The Cutting Edge of Competition
A single season of Infinity Realm consists of four official tournaments.
From the Spring Split of the IKL—Korea's regional league—to the international tournament Prelude, then back to the IKL Summer Split, and finally, the highly anticipated World Championship.
It was a schedule that kicked off the year with domestic leagues and wrapped up with international competition.
Of course, there were no official international tournaments for the second-division league, IKL Next.
However, its domestic schedule wasn't much different from the first division, and its opening match actually took place a few days earlier.
In short, the opening match of IKL Next was one of the most important games... held precisely when the shadow of the first division wasn't looming over it.
Naturally, not just anyone could get their name on the roster for this opening match.
The name IKL "Next" carried the blatant raison d'être of the second division.
The protagonists who would lead the next era. When the current stars met their twilight, the players who would rise as the next stars were nurtured here in the reserve league.
They weren't in the second division because they were inferior; they were called second-tier because they were still unpolished.
If so, what kind of stage should the opening match of IKL Next be?
It had to be a stage for the players most likely to shine the brightest in the coming era.
A place to introduce the raw gems destined to sparkle most brilliantly in the current Korean esports scene.
"Welcome, viewers."
"This is the IKL eSports Stadium. The opening match of the IKL Next Spring Split is about to begin."
"The teams competing today are Blue Serpent and Team Aegis."
"Players shining like comets are waiting to make their entrance."
At one point, a dark age had cast its shadow over the Korean esports league.
While it was true that esports had grown from its roots in Korea, it could not remain Korea's exclusive domain forever.
There was a period when the region completely lost its competitiveness on the international stage.
Neither the viewers nor the league officials ever wanted to return to those dark days.
That was why the prospect development system, including the second-division league, had been polished to an almost obsessive degree.
Thanks to this, the league's overall competitiveness rose, but the competition among pro gamers became far more cutthroat.
The cutting edge of that overheated competition was the current second division.
In terms of public attention, it couldn't compare to the first-division IKL.
Yet, this second division was like the lungs of Korean esports.
Lungs that constantly inhaled and circulated the fresh air needed to breathe.
"A new season always brings new faces."
"Today, Blue Serpent has added a new player to their roster."
"There was a brief period when this player was quite famous in solo queue... Some of you might have heard the name."
"Famous for the in-game nickname 'DrizzleRain'. It's Blue Serpent's 'Drizzle', Lee Seul-bi."
"Her main class is the Valkyrie. As a bruiser, she is expected to anchor Blue Serpent's melee combat capabilities going forward."
Lee Seul-bi was debuting in the opening match of IKL Next.
"While we're also looking forward to Team Aegis's two rookies, there's been a lot of talk among insiders about Drizzle."
"They often talk about the passion of youth, or the grit of a rookie, but rookies also tend to make typical mistakes."
"However, word among the insiders is... that such immaturity cannot be found in Drizzle."
"She plays with the precision and composure of a well-tempered first-division pro."
"With those rumors circulating, it will be interesting to keep an eye out for that during the match."
Inside the stadium, the commentators' voices echoed loudly.
The spectator stands spread out in a massive circle reminiscent of a colosseum, and a giant display on the ceiling broadcasted the live feed.
At the center, where all eyes converged, stood a massive circular stage.
The interior of that stage housed the connection booths for the pro gamers.
And on top of that massive stage, the battlefield was broadcast live in the form of augmented reality.
It was a privilege exclusive to the physical stadium, offering a view that couldn't be captured by the broadcast stream alone.
The moment I saw the stage, my heart swelled.
I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from twitching upward.
I'm finally here!
If I had written a bucket list, I would have crossed off a line just now.
How much had I yearned for this place, which I had only ever seen through a screen?
It was a place of pure adoration for me, so much so that it felt ridiculous I hadn't thought of it until now.
I had always wanted to come here one day and cheer for my favorite team.
Even though that team was gone now, the meaning of this place hadn't vanished.
