“First of all, let’s wrap it up today. Don’t be too discouraged just because we lost. It’s not the main match, it’s just a scrim.”
After the devastating defeat in the scrim, Director Jackie decided to let the exhausted players disperse.
They had already been held for several hours.
Today is not the only day for that.
If they continued any longer, it would be a forced march.
It could lead to negative effects.
However, it was rare for the players to understand this intention.
It’s not easy to regroup after a loss.
The reactions during such times are generally divided into two categories.
Although he had experience as a director in the pro scene, even in the second league, he could predict the upcoming reactions.
They might either acknowledge the gloomy atmosphere or, conversely, become fired up and practice even more.
But this time, he was wrong.
“That’s right, that’s right. Losing can happen.”
“Next time, we can win, right?”
“Then, I’ll head out first!”
“Thank you all.”
“Thank you…”
“Oh, yes! Thank you. See you next time.”
Jackie tilted his head, responding appropriately to the departing team members with their farewells.
Surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn’t bad.
They weren’t gloomy, nor were they clinging to the loss.
The gathering disbanded in bright spirits.
It’s a situation hard to find in such amateur teams; what happened?
Is there a mood maker within the team?
Thinking that it’s better to have good vibes, he nodded.
At least he didn’t have to worry about their mental state.
No matter how much a director like him cares for the players’ mental well-being, it wouldn’t change anything.
It ultimately depended on the players themselves.
With that, Jackie sent all the team members away and began analyzing the factors behind their defeat in the scrim.
“Um….”
Jackie let out a sound of contemplation.
There were so many issues that it was difficult to point them out.
The teamwork was off, and they couldn’t perform their assigned roles correctly, with the in-game voice chat sounding more like noise than a briefing.
If he had to list the problems one by one, there would be many, but the biggest issue encompassing all of them was.
“Once again, the main order is the problem.”
The absence of a main shot-caller.
The crucial role of the commander in team-based combat.
There was no one to fill that role.
Although Ryu-a took the order temporarily, it was hardly something you could call an order.
Usually, supporters occupying the back would take on the role, but for Ryu-a, a silver tier with a lack of game understanding, it was too much.
Jackie didn’t have high expectations, so he let it slide.
Even if Tex or Cheol-woo had taken the order, it would have been tough.
Although they were higher tier than Ryu-a and had experienced team games, the positions they held were a problem.
They had to face the enemies head-on.
Calling orders while engaged in battle was incredibly difficult, and even pros go through countless practices for it.
People who only got used to solo ranks and lack experience in team games would find it exceptionally challenging.
Still, high-rank players usually find it easier to teach.
They have basic game knowledge.
Jackie pondered about whom to assign as the shot-caller while watching each player’s gameplay.
Among those relatively positioned in the back…
First, Ryu-a, who had just taken the order.
From the personal screen, it seemed like she was too preoccupied with her own duties.
Papijoa, who picked a similar backline supporter role, appeared to be in better shape than Ryu-a.
Having played many medics and bards, she showed no hesitation in her gameplay.
At least she knows what she should be doing at any given moment.
While she did show signs of panic when situations changed unpredictably, it was still commendable.
However, she had a critical flaw.
“She doesn’t talk enough.”
She seemed to be naturally quiet and reserved, but it only seemed to worsen once the game started.
This is a common symptom seen in solo rank users.
The type that goes silent when they focus.
Papijoa was competent in terms of play, but it might be too much for her to execute the orders as well.
If she were given the orders, the gameplay could potentially decline, turning the situation upside down.
That left only one candidate.
The sniper, elegantly overlooking everyone from the top of a building.
Like she was the best, easily placing everyone beneath her feet.
Jackie turned his gaze toward her.
And thought.
What a shame.
In truth, Jackie didn’t want to assign Mollu the orders.
In his eyes, Mollu was the most talented player as a dealer among the four teams.
That was why he had brought her in, even if it meant accepting losses.
Since he had invested a significant amount to recruit her, he wanted to create an environment where she could focus solely on displaying her best abilities.
But now, the situation had turned out this way.
This was all Jackie’s mistake.
