Chapter 32

The viewer was right. The enemy City Core was Bbangbbang.

I couldn’t believe it, but since Pape vouched for it, I eventually accepted it.

Well, it’s a world where people can transform into a new breed that doesn’t need sleep.

It wasn’t strange for a Support to transform into the core of the game, the City Core.

“You managed to become the City Core. Did Bbangbbang also do game development?”

[Are you trying to get hit by a million Support users?]

“Support is a great position. And Bbangbbang wasn’t a Support, but a Supporter.”

I condemned Bbangbbang for subtly trying to act like a Support.

At my words, Bbangbbang hesitated slightly and then spoke.

[Hey…]

“Go ahead.”

[My old nickname. It’s okay to abbreviate it, but can’t say the full thing?]

“Of course. I respect others’ privacy.”

Confidently speaking, Bbangbbang sighed and replied.

[You already said it. Did you spill it while talking with Pape?]

How did you know? You’re like a ghost.

[But the nickname itself isn’t a problem. I do like bread.]

“Of course. Everyone seems to know that.”

[…Did you tell them I liked your sister’s character too?]

“Bbangbbang seems like you’d be good at deduction games.”

Mos is a fake who succeeded in deduction by luck, but the real one is Bbangbbang.

If this evaluation is unsatisfactory, Mos can challenge me to a deduction fight again.

“Anyway, congratulations. You’ve become my first Tier 1 fan.”

[Honestly, you knew it was me and deliberately made me a Tier 1 fan, right?]

“No?”

I really didn’t know it was Bbangbbang.

The Bbangbbang I knew was a Supporter who roamed the canyon with amazing physical skills. Not a core that grows steadily like this.

Even the nickname is ‘Light is You’. There’s not even a ‘Bbang’ in it, how could I have known?

“My evaluations are cold. I don’t treat friends differently.”

[Then why am I Tier 1?]

“I felt affection.”

How should I put it? Hmm.

If I explain in detail, Bbangbbang might get embarrassed, so I’ll refrain.

Anyway, my judgment wasn’t wrong.

Nodding in satisfaction, I decided to ask something I had been curious about.

“If you’re good enough to go pro as a City Core, why didn’t you play the Carry line before?”

[I didn’t know either. I didn’t expect to be this good.]

“Does it make sense for someone as skilled as Bbangbbang to not know their own talent?”

[Pros often switch positions. Knowing your own talent is the hardest. And I was desperate.]

Listening to Bbangbbang’s explanation, I roughly understood.

Bbangbbang dreamed of being a pro gamer. He wanted to go pro no matter what and played the game with that in mind from the start.

So he chose the position with the highest chance of going pro. The mindset was to just go pro and that’s it.

Bbangbbang had his epiphany after living as a trainee.

It was supposed to be a lonely pot filled with talented kids, but strangely, it felt manageable.

No, more than manageable, it felt like everyone was beneath him.

As soon as he was sure, Bbangbbang switched to the Carry position.

And then the game he was playing flopped.

If <Eternal World> hadn’t been released, what would have happened, Bbangbbang?

[You know? I was always meant to be a Carry.]

“That’s not true.”

[You’re hopeless. Let’s 1v1 in City Bread. The loser grants a wish.]

“A wish?”

[Yeah. Any wish, no questions asked….]

Bbangbbang stopped mid-sentence. Like something was bothering him.

Did he figure out what my wish was?

But what’s wrong with wishing for him to cosplay as a game character I made and play a match?

Bbangbbang slowly continued.

[…Except for wishes that cause social issues, I’ll grant any wish.]

“Was my wish that problematic? Well, fans might not like it.”

[…I can do something like cosplaying as a game character you made.]

He really guessed my wish?

This is the god of deduction games. Mos, you’re out.

I was so rarely surprised that I checked the chat. Did the viewers share this feeling?

―――

Hehe

Childhood friend granting a wish…(more)

(V-TV mascot licking emoticon)

―――

Seeing everyone was of one mind, I immediately started a custom game.

Bbangbbang, you rascal. Prepare yourself.

Not Tier… but I’ll make you cosplay as Aylie (female character from Excel Busters).

[Pick?]

“Just pick what you want.”

[Are you sure? You haven’t been playing for long.]

It was a question about lacking information and low proficiency with other characters, but I answered coolly.

“Doesn’t matter.”

[Turn on 1v1 settings. The rule is the first to get a solo kill loses.]

The 1v1 setting was a feature that started characters at level 6. So that’s a thing. Interesting.

