"Where are you going?"

"I guess I need to scout that guy. The MAVNI-related legislation should still be valid, and where's that application for the U.S. Navy? Surviving that crazy polar bear means his skills are already proven…."

"Stop rambling and just sit down."

Madison Square Garden is buzzing.

People have always craved the battle between David and Goliath, especially hoping for the former's thrilling victory—and just before Logan was about to strike Dice, an explosion erupted, leading the confrontation into unknown territory.

However, when the smoke cleared and the results were revealed, everyone was stunned. Despite both of them sprawled on the ground like trash, both sides had survived. Especially Dice, who not only survived but had successfully taken down the other.

Of course, many were eagerly watching the ensuing face-off between Logan and Juggernaut, but there were others who felt differently.

Lorentina, who had risen from her seat only to plop back down, added,

"Good situational awareness, and the tactics and strategy aren’t half bad. As for shooting skills, well, they plateau at a certain point… it’s just that the opponent is that crazy polar bear, so it doesn’t stand out too much, but surviving gives him a bonus point."

"Is that kid a disciple of Yujin? You can tell he’s been meticulously honed. It’s impossible for an ordinary person to escape from Logan’s noose like this."

Task Force Dagger, particularly the three combatants at its core.

Their power, which could not be ranked against each other, could well be described as the sharpest blades in the world, effective regardless of the opponent's training or military background—age and gender didn't matter in the face of a hurricane.

Being team members, they inevitably understood each other's combat abilities. Therefore, they could clearly predict what kind of end awaited the opponent when caught in Logan’s noose.

Yet, an ordinary person—despite being seasoned in the Dark Zone—had escaped that grasp.

The serious engagement between Logan and Juggernaut began. But the two remained relaxed in their plush chairs, showing little concern.

Most of the battles in the Dark Zone were based on situations they had experienced, leading the story to naturally drift into past recollections.

And that was precisely why Lorentina and Owens had zero interest in Logan’s engagement.

"Seeing that reminds me of the operations we did in northern New York, doesn’t it? I feel like I saw those heavily armored soldiers there first."

"I don’t think Logan is going to die there, but this map is pretty narrow, which is quite troublesome."

"They’ve created an environment that’s bound to be advantageous. If not, he would have been a sandbag."

The memory of the heavily armored soldier from Artemis during their first encounter. The overwhelming aura didn’t last even ten seconds, and once she realized that a gentle poke from a distance could make him lose his cool, there was no problem anymore.

That memory continued to this day, and all members of Team Dagger, including Logan, were well accustomed to battles against Juggernaut. Of course, high-value research facilities compensated for that gap in numbers.

The assumption that an ordinary rescue team could take Logan out was absurd. After all, Yujin had taken out a three-man Juggernaut squad head-on with just an EMP grenade and a Barrett rifle in the past.

Naturally, this would be a laughable story if shared with others.

And sure enough, within just a few minutes, Logan had taken down the mini-gun Juggernaut without any significant issues.

As the announcer, surprised as if witnessing the impossible, showered him with praise, Lorentina, who was watching the hologram with an indifferent expression, subtly rolled her eyes.

Automatically responding to her gaze, a pop-up appeared, quickly rising to the side without completely blocking the screen, catching the attention of Lorentina and Owens.

It was a message accompanied by a late-arriving topic.

• [Chester: Dice? You’re telling me that’s an ordinary person? I can’t be seeing this wrong, can I?]

• [Laurentina: I called dibs on him first, so don’t mess around and just lie in your hospital bed.]

• [Chester: Well, you’re the only one acting all high and mighty, asking if any ordinary person would think about joining the U.S. Navy here. Crazy girl.]

• [Laurentina: (a meme of a shark giving a middle finger)]

 

It didn’t take long for the previously quiet group chat to become lively.

Chester, who had been lying in a hospital bed, and Serkins, who was currently on leave and wandering around, were the first to respond, followed by Marcus and Rapier, who seemed to have dropped by New York for a brief moment while working as PMC advisors.

Everyone in the chat, except for Logan and Yujin, who were currently in the middle of the match, and Morgana, who couldn’t attend this time due to being busy, along with Kissinger, who was serving in the Secret Service, started chiming in.

• [Serkins: Stop talking about things I don’t know again.]

• [Marcus: I can’t believe there’s someone who doesn’t keep up with matches involving that little snake. Should we kick him out of the chat?]

• [Rapier: I think your research as a squad leader is lacking.]

• [Serkins: Why am I always getting hit?]

 

After exchanging brief jokes, the conversation naturally shifted to Dice.

The population, exceeding tens of millions and nearing a hundred million, converted the ongoing match into countless clips in real-time, and it quickly spread beyond friends sharing or uploading on social media to YourSpace.

