Chapter 265 – Monday
[General] Shall we get a big thumbs-up for those who intended to eat chicken and pizza while watching the match but ended up just watching the game?
<Picture of untouched food and beer>
I’ll start, hahahahahahaha.
[All comments] [In order of registration]
-Mindless thumbs-up, bring it on hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
-Oh no!
-How can you watch while eating hahahahahahahahahahahaha.
-No lie, it was exhilarating.
ㄴSYYJ
ㄴSleepiness destroyed like crazy hahahahahahahahaha.
-My life’s greatest achievement: Watching the final championship match live.
ㄴYou too?
ㄴThat’s definitely worth bragging about hahahaha.
ㄴSo real hahahaha.
-As soon as it started, it was obvious something was up, so I didn’t touch anything. The pizza’s already cold.
-Even with Yoo Jin, Dice made it impossible to drink a single sip of beer; I was totally focused hahahahahahaha.
ㄴReally hahaha.
ㄴCame to play a game but ended up filming a movie, this girl hahaha.
ㄴFact) Even in movies, you don’t see this kind of plot.
-Dice got beaten for about three minutes straight but turned it around in the end, seriously.
ㄴLiving point) The player Dice defeated was Lancer, who ranked 3rd in solo last year.
ㄴWow, insane hahahahahahahaha.
ㄴNo wonder he was following so well hahaha.
-How does Yoo Jin fight with her body on fire? I still don’t get it. Is she even human?
ㄴShe’s a snake, though.
ㄴOh, that’s so hot.
ㄴFeels like her body would smell like burning hahahahahahaha.
ㄴScent (Napalm smell).
ㄴWhat crazy talk is this hahahaha.
-Personal opinion) Kept staring at Logan’s boobs.
ㄴhahahahahahahahahahaha.
ㄴAs expected, polar bears are different…smokin’ hot….
ㄴHonestly, even bears can be cute hahaha.
ㄴHer face is so sweet but she’s super cool hahaha.
-Seeing beautiful people fight is surprisingly fun, right? hahaha.
-After the first match, everyone attacked the food like they were starving.
[General] Hey, Jesus! Why hasn’t the meeting started yet?
<Picture of gods all gathered>
Yoo Jin hasn’t arrived yet.
[All comments] [In order of registration]
-hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
-This template always makes me laugh hahahaha.
-Yoo Jin is the god of Apex x Jesus is the Yoo Jin of heaven.
ㄴNonsense hahahahahaha.
ㄴhahahahahahahahahaha.
ㄴWhat kind of nonsense is this hahahaha.
-Yoo Jin collapses from malnutrition… ‘Nothing in the stomach….’
ㄴhahahahahahahahahaha.
ㄴThe comment section is a mess hahahaha.
ㄴUnbelievable hahaha.
ㄴNot eating anything, you’ll definitely collapse hahaha.
-After seeing the physical performance in today’s first match, it’s understandable hahaha.
ㄴHow does she swing a sword while on fire hahahaha.
-Fact) This is just the first match.
ㄴToo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ㄴAh, a content tsunami! Ah, a content tsunami! Ah, a content tsunami! Ah, a content tsunami! Ah, a content tsunami!
ㄴSetting alarms for 4:50 AM for the next week hahahaha.
ㄴWaking up at 5 AM? Easy….
ㄴUnemployed folks feeling strong hahaha.
-Somehow, every time I see Yoo Jin during the match, I can’t see anything in front of me hahahaha.
ㄴOh no! That’s a flashbang.
ㄴAh, hahahahahahahahahaha.
ㄴSo tactical hahahaha.
-Soon, Logan or Dice will join there hahaha.
-Why are there so many good players this year?
“First place! First place! First place! First place! First place!”
“Wow, Ghost Snake even in the final championship. I believed in you, Teacher Yoo Jin.”
“If you wish for cremation as the next match’s sign, I can’t help it.”
“Oh….”
The first match ended.
Even Logan turned into polygon dust and dispersed as the fire covering my body was extinguished. At that moment, the surroundings turned pitch black. When I opened my eyes, I was inside Madison Square Garden, lying in a bed made specifically for me.
When I headed outside to the Korean team’s lounge, many people applauded me. The applause was so loud that it hurt my ears, but it finally subsided, allowing me to find a seat.
The congratulations had just begun. Some, like Ink, made jokes without fearing the consequences, but I responded with a similar joke and habitually checked the current time.
Thirty minutes left.
That was the time until the next match.
“It’s my first time participating in the final championship, so it might not be my place to say, but how did everyone feel? Did you achieve the results you wanted?”
“We advanced more than expected. None of us are below 20th place.”
“That’s certainly the result everyone hoped for.”
Before flying to New York, I had repeatedly reminded everyone, and the goal was clear – never fall below 20th place. As mentioned, this was the code of conduct and the goal for this final championship.
The reason was simple. The top 20 were primarily European and American players, a peak that had never been conquered before.
Though the skills of special forces from each country had improved and leveled over time, the origin and mainstream still centered around Europe and America. The gap was narrow, but still too wide to close completely.
This also applied to Apex Predator, meaning that until last year, very few Asian players made it into the top 20.
‘Last year.’
This year was different.
Everyone knew that, and players like Dice discussed it with elation.
