Chapter 355 – 355. World Championship Group Stage (3)

Before the start of the World Championship Group Stage.

I succeeded in arranging a scrim match with participating teams of various nationalities.
Actually, I didn’t have to make contact with them and ask for a scrim.
Now, our team has grown to the point where we receive countless scrim requests just by sitting still.

“Unfortunately, China’s Tintin Chimera and America’s Crystal Snake don’t seem to be taking scrim requests.”

Hwangbo Jiyeon said as she put down her tablet pad.

Could this be the leisure of the strong?
The two teams, currently considered the closest to winning the World Championship, declared their absence from scrims as if they were trying to weave each other.

If they weren’t a strong team, it wouldn’t have mattered at all.
It’s a weak team, so what does it matter whether they scrim or not?
However, it was a bit fatal for the strong teams that came up after defeating all the national clubs in their own league not to play scrim games.

“I can’t help it.”

There wasn’t much to be gained from a scrim match against a weak team against a strong team, so I couldn’t force it.

Rather, it is not easy to find a point to supplement in a match against weak teams.

In that respect, now that the championship candidates declared a scrim boycott as a group, playing a scrim match with the remaining weak teams was no different from a loss for our team.

‘Still, I can’t stop scrimming.’

“We have no choice but to catch up with other strong teams as much as possible.”
“All but the two teams seem to be scrim-positive, so if it’s us, we can pick and catch them.”
“Then, would you like to search mainly for Europe and Japan? We should start preparing for the group stage.”
“Okay.”

No matter how scary Tintin Chimera and Crystal Snake are, you have to pass the group stage before that.

After a while, we gathered in a small practice room set in the living room of the dorm.
Vice-captain Yu Min-ah, who followed all the way to China, installed it with great care.

“The first scrim was with 567 sakura from Japan.”

567 sakura, Japan’s 3 seed team, was the scrim opponent.
The players made a nervous expression on their faces.

Even in the preliminaries, they played against teams of various nationalities and confirmed each other’s skills, but they did not compete against famous teams like 567 sakura.

If we simply think about the seed difference, we were never a team to be nervous about, but there are always variables that we hadn’t thought of in international matches.

Even in the World Championship, there was a team that was weak against a particular team to the extent that they felt that there was a natural enemy between countries.

Since the style used as the main focus of each country is different, it was something that happened when the compatibility was somehow wrong.

“I’ll start ban-picking.”

Following Hwang Ji-yeon’s guidance, we entered the capsule and had a scrim match.

Contrary to concerns, the game was not very difficult.
567 sakura brought a few characters that are not often used in ACK and embarrassed me, but I was able to win easily because I calmly solved it as usual.

The player who played the most in this game was, without a doubt, white white.
Suddenly, he caught the aggressive dill porter and drove the opponent without hesitation.

If supporters are broadly classified, they can be divided into deal supporters, utility supporters, and initial close supporters.
To start at the beginning, I usually liked the utility support that gives buffs from the back of the AD, but since the AD reliance was so high, I had to learn to use other types of supports in the end to raise the tier.

In that respect, Baek Ha-yan’s level had risen to the point where it was considered that there was no supporter who couldn’t do it anymore.

Of course, the dealership was also of a high standard.
He hit the opponent with a hot deal from before the line, and based on that, he raised his growth power and played an active part to the extent that he was considered to be a two-mid player even during teamfights.

I stroked the white hair that came out of the capsule.

“Good job.”
“Lol…”

It was a common compliment, but she had a bright smile as if she were happy.
Then she slowly closed her eyes and muttered some pretty scary words of her own.

“Ah~ if time stopped like this…”

To hear it, it was something that is usually said in a happy moment, but in this case, since the narrator is the narrator, other interpretations were possible.

I very carefully retrieved her hand that had been stroking her hair.
She couldn’t stop time forever, so I thought she would want to be petted forever, so I was just being cautious.

“Okay! Give feedback and rest for a while, then let’s prepare for the next edition!”

Because it is China, there is no need to adjust to the time difference, so yesterday was the last time I could relax.

Starting today, just like in Korea, we will analyze countless scrims and opposing teams.

The only way to use time efficiently was to not spend time on weak teams.

So we decided to emphatically exclude Germany’s Vanz Vortex from the analysis.
It was because it was a team that couldn’t be defeated if we just did what we used to do.

‘There’s nothing difficult until the group stage.’

Except for our team, we only need to fight the remaining three teams twice and win.
6 matches in total.
The goal, of course, was to win.

###

The Arena World Championship group stage has begun.
The arena for the group stage was a dome-shaped stage in Shanghai, China.

Looking at the audience seats, I could see that there were no seats left.

As many as 32 clubs had to play 6 games per team, the games had to unfold without a break.

