- The match is starting! KSM is back this year, and so is the event match! Avoid the rising slime, navigate the obstacles, and make it to the finish line! Let's see how many players will survive this round!

Moving platforms.

Slippery, sticky floors covered in oozing jelly.

Pillars springing from the walls, oversized balls launched from bizarre cannons, rotating hammers, fans installed to block paths, and even massive pendulums swinging ominously.

And, of course, the viewers were always filled with one goal in mind—torturing streamers or anyone remotely close to that level. Especially since, in this SD avatar event match, even physical contact was allowed.

The 500 players in the match had no intention of letting the 20 pro gamers go without a fight.

“Uwaah, let go! Let go of me! I'm gonna die!”

“I got the tail!”

“Make it a hamburger, flatten her!”

“Let’s communicate!”

Scenes like these were happening everywhere. This wasn’t a rare occurrence—it happened the year before, the year before that, and once again this year. People bundled together, rolling around like ants swarming over a crumb dropped on the floor.

The hosts and match staff had no choice but to significantly slow down the speed of the rising slime. Even those in the front, racing toward the top, were sitting around watching the chaos.

And among them, a wriggling mountain of players rose the highest.

“Waaah, this person is too strong!”

“Grab the tail, grab the tail!”

“I’m being dragged—ugh!”

“Hey, let me go!”

Bang!

While players shouting, “Let’s communicate!” charged at her from every direction, Eugene swatted them away like matchsticks, bopping those grabbing her legs and tail with powerful punches as she roared like Godzilla.

The ones who were struck and flung to the soft floor landed with pitiful thuds, their faces and various body parts splatting into the ground. Of course, it didn’t hurt, and instead, they found it so fun that most of them jumped back up to charge again.

The constant swarm of players crashed down like a tidal wave, their heads bouncing off the floor as they were knocked out one by one. Stars and dizzy icons spun above their avatars as they were stunned, showing their incapacitated state.

Eugene charged forward, breaking free from the crowd.

“Eek!”

“Waaah, I’m falling!”

“Why are you grabbing me while I’m falling—agh!”

Falling didn’t hurt.

Getting knocked down didn’t hurt.

Sliding, hitting others—none of it hurt!

In fact, each time someone made physical contact, they rolled away with one of the most ridiculous sound effects ever, like squishy rubber balls bouncing off each other. In other words, the 520 participants were essentially living, bouncing jelly balls.

It didn’t take long for everyone to realize this, and soon, all forms of humanity and selfishness blossomed in the crowded arena.

Not that it was equally distributed, of course.

“I’ll help you up! Come on!”

“Wow, thank you!”

The more players there were, the more predictable things became.

For instance, if one player extended their hand to help someone up, dozens of others would shout “Me too!” and rush over, causing a massive pile-up.

“No, don’t push—aaaah!”

“Ahh, I fell!”

“Well, that was unlucky.”

One player got hit by a pillar that shot out from the wall, slid down, and collided with someone who was just climbing up, sending them both tumbling down like a pair of bouncing pins.

“Don’t grab me!”

“Let’s communicate—!”

Whack!

Two players who were hit by a spring-loaded fist were launched into the air.

They soared about seven meters before bouncing off the floor with a boing sound, ricocheting off other players like bowling pins.

But the sheer number of participants made even such chaos seem insignificant. As countless players struggled to overcome the obstacles, the number of obstacles increased.

A sweet, fruity scent began to fill the air. The slime, which would send any player it touched back to the lobby, was slowly rising.

Meanwhile, Eugene was busy teaching a lesson to anyone foolish enough to mess with her.

“Ow!”

“Should I throw you into the slime?”

“I’m sorry! I won’t mess with you again, I promise!”

Even though Eugene was now in SD form, her strength hadn’t gone anywhere. Especially in a game that was all about using your body.

Some players thought they could get away with poking her tail or grabbing her to drag her down in front of obstacles—but Eugene wasn’t having it.

Someone was sent flying in a perfect arc, their scream blending with the cute background music, only to be swallowed by the slime with a plop.

Eugene glanced at the frozen participants around her.

Someone still clinging to her tail got grabbed by the wrist. Despite their small, cute hands, the strength in Eugene’s grip was undeniable, impossible to shake off.

Eugene spun her body. Using her legs for stability, she twisted her waist and hurled them into the air. The player who was flung let out a strange sound as they floated mid-air before gently landing on the slime below.

Plop.

“Oh my…”

“Next, please. Next.”

