Throwing the Shield
"Confidence? Of course I have it."
"I'm going to bury an axe in Hanul's skull."
"We're going to show you what we've got!"
Hanul, who was watching the interview, burst into roaring laughter.
On the screen, Na Jia was drawing a large heart with both arms.
At first glance, it looked like adorable aegyo, but considering what she had just said, it probably meant, This is how I'm going to split your skull open.
Hanul laughed so hard he sounded like he was dying, wheezing and gasping, before finally squeezing out a word.
It took him a while to speak because he was hyperventilating from laughing so hard.
"Wow, Na Jia is seriously crazy, isn't she? Fine, let's do this. Today, one of our skulls is definitely getting split open."
This was a clear declaration of war.
And Hanul was not the type to back down from a fight.
Since he was usually the one picking fights anyway, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
Soon, the match with the two streamers' skulls on the line began.
Hanul smacked his lips as the match information was revealed.
◈ Battlefield: Cursed Mangrove
◈ Rules: 6v6 Deathmatch
◈ Geas: The Mist Shall Rise.
"The battlefield is a bit disadvantageous for us. But well, our matchup is so favorable anyway. Let's just call this a handicap."
The battlefield 'Cursed Mangrove' was famous as one of the most hated maps in Infinity Realm.
Mangroves are originally aquatic plants that are highly beneficial to humans.
Not only do they play a crucial role in the ecosystem, but they also apparently offer massive environmental benefits.
And this field turned those benefits completely upside down.
Since it was basically a swamp, players' feet would sink deep into the mud.
The water, which rose above the ankles, was pure poison that inflicted damage over time.
Even the dense mangroves scattered across the field emitted a potent toxic gas.
In other words, simply breathing in this battlefield would drain your health.
Not only would you be poisoned just by breathing, but if you suffered any wounds, the toxic fluid would seep in and cause decay.
It was the same no matter how much you raised your poison resistance.
Currently, there was no system-level way to become completely immune to poison damage on this map.
This made the 'Saint' class—a supporter focused on healing and blessings—incredibly vital.
It was a battlefield where Na Jia's importance stood out immensely.
Objectively, Na Jia's team had higher combat sustainability than any other team in this tournament.
Immediately after the match information was revealed, the voice chat of Hanul's team began to buzz with activity.
"Hyung, what's the plan for this round?"
"What strategy? We just charge right in."
"I figured you'd say that. Should I stay by our supporter's side just in case?"
"Hmm, I don't know. They don't even have an Assassin. There's no way they'd send their only Bruiser to flank us."
Ultimately, the flow of this match could only lead to one conclusion.
The fierce onslaught of Hanul's team, boasting overwhelming physical stats.
And the survival game of Na Jia's team, stalling for time while relying on the field's poison.
Well... it was only natural, really.
Since each team's color was so distinct, there wasn't much room for any special strategy.
Just looking at the weapons of Hanul's team made that clear.
A sword and shield. A giant hammer. A tower shield and mace.
The remaining member was planning to transform into a bear and engage in raw hand-to-hand combat.
With a lineup like this, what else could they possibly pursue other than a pure melee brawl?
Thus, Hanul's team's strategy was simpler and clearer than any other team in this tournament.
"Alright, let's go. Today, I'm cracking Na Jia's skull open."
Charge.
As soon as the match began, Hanul's team surged forward.
"And the match has begun!"
"While Hanul's team is charging forward as expected, all eyes are on how Na Jia's team will respond."
"First of all, a notable change is that Siz has abandoned his signature Artilleryman class and opted for the Hunter class instead."
"It's a logical choice. There's very little an Artilleryman can do in this match."
"On the other hand, a Hunter can secure vision of the surroundings by summoning a hawk, and constantly disrupt Hanul's team by setting traps."
The Cursed Mangrove was a complex field.
Not only were mangroves growing everywhere, but the surroundings looked identical no matter where one looked.
Because of this, it seemed like an easy map to get lost in, but that wasn't entirely true.
The fields in Infinity Realm were broadly divided into two types.
One was fixed fields, where terrain and obstacles were always placed in the exact same positions.
The other was random fields, which were newly generated for every battle.
Among them, the Cursed Mangrove was a representative fixed field.
