Chapter 77: Rumble Stage vs VXG

“You came.”
“Oh my, we meet again.”

Even for Seino, who struggled with social interactions, she knew it was polite to greet someone she’d met five days in a row.

‘But why is it always the same seats…?’

Having visited the arena every day since the first, Seino was puzzled. Why was her seat always the same, and why did she keep running into Choi Eun-seo?

Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Seino asked,

“Do you know why our seats are always here?”

Choi Eun-seo seemed to know everything about esports.

Even though she claimed not to be directly involved in the tournament, Seino wondered if she knew something.

“The seats? This is a special invitation section.”

“Special invitation?”

“You said you didn’t buy the tickets, but received them through a request, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“And these seats around here are specifically for VIPs.”

“VIPs…?”

“It’s easier to manage if important people are grouped together, and it ensures a good viewing experience by keeping out disruptive individuals.”

‘I’m a VIP…?’

Unlike Choi Eun-seo, who was familiar with upper-class culture, the word “VIP” sounded like something out of a drama or anime to Seino.

Choi Eun-seo, amused, explained,

“Generally, in esports, VIPs fall into two categories: sponsors, who contribute to the tournament…”

“Aha…”

“…and people who help promote the tournament, such as influencers who stream the games.”

Choi Eun-seo paused for a moment, then continued,

“Or, like Ray, someone who performs the theme song.”

“Eh…?”

Hearing her stage name from Choi Eun-seo’s lips, Seino’s mind went blank.

This was her first Korean friend, and she knew there was nothing to be gained by revealing her identity, so she had kept it hidden.

She’d even lied about getting the tickets from an acquaintance instead of a Riot official.

“I was curious because of what you said. I wondered who would casually give away a VIP ticket invitation. But I couldn’t find anyone.”

“Oh…”

“So, I asked around, and it turns out this seat belongs to Ray.”

Looking at Choi Eun-seo’s smile, Seino thought…

‘…Scary!’

Betrayal by someone you trust hurts even more.

---

“Wow, TXG actually beat North America?”

“Maybe it’s not that we were bad, but they were just that good?”

Despite the “NA memes,” based on last year’s results, the LCS was on par with the LCK.

It was a shock that Japan, considered the weakest minor region, managed to defeat them.

“TXG’s top laner is insane.”

“He was originally an ADC, so his mechanics are incredible.”

“The top laner is good, but their ADC is a real beast.”

“That’s probably why they picked him up after he switched roles.”

Honestly, if TXG made it to the semifinals, our team’s loss to them could be considered a significant contribution.

“If PG wins the third match, will the loser of our match have to play a tiebreaker against PG?”

“Probably.”

Tiebreakers were brutal, best avoided if possible.

“Let’s win and send VXG to the tiebreaker.”

“They need to get a taste of it too.”

“PG beat VXG before, right? A tiebreaker would be exciting to watch.”

The team members, trying to relieve tension before the match, joked around.

But the heavy atmosphere in the waiting room remained.

‘They’re practically a wall.’

VXG was LCK’s nemesis, with a dismal win rate against them.

Last year alone, they sent YK home at MSI and cleanly defeated RG in the Worlds finals.

With their two-year dominance in the LPL, most people would predict VXG’s victory against any team.

“Everyone, try not to be too nervous.”

“Are you okay?”

Kim Do-jin looked at me and asked.

Am I okay?

“I’m good.”
“Good…?”

“Even if we make it to the semifinals, if we’re in different brackets, people might say we avoided VXG. This way, we’re guaranteed to face them at least once.”

Dodge cup. A term used to discredit a team’s victory if they win a tournament without facing a specific strong team.

The tournament system is designed so that only the winners advance, and if a team is strong, they’ll naturally climb the ranks, so the concept of a “dodge cup” is flawed.

The problem is that some people actually believe it.

“I like your confidence.”

The coach, returning to the waiting room after meeting with officials, patted my head.

“Let’s go over the draft one last time. They’ll likely try to gain lane priority in all three lanes.”

“So we’ll match them in bot lane?”

“Right. We need at least an even matchup in bot so that Seo-ha can carry in the side lanes or look for teamfight opportunities.”

“We also need to consider the possibility of them picking an AP jungler.”

“Let’s do that. Even if they gain lane priority, we can withstand it to some extent. Honestly, we’re much better in the mid-to-late game.”

The coach closed his draft notebook with a snap.

“So, everyone, don’t be nervous. Let’s win this and advance.”

With those words, a staff member entered and escorted us to the stage.

Facing the VXG players, I felt a different kind of emotion.

The sensation of facing a truly strong team. A burning desire to win, a surge of professional pride.

---

“Hello viewers, we’ll be bringing you the final Rumble Stage match for ARK.”

“If they lose, there’s a chance of a tiebreaker match, so we really hope this is their last Rumble Stage match!”

“That’s right! They need to win here and cleanly move on to prepare for the bracket stage!”

[Will ARK be eliminated if they lose?]

[ARK fighting!]

[What’s with Para’s twintails today?]

[Ugh, what’s with having the match in Japan? Please, if you’re Korean, don’t travel to Japan.]

“Today’s opponent is VXG! The superteam that has conquered both the LPL and Worlds!”

“Many predicted VXG would go undefeated in the Rumble Stage, but the kings of Europe stopped them.”

“PG’s performance yesterday was incredibly fierce.”

[When does the ARK match start?]

[Seriously, what’s with the twintails?]

[Follow ARK on SNS. The manager posts pictures of Para’s daily life.]

[Koreans just aren’t good at League. They’ll probably lose to VXG and go home.]

“What do you think will be the key to this match?”

“League is a mid-lane-centric game, so as always, it depends on which mid laner performs better.”

“Usually, ARK relies on Para’s lane dominance to control the game, but today’s opponent is Hoon, known as the strongest mid laner in the LPL.”

“Two teams with very similar styles, known for strong laning phases and mid-centric play, are facing off.”

[Even Para can’t beat Hoon.]

[Yeah, she’ll probably get smashed like Pumpkin.]

[Don’t search for last year’s MSI YK vs VXG.]

[The legendary 10-death Pumpkin game.]

“We’ll go over the rosters before the match begins!”

---

ARK
Caster, Lesser, Para, Plea, KAI

VXG
Spread, Plumber, HUN, Aqua, LIN

---

“Caster, Lesser, Para, Plea, KAI for ARK. Spread, Plumber, HUN, Aqua, LIN for VXG!”

“Both teams have formidable rosters. As a League of Legends fan, I’m thrilled to witness this match.”

“Let’s move on to the draft!”

[Please give Para a carry pick.]

[It’s better to just give Caster a tank and play for late game.]

[The problem is the bot lane’s form, in my opinion.]

“Since you mentioned the importance of mid lane, what picks can we expect?”

“Hoon is known for his carry plays, but he’s also incredibly good at anti-carry.”

“What exactly do you mean by anti-carry?”

“Anti-carry can be disrupting or suppressing the enemy, but it also includes crushing them with good gank setups. We need to be wary of champions with strong gank assist.”

“Isn’t Para good at that too? Although she does it solo rather than through ganks.”

“That’s a good point.”

[Wow, they just first-picked Lucian.]

[Can they win against Aqua and LIN if they give them Lucian Nami?]

[If they can get KSante, it might be doable. He provides a good front line.]

“VXG prioritizes bot lane dominance by picking Lucian. ARK picks KSante and…”

“No way, they’re picking that champion?”

“They keep hiding their picks! There’s no point in trying to predict what Para will play.”

---

[Whoa!]

[They’re picking that now?]

[A legendary pick!]

[Theoretically, it’s good.]