– The match begins. Based on their previous records, WeverK tends to struggle weirdly against Team Flag. They’re just a bad matchup. Two losses in the preseason, and even a complete sweep loss during the seasonal league. Real-time win prediction gives Flag an 80% chance. But then again, WeverK is the team known for turning things around, right?
– That’s right. Oh? All the WeverK members… oh, they’re gathering by the lake? Are they having a get-together by the water?
– Choki, don’t do anything else. Start stacking the Tower of Shadow Atonement beneath the lake. While you’re at it, Cannibus will cover you. Once the tower is up, leave Choki alone as our final line of defense and charge the enemy base. Poksup, just handle whatever needs to be done in the moment.
– Choki begins building a tower underwater. That’s basically a declaration of war. They’re claiming naval dominance. Yes, Team Flag has already caught on quickly.
My role in this match was freeroll. The world on screen moved in a dizzying blur. Slitting the throat of an enemy flowing through the sewer, gathering the blood that trailed down to the bottom— even that moment of breath-catching wasn’t wasted, as I cleaned and organized the stone materials.
On the mental map in my head, I predicted the enemy’s movement. Now that I’ve secured the sewer route, they’ll likely be hunting the snake for Jewel Ice. And soon, it was nightfall.
The camera caught me— who had been hiding until then— suddenly rising to fire an arrow over the rooftop.
– Oh? What’s this? Poksup fires a flaming arrow into the sky. Yes, it lands directly in the nest. A hit! It’s a hit!! Prediction successful! That was a high-class clutch play.
“Don’t follow Goljjwi.”
– Goljjwi fails to bait Choki and retreats with his tail between his legs. Just now, it sounded like Poksup told them not to follow. Poksup has a victorious grin on his face. These two are pretty close, aren’t they?
I let out a laugh without realizing. Seriously, Goljjwi? What the hell are you doing there?
“The tower’s clear. Switch to tower-run mode.”
– Uh… what? It doesn’t seem like their goal was naval control after all?
It was a feint. While they were gathering at the lake to stop us, we had already moved and taken the first Jewel Box. As items like potions and rank-up gear spilled from the opened box, we set up our new base right there.
From our Nexus, small multi-killers powered by the Jewels began pouring out.
On the sub-map in my head, I saw the flustered enemies scrambling to figure out their next move. When you’ve got buffs, you have to act fast. Let’s bet everything on a speed game.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
We destroyed the tower they were building in their base and killed the defenders by knocking them to their deaths. Dealmeat shot down a scouting bird with an arrow.
And then we destroyed their base. Though the enemy quickly respawned at home to fend us off, it was too late. With a similar flow, we took two straight wins.
***
As I took off my headset, thunderous cheers erupted from all directions. Under the blindingly hot lights, Dealmeat jumped on my back, his heavy “grip pouch” swinging with weight.
In the front row, Kessler was seated. He stood up clapping like he had been the one to pull off the play, but the moment Dealmeat jumped onto me, his expression twisted. Still, none of us on the team had the presence of mind to care about one spectator’s reaction. We all piled on top of Dealmeat.
We looked like a stacked hamburger, but it felt great. To win two straight games against the team we always crashed into and lost—it didn’t even go to a third set.
They say momentum decides the outcome. After that match, the tension eased up and we breezed through. We beat all the other teams 2–0, rode the momentum, and made it to the quarterfinals as group leaders.
– WeverK blasts into the semifinals with an overwhelming lead!
– What’s happening?! That was a dominant performance. This is the first time we’ve seen that level of spatial pressure. Yes, that’s the end of the match. Korea’s WeverK is going to the finals!
“Are we seriously allowed to be this good?”
“We’re allowed.”
Back during the first group match, we used to go wild with joy whenever we won. Of course, I was still happy now, but honestly… a sense of unease outweighed it. Once you’re a pro, your only goal is victory. But an undefeated run this smooth?
I looked at our coach, who was more hyped than any of us.
Back when the team was first formed, the hopeful lineup looked like it was chosen with no regard for team synergy. Less about “win now,” more about marketing and building a fanbase.
Wever, the company behind the pro team, had a CEO who was a hardcore fan of Nexus Requiem. He got ridiculed for buying up overpriced figures with his money. But the coaching staff he picked? That was no coincidence.
And it was definitely no coincidence that our coaches insisted— no matter what— that we bring in Dealmeat and Poksup.
