Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Playoffs Begin
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The regular season had come to an end.
Even the so-called final hurdle, KTT, had been overcome with a win, and the remaining teams were all newcomers not even in League of Champions Korea. The skill gap was just too wide.
"Playoffs..."
"Doesn't matter who comes."
I gave Plook's tense back a light pat after our win today and said that.
There were a total of 12 teams in the Master League.
Including a few newbie squads absent from League of Champions Korea, we hadn't lost a single match to any of them this season.
We'd beaten the final hurdle KTT, and the rest were rookies not even on League of Champions Korea's radar, so the gap was obvious. Truth be told, no matter who showed up in the playoffs, we had plenty to say about it.
In the winner's interview before our now-familiar fans, I flashed a big smile.
"I don't know who we'll face in the playoffs yet, but we'll wrap up the season for any team that comes our way—in the order they arrive."
Letting them head home early to rest would be doing them a favor, all things considered.
The championship? No way we're handing that over.
"Hey, hey. Seeding's starting."
"No big TV around?"
"Where's a big monitor?"
No matter how good ST's perks were, they weren't installing giant screens in the third-division practice room.
"Where'd Plook run off to?"
"Grabbing popcorn."
Bringing popcorn for a first-round seeding that'd take minutes was abnormal, sure.
If he showed even half that spirit at the LOC World Cup, it'd be great.
As I mulled over such thoughts, Plook strolled into the practice room.
"I'm back."
I naturally snagged some popcorn from beside him and asked,
"Caramel any good?"
"Nah. Just a bit of salt."
"......"
Looked like it wasn't my imagination—everyone else was bulking up while I stayed the same.
"So, who's picking who right now?"
"Third place picks from fifth or sixth. Fourth gets the leftovers."
Playoff format gave advantages based on regular-season rankings.
First and second place skipped straight to Round 2, while third through sixth duked it out in Round 1.
Winners there faced first and second in Round 2, then Round 3 pitted winners against winners and losers against losers.
Round 3 winners went straight to finals; losers fought a Round 4 winner-bracket loser for the second finals spot.
Once those two teams emerged, it was finally the grand final.
"...Why's it so complicated?"
"Simple single-elim would tank viewership if a big team drops early. League couldn't handle it."
Imagine first or second place ending their season after one loss.
Viewership drop aside, it'd kill the point of the regular season—no incentives for top teams.
Bonus: we got a preview of our Round 2 foes' ban/picks and pocket picks from Round 1.
"So if we win everything, that's just three matches for us?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
I nodded at Strike's question.
Man, these guys.
Last season's basement dwellers didn't even care about playoffs or the format.
"Three matches left in our season, then."
"Confident we won't lose?"
"Eun-seol, you carry the log."
"......"
"Kidding. Kidding."
Hearing that from our bot duo—who'd been hyper-focused in Round 2—was a bit sad, but imagining us folding to their strategies just built up my patience meter.
Maybe chuck some popcorn at him.
At this point, whatever I did to him, public opinion would side with me.
Internet'd probably just go, "True finally snapped..."
"Just practice properly."
"I've been grinding solo queue hard lately."
"Sure you have."
Worst case, if they kept targeting the same spots in playoffs, I had a last resort. No biggie.
Personally, I didn't want to use it, but if needed, I'd hint at it to Coach sorta casually.
Anyway.
Amid all this, third place predictably picked sixth, leaving fourth with fifth.
"Who ya think wins?"
"Whoever— we're winning in three matches anyway."
"Just curious who advances, purely."
With Plook chiming in, I recalled recent matches.
"The team that throws less, probably."
Even we lagged sometimes, but other Master League teams? Worse.
Think about global gold leads of 3-4k getting overturned—speculating now was pointless.
"Milky Way at least tries matching Grand League tempo. Rest are meh."
"Why's your bar always different?"
"Told you. Gotta be LOC World Cup winners to satisfy me."
"Then we aim for the first-division squad. Three-peat vibes might do it."
"...Tch."
That? Eh.
ST1 without Proud?
I'd been through it.
A lot.
Didn't wanna relive it now.
"Y'know, this team's pretty decent."
Yeah.
Solid top, hunter listens to me, bot's iffy laning but godlike in teamfights. Good enough.
"Why the sour face all sudden?"
"Just appreciating our team anew."
Not tap-dancing on a log? That's a win.
Time to fire up the stream after ages.
I streamed decently during season, but compared to all-day school-night marathons? Always felt light.
"You all watching Master League lately?"
Chat plummeted the second I spoke.
—True1 shut up!
—You ruined solo queue you ruined solo queue you ruined solo queue you ruined solo queue
—Mid Teemo and mid scrub popping up? For real?
—Funny part is she won...
—Fact) Our mid ain't True
—shut up1
—Pisses me off
—Pls just pick meta...
"It's all gonna turn into blood and muscle in playoffs."
Heck, even league banned Teemo once mid-to-late season, somehow.
Playoffs weren't a total reset—same teams meant my picks rippled onward.
—Viewers saw blood at least
—lololol
—Gold to silver? Can't dodge that Q
—Solo queue with that crap? Silver to bronze
—fr lol
—True's champs are macro ops—how in low elo?
—Macro one-tricks flop in solo
—fr esp mineral tiers just dive dinos
"Wanna check macro skills by tier then?"
Viewer count meant easy grabs—one or two per tier.
—Friend req...? For real?
—True friending?
—shit
—Do it now
—oink oink
—Pls friend even briefly
—lololol
Observer needed friends, so chat plus my already jammed friend requests exploded.
"Bronze first—drop your ID in chat."
No raffle hassle; just snag one.
"Accept the request, queue solo once."
Picked a chat name, started spectating.
Three minutes in: viewer solo-killed.
—?
—lololol
—Get out~
—Behold something lol
—Game implodes incoming
—fr lol
—evaned
"Still, not bad."
Never expected mechanics from bronze anyway.
—???
—Classic True shielding viewers
—Even for her own stream tho...
—fr
—Covering that up
My mercy didn't last.
"Why macro like that?!"
—lololol
—Snapped and spoke finally?
—True can't hold back
—Ox recommends True brain takeover
—Wasn't this 'see how bronze macros'?
—??: not human
First, salvage this game.