LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 185 - Tactic Change
Chapter 185 – Tactic Change
“Yes, this is delicious. But Yoo Jin, you can’t eat it, can you? Hehe. I’ll eat your portion too.”
“You haven’t seen the unboxing video, have you?”
“Oh.”
-What? Is she taunting Yoo Jin because cats have nine lives? Does she not fear the consequences?
-LOL, if she has nine lives, it only takes nine axe strikes LOL
-Do they think Yoo Jin is a berserker mad with blood or something? LOL
-Huh? Isn’t she? I thought it was something like that LOL
-Good grief LOL
Her fear had faded significantly.
Perhaps it was because I hadn’t seen her in a while, but today, Harmony was especially playful. If I were really there, I would have pulled her cheeks on both sides. Well, I’ll save that for another time. There will be plenty of opportunities.
Anyway, Harmony was sitting at the table having a late lunch. She said she had skipped a meal because she was busy preparing and coming to Yongsan since the morning. The tournament started at 1 PM, and it was currently 12:01 PM, so there was plenty of time.
Harmony bought some simple food from a convenience store and was slurping noodles with her cheeks puffed out. I was the one broadcasting. What did that mean? My first-person perspective was exactly what the viewers were seeing. It felt as if I had become a living camera.
Maybe this is how it feels when you abandon your human body and switch to a mechanical one.
“Anyway, I’m unexpectedly acting as a living broadcast camera, so if the view is strange, let me know anytime.”
-The front view is weird. Turn your head and show us your butt!!!!!!!
-Tail!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Yoo Jin, this is weird. There’s no tail, Yoo Jin
-Ah, anyway, something is wrong LOL
-Picking a fight with anything ON
Sigh.
My fist trembled.
Putting that aside, Harmony’s appetite had increased a lot compared to before. I had repeatedly nagged her to eat reasonably and exercise diligently, instead of indulging in bad habits of eating snacks. It paid off.
Her posture had improved, and she lost some weight from her face. Although, what she was stuffing in her mouth now was cup noodles, a hot bar, and frozen dumplings. If I were really there and not just a projection, I would have taken her somewhere better.
Harmony, perhaps sensing my silent gaze, added a half-hearted excuse.
“Ah, sometimes junk food just hits the spot. Hehe.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Harmony made a rather aggrieved face. Maybe she felt my gaze was intense. It’s true that people often felt pressured by me, so I couldn’t say it was entirely their fault… Still, I hoped she would eat something better.
Not that I couldn’t understand. Such food has its own charm. Of course, it’s not suitable for every meal.
Moreover, there was a slightly more troublesome situation now.
“Ah, is that Harmony…? Yoo Jin!”
“Wow, amazing! I’m a real fan! Wow!”
“Ahaha, thank you. But please keep your voice down a bit.”
Fans.
If I had to choose between wanting them or not, I’d choose the latter. But that didn’t mean I disregarded the possibility. I was fully aware that it was impossible not to meet any fans with so many people around.
Naturally, I was also watching her broadcast before she temporarily received ownership of the hologram projector and activated it. Seeing the large crowd outside made even me feel overwhelmed. It was impossible for Harmony and me not to be approached by fans.
If you asked whether I welcomed it, I’d probably say no, but I was now an influencer. I had to be considerate of even a single fan.
At least it was fortunate that it was a hologram.
Because Harmony was busy signing and taking pictures.
“…Here you go. Enjoy watching the match today!”
“Thank you! Yoo Jin, good luck with today’s match!”
“Thank you for your support.”
When people realized they couldn’t get a handshake or a signature, they often left with a disappointed look and a remark. Since Harmony had come here herself, she bore the brunt of that. It was a fair exchange.
Still, mealtime was more important, so Harmony told the broadcast, “Please wait until my meal is over.” It was quite effective. The number of people approaching significantly decreased.
Only then did we resume our conversation comfortably.
“How’s your condition today? Do you think you can do well?”
“I’m always in my usual mode. My condition isn’t particularly bad. Besides, in virtual reality, such conditions don’t matter much.”
