Season 3: Chapter 319. The Arrow Transcending the Game (1)

"Sang-Hyeon, how’s your arm?"

Song Ha-Na leaned in close, urging him to answer. Sang-Hyeon avoided her gaze with an uneasy expression.

‘Why is that?’

He found it difficult to respond. For some reason...

‘Why does my arm feel worse today?’

He had only played two games, yet his arm felt strange.

"You’ve been pushing yourself too hard since that missed snipe," Choi Sa-Rang had said earlier.

Could she have been right? Did he truly overexert himself? Dodging soldiers while targeting others was something he did often. Why, then, did Sa-Rang think he had pushed himself too hard this time?

"It’s worse than usual, isn’t it?" Sa-Rang asked again.

"... Yes."

"When you’re trying to break through an impossible situation, it naturally takes a lot more strength. Even if the movement looks the same, the level of focus is completely different."

She was correct. At that moment, Sang-Hyeon had fired his arrow under immense pressure, fully aware of how much hinged on that one shot. He tried to force it through no matter what. Even though the physical action of running hadn’t changed, he experienced exponentially higher mental strain.

The pursuers' footsteps, the angle of a swinging sword, the likelihood of hitting his target, and what countermeasures to take if the arrow missed... All these thoughts raced through his mind instantly.

Even if Sang-Hyeon hadn’t been consciously aware, his subconscious had already processed everything.

"In my opinion..."

Sa-Rang placed her hand on the table near Sang-Hyeon’s hand. She seemed ready to examine it but pulled her hand back and made a suggestion instead.

"For the third game, it might be good to take a different approach."

"A different approach...?"

Sa-Rang nodded.

"Like you’ve done a few times before. Try a different unit class."

"... Ah, right."

"But don’t switch reluctantly when you’re already worn out. Do it in advance while you still have some leeway."

"... What about the strategy?"

Every strategy was designed with Sang-Hyeon’s full condition in mind, especially for the third game.

"That’s something for us to think about. The match won’t end at the third game anyway, so we must make some decisive choices too."

By us, she meant the think tank.

"Alright. Talk it over with the doctor, then."

Sa-Rang instructed Sang-Hyeon and headed toward the strategy room.

"Now, Sang-Hyeon? Here’s a massage device. Relaxation will help with recovery..."

Rumble...

Song Ha-Na unveiled what looked like a capsule-sized massage machine. He had no idea how she brought something so large here, but the interior looked even more daunting.

"..."

The other players gaped in disbelief.

‘Is that for relaxation or dismantling?’

‘Are they trying to turn him into a boneless creature?’

‘What is that thing?’

‘It’s enormous and... intimidating.’

Whirrrr!

The machine buzzed ominously with countless protrusions inside that seemed designed to ruthlessly pummel anyone who entered.

"Get in!"

"Uh..."

"Hurry!"

With a thud, Song Ha-Na shoved the hesitant Sang-Hyeon into the spiked contraption.

"Aghhh! Gaaahhhhhhh!?"

***

After a brief intermission, the broadcast for the third game resumed.

"Now, with Joseon and Rome tied at 1-1, we move on to the highly anticipated naval battle! So far, Joseon has a 100% win rate in naval battles. What’s your take, OrangeKing?"

"Well, even though it’s only three games, 100% is still 100%!"

— LOL, stats don’t lie.

— Considering the opponents were China and Japan, that’s impressive.

— Legendary stuff.

— The nation of Yi Sun-Shin.

The broadcast camera panned across the audience and captured an unusual sight.

"Oh, and now we see a massive turtle ship balloon floating in the stands?"

[Korean Fishing Association]

The Korean Fishing Association had prepared the balloon.

— Is this a fishing group or a balloon company, LOL?

— Is their president a balloon tycoon?

— LOL, what even is this?

— Looks like a pufferfish balloon, but okay.

"The size... it’s so big you have to wonder if it’s even legal!"

The balloon looked enormous, but it seemed permissible since the organizers didn’t intervene.

Still, OrangeKing voiced a concern, "But isn’t this in Japan? Is that okay?!"

— LOL, savage.

— Like waving a British flag in India, haha.

— Might be too much for them LOL.

The camera then captured former rivals in the stands. Among them was Ringo, Japan’s commander, seated in Joseon’s cheering section and wearing a turtle ship hat.

"Oh, I guess it’s fine. Ringo’s even wearing a turtle ship hat!"

— This is wild, LOL.

— Officially forgiven by Japan, LOL.

"And next to him, we see Spain’s delegation. I hope they haven’t been exiled for this!"

"I think I know why they’re cheering for Joseon."

"Why?"

"Because losing to the champions stings a little less."

— LMAO, survival cheering.

—So relatable, LOL.

— Coming from a previous pro.

— Is it based on your experience OrangeKing?

"Based on my experience though, Spain’s efforts are pointless. Even if you lose to the champions, you still get blamed just the same."

"Ah..."

"So it’s better to just go home! But thanks for the support anyway!"

— LOL

— This is crazy, LOL.

— Only those who’ve been criticized understand how it feels.

— Life tip, noted.

— Too much, LOL.

"Ah, and here’s a familiar face! Jessie, right? Viking Jessie is fully decked out with Almond merchandise and waving enthusiastically!"

