NOVEL WEB Chapter 95 - Eye of the Storm
Chapter 95 – Eye of the Storm
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Apex Predator, which was set up as a kind of combat simulation rather than actual combat, was filled with content that was different from most other Dark Zone content, which had mostly adapted my past experiences. It was filled with scenarios I had never actually experienced.
In the past, the farthest I’d ever gone was from New York to California. Even though this was a considerable distance, it was still within my operational radius. I had never actually been to such places.
In other words, every battle I faced in Apex Predator was new to me.
However, the path I walked was also a stepping stone to higher places. This meant that I had built a foundation to handle new situations effectively.
As I went higher, the level of users I encountered noticeably increased. Although I didn’t want to brag, there were occasional instances where others took first place instead of me.
Yet, the number of participants remained constant. No matter how high I went, the number 100 never changed.
This meant that less attention was focused on individual participants, and unless someone stood out blatantly, the audience’s attention quickly shifted.
Even I found it hard to count how many people I’d encountered and killed, so what about the viewers whose interests changed even faster?
Regardless, I never paid much attention to such things. Rather than worrying about external views, I focused on what I could do. It had always been that way.
In other words, I approached every engagement as if it were the last. Although KSM hadn’t started yet and the Asian preliminaries were far off, there was no guarantee that I would participate.
If all the questions I had about the Dark Zone were resolved immediately, I would quit this game without hesitation after a minimal wrap-up. I would reminisce about the past with that.
Would that day ever come?
I had spoken useless words for too long.
Anyway, for the other users who had waited for this day and made countless efforts, I had to respond accordingly — although it was just a simple excuse.
-[Warning: This area will be flooded in 3 minutes and 37 seconds.]
I had been lost in thought, and before I knew it, the ground was sloshing with water. I felt like I had seen such a scene not long ago. Was it déjà vu?
It wouldn’t take long for the area to be sealed off. The seawater rose from the outside, but the water also seeped in under the pretext of facility damage.
With splashing sounds, I moved my steps.
“…Please kill me….”
“Oh, right.”
Thud.
It was better to be ejected to the lobby quickly than to drown.
I put my opponent, who was incapacitated, out of their misery with one shot, and they disappeared with a smile. It felt a bit odd, but it was better this way, I thought.
Leaving the rising water behind, I vanished beyond.
Time passed without much difference today as well.
“Ah, is my voice coming through well? Hello. How are you?”
Like any place, the world of professional gamers was incredibly diverse. Some wanted to keep their personal lives private, others thrived on attention, and still others fell somewhere in between.
Unsurprisingly, there were plenty who often communicated with viewers or fans. Professional gamers couldn’t exist without those who watched them.
And here, Evler from Arcadia Games’ first team was one of those who frequently communicated with fans and viewers through streaming.
As soon as the preliminary rank matches ended on Thursday, he started his stream.
Viewers began to gather one by one.
Being a professional gamer meant having the skill to appeal to people as a streamer. He was one of those who could easily make a living as an independent broadcaster even if he wasn’t a pro.
Viewers flooded the chat with “Eh-Hi” — short for “Evler Hi.” The special opening event for the AP soloing match had attracted more viewers than usual. The numbers stabilized only after surpassing 2,000.
Until enough viewers gathered, he talked about trivial things, then carefully changed the title of the stream.
-[Title: Let’s Talk About Today’s Preliminary Rank!］
From here on, it was all about his storytelling skills.
He carefully opened his mouth and started the full-fledged communication broadcast.
“I’ve been active as an AP pro gamer for a year and three months now. Last year too, AP soloing… I feel like I’m being vague. Anyway, what I feel while doing this is, where do all these skilled people come from every match?”
-The fact that you joined the first team in just about a year means you’re a natural talent, right?
-Seeing the kids fight is scary lol
-Every match is legendary ㄷㄷ;ㅎ;;
-Did they scrape up all the ROK Special Forces?
-Fact) Considering that, this guy consistently stays in the top ranks.
“Hey, I’m no natural talent. There’s almost no one like that in this field. Everyone here would be training till their bodies break if this was real. I also practice for twelve hours a day. If virtual reality didn’t exist, I might have died from this.”
Natural talent.
Where did that term come from? Even the famous pianist in history said that if he missed a day of practice, he would know, and if he missed three days, the audience would know. Who could achieve great results by just breathing?
It was a common misconception. But now wasn’t the time to debate the definition of the word. I let the minor irritation drift away on the waves of my thoughts.
There were plenty of relatable topics even without worrying about such things.
