Everybody Is Strong on the Competitive Stage

"Hey Nash!" Jaiden called out. "Forget that Viking guy. He's already dead. Go chase the girl."

"Wait, I just gonna get this kill real quick." Nash thrust his lance through the Viking's back. [I'm the one who initiated this gank, so of course, I gotta be the one who gets the kill!]

"Forget the kill," Jaiden said. "If you don't chase the Sorcerer, she gonna get away."

"Nuuuu, but my kill!"

"Are you five or something?" Rio made face. "I'm pretty sure they cover this kind of math in kindergarten, but in case you didn't know: two is more than one. Meaning, two kills are better than one."

"What the-? Of course I know that!"

"Then act on it.".

"Yeah, c'mon, man," Jaiden urged as well.

"Tch, fine." Nash grumped as he shifted his focus toward the Sorcerer in the distance.

Sorcerer didn't have any escape tools, and Nash's Sweep slowed her down when he started this gank. So, that chick hasn't gotten too far away yet.

[But, Jai and Rio got a point.] Nash agreed. [If I spend any more time on this 100% dead Viking, I won't be able to catch up to the chick. I better get there pronto!]

And so, Nash broke into a run! This sudden action naturally alarmed the enemy.

"Nani!? Impossible!" Vincent exclaimed. The Lancer ceased attacking and went straight ahead, heading in Kai's direction! "Beat, watch out! The Lancer is hot on your trail!"

"Got it," Kai answered. It was good to know, but there wasn't much she could do with this information. She didn't have any escape tools or any immediate CC that could slow down the pursuer. [I only got my orbs and ult. And, none of them is going to make it easier to escape.]

All Kai could do was continue running. She basically had to pray that the Lancer won't be able to catch up to her. Alas, her prayers fell on deaf ears...

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. It was the sound of metallic boots hitting against the ground.

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Quick steps, much faster than Kai's. Even after the slowdown from Lancer's Sweep wore off, Kai's legs couldn't compete with the speed of this pursuer.

Stomp. Stomp. STOMP. The metallic sounds drew closer. The predator was about to reach for her back. Even though Vincent fought so hard to keep all three enemies at bay, one speed monster slipped by and was about to murder Kai from behind.

[He's already so close!?] Kai grit her teeth. A shudder ran through her.

It was StormMonster, or "Storm Chaser" as Vincent labeled him. A predator who never let his prey escape alive. He was the kind of guy who'd chase his target to the ends of the earth.

Until now, Kai thought this was one of Vincent's typical exaggerations. She has never had the opportunity to be chased down by StormMonster until now.

[Now I see what's the hype all about.] Kai gulped. [This pressure is something else.]

StormMonser was the ultimate predator, fast and oppressive. His mere presence piled boundless pressure on Kai's back. It felt like a wild bear was chasing her down. And, the moment that beast catches up, he'll tear Kai apart on the spot.

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. The metallic sounds grew louder. StormMonster was already here! The metallic sounds were chasing Kai down along with the pursuer.

And then - silence. The metallic sounds stopped without notice, indicating that the Lancer wasn't chasing any longer.

But, it's not like he gave up. It was the calm before the storm.

[He's attacking!] Kai rolled forward without thinking twice. She couldn't let that monster reach her, no matter what!

WHISH. The sound of a spear cutting through empty air. As expected, the pursuer launched an attack. But, thanks to Kai's speedy response, the thrust missed its target.

"Oh? You can dodge that?" Nash blinked for a moment, but then his lips curved into a grin. "Interesting! Looks like I gotta take this seriously then. Thanks for wasting your roll!"

"GAE-" the Lancer shouted loudly.

"Ah!" Kai choked. A chill ran through her body.

Lancer's ultimate attack was coming and Kai didn't have access to her Dodge Roll. She has just wasted it on dodging a simple basic attack, instead of saving it against this much greater threat. What a blunder!

[It's over.] Kai grit her teeth and hung her head. The best she could do right now was to run in zigzags, in hope of juking the ult coming at her from behind. Alas, against a player with a half-decent aim, it was probably futile.

That Gae Bolg was going to run right through her. It was the end. All of Vincent's efforts to rescue her were in vain. Kai couldn't get away after all.

