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Before the tournament began, the Civil Empire headquarters often released various data on participating teams and players for fun. For example, they presented power ranking lists similar to smaller tournaments like the LIL tournament.

Although these evaluations were primarily for entertainment, they referenced many data sources to ensure accuracy. This allowed for a fairly accurate understanding of which team was the strongest and which was the underdog.

Interestingly, they revealed this data at the dinner party.

— Wow

— Are they revealing the power rankings?

— So exciting!!

— Unbelievable

— Is Korea at the bottom? Please no…

— Who’s number one?

He announced the upcoming power rankings, “First, let's unveil the power rankings that everyone is curious about!”

The screen abruptly displayed the team rankings.

1. Mongolia

2. Italy

3. China

4. Turkey

5. Iran

Countries with formidable reputations appeared.

“... Wow. Italy isn’t number one?” Pang expressed his surprise and clicked his tongue.

— Ah…

— What happens if we face Mongolia? Damn

— Mongolia is number one, wow

— The guy we met earlier was the final boss

— Rome is only second?!

The viewers reacted similarly when recalling the match against Rome. The gap between Rome and Spain was enormous. It felt impossible to win against them, yet Rome was only second in the tournament. For Korea, the thought of someone ranking even higher felt suffocating. 𝙍À₦օВĘŞ

“Hmm. The Vikings are ranked pretty low,” Jessie murmured in disappointment beside Sang-Hyeon.

Sang-Hyeon couldn’t say anything.

‘They’re still in the top ten...?’

The Vikings were ranked twelfth out of thirty-two countries.

— ??? Ah, missed one!

— Is this a joke?

— They’re 12th though?

— Is facing the Vikings a good thing?

— Why does Korea have such bad luck with matchups?

Korea finished second in their group and now faced a team ranked twelfth in power. This wasn’t about luck. Finishing second meant a higher likelihood of facing stronger teams since the top teams automatically faced second place teams. Meeting a team ranked above average was quite likely.

Their opponent ranking twelfth was a fair matchup. The problem was...

32. Korea

Korea ranked dead last without any mercy.

“Ahaha! The bottom spot is naturally for newcomers. It’s just statistics, so don’t be too disheartened.”

The joke was meant to lighten the mood, but the Korean players had to awkwardly force a smile.

Despite Hui-Chul’s expression not being bright, he raised his champagne glass and laughed coolly. The camera caught his look, causing another round of laughter. He was likely trying to make people laugh with his gesture.

— Coach…

— It’s kind of funny

— Poor Joseon

— LOL

— This is too much

The camera didn’t just focus on Hui-Chul. Almond also appeared on the screen as a notable player.

“?”

Almond looked confused as if he hadn’t expected it.

“Ah. The Korean team is steeling themselves!”

The host tried to frame it as their determination, which only drew more laughter.

Sang-Hyeon forced a bitter smile. He hadn’t thought much of celebrities being used as jokes at international awards, but he wanted to applaud their composure after experiencing it himself.

If Jessie hadn’t raised her middle finger, the camera would have lingered on Sang-Hyeon longer.

“Whoa! Whoa! Don’t get excited! Move the camera!”

— Jessie LOL

— Is this how you make the camera go away? Great tip

— Is this that Parkour Crush thing?

— Exorcism legend

The camera moved away, but the viewers continued to express their frustration.

— How can they rank us dead last?

— When they wrote articles about the Korean whirlwind

— Being ranked last is too much

— Rank them higher than Cuba at least, damn it

Despite Korea’s impressive showing, being ranked last felt disappointing. Some thought it was too harsh.

‘Everyone here made it to the tournament.’

No team had reached the tournament without performing well.

“Next, we’ll continue showing various statistics on the slide. Please enjoy the party. And!”

As the slide changed, it displayed unusual metrics like audience numbers by country.

“We’ll be selecting the Best Dressed at the party finale!”

The announcement regarding the Best Dressed caused cheers to erupt. This incentive for active participation offered a significant reward.

“For those brave enough to wear dresses or traditional attire despite the discomfort, please look forward to it! The Best Dressed will receive the right to choose the first map!”

— ???

— What?

— Wow, really??

— Crazy

— What?

— Isn’t this too awesome?

The Best Dressed would receive the right to choose the first map. While some already knew, most viewers heard it for the first time and felt surprised. Choosing the map was crucial in matches between evenly matched teams.

“However, only women's attire will be considered this year! Of course, those identifying as female, according to current trends, are also welcome! Haha!”

Laughter followed.

— LOL

— Crazy

— We don’t have anyone in traditional attire… Don’t traditional outfits have a better chance?

