The sound of footsteps echoed through the spacious hallway.
This Sigma player dormitory is now being used by only me.
With the coaches, team staff, and even the players all away on vacation, it’s desolate and dimly lit.
It’ll stay like this until just before the Summer League begins.
I’ll probably end up using most of this building by myself.
Though the administration staff comes in occasionally on the lower floors, I hardly ever have any reason to go down there.
I was supposed to vacate the dorm too, but it’s hard for me to play games properly outside of Sigma.
Luche made things convenient for me, understanding my situation.
It’s disappointing that I can’t use the player cafeteria anymore, but the surrounding infrastructure is adequate enough that I’m still somewhat satisfied.
– 8th floor.
– The doors are opening.
Thankfully, my room is close to the elevator.
It’s just a few steps away.
However, as soon as the door opened, something caught my attention.
At the far end of the long hallway, I could see light.
‘That’s… Luche’s room, right?’
There aren’t many people living on the 8th floor.
The dormitory itself is large enough that there are plenty of empty rooms, and since Luche, who’s practically the team owner, likes her privacy, many prefer quieter areas.
Right now, aside from me, only Camellia, Hecate, and Outro come to mind as the others staying here.
Most prefer the floor below for exactly the same reason—it’s quieter when Luche isn’t around.
For all her kindness, Iga-yun carries an air that makes you slightly cautious.
As I inched closer, I heard faint rustling noises.
Peeking around the corner, I found Luche tidying up her luggage, apparently having just returned from her travels.
I tapped on the door to let her know I was there, making her jump in surprise.
“Did I wake you?”
“No, I just came up from the practice room.”
“Good thing. I thought you were asleep. It’s late, and you turned off your stream a while ago.”
The digital clock on the shelf read 2:15 AM.
It’s late even by regular standards—though I have little sense of time myself.
Lately, I’ve been trying to adjust my daily schedule.
Though I don’t necessarily need to wake up at 6 AM like I did as a kendo athlete, it’s still important to align my routines with everyone else’s.
The days of living alone and focusing solely on gaming have passed.
Even so, there was a reason I stayed up and didn’t sleep.
“Because I have to review the game… Got hit by an unexpected move.”
“Hero’s, wasn’t it?”
“I see you were watching. That’s right.”
That one unexpected move from Hero left me pondering: just how far could he push his limits?
So earlier, I spent some time in practice mode trying to understand it.
It goes far beyond mere strength—it’s an area of mastery that feels unreal.
“I caught a quick look at the edits on the way here. Da-eun was impressive, too.”
“Hm…”
I felt a sudden wave of positivity.
Luche must be tired after just getting back.
Offering to help, I sat next to her luggage, but she politely declined.
“It’s fine, I’ll clean up. I’m sure you worked hard in practice, Da-eun.”
“Letting me just watch feels a bit…”
“Why don’t we grab something to drink? My throat’s a bit dry anyway.”
“Sure.”
*
Even late at night, the unmanned café nearby stays open.
Not far from the dorm, it was a nice spot with a calming atmosphere late at night, as Luche well knew when she picked a seat.
Casual chatter flowed with the gentle wind.
Mostly, we talked about games, our shared interest.
To be accurate, the only things I really have to talk about with others are gaming and streaming.
Perhaps streaming could be another topic.
Before joining the pros, Luche also streamed personally and occasionally does it even now.
“Would you like help with that drinking stream? If it’s alright with you…”
“R-really? Could you help me with it?”
“It’s not that hard. I’ve done it before too.”
With that, one troublesome assignment was cleared.
I trusted Luche enough to ask for assistance.
She’s good about handling viewer’s questions in a balanced way.
She’ll likely provide good guidance on how much we can say when it comes to professional queries.
This pairing was perfect for me.
There’s a production space and equipment at the dormitory used for the team’s vlogs, which I borrowed for the day.
It’s amazing how talking with Luche always seems to make problems disappear quickly.
