Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 217

“That’s a bit anticlimactic…”

After clinching victory in the match, Bisu muttered this as he returned to the Waiting Room.

It was indeed an anticlimactic outcome.

After facing off against Jupiter, we had pushed back the other enemies occupying the Territory.

However, Jupiter was nowhere to be found afterward.

At first, I thought he was just lying low and moving stealthily.

But as the match progressed, I began to realize something was off.

The match status board displayed all the users participating, and among the floating nicknames, Jupiter’s had faded to gray.

The dimmed nickname was a sign he had disconnected.

Jupiter had exited the game during the match.

I couldn’t know the details, but one thing was certain: in a 5v5 team fight, we were now one player down.

As the situation grew strange, VRS decided to pause the match for a bit.

But Jupiter didn’t return.

In the end, the match continued as it was.

Thus, the fight began at a 5 vs 4.

The opposing team gave their all, but the numerical disadvantage was insurmountable.

Ultimately, the match ended in our team’s victory.

“Something must have happened, right?”

Bisu mumbled, obviously worried about Jupiter who had suddenly disconnected.

I shook my head at his words.

I couldn’t be sure, but it was probably nothing serious.

This wasn’t the first time something like this had occurred.

When I first met Jupiter in this game, she had taken me down and then logged out.

“I think she might’ve run away.”

“What…?”

“She probably couldn’t fight anymore.”

“Really…?”

Bisu tilted his head in confusion at my words, but there was nothing more I could explain.

Thirty seconds.

The number she had mentioned.

That was likely the time Jupiter could endure.

The time she could perfectly control her talent.

The limited time to enter the world I was seeing.

Jupiter had used it all up.

That’s why she ran away.

I nodded my head with my arms crossed.

If she had fought any longer, I would have been punched in the gut again and killed.

Jupiter’s retreat was a wise decision.

“Umm…”

Bisu was fidgeting, tapping the table as he looked at me.

Then, the ongoing match footage came to mind.

Thanks to our match ending quickly, I had time to watch the other side’s match footage.

“Wow, it’s still not over, huh?”

“The team that wins that match will face us, right?”

“Yeah.”

The ongoing semifinal.

I stared intently at a man in the match footage.

A player I had met in Deron.

Wild.

The man on the video displayed a different demeanor than before.

His eyes were filled with a calm collectedness that seemed to have sunk into a stillness.

Gone was the silly attitude from earlier.

Surely, he had matured with time.

There was a qualitatively different feel compared to the Wild I met in Deron.

If this was the impression through the video, what would it be like to actually face him?

I watched the video with a serious expression.

Naturally, the result of the match favored Wild’s team.

They had a favorable situation, but they didn’t push their luck.

They maintained a balanced line and acted alongside their teammates as much as possible.

Crisp plays signaled stability.

Occasionally showing sharpness, he was clearly no slouch in personal skill.

However, he wasn’t overconfident in his ability.

He always acted with the team.

He was someone who understood and could utilize the advantages brought by his teammates.

“Ah. It’s over.”

Bisu, who had been watching the match with me, remarked.

His words confirmed the match was indeed over.

As expected, Wild’s team emerged victorious.

If Wild had acted solo like me and swept the enemies with pure physical prowess, the match would’ve ended even quicker.

“He’s cautious.”

“Yeah. That makes him a scary player.”

“Does provocation not work on him?”

“P-provocation?”

Bisu blinked at my question.

Don’t players in VRS do that?

I recalled memories from Deron.

Even though it was just a game, emotions tend to heat up during fights.

How well did it work to stick out my tongue at opposing guilds?

Excitement clouds vision.

One can’t fight properly when emotions run high.

Weakening a strong opponent is also a strategy in battle.

“Maybe… it won’t work?”

I didn’t buy Bisu’s words.

There’s no opponent that isn’t affected by provocation.

At least, not that I knew of.

Even a gentle monk would get angry if I kept tapping his bald head with my palm.

There were 4 minutes left until the next match began.

During that time, I started cycling through past matches of the opposing team with my teammates.

The team that Wild belonged to had focused on safety from start to finish.

Of course, that safety could only be maintained due to Wild’s overwhelming skill.

Five minutes.

A very short time.

Not nearly enough to devise a plan.

“What are we going to do?”

Bisu asked me.

He was asking how I planned to approach this match.

Not only him, but the other team members were also looking at me.

I had to respond.

I needed to speak with a confident voice to inspire faith in my teammates.

“Let’s face them head-on. Let’s head straight to the center.”

Looking back at Wild’s match footage made it clear.

They wouldn’t be using side paths.

All five would come charging straight to the center.

No matter the outcome, we should clash first.

Moving cautiously from the start is not a good strategy.

At that moment, the countdown began.

The countdown, starting from 5, finally landed on 0, signaling the start of the match.

Then the transparent barrier disappeared, and the NPC soldiers let out a roaring cheer as they charged forward.

Roooar!

The ground shook, blending with the harsh shouts.

I exhaled and followed behind the soldiers.

As I ran alongside them, I noticed something strange.

When running with soldiers, there should be a cloud of dust.

But right now, no such dust was visible.

The ground felt slightly damp. The wind blowing from all directions carried an odd humidity.

Looking up at the sky, I saw thick dark clouds floating by.

Could it be that the weather system was implemented too?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, heavy raindrops began to fall from the sky.

Shaaaa—

Rain.

The impact of rain on the battlefield is significant.

The ground we tread upon grows slippery, and surrounding sounds are muffled by the sound of the rain.

Naturally, it becomes difficult to notice the enemies approaching.

“Ugh… it’s raining…”

The Snow Mage murmured as she looked up at the falling raindrops.

I glanced worriedly at the ground she stood on.

The falling rain was turning the dirt into muck.

At that moment, I heard rough shouts and the clashing of weapons from ahead of the soldiers.

The soldiers had engaged with enemy soldiers, initiating battle.

I hid among the soldiers and observed the enemies’ movements.

“All the enemies came to the center, huh?”

As expected, Wild and all his teammates were advancing towards the center.

The enemy’s composition was three knights and two butchers.

Their combination exuded the determination to put everything into this central power struggle.

*

“Eww…”

Ellie, barely escaping from the capsule, was slumped over.

She felt as if she were melting like a soggy rice cake.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Ellie twisted her body at the clear sensation in her lower abdomen.

The amplified sensations that came with the acceleration of thought.

The accelerated reasoning wasn’t the problem.

That was a sensation I had grown accustomed to.

After resting a bit, I could move again without needing medication.

However, the amplified sensations were an issue.

The thudding feeling in her lower abdomen remained vivid.

Having exited the game, that strange sensation still tickled beneath her skin.

“Ugh…”

Her rival.

The sensation of the Blood Demon King’s punch lingered like a brand, refusing to fade away.

It was a pain that felt both painful and not, a strange feeling delivering chills down her spine.

With great effort, Ellie crawled over and snatched the medication sitting on the table.

The white pill she popped into her mouth dulled her senses and calmed all the sensations down, just as before.

Only then could she shake off the sensations in her lower abdomen.

“Ugh…”

2 to 1.

That was her record against the Blood Demon King.

Though she lost this time, she was determined to even the score next time.

Ellie bit her lip as she patted her soft belly.