Chapter 36: Those who have stood at the top

Eun Chae received a spare ST uniform I had and was sent into the stadium first.

“Go on in. I’ll follow you later.”

Just seeing the people swarming around me, it wouldn’t be good for Eun Chae, a civilian, to have her face exposed.

As Eun Chae’s figure disappeared into the distance, I took out an action cam from the small bag I was carrying.

It wasn’t mine; I asked the ST filming crew, and they lent me one.

They said they would have helped me film if it wasn’t for today’s match, but I’d be more burdened by that, so it’s better to film it myself.

It also adds to the realism.

Soon, I fiddled with the camera a bit and started the broadcast, and the chat window I had open on my phone started scrolling rapidly.

[Turning it on.]
[Nice.]
[This is it.]
[Where are you now?]
[In front of the east gate.]
[Just clearly visible.]
[A different art style alone?]
[Thumbs up if the real thing is better.]
[lololol.]

As soon as I turned on the broadcast, I could hear phone notification sounds and vibrations from all around, indicating that a lot of people had come.

Still, I wasn’t too worried.

“Eun Seol, this way…!”

The manager in charge of our ST3 team called out to me from behind.

“Everything’s ready!”
“Already?”
“We prepared in advance because we thought there would be a crowd.”

Our all-purpose manager, whom we always called whenever something wasn’t working in the dorm, was also watching my broadcast and had immediately prepared a temporary booth that day.

“Is, is that it?”

I thought it would just be a simple chair and a decent desk, but it was quite elaborate, with a banner on the chair like the other booths.

The uniforms lined up next to it with my name on them were a bonus.

“You didn’t have to go this far…”
“Hey, considering this is Eun Seol’s first time meeting fans in person, I had to put in some effort!”

The manager said that and even announced on camera where to come.

“Ah, and the uniforms here, our Eun Seol has decided to cover half the price for the fans.”

[Manager Noona announcement GOAT.]
[Wow.]
[The True.]
[My donation is finally being used meaningfully.]
[Thank you.]
[Coming right away.]
[Line up, line up.]
[But seriously, why are people already lining up?]
[Someone might think it’s the entrance line lol.]

As time passed, more and more people started to gather.

By the time I sat down in the booth’s chair, the line was already blocking the booth.

“No way, why is everyone who said they’d come actually here?”

I thought maybe ten or so people would come, say they’re fans, get an autograph, and leave, but if the line gets this long, it’s no longer a guerrilla fan meeting.

[Seems like some people are waiting to buy True’s uniform.]
[True.]
[Buy a uniform at a discount, and True will talk to you and even give you an autograph?]
[Gotta go lol.]
[It’s a shame I can’t go because I’m in the provinces.]
[Take the KTX and run over here right now.]
[This line won’t shrink until the game ends.]
[lololol.]

“Manager, there are a lot more people than I thought?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll cut off the line ten minutes before the game starts.”

As expected of the manager.

Anyway.

So I started the fan meeting.

“I’m really enjoying watching the games!”

A female fan who brought my uniform with ‘True’ written on the back of the ST uniform.

“I’ll flatten it out and put it in a frame.”

A fan who just bought a uniform, presented it to me, and bowed.

“Um, please sign my keyboard!”

And even a member of the International Keyboard Association.

[Are the chain dogs still alive?]
[Tough, tough.]
[True…will return!]
[No, grandpas, just go.]
[She’s already famous in the pro scene for using 3rd person control well, but they’re never satisfied.]
[lolololol.]
[True will only stop when she gets a pentakill with a keyboard and wins the LOC World Cup.]
[No, then they’ll act up even more.]
[lololol.]

After signing autographs several times, the manager cut off the line.

It meant that the start of the match was near.

Besides, the uniforms we had prepared were all sold out.

[It looked like over a hundred when the broadcast first started, did they all sell??]
[Whoa.]
[True-nim’s class is crazy.]
[She’s in middle school, so her value is good.]
[lololol these Lock maniacs.]
[Isn’t that more purchasing power from fans than most players in LOCK?]
[Even considering the ST buff and the uniform price discount, it’s legendary.]
[Not a small True anymore…]
[Fact) Never been small.]
[Even when playing ranked games in the silver tier, she hit 100 viewers lol.]

