[Victory achieved.]
[Congratulations to 'Sigma Ga-wol' on winning the IKL Summer League.]
The battlefield, which had been so intense just moments ago, suddenly fell silent.
The players of the once-opposing Eunha Gaming vanished in a flash of red, and the team members who had logged off also slowly faded away.
It felt like an unreal stillness had descended. The only traces of the battle left were the scars on the floor and walls, marking the remnants of the fight.
I... stared blankly at the system message.
To anyone else, I probably looked pretty dumb.
‘Right, this isn’t the time for this. I need to leave.’
I had been lost in sentiment for too long.
As the game ended, my senses started to return.
The first to return was probably my hearing, as I could now hear the excited voices of the commentators.
As I logged out, my teammates came into view.
Hekate was jumping around happily. Outlaw, normally so introverted, had thrown his arms wide with joy.
Even Luche, who rarely showed her emotions, was smiling brightly today.
“So! In the end, we’ve done it! Sigma eSports!”
“Back-to-back championships, the royal road conquered by Ga-wol! A record-breaking undefeated victory!”
“This has been the period of most change. It’s also when the greatest number of players have grown. In such a situation, setting an unprecedented record is truly remarkable.”
“Not just in IKL, but historically, an undefeated championship is a rare… no, practically unheard of achievement.”
I felt weird.
I just suddenly realized we’d won, so I was barely moving, my mouth just opening and closing.
I couldn’t say anything, just staring at the ceiling.
Under the bright lights, paper petals fluttered down like rain.
White spotlight beams rained down on us, and the players of Eunha Gaming quietly exited.
Reflections of light sparkled around the room, making the world seem like it was filled with gems.
It was a victory. Unlike in the arena, it wasn’t just an event league; this was a proper tournament win.
I was no longer the amateur who had been dismissed by others.
I had made my mark as a professional eSports player under Sigma eSports, as Ga-wol, leaving my name in the league.
There must have been loud, majestic music filling the arena.
But with my heart pounding, and feeling like it was all a dream, I couldn’t hear a single sound from outside.
Then, someone snapped me back to reality.
It was Hekate. Seo Ye-won launched herself at me in an attack.
“Han Da-eun!”
“Eek! Ugh?”
What was happening?
What in the world was I experiencing?
I felt pressure on my waist, then my whole body was lifted into the air.
Hekate had picked me up and was spinning me around.
My feet didn’t touch the ground, and my legs were flailing helplessly.
I tried to ask Luche for help.
But, for the first time, she had a rare smile on her face as she grabbed my crutch.
Even Luche...? It seemed like help was out of the question.
“This is insane! We really did it, undefeated victory!”
“Royal Road congratulations!”
“Wha—what? Let me down!”
“No way!”
My teammates raised me higher, and I lost all control of my body.
I lay on my back for a moment, then briefly floated in the air.
When I came down, I felt hands under my back, supporting me as I fell.
The celebrations didn’t stop at one toss.
To be honest, it was scary. I thought I’d crash to the ground and it would hurt a lot.
But somehow, I didn’t ask them to stop.
Despite the playful words, their touch was steady and cautious.
And as I caught my breath, I realized I was unable to communicate through words.
It took me only a moment to realize the laughter I was releasing was from happiness.
“Ahh… Hahaha, haha! Ahhh! This is scary!”
“Well, you should’ve done better earlier!”
I was tossed several times before finally coming down.
Though it seemed like I was just being thrown, I felt oddly exhausted.
Once the toss ended, I lay on the stage, gasping for air.
Hekate, who had been laughing and teasing, extended her arm to help me up, and I took it to stand.
Once I got my crutch back, I had a moment to look around at the audience.
There were so many people. Especially from Sigma’s cheering section, the energy was palpable.
From behind, someone subtly gave me a nudge.
Then, with my right arm raised high...
“Waaahhhh!”
The cheers flooded in, and I felt dizzy.
Sigma, Ga-wol, Luche, Camellia, Hekate, Outlaw, and Rika.
Our names were called, as well as the names of the bench players who didn’t compete.
Amidst these names, familiar faces appeared.
This was a stadium full of people.
I thought it was a thing of fiction to find acquaintances in a place like this.
In the front row were Elderlin, Sanse, and Sulppang.
Even Ryeohi had joined, wearing a mask.
And in the back… there was the instructor.
Wearing the uniform I had sent earlier, their imposing presence made them stand out.
The instructor’s wife was next to them, and when our eyes met, they waved at me.
Now, it was time for the official awards ceremony.
Ho-eun, the caster, and the announcer ascended to the stage.
“Sigma eSports players, congratulations on your victory. After the ceremony, we will hear the victory speech.”