NOVEL WEB Chapter 103 - Masterclass
Chapter 103 Masterclass
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“Huh.”
Lying on a bed in a private room of the building’s dormitory was one person.
Corvus.
Having stuffed dinner into his mouth and finished the last match of the week, he was still stuck at a crossroads, with lingering worries in his mind.
Maybe it was because he had a tiring day, or perhaps because of the sweets Whale bought him late in the afternoon. It could have been due to concentrating on the match or just lying in bed. Whatever the reason, his mind was quite hazy.
The offer received from the company’s PR team wasn’t much different from what Ulysses and Hyuk-jin had conveyed. Despite being wrapped in flowery words, the core request was whether they could use the clip.
What should I do?
It didn’t really matter much, but it felt uncomfortable to send a simple “go ahead” message. He didn’t like the idea of sending a clip showcasing his subpar performance.
Of course, they said they would focus more on that terrifying silhouette than on his gameplay…
He had checked his phone several times. Since a few messages came in a few minutes ago, there had been no further replies.
[Whale: Why ask me ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Whale: Laughing at your suffering and spreading it worldwide are two different things]
[Whale: It’s your pride at stake. It’s not my place to decide whether you should go ahead or not]
Whale was right.
It was his experience, and they were in a position to laugh about it. At least Whale understood this point clearly and refrained from being rude.
In the end, it was up to him to decide alone…
“If it were that easy, would I be lying here?”
It was a mix of too many complex emotions to bundle up into one.
He stared at the ceiling for a long time. Maybe he just didn’t want to make a decision. He didn’t understand why the PR department suddenly made such a proposal.
Just as his mind was about to lean towards rejecting the offer,
───Buzz.
“What now.”
A newly uploaded message from Whale appeared.
Uploaded after a short time gap. It wasn’t very long, nor was it particularly brief. The screen had been on, so the number 1 next to the message disappeared.
And then.
[Whale: Or just think of it as annoying her and send it ㅋㅋㅋ She’ll find it more bothersome if you send it]
[Whale: When else will you get a chance to legally and decently annoy that human tank]
“Oh.”
A spark hit his mind.
Ultimately, all this was about his complex feelings towards Yoo Jin since that incident. Not positive feelings, for sure, but if this choice could make her a bit more annoyed later…
Wouldn’t that be a legitimate and healthy form of revenge?
His hazy mind cleared up. People say that just one inspirational keyword can change your paradigm, and it turned out to be true.
Thoughts flooded his mind and then organized themselves into the desired shape, creating all kinds of scenarios. After sending a thank-you message to Whale, he entered his email inbox.
His fingers moved like they were motorized.
[To. Public Relation Department: This is Corvus regarding the proposal. Feel free to use my clip.
Also, I have a few questions. Do you have any upcoming interviews scheduled? If so, can I mention that a cinematic video is being produced?]
After some time, a positive reply came back filled with affirmative content.
Holding back a smile, he sent a thank-you email and briefly imagined the fireworks-filled future that awaited.
Lower-ranking users in the tournament rank, scrim, and preliminary rank periods would mention him in interviews to get noticed by pro gamers. Wouldn’t they at least provide some lip service about her?
Yoo Jin, who already had all sorts of bizarre and fierce nicknames, was about to get another one.
A very positive revenge had begun.
“You’re here earlier than expected! How did it go?”
“Not much different from usual.”
Did you come in first again?!!!!?????
Of course ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Who else would describe first place like that ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin! Yoo Jin!
She is a god! She is a god! She is a god! She is a god! She is a god!
Naturally, Yoo Jin continued to sail smoothly, unconcerned with anything.
“Good job today.”
“Ugh, it’s finally over….”
Today’s stream came to an end.
As expected, the more missions Yoo Jin completed with Harmony, the faster the main story’s opening rate began to rise.
Focusing on the main story, the Operators started cutting off the octopus-like tentacles that Artemis had extended in all directions. Meanwhile, they completely shattered two of Artemis’s companies’ facilities and significant parts of their forces through the first two missions.
Given that Artemis had sold data to China and Russia to secure their survival, it was likely they met a tragic end from Artemis’s perspective.
Of course.
The story wouldn’t end there. From my memory, and in this game, the actions of Artemis had snowballed into a massive avalanche, leading to a full-scale invasion by hostile forces.
As I had briefly explained before, Artemis had its hand in the US defense to some extent. Just consider that one of the first Artemis missions involved acquiring the skill ‘Pulse’ from the ICARUS Gear.
Therefore, the high-ups in the military-industrial complex, who were previously only dabbling in homeland security, knew quite a bit of useless information. The technology they handed over didn’t just include unmanned drones.
So, what kind of snowball effect did that create?
[Notification: A message was transmitted via a classified network.]
[Notification: It concerns the rapid decline in defensive capabilities along the coastline post-pandemic.]
“…What now?”
“The waters off New York have become a playground for enemies. It means we’ll be busier.”
Estimating roughly what was left to do… Before the full-scale invasion started, they would probably gather scattered friendly forces around Washington. After reclaiming the White House, they would reconnect the satellite network by heading to NASA.
