chapter_0092

92 – If You Give Me a Shotgun and Smoke Bomb

92 – If You Give Me a Shotgun and Smoke Bomb

ComBative is a team game, and even if four people are good, if one person is bad, you lose.

Moreover, if all five team members are commonly burdened with a problem, the situation becomes even more serious.

It’s time to talk about the results of the scrims that have been going on for three days.

Young-gun, a ComBative Challenger tier and former professional gamer who is in charge of coaching, said.

[I’m sorry!!]

The apology was for investing all the points in Serena due to his stubbornness, which brought the team to this state.

[But, honestly, I didn’t know it would be this bad!]

This was said after seeing our scrim results.

A whopping 0 wins and 22 losses.

Each game was played with a 10-round win rule, and the round win rate was less than 30%.

In other words, we were getting crushed every time we played.

Even if we sometimes managed to break through with a single point during the attack, the team collapsed like a sandcastle when defending the site after planting the bomb, or during the defense phase.

Let’s go over each situation to see what problems each of us had.

First of all.

There were cases where Serena gave an order, but KraeMang’s loud call ate up the order.

[Be careful of B Long.]

[Roger, the B side is attacking now—.]

[KraeMang! I’m dead! Mid Tunnel¹! There are so many people here! Wow.]

(¹Mid Tunnel: The central passage connecting A site and B site where bombs are planted)

[Kamik, can you repeat the Long situation! The sound overlapped just now—.]

[Ah. Sorry. I’m down too. They came in so fast.]

It would be fine if they just interfered with the order, but due to the momentary lack of order, Kamik, the main force, was often killed in vain by enemies popping out from the side or behind.

[KraeMang, reduce your calls. Just say, ‘Dead. Location of death.’ It would be nice if you could tell us how many people you saw.]

[Oh, I’m sorry. My voice is just too loud.]

[It’s okay if your voice is loud. But it needs to be short. It’s too long.]

It was a predictable result, and Young-gun pointed it out clearly.

But perhaps because urgent situations happened so often in the game, there was a limit to how much KraeMang could consciously suppress it.

Second, in contrast to KraeMang, Bajubi’s voice was too small, which lengthened communication.

[………at ………….]

[Huh? Bajubi, can you say that again?]

[………at ……… Ah, I’m dead.]

[Oh no. Where are you? Tell me your location.]

[…………but—]

[KraeMang! A Down! A Down! A emergency!]

This case even synergized with the first one.

In this case, Bajubi, KraeMang, and Kamik were swept away at once, resulting in a 2:5 or 2:4 situation, and the game collapsed.

[Bajubi. No one is saying anything to Bajubi. More energetically. Please speak louder. You have a pretty voice!]

[…………….]

[Louder!]

[C-can’t….]

Young-gun’s coaching isn’t bad.

But I couldn’t help but intervene because of that damn superfluous remark.

This guy doesn’t understand the heart of a small streamer at all.

“Boss. Tone down the flirting.”

[Huh? I didn’t flirt?!]

“She’s uncomfortable. Just say what you need to say. Don’t add unnecessary remarks.”

[Ha. My consideration is misunderstood as flirting. I’m going crazy.]

“Do you want to get down?”

[No.]

For reference, the third problem was me.

I learned ComBative-style combat through Serena’s coaching and even equipped an AR, which lengthened my survival time.

But my FPS ego, built up in Battle Colosseum, was so strong that I occasionally went berserk.

Perhaps because Serena owed me something, she couldn’t stop me for sure.

“I feel like I can wipe them all out if I go in now.”

[Ugh… uh…. Then try it.]

“Let’s go— Ah. I’m dead.”

[Ah.]

No matter how much I acted up, I couldn’t move as crazy as in Battle Colosseum.

I clearly thought I was moving well, but if the opponent shot well, my head would explode.

You’re playing Smokescreen, but what happened to your personal Smokescreen?

I used it all to open the way and block the path for the team.

As I said before, I wouldn’t have done this if it was a game I could carry, but it’s ComBative.

And my frantically twitching movements were always a problem.

