‘A’nyway, ‘W’inner is ‘L’ucy

 

[LIVE 56947]

[BB-bic & Continental MOL Tournament Official Broadcast]

Even though it hadn’t properly started yet, viewers’ interest in this tournament was substantial enough to easily surpass the average viewership of MCK broadcasts.

After confirming the viewer count with their own eyes, Lee Hyun-o and Danso looked at each other and grinned.

[“Hello everyone! I’m Lee Hyun-o, commentator for this tournament!”]

[“Caster Danso here! Nice to meet you~!!”]

They greeted the viewers energetically.

— Let’s get into the group draw!!

— ‘A’nyway, ‘W’inner is ‘L’ucy.

— AWL acknowledged~

— Your Lucy team is the tournament favorite? Lol

— I really hate seeing Lucy cult members making premature claims when scrims aren’t everything ugh

The official chat was already heated with teams checking each other out, even before the group draw had started.

Or perhaps the chat was heated precisely because the group draw hadn’t started yet.

It could be compared to the effect of anticipating which teams would be placed in the Champions League group stage, even for those not interested in soccer.

[“The fans’ enthusiasm is extraordinary even before the tournament has properly begun.”]

[“Haha. Indeed. Before we get into the group draw, let’s start introducing the teams.”]

Following Danso’s words, the 8 teams participating in this tournament were introduced one by one.

There were a total of 3 strong contenders for the championship in this tournament.

Lucy’s team <Luwingman>

[Scrim Record — 51 wins 12 losses]

<Former Pro Alumni Association> who succeeded in making Lucy angry

[Scrim Record — 43 wins 20 losses]

<Devil Slayer> composed of 3 Challengers, 1 Grandmaster, and 1 Master

[Scrim Record — 55 wins 8 losses]

— Wow, what’s with Devil Slayer’s record?

— So Lucy isn’t invincible after all lol

— Devil Slayer living up to their name?

— Shut up! Anyway, Luwingman will win!

After the team introductions, commentator Lee Hyun-o spoke up.

[“Scrim results don’t prove everything. Ah, no, I’m not trying to undermine the teams with good scrim results. Practice is just practice… that’s what I want to say.”]

[“Right, the real thing is different.”]

The broadcasters said so to maintain tension for the tournament, but there was something they could feel to some extent.

Unless there was an unexpected dark horse.

That the tournament would flow in a three-way structure between <Luwingman>, <Former Pro Alumni Association>, and <Devil Slayer>.

[“The team introductions are finished. Shall we move on?”]

[“Yes. Let’s go straight to the group draw. As it happens, I’ve been informed by officials that preparations are complete—”]

♦♦♦

<Luwingman> watching the group draw broadcast

“We’re in the first match.”

Ara said that after seeing her team being drawn first among the 8 teams.

[“Whew—we’re all dead~”]

[“Ground Duck, don’t be nervous, just trust this MK~”]

[“…MK, aren’t you nervous at all?”]

[“Min-gu oppa… please just shut up. I’m seriously embarrassed”]

Some team members were trembling at the thought of the first match, while others were making jokes to dispel the subtle tension flowing through the team.

While everyone was relieving their tension in their own way, I quietly thought about how to roll the game.

The team we would face was <10’s>, consisting entirely of members born in 2010.

My impression of <10’s> from scrims was just mediocre.

They weren’t weak, but they weren’t strong either—just average level.

‘So then— Yeah. This would be the best way.’

After some internal deliberation, I came to a conclusion.

“For the first match, let’s do ‘that.'”

[“…….”]

The team members fell silent when I said ‘that.’ They probably didn’t expect me to suggest using that from the first match—

[“Lucy, what is ‘that’…?”]

‘…….’

Ah.

Come to think of it, only Kim Ma-gyun and I knew.

“….Cover the screen and check the Tiscoord chat please.”

I just remembered that I hadn’t told the team members.

Somehow I managed to explain ‘that’ strategy to them by posting it in the chat.

[“…Seriously?”]

[“N-no way, the core of this strategy isn’t MK but that?”]

Ground Duck and MK were quite shocked by the new strategy.

[“Hmm—Lucy and the coach know what they’re doing. Right, Ret oppa?”]

Hello Hello made a pleased nasal sound and called to Ret.

[“…Sigh—I’ll try it. No, I’ll definitely do it! By the way, MK you bastard! Isn’t it a bit harsh to call me ‘that’! I’m a person not an object…tsk”]

Ret answered with a tense voice, but everyone on the team could feel the slight joy and excitement contained within it.

As we passed the time joking with team members.

[“<Luwing…man> team please standby.”]

A tournament official entered our call room, informed us that the first stage was ready, and promptly left.

As soon as the official left, Ara’s team joined the tournament private room.

Upon entering the room, each of their avatars began to appear.

[“Let’s do a team cheer before we go in!”]

Ground Duck looked around at the team members and said that, and the other three besides me agreed with his intention.

[“Then Lucy can shout ‘fighting’ first, and we’ll follow!”]

Is a team cheer really necessary…? I wanted to say, but seeing their bright, expectant eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say such words.

I sighed and.

“Fighting.”

I shouted “fighting” alone, in a dry manner.

[“…Fighting.”]

[“Wow—that really drains the energy.”]

[“Fi-fighting~”]

[“…Lucy, if you don’t want to do it, just say so.”]

“…….”