“Come to think of it, that’s true. Anyway, if you’re in your usual mode, you can do well as always! I’ll be cheering for you!”
“…Yeah. Something like that.”
That wasn’t too sensitive a remark, so I nodded slightly. As a streamer and a national representative, I had to be careful not to make derogatory remarks about players from other countries.
It was almost 1 PM. Harmony, who had thrown away all the trash and cleaned the table, held her slightly bulging belly and took deep breaths repeatedly. It seemed her belly had shrunk a bit compared to before.
She repeated her deep breathing several times before making eye contact with me. She smiled slightly, looking like she wanted to hear something.
“Your body seems much lighter than before.”
“Right? As expected of Yoo Jin. You’ve got a sharp eye. I’ve lost 5kg in two months. My body fat percentage has dropped a lot too.”
“Good. Let’s aim for a final body fat percentage of 20%.”
-Are they broadcasting or what?
-Why are they having a sweet conversation by themselves!!!!!!!!!!!
-Oh… we… were abandoned…????
-LOL, what are viewers then? LOL
-Hmph, if you like Yoo Jin so much, go get married then!!!!!!!!!
Sigh.
The chat window… How should I put it, it’s like dealing with a bunch of high-maintenance kids.
They either line up single-character chats when you don’t watch for a while or throw tantrums.
The troublemakers get kicked out automatically, so it wasn’t a big problem.
I’ll leave the minor things to Harmony.
It was 12:30 PM, so I had somewhere to be too.
“Then I’ll be going now. I remember the seat being very close to the front, so see you later. I’ll wave at you.”
“Oh, you’re leaving? Are you going back to your main job?”
“Both this and the tournament activities are my main job. Saying it like that could cause misunderstandings.”
“Hehe.”
-What? Yoo Jin isn’t going to broadcast anymore? (Hearing loss)
-Is it time to lie down and beg for a broadcast?
-This chat is full of crazy people LOL
-LOL, I like it. The contrarian spirit kicks in LOL
-Harmony’s subtly provoking LOL
Before long, I arrived at the main arena.
A huge size fitting its 10,000 seats. A near-futuristic design crafted with great care and several large screens hanging on the walls. An open central stage perfect for introducing players. And even the entire ceiling made of screen panels.
Even if you didn’t come to Yongsan in person, you could connect via VR, and for those who came here directly, it was designed to make them feel as if they were watching the match with tens of thousands of people. It was virtual reality implemented over reality.
To put it gently, it was a kind of modern alchemy.
I intended to give her shoulder a pat and say goodbye, but it seemed this was it. The stadium, packed with people who arrived before Harmony, carrying all sorts of snacks, was the last thing I saw.
The farewell was brief.
“See you later.”
“I’ll see you later.”
Now it was time for gunpowder and blood.
“Finally, the day has arrived, the day you all have been eagerly awaiting—the Asia Preliminary Rounds are here! Everyone, please respond with a big round of applause for this event and for everyone gathered here—!!!”
**Waaaaah!**
The heat, sweat, and deafening cheers and applause, which had been intentionally suppressed or adjusted in virtual reality, burst forth without any restrictions, bouncing off the walls like wild horses.
The noise was closer to a roar than a cheer. The collective shout of ten thousand people was truly immense. Since the introduction of the pro gamers hadn’t even begun, only a single host stood at the center of the stage, absorbing the full weight of the pouring cheers.
My body tingled, my breath quickened, and it felt like every hair on the back of my neck was standing on end. A mixture of tension, fear, thrill, and professionalism stirred emotions even I couldn’t identify.
But as usual, as my body remembered, I continued to speak professionally.
“It has indeed been a long wait. The fervent support from everyone gathered here tingles down to my bones. Thank you all for coming today. It is an honor to stand here. But now, it’s time to introduce another mainstay of this Asia Preliminary Round.”
At that moment, flames erupted.
Two individuals immediately came to mind.
“Let me introduce to you the casters and commentators who will play a big role in this Asia Preliminary Round!”
If grandeur could be expressed through music, it would feel like this.