Unlike Battle Colosseum, where my aim didn’t shake that much even when shooting while dashing, sliding, jumping, or even doing aerial rotations, in ComBative, firing in bursts while moving would immediately draw the outline of a person.

Young-gun ruined the team with his selection of players, but as the coach, he pointed this out every time.

[Jia. Are you perhaps suffering from a disease where you die if you don’t charge?

And I told you to stop and shoot. I told you not to fire in bursts while running, sliding, or dashing, right?]

As a result, the three problems mentioned above occurred separately or together, leading to defeat.

If none of them occurred, we would still work well together and win a defensive victory.

But there was another problem here.

In ComBative, gold is awarded based on victories and kills, and one-taps (killing with a headshot in one shot) are impossible unless you buy expensive guns with this gold.

In other words, it’s a game where you keep rolling the gold snowball with kills, victories, and site bomb installations to win 10 rounds first….

Since we had so many round losses, we couldn’t continue the momentum even if we won a round, and we easily lost the following set or the next set.

Well, since we lost so much, the opponents always had a lot of money saved up.

They suddenly come in fully armed with force, and once we lose the gun we worked so hard to buy, we get trapped in an infinite ouroboros where defeat leads to defeat.

As the defeats continued, the team members seemed to be losing confidence.

Kamik, whose shots were amazingly good, made more mistakes.

Serena also couldn’t see the entire map and missed things.

And KraeMang, who used to talk so much, was speechless.

It might seem like a good thing that meaningless calls decreased, but since the person who used to make the atmosphere with me was like this, the atmosphere in the voice chat room was too heavy.

Practically half-abandoned.

I was the only one who hadn’t lost hope yet.

But I had another problem.

The more scrims we did, the more restrictions Coach Young-gun started to place on me.

I realized then that Serena had really let me play freely.

Just looking at the accumulated criticisms over the past three days, it was as follows.

Don’t fire in bursts while moving. (Battle Colosseum habit)

Don’t use Mini-barrel in the pistol slot.

Never use Smokescreen (champion) Smokescreen for personal use.

If you’re retreating, use Smokescreen even if there’s no order.

No, retreat before that….

I was already holding back the urge to go in and stir things up because I was worried about hindering the team.

I can’t even attack as I please if the allies aren’t ready.

If I keep holding back like that, the allies get cut off first.

Ah, frustrating.

* * *

The next day.

“This won’t work. Jia, let’s just switch positions with KraeMang. It would be better for Jia to take on the defense role. That way, we can prevent Majiya’s sudden actions and help increase our defense.”

In the end, Majiya exploded due to Young-gun’s instructions.

The defense group is the rearmost in the team.

In the attack phase, they plant turrets or traps to secure the area after planting the bomb.

In the defense phase, they take charge of one area and hold on to prevent the enemy from entering.

In other words. It’s terribly boring.

It was a position that didn’t suit Majiya at all, and she couldn’t even use Smokescreen, her favorite champion.

Young-gun had been agonizing over it for the team, which was always getting crushed in defense.

If Cheon Do-hee, the Boss, was the coach, it might have been different, but Majiya, who had been constantly suppressed and annoyed, immediately confronted Young-gun.

[Before switching positions, can I just play one game as I want? I know it might be a stretch, but honestly, I’ve been so frustrated for the past four days.]

“… What do you want to do?”

[Charge with Smokescreen and a shotgun. I’ll use all my Smokescreen myself.]

“No. Um….”

Charging in ComBative is the number one thing you shouldn’t do.

Isn’t it a heavy military RPG?

The original game was so strategic that you had to study CQB (Close Quarters Battle).

The roles of infiltration, strike, and tactics are all elements for using various strategies such as single-point breakthroughs, strategic detours, and feints.

Charge?

Of course, it’s better not to do it in a game where you can die with a single headshot. You should never let them do it.

But Young-gun knows the team after watching them for four days.

This team does well when they’re doing well, but when each person’s weaknesses start to pop out, they collapse helplessly.

Majiya’s charging instinct was one of them.

