Inside the room, the hum of computers fills the air, a symphony of technology that I've orchestrated. My surroundings are a maze of screens, each one a window into a different aspect of the company. Stats of players, viral videos, current game news, future patch notes, various statistics about the game that few know of, and much more that CoA knowledge enthusiasts would kill to acquire.
I sit in my usual comfortable reclining chair. The cool leather of the seat is a familiar comfort. My eyes scan the area, taking in the flickering lights of the monitors and the steady rhythm of data streaming across the screens. It's like watching the pulse of the CoA community, a heartbeat that I can heavily influence at will.
I can't help but feel a thrill of anticipation as I glance at the clock, watching as the seconds tick away. Finally, after a few seconds of waiting, a voice came from the other side of the office door with a sleek, seamless panel made of a smart glass material that transitions from opaque to transparent with a state-of-the-art touch-sensitive interface.
"Good evening, Sir. I bring news on the first day of the qualifiers," came a clear and precise feminine voice.
"Come in," I beckoned.
"... Excuse me."
"Please give me the briefing of the first day of qualifiers, Miss Rudy, along with your fellow Game Masters' insights," I ordered immediately as she came inside the large room.
"Understood, sir," she nodded before continuing.
"Firstly, the new generation of Team Paragon from the Paragons guild triumphed over all their matches handily, and they are expected to breeze through the qualifiers in their bracket."
I grinned.
The team 'Paragon' is composed of skilled proteges of the original Paragon members. They are currently attempting to replicate what made the legendary team unstoppable in the first AC tournament. They are all young and talented players who have received the personal teachings of the first generation themselves. They all have bright futures in the pro scene. Above all, their ace has been said to have mastered the gameplay of the legendary player Yuusha before she disappeared. Teachings from veteran or pro players are highly sought after since, like martial arts, those who achieve mastery in their specific playstyle are in huge scarcity and, therefore, in high demand. Some pros even build dojos online to further profit from the mastery of their chosen style.
"Yuusha's protege, huh? I would like to see if she really is worthy of that title," I murmured.
"Their rival guild also joined and passed the first day easily."
The Shadow Vanguard guild, the Wall's former guild. I suppose that's expected. Those two guilds have always been at each other's throats ever since the first AC. Their feud only grows when both Tactical and Vanguard, their former guild leader's performance declines in the pro scene. They blame Tactical as the cause while the Paragons guild retaliates, not letting the mockery of their former guildmate and co-founder go unpunished. I recall that their ace is a very talented defensive player, currently one of the best in their guild.
"Those two guilds always find something to argue about, huh."
"Yes, I guess that is true," after a brief pause, she continued, "Another report I received is that Team Atelier won all their matches on the first day. They had some close fights but still emerged victorious. While they have no notable oppositions in their bracket, they are still expected to have a hard time in their future matches."
"Hmm, those girls lack the skills to easily pass the qualifiers. The pro team of Atelier only got so far because of their ace player Murasame and their tactician Yuna. I doubt their agency found another player under 20 as good as those two."
She nodded, then continued.
"I also gathered from the Japan server GMs that the younger sister of Aoi Yamamoto, a ranker from the Japanese server, joined the qualifiers with her team and easily defeated all her opponents."
Hana Yamamoto, the young prodigy of the guild 'Sword Saint,' the rank one guild in the Japan server, led by Murasame herself.
I nodded and urged her to continue. I'm not familiar with how good Murasame's sister is, but from what I know, she is exemplary with the sword, just like her older sister. I would have to do my due diligence to learn more about her later.
"The 'Round Table' Guild's founder and guild leader is also joining. He also won all of his matches on the first day."
That self-righteous guy who helps every player in need is also joining, huh? I'd love to have him as a promoter of our game in the future. His impeccably perfect image and huge fanbase would benefit us in the long run.
The reports continued, the statuses of the first day of the qualifiers and which of the high-profile players, streamers, and YouTubers of different servers won their games. Some players I'm not familiar with, while others I know of by heart.
Hehe, it looks like there will be plenty of high-profile players joining the U20 after all. This tournament is turning out to become the best investment we made this year, barring the Andartha's Cup, of course.
"Has anyone else caught your fancy?" I asked after the reports had finished.
She hesitated a bit, as if wanting to say something, but opted to stay silent.
"Tell me, no need to hesitate even if you think it's inconsequential," I pushed.
"Of course, sir," she pondered for a second before continuing.
"There is a talented but relatively unknown player in a match I personally umpired who soloed two players on par with her skill cap."