Swoosh.

Casually standing on the narrow bridge everyone had to cross, Eugene added with a chilling smile:

“I remember everyone who tried to jump me at the start.”

“There were… too many people.”

“Hehe, I’ll get you to the finish line safely!”

“Aaah, you’re heavy!”

Of course, she couldn’t hold off all 20 people who swarmed her at once, so Eugene eventually had to reach the finish line with her arms, legs, and tail all held down.

The first round was just the beginning.

- The first round has ended successfully! Out of 500 participants, 400 have survived. The pros eliminated this round include Valkyrie from Arcadia Games, GEARUP’s Re-Enlistment System, and Veritas’s Hololive!

As expected, a single round didn’t mean the match was over. After four or five rounds, only one person or one squad would be declared the winner.

100 players per match. In the final round, 99 would fall, leaving only one victor.

The second match started without pause.

The map and mode were briefly explained.

- The second match is a battle royale on a narrow map! You can heal your HP and defense just like AP! Melee weapons include toy hammers, lightsabers, and maces with sponges attached! Pistols drop impact, incendiary, stun, and freeze rounds!

The announcer’s voice boomed through the air.

Even after explaining four solo matches in a row, the hosts were still lively and loud. Since this was more of a side match than a real one, they were taking it easy.

417 players began spawning in a stadium roughly twice the size of a soccer field. Beams of light flashed as the players were placed, and soon, everyone was scanning their surroundings with wary eyes.

Eugene, who had nothing in particular to say, also looked around, listening to the conversations nearby.

“Have you done this before?”

“Oh, of course. It’s like Apex Predator but with paint guns. So, imagine a 12+ version of AP.”

Hmm.

That made sense.

The explanation was straightforward, so there was no need to overthink it—basically, just beat up 100 players. If each match followed a similar structure, this wouldn’t be too different.

So what should I do? Honestly, if I just stand back, others would probably eliminate the 100 players for me. The stadium was cramped, and with over 400 people inside, the fighting wouldn’t stop.

Hmm…

‘I’ll just do what I always do.’

Let whoever wants to come, come. I won’t chase anyone, but if they come near me, I’ll send them straight to the lobby.

The numbers popped up in the sky as the 400 players began their countdown, as if they’d all planned it in advance. The sound waves of the countdown filled the stadium as everyone prepared themselves.

A crisp voice echoed through the air.

- We now begin round 2 of the first match!

“Waaah!”

From the start, players screamed as they charged into buildings.

The area was soon filled with the sounds of splattering paint, explosions, and gunfire. Unfortunately, since my avatar was great at attracting attention, I was spotted within five seconds.

Within seconds, four players came at me, armed with toy hammers, lightsabers, and sponge-tipped maces. I grabbed a toy hammer from the ground and prepared for a standoff.

Four of them. A lot, but not too many. Both sides hesitated, sizing each other up.

“It’s Eugene, it’s Eugene!”

“There she is! Everyone, over here!”

“…Oh, great.”

Just then, five more players came around the corner, having been fighting nearby.

Now I was facing nine opponents. I sighed but knew how mobs worked—my past experience dealing with angry citizens was still ingrained in me.

I gripped the handle of my toy hammer tightly.

“Come at meeeee!”

“Waaah!”

They rushed in with screams, but my mind was already filled with countless strategies. Should I take them head-on or cut at an angle? No—this time, I’d go with what worked best.

I twisted my waist.

I converted the rotation into raw power.

I stepped forward with my left foot.

Stabilizing my stance while maximizing the impact.

I raised my left hand to guard and swung my right arm back. My arm rotated clockwise, swinging upward. The perfect timing brought the enemy within range. Target: chin.

Everything was set.

All that was left was the result.

Whack!

In an instant, someone was sent flying.

The unfortunate part was that they didn’t stop there.

The airborne player unintentionally blocked the path of the three others charging behind them, causing them to crash and fall like dominoes. Six players were sprawled out on the ground.

As the remaining three hesitated and tried to back off, Eugene glanced at her toy hammer.

“…?”

The handle had completely vanished.

Unable to withstand the force, the hammer had disappeared entirely after smashing into the player’s chin. Bewildered, Eugene picked up two more toy hammers from the ground, but the others were too stunned by what had just happened to attack.

Eugene chuckled and added:

“It’s just a game, come on, bring it.”

And that was enough to reignite everyone’s competitive spirit.

The sound of toy hammers echoed through the air.