“The first item on the agenda is to discuss the players from each country who have qualified with outstanding results. We’ve prepared a presentation, so please take your time to review it.”

Whirr.

From the stage in the convention hall, light streamed from a holographic projector embedded in the floor, forming a massive screen. The image quality was far superior to what one would expect from a traditional projector—sharp and vivid.

Without much preamble, the introductions began. The first country chosen was Japan. On the list of twenty names, several were highlighted in bold, signaling key players. At the very top was the name Dice had mentioned earlier: Keith, followed by names like Momona and Hakuchi... typical for Japan, I suppose. There was something oddly fitting about it.

I considered listening more closely, but I figured we’d get more detailed information later, so I decided to just ask Dice about it later.

“Keith, huh? Seems like a strong player.”

“Of course. He served in Special Operations for 14 years, so he beat me quite a few times last year. His unit often cooperates with the U.S., and he’s even received training from Delta Force. He’s a major threat.”

“Delta Force.”

It was a familiar name.

None of my former trainers lacked the Delta Force label. Of course, once combat zones shifted to urban environments, even Delta’s tactical manuals were almost completely overhauled. In other words, I didn’t know what Delta’s current manuals looked like anymore.

The manuals are constantly revised and updated to correct weaknesses, so depending on the version, there’s always something to exploit.

Anyway, back to the task at hand—I realized I had been zoning out. I didn’t recognize a single name. Had I been neglecting my information-gathering? Maybe it was time for some self-reflection.

“What about the players below him?”

“Well, last year, Japan’s finalists were Keith, Suzuran, Charmant, and Clarity. The rest all got eliminated... But I see all the key names I just mentioned are on that list.”

“Four of them, huh? I heard Japan did pretty well last year. Didn’t Korea have three?”

“‘Did well’? It was all thanks to Keith. Honestly, you don’t need to worry about the rest.”

Dice’s tone was sharp.

Meanwhile, her fingers fidgeted restlessly. Seeing this, I placed my tail on her lap again, and her expression brightened. She was so easy to read.

Beside her, Blooming seemed rather... uncomfortable. I guess you could say it was the kind of envious but helpless look. I knew the feeling. But unfortunately, I couldn’t extend my tail to him as well.

Next up was a breakdown of the strategies we needed to be aware of.

“The players from the Japanese Republic are known for employing trendy tactics. This is likely because several coaches in the Japanese esports scene are former members of the SFGp, Japan’s Special Forces Group.”

As I mentioned earlier, Japan’s Special Forces Group has close ties with Delta Force. They received help from Delta during their formation, so it’s no surprise that some of the tactics and strategies used by the unit have trickled into the public sphere.

The presentation then delved into what exactly was meant by “trendy tactics.” Essentially, it referred to a more systematic approach to combat—the very thing I constantly emphasize.

At the end of the day, combat is combat. You confirm the enemy’s position, force them into a disadvantage, and close the distance with minimal losses to guarantee a kill.

That’s all there is to it.

Then came a video clip—a breakdown and analysis of noteworthy aspects of other countries' players’ gameplay. It was about 10 minutes long. I focused on the part Dice had mentioned earlier.

Keith. Despite the light-hearted name, his avatar was a rugged-looking man. Sharp eyebrows, a vertical scar running across his eye, short messy black hair tied loosely, and a hint of white stubble.

With his prominent brow ridge, he looked less like a typical Japanese person and more like a Japanese-Brazilian mix. Either way, he gave off a strong, imposing presence—but that’s enough on appearances.

Next was his strategy.

Ratatatata!

His movements were fluid and natural.

That was expected, but what really stood out was how he constantly scanned his surroundings, keeping track of the terrain—a habit that demonstrated his extensive experience. Maintaining awareness of the environment is crucial in combat.

It requires a lot of discipline. You need to focus in all directions and have a wide field of view. Something like that. But one thing was clear: it allowed him to respond immediately to any changes in the situation.

Muzzle flashes erupted from his gun’s compensator. He maintained excellent control and accuracy, methodically winning his engagements. Unless his opponents had a clear advantage, they were gradually pushed back.

Then, at the perfect moment, he switched to an offensive stance, rapidly pressuring his opponent. One kill. Overall, there wasn’t a hint of impatience in his approach to combat.

He was good.

“His combat skills are impressive. I can see why it would be tough for anyone outside the top tier to handle him. Though, honestly, top players all tend to be pretty similar… Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Uh…”

Seo Ye-rin, who had been staring intently at the screen, finally spoke.

“…This is strange. Last year, he got completely beaten down, but now I feel like I understand him…”

“Well, the higher you go, the more combat principles start to look the same.”

“That’s true, but… his offense-to-defense transitions feel a bit slow. It’s not like how you, Yujin, switch between them in an instant—it’s more like flipping a heavy tire.”

“Careful with that kind of talk, or you might find yourself getting beaten up by him in the Asia preliminaries. Better start preparing.”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

For someone who admitted she was beaten down by him last year, where was all this confidence coming from? I flicked her on the head with my tail before focusing back on the screen.

Next up was the Chinese Federation. However, there was no need for much explanation. It was the same story as before. The same went for Russia and Taiwan. There was no need to overthink it, as there would be plenty of time for analysis later.

But for those attending this briefing for the first time, this was an important opportunity to gauge the strength of their opponents through videos and presentations.

With that, the introduction to our opponents’ strategies and the players to watch out for came to an end.

