Preliminary Rank, KSM, Asia Qualifiers, and the Final Championship.

Once these three "barriers" that lead to the main event had been firmly established, the community gave a name to the stretch of time between the end of the Preliminary Rank and the start of KSM.

Ashes.

It symbolized the festival-like atmosphere that exploded from Monday to Sunday, burning brightly until nothing remained but white ash, like the end of a hearth's fire.

Given South Korea’s mandatory military service, where most men spend a year and a half closely tied to firearms, the popularity of Dark Zone was unsurprising. The conclusion of the Preliminary Rank on Monday left many feeling defeated and mentally exhausted. Adding Yujin to the mix, a figure who was already wildly popular in the AP soloing scene, was like pouring gasoline on an already raging fire.

Yujin's impact was monumental, like a meteor crashing into the scene—so powerful that even pro gamers felt the shockwaves. The joke making rounds in the pro scene was that her destructive force was akin to that of a falling meteor.

Despite Yujin’s rising popularity, time marched forward. The excitement of the Preliminary Rank was eventually swept away by the harsh waves of reality. Monday passed, leaving many weary, followed by a slightly less taxing Tuesday. By Wednesday and Thursday, the need for rest became palpable, and like a drought-stricken land receiving a downpour, the weekend approached.

As the weather cooled and the harvest season began, it wasn’t just crops that reached fruition. The most abundant and sweetest fruit of all had already been picked.

• [Preliminary Rank #1: Eugene]

 

An overwhelming first place.

Even if she skipped a few matches, her position at the top was unchallenged, far beyond the reach of others. What made it even more impressive was that she achieved this while juggling her temporary coaching role at SSM, streaming, and joint broadcasts with Harmony. Unlike others who spent hours practicing before matches, Yujin simply let her gameplay speak for itself.

Yujin’s method of showing respect was through action, not words. And so, without any scandals or drama, she became firmly etched in the minds of countless users.

In a way, her journey captivated people—she was the unexpected variable pulling everyone in unexpected directions. From those who merely watched from afar, to those who interacted via donations, to those who received her personal training, and even those who stuck by her side—everyone was drawn closer, as if caught in the gravitational pull of a celestial body.

It was Wednesday, mid-September.

The heat had finally started to subside, and the heavy clouds that had loomed overhead throughout August were beginning to clear.

"Eyes on the screen, don’t change the channel! Always pushing the limits, this is streamer Limit! We’re back with the collaboration you’ve all been waiting for─!"

"Hi, it’s Harmony!"

One of those whose path had drastically shifted stepped into yet another world.

"Wow! It’s been a while since we’ve all gathered like this! How’s everyone been?"

"Ah, our elusive Harmony finally makes an appearance."

"Look who’s here! Welcome, welcome."

"Our little couch potato finally made it to the Dark Zone."

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

The avatars, intricately designed and beautifully decorated, greeted me warmly. A whirlwind of applause exploded around me, as if a star had burst into life. Among the group was the princess of a distant Russian castle, Limit with her green hair reminiscent of an elf, and Hotteok, who looked like a tiger doused with a potion to become human.

Familiar faces, all of them.

Since last weekend, there had been talk of this—how exactly these guys got so obsessed with doing a collaboration with me, I wasn’t sure. But this was the result.

In the past, real-time voice communication programs thrived, but with the advent of virtual reality, they became obsolete. Now, instead of just chatting, people gathered in custom-made rooms with their avatars, as if transported to a futuristic cafe or PC room.

I settled into a plush chair near the others, ready for whatever chaos was about to ensue.

"You’ve lost some weight since we last saw you. Your avatar’s eyes look half-dead. Are you even going to be able to shoot straight during the collab?"

"Hey, Hotteok, don’t start showing off. You’re not the main Dark Zone content creator here. You and Limit started around the same time."

"Yeah, yeah, but Harmony’s even newer than me!"

Hotteok and Kimstone were already bickering, as they often did. Normally, I would’ve brushed it off with a laugh, but given the path I’d walked recently, it was harder to just let it go.

Another thought crossed my mind—had they really not watched my recent streams? If they had, they wouldn’t be making these kinds of comments. After all, I’d spent countless hours training under Yujin-sensei.

Curious, I carefully spoke up.

"Wait… have you guys not been keeping up with what I’ve been doing lately?"

"I’ve got a rough idea. But our streams overlap sometimes, and when you’re streaming for twelve hours straight, it’s a bit intimidating to click in."

"You know, you could just catch the VODs on YourSpace, Limit-princess."

"So, Hotteok, you’ve been watching then?"

"Nope, not at all~"

Sigh.

Well, I could understand. Streamers have tons of behind-the-scenes work to manage, beyond just broadcasting. They probably didn’t have the time or energy to check in on what I’d been up to.

As Hotteok and Limit kept bantering, Kimstone sighed and turned to me.

"Anyway, we’ve been tinkering with some Dark Zone content while you were busy the past few days. Since you’re probably not max level and haven’t geared up much, we’ve lined up some content that won’t be gear-dependent. Wanna check it out?"

