“Well, I did help, but how can anyone trust what an Iron tier says?”
This statement came from Magia, who was herself in the Iron tier.
– Wow.
– I’m seriously losing it, lololol.
– No, forget it, lol.
:: An anonymous donor has contributed 10,000 Clouds! ::
:: Sorry, but your tier is Iron too, teacher. ::
:: An anonymous donor has contributed 5,000 Clouds! ::
:: What even is this, lolol. ::
– Ah, so this is why you’re in Iron, lol.
– Makes sense.
– Dude, there are countless tutorials on YouTube about this, lol.
– Still, Bacall is a Diamond player—cheers to that, lol.
– I believe you now; you truly belong in Iron.
If Magia hadn’t said this, people might have suspected her of intentionally throwing games or trolling to drop her rank.
No matter how solid her FPS fundamentals were, the idea that someone who effortlessly controls vision under pressure and takes down towers could be in Iron seemed absurd.
“Have you never even watched YouTube tutorials?”
“I didn’t feel the need. I was doing fine as it was.”
But with just a few words, everything became crystal clear.
Even Comari and the rest of the team sensed the rusty, metallic aura radiating from Magia and became certain:
She really is Iron!
Magia wasn’t playing Naore but rather Aipola.
What’s worse, her thought process went along the lines of, “If I mess up, Comari will guide me anyway,” or “That just makes Comari’s character stand out more.” She was utterly nonchalant.
“Hey, remember what I just told you, okay? It’s so basic even the worst players know it. I mean, even those toxic leeches who rage quit understand this stuff. That’s why they leave, claiming they can’t play with us.”
“Aha.”
“I don’t want people to treat you like garbage. So please, just remember: For the first 10 minutes, stick to your lane. That’s how you survive in this mess of a game.”
Of course, to Magia, all this sounded like just another piece of backseat gaming advice.
Ding—
“Three-stack.”
“What? That’s not backseat gaming! We were just talking. How is this backseat gaming?”
“I said I’d slap penalties on anything that felt like backseat gaming before the game started, and I felt it just now.”
“…No. Ughhh.”
This marked the first time a metaphorical brake was applied to Comari, who usually unleashed a torrent of sharp remarks whenever Naore began.
Though she never cursed outright, she had a way of dragging out similar words to berate someone until they were mentally drained. But in front of Magia, she tried to refine her words—then refine them again—struggling to find a gentler tone.
The longer her teammates knew her, the more they understood how unique this was.
– What’s this? No rage-Comari?
– This is kinda good, though.
– She’s like a teacher trying to hold back.
:: An anonymous donor has contributed 5,000 Clouds! ::
:: Her tier may be Iron, but her scolding skills are Challenger level, lol. ::
– Mari groaning in pain. Delicious!!
– Damn it, Employee D. Are you the strongest even here?
– Please, stay in the Parallel for a long, long time.
* * *
Meanwhile, at Parallel’s headquarters.
On her way out, Chun Do-hee stopped by the operations team and casually took a seat next to Team Leader Kang Jiho, who was watching a broadcast with a bright smile.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, are you off work? Jiya’s Komari broadcast aired today.”
“Ah, that was today, wasn’t it? Goodness, I totally forgot. How is it? It’s probably tougher than other broadcasts, with all those Na-ssems around.”
“That’s what I thought, but honestly, it’s hilarious right now.”
When Chun Do-hee assigned Jiho to oversee Jiya’s work, she had been worried that Jiho might refuse. After all, Jiho was a working mom raising a 10-year-old son, in a dual-income household, and at a deputy manager-level rank. It wasn’t a role someone of her seniority would typically take on. If Jiho declined due to family reasons, Do-hee was prepared to understand, even if it meant the broadcast report might be delayed by a day.
But contrary to her concerns, Jiho readily accepted the proposal and even told Jiya to feel free to take breaks as needed. The reason? It was the yearning of a mother who wanted a daughter.
Although Jiho deeply loved raising her 10-year-old son, taking on the challenge of raising another child while working full-time wasn’t an easy choice. Jiya, however, filled that void in a way.
