Chapter 124

Chapter 124 – Before the 2nd Day

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“Nyam… Nyam…”

“You don’t have to act like a real cat just because your avatar is one.”

The lifeless white concrete floor. Several targets set up across from me. Without needing any elaborate explanations, anyone who entered would immediately recognize it as a shooting range.

I lay down on that floor without caring about how disgraceful it might seem. It was the most comfortable place at the moment. I was tired and my eyes were closing—why not sleep here? The guns clattering on my body and the dull sensation on my back from the various items in my bag digging in… Ah, whatever.

Had I blacked out for about three seconds, lying there spread-eagle?

“Ow.”

“You worked hard today. How does it feel to fight without me for the first time?”

“Just put me down…”

That old scene from a movie with a giant snake.

Lowering my head slowly, memories I had buried deep started to resurface. A giant anaconda from the past, moving swiftly, wrapping itself around one of the characters, and swallowing them whole in one gulp.

A snake tail slithered and coiled around my body. Around my waist, around my upper body. And the tip of the tail was poking my cheek. My body lifted effortlessly into the air and before I knew it, I was seated in a chair. Yoo Jin sat right next to me.

“I want a tail.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not for sale.”

The last practice before the collaboration, and the game that followed for about seven hours. Even though Yoo Jin and I had been running around thickening our nerves, today had been quite the grueling day.

I had come here because I saw the message and needed to know what was lacking, but my concentration was at its limit. What was I just asked? Right. Even though I wasn’t completely alone, it was my first proper battle with other users.

To put it in a word I had heard repeatedly while learning… Debriefing.

While spurring on my gradually recovering mind, I pieced together the scattered words to form coherent sentences.

“Um… It was more doable than I thought?”

“That’s the answer I expected.”

Did she foresee this?

But I didn’t care much. I glanced at her. She was urging me to keep talking. I shared my thoughts without much consideration. Her reaction was about what I expected. Yoo Jin wasn’t someone with big reactions.

“I’m not sure how much I’ve changed compared to before. How should I put it… the engagement felt less burdensome? My body moved much more as I wanted it to than before….”

“There’s no need to beat around the bush to say that the enemy was a pushover.”

Oh dear.

But that was true – if I were to downplay my skills, it would be disrespectful to Yoo Jin. The enemy wasn’t weak. It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I did well. With all the practice and real battles I had gone through, I showed significantly better play than before.

After roughly conveying that nuance, I caught her gaze again. Yoo Jin was still wearing an ambiguous expression. At least the slight curve at the corner of her lips hinted that she was in a good mood.

She spoke.

“When the packaging looks fancy, it means the contents are not much. In other words, beyond individual combat… That is, from small-scale skirmishes at the squad level, positioning and meticulously calculated maneuvers become more important. As you roamed with me, your field of view expanded, making the enemy’s movements more noticeable. Isn’t that right?”

“Ah… Yes.”

“Individual combat capability is a very broad concept. Individual command ability, situational judgment, risk management during shooting, and extensive detection ability… Aim tracking and thorough shooting training come into play afterward.”

At this point, Yoo Jin took out some paper from somewhere with a fluttering sound. As she threw it into the air, it seamlessly dissolved and the writing projected in the air.

Reading through it one by one… Improvements. In other words, critiques. They were densely packed to the point of blocking my view. With that amount, it would be credible to claim that my play today was a total mess.

While skimming through it, she continued.

“I watched your play today. I hadn’t seen Domination mode before, but it’s quite simple. Thankfully, the strategic elements don’t require much focus… Thanks to that, I could evaluate Moni’s tactical skills more keenly.”

“…Moni?”

“Monimoni. Others call you that, don’t they? It’s fun.”

Argh.

I had heard it at last!

But the person across from me, of course, didn’t care. She just continued to scan the script as if finishing up her work. It seemed almost professional. Finally, she looked at me.

“Although there’s a lot written, everything is above average. Tactical skills, situational awareness, target tracking, and tactical maneuvers. Your shooting is a bit lacking, but aiming and tracking moving targets is one of the hardest techniques.”

“Then… What’s the curriculum going forward?”

“Let’s increase the shooting focus. You’ll have many opportunities to learn other elements, but shoring up the weakest point will be most impactful. Let’s greatly improve your accuracy with moving targets.”

Terrifying.

But my body was already reacting naturally – meanwhile, Yoo Jin adjusted the shooting range settings while casually tossing out various topics. From asking if I had any questions to inquiring

about recent life or feedback on the curriculum. After those were addressed, I began receiving questions in return.

Mainly about MCNs, editors, and Yourspace. Hard to believe, but Yoo Jin had been in the broadcasting scene for less than 40 days. Even I sometimes forgot, so how would others?