And since I had a team to root for today, I felt like I could enjoy it to the fullest.
Besides, it seemed Seul-bi was a much more highly anticipated prospect than I had thought.
There was no way the commentators would hype her up like that without good reason.
If they hyped someone up prematurely and the results were terrible, they would face immediate backlash.
In fact, she might actually be treated as an anomaly among the insiders.
They had simply tempered their phrasing due to the unpredictable nature of esports, where nothing could be taken for granted.
Since it was my first time watching Seul-bi play in a real match, my anticipation built up as well.
"Enough with the introductions."
"We've just received word that both teams are ready. Shall we head straight into the match?"
"Revealing the battlefield, rules, and Geas."
Battlefield: Altar of the War God
Rules: 5v5 Domination
Geas: Thy Life Force Shall Be the Offering
"The opening match of IKL Next. The first battlefield has been decided as the Altar of the Evil God."
"It's a map with fixed rules and a fixed Geas. The team that holds the wide altar in the center of the field the longest will claim victory."
"It's also a highly difficult battlefield. There's a gimmick where all players suffer from an extreme lack of resources."
"Even in the first division, mistakes happen frequently here. Until just a few years ago, it only appeared after the playoffs."
The augmented reality on the stage materialized the battlefield.
Highlands and a stone altar reminiscent of the Hueyi Teocalli of the Aztec Empire in South America.
The field was littered with human bones and bloodstains, symbolizing human sacrifice.
And it was no exaggeration to say that the vaguely worded Geas was the core gimmick of this entire battlefield.
The ambiguous concept of "life force" encompassed not only health points, but also the mana used for skills and the stamina required for physical movement.
Even if a player just stood still, their usable resources would drain rapidly.
Furthermore, the setting of this battlefield was a temple where human sacrifices were performed.
Any human standing on the altar was considered an offering.
Naturally, the closer one got to the altar, the stronger the influence of the Geas became.
To win the game, a team had to capture the altar, but staying on it longer meant putting themselves at a disadvantage in combat.
Therefore, in this domination match, players had to know how to utilize the respawn system effectively.
Immediately after respawning, players restarted with 100% of all their resources restored.
In many cases, it was better to accept a clean defeat and regroup for a rematch rather than drag out a pyrrhic victory.
"This is a battlefield where the strategic and tactical landscape shifts in real time."
"A victory right in front of your eyes could lead to defeat in the overall game."
"Since everything from class selection to in-game decision-making is intricately linked, the capabilities of both teams will be laid bare."
"Drizzle... has confidently chosen her signature class, the Valkyrie."
From the spectator stands, the class selections of both teams were fully visible.
As if locked in deep deliberation, various classes flickered on and off the screen.
The roster for this match consisted of five players per team.
In team fights, team composition must always be evaluated starting with the ranged damage dealer.
It's a battle of spear versus shield.
Lee Seul-bi's team, Blue Serpent, chose a Sniper as their ranged damage dealer.
They had one standard Supporter. They selected two Bruisers, but instead of a Tank, they brought in an Assassin.
In this setup, the Sniper's role wasn't to carry the game themselves.
They had to keep the enemy ranged damage dealers in check using the longest range in the game.
And they had to provide vision so the Assassin could run wild.
Ultimately, it was an aggressive composition where the two Bruisers acted as spears to pierce the enemy.
In contrast, Team Aegis went with one Tank and one Bruiser.
Along with two high-damage ranged dealers, they ran a so-called "standard" composition.
To me, it looked like they had slightly tweaked the composition known to have the highest value on the Altar of the War God.
There is a long-standing truth in the gaming world.
When standard clashes with off-meta, the off-meta must prove the reason behind their choice.
And right now, Blue Serpent's composition was undeniably off-meta.
The stage was set for Lee Seul-bi to prove herself.
"Alright, class selection is complete for both teams."
"Five seconds until deployment."
"Let the match begin!"