just that the league’s level is low, so they haven’t found a way to rise. Their desire to improve is also quite strong.”
Camelian chased after me, so that goes without saying.
The other members showed considerable work ethic too.
“Don’t worry. I’m here, right? Luce brought me this far, so I’ll be the one to clear the path from here.”
I’m really glad our goals align.
If the dream of winning isn’t just mine and Luce’s.
If all the Sigma team members are looking in the same direction.
I’ll lead the way.
To the pinnacle of the world.