Answering the questions, I realized streaming involved a lot of work. Especially if it was a livelihood. With this field being quite a red ocean, streamers had to work tremendously hard until they were established.

Even streamers with an average viewership in the four digits weren’t free from these challenges. They had to exert unimaginable effort to not just settle in but also to progress beyond.

After roughly wrapping up that conversation, a sudden thought emerged.

“…That might be why. Why I participated in Yoo Jin’s training.”

Not just as a streamer who must plan their path and forge ahead—choosing what to do and how to proceed—but as a Dark Zone user with a clear objective.

Maybe the appeal lay in focusing entirely on one goal without room for other thoughts, even if it was tiring.

My body was exhausted but my mind was at ease, something like that.

Of course, she wasn’t the kind of teacher to let that slide.

“──Let’s wrap up in about an hour. If the results aren’t good, it’ll be troublesome.”

“Ugh….”

Cancel, cancel.

Cancel what I just said.

I might have stepped into something I shouldn’t have.

– 100, and 20.

– This Saturday and Sunday. 100 refined in the flames of the battlefield, striving for twenty tickets to a broader world. Only one in five will have this chance, and the fierce battles surrounding it.

– Connect to Dark Zone now to witness this incredible opportunity firsthand….

“KSM? What’s that?”

“The AP tournament. Don’t you play Dark Zone?”

“Oh.”

Numerous electronic boards installed in the station.

Right next to the screen door.

Even the new carbon nanotube display screen ads on the subway glass.

As the concurrent viewers of the Apex Predator Preliminary Rank exceeded an unprecedented 500,000, Icarus intensified its advertising to fuel the fervor.

Thus, on TV, game play videos edited as spectacularly as, or even more than, movies were frequently aired, and the same went for internet site ads. Even the large screens on building walls in Seoul couldn’t escape this trend.

The numerous released access devices. Not just for gaming but for studying, submitting assignments, and real-time classes. It didn’t take long for the fact that this was just the tip of the iceberg of what could be done in virtual reality to spread widely.

Consequently, massive discounts and group purchases were organized, especially among universities and college students, more than half of whom had either completed or were about to complete their military service, making Dark Zone an ideal target.

“What’s the schedule ahead? Isn’t the Asian prelim two weeks after KSM? That’s during our midterms.”

“You can attend university next year. But the 3rd Apex Predator match is only this year.”

“Then it can’t be helped. I’ll have to sacrifice my test score.”

Such conversations were common.

A game played and known only by some had reached a status where even those unaware of it might find their conversations overlapping – and recently, a highly discussed topic among Dark Zone players was AP.

As popularity increased, it transitioned from a hobby to a culture.

Just like people talk about music, clothes, shoes, or soccer, it naturally gained equivalent status – and there was a saying known among those interested in AP.

“20 out of 100? I wonder who’ll make it this time.”

“20? This year it’s 19, what are you talking about?”

“19? What… Ah.”

An unchallengeable single spot.

As expected, competition was set to be fiercer this year. Because a spot reserved for only one person was already prepared – everyone knew this. It was a public fact that the teams’ plans, initially based on a quota of 20, had been significantly disrupted.

And regrettably, even the organization the person belonged to couldn’t avoid this.

“Should we list Yoo Jin as part of SSM? Or…”

“We need her permission. With all the attention on her.”

How to list Yoo Jin’s affiliation?

When her name topped the KSM participant list, SSM’s departments busied themselves for various reasons. Of course, maintaining contact with Yoo Jin

was essential. Dice roughly knew that Yoo Jin wouldn’t fuss over such matters, but failing to get permission was another issue entirely.

Of course, there was other work to be done as well. With the announcement of the KSM participants, SSM had to prepare in earnest. Including Yoo Jin, they had three participants; without her, two. With 10 AP pro teams and 20 participants, the average was the average.

“Anyway, congrats on making it to KSM. I knew you’d make it. You made it last year, and honestly, no one in SSM is better at AP than you… But why don’t you look happy?”

“…I should be happy, but….”

Why didn’t I feel joy?

His blue eyes under the blond hair slowly moved to look at his fellow pro gamer. Everyone knew – Yoo Jin’s training method could be described as grinding a steel rod called a person into a sword.

One silver lining was that the curriculum so far had been designed more for the 2nd team or trainees to raise SSM’s average power level – conversely, from now on, it wouldn’t be so.

KSM was confirmed, and depending on Dice’s performance, he might go through the Asian prelims and finals together.

Just thinking about it was daunting.

“Anyway, we’ll get an answer soon. We shouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“Right. I’m heading to prepare for KTM. See you later.”

Rising smoothly from the sofa, he added.

As he faded into the air, disappearing, Dice sighed and sank deeper into the sofa.

“Tiring, tiring.”

Of course, the real challenge hadn’t even started.

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