With a BGM mixed with vibrations that made not only the ears but the whole body tremble, two individuals dressed in the unique attire of casters and commentators descended the stairs between the open stages. But that wasn’t all. About ten more people, also casters and commentators, followed them.
In total, fourteen people. These essential figures, who brought new life to the broadcast screens and could never be omitted from such a tournament, ascended the stage proudly.
Cheers and applause poured down again. From the audience’s perspective, they were all familiar faces. Thus, the introduction didn’t last long—for the aforementioned reason but mainly because the main dish was yet to come.
Proving that, the host’s voice rose again.
It was their turn.
“Now, it’s time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Let’s welcome the Korean national team, who will be competing with all their might for two days in the name of Korea—!!!”
At that moment, breathless cheers erupted from everyone.
Fireworks and sparks began to explode around the main gate of the central stage. Amid the dazzling lights that repeatedly flickered and shone, the doors opened to the sides with a noise like air escaping.
One step.
Cheers erupted with each step taken.
Two steps.
All ten thousand spectators captured the sight of twenty individuals proudly walking in, either with their own eyes or through the holographic screens before them.
Next, three steps.
When the audience cheered, the national team members responded by waving their hands around. None of them had stern expressions. Their determined gazes faced the pressure from the ten thousand spectators and tens of thousands more head-on.
And amidst this, an irresistible sight unfolded.
Two individuals, evidently unusual. One at the forefront, moving heavily with a serpent-like tail, and another following, waving familiarly to the surroundings.
The identities of these two, still unknown to the public, ironically drew much more attention than the eighteen pro gamers following behind them. And anyone capable of taking in the entire scene would undoubtedly know who they were.
Yoo Jin and Dice.
They were the two pillars leading the Korean national team from the front.
“Next, let’s introduce the national representatives from Russia, Japan, the Chinese Federation, and Taiwan who have traveled from afar to Korea! Please give them a big round of applause!”
Cheers swelled.
This time, voices came from beyond the holographic panels. As the screens of each panel changed, viewers from the mentioned countries appeared.
Meanwhile, the central stage door, which had closed, opened again. The Korean team, introduced first, had already moved to their allocated section according to the marked lines on the floor and were seated, waiting for the others.
One by one, representatives from Russia, Japan, China, and Taiwan took their places.
Finally, after all one hundred people had settled on the vast central stage, the host continued.
“The rules of the Asia Preliminary Rounds are the same as the national selection rounds that everyone here has experienced, except that there is no preliminary selection. Please keep this in mind, and we will now proceed with the map draw!”
There wasn’t much formality.
There was no grand or visually pleasing drawing board. The map simply appeared, as if announced, before the eyes of the hundred participants and the millions of viewers behind them.
The first map was the Kalamansk Nuclear Waste Disposal Site.
—
And after about two rounds had progressed,
───Swoosh!
“…?”
That one too.
───Tadadak!
“…Sss.”
And that one too.
From my perspective, the enemies I encountered at what seemed a sufficiently close range for engagement were all cautiously withdrawing to avoid detection by her.
Even those I happened to meet widened the engagement radius, pinging the area in a way to avoid direct confrontation—what you might call a ‘tactical retreat.’
If I felt an engagement was unavoidable, I would take the enemy’s life somehow… Yeah, I had to admit. At this point, I was essentially being avoided. From the enemies’ standpoint, the risk of engaging me was too high to take a gamble.
This was, after all, the stage of the Asia Preliminary Rounds.
“Hmm.”
But of course, I never said I liked it.
And there wasn’t only one way I could engage. I could adjust my tactics even during an engagement. I needed to rearm at this point, but it wasn’t difficult.
Instead of a thick bulletproof vest that covered most of my body, I wore only a Hexagrid plate that protected crucial areas. Instead of a heavy sniper rifle with high damage per shot, I carried an ordinary gun with a high rate of fire. The caliber didn’t matter much.
I quickly zeroed in and inserted the magazine.
───Clack!
If the enemy avoided me, I’d seek them out.
It was time to shift my strategy from pressure to ‘hunting.’