At this point, there was something I felt I had to say.
“Thank you, really.”
“Don’t worry too much about it. It’s fun for me too.”
“But… with the terminal, and joining the pros. For me, the help you’ve given means a lot. No one else will know how much I’ve longed for this position.”
Luche smiled gently.
I had said something embarrassing and needed to change the subject.
The easiest thing was the milkshake in my hand.
I twirled the straw around.
A complicated thought unraveled along with the ice chunks in my drink.
The sweetness in my mouth brought a soothing calmness.
This was the dream I had so earnestly sought.
I share a team with the person I admired, and now she sits in front of me drinking tea.
I could only wish for one thing more—that this moment wasn’t a dream.
“To be honest, I was just lucky. Just at the right time, you were within my reach, and I could help. It wasn’t such a big deal.”
Your seemingly small acts have changed my life.
“There’s also personal ambition. It might seem like an unrealistic dream, but I want to win the Championship. Someone who couldn’t even hold a shield correctly before… I want to proudly stand at the highest point. From the bottom all the way to the top.”
It might not be obvious, but dreaming is not unique to me.
Luche dreams too. Traveler is already off on a new journey chasing dreams.
Even Cerberus, who seems to have achieved everything, must still have some dream left.
Had he not, even as a dominant champion, his fights wouldn’t have been so fierce.
While he asks, “Do all dreams come true?”
Someone’s dream is bound to.
Dreams are more beautiful and valuable because they overcome adversity.
“This Prelude season ultimately ended in failure, didn’t it? That’s fine. If today fails, there’s always tomorrow. And the day after if needed. My spirit remains unbroken, but I did learn one thing.”
“Does it feel like this won’t work?”
“Yes. That’s why I wanted to have this honest conversation with Da-eun.”
Sigma is objectively not a weak team.
Someone might argue, but from the Summer League onwards, they should reconsider.
Because now, I’m here.
But do our current capabilities allow us to win the Championship? … Hmm.
It seems tough.
The team that beat us, Dune Sentinels, essentially function as a one-man team led by Hashashin.
They thrive under the condition where Hashashin controls the sides and joins the main force.
Yet even a top-tier assassin wasn’t enough to defeat Falcon.
Invul isn’t a solo game.
Ultimately, everyone needs to get stronger.
Am I an exception?
“Can you be brutally honest with me? What do you think about our team, Da-eun? We haven’t seen actual matches yet, but we’ve done some practice together, right?”
This isn’t the kind of question that demands an immediate answer.
I needed a moment to organize my thoughts, so I took another sip.
The conclusion was straightforward.
“Our goal is to match up against teams like Cerberus, Phantom, Reaper, and Hero… Honestly, we’re not there yet. Of course, these are the opponents we’d naturally face in a Championship.”
Cerberus’ AT, Reaper’s Acid Gaming, Phantom’s Veiled Nightmare.
The teams each have their aces, but they are far from being one-man teams.
From the beginning, a team with any obvious flaws can never win a Championship.
Luche is a well-rounded player.
Her game understanding is good, but she doesn’t have an “outstanding” strength.
Camellia has good physicality, but she falls far short in terms of skill and experience.
Hecate’s skill management is thorough, but her survivability is lacking.
Outro has a high ceiling but hesitates too often, naturally dragging down his high point.
“Still, I think the members we have are good. It’s not about a lack of talent or effort; it’s more about the fact that the league’s current level makes it harder to improve. Everyone has a strong desire to get better.”
Camellia, for instance, has chased after me to such an extent that there’s no need to elaborate.
The other members have shown consistent determination and hard work.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be here. Luche got me here, so from now on, I’ll carve out the path.”
It’s fortunate that our goals align.
It’s not just me and Luche dreaming of winning the Championship.
If every team member of Sigma is aiming in the same direction…
I’ll guide us.
All the way to the very top of the world.
