Chapter 85: “Completely Enchanted”

“Phew…”

I let out a breath as I removed my headset, which had become faintly damp with moisture.

It had been quite a match. More intense than I had expected.

To be honest, I had always harbored a subtle sense of disdain toward professional gamers.

First, because back in my prime, the professional leagues hadn’t been well-established. Second, because I, too, had once received offers to go pro.

Idols were meant to exist in a distant, untouchable realm. If I could become a pro anytime I wanted, there was no way I could feel admiration for them.

But this experience made me realize something.

Professionals weren’t called professionals for nothing.

People who did nothing but eat, sleep, and play games all day weren’t easy to beat.

Starting with the first match I barely managed to win, more and more players gathered, asking for a one-on-one match against me.

Had they sensed something from that game?

Well, for me, it was a good opportunity.

Even if I lost, there wasn’t much at stake for me.

And if I won, I could use my wish ticket to make them publicly declare Camilla’s viability in tournaments.

Some players even promised that if given the chance, they would play Camilla in an official league match.

That alone was already a huge achievement.

“…No way, no way… I actually lost…”

One of the younger players seemed to be particularly shaken by the loss.

But there was nothing I could do.

It wasn’t like I could go easy on them.

They would have to experience defeat at some point, and maybe this loss would help them grow.

However, I wasn’t able to win against every opponent.

A few players managed to defeat me, and among them, there was one in particular whom I wasn’t sure I could beat, even in a rematch.

If I remembered correctly, he was the team captain.

His playstyle had been so remarkable that I memorized his name right away.

Lee Jun-hyuk.

Hearing that name triggered a memory.

Abyss World’s world-class player, the pride of our nation.

A true patriot who turned down lucrative offers from overseas just to stay with Fusion Gaming.

His gameplay had certainly been impressive.

Every move he made was unpredictable, proving why he was considered world-class.

His physical skills were as outstanding as Camilla’s in-game abilities.

Even when faced with sudden attacks, he reacted with ease.

Rather than predicting my moves, it felt like he was actually seeing them and dodging in real time.

Considering that half of his team couldn’t even react to my attacks, it was clear that he was on another level.

That’s why I decided that a rematch would be meaningless.

The odds were about 50-50.

If I dug up some of my old skills, I might be able to put up a fight.

Like most of the players here, he had only started gaming seriously after Abyss became a phenomenon.

If I thought about it, he had been playing for less than five years and was already at the top of the pro scene.

It almost felt like proof that no matter how hard ordinary people tried, they could never surpass those blessed with natural talent.

The world was unfair—plain and simple.

As I reflected on the match I had lost, thinking about how I could improve my chances, the very person in question approached me, his eyes gleaming.

“Good work. You must be tired after playing against everyone one after another.”

“Ah… I’m fine. I actually have pretty good stamina—”

And I really wasn’t that tired.

Camilla’s body was something else—top-tier performance.

I grinned and swung my arms around to show I was still in good shape.

That’s when Jun-hyuk’s eyes sparkled even more.

His gaze burned with such intensity that the word blazing would have been fitting.

“Uh… Captain? Why are you looking at me like that—?”

“Have you ever considered going pro?”

Thud.

Before I could even process his words, he suddenly grabbed my hand.

He was so fast that even I couldn’t react in time.

The surprise lasted only for a moment.

As I looked at him gripping my hand with that fiery gaze, I quickly understood the type of person he was.

Ah, so he’s one of those people.

Top of Form

A man who is truly passionate about gaming, with a bit of a fiery temperament.

If I had to sum up Lee Jun-hyuk in one sentence, that would be it.

He probably saw me as something of a rival, or at least a worthy opponent.

That would explain why he was so insistent—why he was asking me why I hadn’t gone pro.

“Going pro… Hmm, I don’t know.”

“With your skills, Kayak, you could win the women’s league immediately. No, even the men’s league! You have the talent to compete on the world stage! So why—”

“Uh, well…”

Honestly, I had a bit of a weakness for people like him.

Characters who put their whole heart into everything they do—like Limetack from the last tournament.

They were so earnest and passionate that I always felt bad shutting them down outright.

And this guy in front of me was no different.

He was making such a sincere offer that it felt wrong to simply say, I’m not interested.

Fortunately, my savior arrived in the form of the first player I had defeated—the one whose wish I had claimed.

…What was his name again?

