The Heavenly Demon Gives Coaching (4)
The moment I shattered the carriage's protective barrier in a single strike, ending the match instantly, I immediately moved on to the next game. I wanted to see what the other 5:5 modes in Apis were like. Whether it was fighting over territory in a capture-the-point mode or something like capture-the-flag where you had to protect and steal designated objects—I dipped my toes into all of them and came to one clear realization.
There were way too many people who recognized me.
Every single game I entered, at least one person recognized my face, and even more knew my name. Occasionally someone would ask, “Who’s that?” But then the ones who did know me would jump in with things like, “Whoa! You don’t know Lady Hwaryeong? That’s seriously impressive!” and proceed to explain everything about me in excruciating detail. Honestly, I’d rather just deal with people who already knew who I was.
So I simply turned on my stream.
“I will now recruit viewers willing to play Apis 5:5 mode with me. One thing you should know is that I won’t be doing anything. I’ll simply be watching, so only those who can handle the game on their own should join.”
This was the best way to properly experience the game. No matter what kind of match it was, the moment I stepped in, everything turned into complete chaos. It was far better to observe how people moved in games where I wasn’t participating.
I openly declared I would be a burden, so I didn’t expect many people to join. But I was wrong.
People flooded in instantly.
“We broke through!”
“Hello, Lady Hwaryeong!”
“I can’t believe the day I’d actually get to see you in person has come!”
“I’ll give it my all!”
There were even countless people lamenting that they couldn’t play with me. Was playing alongside me really more important than avoiding the suffering of being on a team of four?
While I watched them discuss which characters to play and how they might win, someone sent a donation.
AkGwi has donated 10,000 won.
“First, thank you for the donation. The reason I’m doing this is because Enry asked for my help.”
“That’s why the role of those currently playing with me is crucial. Now then. Tell me what kind of game this 5:5 mode is.”
Perhaps because I had personally asked, the people I teamed up with for the first time were overflowing with enthusiasm. As the game progressed, they bombarded me with knowledge about 5:5 mode without pause, all while managing to defeat the opposing team of five with just four players.
Watching them, I realized something. The 5:5 games where I had destroyed everything by myself had never been true 5:5 games at all.
Between those who played 5:5 regularly, there was a constant psychological battle going on. They predicted the enemy’s composition and prepared counters. When the opponent switched compositions, they organically changed their own characters. They immediately adjusted their strategies accordingly. Sometimes they would abandon escort duties to launch an all-out attack on the enemy. These people were constantly devising and executing countless strategies within the 5:5 mode.
“This game’s been out for so long that all the viable strategies have already been discovered. At this point, it’s basically just rock-paper-scissors between teams.”
“In terms of rank, what level would you all be considered?”
“Looking at the ranks of the people here, I’d say we’re roughly around Platinum?”
“Do those below you all know these kinds of strategies?”
“Of course. It’s such an old, deeply analyzed game.”
So it was a game that revolved endlessly within standardized strategies. That was good news for me. I wasn’t particularly skilled at strategy or schemes. To me, war had always meant facing an entire army alone. I wasn’t used to battlefields where large groups clashed against other large groups.
My experience with 5:5 mode didn’t end there. I kept switching out viewers and continued observing how the mode played out. I did my best to understand the flow of the game.
That was when a message from Enry arrived.
Lady Hwaryeong! All the team members are gathered now! Just come to the room I’m in! I’ll introduce you to everyone!
“It seems it’s about time. I’ll end this match quickly.”
After finishing the escort mission by destroying the enemy carriage, I headed straight to where Enry was waiting. Several people had gathered there, chatting among themselves. So these were the ones who had formed a team with Enry.
They were trying to act cheerful, but it was obvious they all carried heavy burdens in their hearts. Thankfully, the man in the center with the voice weathered by time was comforting the others. If not for him, everyone’s tone would have been sharp as blades.
“Hwaryeong! Come on over!”
Enry, who had been desperately trying to lift the mood, spotted me and came running over with a bright smile. The worry in her eyes was clear—she must have been going through quite a lot. I hoped my help could lighten that burden for her.
Following behind Enry, the others gathered around me. Her teammates all approached as well. Enry turned around and introduced me in her usual energetic tone.
“Everyone knows her, right? She’s the most talked-about person in the community these days—Hwaryeong! She’s agreed to be our coach!”
