The Day of the Grand Mock Siege
At long last, the day of the Mock Siege had arrived.
Time had flown by. Since my final lecture, I'd spent my days streaming and hunting in peace, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. After being tangled up in one crisis after another, these quiet days felt almost alien.
"Do you think this is the calm before the storm?"
"...It could be."
I nodded as we rode the warp gate alongside Redberry. She wasn't wrong — things had been relentless lately. We'd tracked down Karabus's traces, fought Yena over a Mythic-grade item, battled a world boss that followed me around, and even crossed paths with that strange fellow. So many massive events had piled up back to back that ordinary days like these felt strange by comparison. Not that I'd been idle the whole two weeks, of course.
"Did you hear? Apparently Leo's got all five elements now."
"Well, she is talented."
My very, very star pupil had finished her homework well before the two weeks were up. Then, as if struck by some revelation, she cleared her entire schedule and vanished into the forest for a week without coming out. And just yesterday, she'd returned to announce her contract with a spirit bearing her fifth element. As a spirit master, she had now reached a domain no one else had ever touched — an existence truly without equal.
I wonder how much stronger she's gotten.
I was looking forward to it.
Haa. Redberry let out a sigh thick with worry. "It feels like everyone else is getting upgrades except me. Even my mana control is barely at a student's level."
"Haste rarely gets you anywhere. You're already doing plenty well as it is, honestly."
Redberry had grown a great deal. Coming from techniques that unleashed such explosive firepower, she probably couldn't feel it herself, but the change was unmistakable.
"You think so?"
"I do. And don't worry so much."
Even if that weren't true...
Wouldn't I still be here?
"...That's true. No problem at all, then."
─ Warp transit will begin shortly.
"Wow... there are so many people."
Redberry's head swiveled back and forth, her mouth hanging wide open. The crowd dwarfed the numbers from team selection day at Runos Central Plaza. If anything, it genuinely felt like tens of thousands had gathered.
"Is this a soccer stadium or something?"
"A stadium? This is bigger than a stadium. Several kingdoms are co-hosting it."
The answer came from Vlack, who was walking toward us from far off. Just like during the scrimmage, his black armor and imposing greatsword stood out.
"Good to see you both. Let's do our best today."
"Of course. We win everything and finish this clean."
"What about, um, Devil?"
"Good question. Devil's not exactly the type to show up late."
Redberry and Vlack both looked puzzled. Devil might have seemed reckless, but not once had he ever broken a time commitment. I smirked.
"He'll be here soon."
"Do you know something?"
"I do. You'll be in for quite a surprise."
Probably. It should be done by now, at least.
"...?"
Tap.
"Lilha~ Good to see you all."
I'd barely switched on the stream after entering the waiting room, and the chat was already in chaos. I let them wait a moment, then slowly panned the camera around. The luxurious waiting room where Team Lily was staying filled the screen.
"We're resting right now, and once things kick off, we'll be heading up to the stage."
I picked up one of the snacks and took a bite. This one boosted movement speed and attack speed by 30% for five minutes. The taste? Eh, nothing special.
"Confident."
Confident, huh...
"Yes. I truly don't have any confidence."
There was simply no way I could lose.
The grand Mock Siege.
Countless broadcast streams, official channels, Twitch Korea — and even the television network, BHC. The gates of an event drawing the eyes of tens of thousands slowly began to open.
Kiiiiiik...
The doors parted, and a world revealed itself. Brilliant flames surged upward and spread across the entire sky, light swimming through the world before falling like meteors. Radiance — and a deep darkness that made that radiance shine all the brighter.
Cutting through the dark, countless meteors split into three streams.
Fwoooosh!
A castle hidden by the darkness came into view. Leo and her party struck their poses alongside a massive bear, and Leo waved her hands frantically, her smile even brighter and more radiant than before.
Fwoooosh!
Another castle appeared. There stood Chukachip, golden spear in hand; beside her, Raguel wore an expression of pure embarrassment while Yena beamed with excitement; and behind them all, Truck Shield hammered his fist against his towering shield — boom, boom!
Fwoooosh!
And finally, the last one. Vlack with his black greatsword driven into the ground, and Devil striking a dramatic pose as black flames wreathed his body. Redberry — face flushed, though whether from blushing or just her natural color, who could say.
And then...
"......"
There I was, bathed in brilliant white light. My divine-looking figure drew the gazes of the tens of thousands who had come to see it in person and the hundreds of thousands watching online — no, perhaps over a million in total.
I thought to myself: I want to smack whoever planned this in the back of the head.
I'd stood before plenty of crowds in my time, but this was a step beyond embarrassing. Everyone except the ones under penalty effects was cringing with mortification, in fact.
"Hahaha!"
Ah, well. Yena was, of course, an exception.
In that instant, the entire venue went dark.
Du-dun!
Alongside a grand fanfare, light returned to the stage. Down the path between the three castles, someone walked forward at a measured pace.
Kim Yong-woo. One of the main casters of the DCK, and the announcer for this Mock Siege.
"Would anyone dare call this a mere 'mock' any longer?"
Step.
"No one can deny it any longer. The matches unfolding on this stage today will surpass every match that has come before them!"
Step.
"What began as a humble event has, before anyone noticed, become a battleground where only the very best gather."
Step.
"And now! The showdown of those greatest of champions!! The third Mock Siege — its curtain rises nooooow!!!"
WAAAAAAAH!!
The crowd roared as skill-crafted lasers scattered in every direction. Countless fireworks bloomed into the sky, blossoming beautifully before tracing the faces of all twelve General-tier players.
Once the fireworks had painted all twelve players, the screen cut away. Three people sat side by side in the commentator's booth.
"Hello, everyone! Allow me to introduce myself properly — I'm Kim Yong-woo, caster for this Mock Siege."
"On analysis, Rakl."
"And your special guest commentator, Luna! It's been so long, everyone!!"
Blue hair, and eyes the blue of a mountain lake. Luna smiled brightly and waved, her figure strikingly out of proportion with her cute face. One of DeoEn's most celebrated beauties — a user with full avatar customization, and the very person behind what had once been dubbed the 'Luna Incident,' a catastrophe in name if nothing else. On top of that, she'd been one of the people caught up in the controversy over whether she was actually Lily's main account.
Her return was more than enough to send the audience into a frenzy.
"Wow~ Player Luna! No, wait, you're not a player anymore, are you. Commentator Luna! How long has it been?"
"It really has, hasn't it! I think it's been quite a while since I appeared at an official tournament like this. I never expected to be away so long, but..."
"What matters is that you're back, right?"
"Exactly! Ah~ I missed this sound of cheering so much. Truly."
WAAAAAAH!
The crowd roared in response, and Luna bowed her head again and again in thanks.
"So does this count as a full comeback?"
"For now, yes, I'd say so. I'll also be competing in the upcoming DCK Summer season, so please look forward to it!"
"We'll all be cheering for your matches, Commentator Luna! Now! Getting to the matter at hand — I hear you have some personal connections with the players participating as Generals in this Mock Siege."
Luna was a member of one of the three powerhouse pro teams in the DCK, a spirit master wielding spear and spirits alike, and she counted Chukachip, Leo, and several other rankers among her close friends. The special commentator slot itself had come about through a request from Vlack, whom she also knew well.
She gave an awkward cough. "Ahem! Well, yes, I do know a few of them. Though saying so myself feels a bit..."
"With those connections, I imagine you know the players inside and out. So — is there anyone in particular you're looking forward to watching this tournament?"
Luna's gaze turned. Toward one of the three castles, each glowing with its own light. The one bathed in brilliant white...
"Lily."