[Well, at least Vince should be able to get alive just fine-]

『An ally has been killed!』

"Eh!?" Kai froze. "What?"

"-BOLG!" Nash lunged forth. [Time to wrap this up! I got your patterns down, girl!]

That chick has been doing a decent job at zigzagging from side to side as she ran, but Nash figured her moves by now. He knew exactly where to aim his almighty spear!

WHOOSH. The demonic spear cut through the air, leaving a trail of energy behind. It was a supersonic thrust that traveled across a long distance in an instant, lethally striking the first target it hit. Alas, this time, the spear pierced through nothing but empty air...

"What the-!? You stop!? Just like that!?" Nash was certain he figured the girl's ez jukes, but then she suddenly hit him with this unexpected "no-mixup" mixup. Of all things, he didn't expect her to suddenly freeze in place like this. "Damn, now I'm mad. You're SO dead!"

"Ah!" Kai jumped in her seat. A lance shot right at her. She tried to move away from it, but it dug into her shoulder nonetheless. It wasn't the Gae Bolg, but it was strong enough to shook her out of the daze.

[Damn, I need to focus!] Kai shook her head.

The announcement of Vincent's death fazed her for a moment. Before she realized it, the Gae Bolg was over and done with. The Lancer was right in front of her and he was furious.

WHISH! One thrust. WHISH! Another thrust. WHOOSH! A third thrust.

The Lancer relentlessly shot his spear at Kai. No matter how hard she tried, she failed to create enough distance to avoid the mid-ranged barrage. In a matter of seconds, her HP plummeted below 50%. The end was nigh.

"Sorry, captain," Vincent apologized. "Looks like I failed you."

["Failed me"?] Kai didn't even have the spare time to respond out loud, for she had to concentrate 100% on dodging the incoming thrusts. Dodging a single attack from that Lancer demanded all her spare brain juices. The monster attacked relentlessly, confident in each and every strike.

[It's only thanks to Vince that I'm still alive.] Kai thought. [If he didn't CC the Lancer as soon as the gank started, I would've been dead by now. And, if he didn't keep the Lancer occupied after that, I couldn't have escaped this far.]

So, did Vincent fail her? Not at all. If anything, it was foolish of him to put himself at risk for the sake of somebody like Kai.

[I really don't deserve it.] She has been dragging the team down for the past three games. There was absolutely no reason for anybody to sacrifice themselves to prolong her life.

Her Sorcerer was perhaps more valuable for the team than Vincent's Viking when it came to fending off enemy pushes. But other than that, there was no reason for Vincent to sacrifice himself to save Kai.

And yet, that fool insisted he wanted to save the "captain". Kai partially deserved that title during the first couple of games, but not anymore. In the previous two games, she did nothing but drag the team down.

[I'm just not good enough.] Kai concluded. Fighting against Renegade and his gang made Kai realize the extent of her ability. She wasn't nearly as good as she thought.

Before the scrimmage, Kai talked all big about winning the regionals, but she clearly wasn't prepared for this level. Unlike her, Yuel and Lars knew exactly how serious the competitive scene was, that's why they trained till exhaustion every day.

Meanwhile, somewhere in her heart, Kai was underestimating the competitive scene. She believed that as long as the club practiced hard, they'll automatically get far at the regionals.

Also, Kai was one of the best players in the club, second only to Yuel and Lars. As such, she believed she was one of the best players in the region. And, she even started training hard on a daily basis, so of course, she was going to make it big in the competitive scene as well, right?

Arrogant and naive, that's all she was. On the competitive scene, everybody was skilled and everybody put in the effort. Kai wasn't special in any way. Just because she was a little skilled and trained a little hard, it wasn't enough to make her into a pro who could easily crush all the competition. There were many competitive players on the same level as her and even stronger.

For example, as much as she hated Renegade's guts, the guy obviously trained hard with his peers. Their powerful triangle formation wouldn't be possible without lots of blood, sweat, and tears.

Similarly, Nirvana seemed like an inherently talented player who further polished his skill through hard work. His sharp decision-making and flawless execution all stood testament to his efforts.

