NOVEL WEB Chapter 94 - Poplar Ridge Correctional Complex
Chapter 94 – Poplar Ridge Correctional Complex
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“Hello, Dark Zone eSports fans! Your eSports Phoenix has returned after a whole year to bring you live AP coverage! I know you’ve all been eagerly waiting, and I’ve been just as excited for this match to start. It’s great to see you all again!”
“Hello, everyone. I’m Flame, the host tasked with providing commentary and a comprehensive overview of today’s matches.”
Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix!
I thought I was going to die waiting!
Is something big coming? Is something big coming? Is something big coming? Is something big coming? Is something big coming?
I took a day off just to watch this and waited every single day of the year for it, LOL
1,600 participants, wow, LOL, that’s 300 more than last time.
Tricky – The Dark Zone official broadcast has finally begun.
Among virtual reality games, it always ranks at the top in popularity. Thanks to this popularity, there are numerous ongoing matches, and the official broadcast channel consistently blinked red, delivering intense matches to viewers whenever it could.
In early September, at the border of late summer and early autumn, on a day when the heat and the occasional summer rain had not yet faded, the official broadcast of the Apex Predator Preliminary Rank began.
Beside the red light indicating the broadcast was live, the viewer count had already surpassed 70,000. The Apex Predator matches were more popular than other PVP categories, further boosted by ads plastered all over the internet.
The numbers kept climbing even after the broadcast officially started. This was expected by many. It wouldn’t stabilize until it far exceeded 100,000.
The game had only been in service for about five years, with professionals making their appearances for roughly three years. This meant the game and the professional scene still had immense potential.
The rising viewer count, now surpassing 120,000, hinted at this potential.
“The long and grueling tournament rank ended a few weeks ago. And the scrim to select numerous new talents and rising stars who could lead the next generation of AP just concluded recently.
Despite the tight schedule compared to last time, there were 300 more participants. This indicates an overall increase in the skill level of the participants, right?”
“Exactly. From the Medal of Honor tier that precisely cuts off the top 100, down to Tier 2, which grants the right to participate in the Preliminary Rank, there’s no fixed number. It’s based on the proportion of participants, so the more participants, the more people qualify.”
“Thank you for the excellent explanation.”
With a flick of the fingers, sixteen screens floated in the air in a 4×4 grid, all waiting to start matches. Each game involved a hundred participants, a total of sixteen games.
Out of these many people, only 100 could advance to KSM. This meant only six or seven people would survive from each game involving 100 participants.
Naturally, no one could escape the harsh logic of victory and defeat. Thus, players participating in the Preliminary Rank had to give their all, and the viewers’ enjoyment increased proportionally.
The caster’s words nailed it.
“Once again, several brutal matches where blood washes blood are expected to unfold today. The world of competition is ruthless and more brutal than anything. Only the strongest can survive and move up.”
“In a way, that’s the motto of AP soloing. Only one can stand at the top.”
The 160,000-viewer room was split into sixteen. Following the newly created subcategories, around thirty commentators, who had been waiting in other rooms, started their broadcasts in each room.
Due to the sheer number of matches happening at once, two people alone couldn’t cover everything. The solution was simple – increase the number of rooms to match the number of sessions.
It was a brute-force approach, but it worked. Viewers could go to rooms with their favorite pro gamers instead of watching unknown or rival players’ matches.
Soon, even the initially created broadcast room received its session assignment.
As the map was decided and 100 players waited in the private room before the game started, the commentators continued to raise the viewers’ expectations.
“Alright, let’s proceed with the commentary for the first match.
As you can see, the map assigned to our broadcast room is…yes, it’s Poplar Ridge Correctional Facility. It’s a prison converted from an island’s underground. The main gimmicks of the kill zone include crowd control gas, large electric field generators, and seawater injection.”
“Let’s check the player list. Ah, it’s really full of tough competitors. There are many familiar names and also quite a few new faces who have stood out this season. Phoenix caster, do you have anyone you’re particularly watching?”
“I think the players from Arcadia Games, who have a lot of experience in engaging in complex terrains, might have an advantage here. Given that the Poplar Ridge indoor map doesn’t have an exterior, it will be a real bloodbath.”
“Got it, thanks for the insight. Then I’ll pick…Player Yoo Jin.”
“Ahaha, isn’t that too standard a choice?”
Yoo Jin is a goddess! Yoo Jin is a goddess! Yoo Jin is a goddess! Yoo Jin is a goddess!
LOL, there she is, after all that searching
Moving natural disaster;;
I can already see people running away like crazy as soon as they see her, LOL
AIEEE!! Yoo Jin why!!!
Attention focused.
Soon, the viewer count for the broadcast room increased rapidly, surpassing 30,000 within minutes. It was no surprise. In the difficult battle royale genre, she was the only one who consistently reached the top with certainty, even among elite pro gamers.
Phoenix glanced at the chat and couldn’t help but laugh at one word.
“Haha, did you see what they said in the chat? They call her a moving natural disaster. Is there any better term to describe Yoo Jin?”
“I agree. She’s a user who demonstrates nearly impossible physical skills in every match. For those in the same match, she’s a disaster like no other. So let’s take a look at her setup.”