It was like a dog being launched when it sees a ball flying.

She tries to bite whenever the enemy shows a gap, and neither Serena nor Young-gun could stop her.

However, the charging instinct from Battle Colosseum must be suppressed.

Even if she shoots well, the team suffers if she deviates from the ComBative style.

That’s a mindset that a player participating in a tournament shouldn’t have.

‘… There was a time when I had to suppress it strongly.’

Above all, the atmosphere in the chat room was ominous due to the accumulated losing streak, so I couldn’t just let it go.

— No, um… this isn’t Battle Colosseum, teacher lol

— Ego is so strong lol

— Let her do it once

— That habit will never be fixed

— I’m frustrated just watching, just let her do it

— J- arrogant lol

— A former pro is telling you to do it, but you’re just a Battle Colosseum Diamond;

— Let’s just let her do it?

— Won’t she come to her senses after dying a few times?

First, let her crash and burn after trying it herself, and then re-establish it in the ComBative style.

Once she becomes a true ComBative user and gets at least one scrim win, the views that look down on her will be sorted out on their own.

Well, she’s a person who does her part if she follows the strategy properly.

It’s just that she can’t stay still because of her Battle Colosseum experience.

“Okay. Try it for now. Anyway, it seems like our team won’t be able to do anything if we keep going like this.”

[Thank you.]

And it’s not just that I wanted to put a leash and muzzle on Majiya.

On the fourth day of scrims, the record was 0 wins and 22 losses.

If we keep going like this, we’ll obviously get crushed in the actual game, so Young-gun started to think that we should try various things.

In other words, the fun-game mindset started to be installed.

Well, Young-gun also watched Majiya’s Battle Colosseum video.

In Mugeon’s civil war, she turned everyone who came into the Smokescreen into a bloody mess, and recreating the Smokescreen as a strange realm was admirable.

In ComBative, her main weapon, the shotgun, has too much disadvantage due to distance, and it’s most profitable to use Smokescreen for the team, so she’s been suppressing it.

But you never know.

Maybe the person who was thought to be a dog will suddenly become a wild wolf and bite all the enemies.

“Serena. From now on, think of Smokescreen as non-existent. We’ll remake the strategy with just Serena’s three.”

[Okay.]

“Kamik and Bajubi. Don’t react to Majiya’s calls, and only react to orders based on Serena’s judgment. Don’t get sucked in and keep your position until you’re sure you’re going in.”

[Understood.]

[……Okay.]

When Young-gun didn’t call his name, KraeMang asked.

[Boss. What about me?]

“KraeMang, please do a silent practice. We don’t know what will happen after Jia charges, so if you keep reacting to kills and deaths, it will mess up the ally’s orders. Do you understand?”

[Understood.]

Thus, the new strategy was completed.

It was the start of a two-track strategy that separated Majiya’s charge and Serena’s site entry orders.

The reaction in the chat room was, of course, not good.

— This is a waste of time

— Fr

— It would be better to cut down on what we were doing

— Really showing that you’ve only done Battle Colosseum lol

— Ugh

— That’s why you can’t have newbies who have only played other FPS;

Now, whatever I say related to the chat room, it might seem like I’m agreeing with the opinions that criticize Majiya.

So Young-gun shut his mouth like it was stitched shut.

Waiting for Majiya to show something brilliant, or to realize that her method was wrong and completely sink.

*

Meanwhile, the Gongsadamang team is preparing for their 23rd scrim with Young-gun’s team.

Watermelon Hotpot, who is in charge of ordering, muttered leisurely after seeing the next opponent.

“Everyone, let’s take it easy in the next game.”

[Ah. Is Young-gun’s team next?]

[Yes.]

[Thank goodness. Wow. The Pandral team is really too tough because of Taro.]

[The flashbangs are crazy, really. I just get angry because I keep getting blinded.]

Young-gun’s team was already known as the weakest and a source of nourishment among the four teams, so everyone was relieved to hear that the next team was Young-gun’s team.

They had to do scrims all week and practice separately, so they were getting tired.