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Hwaryeong.”
As I greeted them, I observed their faces. They all seemed to know quite a bit about me. Their expressions were a mix of welcome and worry, as if they were concerned about how harshly I might push them. I could guess how I usually came across to people. The moment they saw me, that was their reaction. Wasn’t that a bit too much worry?
It was true that I tended to be rather strict when teaching people, but I only pushed them as far as they could endure.
Under Enry’s lead, I exchanged greetings with her teammates and listened to their introductions. Bunny. Bae Min-hwang. Nahee and Nabi-rin. Enry explained what characters they played and what kind of playstyle they had, but I only half-listened. It would be more accurate to judge them with my own eyes rather than through her words. Since I would soon see them fight in real matches anyway, I decided to make my cold assessment then.
And at the very end, I met the coach—the root cause of this team’s formation. Even though he was using a VR avatar, he gave off an exhausted, haggard aura. His gestures were steeped in melancholy. He was smiling, but it was obvious his insides were rotting away. While none of Enry’s teammates were exactly bright and cheerful, this man was especially serious. He was holding on for now, but it felt like he would collapse the moment he crossed a certain line.
“Hello. I’m Dalbit. I was an Apis pro player until recently and just started streaming. I’ve seen you in a lot of videos, Lady Hwaryeong. It’s surreal to meet you in person.”
“Yes. Nice to meet you.”
After greeting him, I asked Enry and the others for their understanding and said I wanted to speak with him alone. In the end, this guy was the one leading the group. Therefore, when it came to how I should teach them, I needed to respect his intentions. The leader was the one who set the direction, after all.
Having lived as a subordinate myself, I knew very well how heartbreaking it was when the head wasn’t treated like one. Since I couldn’t support this crumbling man as a complete stranger, I figured I should at least show consideration in this area.
“The reason I wanted to speak with you is because I’d like to hear about your future plans.”
“My plans?”
“Yes. Since you’re the team leader, you must have some idea of how you want to lead this group, right?”
When I asked, Dalbit scratched his head and then floated several windows in the air for me to see.
“I’ve been analyzing things since the team was formed yesterday…”
I couldn’t understand most of what Dalbit was telling me. The majority of it was about the current meta in Apis. Which characters were rising, which were falling, what compositions were good as a result, which combinations worked well in this low-tier league, and how applying them to our team would play out. Even though I had played quite a lot of Apis 1:1 mode, I still didn’t fully understand its system. There was no way I could comprehend talk about 5:5 mode, which I had only just begun to grasp.
Still, I didn’t understand nothing. I caught two main points.
First, despite the massive failure he had caused, this man hadn’t given up and was doing his utmost to fix it. Second, what role he wanted me to play.
“Please help our team members get used to moving as a group. In the end, only a true team can win in a team battle. Is that possible?”
“Of course. Who do you think I am?”
Rather than individual sharpness, he wanted them to be able to move as one unified group of five. As long as the direction was set properly, it wasn’t that difficult. They would have to suffer a bit over the remaining two weeks, but I believed it was entirely doable. And if it really came down to it, I could always use slightly rougher methods.
“Coach! The opponent says their scrim is ready!”
“Then let’s get started.”
After Enry left with a cheerful “Lady Hwaryeong! I’ll do my best, so please watch over us!”, I observed Enry’s team fighting against others alongside Dalbit. The way the game was progressing could be summed up in one phrase.
A ragtag bunch.
Whether it was the battlefield or the victory conditions, none of it mattered. Their team composition and strategy were equally meaningless. When the five people who were supposed to be one team weren’t even sharing proper opinions and were playing separately, what meaning could there be?
They were fighting as five, but they didn’t trust each other in the slightest. I wasn’t the only one who thought so—Dalbit, who was watching the game with me, didn’t look happy either. Since the match was going in the complete opposite direction of what he hoped for, it was only natural his expression would be grim.
“Dalbit.”
“Yes?”
“Do we really need to continue with this scrim?”
No matter how many times they repeated something like this, it didn’t seem like anything would change. When they didn’t even trust each other, what difference would it make to play as a team?
When I said that, Dalbit nodded as if he agreed, but he opposed ending the scrim.
“They need to feel the problems for themselves a bit more.”
Aah. So he believed they had to experience the issues themselves before they would fix them. I see. I’ll respect your opinion. For now, let’s just keep watching.