— Did they stop evaluating men's attire because of too many fights?

— Almond crossdressing, go

“Now! I will step back and the various data will continue on the screen! Please enjoy the party while watching for fun!”

After the host disappeared, people began talking about the Best Dressed. Sang-Hyeon took this moment to speak to Jessie.

"Hey, Jessie. Weren't you going to meet the Viking people earlier?"

He wasn't interested in watching the data.

"Oh, yeah. But... can you wait a moment?" Jessie asked him to wait as she focused on the screen for some important data.

“Hmm...”

Eventually, Sang-Hyeon looked back at the screen.

— Hahaha

— Hmm...

— What’s with the side glance?

— He just doesn’t like power rankings.

Sang-Hyeon constantly saw data on Korea, which was not pleasant. However, one positive indicator for Korea appeared in the organization section.

Sang-Hyeon commented to the viewers, "This is totally like soccer."

— LOL

— Oh...

— Ball possession d’Or

— As expected of a Korean.

— This has come full circle

In Civil Empire, organizational strength was much more valuable than in soccer. In soccer, one player could dribble past many defenders and score a goal. In Civil Empire, multiple players had to occupy and expand territories together.

Additionally, Korea had received high marks for their unconventional strategies. However, their average individual combat strength and weak defense significantly lowered their score.

"It makes sense when you see it like this."

Sang-Hyeon began to understand why Jessie wanted to see this.

[The Rookie to Watch This Season]

Information about the players started appearing. Jessie grabbed Almond's arm and shook it.

“Look at this. Look.”

1. Almond

Surprisingly, Almond's name appeared at the top and he ranked first.

“!”

Even Sang-Hyeon found it hard to believe. Although he had been mentioned in articles as a rookie to watch, he didn't expect to be ranked first among so many players.

— What???

— Wow, that's crazy.

— First place???

— Amazing

— Is he the only rookie?

— Nice~

"See? There are good things too, right?"

"Ah... thanks, Jessie."

Jessie probably didn't mean to show him this. She just noticed his bad mood earlier and wanted to cheer him up.

— Jessie…

— Jessie, you are amazing!

— How many times has she saved him?

— So touching!!

"Alright, let's go meet my friends now."

Thanks to Jessie, Sang-Hyeon could meet her friends with a much brighter expression.

***

The party grew more lively as the night deepened. Some people already got drunk and leaned on each other. Many tables became much noisier than before. The champagne and food began running low.

Most people now sat on the sofas rather than standing due to their tired legs, especially the women wearing heels. They all began discussing who would win Best Dressed as the announcement neared.

Sang-Hyeon overheard some conversations.

"... Hey, this is bad. Everyone's talking about Jessie. It’s over for us."

As Pang said, many people pointed out Jessie. She was a well-known player and everything about her dress suited her perfectly.

“Ha...” Sang-Hyeon sighed softly in regret. Everything seemed like a trial set up for Korea.

“Is this really happening?”

Votes played a big role in selecting the Best Dressed, which worked against Korea as they had fewer people.

— Seriously

— 1 in 32…

— And it had to be Jessie

— Jessie, after saving Almond twice, plans to eliminate Korea...

— Damn

Players usually didn’t vote for someone from a country they would face. The Korean team found themselves at a significant disadvantage with fewer members. The think tank team huddled together at the banquet hall entrance and brainstormed.

“We need to push for the next candidate. Who should it be?” Chi-Seung asked seriously while looking at Water Dumpling and Sharp Sphere.

“Ah... The girl who wore the kimono from Japan is a strong candidate,” Water Dumpling proposed another candidate based on conversations with other women.@@novelbin@@

“Berry Mochi?”

“Yeah, she might win if we support her. Traditional attire gets extra points, right?”

“People say they don’t choose outfits that are too traditional these days. Jessie is definitely a strong candidate. How can it turn out like this!?”

Chi-Seung pulled his hair in frustration.

“Should someone have worn a hanbok?”

Just then...

"Ah, sorry for being late."

A woman's voice reached his ears. The familiar voice sounded low for a woman.

Chi-Seung turned his head.

"Why are you all gathered here?"

It was Barum. No, the voice just now wasn't Barum's. Chi-Seung's eyes moved to the side where she was. The new candidate that Barum had brought.

"Uh."

Chi-Seung couldn’t believe his eyes.

‘What? Why is she standing? Are her legs healed?’

She had been in a wheelchair, but now she stood on her own two feet. Maybe it had been a temporary injury. No, it was also because of her makeup and today’s outfit.

Chi-Seung never imagined this look would suit her and muttered to himself, “Yi Sun-Shin’s form is insane…”