♦♦♦

Team Luwingman was already demoralized from the pick/ban phase due to Ara’s dispirited “fighting.”

[“Now, let’s take a look at the pick and ban phase of the first match in Group A between <10’s> and <Luwingman>!”]

The commentary booth, unaware of this atmosphere, was broadcasting with an energetic voice contrary to it.

As each team’s bans and picks ended one by one, commentator Lee Hyun-o opened his mouth.

[“This is… hmm. Just looking at the composition, <10’s> team is really good? No, beyond good, it’s excellent?”]

— It’s at the level of “loom jaw jaw ray” OMG

— Oh my!

— Kim Ma-gyun you bastard! Aren’t you doing your job?

— A coach who participated just to hear Lucy’s voice wouldn’t try hard in pick/ban lol

The viewers’ reactions to <10’s> composition were no different from Lee Hyun-o’s. Some were even harshly criticizing <Luwingman>.

[“…But. Something feels off, you know..”]

Lee Hyun-o spoke ambiguously, whether it was lip service to build tension for the match, or whether he genuinely felt that way.

If someone held a knife to his back and forced him to bet his entire fortune on which team would win between <10’s> and <Luwingman>—

Without hesitation, Lee Hyun-o would have bet on <Luwingman>’s victory.

Logic? Without any of that, his 10 years of MCK broadcasting experience and his intuition pointed to <Luwingman> winning.

Blue Team — <10’s>

[Bans: ㅣScience KnightㅣMath SotherㅣRavenㅣKaizaㅣPoppoㅣ]

TOP — Adult

JUG — High

MID — Henri

AD — Jenny

SUP — Uni

Adult, the national soup pick with both CC and tanking capabilities.

The High-Henri combination, known for their excellent coordination since the beginning of the season.

Bottom lane consisting of Jenny, whose average damage output is known to be incomparably higher than other AD champions, with Uni’s support increasing movement speed and survival probability.

In contrast—

Red Team — <Luwingman>

[Bans: ㅣStonerockㅣLa BlancㅣModekaizerㅣMal HajaㅣBlickz Trantㅣ]

TOP — Dr. Mundo

JUG — Orgasmism

MID — Galice

AD — Jinkx

SUP — Muk Kenchi

Ara’s Mundo that was occasionally used in scrims.

Orgasmism, a jungle champion in the tier 3 range.

Galice, picked just to hold the line in mid.

Muk Kenchi, chosen to counter High’s ultimate.

With <Luwingman>’s composition having essentially only one damage dealer in Jinkx, people couldn’t help but be dissatisfied.

[“Well, no one knows until the match is over. I’d appreciate it if you could just calm down a bit.”]

[“Honestly, I think I understand what <Luwingman> team intends with this composition…but—”]

Danso was trying to quell the viewers’ anger, while Lee Hyun-o sighed in the middle of explaining Ara’s team composition.

Isn’t Lucy the alpha and omega of <Luwingman>?

Not only did she pick a tank, but having Jinkx as the only damage dealer—

Looking at the composition alone, Lucy wasn’t taking the carry role, but instead Master AD Carry Ret was taking the carry role.

Just as Lee Hyun-o was looking at the match with complicated eyes.

<First Blood>

The sound of a champion dying echoed through the previously quiet Rift.

— ?

— What the fuck

— Is abusing allowed in a tournament?

— What—

Viewers couldn’t help but question that sound.

[“No way! Lucy’s Mundo! Mundo just slaughtered the opponent with a contaminated cleaver!!”]

※ Contaminated cleaver — Contaminated large butcher’s ‘knife’

It was because Ara had killed the enemy Adult at level 1.

No matter how good Mundo is, he belongs in the tank category and isn’t a champion advantageous for securing kills…

[“Ah, they’re showing the replay just in time……. Wow..WOW!! What is this physical play from Lucy!”]

Lee Hyun-o marveled at Ara’s play shown in the replay.

<10’s>’s top and jungle walked into the top straight bush, and at that moment they encountered Lucy’s Mundo.

A normal person would have backed off, but Ara’s Mundo stood and fought.

Ara parried High’s skill with her cleaver, struck Adult’s body with her fist for a damage exchange.

While in Ghosted state, she kept throwing her contaminated cleaver only at Adult for a perfect kill.

Dr. Mundo ■□□□□□□□

Lee Hyun-o, Danso, and the viewers couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of her killing Adult and escaping with a sliver of health.

♦♦♦

“… She’s really fucking good.”

<10’s>’s top laner, taken down by Lucy’s Mundo at level 1.

[“It’s okay. It’s still level 1. But how did she parry my Power Fist with a cleaver—”]

While the jungler was consoling the top laner’s mental state, he was also gasping at Lucy’s abnormal mechanical play.

They hadn’t underestimated Lucy. They’d underestimated Lucy’s ‘Mundo.’

Lucy’s Dr.Mundo play shown in scrims was completely ordinary. It was clearly visible that she was struggling as if wearing ill-fitting clothes.

That’s why they had decided to rush at level 1, but—

[“I should have gone too…”]

<10’s>’s top laner came to his own conclusion after hearing the mid laner’s regretful words.

If all three had come, they might have caught Lucy, but even then, he would have died.

That’s how much.

“…she’s really fucking good.”

Regardless of Math Sother or Science Knight

“What are we supposed to do when she plays a tank like this, damn—”

Lucy was just a girl who was good at MOL.