Athanasia: My Hacker System-Chapter 53: The Team Match Tactics

"Hahaha!" Ricky suddenly exploded in loud, boisterous laughter, slapping his knee. "I can’t believe you actually did it! Hahaha! I bet their faces are burning with rage right now!"

Ricky was totally amused by John’s performance. He felt much better now that the earlier insult to his pride had been paid back double.

Ricky had taken the student’s forfeit as a direct insult to his pride—as if the upperclassmen were saying he wasn’t even worthy of being challenged. Watching John publicly humiliate them, using their own medicine as a weapon, made Ricky feel vindicated and genuinely impressed.

[Ding! Your Familiarity slightly increased with Ricky!]

[Ding! Ricky Familiarity level: Friendly – Respect]

[Ding! Your Familiarity slightly increased with Cissel!]

[Ding! Cissel Familiarity level: Friendly – Fondness]

’Wait... What? Even Cissel?!’ John wasn’t that surprised by Ricky’s shift; the boy’s face and loud laughter were clear giveaways. But Cissel had kept her mask on perfectly. She hadn’t cracked a smile or uttered a sound.

Yet, when he unconsciously turned to look at her, she slowly nodded her head—a small, solemn gesture that served as her only expression of approval. In her world, that was the equivalent of a standing ovation.

"Hahaha, you gave them a taste of their own medicine—only yours tasted better," Nikolas said, finally finding his voice. "You humiliated them in public, tarnished their reputation, and pointed out their miserable performance so far in front of the scouts and sponsors! I can’t wait to tease Jacob for the rest of the year for that! Hahaha!"

The teacher was just as amused as Ricky. John was certain that if he had a Familiarity meter for Nikolas, it would be pinned at the maximum level.

"Team match starts in five minutes!" the commentator announced, cutting through the celebratory mood. This was the upcoming, most important match of the day. The individual scores were just the appetiser; the team match determined the true winner of the competition.

"Are we going to follow our original arrangement?" Ricky asked. He was in such a good mood that he was speaking more than he usually did. "Or do we need to change anything based on what we saw?"

He looked between Nikolas and John for guidance. Nikolas simply shrugged and gestured toward John, handing over full tactical control to the Class President. John didn’t need much time to think. "Let’s do it exactly as we trained in the past days!"

"You trained together?!!" Elena jumped in, her voice filled with doubt and shock. "How? When? We were together all day!" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"We did it after you all returned to your dorms," John said casually. "We had to train as well. Did you think we could fight as a team without practising and adapting to each other’s fighting styles?"

John was telling the truth. After the gruelling group sessions, the three of them had stayed behind in the dark gym for an extra hour every night. After exchanging blows and testing each other’s limits during that first extra session, John had devised a specific formation based on their fighting preferences and strengths.

Cissel loved to attack her opponents directly, showing a fearless aggression that most couldn’t handle. No matter the situation, her instinct was to dash forward, utilising her superior Speed to close the distance instantly.

She would charge up at the last few meters, using her momentum to pivot and attack from a different angle, effectively flanking the enemy while they were still focused on her initial line of movement.

She was impulsive, fast, and lived for the thrill of a head-on challenge. Because of this, John had decided she was best suited to act as their killing player—the finisher who could capitalise on any opening with lethal and swift strikes.

Ricky was a different story entirely. He preferred to lean into his massive defence and strength, relishing the opportunity to wear down his enemies while soaking up incredible amounts of damage. Naturally, he was the primary damage dealer, the anvil upon which their enemies would be broken.

As for John, his style was more elusive. He loved to welcome attacks only to evade them at the last possible second, delivering stinging counter-hits every time he slipped a blow. He had meticulously considered their special abilities while drafting the formation:

He would take the lead, acting as the vanguard to shoulder the weight of one or two students at the same time, drawing their initial fire. Then, it would be Ricky’s turn to rotate in, attacking with everything he had to wear the enemies down further. Finally, Cissel would hunt for the perfect window to dash in and finish the exhausted students off.

This tactical layout was exactly why John had gone out of his way to irritate the Year Two students. By insulting them in public and mocking their strategic forfeit, he had ensured they would step onto the stage fueled by raw rage. He wanted them blinded by a desperate desire to wipe the shame from their names, rather than focusing on a balanced win.

If they attacked head-on, driven by anger, they would use their strongest and deadliest attacks right out of the gate. John was confident he could handle that first charge. In fact, with his recently augmented stats from the Bug Dungeon, he was fairly certain he could take out the entire Year Two team by himself if he really wanted to.

Yet, he didn’t plan on showing off too much. A true leader—and a smart player—knew when to let his teammates shine. The system wouldn’t have given him a serialised quest regarding Cissel and Ricky without planning a follow-up later on. It was much better to keep their Familiarity high and let them feel the glory of the win.

"Fine by me," Cissel finally spoke, her voice like cracking ice as she walked toward the centre of the stage.

"Let’s go then," Ricky added, his eyes burning with competitive fire as he watched the three opponents ascend the opposite stairs. "Let’s crush them!"

He shouted his last piece out loud, intentionally drawing the gaze of the entire arena. John didn’t mind the bravado; he already considered this match secured.

’In the worst-case scenario,’ John thought to himself, ’I’ll just have to reveal my full power and defeat them all myself. But something tells me we won’t even need that...’

Just from one look, he could see how his psychological warfare had taken root. Their eyes were glaring with an intense hatred, and the student whom Cissel had defeated earlier actually had bloodshot eyes from immense rage. John had expected that student to be hospitalised or at least benched, but there he was, standing on the stage, trembling with the need for revenge.

"Ready?" the referee asked, stepping between the two teams. "The same rules apply: a team wins when all members of the opposing side are rendered unconscious. I have the sole right to announce the end of the match to prevent permanent injury, so make sure to listen to my words whenever I call them."

The referee droned on about the safety regulations for a minute, but neither side was listening. The air between the two teams was practically sparking with fire. Finally, the referee retreated, clearing the central stage for the carnage to begin.

"I’ll kill you," the student Cissel had crushed, muttered, pointing a finger at his own neck in a slow, threatening motion directed straight at her.

"Humph." All he got in return was a cold, dismissive snort from Cissel. That single sound told John everything he needed to know—this student was digging his own grave with both hands.

"Start!" the commentator shouted.

The sound had barely left the speakers before the Year Two team lunged forward. The fight to determine the true winner of the competition had finally started.