The opening ceremony of the group stage has begun.
A magnificent promotional video came out and introduced the team, each group, and the progress schedule in turn.

And finally, the two teams that will play the opening ceremony on stage.
Group A’s Vanz Vortex and Taiwan Esports.

“The next match is us. I am nervous.”

The group stage consists of one group of matches per day.
In other words, today all 6 games of Group A will be played, and tomorrow 6 games of Group B will be played.

So, today’s schedule was like this.

– Arena World Championship Group Stage Day 1
1. Vanz Vortex (Germany) VS Taiwan Esports (Taiwan)
2. Battle Angels (Korea) VS Cyber ​​Akuma (Japan)
3. Vanz Vortex (Germany) VS Battle Angels (Korea)
4. Taiwan Esports (Taiwan) VS Cyber ​​Akuma (Japan)
5. Vanz Vortex (Germany) VS Cyber ​​Akuma (Japan)
6. Taiwan Esports (Taiwan) VS Battle Angels (Korea)

Our matches were located in the second, third and final sixth.

Wow!!

In the meantime, the players appear splendidly and the audience cheers.
The players gathered in the middle of the stage, and the managers and coaches of both teams.

Among them, after the directors shook hands with each other, the two camps split into two sides and parted ways.

There were 5 to 7 players, but the manager, coaches, staff, etc. Who came with him are close to 10 people.
It’s barely a game, but for some it’s a challenge that puts career and life on the line.

It was the same with today’s game.
It was not a strong team, but it was a mid-level club, but they also risked the fate of the club in their own way.

“You guys are resting.”

After Hwang Ji-yeon ordered the players to rest, she came next to me and cast her gaze toward the field.

“Let’s go all the way.”
“Huh.”

I answered calmly and waited for the game to start.

After watching the game, the impression was that our team was not as good as expected.

Strategies and fighting styles developed in different environments.
In the chaotic situation of biting and biting each other, it was the team that showed a little more concentration at the last minute that eventually seized the victory.

The winner was Taiwan Esports.

“Let’s get ready soon!”

As Hwangbo Ji-yeon looked back at her players and said, the girls who were resting in their own way woke up.
They didn’t say anything, but they looked quite nervous.

I had no intention of relieving the tension.

It was only once for me, but I knew it well because I had stood on the stage of the world championship.
A stage that no one can stand on even if they risk their whole lives.
Looking back later, even this moment when I felt nervous was precious.

“Let’s go.”

Steph’s sortie order was given.
Leading by leader Kang Yul, the players slowly enter the arena.

From now on, every scene was a performance only for the fans.
Fans are only interested in the players who are playing the game, but the manager and coaches have no part-time job, so my job is to quietly support the players behind the scenes.

Wow!!!

A deafening roar fills the air.

After that, nothing was memorable.
I was also pickled in tension, and when I came to my senses, I was at the center of the stage before I knew it.

Standing here, I felt as if I was standing at the center of the world.

Fans sitting around us in a circle.
And the shouts they emit.

It seemed that everything in the world existed for us and that we had been waiting for this moment.

“I-I… My heart feels like it will explode.”

White White, who was standing next to me, breathed heavily and said.

Should I say China?
I feel like I’m going to get a panic disorder on an enormous scale that I’ve experienced for the first time.

I spoke to her as calmly as she could for her sake.

“I’m with you. Don’t worry, do whatever you want.”

At that, she forced a smile and nodded her head.

After meeting with fans, players from both teams parted ways.
I moved my steps slowly and made my way to the center of the stage with the arena mark engraved on the floor.

On the other side, the director of Japan’s Cyber ​​Akuma was walking out.

“Yoroshikuo願ishimasu.”

He greeted me in Japanese and reached out his hand first.
As for Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu, I could understand him, so I held his hand while answering in Korean.

“I look forward to.”

Then we part on both sides and head to our respective camps.
As soon as I entered the capsule, I spoke in a light voice.

[BA Battle: Are you ready to destroy the sidebars?]

A roar of laughter ensued.

There will be an audio recording, but I’m sure I won’t be using this part anywhere.

After that, the game started and we moved to the ban-pick stage.

The concept we took for this ban pick was simple.
It was to show our strength to the world by suppressing the opponent with overwhelming force.

The opponent tried to take familiar characters while bringing back the ban-pick aspects that were often used in the Japanese league.

But there’s no way.

As soon as the van ended, I immediately spoke to Jihye Lee.

[BA Battle: Jihye, how are you feeling today?]
[BA Wisdom: I’m menstruating?]
[BA Battle: It’s perfect for carrying. Choose Hong Gil-dong.]

Our first pick.
Hong Gil-dong, who is called the Korea Secret Weapon, appeared.