Anyway, I alternated between looking at the chat window and the fans’ faces, signing a few more autographs and having a few more conversations.

“Huuuu…”

Finally, the line reached its end.

Meeting fans is definitely enjoyable, but I was careful with my words and actions, worried that even this short meeting might leave a trace, so it was tiring in a different way from playing the game.

Still, I stood up with the mindset of doing what needed to be done.

I need to clean up.

“I’ll help with the clean-up.”
“No! Eun Seol, hurry up and go watch the game!”
“…Are you sure it’s okay?”
“It’s totally fine. This is what I get paid to do. So hurry up. Unnie will handle it here.”

I was half-pushed towards the stadium.

[ST vs Milky Way S! The ban-picks for the first set are all done!]

When I entered the stadium, the ban-picks were already over.

Of course, my interest was in the familiar faces rather than the ban-picks, so it didn’t matter.

‘…Nothing’s changed.’

I saw Fraud recently, and I also met Filodog briefly on stream.

But seeing them like this in the stadium, honed as players, is a different matter.

Fraud, the ruler of an era with 6 LOC World Cups, including a three-peat, and countless other championship cups, is LOC itself.

And Filodog, who once surpassed Fraud and lifted the champion’s cup, the symbol of LOC World Cup victory.

The two players, who are responsible for the mid-lane of both teams, were just as I remembered.

Their appearances were still majestic.

[The two old rivals clash in LOCK again this season!]

[Let’s see it right now!]

[One! Two! Three!]

I shouted so loud that the sky seemed to break.

[The game starts! Players quickly move to their positions to defend against invades!]

While the commentators’ high-tension voices echoed in the stadium, Eun Chae, who had changed into the ST uniform properly, spoke to me.

“The ban-picks look good for ST, but what do you think, our pro?”
“Hmm…it looks like the side that plays it well will have the advantage.”

If even one lane loses its balance first, they lose.

That’s the kind of ban-pick.

Unless a super play happens, the lane that takes the initiative once is likely to have the initiative until the end of the game.

But even though they’re not people who wouldn’t know that, they clashed when they made eye contact in the bush without avoiding it.

[Huh? Huh? A level 1 fight starts here suddenly!]

[They’re not backing down?!]

[In fact, both teams have something to say from the beginning, right? This goes all the way!]

The audience’s murmurs grew louder, and the champions’ battle on the stadium screen was quite fierce, even though it was level 1.

The result was a triple kill for ST’s top, Thug, and a triple kill for Milky Way’s mid, Filodog.

[How does this turn out!]

[The mid-lane initiative is over. Player Fraud has no choice but to endure.]

[But the top lane has a clear initiative for player Thug, so we’ll have to roll with that direction!]

After the battle, which lasted long enough for all lanes to lose a wave of minions, the laning phase was extreme in many ways, except for the bottom lane.

The top lane was denied experience, and the mid lane would have ended several times if it weren’t for Fraud’s precarious tightrope walk.

[ST has lost the mid-lane initiative, but the macro is clean!]

[As expected of the top two tips, they share turns well and take down large monsters.]

[If the next battle opens, they’ll probably pour everything into it. The top side has something to say, but the bottom hasn’t grown yet.]

As expected, the next fight virtually decided the winner of this set.

[Uaaah! Fraud uses flash to initiate here!]

[Zhonya’s Hourglass! A lot of opponent skills are down!]

[All ST players engage! Fraud, who is released from zhonya’s, continues to deal damage with skills! If this happens, Milky Way has to back off!]

And in that situation, the well-grown Thug finally caught the opponent’s rear.

[This causes the rear to collapse in an instant!]

[Milky Way Emergency!]

[Filodog! Filodog tries to resist as much as possible, but he’s already alone!]

Filodog struggled to catch at least Fraud, but unfortunately, the difference in numbers in Lock was usually absolute.

[Like this! ST takes the win for this set!]

With thunderous cheers, ST headed to the Twisted Forest to collect the spoils.

Fraud, who did his best in a situation where they would lose due to the difference in mid-lane influence if the situation continued, and Filodog, who managed to snag the AD Carry even when left alone.

That is.

The place I should aim for.

The road filled with the corpses of geniuses.