“Hyung, you really need to stop doing this to just anyone. I get that you want to recruit people, but first, let go of her hand, yeah? You know you almost got into trouble last time with that fan. The only reason you got away with it was because you’re at least decent-looking…”

A player sighed as he stepped between Jun-hyuk and me, effectively cutting off our conversation.

Then, looking back at me, he shifted uncomfortably.

“Sorry about this. He doesn’t mean anything weird by it, really. It’s just that whenever something involves Abyss, he completely loses his mind… He’s the one who suggested reaching out to you first, too.”

…Why did it feel like their roles as hyung and dongsaeng were reversed?

Given how crazy the world was these days, I could understand his concern.

To ease his worries, I reassured him.

“It’s fine. It’s obvious he doesn’t have any bad intentions.”

There wasn’t even the slightest hint of anything shady.

Unless he had some superhuman ability to perfectly conceal his true thoughts, I was certain there was nothing more to it.

He was just a gaming maniac.

Even grabbing my hand was probably his way of expressing his sincerity.

“Thank you for understanding…”

“It must be tough for you, dealing with this all the time.”

“Yeah, well…”

I patted him on the shoulder sympathetically, but for some reason, he just looked more exhausted.

Then, after a moment’s hesitation, he turned to me again.

“…You remember my name, right? You took my wish, after all.”

I simply gave him a smile before turning back to Jun-hyuk.

I ignored the faint That’s too much… I heard from behind me.

“Jun-hyuk.”

“My apologies. I got a little too excited—no, not that kind of excitement, I just got a bit thrilled for a moment—”

Why did he have to choose his words like that?

In a way, it was kind of endearing.

Looking at his face, I could understand why he had so many female fans.

But that wasn’t important right now.

Because I had just thought of something interesting.

“You asked me about going pro, right?”

“Yes! Kayak, you have incredible potential. You’re a Camilla specialist, sure, but from what I’ve seen, you have the skills to handle other heroes as well. If you expanded your pool—”

“Hold up, hold up. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“I only play Camilla.”

As I hardened my expression and spoke, Jun-hyuk froze for a moment.

I seized that brief window to say what I had intended.

“Bu~ut if you go pro, you’ll have to play other heroes too. You know, like Renok, Jerome, or Dan, since they’re OP this season…”

“Then—!”

“But if I were to debut as a pro, I’d want my first match—my debut match—to be played with Camilla. This season is perfect since Camilla is considered OP… Unfortunately, by the time I do go pro, she’ll have already been nerfed.”

I made a wistful expression, as if I were genuinely heartbroken.

And honestly, thinking about Camilla getting nerfed again did make my eyes sting a little.

“For my sake, could you show me Camilla shining in the league this season? If I see that, I just might really want to go pro…”

As I spoke, I took his hand in mine again—the one that had been pulled away earlier by the other player.

Jun-hyuk flinched.

I even heard someone next to us gasp sharply.

But whatever.

Holding hands wasn’t going to kill me, and it wasn’t a big deal.

Besides, I had already left myself an escape route—I said might, not will.

A normal person wouldn’t take a verbal agreement like this seriously.

Especially since it was a deal sealed with nothing but words.

But to our world-class star, Korea’s beloved Lee Jun-hyuk, my words seemed to have left quite the impression.

“A season where your favorite hero can finally shine in the league… But debuting as a pro would be too late…”

“Motivation… Top-tier talent… A promising rookie… I have to guide them…”

He muttered to himself in a daze, his energy momentarily drained.

Then, suddenly, the fire in his eyes reignited—brighter, fiercer than before.

“I promise! I will make sure Camilla thrives in the league! I will play in a way that will make Kayak, watching from somewhere, proud!”

“T-Thank you.”

As he declared this, he squeezed my hand even tighter than before.

I wasn’t sure if it was unconscious or if he was trying to show his determination.

I had intentionally led him to this moment, but I hadn’t expected such a passionate reaction.

For a second, I felt a slight pang of guilt, as if I had just toyed with a genuinely innocent person.

But… well…

What’s done is done.

And besides, this was the whole reason I came to the team in the first place—to get Camilla played in the league.

Having accomplished my goal, I flashed a bright smile.

And when Jun-hyuk saw that, he grinned just as passionately in return.

“…He’s completely bewitched.”

The only one left murmuring to himself was the unnamed player watching from the sidelines.