I watched the coaches pouring all their joy into their celebration.
…It was a kind of certainty.
People used to say Poksup could only maximize his abilities with Park Gwibolle. They were wrong.
“These kids still don’t see the game as a whole. But Woo-rim is different. Once he’s up there, he has to think of himself as the commander of the entire team. Whenever needed, he can assess and act on anything.”
The role I took on was a no-compromise shot-caller. That’s right. I’ve spent most of my life making decent decisions. That experience helped me take a step forward, even when I thought I had nowhere else to go.
Across from me, my former teammate— who had always stuck by my side— Park Gwibolle, was trembling, defeated.
We had always shared victory.
But now… not anymore.
– Nexus World Champion, WeverK!
The brightest spotlight poured down on them. Amid deafening cheers that made our ears ring, the faces of our teammates—laughing, crying—came into view. Choki spread his arms and did a lap around the stage.
Dealmeat ran off to catch the hyper youngest. The arena seats, stretching out endlessly, were packed with fans wearing their team’s uniforms. The chant of my name grew louder, heavier with emotion. Cameras spun around him, recording every angle.
And then came that video. The VCR clip that had nearly killed me from embarrassment played again on the giant screen.
Even when I’d made it to the top before, people said I only got there thanks to someone else’s buff. But once again, I’d climbed to that same place.
The highest point, where the trophy waited. We walked toward it.
“Ugh, this thing is so freaking heavy.”
Seriously, this year’s trophy seemed deliberately designed to be extra big and bulky.
And finally, the five of us lifted it together.
***
Post Titles:
– Poksup’s Wiggly Smirk (81)
– Where’d all the people calling WeverK a group stage dropout go? (75)
– They got steamrolled by Flag and now what? (114)
– Did April champs look like clowns to you or something (42)
– Thought Poksup alone wouldn’t cut it, huh? (89)
└ You mean Dealmeat? LMAO
└ Flashback: “Contract ending soon—Poksup getting love calls from over 30 teams”
└ Where did all those ‘he’s just hyping himself for a higher salary’ folks go now?
– Chinese Team: “Stopping Poksup? Easy.” (131)
Shut your mouths
└ Simply the GOAT
└ Where’d all the face-stan bashers go?
└└ “He’s just high-paid because fans picked him,” lol
└└ Behold, the true Nexus experts
***
“Haah.”
The three weeks of focused preparation for this day felt like a dream. The impact of today was so intense that, despite my usually sharp short-term memory, I had to force myself to recall how everything had played out, scene by scene, for the memories to resurface.
“It still doesn’t feel real.”
That I—with these very hands—won the championship. I looked down at my open palm. Come to think of it, I didn’t even check my fortune before this tournament.
Later, I found out that on the day of the finals, my fortune was one of the worst possible: a band of misfits. Since I’m known for having a “hobby” of defying bad luck, people started calling me things like “The Guy Who Shattered His Fortune Again” or the “Rule Breaker”—titles that were kind of embarrassing, honestly.
The sound of meat sizzling filled the air. We were at the victory party, gathered with all our team staff and family members. A camera crew from our team’s content division moved around, capturing the mood and asking for reactions, while I sat next to Kessler, grilling and eating meat.
“Hey, you need to eat too.”
He hadn’t had a moment to eat himself—busy taking care of me, trying to get on Mom’s good side. So he ended up wrapping some meat in a lettuce leaf and feeding it to me directly.
“Okay, don’t worry about me, Juwon needs to eat more. You worked hard too, Juwonie~ And our Dealmeat sweetie, it’s been so long~ Oh~ and our Poki Poyeoni~ how is it you get cuter every time I see you~?”
Mom showered praise on the team members.
“Oh my, Poksup! You were amazing yesterday. Total Poksup-mom moment~”
“Poki-mom~ come over here, quick, quick!”
As the rest of the teammates’ families trickled in, the barbecue restaurant grew even livelier.
“Seriously guys, you were incredible. I cried so much watching you play.”
Once it looked like everyone had arrived, Coach stepped up front and began a speech.
He talked about how hard the team had worked, how proud he was of us, and all that… It turned into a pretty lengthy speech, overflowing with pride for the team.
“Alright, let’s go for it again next year. Glasses up, everyone. We are the foundation!”
“We are the foundation!”