"Wow, you guys went that far? Impressive."

"Right? We really put our heads together for this."

I glanced at the holographic plate in my hands. It listed a series of PVE missions—Emergency Missions, Base Infrastructure Missions, and Defense Mode. On the PVP side, there was Domination and the large-scale Conquest Mode. Plenty of options, for sure.

And the schedule… was packed.

"…We’re doing all of this over three days?"

"Yep! We’ve got four streamers, including you, so we’ve gotta give the viewers a proper event. It won’t just be grinding games, either. We’ll bring in viewers for some fun events, too."

"Wow, you guys really worked hard to plan all this out."

"You noticed, huh?"

A smile tugged at Stone’s lips—

"Hyaaa!"

"Hey! Let me down! Don’t manhandle my avatar, you crazy maniac!"

—only to be interrupted as Limit swung her leg dangerously close to his face. Stone, in retaliation, began throwing snowballs at both Limit and Hotteok.

"Stop messing around! Go work out somewhere else, you gym rat!"

"Does that matter right now?! He won’t put me down!"

"…They really haven’t changed, huh?"

"That’s the problem. Go mess around somewhere else!"

Smack!

The sound of an impact echoed—Limit had kicked Stone in the shin while he was mid-squat, causing the two to collapse in a heap. This scene was all too familiar by now. Hotteok, a trainer at a gym IRL, often engaged in these antics.

Though their avatars made the situation seem surreal, it was somehow fitting.

As the chaos subsided, the four of us sat back at the table. I listened closely as the others began to explain the plan.

Limit was the first to speak up.

"Well, I’m still kinda new myself—only been at this for six months. You’ve been playing Dark Zone for about a month, right? I’m debating whether we should start with PVP or PVE first. Any preferences?"

"Hmm…."

Flashes of memories came to mind.

As always, Yujin was at the forefront. Though it hadn’t been that long, when I considered all the work I’d done with her, I realized most of it had been PVE-focused. The last time I had a proper PVP fight? Probably back during the Mi-Control Zone event… a month ago.

Yujin-sensei always encouraged me to challenge myself with difficult and new things.

Emergency Missions, Base Infrastructure Missions, Defense Mode—I knew what to expect from those. But I hadn’t touched PVP modes like Domination.

The choice was obvious.

"Let’s try PVP first."

"Really? That’s unexpected. You sure you’re up for it?"

"Does it matter if I’m not?"

"Ooh."

That didn’t sound like something the old me would say.

But today, I wasn’t the old me. I wasn’t sure how I’d fare in PVP—I hadn’t gone up against other players yet. I didn’t really know where I stood skill-wise.

But that wasn’t the point. I’d figure it out as I went along, just like I always had.

When they asked which mode I wanted to try, I watched a few videos of Domination and Conquest to compare.

The answer came quickly.

"Let’s do Domination."

"Wow, confident, huh? You’re scaring me. I bet either Limit or I are gonna end up at the bottom of the rankings now."

"Oh, shut up. So, Domination it is. Mind if I ask why you picked that?"

"Conquest feels like a mode where you can just coast without standing out."

Conquest.

A mode where 64 players form two teams, battling on a massive map to capture and hold points. In other words, it’s harder for individual players to shine. That’s why I chose Domination—12 players per team, in a more confined space, where the battle for control was much more intense.

It would give me a better sense of where I stood.

The stream was about to start in just a few minutes.

As the others quickly adjusted the stream titles, I did the same, preparing my own room.

Integrated viewer rooms.

Camera distribution among the streamers.

Delay adjustments.

Party setup.

All of this was done in the minute before the stream began.

Creeeak!

The door I had entered through opened wide, sending a cold breeze rushing through. The door connected straight to the Dark Zone HQ.

As I exhaled and looked around, light shimmered around the others as their gear formed around them. I activated my own loadout as well, the weight settling comfortably on my avatar. I checked everything—my HK416, the chamber, the stock, the number of magazines, attachments, the flashlight and tactical laser settings….

As I got into the zone, a voice snapped me back to the present.

"Harmony, what are you doing? Whoa, did Yujin teach you all that?"

"You’re really getting the hang of it! Should I invest in HarmonyCoin now?"

"Not yet."

"Damn, she’s so focused. I was gonna show her some tricks, but she’s way ahead of me."

Normally, I’d laugh at comments like these, but in combat, I was nothing if not serious.

I steadied myself and stepped forward with the others. As the café behind us faded into the light, the cold winds of New York wrapped around me.

And then, Limit’s voice rang through HQ.

"Eyes on the screen, don’t change the channel! Always pushing the limits, this is streamer Limit! We’re back with the collaboration you’ve all been waiting for─!"

A flood of viewers surged into the chat.

Across the four streams, the combined viewer count hit 32,000 before the wave finally settled.

As the hovering cameras focused on us, I spoke up.

"Hi, it’s Harmony!"

Let’s do this.