Despite her own busy schedule, Jiho would often step in to help the operations team with urgent tasks and took every responsibility as seriously as if it were her own. Jiho had always favored Jiya, but her heart was completely won over one day when Jiya, taking Jiho’s place on a night shift, expressed concern about her late-night commute. Jiho couldn’t stop thinking, If only I had a daughter like her, I’d ask for nothing more.
“This girl doesn’t even know more about Naore than I do.”
“Maybe she spent all her time on Baecall and didn’t learn any of it. She doesn’t know a thing.”
“But that’s what makes it so funny. Even so, since she’s a Diamond rank in Baecall, I guess she’s used to not listening to anyone—even when people at the same tier tell her something.”
“For example?”
“Like, holding your lane until the 10-minute mark, who gets the shadow spawning in the alley, or joining up when the Dark Knight spawns at the center of the map at the 20-minute mark.”
All of these are crucial tips for playing Naore effectively. However, Do-hee didn’t know much about them either. Back when she was struggling with a content shortage, she had only dabbled in Naore when she wasn’t broadcasting.
It was surprising that Kang Jiho knew so much about the game. When she first joined as a manager-level employee after working as a manager in an entertainment agency, Jiho had almost no knowledge of games or online streaming memes.
“Team Leader, you’ve really become an expert in online streaming and games in just three years.”
“Right? Someday, I’ll need to raise my son, too. For now, it’s Jiya’s job, but I figured I might have to help out one day, so I picked things up little by little. Seems like it came in handy.”
“You might end up knowing so much that Jae-woo won’t like it. He won’t be able to lie about his gaming time.”
“Oh, please. Honestly, I’ll let him do whatever he wants. I’m not planning to push Jae-woo with all that ‘gifted child’ stuff. Of course, I’d stop him if he wanted to start streaming, though.”
The two women laughed heartily and turned their attention to Ma Jiya, who was darting around as Apolla in the game.
Chun Do-hee muttered quietly, as if talking to herself.
“I’m thinking of promoting Jiya to team lead next year since it’ll be her fourth year. She can take on the role of a part leader.”
Team Leader Kang Jiho immediately perked up.
“Oh, that’s great news! Is that why there’s an open recruitment position in the operations team?”
“Yep.”
Typically, the application-to-hire ratio is set at 4:1 before the interviews. Kang Jiho recalled the number of shortlisted candidates Chun Do-hee had sent her just yesterday.
“I was wondering why there were 300 resumes submitted when we’re only hiring a few people.”
“Parallel must’ve gotten pretty popular. I didn’t expect 300 applicants for just three positions either.”
A staggering 100:1 competition ratio.
Considering the initial recruitment for Parallel’s first-generation hires had a 200:1 ratio, it was still an impressive number.
“Anyway, since we’ll be super busy after Halloween, I’m planning to hold the interviews before then. But now I’m debating whether to bring you in for the interviews alone or have Jiya join as well.”
It was a comment that could have been taken as undermining Jiho’s authority. However, Kang Jiho didn’t seem bothered at all.
Though Jiho was Jiya’s superior in title (deputy manager versus staff), their responsibilities were clearly delineated.
“Jiya should go in alone. We’re on the same team, sure, but our work is completely different.”
“…You think so?”
“Plus, Jiya’s more experienced in streaming management than I am. I even go to her sometimes when I have questions. So, it only makes sense for her to evaluate candidates coming in as her assistant.”
Do-hee nodded in agreement.
“Thanks, Team Leader Kang.”
“No need to thank me. But if Jiya gets promoted, will her desk be moved? That’d be a shame.”
“No, we’ll be rearranging the partitions toward the CEO’s office to make more space. Jiya’s current workstation will be split for her and her assistant to share.”
“Oh, lucky! Seeing Jiya before heading home is one of the small joys of my workday.”
Grinning, Kang Jiho suddenly thought of something and asked Do-hee.
“By the way, is the new hire going to be a woman for sure?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Kang Jiho’s previous workplace, an entertainment agency, had been a predominantly female environment rife with intense politics and power struggles. Thinking back to those days, she couldn’t help but wonder if someone like Jiya, with her small stature and gentle demeanor, might be overshadowed by a more aggressive junior.