He had been overshadowed by other directors at the auction, a system he was experiencing for the first time.
He could consider himself lucky to have ended up with Mollu.
With a sigh, he turned his gaze to Mollu’s personal screen.
Bang—
There was nothing particularly special about it.
Mollu had picked her identity as a sniper and displayed straightforward gameplay.
It was just that the opponent’s counter-strategy was too standard.
Mollu’s shots were blocked by the massive shield of the armored soldier, unable to secure any kills.
This was a longstanding issue for snipers.
It was also a reason why snipers were marginalized in the pro scene.
When you can’t shoot enemies due to being blocked by a shield, what’s needed in that situation is.
“Firepower.”
Overwhelming firepower.
A dealer with enough firepower to break through the armored soldier’s shield.
Currently, that role was being played by Tex’s bomb thrower.
As expected, Mollu’s attention shifted to the bomb thrower.
Jackie’s thoughts were that this judgment didn’t betray expectations from her experience in Eo War, but then a doubt crossed his mind.
It was so natural that he hadn’t consciously realized it, but,
“Why is this so fast…?”
Jackie rewound the video to thirty seconds ago to revisit the moment Mollu looked at Tex.
As soon as her first shot was blocked by the shield, she immediately turned her gaze to Tex.
And, upon realizing Tex was under pressure, she promptly gave up on breaking the shield and launched a control spell against the wizard instead.
This decision was as quick as his own analysis while reviewing the replay.
The speed of Mollu’s situational awareness within the game was on par with the perspective of a third party observing the match.
At that moment, a chill ran down Jackie’s spine.
“At this level, she’s seriously pro-level.”
And she’s still a master?
That’s beyond expectations.
Considering that Mollu, who had been chattering endlessly from the gallery, might actually have a reason to be considered pro, Jackie nodded.
The situation continued similarly to what had just occurred.
While keeping the wizard in check at the frontline, she even managed to save Papijoa from an assassin trying to flank from behind.
The pace was astonishing as she moved swiftly around the battlefield.
Not missing a single detail about where her allies were positioned or where the enemies were moving.
It was incredible that she could grasp all that while panning the screen like that.
“The vision is just…”
She might not speak much, but she was perfectly executing the role of a commander.
While handling the assassin that charged at her easily too.
It was surprising that she almost managed to catch him in return.
She was playing with great composure.
This level of skill would be enough to entrust the main orders to her.
However, there was one lingering concern.
“What if, the sniper gets banned…?”
There are very few dealers capable of offering support from the back as effectively as a sniper.
No matter how long-range a dealer might be, if they’re not a sniper, they would at least have to stand in the center of the battlefield.
Taking orders from the middle of the battlefield is a challenging task even for pros.
Can Mollu really assess situations and call orders from the center as well?
It would be something to verify in a future practice.
Although it might be an endeavor only possible for top-tier players, Jackie felt as if it was within Mollu’s potential.
*
A YouTube video was uploaded.
Waking up to what felt like an early morning, I found three videos on my channel.
One was my first broadcast.
One was a mad movie-style edit of my game footage.
One was the recent food combination world cup.
It was merely a day after meeting Si-young again to sign the contract.
Does she even sleep…?
When I texted her to ask if she was okay, she replied that it was already worked on beforehand.
When I inquired what would have happened if I hadn’t selected her as an editor, she responded that she would have just sent the video by email.
What is this, I’m not some unpaid slave.
As I browsed through the uploaded videos and skimmed through the comments, I noted that most people didn’t seem to have significantly different views, all praising the content.
I guess I did pick a good editor.
Satisfied with the views, which were quite substantial even though it hadn’t been hours since the upload, I was scrolling down the comments when I stumbled upon a very notable one on the food combination video.
[This guy really doesn’t know good food, LOL. Wasting a pizza with pineapple?]
Forgetting that I was logged into my YouTube account and unconsciously typing a response, I wrote.
-I’m an 82-year-old living in the countryside… Pineapple pizza… I eat anything… even my dog, our… Nureong also… avoids it…
After checking my response with a satisfied expression, I finally realized upon seeing all the replies following mine.
Oh, I forgot to log out.