"Oh, how curious, show me," I responded excitedly.
She taped on the tablet she was holding, and a picture of a player showed on one of the flat-screen TVs in the room. The player's IGN was Lizbeth.
"What are their ranks?" I inquired.
"The girl, Lizbeth, is ranked 970 in team matches on the EU server."
"Her opponents, RuG and CroW, are 1418 and 3870 of the EU server in team matches, respectively."
I see...
Players of the 1k rank to the 5k rank should have almost the same skill cap. The rankings are only divided by luck in who their opponents are on the calibration of the rank. Their time spent before the ranking also sometimes matters, as some players grind their asses off just to have a higher rank.
I skimmed the match, entirely focusing on the middle orb bout where the said player who caught GM Rudy's eyes played.
They were losing in the first part but made a complete turnaround the second time they clashed. She eventually won in a 1v2 scenario with the help of encouraging words from her teammate.
A sudden increase in skill like that should not be possible unless psychological factors are at play.
After skimming the match's video, I asked my assistant GM a question.
"Tell me, Miss Rudy, what do you know about the flow."
She seemed shocked at the sudden question, but after pondering for a bit, she replied.
"I think I've heard about it. Is it when a player is extremely focused in a match that they block everything around them except for the opponent itself?"
"Close but not quite. The one you are referring to is the zone."
She looks quite puzzled at my statement.
"I don't blame you for confusing one for the other, as both are somewhat similar. To put it in technical terms. The term 'zone' is often used in sports and refers to a state where an athlete is performing at their peak, with all their focus on the match itself. It's like everything just 'clicks,' and they're able to react to the game at an extremely fast thought process, almost instinctively."
"On the other hand, 'flow state' is a term coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It's a mental state in which a person is fully immersed in an activity they relish doing, experiencing a sense of energy and enjoyment. It's not just limited to e-sports and conventional sports, but can be experienced during any activity, like playing an instrument, writing an essay, or even working," I paused a bit, letting her process my words.
"In both states, flow and zone, people often lose track of time and are completely focused on the task at hand. However, achieving these states requires the right balance of challenge and skill, and not every situation can trigger them. So far, there are only a few players who have been verified to be able to enter these states at will," I continued to explain.
"You mean, Yuusha?" she queried.
"Yes, she is the most proven one due to her exemplary showing at the first AC. Someone who can enter the zone at will. Other examples are Zetta, who can enter flow at command due to his extreme love for dueling, and Murasame, who can enter the zone at any given time due to her intense focus, both are players I'm sure you know of very well."
She nodded.
"Good, I would have to fire you if you don't," I made a quick joke.
She's not laughing. Well, you can't please everyone.
"You mean to tell me this girl had just entered the flow state in the middle of their match?" she asked curiously.
I smiled at her before posing another question of mine.
"What do you think when you examine her."
She looked at the computer screen, watching the replay of the lass in query fighting her opponents 1v2, pure bliss showing on her face.
"She looks delighted and carefree. It seems like she's enjoying herself," she finally answered.
"Precisely. That state of mind allows you to do everything you can without any hint of hesitation. It is as if you can never do wrong. A state that can only be attained by truly loving what you're doing, giving the person more emotional energy and positivity. The psychological boosts it gives is a huge advantage in a game where split-second decision-making is crucial, and the ability to forgo all doubts or hesitations is a huge blessing."
"I see..." she paused for a bit, processing the information she had just heard, and after a short while, she raised a question.
"Do you think she can go into the flow at will?"
"I'm not so sure, as it is rare for someone to be able to do that, but I think there are some... requirements and... prerequisites for her to step into that realm," I stated as I looked at her teammate.
A low-level player but with the wisdom and calm mind of a veteran. How intriguing.
She stayed silent, contemplating for a bit and digesting all that we had discussed so far.
"I think this is a good time to wrap this meeting up. Anyway, please keep a close eye on this girl as well. Of course, the usual high-profile players that we discussed included. They are the future of the pro scene and the game itself."
"Understood."
"Then, if that is all, you are dismissed."
She took a quick bow before turning around and leaving.
"Look up player 'Lizbeth,'" I said to no one in particular after GM Rudy left.
The computer sent me all the files related to my query. My gut feeling tells me that I should know more about this girl.
It is my duty, after all, to know the future of CoA.
I lean back in my chair, a small smile playing on my lips.
I take a deep breath, feeling the electricity in the air. The game is about to begin, and I can't wait to see how it plays out. After all, in this world, it's not about the cards you're dealt but how you play them that matters.