“Is the Korean team gathering right now? But instead of their base, they’re moving to the center.”
“Personally, I think it’s because they’ve entered Phase 3. From Phase 3 onward, every time you kill a monster you not only get team buffs but also personal buffs, so it’s a very critical turning point.”
“Oh, the Korean team! Hunters Gidan and Serhi, as well as the drone, are all funneling normal monsters to Hunter Lee Taemin. Just like a mother bird feeding her chick, they’re feeding Hunter Lee Taemin to raise him! Could it be, as you said, that they changed their strategy because it’s Phase 3?”
“Yes, that’s what it looks like. They seem intent on raising the relatively weaker Hunter Lee Taemin to strengthen their total power.”
“I see.”
“The more buffs you stack in Phase 3, the more room there is to flip the board in Phase 4. From here on, all our hunters need to focus.”
“Oh... in the meantime, Hunter Lea is buffing her German teammates. And now she’s moving to the center. What could this mean?”
Just as the commentators explained, the Korean team was dragging normal monsters over to feed them to Lee Taemin for his growth.
Gidan grinned brightly.
“Ujjujju. Eat a lot, Taeminss~”
[On Guru: Eat wots, Taemin Oppawss~]
[Lee Taemin: Baby mode, om nom nom.]
[Serhi: You crazy fucker, shut up and keep eating.]
[On Jurim: Watch your mouth.]
“No bad words!”
[Lee Taemin: I don’t know if it’s okay for me to grow like this all alone, but I’ll gratefully eat first.]
“Good boy~”
[On Guru: Good bwoyong~]
“Meow-meow~”
[Lee Taemin: Meow-meow~]
[Serhi: Are you two out here to play?!]
[Lee Taemin: By the way, Dani hyung. What was that fun thing you mentioned earlier?]
“I’ll show you when you get bigger. Wait~”
[On Guru: Wait~]
“So cute... huh?”
[Serhi: What?]
“There’s a presence.”
Gidan, who was dragging monsters, suddenly froze.
His sharp senses caught something hidden in the nearby bushes.
“Serhi, don’t bring those monsters to Taemin. You eat them all yourself for now.”
The moment he finished speaking, Gidan activated a skill and wiped out all the monsters he had pulled.
In the empty space, Lea’s Boomerang of Light swirled around before returning to its owner and being absorbed.
Gidan quickly chased after Lea, but she had already disappeared.
He bit his lip at the empty spot.
“Our plan’s gonna be ruined.”
[Serhi: I’ll secure mine first, then?]
“Yeah, don’t let them steal it. And Guru, you just follow Taemin for now and give him buffs...”
[On Guru: Wuuuung.]
[Lee Taemin: Ah, fuck! Stolen!]
[Lee Taemin: Damn it!]
[Lee Taemin: This is seriously pissing me off!]
[Lee Taemin: Why is it only me they’re targeting!]
“Ohhh, German team’s Hunter Lea! She’s cutting off the monster supply headed for Hunter Lee Taemin!”
“She’s strangling Hunter Lee Taemin to death, Lea!!”
“Hunter Lea is killing normal monsters herself to interfere with Hunter Lee Taemin. If he can’t grow, he won’t be able to keep up with Hunters Gidan and Serhi. Looks like German team’s Lea intends to personally mark Korea’s weakest link to prevent his growth.”
“If this keeps up, the Korean team will be at a big disadvantage.”
“Hunter Lee Taemin’s growth has been completely stalled by Lea. Isn’t there any way this could be considered a rules violation?”
“It might look like a dirty tactic, but it’s definitely a valid strategy.”
“I see. The Korean team has been playing too gentlemanly.”
“Hunters Gidan and Serhi seem to have shifted focus back to their own growth. They’re killing normal monsters themselves now.”
[Serhi: Taemin, you alright?]
[Lee Taemin: Yeah. But this noona just won’t leave me alone.]
“Damn, didn’t expect them to play this dirty.”
Gidan raked a hand through his hair.
Since the real body was the drone, Guru’s personal buffs weren’t useful, and both he and Serhi already had high standing, so raising Taemin was the most efficient.
But if they moved now to help Taemin, the German team could swoop into the opening and steal normal monsters.
That could slow down the growth of the entire Korean team.
[On Guru: Dirty stwats awe what Dani Oppaw is best at tho!]
“What? Why’s my image like that...!”
Serhi and Lee Taemin burst into roaring laughter.
With a sulky look, Gidan slashed through monsters and said,
“Guru, Oppa isn’t always like that...”
Then he whispered cautiously,
“...But maybe this time?”
“Hunter Lea’s strategy is paying off. Ah, perhaps thinking she’s stalled growth enough, Hunter Lea is leaving and rejoining her teammates.”
“Yes, the German team must have decided they’ve grown sufficiently. They’ll regroup, reorganize, and then head straight into the boss fight.”