It was a blind pick, so after some thought, I chose what I was drawn to.

The game starts.

[You want to?]

“What?”

[I picked a character with decent engagement, but you went all out. How did you know about that character?]

“Victory is always cold and calculated.”

Under the assumption of a 1v1 rule, as long as I didn’t make any mistakes, I absolutely wouldn’t lose. I completely destroyed Bbangbbang with a very smart character.

Since it’s a best-of-five, I just need to win two more times, right?

Easy peasy.

*

After that, Bbangbbang also picked a smart character, but he was clumsy. It was obvious what he was going to do, so I countered him hard and taught him a lesson.

[How do you always pick the perfect character like that?]

“I’m just smart, I guess.”

I decided to keep the wish ticket. The game will keep coming out. It was a bit disappointing that I couldn’t ask for a character cosplay from <Excel Busters>, which was already on the rise.

I’ll use it for promoting new games later.

Bbangbbang said:

[It’s been a while since I played, but it’s still fun.]

“Hmm.”

I almost blurted out something that was on the tip of my tongue, but I held back.

But the viewers didn’t hold back.

―――

Seems like a 1-tier fan, right?

Maybe the standards weren’t as arbitrary as I thought lol

―――

If I left it any longer, Bbangbbang’s face might have turned into a ripe tomato and exploded. Let’s wrap this up quickly.

“I enjoyed it too. If I have time later, I’ll come watch your matches.”

[Want to duo? I think you’ve played with Pape before.]

“Duo is a bit…”

[Why? You don’t care about people calling you a bus rider or whatever anyway.]

What I care about is the quality of my own play. Not external evaluations.

Honestly, aiming for Challenger was more for broadcast content. The idea that you can’t speak unless you’re Challenger is half a joke. Seriously speaking, I didn’t even need to hit Challenger.

So even if rumors spread that I rode the pro gamer bus to get Challenger, I didn’t care at all.

But what can’t be done, can’t be done.

I calmly said:

“Bbangbbang can’t keep up with my tempo.”

[What tempo?]

“I’m going no-sleep until I hit Challenger. How can you keep up with that? If my condition worsens and I mess up the game, I’ll get flamed.”

[It’s fine now since it’s a break period. Even pros have tough schedules. They barely sleep, just scrims and solo queue all day, you know?]

Bbangbbang didn’t understand my words at all.

The viewers were the same. Seeing the chat flooded with “Pros are funny lol,” it seemed no one understood the meaning of the room title.

What can I do?

If you want to know if it’s Pepsi or Coke, you have to taste it.

“Then that’s fine. But if it gets too hard, you have to tap out, okay?”

[Got it.]

Bbangbbang answered confidently. He seemed sure he could complete the entire training course.

That confidence disappeared exactly one day later.

[……Hey.]

“Speak.”

[You’re not sleeping?]

“I’m going no-sleep until Challenger, remember?”

[No-sleep is just keeping the stream on while sleeping, right?]

“That’s not my no-sleep.”

[You haven’t even hit Master Tier 2 yet, are you saying you’re not going to sleep for a whole week?]

“Not really. Maybe just five days without sleep.”

The trainee tapped out. It was a shame. Even though it wasn’t my main position, I was doing pretty well as the main carry.

Holding back tears, I silently queued up for another game.

Even if someone drops out, the training must continue. Someone might shout about abandoning a teammate, but what can I do?

Bbangbbang, I’ll remember you!

And so, the third day of no-sleep Challenger grind arrived.

I hit Master Tier 2.

Viewers sent congratulatory messages.

―――

You woke up and you’re still in the game?

Does this even make sense?

―――

Another day passed.

I hit Master Tier 3.

Another day passed. I hit Grandmaster.

Around that time, something strange happened to my MMR.

Even in the notoriously stingy high-elo bracket, I was getting victory points like it was a fresh account, several times more than usual.

It was because my win rate was absurdly high.

Day 6.

In the morning, Grandmaster Tier 1. At lunch, Grandmaster Tier 2. In the evening, Grandmaster Tier 3. And just before midnight.

My tier transformed into the pinnacle of <Eternal World>, where only 100 players exist.

Challenger.

Satisfied, I made a comment:

“Since we’ve come this far, should I go for the no-sleep race to rank 1?”

―――

Please just go to sleep.

―――

Alright.

As requested, I turned off the stream.

It was mid-May.

Just three days before the first half of <Eternal World>‘s solo rank season ended.