For Lorentina, it was just a matter of picking a decent one among them to share in the chat, and once everyone had watched about a minute and a half of the combat video, it was only natural for various comments to arise.

• [Laurentina: Is there anyone who can do that?]

• [Marcus: Forget it. Fighting Logan itself is a punishment.]

• [Serkins: If it was like that in reality, they could have secured a spot in any security firm or PMC. Where is that guy from?]

• [Laurentina: Surprisingly, aside from being a pro gamer, she’s an ordinary woman.]

• [Rapier: I knew our youngest was taking on students and planning something fun, but I never expected results like this….]

• [Marcus: Don’t even dream of using money to bring the youngest to Blaze Company, Rapier.]

• [Rapier: If I had 38 lives, I might have suggested it once, but unfortunately, I don’t. The moment I try to headhunt, everyone here will obviously come after my head for a physical headhunting.]

 

As he said.

Ironically, none of them wanted Yujin to return to the battlefield—perhaps it was only natural.

However, regardless of that, those who had served in the military and had even dipped their toes into special forces, particularly under the criteria of being specialized PMC military consultants, found Yujin to be a goose that laid golden eggs.

In just a few months, she had managed to turn someone into a person who could run away against Logan in a head-on clash. The implications of this were anything but trivial.

Amidst this, Lorentina added,

• [Laurentina: Speaking of which, I did a mission with that cute green cat who was hanging out with the youngest during the last Northspears mission. It was pretty slow, but he kept up with Dagger's operational pace to some extent. He did quite well as a scout when sniping. I didn’t know because he was the youngest, but he definitely has a natural talent for teaching.]

• [Rapier: Marcus, is that a hint for me to keep quiet?]

• [Marcus: Don’t talk nonsense at the end of the year; wake up.]

 

Meanwhile.

The number of users was gradually decreasing, and the unexpectedly hot topic of Dice was recovering his form after fleeing from Logan, easily dealing with every opponent he encountered.

And that spectacle seemed quite appealing, as more and more people in the group chat began to tune in to the broadcast. Of course, not a single one of them missed Dice’s gameplay.

From Dice’s gameplay segments, Yujin’s influence was evident.

The way he scouted the surroundings, handled firearms, and engaged in combat—all reflected the youngest's meticulous feedback. Even the grenades connected to Molly and fishing lines… it was clear just how well the youngest had taken care of that user.

And naturally, the result was Dice blossoming into a capable operator, worthy of pride.

A brief silence.

Then came the subsequent words.

• [Rapier: I thought I’d come to New York to rest for a bit, but this is more interesting than I expected. Was the venue Madison Square Garden?]

• [Marcus: It looks like I’ll have an unexpected visit to Manhattan. Is there room left in the penthouse, Senior Officer Owens? If not, I’ll have to boldly borrow a few days from the owner.]

• [Owens: Do as you wish.]

• [Laurentina: When our youngest finishes the match, I can only imagine what kind of crazy conversation he’ll be wondering about.]

• [Serkins: I’ll pass. I’ve seen it last time.]

• [Kissinger: I want to go, but I can’t. If you happen to find a counterfeit bill plate at Madison Square Park, I’d be able to visit legally, so please let me know anytime.]

• [Laurentina: The Secret Service’s standing comedy is quite brutal.]

 

She chuckled as she added,

• [Laurentina: The deadline is three hours away. Head to the VIP lounge on the 5th floor of Madison Square Park. I’ll ask our senator, and as soon as the access pass comes out, I’ll post it here.]

• [Serkins: The thought of a Dagger team assembly suddenly piques my interest. Since I happen to be free, I’ll cancel what I just said. I’m leaving now.]

• [Laurentina: As always, squad leader. If you’re going to do it anyway.]

 

Then, Lorentina and Owens’ gazes met.

Both smiled and added,

"It’s going to be quite crowded."

"Guess our youngest has good luck with people."

For them, the content of the match was no longer important.

The second day of the final championship was flowing by.

"Wow, today was really tough. I felt like I was actually being killed, even though it was a game…."

"You did well. I’m not joking."

The Tuesday match comes to an end.

Among Poplar Ridge Correctional Facility, the high-value research complex, and the Kalamanst metropolitan area, the one that drew everyone’s attention today was none other than the high-value research complex—it was a match where unexpectedly many twists had occurred.

The first of these to note would undoubtedly be Logan, who had been eliminated in 5th place.

"Now you look like you finally understand something."

"…Yeah. I’ve painfully come to understand Yujin’s advice to offload the unbearable onto others."

Perhaps it was only natural.

Regardless of the misfortune of encountering each other in the early to mid-game, as the kill zone narrowed and the game entered its late phase, Dice and Logan were fated to meet again. Neither wanted to be eliminated early.