“Hunter Lea activates a wide-area buff the moment she rejoins. They’re entering the Phase 3 boss fight! The German team has begun their Phase 3 boss raid! Meanwhile, the Korean team is still in growth mode. Hunter Lee Taemin getting stalled by Lea is huge.”
“They’ve fallen far behind!!”
“Korea needs to catch up!”
“There’s no time. Too much of a gap to restack buffs now.”
“Hunter Lee Taemin joins in. The German team looks close to clearing.”
“Once they kill the Phase 3 boss and get that buff, the win/loss is nearly decided. It’s extremely hard to flip it after that. Phase 4 usually skips normal monsters entirely and goes straight to killing the boss to end it...”
“Is this how the German team seizes victory? ...Huh?”
“...Huh?”
What shocked the commentators wasn’t the Germans, but the Korean drone creeping stealthily toward the German team’s boss.
“What on earth are they doing? The German team’s Phase 3 boss is already nearly dead! Shouldn’t they be ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) going to help Korea’s raid instead?”
And then—
The commentator, lost in thought, opened his mouth.
“...Looks like they plan to steal the last hit.”
“What?”
In that instant—
Fwhoooosh!
From the bushes behind the German team, a railgun shot fired straight forward.
The railgun round pierced into the forehead of the Phase 3 boss, Fanatic Zarath (Left).
And then:
[‘Korean Team’ has defeated Phase 3’s ‘Fanatic Zarath (Left).’]
[‘German Team’ enters Phase 4.]
[Supreme Executor, ‘Demekstria (Left),’ appears.]
The caster slammed the desk and leapt to his feet.
“Last hit! Kill-steal! Korea has stolen the German team’s boss! The Korean team receives the German team’s boss buff! This is a scene you almost never see!”
“Normally no one tries this! It can easily turn into a suicide goal of just helping the other side clear faster! But it succeeded!”
“A single strike! One hit has overturned the entire board! Amazing!”
“Now Germany has no choice but to kill more normal monsters to restack buffs. ‘You blocked our growth? Then we’ll take your buff!’ The Korean team snatched the German boss like a raging tiger! And this less than five minutes after people called them gentlemanly!”
“This is actually Hyeonak’s specialty. Killing growth with dirty play.”
“Ah... that’s a risky thing to say... but anyway, the Korean team stole the German buff! And right as they killed the Phase 3 boss, they’re cleanly entering Phase 4!”
[‘Korean Team’ has defeated Phase 3’s ‘Fanatic Zarath (Right).’]
[‘Korean Team’ enters Phase 4.]
[Supreme Executor, ‘Demekstria (Right),’ appears.]
“This means Korea has taken two Phase 3 boss buffs. That narrows the gap instantly. Looks like that drone wasn’t just support—it had a railgun too.”
The commentator nodded excitedly.
“I’ve never seen such a fully-loaded hexagon item. Truly all-purpose. I’m really curious how it will be ranked.”
“That’s right. The German team poked at the Phase 4 boss but then went back to stacking buffs on normal monsters. The mood’s gloomy.”
“Losing that Phase 3 boss buff was massive.”
“Hunter Lea is continuing to layer buffs. And now all that’s left is Phase 4—take down the single boss and it’s over! Who will the goddess of victory smile upon? This match is tense till the very end!”
“That’s right. Who will be the winner of this exchange match!”
“Oh... wait, the German team is already moving to attack the Phase 4 boss, ‘Demekstria’! They’re faster than Korea! Even under pressure, they’re not making mistakes! This could turn again. Korea has only just regrouped! But... where did our team’s drone go?”
Gidan lifted his fist high.
“Shot-shot!”
[Serhi: Nice!]
[Lee Taemin: Ripped it!]
As the drone’s railgun felled the German team’s Phase 3 boss, cheers burst out.
[On Guru: Th-thank... goodness...]
“Good job!”
[On Guru: Heehee!]
“Everyone gather again! This time we’ll do something really fun!”
At Gidan’s call, the three who had scattered regrouped before the massive Demekstria.
“Guru-guru, ready?”
[On Guru: Ung!]
Gidan drew Demekstria’s aggro, pulling its gaze toward him.
On the opposite side, Serhi and Lee Taemin poured damage into the boss.
When Demekstria’s HP had fallen to half—
[On Guru: I’ww do it now!]
At Guru’s signal, Gidan and Serhi grabbed Taemin by both arms and pulled him far away.
And there, where Gidan had been holding aggro, the Chick Drone spread its two wings wide.
As if condensing light within its body, the drone began to shine brighter and brighter.
Tension spread through the air as if it were trembling.
And then, when the light could no longer be compressed, it flared up explosively.
Suuuuuuuuung—
A colossal beam of light burst outward in all directions.
The commentators, the audience, even the coaching zones—all held their breath at the sight of the light explosion.
As the blinding flash scattered, Demekstria’s massive body was swallowed by the light.
[‘Korean Team’ has defeated Supreme Executor, ‘Demekstria (Right).’]
[Match Over!]

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