To make it visible to everyone, Yoo Jin’s preferred equipment was displayed in the air.
It wasn’t particularly unique, but one common trait was the focus on firepower over ergonomics and recoil control. The firearms she used were intimidating: MK18 Mjölnir, MG338, and even the Ash-12.7…
Commentators couldn’t help but comment on her preference, which was overwhelming just by looking at it.
“It’s a choice that screams confidence in recoil control. And she indeed has it.”
“That’s right. Do you think Phoenix caster Yoo Jin will take first place?”
“Well, it’s hard to say. Apex Predator is a PVP with numerous variables, trials, and tribulations, where only one person can reach the top. Predicting the result of a storm is difficult. It’s like the weather – even if the probability is high, it doesn’t always hit the mark.”
“Haha, that’s a wise answer. Thanks for answering such a trivial question. Let’s start the commentary in earnest.”
With the brief conversation over, dozens of screens were floated in the air.
It was a dizzying array of diverse perspectives.
Like CCTV, some were fixed on specific landmarks, others followed players, or were completely separated from the session, showing the movements of the hundred participants in real time.
Now it was time for the bullets to speak.
The match began.
Recently, if you asked pro players participating in the Apex Predator AP soloing Preliminary Rank what they most wanted to avoid, nine times out of ten, they’d say they wanted to avoid what’s called an “unfortunate situation.”
These included situations where an enemy appeared just as they lowered their guard, or when they were sandwiched between enemies without making a big mistake, among others. There were a lot of unfair and ill-timed situations.
However, as time passed, and as words’ meanings evolved or expanded, among AP soloing pro gamers, this term started to take on a new meaning – one of which was meeting Yoo Jin in an unlucky encounter.
Of course, they couldn’t openly talk about it.
If people who excel in this field because of their distinct skills, to the point of making it their career, avoided another player because they couldn’t beat them, it would mean they lost their competitive edge.
But.
If that person was right in front of them, could they say the same?
‘Damn, I think I’m screwed….’
Most of those who encountered Yoo Jin and didn’t survive – in other words, almost all users – said she closed in like a ghost.
When they started a firefight, assuming she was in a certain location, they were surprised by her extraordinary shooting accuracy, and if they took their eyes off her for even a moment due to an explosion or some other distraction, she would ambush them from an unexpected place.
Unfortunately, it was true.
───Rat-tat-tat-tat!
In the cafeteria section of the prison, which was much larger than expected but cluttered with various junk, they had initiated the firefight, landed effective hits, but couldn’t shake the feeling that things were going wrong after the pursuit.
That form. It was so distinctive that mistaking it would be foolish. The mottled snake tail flickering in the air would be engraved in one’s retina after just one glance.
But the figure carrying it moved unpredictably, as if blinking in and out of existence.
One by one, certainties disappeared.
They cast their eyes on where Yoo Jin should be and waited for her to emerge, but they couldn’t be sure. Was the enemy really there?
The tension was suffocating. Was it too late to throw a grenade? Many thoughts flooded their mind. But they tried to clear their mind of distracting thoughts.
There were roughly 10 to 15 rounds left in the magazine. There was still room. They remembered the point
Yoo Jin emphasized repeatedly.
They had to create room to maneuver.
Rattle.
Pulling out a grenade and removing the pin in one fluid motion.
As the smoothly thrown grenade flew through the air towards its target – in that brief moment, a blurry shadow shook and began to move.
That’s it.
“…!”
Fast.
Amidst the deafening gunfire, lead bullets crossed paths. Hexagonal barriers floated in the air, shielding them from the pouring bullets.
[Alert: Nanomachine remaining: 77%.]
‘Accuracy like this…!’
Though their position was somewhat revealed after the initial skirmish, this was too much.
The basic common sense was that accuracy plummeted when shooting while moving or aiming at moving targets, but it seemed common sense sometimes got denied.
Their brain’s alarm bells were sending bad signals. Just as they took a step towards the cover in the opposite direction, the gunfire resounded again. The nanomachine reserves dropped to below 30% in an instant.
This isn’t good.
And that thought was right.
───Boom!
“─Ugh!”
The grenade attack precisely timed to pierce the brief moment of reorganization after reaching the cover. For a moment, all senses, including sight and hearing, were paralyzed.
The nanomachine barrier completely shattered, offering one last chance for survival. But their mind was already filled with confusion. The more chaotic the surroundings, the more one-dimensional their thoughts became.
That was the situation now.
They couldn’t even decide whether to fight or flee, and the result of such indecision was, well.
It couldn’t be good.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
As soon as they laid eyes on the figure, a dull sound accompanied by a sharp turn of vision. Though their avatar blocked the sensation, the UI was filled with alarming messages.
[Alert: Multiple facial fractures detected.]
[Warning: Severe injury confirmed. Temporary vision loss due to orbital collapse.]
Thud.
Upon seeing that, they felt all willpower drain away like a receding tide.
Lying on the ground and signaling surrender, a surprisingly clear voice reached their ears. They’d heard it many times in videos, but it felt different hearing it in person.
“Do you have any last words?”
“…It’s a big misfortune in autumn.”
“Haha.”
Bang.
It was the last sound they heard before being ejected to the lobby.
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