Healing with such a weak team was very helpful in recovering their mentality and confidence.

Of course, everyone was preparing for the game thinking of the previous Young-gun team.

“First of all, like we did against Young-gun’s team before. If the enemy pushes in, we’ll open the way and let them install the bomb. The opponent’s defense is very weak, so even if we’re defending, let’s just aim for retakes.”

[Roger.]

[Understood.]

[Let’s go~.]

Everyone was relaxed.

Since the rule was that each team would play against each other in a round-robin format, and the top 1-3 teams would advance to the playoffs, there was no need to spend energy on Young-gun’s team, which was practically confirmed to be 4th place, or to prepare a new strategy.

Originally, it was important to concentrate from the first round, the pistol round, to buy good guns faster than the opposing team and solidify the victory.

But why bother? It’s the weakest team.

{{ Defense }}

Thus begins the first round of the 10-round win game.

Since they start with defense, they will be defending for the next 10 rounds.

Everyone on the Gongsadamang team went to their positions and stood guard as if they had promised.

Among them, the person in charge of A Short (usually a straight tunnel-shaped structure leading to the site is called Long, and a curved path is called Short) was Kaljam.

He was the team’s 4-tier, but he had a considerable talent for waiting shots, so he was doing his part.

As usual, he hid next to the arched passage and waited for the enemy to enter while aiming at the head line.

How long had it been?

Tat tat tat, footsteps began to be heard.

[One enemy A Short. Not entering yet—.]

Usually, the attacker has a moment to hesitate before entering.

That’s because it’s easier to enter if you shake up the waiting enemy first by throwing a flashbang or a concussion grenade.

However, the opponent did not stop.

The footsteps quickly approached. The running continued.

[Wait, they’re entering right away. Short support!]

A white mustache and reggae hair appeared through the archway.

It was Smokescreen, Majiya.

Kaljam immediately aimed at Majiya, but a Smokescreen flew in faster, trapping Kaljam inside a spherical wall made of smoke.

‘What is it? Are they telling me to pull back?’

ComBative has its own language.

For example, Smokescreen falling during battle means “Let’s stop here.”

Majiya had always played Smokescreen and always installed Smokescreen in strategic locations. It meant that we would dominate the inside with this Smokescreen as the boundary, so get out of here.

In other words, the place where Kaljam was standing was the boundary line that the opponent wanted.

Since the key to the defense side is how much to preserve the number of people, Kaljam immediately backpedaled.

The top priority was to get out of the Smokescreen and find a new location.

But just before turning halfway and getting out.

An assassin who silenced his footsteps appeared inside the Smokescreen.

[Gasp.]

Kaljam’s heart sank, but somehow the sound was the cheerful sound of a Mini-barrel.

Thump!

{{ Majiya >> (head)(Mini-barrel) Kaljam }}

[No way, did she come in with that?]

Until now, they had left the decision to Serena and used it for the purpose of “truce,” but for Majiya, Smokescreen was actually an attack signal.

The inside of the Smokescreen was where she belonged, so the play just now was so natural for Majiya.

Why did you lay down Smokescreen and not go in?

Are you a coward?

Anyway, that’s what Majiya thought.

Suddenly, someone fell down.

The Gongsadamang team’s Talk Code became noisy.

[A Short. What’s going on?]

[I thought you were expanding your territory by using a smokescreen, so I backed off, right? Suddenly, I came in and got my head blown off.]

[You came in right after using the smokescreen?]

[Yeah.]

The commander, Watermelon Hotpot, immediately spoke up.

“They might have come up with a new strategy. Everyone else, like Kaljam, if the enemy lays down a smokescreen, don’t retreat; just wait and shoot when they come in.”

[Understood.]

[Yes.]

[Wait a minute, A Long’s footsteps… Ah, this time, a smokescreen was laid down for me.]

The situation where Kaljam had just been killed was happening again.

This time, the one trapped was Dudung, who was in charge of A Long.

Thanks to the supervisor’s advice, Dudung stayed put inside the smokescreen instead of rushing out.

Since the middle was at risk of being targeted, he intentionally positioned himself slightly off to the side.