Sure, Jiya handled tough clients like Dora and Raine well, but that might just be because the first-generation hires were unusually cooperative……
“Maybe I should have a one-on-one talk with the new hire after they join.”
Still smiling warmly, Kang Jiho added,
“Or, how about I keep them under my wing for a week before passing them to Jiya’s team? Would that work?”
* * *
Of course, Kang Jiho’s worries were mostly unfounded.
Even though there were repeated claims of fear, there was no way Maja would genuinely be scared of a woman.
At most, his illusions might be shattered, causing him to distance himself or keep his space.
If Maja had truly been terrified of women, he would have shrunk into a cowering mess in front of Komari, who was fuming with rage.
[Rubber Duck House: 16 Hours]
[Cumulative Support Funds: 1,375,000 Clouds]
“Ha. Uh. Huh. Uh… Un… Uh. Ah, uh, ah!”
– Aww, good girl, Mari. Relax.
– Hold it in!
– No, okay, I get why you’re mad, but calm down.
:: Anonymous supporter has donated 100,000 Clouds! ::
:: Damn, next month is cornstarch again. ::
– Oh no, all the leaves are drying up.
– Aaaaah! It’s a leaf-blight attack!
– Mari, my leaves are turning yellow!
Even now, the team had all gathered in the center of the map to hunt the Dark Knight that had spawned there. Meanwhile, Maja was hitting the core turret all by himself.
It was hard to hold back the urge to coach him.
He shouldn’t be attacking the base turret from there; he should join the team to fight the Dark Knight.
And he needed to switch to adaptive skills to stack damage and take down the Dark Knight.
But she held back because she couldn’t keep up with the steadily rising donation count in the Rubber Duck House’s playtime.
“Ughhhhhhh. Dammit. D-darn it. Sssssss.”
– Mari, I’m sorry for being poor.
– Ugh, your coaching hurts the most.
– Damn, as expected from the top girl in Seonyang City.
“What?! Why are you guys calling me a delinquent? I was totally a good student in school, okay? If anything, I got hit more than I ever hit others.”
But the “Leaves” (the fans) were desperate.
If they didn’t divert her attention like this, it was obvious Komari would start giving Maja unsolicited advice again.
– But you smoked and drank, didn’t you?
– I have proof drawings.
– Proof drawings incoming lolol.
– You’re busted now hahaha.
“Oh, come on! What proof drawings? This is so infuriating!”
Meanwhile, Maja had just smashed the core turret. BANG.
He was now waiting for the next wave of demolition reinforcements to arrive.
Unlike most siege-class champions who could withstand turret attacks while fighting, Aeipolla couldn’t, which caused delays.
Why was Komari so eager to give advice?
Because she could already foresee what was about to happen.
{{Enemy has slain the Dark Knight!}}
When a team defeats the Dark Knight, siege champions gain increased siege-breaking power, while other champions get an attack damage boost.
On top of that, everyone on the team receives a movement speed buff, making it much easier to chase down opponents.
This meant that the team that defeated the Dark Knight had a high chance of wiping out the enemy team and destroying many turrets.
If only Aeipolla had gone to fight the Dark Knight, Jia’s team could have easily won.
By stacking skills, Maja could have reliably landed the last hit on the Dark Knight.
The opposing team seemed to understand this advantage all too well, as they were busy taunting in all-chat.
[All] DokhiDokhi: Thanks to the noob Aeipolla, ez win lolol.
[All] Bronze4Life: Lmao, rank match loss-loss-win-win-win incoming~!
[All] 하루세판이면삼대오백: Seriously, Aeipolla is such trash lolol.
[All] 하루세판이면삼대오백: I just feel bad for the teammates lolol.
Maja’s team was sinking deeper into defeat.
The disconnected player had rejoined, but they were still visibly frustrated.
Two team members had just been picked off in the last skirmish.
To make matters worse, the enemy had stolen the Dark Knight buff.