And, this StormMonster guy chasing her was the same. He must've spent hours upon hours polishing his chasing technique to nigh perfection. He knew exactly which targets to focus on, which items to build, how to apply pressure, and so forth. As a result, nobody could escape alive from this monster.

And, just like that, each and every player on this stage today had a story behind them. They all had the skill, they all trained hard, and they all sought victory as much as Kai did.

That's why Kai failed to stand out among this competitive crowd. There was plenty of fish in the competitive sea and she was just one of them. She was stronger than some but weaker than others. And so, she won some fights and lost others. It was only natural.

Just because she hated the guts of a particular opponent, it didn't mean she'd suddenly gain a magical power to crush that scumbag. She was strong enough to stomp a loser like TheLegend, but Renegade was an entirely different beast. That bastard wasn't an opponent Kai could consistently beat, not even in a 1v1.

[But, does that mean he's necessarily stronger than me? Hell no.] Kai was convinced. [I'm sure if we fight 10 times, I can go at least 5-5 against him. No, even 6-4. Heck, 7-3 is possible too, I'm sure.]

It just so happened that the two fights Kai has picked against Renegade so far took a turn for the worse. And, most of it was due to Kai losing her cool in the middle of battle. So, she could've won if she just played like her usual self.

And, the same applied to the current situation against StormMonster. Sure, the guy was a savage predator whose hunting technique was honed to unparalleled levels. It'll be tremendously hard, nigh impossible, to slip away from him.

But, that was no reason to give up. Kai had to retain her cool and figure a way to survive against these impossible odds. Nothing was decided yet. She was alive, therefore she'll struggle to the bitter end!

["Did we come here today to lose? Nay, I say! We came to seize victory!"] Vincent was right for once. The team came here today to win. They were supposed to make an impressive debut that'll make people forget how Stratus was once called the "worst team".

Kai's personal defeats didn't matter. It was all about winning as a team. Even if she trips and falls a hundred times, everything will be alright as long as she stands up every time and ultimately helps the team win.

[This isn't the time to act like a weakling!] Kai scolded herself. [The next one is coming!]

WHISH! A spear came flying at her, but she sidestepped it in the nick of time.

[I can kinda follow the rhythm of his attacks.] Kai realized. Her sharp senses were gradually returning. Even against this invincible predator, Kai was able to read the attack pattern and dodge in a timely fashion.

"Damn, this girl...!" Nash cursed. "Then, how about this!?" He drew closer to his prey but he didn't attack right away. Instead, he delayed his attack just a little, to see how Beat reacts.

[Now!] Kai turned to the right based on her prediction. However, the WHISH sound effect didn't play. It only resounded a second later.

[A delayed attack!?] Kai instinctively rolled to the side.

WHISH! The spear came dangerously close to hitting her, but it failed to graze her. She just barely escaped damage this time.

[Phew, made it.] Kai breathed in relief. [But, how long can I keep this up?]

She could read the opponent's attack pattern to some degree and prolong her life somewhat, but she couldn't dodge everything against an opponent smart enough to mix in delayed attacks. On top of that, she couldn't counter-attack because her basics were weak. The risk simply wasn't worth it.

[So, all I can do is run after all?] Kai grimaced.

Yuel was on the way to provide aid, but he was still too far away. And, to make things worse, the Lancer cornered Kai long before she reached the Golem area. In short, she was in a terrible position.

[I can keep running toward the Golem, but this damn bastard will catch up in no time.] Kai frowned. [No matter what I do, I doubt I can escape from this guy alive.]

This wasn't just her being pessimistic; it was a fact. StormMonster was at his strongest when he was chasing, that's what everybody testified. And, Kai also experienced that first-hand moments ago.

There was no escape. Kai was already down to 40% HP. She won't last long if StormMonster catches up to her and starts drilling her with his lance.

[But, there was one method that sorta worked against this guy.] Kai recalled. [Even Luke pulled it off somehow, so it might work again.]

So far, only one method worked against StormMonster's chasing technique. Earlier today, Lars and Luke chose to stand their ground and confront StormMonster instead of running away from him. Thanks to that, they prolonged their lives and Luke even survived the entire encounter.

