A heavy silence hangs in the air.
Even the voice of the director, who had entered the game and assured us everything was fine, has gone silent.
As the preparation time before the game officially begins ticks away, everyone instinctively finds their positions, but no one speaks up.
The first to break the silence is Ryu-a, her voice trembling.
“What should we do…? We can’t restart, right?”
Her tone is dripping with panic.
Among the team, Ryu-a, who has the least experience in both gaming and broadcasting, seems to be in the greatest state of distress.
Tex, usually low-key, tries to respond.
“If we restart… it will work against us. I remember something about losing the ban card or some such rule.”
“Then shouldn’t we at least call a pause? Until Mollu joins us.”
Quickly adjusting the settings for the barbarian warrior, I turn to everyone and speak up.
I try my best to stay calm, loosening my tensed mouth.
If I show my panic now, the team will only become more anxious.
“Can you hear me? I’m here. You don’t have to pause.”
“Ah, you’re here!”
Unlike Ryu-a, who visibly looks relieved, the atmosphere among the others still feels heavy.
And rightly so.
The current situation is an unexpected crisis, completely out of sync with the countless drills and scenarios we’ve prepared for.
It’s only natural that we feel uneasy given how hard we’ve practiced.
“I’m sorry. I spilled water, and the computer turned off for a moment.”
You can’t gather spilled water back.
Still, I’m grateful the computer is back on, and I resolve to do my best with what I can do now.
Let’s first figure out our composition.
The plan to go with one tank, two damage dealers, and two supporters has changed as I’ve become the barbarian warrior, transforming into a heavier combination of two tanks, one damage dealer, and two supporters.
The advantage here is the sustainability, allowing us to play around our base without moving too much.
The downside is the burden on the damage dealers.
That’s why Tex hasn’t said anything since a while ago—he’s the sole damage dealer now.
He’s not stupid and knows very well what role he’s taken on.
I understand the weight and pressure he feels, but he’ll have to bear a bit more.
“Since things are urgent, I won’t speak for long. But you don’t need to worry. We can win with this composition.”
“But you’re a barbarian warrior… Can you do it?”
“I can do anything.”
I respond casually to Cheol-woo’s question.
It’s not a lie. I’ve played as a barbarian warrior often before, in the past.
I haven’t played recently, but still, I spoke with confidence and arrogance.
Only I can wipe away the anxiety that has seeped into the team and boost morale.
I’m the only one who can show the path to victory.
“Cheol-woo, stay close to me and watch the front line. Just do as we practiced.”
“Right, I understand.”
“Ryu-a, please take care of the side that’s losing health while swapping between Cheol-woo and me.”
“Yes!”
I go through the orders step by step, detailing everything.
If things had gone as planned, they would have handled these tasks on their own, but this is now an emergency situation.
“Papijoa, focus on incoming enemies, and if you have room, please also keep an eye on the opponents. We need you to deal a little more damage since we’re lacking in that area.”
“…Can I really do that?”
“You’ve been practicing your aim, so you’ll do just fine.”
Papijoa, who sounds weak due to the increased workload compared to practice, responds.
However, I won’t give impossible orders.
I know the abilities of my team members well enough to know this is doable.
Lastly, there’s Tex.
The unfortunate man who has to take on the carry role in my place.
But it’s not all bad.
They say a crisis is an opportunity.
As Tex feels the burden, when he proves himself, he will earn even more praise.
I think he has the skill to do so.
Once he relaxes, he’ll be able to perform his part.
“Tex.”
“Yes.”
“This round, I might be a bit busy, so I won’t be able to give sharp orders like during the semifinals. But I think you’ll do just fine without me giving directions.”
“Even though I’m the only damage dealer?”
“Yes. Just play like you did in practice.”
“Ugh, I’m nervous.”
“This is your chance to be the main character. I’ve set the stage for you.”
“The main character? I hope I’m not the culprit.”
Tex jokes lightheartedly.
This is the Tex I know.
Finally, all preparations are complete.
I turn around and scan the team members.
Unlike earlier, my slouched back and hunched shoulders feel straighter.