At this point, the enemy’s next steps were painfully obvious and easy:
leave one damage dealer at the base to hold off Aeipolla, while the other four—buffed with siege power and speed—stormed the core base and ended the game.
But just when everyone was certain of Jia’s team’s impending loss, Komari, who had been arguing with the “Leaves” about school bullying and other nonsense, noticed something on the screen.
As an enemy champion began recalling back to their base, Komari muttered under her breath:
“Wait a second… can we actually win this?”
– Win? How?
– No way.
– They’ve got 5 alive and the Dark Knight buff, how do you win?
– For real.
Just then, allied demolition reinforcements arrived, allowing Maja to charge boldly toward the core turret.
At the same time, the enemy’s top damage dealer, Lightning—the one who had faced Maja in the laning phase—finished recalling back to base.
Everyone watching, except for Komari, thought the same thing:
If the two clashed, Aeipolla would die, and the game would be over.
It’s not just a random thought,” Komari said confidently. “Look at Maja’s items.”
Typically, Aeipolla compensates for their lack of durability by focusing on health and defense items.
With enough stacks, Aeipolla can destroy turrets in one hit, so there’s no need to build offensive stats.
Even when switching to adaptive skills and playing as a damage dealer, this principle remains the same.
The gameplay shifts from destroying buildings in one shot to taking down enemy tanks in one strike.
But Maja’s inventory was filled with attack, attack, and more attack items.
Some viewers had mentioned it in passing before, but amidst the chaos of Maja’s erratic “Iron-tier” movements, the chat had largely ignored it.
Now, for the first time, everyone was taking notice.
– Full offense?
– No way, what the heck lolol.
– OMG, this is insane hahaha.
– Maja’s pioneering a new meta now lmao.
Why was Aeipolla usually ineffective in duels?
Because their build focused on defensive items, while their combat skills and ultimate were designed for stacking and bursting stacks.
This left Aeipolla without a way to eliminate opponents before being eliminated themselves.
Plus, using that time to break buildings was often more beneficial to the team.
However, right now, Maja was on an all-offense build.
So was the enemy Lightning, who also focused entirely on attack items, as defensive items were unnecessary luxuries for long-range, area-damage dealers.
This meant that if Maja could temporarily abandon the turret and eliminate Lightning, the entire course of the game could shift.
“Leaves, I’m sorry. Just one coaching session.”
– What?!
– No, stop it!
– Don’t you dare!!
“Unni, lay down a storm cloud and take out the guy coming to stop you first! He’s squishy too! Avoid his ultimate at all costs!”
Ding! The sound of a table bell echoed across the stream.
On the screen, a notification popped up: Komari’s penalty stack +1.
[Rubber Duck House: 17 Hours]
Boom! A black cloud spread out around Aeipolla.
Komari believed this fight favored Maja.
The enemy they were facing was Lightning—the same champion Maja had battled throughout the match.
By now, Maja would have a decent understanding of Lightning’s skill trajectories and ultimate range.
“The enemy’s just Iron-tier too. As long as she dodges the basic skills and ultimate…”
CRACK! A chain of lightning bolts split the black cloud in a straight line.
Maja dodged the lightning but stayed within the cloud’s cover.
“Dodged the basic skill!”
The enemy began charging their ultimate.
In two seconds, an electromagnetic pulse would engulf the entire cloud’s area.
2… 1… 0.
The moment the ultimate was unleashed, Aeipolla dashed out of the cloud.
The brief stealth effect from the dash caused Lightning to lose track of her.
The electromagnetic pulse exploded harmlessly over the empty cloud.
Zzzap!
“Dodged the ultimate too!”
As Aeipolla’s stealth ended, she appeared behind Lightning—out of their line of sight.
Though the shotgun lacked a headshot bonus, its double barrels unleashed a burst of fire aimed at Lightning.
BOOM!
One shot wiped out a third of Lightning’s health.
Komari slammed her desk and yelled, “Crazy damage! So good!”
– Whoa, what’s that damage lolol.
– Is this full-offense Aeipolla?
– Wait, was Aeipolla’s basic attack always this strong?
The usual 4-second reload time was halved, thanks to the power of her full offensive build.
