Chapter 534

“Whistle blown! The game is over! The match has ended! In the quarterfinals between South Korea and the United States, the USA can’t be seen anymore in the national exchange! As player Samphio shows tears once again in the quarterfinals, Noname! With a score of 35 to 9! Advances to the semifinals!”

“Only two more games until the national exchange championship! Player Noname is now challenging the title of the world’s strongest at just 10 years old!”

American fans are disheartened.

They thought that victory was a given.

Those who were anxious about how many players could reach the semifinals and if there would be any overlap in matches were blocked by the cold reality of the quarterfinals.

The American coaching staff threw off their headsets and sat dejectedly on the bench, faces filled with dismay.

While they couldn’t shake off the dreadful results, Korean fans fervently enjoyed the moment.

[Overseas Magic Gallery]

[Just now) Frustrated American spectators.jpg]

(American spectator seats devastated.jpg)

(Despairing Cecilia.jpg)

America, don’t boast.

Korea is invincible.

Noname is a “god.”

[Comments]

-Did you really think you would win? LOL

-6 years difference is fine, but 4 years is not easy.

-To be honest, I was nervous, I admit.

-Are they not going to show celebrities again? LOL

[Even watching again, it’s an incredible defense.gif]

(Noname’s Unique Magic defensive technique.gif)

Casting time of 0.947 seconds for 3 circles, LOL.

Look at the reactions, it feels like she’s living in a slow-motion world.

[Comments]

-The reaction speed is insane, LOL.

-How did she block that for real?

-But that was a close call.

-The circuit technique moving is so fascinating.

-With casting speed, Noname is at a world-class level.

-Completely a bag of Unique Magic, LOL.

└ You should hurry up too. Unique Magic will come out.

“Player Samphio’s opening was truly breathtaking, even on our wide screens. So many spells clicked together like clockwork, putting player Noname in a tough spot.”

“Should we even consider this a duel? The coordination among the spells was artistic.”

“However! Our player Noname is a high-level magician, isn’t she? A figure paving a new horizon at the forefront of magic! The innovative defensive techniques she showcased here are probably something the American side didn’t even anticipate!”

Though the match lasted only 15 minutes, the stories that emerged from it would take 15 hours to cover fully.

The commentary team couldn’t put the microphone down, bursting with excitement.

Korean viewers couldn’t take their eyes off the screen until Noname’s post-match interview appeared.

“Ah, it seems it will take a little while for the interview. The reporters haven’t all arrived yet.”

└ LOL

└ They really do a terrible job organizing these tournaments.

└ Where did the second half go?

└ The Americans who bought scalped tickets for ten times the price must be in shock, LOL.

└ 15-minute cut, f*ck.

“Let’s review the game highlights. This was when player Samphio used ignition magic. You see… the commentary booth is at quite a high position, yet the flames rose to our eye level.”

“The firepower is incredible. If it weren’t for the national exchange, it might have ended immediately in a smaller tournament.”

“Player Noname had a tough time amidst the smoke for a while. But… ha ha ha! How did she evade that without taking a hit?”

[Real-time) Noname’s evasion move after the explosion.gif]

(Acrobatic jump from a crouching position.gif)

[Comments]

-If I startled my cat while it was sleeping, it would be just like that, yep.

└ LOL I know exactly what you mean.

-If she had blocked once successfully with a shield, she might have remained in place, but she keeps moving. Her judgment is different.

└ Isn’t that pretty basic?

└ It’s the fact that those basics are trained to the extreme that makes it praiseworthy, LOL.

└ Watching the 64 strong group stage, there are tons of kids who get overwhelmed and stumble around.

-I want to live as Noname’s butler.

└ ?

As the interview continued to be delayed, the tournament organizers provided new entertainment on the spot.

They showcased the costs incurred when each side cast spells, then canceled them and broke them down into subtitles.

[Noname: Stored then minor spell (€9,295) / Cast (€3,046)]

[Cecilia N. Samphio: Stored then minor spell (€14,588) / Cast (€4,832)]

“Once again, they’re showing interesting data. The magic that player Noname managed to reach the storage process in this match totals €12,000, which is about 16 million KRW.”

“Player Samphio’s magic amounts to 25 million KRW. I’m once again surprised at the number of minor spells cast, more than I expected.”

└ Did you blow 40 million on a 15-minute match?

└ That didn’t come out to much more than I expected? Since it’s market value, it’d only cost about 20 million at cost.

└ They used so much magic, LOL.

The half-empty stands stirred again.

Cheering songs echoing to support Noname filled the air.

With a donut in her mouth, Noname hurriedly waddled into the stadium.

“They say the interview is ready! Let’s meet right now!”

*

After a duel, a great hunger always arises.

I thought about borrowing Erisiton’s strength if my mana ever ran low during the match, but that wasn’t necessary.

I chewed on a sugar-coated donut, replenishing the carbohydrates and sugars needed for my brain.

“Today, with the victory in this match, the Republic of Korea secured a spot in the semifinals after 12 years. Please share your thoughts, player Noname.”

“I thought it would be a natural outcome during practice, but now that I’m here, I’m really happy. Thanks to the support of fans around the world, I’ve gained great strength, and I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.”

Munch munch—

“Was there anything you focused particularly on in this match?”

“Considering mana capacity, I was at a disadvantage, so I tried to keep the tempo of the match quick. Luckily, the US team came out with a similar strategy, resulting in a good outcome.”