After that, they would support necessary areas, alternating between the waters off New York, Washington, and Virginia. In short, there wouldn’t be much time to stay in New York.
When I explained this to Harmony, she didn’t take it well.
“How can a few Operators handle all this? They must think we’re superhuman. Does the scenario writer think we’re invincible or something?”
“…Well, I guess.”
…Why does it hurt to listen?
What kind of time did my past self go through?
After shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I returned to HQ. With fast travel unlocked, getting back was instant. Although it was winter, the place was bustling with activity, unlike when I first arrived.
Considering that mission activities were somewhat reflected in real-time, it was a natural outcome.
As we headed to the personal space allocated inside the facility, Harmony mumbled nostalgically.
“About a month ago, we crawled in here not knowing anything about the Unauthorized Zone, remember?”
“It was really… nothing.”
“It wasn’t that bad!”
Of course, it was that bad.
Reminding her of the time when we dealt with magazines, she stammered before eventually sinking. As expected but she had improved significantly since then. In fact, she had improved more than significantly.
She seemed to be aware of this to some extent, as she soon brought up a related topic.
“Don’t you think my skills have improved a lot?”
“They’ve risen almost vertically.”
“Wow! Really? That much?”
“I don’t lie about these things.”
It wasn’t just a compliment; it was the truth.
She had been forced to absorb various knowledge while sticking with me. I had also heard that during her off-stream time, she practiced at the shooting range.
As I had repeatedly said special forces soldiers are not born but made. Considering this, even in a game, she was following the proper procedures.
Even though you don’t have to worry about gun malfunctions in the game, checking and cleaning the gun while sitting on the cot had become routine.
Being in a party, Harmony entered the space and looked around, adding,
“This really is a room like Yoo Jin’s. So empty. You’re not like this at home, are you?”
“I’m not the type to keep a lot of things…”
“…Well, I guess your house is filled with exercise equipment. Or maybe protein shakes. I know someone like that, so it’s not entirely unfamiliar. Am I right?”
“…”
“See, I knew it.”
…I didn’t raise Harmony to be a nagger.
But maybe it was good to have someone who pointed out such things. We exchanged various conversations.
After talking for a while,
“You want to receive more systematic guidance?”
“Well… yes?”
“What made you think that all of a sudden?”
It didn’t seem like she thought deeply before speaking.
However, it was tricky to dismiss it because, while she often took things lightly, she was also stubborn enough to see things through once she started.
So, at this point, wouldn’t it be right to give her a reason to take things more seriously?
I decided to hear her out more.
“I can’t always be with you, so when I’m not there… or when I join crew members I haven’t met in a while or participate in a team play, I shouldn’t hold them back, right? That’s it, kind of.”
“I understand what you’re saying.”
I didn’t mention that her current skills were sufficient. Instead of stating the obvious
, I thought it was better to keep her motivated.
After a brief consideration, I decided to somewhat fulfill Harmony’s wish.
“I won’t say much. Come out two hours before the stream.”
“Uh… in virtual reality?”
“Of course not.”
Click.
After completing the reassembly of the gun, I put it in the cage and added,
“Let’s start with six hours a day.”
For the foreseeable future, gunfire wouldn’t leave my ears.
[Doll: ㅑㅑㅑㅑㅑㅑㅑㅑㅑ]
[Doll: I confess my true feelings]
[Aurora: Boundary Line Prevention]
[Doll: Wow, too much]
[Doll: Look at the numbers not disappearing]
[Doll: Moni!!!]
[Doll: We’re all going to die!!!]
[Son of Gangneung, Seo Hyo-chan: Damn, where’s this noise coming from]
[Son of Gangneung, Seo Hyo-chan: Excuse me, Mr. Stone. If you don’t want your shin and boots to become intimate, keep it down]
[Doll: Tweet tweet]
[Reservist for 15 years: What’s happening now ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Limit: As expected, internet braggart ㄷㄷ]
[Limit: So what’s going on?]
[Doll: It’s nothing special, but Harmony has been playing Dark Zone for a while now]
[Doll: Wouldn’t it be nice to do some cooperative content once she hits max level]
[Doll: I brought it up, so it doesn’t matter if no one joins, but anyone up for it?]
[SaltBunny: gg?]
[Hotteok: Can’t resist a newbie ㅋㅋ]
[Aurora: Our cute Noknyangi is becoming a gym addict ㅡㅡ;; Hotteok can’t come!]
[Doll: If you come, then 3/4]
[Limit: Ha, I can’t resist dragging a newbie around without hitting max level first]
[Planetarium: This place is weird even if it becomes a big company ㅋㅋ]
[Planetarium: Isn’t Harmony hanging out with someone really good lately? Maybe even better than us?]
[Limit: It’s a bit disappointing, but she’s only been doing the main missions, so who knows ㅋㅋ]
[Limit: Doll brought it up, so let us know about the schedule!]
[Doll: Okay, okay~~]
[Doll: Harmony doesn’t check Engram room much these days, so I’ll contact her]
[SaltBunny: Good]
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