Although Lightning had grown powerful, all they could manage in the 2-second gap was a couple of basic attacks.
Even those basic attacks chipped away at Aeipolla’s health, as her “glass cannon” build left her just as fragile.
Another BOOM! from the double barrels.
Lightning’s health dropped to a third. Aeipolla’s health was now at half.
– This is it. She’s got it!
– Lightning’s basic skill cooldown’s almost up, though!
– RNG. If she misses…
– SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT!
2… 1… Double barrels reloaded.
Lightning’s combat skill cooldown was back up at the same time.
Both champions were darting frantically across the field, but Aeipolla’s aim locked onto Lightning first.
At the critical moment, physical skill and reflexes decided the outcome.
BOOM!
{{ScarOnTheBackIsASignOfDisgrace >> 하루세판이면삼대오백}}
– Woooooow!!!
– That aim was nuts lolol!
– Her gameplay might be Iron-tier, but her FPS experience? Top-tier.
– That shot was Komari-level, no joke.
Even the enemy team couldn’t help but acknowledge the play.
[All] 하루세판이면삼대오백: Wait.
[All] 하루세판이면삼대오백: What’s this full-offense shotgun meta lol wtf.
Mazia calmly began attacking the last remaining core turret.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
Despite countless defensive pings being marked right in the middle of the enemy base, the enemies were too busy marching toward Mazia’s base with the Dark Knight buff.
How could they have known?
That the damage dealer they sent to defend wouldn’t even manage to take down one Apolla and would just get destroyed.
[All Chat] Haru3GamesOnly300: Hey, look at the pings. Are you blind?
[All Chat] YouGuysBelongInBronze: ?
[All Chat] YouGuysBelongInBronze: Wait, did you seriously lose to Apolla? LOL
[All Chat] YouGuysBelongInBronze: Our Lightning was just trash, huh.
[All Chat] Haru3GamesOnly300: Yup, LOL. If you can’t stop them, you lose your promo match, hahaha.
[All Chat] YouGuysBelongInBronze: Oh man, seriously. What a mess.
Clang, clang, clang, clang.
The stacks were building up at a thrilling pace.
Two enemies tried to recall at the same time, but Mazia’s team’s surviving tank and support threw themselves in to block their attempt.
[Team Chat] IfItWereRammel: Apolla, push!!!!
[Team Chat] IfItWereRammel: We’ll stop their recalls!!!
Before they knew it, 12 stacks had been reached. It was demolition time.
Lowering its stance to a crouch, Apolla aimed at the core turret.
The radiant light flowing from the halo turned into special rounds and loaded into the chamber.
Fweeeeeeet—
BOOM!
{{BackScarsAreStomachShame >> Core Turret}}
Just one more step to victory.
All that remained was the enemy’s main base, which would vanish in 16 stacks or less.
The enemies continued bickering in all-chat,
while Mazia’s team relentlessly blocked their recalls.
With even the respawned teammates joining the chaotic fight, none of the remaining enemies managed to return to their base.
[Team Chat] IfItWereRammel: PUSH!
[Team Chat] CrazyDogBarksAtCrazyMen: PUSH!!
[Team Chat] Let’sGoToBronze: PUSH!!!
“Unnie, destroy it!!!”
– LEEEET’S GOOO!!!
– BRIIING IT OOOON!!!
And so Mazia calmly fired her double-barrel shots, stacking up on the enemy’s heart.
BOOM!
She blew it up.
{{VICTORY!}}
– WOOOOOOOO!
– EMPLOYEE TEAM WINS!!!
– HOOOOOOLY-
– I CAN’T BELIEVE WE WON LOL.
– WE ABSOLUTELY WRECKED.
As the chat window, now united in spirit, marveled at this absurd victory,
Mazia glanced over at Komari and gave a sly grin.
“Carried.”
Ding! The rank game results popped up in the center of the screen.
[BackScarsAreStomachShame]
Iron II – 84 LP↑
It was only one game, but Komari, who was on the verge of losing her mind, let out a hollow laugh and muttered,
“Is everyone in Iron like this…?”