[I gotta fight.] Kai gulped. [Is that even realistic?]

She was a mage facing a bruiser. StormMonster was at 60% HP after eating a couple of tower shots, but a bruiser's 60% HP was worth quite a lot, much more than that of a mage. And, if that's not enough, Kai only had 40% HP, which was even less than that. The HP gap was HUGE.

While StormMonster only needed to land a couple of hits on her, Kai would have to keep barraging him with basics for an hour in order to score a kill. This matchup was as uneven as it could get.

[But, I have more than just my basics.] Kai reasoned.

A mage wasn't designed to rely on basic attacks in the first place, it was all about the spells. And, at this stage of the game, Kai has already stacked a lot of cooldown reduction in her build. As a result, her Magia Orb had an incredibly low cooldown. It needed just a couple of seconds to recharge, almost becoming a replacement for her basic attacks.

Unfortunately, the orbs formed slowly, so it was difficult to hit a moving target with them. And, their damage wasn't even that amazing in the first place. Their main purpose was to set up Sorcerer's other spells.

For example, Dimensional Collapse was out of cooldown. So, for example, Kai could place a Magia Orb at the distance, then pull StormMonster far away from herself. After that, maybe she'd get an opportunity to escape?

[No, that's naive.] Kai shook her head. [He's too fast on his feet. He'll catch up in no time.][Then, what else can I do?] She clenched her mouse.

It felt like depression was about to claim her once more. After she finally lit up her fighting spirit, the enemy's strength was about to blow it out.

[Repelling Force is still on cooldown, so I only got my ult left. But, I don't have any orbs to blow up... yet.]

Resonance Ignition was undoubtedly Sorcerer's scariest tool, capable of delivering devastating burst damage in an instant. However, to deal truly massive damage, it required an elaborate setup.

First, the skill required multiple Magia Orbs on the field in order to blow them up. On top of that, to dial up the damage from "decent" to "amazing", the target had to be caught up in the intersection of the orbs' explosions.

The explosion of a single orb wouldn't deal that much damage to the Lancer. It'd probably erase somewhere between 5% to 7% of his HP. However, the Sorcerer could maintain up to 3 Magia Orbs on the field at the same time, so that was the upper limit on the damage of Resonance Ignition. And, this limit was far greater than the sum of the orbs' individual damage.

The "resonance" part of Resonance Ignition wasn't there just to sound cool. By blowing up multiple orbs and making their explosions overlap, it was possible to generate a resonance effect that amplified the damage of all the intersecting explosions. And, it was a HUGE amplifier.

A resonance between two orbs resulted in quadruple damage in total. And, a resonance between all three orbs dealt 9 times the damage of a single orb's explosion!

[It might even be enough to kill!] Kai couldn't do the math as fast as Yuel, so she had to trust her intuition here. She had more than enough experience playing Sorcerer and unleashing devastating Resonance Ignitions on her foes, so she knew how absurd the damage could get when optimized.

Her intuition whispered to her: ["It can result in a kill."] If she sets up three Magia Orbs and causes resonance with all three - she'll kill StormMonster. Kai had a chance to win this!

It'll be extremely difficult and risky, but there was no other option left for her. It was impossible to escape from StormMonster and she didn't have any other dangerous tools at her disposal. Therefore, she had to trust her skill and bet everything on a triple resonance!

[What are my odds, I wonder?] Kai smiled wryly. If she attempted this challenge ten times in a row, she'd probably only nail it once. That's like a 10% chance. These were depressingly low odds.

But, having low odds was no reason to turn her back on the challenge. After all, this one attempt, right here and now, could very well be that one successful try out of ten! Just the way Kai lost twice in a row to Renegade even though they weren't that far apart in skill, so did Kai have a chance to pull off a less likely play like this.

There was no certainty to be found anywhere on this competitive stage. Everybody here was high level, so there were no guarantees about anything. Nobody had a 100% success chance against opponents of the same level. And, on the flip side, it also meant that a 100% failure didn't exist either.

[Let's do it.] Kai summoned the first Magia Orb. She'll do it! She'll grasp that 10% chance and unleashed the devastating triple resonance! It was too early to give up on her life! She'll struggle to the bitter end!