“Everyone had nothing but shocked expressions, as expected. The fortress built by Europe and America was crumbling.”
“It was tough going up, but even in situations where we’d be helpless last year, we could now respond….”
It was true.
The atmosphere heated up quickly. It couldn’t be helped. Such an excellent start was enough to cloud the rationality of the users gathered here. It was a year-long awaited revenge match, not exactly a revenge match, but it was understandable up to that point.
My role begins now.
“Then, let’s discuss in detail what was lacking or what was disappointing.”
“Though we’ve become adept at handling situations, it’s extremely difficult to skillfully maneuver the opponent into taking specific actions before we engage in full combat.”
“In terms of combat and tactics, we are superior, but strategically, the enemies definitely have the upper hand. Of course, I’m talking about users within the TOP 20.”
The issues began to surface one by one. They were problems I had somewhat predicted and weaknesses that had been pointed out even until the day before the match.
The reason for such remarks was obvious. The American and European players had been studying strategy and tactics, eating, and sometimes even skipping meals. They were experts in troop maneuvering and inducing actions.
Unfortunately, bridging this experience gap in just a few months was impossible. It was evident that this skill was honed through numerous real-life engagements rather than theoretical knowledge, and it wasn’t something that could be improved through a battle royale that shouldn’t exist in reality, like Apex Predator.
However, it wasn’t a critical issue.
Unless the enemy forced our Korean representative users into a building densely packed with traps beforehand—which was unlikely given the nature of battle royales—there wasn’t much to worry about.
There was, however, a more serious matter.
“…Anyway, how do we deal with Logan?”
At the moment I turned my head, two pairs of blue eyes met.
This question inevitably arose from the moment one stepped into the top ranks and began to face Logan. Not only Dice but also other opponents who had been crushed by Logan must have had the same question.
But it wasn’t as if there was a clear answer. Even I, when confronted with Logan before reaching the top ranks, advised others that fleeing would be better for their mental health.
Defeating someone like Logan, who had been in the field longer than I had and was a fellow awakener, was practically impossible. Yet, if encountering him was inevitable, a solution had to be found.
Nevertheless, my mouth, which had never failed to answer any question until now, suddenly stopped.
“….”
As I hesitated, the silence turned into anxiety. I tried to piece together and dismantle various scenarios in my head, but no clear solution emerged.
Essentially, Dice’s question was about how to achieve victory over Logan. Although the question might have seemed like asking for ways to avoid or deal with him lightly, Dice, of all people, asked it.
It meant that Dice could very well find herself in a position where she had to engage Logan directly.
“The most viable way, though not very promising, would be to cut him off when he’s engaged with someone else.”
“That’s the basic premise….”
“Is it too daunting?”
“….”
“Pursuing victory is a good attitude….”
I held back from mentioning being an awakener.
Then came a cautious silence.
After carefully choosing my words, I added,
“…Everyone here knows I was once an operator for the U.S. Department of Defense, right?”
It was a somewhat vague statement. However, everyone present knew about Logan’s interview details long before this meeting.
I revealed one more fact that hadn’t been disclosed before.
“Logan was my direct superior.”
“…What?”
“Even I cannot guarantee victory against him. Those who saw the last battle would know—I was never overwhelmingly dominant.”
Everyone shook their heads.
It had been an intense fight with no concessions. When I took damage, Logan did too, and vice versa. We had already seen through each other’s tactics long before.
I continued speaking.
“Frankly, most of your principles of action will be read by Logan… Please, understand why. So, the focus should be on ‘how to kill him,’ not on what methodology to use.”
Not just ‘a’ method, but ‘all’ methods must be considered.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, I hesitated for a moment before adding,
“Well, he’s still human. If you manage to endure till the end, there’s a chance he and I might end up fighting each other. Just do your best.”
Although it might seem like teaming up, in the final championship, avatars from different countries could not be distinguished as dead foreign players’ avatars were randomly assigned. This was similar to the Asian qualifiers.
While one could identify others during combat, as long as there was no explicit teaming, observing others’ battles was permissible—since the kill zone would naturally shrink.
With the atmosphere slightly lightened, I began giving feedback in earnest.
“Then, let’s quickly review your gameplay before the next match starts.”
14 matches over 5 days.
With 8 maps, except for the last two not selected, each would circulate once. Tomorrow, the NBV desert base might reappear.
Today’s maps were the desert base and Atakaya volcanic island. We had to finish the desert base feedback in at most 20 minutes and start briefing the volcanic island.
It was going to be an exhausting day.
And—
—BOOM!
“…Ugh.”
A knife was lodged in my abdomen.
Irrecoverable bleeding. My hands and feet were already in tatters, making further combat impossible. Logan, who was slightly less injured than I was, staggered closer.
Indeed, yesterday’s prediction was not a mistake.
“To be able to fight in a situation where survival isn’t guaranteed even with immediate evacuation….”
She smiled slightly as she raised her pistol.
“…Is this what it meant?”
Even at the last moment, I didn’t let my guard down.
From at least 10 meters away, she aimed precisely at my forehead, blood dripping from the gun.
As the trigger was pulled, Logan added with a metallic sound,
“You did well.”
Flames filled my vision.
That’s how the second and final match on Monday ended.