Chapter 81

Practice room of Team Proud.

Even though they had clearly achieved commendable results, Wild was forgotten by everyone for not having lifted the championship trophy and was once again fervently practicing today.

He felt something was off.

“Lately, the ranking levels seem strange, don’t they?”

Something about the solo rankings had gone awry.

“There’s been an increase in people acting strangely.”

Checking a match history site to see if he had been matched against unusually low-ranked players, he confirmed it was actually a Challenger-tier match.

“That’s because of your brother’s friend.”

“Who? Victory?”

“No, not the male Victory. Female Victory.”

“Seol is not female Victory; Victory is male Seol.”

The practice room was already overrun by Seol’s broadcast influence.

Wild felt a complicated mood as team members spouted memes from the broadcast.

It felt like Seol had stolen the rival position closest to Victory.

He’d never reached the same level.

He was always the challenger looking up to those above him.

Yet, from somewhere nearby, a bird had flown higher than him.

Was the flightless tiger to merely gawk from the mountaintop?

No, he couldn’t give up.

“So, what did she do to mess up the rankings?”

“Originally, when people gave feedback on games, it was focused on physical aspects since those were the most visible. But after watching Seol’s broadcast, they realized that play management was also key.”

“Didn’t we conclude that implementing such in solo rankings was impossible?”

Starting Points are random.

There are too many possible outcomes.

Team members are random.

No one even knows who will give orders.

Ultimately, in solo rankings, each player can only do their best from their position, and that’s it.

Therefore, solo rankings will naturally be lower than tournaments.

That was the conclusion.

“What kind of broadcast did Seol do?”

“Super Computer simulation broadcasting?”

“Zhuge Liang’s strategy and Lu Bu’s might!”

“It was actually simpler than expected. Instead of guessing what the team or enemy will do, you calculate what each person out of the 10 players might do individually.”

“She’s a god!”

One of them was already a devoted fan.

Wild asked the somewhat saner of the group,

“So, are the rankers breaking down because they’re thinking too much?”

“Some are deliberately messing with the gameplay so as not to reveal their strategies through orthodox moves.”

“It’s already hard to counter orthodox styles. Can you imagine disrupting solo rankings play?”

“See? That’s why things are getting weird.”

“Seol poisoned the ranking game!”

Wild finally understood the state of the ranking games.

Trying incomplete strategies and applying forceful techniques has led everyone into a mass martial arts paradox.

‘Really incredible influence, that guy.’

To become famous enough to change the ranking landscape…

‘If they gather things they gave up on, their level will surely climb higher.’

No one can easily follow Seol’s operations.

But now, people who had previously given up are trying hard to reach what they lost.

If that continues,

maybe game levels will become somewhat normalized in the near future.

Wild thought.

“Seol’s broadcast, go!”

‘Dong-woo is already ruined.’

What’s a pro gamer turned streamer zealot going to do?

Well, there’s much to learn, but I doubt it’s the reason he likes her.

[Victory]

As the victory message appeared, I vocalized my thoughts.

“Since the dissection room went away, the game has paradoxically become easier.”

Instead of humans playing fundamentally, they’re stuck with thoughts like, ‘if you can’t stop Seol, you lose,’ leading to strange plays.

“They say a tiger’s roar alone can freeze humans in fear, am I already to that level?”

[The tiger in the arena, damn!]

[What’s the Otaku concept about?]

[Is it really a concept?]

How long has it been since I declared top rank and streamed 8 hours a day?

Somehow, my score had climbed over 2500 points.

[Breaking News) Seol enters double digits]

<9th place?>

[Already there?]

[No one can stop this woman]

[Seol = god]

[Shouldn’t it be goddess?]

[Can’t have that, hitting No. 1 will end the double live time event]

[All things come to an end]

[Caring for your health, please focus on streaming]

[No point when you care?]

[Audience health matters too]

[Vacationing Seol supporter]

[With a broadcast of 8 hours, it’s impressive she’s still fine?]

“I’m not that frail. Pretty healthy… healthy…”

[Why hesitating?]

[Assumed to be a legendary life pattern]

[Continuous 8-hour streaming is tough]

[Once the broadcast ends, the rest of the day is spent in bed]

No exercise, barely stepping out, almost always on the bed.

All truths, arrows are piercing my heart.

[Anonymous donated 10,000 won.]

─”Are you not placing a heavy counterweight on your desk while playing? It can damage your back.”

[Huh!]

[Is that sexual harassment? A bit vague]

[It’s concern for your health?]

[The host gets upset, it’s all sexual harassment]

[But keeping your back straight might mess up your shoulders?]

[Somebody will break eventually… looks good but really a curse]

[Many envy that curse]

[True overindulgence]

[Eyes on sound, everyone shut up]

[Completely tone-deaf]

Sorry kids.

You’re overthinking.

Completely false.

Of course, this is confusion to avoid being identified by reality.

It’s not from envying big breasts I’m lying.

As a 100% pure male spirit, how could I envy that?

The bundle of charms that only attracts men, what’s so great about it?

Of course, Venus is different.

That is a great motherly love, rather Agape, that holds all hatred and sin.

“Sometimes I suddenly feel immense love for Venus.”

[What context?]

[Forced confession]

[You saw a habitual confession]

[Comradeship of the haves]

[Me too, suddenly feel immense love for Seol]

[ALL. SA. (Seol love)]

[Anonymous donated 10,000 won.]

─”So, will you attend the Kuroichi signing?”

“Huh? What’s this about?”

Kuroichi, the scenario writer of Magical Girl Chronicles, the series I love featuring Venus.

Of course, I can’t attend a signing, living in Japan.

[Kuroichi is visiting Korea]

Why is he suddenly in South Korea?

[He’s here for a theatre greeting and signature event]

With the rise in remakes of forgotten magical girls, it seems the mobile game of Magical Girl Chronicles is also coming out.

Mobile games based on Otaku IPs always seem to miss the mark, don’t they?

Please stop the cannibalization!

‘Signing event… signing event…’

I love Venus.

The creator of the character and its story is Kuroichi.

I deeply respect them.

If I could meet once, I’d like to see them, though I don’t particularly place great meaning on signatures but would be glad to receive one.

Still, I must say I can’t go, right?

If I truly don’t go, it ends there.

But if I go, the chance of being found out reduces, which is an advantage, right?

“Seems tough to attend. Probably.”

[You’ll be spotted immediately]

[Too easily identifiable]

[Calling something ‘something’ makes no sense]

[Why can’t you say something?]

– Deleted message.

[Oh no, someone left…]

[Illegal fan meet participation]

[Why hide your identity so much? Hmm…]

[Easy to say when it’s not your business]

[Female streamers must be cautious]

[Random greetings might be considered stalking. If you see someone like Seol, act like you don’t know them]

[Especially avoid overly creepy Otaku]

[Woah… the atmosphere just got tense]

Separate from the sudden bout of melancholy of one TruBu fan, it felt reassuring to glance at the chat.

Most people are still level-headed.

It’s the odd few causing issues.

But even if the chance is low, for the victim, it’s 100%.

No matter how I think about it, I doubt the day will come when I reveal my identity.

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