According to the newly distributed schedule for the closed-door briefing, the next item was the introduction of each team’s policies and joint tactical plans. I was curious about what that might entail.

That curiosity was soon satisfied. In short, a task force made up of the best coaches and managers would be overseeing the training curriculum and leading the way for the upcoming weeks.

Just when I thought it was nothing too surprising, the man who seemed to be the task force leader took the microphone from the host, and his statement was quite something.

“…Additionally, this task force plans to significantly revise the previously established strategies to keep up with current trends. Instead of the previous ‘adapt-to-the-situation’ approach, the new curriculum will focus on improving individual weaknesses and maximizing strengths.”

And then he added something that really hit home.

“We are especially interested in the methods used by Yujin, who has dramatically improved Dice’s skills.”

I didn’t expect them to say that outright.

Fortunately, he didn’t follow up with something like, “Please contact us later.” If he had, I might’ve thought they’d lost their minds. I figured they’d probably get in touch after the briefing anyway.

Since I was being mentioned, it seemed like everyone was curious about how I had trained Dice—but I had a feeling that if they found out, they might regret ever wondering.

Ironically, the reason Dice always complained was no big secret.

She chimed in herself.

“What’s everyone so curious about? They’d all be horrified if they actually tried it.”

“People are curious because they don’t know.”

“…True. There’s that saying: ignorance is bliss. I guess you could call a lack of information ignorance. In that sense, it’s not exactly wrong.”

“Haha. Anyway, it’s about time for you to start teaching others. After a week or two of training, how about I draft the curriculum with those coaches, and you pass it along? I think it’d be a good role for you.”

“…That doesn’t sound bad.”

Exactly.

There’s a reason they say giving someone authority can quickly dispel their complaints. Now that I told her she could teach others, she pretended not to care, but the corners of her mouth were twitching upward.

Anyway, a month isn’t a long time. With one week already nearly over, there were only about three weeks left. Balancing the backlog of sponsorships and getting all twenty players to a certain skill level would be quite the challenge.

That’s why we needed to divide the roles. Dice would have her hands full for a while.

But that was a problem for the future—right now, there was something more pressing.

 

“───Thank you all for your attention. This concludes the preliminary briefing. A bus has been prepared outside to take you to a nearby hotel buffet. Please enjoy a belated lunch there and return to your accommodations or homes afterward. The rest of the briefing will be delivered through your team coaches!”

A smile.

Our eyes met.

I spoke.

And the most important thing?

“Let’s go eat.”

“…Eat?”

“I haven’t had lunch yet.”

We were going to tear up that buffet.

 

“The last time I had a meal at a hotel buffet like this, I was with Mina. And now I’m with you, Ye-rin.”

“…You know, it feels really weird hearing you call me by my name, Yujin. Not in a bad way—just really strange. Anyway, Mina is… Harmony, right?”

“Yes. That was fun too. Though it’s probably not the best thing to talk about here… Did you want to say something?”

“Ah, well…”

That wasn’t the main point.

But man, can this person eat!—Not that Dice could focus on that.

She glanced at the table. In front of Yujin was a single plate filled to the brim with every type of salad this hotel offered. It was already piled high.

There were pieces of pumpkin, broccoli, scallops, mushrooms, crab, potatoes, smoked salmon, olives, hummus, nuts and cheese, ham and sausages, ciabatta, croissants, and various finger foods… Even two plates of this would make most people explode.

And Dice, unable to contain her curiosity, blurted out:

“…Doesn’t that fill you up?”

“I think I can handle about ten plates today.”

“Ugh…”

This person is definitely not human.

But as she watched the mountain of salad disappear, bite by bite, she realized… Why am I getting hungry too? Is this what they call mukbang? Now that I think about it, if Yujin did mukbang, the views would be off the charts.

Her eating was impossibly neat. You couldn’t even see her take bites or chew. It looked like she took small bites, but listening to her, that might not be the case.

She just ate quickly and cleanly. And without spilling anything. It seemed like a natural talent.

“This is delicious. I’m heading to the grill section next. Want to come?”

“Ugh, if I try to keep up with your pace, I’ll die. I couldn’t do it even if I starved for three days.”

“You just eat what you can, that’s what buffets are for, right?”

“…Glutton.”

“Haha, if anything, I’m more like the one who swallows the pig whole…”

…Fair enough.

Being an anaconda, I suppose that’s a real possibility. In old stories, there’s always a boa swallowing an elephant whole, so Yujin could probably handle a pig.

Not that she’d eat it whole—just that she could if she wanted to.

 

Reality was evaporating before her eyes. Dice’s mind swirled with data she couldn’t process. She thought Yujin was just some gym junkie, but it turns out she brought her real appearance into VR and needs to eat at least 5,000, sometimes 8,000 calories a day.

It was dizzying.

And on top of that, there were more weird antics.

“If you ever run out of hands, feel free to put a plate on my tail.”

“Wait, what?”

Yujin coiled her tail into a makeshift stand and set a plate on top of it.

With that, she smugly remarked that she could now carry up to three plates of food at once. The audacity to show off such bizarre skills so casually—it was a talent in itself.

“You really are capable of anything, huh.”

“To be honest, I discovered this trick while having a meal with Harmony.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

 

However, lunch hadn’t even started yet.

And there was something else Dice had to worry about.

 

‘…Will tonight’s dinner cost 500,000 won?’

She was going to regret a lot of things today.