"You're not human, are you?"

"You hit too hard right off the bat."

That statement is quite dangerous.

As soon as I arrived, I heard something bizarre, but what can I do? People tend to recharge their courage by hiding behind the anonymity of an avatar... or so I thought. But no, that’s just my imagination running wild.

The current time... well, there's no need to mention in-game time since it never aligns with reality. But speaking of real-world time, it was just past 9 PM. The lecture that had gone on for over three hours had thankfully concluded successfully.

Of course, if I were to ask myself if it was helpful, I couldn't be entirely sure. That was the real issue. After all, I’m being compensated by SSM for my coaching work, so I need to deliver results that match.

With that in mind, I had come to Dice to get some feedback, as it was the first day of my lecture.

But the first thing I heard upon arrival was…

As I gave her a somewhat uneasy look, she continued.

"…Oh, right. You're an Awakened, aren’t you?"

"For the second time, that’s a very dangerous statement."

"Oh, I’m so sorry! I’m reeeeally sorry!"

Stretch

As always, I punished her in the only way I knew how—physically.

With her cheeks pulled and stretched, Dice made a strange noise and sank deep into her chair. I looked at her with a slightly suspicious gaze—not because of her apology, but because… her actions weren’t exactly what I’d call masculine.

But it wasn’t really important, so I let it slide.

Dice was the first to bring up the topic.

"Anyway, thanks for the lecture today. It was quite unique. I think it’s a good outcome that no one doubts your skills anymore…"

"What if we had to categorize it as good or bad?"

"I thought it was really good, but I’m not sure about the others."

She seemed to have more to say, so she loosened her neck as if preparing for a speech.

"My personal opinion is… if I had to point out a downside, it’s the sense of disconnect that comes from a lecture completely different from the feedback we’ve received so far."

"What kind of feedback do you usually get from others?"

"There are various types. For example, they might set specific scenarios to improve our adaptability and test that in scrims or regular ranked matches. Or they might have us use only certain weapon types to try and win first place… Then we’d get feedback based on the match results."

"So, it's mostly practical training. Was it effective?"

"Well, how should I put it…"

Judging by her reaction, it was probably a mixed bag. But since she didn’t give a definitive answer, I waited for her to gather her thoughts and respond.

"…You know how it is with AP soloing—there are so many variables. Honestly, it’s hard to say it’s very effective. Even if you practice various scenarios, there’s no guarantee that the actual situation will unfold the same way in a real match."

"Exactly."

"So, for me, today’s lecture was quite helpful. I’m not entirely sure I understand everything yet, but the gist was to maintain an advantage or at least an equal footing in any skirmish, right?"

I nodded.

Of course, if you’re in a 1v2 situation, things get a bit more complicated. But generally, if you find yourself in such a scenario… it’s better to reflect on how you ended up there in the first place rather than focusing solely on how to overcome it.

Still, much like how one learns to swim by diving into the water, I might have to cover this topic in the future.

Anyway, Dice seemed to find a lot of merit in a generalized approach to dealing with a variety of unpredictable situations.

While the method I taught might be most effective in 1v1 skirmishes, with a little tweaking, it could be useful in various situations.

I have more lectures to prepare. Covering how to survive encounters with more than one opponent, or the most effective survival strategies in AP soloing….

While I was lost in these thoughts, the conversation shifted back to the original topic.

"That aside, seriously… How is it that you’ve never lost a 1v1 to anyone? I get the methodology now, but I’m still curious."

"I hope you’re not expecting a straightforward answer to that question."

"Well, yeah, but… I feel like it would be easier if you just said, ‘I’m just that good.’"

"Haha. Then let’s go with that."

I said that, as always, trailing off.

This was a secret that no one could understand, and no one was meant to know.

"Anyway, Dice, you should focus on more precise shooting practice. Also, try throwing grenades in different ways. Tying a string to the grenade pin is fine too."

"Tying a string?"

"Yes. That way, you don’t have to pull the pin when you throw the grenade. It’s not something that’s recommended in the manual, though. Just make sure the string has at least 15 centimeters of slack. Without that, it could explode on your vest by mistake."

Even when I was there, it wasn’t a method I used often.

It was something I did because I threw so many grenades, and in urgent situations, pulling the pin and throwing the grenade took too much time.

It was effective. You just grabbed the grenade from the pouch and threw it. The pin would naturally be pulled out by the string as you pulled it out, and that was it.

The exchange of combat tips continued.

It was still too early to call it a night.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

As the bright sunshine was replaced by a gloomy sky and endless rain over the weekend, the ink on my title as SSM Entertainment’s temporary coach slowly dried.

Fortunately, because I was streaming, it was easy to adjust the schedule, and the work itself wasn’t difficult. I just needed to systematically organize and share the knowledge I already had.