———Thump!

[Wow.]

However, suddenly a buckshot flew by and grazed Dudung’s body.

Startled as his health was chipped away, Dudung immediately moved.

Making footsteps for the smokescreen ghost meant he was asking for trouble.

Sure enough, a second pellet from the mini-barrel came flying in.

Thump!

{{ Majiya >> (head)(mini-barrel) Dudung }}

[No way, what the hell?]

“Situation report! Briefly.”

[Well, I got hit while moving after being grazed by a shot from outside the smokescreen, and then suddenly another shot came in and blew my head off. My mistake, I’m sorry.]

“… Hmm?”

Watermelon Hotpot tilted his head.

Wasn’t the situation a bit funny?

‘… Could it be that they startled me by grazing me and then shot my head when they heard my footsteps?’

It was natural to use a pistol in the first round since there was no money.

But choosing a mini-barrel among them was abnormal.

Its range was terribly short, and it only had two rounds.

However, if that situation was truly intentional, that was even more abnormal.

To make me make footsteps and then hit my head?

While pondering this, a report came in from the middle.

[Sound from the middle! I think it’s Majiya, what should we do?]

“First, maintain your stance. The one in charge of B Short should move between the middle and A Short.”

[Understood!]

[Got it.]

No sooner had they exchanged words than a smokescreen was laid down around Jinsam in the middle.

It was the last smokescreen the smoker could use.

[… Oh?]

However, unlike the previous two cases, it didn’t explode in a way that surrounded Jinsam.

A spherical smokescreen was created, blocking the wide corridor directly in front, but it was slightly shifted to one side, leaving a gap on the opposite side.

When inside the smokescreen, there was no way to know if the opponent passed through the gap between the smokescreen and the corridor.

Thus, instead of entering the smokescreen, Jinsam chose to step back and aimed at the gap instead.

Since the opponent emerging from the smokescreen would be at a disadvantage in visibility, he judged that he could catch them if he aimed at the side and pulled the trigger.

It was confidence that came from being a tier-one player on the team.

But just as he was slowly backing away while aiming.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard from inside the smokescreen.

Thinking someone might jump out, Jinsam stopped moving and aimed at the smokescreen, but thump!

{{ Majiya >> (head)(mini-barrel) Jinsam }}

[Ah! What the?!]

Without seeing anything, his head was blown off.

The teammates watching Jinsam’s screen, who had died first, shouted.

[No way, what the hell is sound baiting?]

“Sound? What’s going on? Please explain.”

[So… it was a really cunning play.

It sounded like footsteps from inside the smokescreen, but in reality, it was footsteps made while sticking right outside the smokescreen.

They made Jinsam focus on the smokescreen, then slipped out through the gap between the smokescreen and the corridor and blew off Jinsam’s head.

It was a trick that recognized that unless you’re a pro, you can’t perfectly gauge the distance of footsteps.

In an instant, it was 2:5.

A dark cloud slowly gathered over Watermelon Hotpot’s head, as if a smokescreen grenade had exploded.

It was good that the opponent’s strategy had changed.

Young-gun’s team wouldn’t want to stay in last place forever either.

But wasn’t this a bit unsettling?

That just because an individual started using the smokescreen that was meant for the team, it turned out like this?

‘There’s nothing to be surprised about…’

However, since the first round was a pistol round, it was okay to give it up.

If they did another pistol round to save money, that would be fine.

They could fight well and take the opponent’s gun.

“Everyone, I think you got too complacent thinking they were an easy opponent. Let’s focus.”

Above all, everyone had relaxed thinking they were an easy opponent.

Surely the same thing wouldn’t happen in the second round.

In a game that could go up to 19 rounds, such unexpected variables could occur at any time.

As long as they didn’t keep falling for the same trick, they wouldn’t lose the game.

“This time, if you spot a smoker, immediately support from the nearest position.”

[Yes.]

[Understood.]

Thus began the new round.

Not long after giving the order, Kaljam heard footsteps from the same position again.

[A Short is coming again!]