The preliminary rank match could be humorously described as random obstacle defense. Some obstacles could be easily overcome, some required desperate effort, and some… well.
Were they really designed to be overcome?
That question naturally spilled from my lips.
“Anyway, it really feels like the world reminds you every time that practice alone isn’t enough. I wonder if my perspective would have changed if I had taken first place even once. My best rank over these four days was fifth….”
-Being fifth out of so many people is impressive.
-I think you can make it to KSM? 100 people is a wide margin.
-You can do it, you can do it lol
-The real problem starts after the selection match lol
-Because there are so many people, each match is intense….
Fifth out of so many people.
It was nice to hear, but considering that during the preliminary rank period — aside from the top ranks — the average total session a player participated in was about 50 to 65 matches, one match didn’t mean much.
Many people overlooked the fact that tournaments demanded significant physical and mental endurance from all pros. Especially the four-month marathon leading from regional matches to the Asian preliminaries and then the final championship — the One Above All match was even more so.
There was always a big difference between what could be said aloud and what remained as thoughts.
Naturally, the topic shifted elsewhere.
Evler was part of Arcadia Games, and among the first and second leagues within the company, those who enjoyed communication were not in the minority. After all, professional gamers lived close to the medium through which they could communicate.
As long as the topic wasn’t sensitive and it ultimately helped improve their public image, it was okay to share the current situation.
And anyone interested in AP matches would already know this.
“Still, Arcadia is doing quite well. There aren’t any particularly underperforming players, and those who will go to KSM will likely make it without issue. Everyone is just that good.”
No matter how high-level the game was, where one would meet the same pro gamers several times per match, the preliminary rank was ultimately just another beginning. To meet the selected players from other countries, you had to face two more high walls.
One was the preliminary rank, which I’d mentioned several times recently, and the next was KSM. From 1,600, only 100 would remain, then 20. After one out of 16 survived, only 20% would remain.
It was a bit early to argue about who was doing well or poorly.
After experiencing such a wall of numbers, one naturally started to envy those who were better.
Even in the professional world, there was a hierarchy of skill. Some were slightly better, some consistently produced excellent results, and some were expected to comfortably make it into the top 100.
Among them, however, were those who were so difficult to even look at, that it felt ironic to envy them.
-What left the biggest impression on you during today’s matches?
“Thank you for the 1,000-won donation! Let’s see… what was there….”
And naturally, the donation’s content triggered a reaction, merging with my earlier thoughts, branching out vigorously.
Once the trigger was pulled, vivid memories, including nonexistent sensations, flashed back as if experiencing them again. Numerous fragments of language that emerged suddenly poured out unfiltered.
It was my job to gather those pieces and turn them into coherent sentences.
“Ah, right. Speaking of which… I don’t know if anyone has been closely watching my play, but I had a particularly gruesome death today. Those who are quick-witted or have been paying close attention to the recent AP soloing matches would know what I’m talking about.”
The response was immediate.
It was expected.
-Oh lol, you got done in by ‘that person.’
-lol why does it feel like I know who you mean without any mention
-‘The Tail Killer’
-Pro gamers’ nightmare lolololol
-This is hilarious lol
As expected.
No one was unaware. After the tournament rank safely concluded, the stories about her — Yoo Jin — that circulated in Xi and SSM were limited to a few in the professional circles.
But once the scrims ended and the preliminary rank officially began, she
… She seemed to soar, as if determined to hammer the absurd rumors into everyone’s minds.
No, rather than soaring… perhaps a storm was a better metaphor.
She was a massive whirlwind all by herself.
“Well, yeah… no one seems unaware. Yes, I was taken down by that person. Completely. I might have been better off getting hit by a car. Can I say this? I’m somewhat close to Michael from Reaper Infected, and he got thoroughly beaten.”
-The man who flew with his shield, Michael lololololol
Seriously.
Countless horror stories about her were updated daily, and even if it had happened just once, the legend would have risen among the top tales of this year’s preliminary rank. It was hard to keep track of them all.
As stories about Yoo Jin began to pour out, as if opening a floodgate, there was no stopping them once the conversation started.
Naturally, the viewers’ concentration increased. First-hand accounts were more entertaining than second-hand gossip. Sharing everything he knew was inevitable. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Where they had encountered her, the situation at the time, the choices made, and how they were defeated… with passion, he delivered a lengthy speech.
Eventually, he lost track of time,
“…Wait, why did the viewership suddenly increase so much?”
4,558 viewers.
Nearly twice his average viewership had quietly gathered in the chat.
Of course, it wasn’t just limited to him.