Nom nom—

“Now you’ll face Argentina’s Giselle Fisher, whom you designated early on as a dark horse. What are your thoughts heading into the semifinals?”

*Cough cough…! Thoughts? I’ll always do my best to fight and prepare hard to show an amazing match to fans. Can I have some water…?”

I caught the flying water bottle and gulped it down.

The sound of shutters doubled, but I just considered it a feeling.

I continued to accept questions from reporters afterward, providing vague answers regarding strategies.

Finally, one reporter got the chance to speak.

He showed me a hologram.

“I’ve always wanted to tell you this if I ever met you. Do you see? At 3:30 a.m. in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, 500,000 people have gathered. Moreover, people from all over the world are cheering you on with one voice. This is because we all know the hardships you’ve faced: your childhood spent trapped in a capsule until you were 7 years old, and the health issues that followed. It’s truly remarkable that you’ve come this far.”

Through the hologram projector, those in Gwanghwamun appeared on the broadcast camera.

They all raised both hands to the sky, cheering and making waves.

“Now that you’ve turned 10 years old, the achievements you’ve made at such a young age surpass those of many adults around the world. Especially the perseverance and courage shown on the grand stage of the national exchange has delivered a message of hope to many. Regardless of how future match results turn out, the happiness you’ve brought us will never change. So, player Noname, please do not feel burdened by the upcoming matches and take pride in the great achievements you’ve already made. Thank you.”

His touching words.

I felt my heart swell, momentarily at a loss for words.

I ran my hands over my cheeks and, with a shy voice, continued to speak.

“Thank you very much. After participating in the national exchange, I realized just how much love I am receiving. If my match can give strength to others, it’s an honor for me. However, having come this far, I can’t help but feel a little greedy as a person. There’s no burden. I will definitely win.”

After finishing the interview, American players came to congratulate me.

“Ah, my match luck isn’t great… Two drop out because of internal conflict.”

Managing to pull herself together, Cecilia with a grin subtly tried to recruit me to the American team.

“Not a chance. Maybe next year, but this year I’m participating as part of Korea.”

Hearing this, the Korean coaching staff ran over, their heads full of exclamation marks.

“Wait, next year, player Noname…! You’re abandoning Korea?”

“Well… the future is unknown, right?”

“I mustn’t. I’ll have to ask for America to be banned from inviting us to the national exchange from next year onwards. I’ll ensure that we can do personal broadcasting properly next year…! Okay?”

“I’ll think about it.”

Upon returning to the locker room, I checked the numerous congratulatory messages from acquaintances.

The ‘Lonely Name Room’ was piled high with tens of thousands of messages, too overwhelming to even attempt to read through.

[Residual Snow (殘雪) – 4]

-Ban So Wol: (double thumbs up Noname icon)

-Kamikita Emika: Congratulations on making it to the semifinals! Let’s meet in the finals.

-Cecilia: This match doesn’t count! I wasn’t in good condition today; I overworked myself a bit! Boss, let’s duel again later! 🔥🔥🔥

-Kamikita Emika: Cecilia, the quarterfinals were the right spot for you (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Was it an issue of stamina or Aura Heart?

I realized why she pushed the pace of the match despite having a larger Aura Heart volume than me.

Of course, that couldn’t serve as an excuse.

[2051 Tagapdae World of Arseria Double Lore Team – 8]

-Han Yong-cheol: Congratulations on reaching the quarterfinals of the national exchange, Noname!

-Daltori: Wow! Streamer’s output is the best!

-Director Hwang Gu: You are not just a vessel of the World of Arseria…

[2051 Fall of Legends Call-Meje Bombproof Team – 5]

-Yousia: Noname, congratulations on making it to the semifinals!!! I was shouting during the real-time broadcast, it was so fun!!!

-Myunjoon: (Not a human, LOL)

-Imyr: It must have been tough preparing for the tournament; congratulations.

Messages of congratulations flew in from everyone I had made a connection with at least once.

Though I had been avoiding replies, I took this opportunity to send my thanks one by one.

[Safari Dream – 8]

-Yoonseul: Nonamenam, congratulations on getting to the semifinals! We all cheered together!!!

-Dan Ni El: It was overwhelming! You’ll win the semifinals too, right?

-Dohaneul: Player Noname, sincerely congratulations on reaching the semifinals of the national exchange!

I even received congratulations from the 2nd-year students established under Kariri, and the recently selected second batch.

It felt like a good atmosphere to send some gift certificates later.

[Seviron Academy 2nd Grade A Class – 22]

[Seviron Academy 3rd Grade A Class – 21]

Both chat rooms, which had been quiet for a while, were revived.

I realized that the kids had grown quite a bit, hardly any misspellings to be found.

Laying back on the bench, I scrolled down through the overflowing messages.

“Whew.”

I couldn’t help but smile unexpectedly.

Feeling that I was truly being congratulated warmed me up immensely.

“Hmm?”

[Saetbyeol: (photo)]

[Saetbyeol: I bet 300,000 won on America and lost, sighㅠ]

[Noname: What the heck? Why bet on them?]

[Saetbyeol: I’m always bad at this stuff, so when I bet I end up making the opposite happen, you know.]

[Saetbyeol: So for dinner, you owe me. I helped you win today, you know?]

[Noname: Who are you? I’m blocking you.]