Strategizing

In the losers bracket, the opposing teams didn't seem to have any qualms about the Wildcats taking in Dorian as a sub when they got matched against them.

They already got news of Dorian being a newbie and also didn't want to simply infuriate the Wildcats.

But even if Viktor played along with the Wildcats against the other teams, he hardly had a presence at all. He either sacrificed himself to get information about the enemies' whereabouts or let himself get used as bait to let his teammates kill their enemies.

The Wildcats were winning games against the other teams, dominating the losers bracket, and they realized that having Dorian on the team was indeed a good thing since it made things easier for them.

At least they were able to react quicker in the game based on his information.

Viktor was using this time to memorize the maps, listen to their strategies and the terms or jargon they use in-game.

After a game ends, he learned that the teams say 'GG' to each other, which means a good game or 'GGWP' for a good game, well played.

Finally, the Wildcats made their way through the loser's finals and even won it. Of course, Viktor didn't do much, but he did get in some 'lucky' kills, and Tiana and her teammates congratulated him for getting these kills, considering how he only got into the game today.

Tiana felt as if he was making considerable improvements after each game, but nothing game-changing, at least not something that could tip things in their favor against the Beast Men.

Still, they felt that he might have the potential to become a pro, and after all these wins, they were regaining their confidence, filled with brimming energy to defeat the Beast Men.

Of course, some of the games they won were close shaves, yet they pushed together for a win, and Viktor was impressed by the various strategies Tiana and her team were coming up with.

It was as if they were in the middle of real gunfire and strategizing fast to deal with their enemies on the spot.

There was time for lunch, but Tiana and her teammates were too hyped up to eat and were practicing during that time. Viktor also joined them even if they said it was okay for him to have lunch.

Viktor had his fill of delicious blood yesterday night and today morning, so right now, he wasn't really hungry at all.

John felt a bit intimidated seeing how the Wildcats made their way up and frowned. In fact, even in his first match against the Wildcats, he was shocked by how close they were to winning.

But he felt that the main reason was that he was too overconfident about them having a missing teammate, which led to them lowering their guard and playing casually.

He took that as the reason why the Wildcats were able to push through and scoffed, seeing how they seemed so eager about defeating his team.

Finally, as many people expected, the Beast Men survived till the finals and were up against the Wildcats, who made a great comeback from the loser's bracket.

He already came up with new strats and practiced a lot in between with his teammates for his upcoming game.

People were prepared to film the whole game and post on streaming sites and social media since they were all very hyped about this particular match. It was not only because it was the finals but mostly because of the deep stakes involved between the two teams.

They all wanted to see who would come out on top and win the bet. They knew that these two teams had a lot to lose other than just losing the chance to make it to the nationals.

In fact, more and more people were entering the cafe who came just to watch the game in person. Even editors and famous people with a social presence in the city came to witness and record the match of the year.

Of course, the number of online viewers on the official stream was phenomenal enough to garner more attention.

Even the players themselves, both in Tiana's and John's teams, were quite nervous and had their hands becoming cold with tension.

Tiana looked at Dorian, who didn't seem to be in much tension at all, and whispered with knitted brows, "Why do you seem so calm? Are you not worried about our victory?"

Viktor gave a natural smile and said, "My mother told me to never worry about things I believe in. And I believe in the Wildcats, in you...to win this game. So even if I feel nervous about playing with you guys in such a big tourney, I am not worried about the outcome."

Tiana felt warmth spreading through her chest, seeing how Dorian had so much faith in her, and even if countless others had praised her abilities, for some reason coming from him, she felt that it was wholeheartedly and that he really believed in her.

Viktor indeed felt that Tiana and her teammates probably wouldn't even need his help, seeing how their current mental state was fired up enough to deal a significant blow to the Beast Men.

He felt that the main reason they even lost against them in the first match was that their minds were filled with uncertainty and doubt about winning the game 4 v 5.

But now he saw how their mental states had undergone a significant change after winning all the previous matches.

Still, of course, he knew that the Beast Men would also adapt accordingly and change their methods.

Tiana wanted to thank Dorian, but she found it hard to utter those words. And so, her cheeks slightly became pink as she softly smiled at him before turning away.

However, strangely enough, now she was feeling more confident and wasn't feeling the nervousness from before. She again glanced at Dorian, feeling as if his presence alone was giving her some sort of strength, even if she knew he might not be able to make a huge impact in the game as a beginner.

Viktor subtly smiled and focused on his computer as he got into the server.

Even though John was feeling nervous, he was also very excited thinking about the things that were going to happen after his victory, especially how the famous and hot Wildcats were going to bow to him, especially the proud and cold Snow Queen.

He also knew that if the Wildcats refused to follow through with the bet, then they might even have to shut down their streaming because of the possible backlash after losing their credibility. He felt that they wouldn't be too thick-skinned to continue streaming after something like that.

So either way, he was satisfied as long as he won and saw the Wildcats go down.

But suddenly, he felt as if someone was looking at him and saw Dorian looking at him with a calm smile.

Even though the smile seemed friendly to him, it seemed like the premonition of something not good. He didn't know why but for a moment, he felt as if a devil was smiling at him.

He then shook his head, thinking that the tension was getting to him since otherwise, he would never even bother to worry about a noob affecting his game.

The warmup was over soon, and Viktor saw two words pop up on his screen, "MATCH START!"