[I’ll cover right away.]

Since Kaljam had died earlier from A Short and then consecutively died,

This time, Jinsam, who was waiting in the middle, moved towards Kaljam for backup.

It’s rare for someone waiting in a crossfire to get taken down by an individual pushing in.

Kaljam stared intently at the archway.

Thinking that if they came in, he would turn them into a beehive.

However, this time, the smokescreen was laid down in a different position.

It wasn’t on Kaljam’s side or Jinsam’s side, who had come to cover from the middle.

It was a smokescreen blocking the archway formed by the two people creating a crossfire.

“Huh?”

At this point, even Watermelon Hotpot, who was giving orders, became confused.

Clearly, in the first round, they had used the smokescreen for an attack with a different style, but now it felt like they had returned to their original area control method right at the start of the second round?

But reports began to come in.

[There are still footsteps coming from inside the smokescreen, what should we do?]

[Should we shoot? If we shoot from both sides, we might be able to kill them.]

Majiya was inside.

She wouldn’t make footsteps by mistake, so it must be baiting.

Then what was the purpose of making noise? To gather attention? What was she trying to do by gathering attention? Did she think only one person was waiting?

Then suddenly, bang bang bang! The sound of a single-shot pistol rang out.

“What? Are they fighting?”

[No, just showing a moment.]

[Ah, damn, I can’t catch this.]

The person who had been strategically using the smokescreen suddenly started picking off without reason? That couldn’t be.

What information was she trying to secure by coming out of the smokescreen while getting grazed? The position of her allies.

She must have confirmed the position to take the next step.

Continuing to make footsteps was also to make them focus on the smokescreen.

She would definitely attack again.

“Don’t just sit there poking the smokescreen; use grenades to suppress and reposition!”

[I’ll lay down a grenade!]

Every skill has a casting sound effect.

In the case of the smokescreen, it’s the sound of wind whooshing.

In the case of the grenade, it’s the sound of the pin being pulled with a ting.

And that sound was also a signal for attack to Majiya.

[No way!]

Majiya, who burst out with full speed from the smokescreen, charged at Kaljam, who was pulling the pin on the grenade.

Thump!

{{ Majiya >> (head)(mini-barrel) Kaljam }}

Jinsam, watching from the side, aimed at her and was about to fire, but whoosh.

Immediately, a smokescreen flew in and enveloped Jinsam.

It was the same situation as in the first round.

“What happened!”

[Crazy. Jam got his head blown off after hearing the sound of the grenade being pulled. Wait, I’m trapped in the smokescreen again…]

In that moment, the sound of clicking was heard.

Majiya was loading ammunition into the mini-barrel.

Jinsam couldn’t just let this slide.

The area where the reloading sound was coming from outside the smokescreen was an open terrain with no cover.

If he burst out now, it would be advantageous for him.

[This is insane, I’m reloading———.]

However, waiting for Jinsam, who burst out of the smokescreen, was Majiya, who was already aiming.

[… Huh?]

She pressed the reload button to make a sound on purpose and was waiting with the pistol she had taken from the downed Kaljam.

People always get distracted by the bait and the smokescreen.

But Majiya was originally skilled with other firearms as well.

Bang! Bang!

{{ Majiya >> (head)(Outlaw) Jinsam }}

With another kill log coming up, Watermelon Hotpot shouted in a flustered voice.

“What the hell, what happened!”

Once could be a mistake or luck.

But from the second time, it was closer to skill.

Those watching the broadcast from the busy side couldn’t hide their shock.

It felt like the opponent, who had been getting wiped out the whole time, suddenly released a sandbag, and if it were a one-ton bag that shook the ground as soon as it fell, this is what it would feel like.

Some even felt PTSD.

Most were viewers who had watched Mugeon’s Battle Colosseum civil war.

Especially those who had been victims of Majiya.

:: An anonymous sponsor donated 1,000 clouds! ::

:: Signal flare incoming;; ::

A word from the author (author’s note)

I failed to control the length, but

please think of it as a gift for you starting a new week!!!

Let’s fight this week too!!