Still, there were quite a few incidents during that time.

Though calling them incidents might be a bit of a stretch. Incidents imply something special, and what I’ve experienced recently doesn’t quite qualify as that.

Anyway, with the job officially starting, there were more things to keep track of.

Besides observing feedback from other coaches, I adjusted the curriculum slightly for each league. Those who played as starters and had a high likelihood of participation received individual lessons, while those with room for growth were given more direction-oriented coaching.

This was at the request of SSM.

In addition, through conversations with Harmony, I finally succeeded in creating a channel on YourSpace. Of course, for now, it’s just set up, with nothing special except for the automatic uploads of broadcast recordings through the integration.

Still, it was quite fascinating to see the subscriber count slowly start to rise.

I didn’t think it was time to hire an editor yet, so for now, I tried contacting someone from the community who often posted fan art with a clean and cute style to see if they could draw thumbnails.

They hadn’t replied yet, but… well, I’m sure they will eventually.

Apart from that, I continued to stream as usual and participated in a scrim once. As for real-life activities… I exercised, occasionally ate out….

…Should I join an MCN?

I’m sure I’ve met people here and there, so why does it feel like there’s nothing tangible left?

Anyway, with the qualifying ranks starting tomorrow, I’ll think about it after the Asia qualifiers. No matter how long it takes, the tournament segment should be wrapped up within about three weeks.

Looking back, it feels like I’ve come a long way. Considering it hasn’t even been a month since I returned, it seems like I’ve done quite a bit….

<SsamchiKimchiFriedRice has donated 1,000 KRW.>

-What’s going on? Why aren’t you saying anything? Is it because you can’t accept that you have to date the Cthulhu gods?

"…That seems like a valid enough reason."

Ah.

That donation sound pulled me back from the depths of my thoughts.

Before I knew it, the screen had changed to something resembling a streamer from my past—a fragment of memory from someone whose name I can barely recall, showing both a webcam and the game screen together.

In short, it was the most standard form of broadcast before virtual reality became a thing.

Anyway, in front of me now… how do I even describe this? An octopus god that had only halfway turned into a girl appeared on the main screen, staring at me with an unsettling gaze.

Of course, that wasn’t all.

It had tentacles attached to its mouth.

Yes, tentacles. On its mouth.

"Wow…."

-LMAO)))
-That’s one deep sigh, lol.
-If the tentacles bother you, why don’t you take a look at your own tail?
-The tail is a turn-on, what are you talking about?
-Look at her playing it just because someone requested it, lol.

…What should I even say?

Did Earth’s tastes get a bit weirder while I was gone? Or is it just that human madness knows no bounds?

I was a little curious.

Despite my flat expression, my fingers were still clicking the mouse. As I started a new save and began the game, a heart-shaped icon formed by two tentacles appeared.

I let out a half-hearted chuckle, not quite able to hide my disbelief. Meanwhile, the story continued to unfold.

The protagonist, for some reason, was a devotee of Cthulhu and managed to obtain something resembling the Necronomicon from somewhere… summoning an eldritch god from the outer realms with ease.

Well, I guess. The story can’t progress without a summoning.

-[Oh, one shrouded in darkness, please grant my wish!]
-[Surely, it’s not to be the first to be destroyed by my catastrophe that lays waste to all life? Are you seeking a peaceful rest away from my great calamity?]
-[No, I want to kiss you.]

"Oh…."

-LOL!
-No holding back, I see, lol.
-Kiss?!
-You’ve opened the door that should have stayed shut!
-The protagonist is nuts, lol.

Kiss…?

Of course, as someone who respects people’s tastes, I managed to keep my composure and added:

"This person… probably starts with the mouth when eating octopus. I feel like their profile would mention something like accidentally face-planting into a sea anemone while scuba diving."

<LapPipe has donated 1,000 KRW.>
-What the hell are you saying, lol.

I was completely sane.

It was this bizarre game that was off the rails.

Anyway, the slightly under-Moe-fied Cthulhu then said something that made me agree with it.

-[Eh, what!?]
-[Send me back home.]

"If I turn off the game, I should be able to send you home, right?"

-Why do you hate it so much, lol.
-Of course not! You were recommended this game! You chose this game! You have to stick it out, lol.
-The octopus god’s figure is annoyingly good, lol.
-Look at her trying to sneakily quit the game, lol.

…

Naturally, there was no way I could just quit the game.

But, as I kept playing, it started to seem a little more… okay? Anyway, since it was a recommended game, I began clicking through the story.

"Those eyes are surprisingly bright for an eldritch god."

I had no idea what I was saying.

And the game’s content was probably just as confusing.