"This is pure personal support, 100%. Looks like she won’t be heading home and might just book a flight to Korea."

— LOL.

— The only person here with pure intentions, LOL.

— Absolutely gorgeous.

— Man, I’m so jealous of Almond...

The broadcast camera lingered on Jessie, clearly captivated. Initially, she waved and smiled. Then, she even performed a cheerful dance when the camera didn’t move on.

"Wooooaaaah!"

The cheers from the crowd erupted louder than ever before. Only then did the camera shift to another scene.

— Amazing, Almond is amazing!

— Wow, she’s stunning.

— How impressive is Sang-Hyeon, getting support from someone like Jessie...

— The world’s worst streamer, Yu Sang-Hyeon.

— If Sang-Hyeon’s nose were three degrees lower, Jessie wouldn’t have danced. Am I right?"

— Sigh...

— Insane.

"Well, that was entertaining. Anyway, Almond... I don’t like him anymore."

Even OrangeKing humorously withdrew his support for Almond.

— LOL

— Cheering so powerful it makes you unsupportive, LOL.

— That’s some next-level cheering effect... OrangeKing, LOL.

"Now, with the lively cheers continuing, let’s welcome the players onto the stage!"

***

The players entered, and the third game began immediately.

Rumble...

A holographic map started forming, drawing thunderous applause from both sides of the audience.

"Wooooaaaaah!"

"Let’s gooooooo!"

The score was 1-1. This balanced playing field felt tense with no room for error.

The new battleground was set in the open sea.

Splashhhh...

Water flowed between jagged mountain peaks, spreading like veins across the map. Streams of water extended to every corner from bases to outposts.

[Surging Waves]

The map name appeared, which held special significance for the Joseon team.

"Ah, Surging Waves! This was where Joseon had that legendary match against Japan, right?!"

"Indeed! But here’s the thing..."

— Oh no.

— Of all places, here?

— Ooh, interesting.

— Is this the second Battle of Myeongnyang?

— Looks like Rome might stand a chance here.

OrangeKing paused to compose himself and understood the implications. This was one of the few naval maps that could also function somewhat like a land map, making it advantageous for Rome’s defensive playstyle.

"Here, the sea weaves through the land, but you could also say the land intrudes into the sea. It gives both sides options on how to approach the terrain. I suspect Rome will lean more toward using land forces."

It was a positive development for Rome.

"Rome might find it easier to hold ground and fortify here. If they can survive until the fourth era, they could have a good chance."

"That’s right. While Joseon has the advantage in naval battles during the second and third eras, European ships dominate once the fourth era arrives."

For Joseon, advancing to the fourth era wasn’t ideal. Their ships, like the Panokseon and turtle ship, only received upgrades whereas Rome’s fleet transformed into entirely different and more powerful vessels.

"To summarize, while Joseon has an edge overall on this map, it feels like Rome has some viable opportunities here. Would you call this balanced?"

"Definitely. I’m really curious to see what Anto has planned for this... Honestly, I have no idea what to expect!"

In

Civil Empire

, naval battles often operated on entirely separate logic from other maps. This unpredictability applied to commentators, broadcasters, and even the pro players themselves.

"Alright, onto the naval battle! Joseon certainly has the advantage with their faction. We have Rome at 12 o’clock and Joseon at 6 o’clock! Both sides are starting to build their docks!"

"Yep, neither side has ships yet at this stage, so it’s all about preparing for the third era. Nothing major will happen for now..."

After some time, basic fishing boats appeared one by one. These vessels served dual purposes: gathering fish and scouting the map in its early stages.

"Both sides are sending out fishing boats now. These can’t attack anyway, right?"

During the first era, no real conflict would occur. Both teams cautiously scouted the coastlines, ensuring their ships didn’t stray too close to enemy towers.

Before long...

Dun-dun!

[Joseon – 2nd Era]

[Rome – 2nd Era]

Both sides advanced to the second era simultaneously.

"Wow, both sides are advancing at the same time on a naval map?!"

"From here, the type of ships each side builds will give us insight into their strategies... Joseon is likely to go for..."

[Swift Ship – 5%]

Joseon produced a swift ship, a small and fast vessel primarily used for transport.

"Joseon is going with swift ships? I thought they’d go for fire ships!"

"Huh? Why’s that? Joseon typically starts with swift ships."

"Well... Joseon currently doesn’t have archers, do they?!"

"!"

Swiftships had no offensive capabilities on their own. They required archers on board to attack. Fire ships, on the other hand, could launch flaming arrows regardless of who was aboard, making them far more versatile.

"So I expected fire ships, but instead... swift ships? Hmm. Let’s see what they’re planning."

"What is Rome building?"

The broadcast shifted to Rome’s side.

[Fire Raft – 13%]

Rome opted for fire rafts, their lightest and fastest kamikaze-style ships.

"Ah, fire rafts... So they’re planning to blow up Joseon’s transport ships!"

"Do they already anticipate a transport based strategy?"

"It seems that way. After all, swift ships are more common than fire ships. Even I would’ve expected swift ships if Joseon had troops... Wait, but why aren’t they deploying archers?!"

Even after their swift ships were completed, Joseon had no archers. They hadn’t prepared any troops at all.

"Uh... I’m not sure what to make of this."

This left the purpose of the swift ships unclear.