The Newbie Is Too Strong's
178. The Pain of Defeat
My mind was empty then. I felt deep anger, but nothing could be the center of my anger. No, it's wrong. It is clear that the object of my anger is none other than myself.
That day, our Pelita Harapan High School e-sport team's move had to come to a halt in the quarter-finals after losing to all four other schools.
What makes me even more claustrophobic is there's nothing I can do. I've done my best, in fact, I've won my share of the match very well. However, the rest of my team members are still too weak.
Especially my frustration was with Senior Areka who should have won the match, but because he was lured by the enemy, he lost.
No, it's wrong. It was all my fault too. Why did I forget that I was not competing individually, but as a team. I must have expected this would all happen when I was just focused on improving my own abilities and forgetting my team members.
Perhaps this is what Brother Emperor meant about the importance of training subordinates because a king would not stand shining in the middle of the world if his men were weak. Why can I forget that important fact.
No, there's no point regretting that now. We have lost and there is no point in thinking about this match. However, our team inevitably has to level-up massively if it wants to win the upcoming vrmmoprg competition.
Damnit damnit! Is this what it feels like to lose? It felt like my head was filled with lumps called resentment and regret. My heart hurts and is so empty. Damnit damnit! Damnit damnit! Damnit damnit! Why does it hurt so much?!
It's competition. Someone wins, of course someone loses. However, I had no idea that it felt like losing was this painful.
“Hiks... Hiks.. If only I could break the opponent's shieder defense back then. Hiks.. hiks.. It's all my fault our team could lose. Hiks... Hiks..”.
Suddenly Egi's cry blew me away from my daydream.
I look around too. A disappointed expression also seemed to be shown by the other team members. Not only them, all the spectators who supported us also showed the same expression. I was far in the corner there could also see Sasmi's sister shed tears despite being covered by her black glasses.
I just realized that the one called losing was so painful. It hurts me so much that I hallucinated seeing Phineas the evil necromancer mingle in the crowd.
I stepped slowly and patted the shoulder of Egi who was squatting very pitifully.
“This is not your fault, Egi. All team members also contributed to this defeat.” I told him that he was at his lowest point.
“Luca? But you won? You contributed 3 points to the team, but I. I instead. It is true said Kak Inggar and Kak Rena that I have not experienced so I should have handed the match to them only.”.
“Already, Egi. If you say so, Senior Areka, Brother Robby, and Brother Yudishar are even more wrong for not contributing any points to the team.”
“No, I didn't mean to say that! I just..”
With hesitation, the young man resolutely rejected my words that misinterpreted his attitude.
“I understand, Egi. So thats it. You contribute one point in the team so that at least our ranking is still the same as last year in fifth and does not go down again to worse. No one knows if Brother Inggar or Sister Rena will do better or worse. What I'm trying to say is, there's no point in regretting it now. We just have to do our best in the next competition.”
“Hmm.”
After that, Egi calmed down a bit. He just nodded while silent. However, I could still feel sadness radiating through her teary eyes. I also rubbed Egi's curls and swept her to wake up and regroup with other team members.
But rather than Egi, what worries me more now is Senior Areka. He did not shed tears like Egi or the rest of the team, but his facial expression showed a deeper despair as if the world had ended for him.
I know this isn't good. It was at that moment that I realized that I had to better watch over Senior Areka before she walked down the wrong path and did something reckless.
.
.
.
Two days have passed since that day. Last friday, yesterday, the semifinal competition round has been held through a survival game scheme like in the first preliminary round of the international e-sport vrmmorpg competition that I watched in America ago between the Eden Foundation High School Team against the High School Team Karsa and between Puncak Bakti High School Team against Angkasa Jaya High School Team.
As a result, the Eden Foundation High School Team managed to win the match against the Mulia Karsa High School Team with 4 defending team members and became the first finalist, and was the first finalist, then Puncak Bakti High School Team defeated Angkasa Jaya High School Team with 3 defending team members and became the second finalist in the high school amateur e-sport match.
“Ah, but anyway, even after two days, why is the pain of this defeat still sobering?!”
I vented the fatigue in my heart by shouting along the corridor where there was no one.
“Master, what's the problem?”
Suddenly, a single eye projection looked at me worriedly and asked me how I was doing.
He is an Aura that has grown large enough in just over two months so that now only his right eye can fit projected in a box measuring 40x40x40 cubic centimeters.
“Hiks... Hiks... Hiks...” Suddenly the sound of sobbing cries distracted me and the chatting Aura.
“Master... That.. Don't-don't it's called the ghost waiting for an empty room when the school is quiet?”
“Stupid, where is there something like that?!”
I also snapped Aura who was much affected by her favorite horror film that lately she often watched through the TV in my room when I fell asleep at night.
“Shop!” I also opened the door.
I had previously guessed whose voice it was, but to see it directly through my own eyes, I could only be annoyed at him.
He was a mentally weak tsundere man who was very incompatible with his appearance.
“What does Senior do here?”
He in an instant wiped his tears with a feeling of shame as if caught committing a crime.
“Ah, Luca. Why are you here? Isn't the club today on holiday?”
“That is exactly what I want to ask Senior Areka too. Why did Senior Areka actually come to this place just to cry alone?”
“Ah, I'm sorry, Luca. Again I showed you an appearance that senior did not deserve to show his junior. It's just that... hiks... hiks.. because of me, because of my mistake that was provoked by the provocation of the damn Andalusian High School, our team lost. If I could have been clear-minded back then.”.
“Good if Senior realizes Senior's mistake so Senior can fix it in the future.”
I immediately cut out the annoying senior's words before he spewed out even more annoying trashy nonsense.
“But everything is too late.”
“What's late? Less than three months away, isn't there a year-end competition?”
“No, Luca. Maybe you don't know it yet, but there is absolutely no hope for us in that competition. The outer island 4th SMA is much more terrifying than what you could have imagined. Puncak Bakti High School alone is only able to penetrate the top eight in the competition. They alone cannot, so what can ordinary people like us do in such competitions.”.
“Buk!”
“Uaaaaaakh!”
I don't know what my brain was thinking at the time. I only felt a great deal of irritation towards the talk of such a loser being thrown by Senior Areka who was unlike her usual character. I immediately floated a raw bogeman right into his heart without a second thought.
“Stupid basis! If Senior feels weak, then train to become stronger! What with such sulking would change all the existing circumstances?! Besides, why would a Senior I know who is strong and likes challenges be able to say such a pessimist?! Senior Basic weak!”
“Luca, however, I am still Senior. Hitting a senior like that feels a bit.”.
“Ah, forgive me, Senior. I'm release.”
“Ya, stop. I also understand Luca's worry. Also true. I just have to keep practicing. It's a simple matter. But.. Ah! If I could gain additional skills, it would be easier for me to develop. It's just that now I feel a wedge to my growth. But thanks to Luca, I have now regained my motivation.”
“Thank God then, Senior.”
I also smiled at Senior Areka as soon as I watched her eye color back as bright as ever. Senior Areka smiled back at me. But suddenly, I watched the red liquid come out through his mouth and nose.
“But Luca, it looks like you hit me too hard. Apparently, there's my broken rib.”
Thus said Senior Areka before she finally fell unconscious.
“Senior!”
I forgot that my physical body had reached level 80 thanks to training sparring with Brother Silvia every afternoon so that the slightest attack I meant was a deadly attack and I ended up injuring Senior Areka.
That night, I also spent my time caring for Senior Areka who was lying in the hospital ER.
...Ark 2 The Newbie’s Debut Ended...
...Continuing to ark 3...