Though they’re just graphics and not actual people, it feels as if our presence has grown.
I step forward at the helm of the bulky team and shout.
“Then, shall we go?”
Into the battlefield.
Crack-!
The sound is more like being hit by a blunt object rather than being cut by a blade.
Simultaneously, the figure in front of me collapses.
The assassin’s body, which flew in, crumbles into a mush.
Such a description is unnecessarily delicate.
Who would look at this scene and think this game is rated for everyone?
I input commands and retrieve the axe I had swung, taking a ready stance.
The barbarian warrior’s characteristic system of axe-swinging.
While charging can unleash a strong blow, the stronger the attack, the longer the recovery time becomes.
This is the persistent problem with blunt weapons—the issue of attack speed.
While it’s often labeled as high risk, high reward, their power is strong, yet they are cumbersome.
Therefore, as we climb the ranks, they are less frequently used.
Even with strong power, who would stand still to get hit by a slow axe swing?
But even in this event-like competition, they are not entirely useless.
Since some low-tier players are scattered around.
Just now, I had succeeded in landing a massive hit, exploiting a gap.
The assassin, already a bit weakened, went down with one blow.
Because of this blunt weapon mechanic, some players intentionally pick tank-like characters to use them as damage dealers.
Are they called satisfying to use? Whatever it is, that’s how it is.
Still, I can’t deny that the game’s momentum is increasingly fading.
It’s not a significant difference, but a slow erosion, you could say.
The enemy team calmly exploits our team’s chronic weaknesses.
It’s a situation where characters that should d*e due to lack of firepower survive by a thin margin, or are unable to respond to erratic movements because of a lack of mobility.
Thanks to that, it’s a situation where we are losing bit by bit.
We needed something that could turn the game around.
Thoughts flickered through my mind, and my decision was quick.
Speed is essential for strategies to work.
With the assassin eliminated, a strategy was available to us.
Though it may not be much of a strategy.
Still, if it can be called a strategy, it’s a direction that leverages the composition’s benefits.
“When I give the signal, Cheol-woo, lower your shield and charge in immediately. The rest of you, follow right after. Ryu-a, focus more on killing the opponents than healing.”
Since we have a two-man tank combo, it may be clunky, but what if those two charge in at once?
The beefy characters with high basic health and durability won’t d*e easily and will lead the charge.
You could say it’s an indiscriminate rush, but the barbarian warrior and Iron Man combo was a popular choice in early North America.
The basic skills attached to the Iron Man allow for a charge combined with the barbarian warrior’s ultimate move, “Charge! Forward!”
The rest of the characters should have been quick, but since picking the barbarian warrior wasn’t planned, that’s just how it is.
“I’ll fall back for a moment.”
I take a step back to catch our opponents off guard.
The barbarian warrior, having taken a step back purposely like a runner in the starting position, suddenly bellows.
“Uwooooorgh-”
The cry momentarily startles the enemies in front.
“Now!”
As soon as the character’s eyes turn red, the screen begins to shake.
The vision pulsates to the rhythm, like a heartbeat.
The leap generated by the swollen thighs propels the barbarian warrior to the very center of the battlefield in an instant.
– Barbarian Warrior (Mollru) has used ‘Charge Forward!’
Enemies fall into temporary panic!
*Allied team members receive additional effects for a limited time! (Movement speed increased by 20%)
The nomadic nation, with black-haired barbarians roaming the plains.
As the last surviving member of the barbarian tribe, the warrior, though living in hiding, couldn’t suppress his instincts.
It was a memory of the wandering tribe, living with the earth as the ground and the sky as the roof.
The barbarian warrior, who used to run across the plains with his brothers, now charges alongside his comrades into the battlefield.
Instead of holding reins or a flowing mane, he grips his own two legs and a massive axe.
Swinging his axe left and right amidst the enemy ranks, the barbarian warrior is brutally savage, living up to his name.
“k*ll them all, k*ll them all!”
I lose track of the fact that this is a tournament, raising my voice in excitement.
Together with my team members, who follow my lead, we slaughter the enemies.