Thus, it was evident that they would meet again—but that didn’t mean Dice had any reason to repeat the same mistake as before.

Instead, Dice had been roaming the map, finding two more devices equipped with the Special Rescue Team functionality—at the point where only five remained on the map, he cruelly lured Logan into a carefully laid trap.

But Logan was no ordinary person, and what should have ended with a clear victory for him turned into an unprecedented battlefield.

However.

"If one doesn’t work, then two… somehow, I was able to reduce Logan’s power. Of course, I almost got killed a few times from Juggernaut’s attacks, but in many ways, I have no regrets."

"Winning is what matters."

"That’s right…."

At this point, it’s crucial to remember.

When killing a Juggernaut, it awarded the same kill point of 1 as a normal user, and Logan, who was already sweeping the battlefield like a storm, unintentionally gained three additional kill points.

Thus, while Dice gained a higher ranking by defeating Logan, a bizarre phenomenon occurred where her points were lower than Logan’s.

But none of that mattered at all.

She had survived.

"Of course, Stormseer was a strong opponent. Perhaps because he was involved in the most intense battle among all the encounters today, facing Logan was definitely tougher afterward."

"So, I cut him down first."

"I didn’t expect to be so unpleased with getting second place…."

It was indeed a straightforward case of being at the right place at the right time.

Having exhausted her capabilities after repeatedly engaging in previous battles, Dice was like a tempting bait that wouldn’t be bitten—but unfortunately for her, Stormseer had overlooked Dice's desire to survive.

As a result, he drew unnecessary attention and even expended energy unnecessarily—at that moment, Yujin charged in.

The outcome was, of course, quite clear.

One could think it was rather underhanded, but this was essentially a result of the flawed mind games of top-tier players. Stormseer himself lamented this judgment error in an interview after the match.

'…After roughly checking all users’ positions, I should have thoroughly chosen my targets to attack. Especially since I should have pushed Yujin into the center of the kill zone to induce a natural joint attack, but I failed because I got distracted by Dice.'

Just then, the interview flowed from the ceiling.

With a small smile, Yujin’s tail wrapped around Dice’s neck like a scarf, and she patted Yerin’s shoulder while adding,

"Still, second place means you did great."

"Wow… this gives me motivation again. I’ll do my best tomorrow…."

"Wow, tomorrow, I’ll definitely be in the top ten."

"I got 9th too! Me! Please!"

"Alright, I got it."

A smirk crossed Yujin’s face as the tail parade continued. Of course, unlike Dice, the appearance of the dark-skinned men surrounded by tails didn’t look particularly good.

By the time the tail parade ended, Harmony burst in, her face beaming, carrying all kinds of premium snacks, confections, and chocolates.

"You all worked so hard today! Have something sweet and recharge!"

"Ah, thank you so much…."

"Speaking of which, Harmony, you have a streamer team battle tomorrow, right? What was the first prize…."

"A car!"

"Wooah."

An enormous prize that opened her eyes wide.

Of course, Harmony nonchalantly added,

"Since I’ll be heading back home in about a week, I wouldn’t mind driving it around New York… but well, I’ll just do my best and come back."

"If you enter, you could actually win…."

For some reason, everyone nodded vigorously.

Yujin found it a bit puzzling. Although Harmony had attended training in preparation for soloing in the Final Championship and had sharpened her skills, whether that was enough preparation remained uncertain.

Of course, unlike the Final Championship, Yujin hadn’t analyzed the abilities of the users she would face against Harmony, so it was only natural.

"Anyway, only three days left now. Tomorrow is exactly the midpoint. Once we return to our accommodations, let’s have a quick debrief and rest well. Is there anyone who needs room service? As I said yesterday, everything during the match is on my personal expenses and goodwill."

"Well…? I’ll take a look at the menu when I get back."

"Ugh, I’m really tired after fighting Logan today, so I could just sleep…."

"How about a massage for Dice?"

"Ah, that sounds good!"

They were truly easy to read.

Thinking that, Yujin chuckled and was about to activate her wristwatch to contact the schedule manager when—

Knock knock knock!

"Yes, who is it?"

"Ah, it’s just that… a meeting request has come through Henry Brayton, senator. If you have time, could you check it out?"

"Via? Is there another party involved in the meeting?"

"Yes. They said if you mention 'Dagger Team Assembly,' you’d know…."

"I’ll go."

Wondering if it was some sort of code, none spoke upon Yujin’s determination. Since she had a connection with the senator, it was only natural for everyone there to think that anything could happen.

However, today felt a bit different.

"And they also mentioned they would like to meet Dice; would you happen to have time?"

"…Huh?"

At that moment, the expressions of everyone in the room twisted strangely.

The world was indeed a mysterious place.