An Unexpected Inheritance
Humans are creatures of adaptation.
The first kill log of the finals.
The moment this most decisive log popped up, the commentators raised their voices.
"DoNotTalkToMe takes down Havoc all by herself!"
"Not with hammer versus axe, but fist versus fist! She claims victory after a bloody, brutal brawl!"
"It's been a long time since we've seen a fight devolve into such a raw physical clash."
"Indeed. A primal fight with no form or technique—we see it occasionally in official matches, and isn't this the ultimate romanticized dream that gets every gamer's heart pumping?"
"Exactly. DoNotTalkToMe's playstyle is truly..."
There was no need for the game to depict the aftermath of a fistfight with excessive cruelty.
The kind of marks that would inevitably remain in reality.
There was no need to show dark red bruises or swollen hematomas.
After all, Infinity Realm was a competitive game centered around esports.
Excessively grotesque depictions did not fit its mainstream appeal.
Thus, Yu Nabi looked relatively intact after the fight.
Except, of course, for the blood splattered all around her.
A brief silence fell over the arena.
Covered in blood, Yu Nabi stood alone, panting heavily.
"Haa... Haa..."
No matter how intense the battle, this was still a game.
Under normal circumstances, there was no reason to feel exhausted.
But the fact that her breathing had grown shallow meant the player felt that exhaustion—which, in turn, meant Nabi's Berserker had sustained severe internal injuries.
In this case, multiple organs, including her lungs, had likely been damaged.
No, there was no need for such complex deduction.
It was plain to see that the Berserker, 'DoNotTalkToMe,' had reached her absolute limit.
In Infinity Realm, bleeding was a significant status ailment.
At the same time, it served as an indicator of how much damage a player had sustained.
Therefore, the game depicted it without hesitation, and it was common to see players drenched in blood after a fierce battle.
Yet, how should one put it?
It wasn't the first time anyone had seen a blood-soaked player.
But for some reason, Yu Nabi exuded an indescribable, mysterious aura.
The commentator lowered his voice.
His slow cadence seemed to match her sluggish footsteps.
"DoNotTalkToMe is moving again."
"It looks like she's trying to regroup with her team, but realistically, she's already a walking corpse."
"Her distance from the support is too great, and her remaining health is practically zero."
"Still... it's so characteristic of her. Heading back to the fight even in that state."
She picked up the battleaxe she had dropped on the ground.
Her body ruptured with fresh blood as she strained to lift the heavy weapon.
Yet, the girl paid it no mind and kept walking forward.
She had spent enough of her life just lying still.
She had to do something. She wanted to do something.
As if driven by an obsession, Yu Nabi sought out the battle.
Of course, she was not exempt from the laws of the system.
Her health had already plummeted too far, and the bleeding wouldn't stop.
The moment her continuously draining health finally hit zero...
Nabi's body collapsed like a doll with its strings cut.
Player 'DoNotTalkToMe' has died from 'Excessive Bleeding'.
Did they feel something watching that scene?
One of the commentators fell into deep thought.
When watching sports, there are moments like this.
Moments where something—call it a player's will, or perhaps their honor—is passed down.
A passing of the torch triggered by a single, defining moment.
Though he didn't know what the players themselves thought.
There were always moments that felt like a trick of fate.
Long ago, when esports was just beginning to emerge and mature.
There had been several matches where the crown of the champion was passed on.
Some rookies took down legendary stars in their very first match, ushering in their own golden age.
Soon, he spoke.
"Havoc is a name that has always turned games around from the underdog's position."
"A player who never gave up, no matter how unfavorable the odds. The very definition of a comeback, always finding a crack in the opponent's defense."
"And yet, on the grand stage of the finals, a nameless Berserker has brought down that very player."
"It really feels... quite poetic."
The commentator was actually quite close with Na Jia.
Though it didn't mean much now, Na Jia had made a request of him early in the tournament.
She had asked him to avoid criticizing Yu Nabi's attitude if possible.
Back then, Nabi was struggling heavily in scrims.
Na Jia likely wanted to protect an aspiring pro from being framed as having a 'bad attitude' or 'throwing the game.'
Naturally, he had also learned that Yu Nabi was aiming to go pro.
Because of that, the commentator found himself imagining a wild scenario.
If that Berserker becomes a pro, what kind of player will she be?
Just then, a grayed-out username caught his eye.
Havoc.
Its literal dictionary definition: widespread destruction or great confusion.
If someone traces the girl's footsteps in the future, they will inevitably arrive at today.
And her match against Havoc will remain as a symbolic milestone.
In the end, wouldn't Yu Nabi become the player who inherits Havoc's legacy?
A player who turns the game upside down, just like the meaning of Havoc's name, and just like Havoc in his prime.
The commentator wondered if he was getting ahead of himself, but... he couldn't easily shake the thought.
Not long after, the match came to an end.
It feels a bit funny to say this now, but I wasn't actually the key player of our team.
In terms of recruitment order, I was actually the last one to join.
In Na Jia's original plan, the core of our team was Siz, who played the Artilleryman.
The only reason we urgently needed a bruiser was to act as a shield for Siz.
Things got a bit twisted along the way, but Siz was actually the best player on our team.
In fact, his tier was still higher than mine.
And he had never failed to play his part throughout the match.
While I was struggling in scrims, the only reason our games functioned at all was entirely thanks to Siz.
So... while Havoc might have been the core of the opposing team, I was not the core of ours.
With the enemy's core player dead, our main force's skill and firepower were far superior.
The result, naturally, was a clean and overwhelming victory for our team.
Siz's artillery fire rained down like a calamity, wiping out the enemy lines.
"And with FallingLeaves finally eliminated, the match comes to an end!"
"Defying everyone's expectations, Team Na Jia takes the first victory!"
"The set score is now 1-0."
"For those who know, Team Leader Na Jia was showing immense confidence even before the match."
"While Siz was certainly a factor, I can't help but think it was because she saw the raw potential of DoNotTalkToMe."
"I agree..."
My ears burned at the commentators' words.
Of course, I was grateful for the praise.
But my heart was fragile, bordering on hypersensitive.
Having no resistance to this kind of attention, I had to squeeze my eyes shut.
Just because I lacked social skills didn't mean I hated compliments.
If anything, I liked them to an excessive degree.
Since I never met people, I never had any reason to be praised.
Value, after all, usually stems from scarcity.
The recognition of others tasted like a rare, sweet treat that I rarely got to experience.
Consequently, my heart was pounding loudly in my chest.
I rubbed my face with both hands, struggling to calm myself down.
Fortunately, I managed to feign composure before my teammates returned.
"Nabi! We won!"
"G-Good job..."
Humans are creatures of adaptation.
And they are also creatures of learning.
Knowing that Na Jia would strike up a conversation with me the moment she returned...
I blurted out the response I had prepared in advance, successfully getting through the greeting.
If it was someone I had met several times, even high-level communication like a 'greeting' was no longer a problem for me.
However, even that growth was no match for a single sentence.
Na Jia's next words sent my mind flying off to some distant place.
"Oh, right, Nabi. We decided to all meet up once the finals are over. What do you think? Would you like to come?"