No high-ranking player had failed to memorize its layout.
Even the spawn locations of both teams were fixed, allowing Hanul's team to move without hesitation.
"As expected, there's a bit of a difference in movement speed."
"Although Siz is consistently setting traps, Hanul's team consists mostly of highly aggressive classes."
"At this rate, they will definitely be caught. And if a major team fight breaks out, it will be very difficult for Na Jia's team."
"Once they spot each other, the roles of the Warlock and the Chain Master will become extremely important."
"It seems the Berserker's performance in this match will inevitably be limited..."
The commentators spoke under the assumption that Na Jia's team would play a stalling game.
This, too, was only natural.
Any team in their right mind would have no reason not to stall.
Every team composition and class had an expected role to play.
What they overlooked was the situation of the team leader, Na Jia.
Common sense only applied to common situations.
Though the world didn't know it yet, Na Jia had already crossed the point of no return.
She was practically a runaway train at this point!
Trying to force it to stop would only derail the entire train.
After making such a huge scene, they want me to drag things out and play a pathetic stalling game? No way. If we did that and won, maybe it'd be fine, but if we lose like that, it's truly over!
Just thinking about it was pathetic.
She could tolerate looking pathetic, but the collapse of the hype she had built up would bring a massive backlash!
It was certain that not only Na Jia herself and Yu Nabi, but the entire team would become laughingstocks for at least a few months.
It might follow them like a tag for as long as they streamed.
The Challengers Cup was by no means a professional league.
In the pro scene, victory was the ultimate goal, but this was, first and foremost, a broadcast.
As the breadwinner lady of this team, Na Jia had things she absolutely had to protect...
"Wait, what? Suddenly, all of the Saint's key buffs are being concentrated on DoNotTalkToMe!"
"Isn't it way too early to prepare for an engagement?"
"What is the intention behind this? Hanul's team has barely even entered their line of sight."
"The Warlock and Chain Master's skills are all still fully available, too!"
The Saint's blessings were powerful and lasted a long time.
However, no class in Infinity Realm was perfect in every aspect.
Powerful skills were inevitably accompanied by long cooldowns.
Once used, it took a very long time before they could be cast again.
Therefore, skills that could be considered 'key buffs' were only used in critical situations.
For example, right before an imminent clash.
They were meant to be used for an all-out war when there was nowhere left to retreat.
Yet, Na Jia's team had no reason to engage immediately.
"Then there must be another reason—"
"And just as I say that, DoNotTalkToMe breaks away from the formation!"
"Whoa, it looks like Na Jia's team has drawn their sword!"
"Na Jia's team has made a decisive gamble. Win or lose, this will completely tip the scales of the game."
"It's like they're saying, 'Did you really think we'd play nice? Even if we go down, we're taking a chunk out of you first!'"
A fierce enemy charge meant their formation was leaning heavily forward.
Just like Na Jia's Saint, the supporters on Hanul's team were equally inept at direct combat.
It was impossible for non-combat classes to keep pace with those muscular meatheads.
Hanul's team had to make a choice.
Either slow down to match their supporters, or charge ahead even if it meant leaving them behind.
And as mentioned before, the Cursed Mangrove was a fixed-terrain battlefield.
If you knew the enemy team's spawn point, their current position, and the elapsed time, you could even deduce their speed.
The enemy's advance was terrifyingly fast.
This was the reason Na Jia's team had abandoned their only shield.
Right now, the opposing team was focusing entirely on the offensive, leaving their supporters behind.
They were throwing away the very shield meant to protect them to aim for the enemy's head!
Internally, they dubbed it the 'Shield Toss' strategy.
It was an incredibly risky method, but it wasn't entirely without merit.
Of course, Yu Nabi's innate anthropophobia also played a significant part in the birth of this gamble.
Anyway, if Nabi stays with us, nothing will work out!
Streamers Hanul and Na Jia.
The structural integrity of both team leaders' skulls ultimately rested in Yu Nabi's hands.
The Berserker ran through the toxic swamp more fiercely than anyone else.
Fortunately, because the ground was muddy, her footsteps made no sound.
Hehe. I'm so glad I get to fight alone this time too!
Nabi was simply thrilled.