[Notification: Optical Camouflage activated.]

 

"…Hah, it’s cold."

"I guess it snowed again."

"Right? I’ve felt it before, but I just can’t seem to adapt to New York’s weather."

"It sounds impressive to say it’s New York, but if you look at the latitude, it’s actually higher than Siniju… so it makes sense."

"Still, I’m not too cold since I layered my clothes well…."

Crunch, crunch.

At 11 PM, Dice and Yujin were walking through the streets of Manhattan, enveloped in complete darkness. The sound of snow being compressed beneath their feet echoed multiple times. After a period of calm weather, it began to stir again, dumping thick snow across New York.

The surrounding area swayed subtly, something Dice could hardly notice. Yujin, unable to fully trust the safety of New York, activated the optical camouflage, revealing the situation.

Of course, the unaware continued their conversation without concern.

"I didn’t think the hardship would end on Monday, but I never imagined I’d face such a crazy thing on Tuesday."

"You did a great job. The map wasn’t particularly favorable for retreating, and with no vehicles, it must have been difficult to escape… even if it’s by chance, gathering the pieces to create a coincidence isn’t easy."

It was heartfelt, not just empty lip service.

The Final Championship. With millions of eyes on just a hundred players, it was a match that didn’t fall short of the Olympic and World Cup-level events. In such a match, Yujin had even told Logan to avoid confrontations.

She wasn’t suggesting safe and secure gameplay. Instead, the Korean national team’s play style was among the most aggressive of all the representatives participating in the third Final Championship.

Amidst this, what Yujin earnestly emphasized was precisely that.

It was natural that only Dice could accomplish something that was so challenging to uphold.

"You seem to have a lot to say."

"I told you earlier, I seriously thought I was going to die."

With shooting accuracy close to impossible, speed that was unbelievable, and top-tier tactical and strategic abilities—Logan was a literal killing machine. If he had fully committed his remaining strength, Dice would have likely been launched into the lobby long ago.

The subject herself thought so, and that was practically the truth.

Of course, it was precisely because of this that so many people were interested in Dice.

"Even so, I never expected that Yujin’s colleagues would be interested."

"The original reason for inviting Dice wasn’t that, but it seems they were quite curious about that part as well. And they also seem to be curious about me bringing Yerin to this place…."

"Ah."

Certainly.

There was no need to painstakingly recall previous memories; the events of earlier were vividly resurfacing. The moment Yujin’s name was mentioned, everyone began smiling and showering her with various praises, making further explanation unnecessary.

Of course, it was only natural that Dice hadn’t heard a single word about what had happened in the past. Because of that, while she could directly listen to honest evaluations of Yujin.

Thus, Dice reached a simple conclusion.

"It seems everyone really likes Yujin."

"…Huh?"

"Especially Logan and Lorentina. They never call her by name and only refer to her as 'the youngest.'"

"Ah, those two really…."

Yujin exhaled roughly, but Dice’s blue eyes reflected a light blush on her cheeks.

Through months of interaction, Yerin had long since entered data regarding Yujin’s usual reactions into her mind, and through her logical circuits, it was undeniably a clear embarrassment.

The mask of the iron man fell away, revealing the hidden true self of Yujin. Every time this happened, Dice realized that this person also felt ordinary human emotions like joy and sorrow.

Of course, it wasn’t just that.

Yerin cautiously added,

"There are many good people around Yujin."

"…That’s right, they are very good people. More than I deserve."

But that wasn’t all.

As the two pairs of blue eyes met, the conversation continued.

"Those are good people I got to know while I was in the U.S. military, but… that’s not all. I’ve also met many good people since I started streaming and began working in the professional realm."

Slither, slither.

At the same time, a strange sensation began to rise from Dice’s back.

If she were the same person she was just a few months ago, she might have jumped up from the spot, but now she knew exactly what this sensation was. Glancing sideways, sure enough, Yujin was gently stroking her back with her tail.

Reflecting on when that devilish tail had begun to feel so pleasant, Dice chuckled.

"Well, that’s a relief then."

"I didn’t say anything."

"I’m just quick on the uptake, so I noticed first."

Then the short laughter of the two rang out.

Soon, with less than ten minutes left until they reached the hotel, Dice spoke up.

"Oh, right. By the way, I heard from Lorentina about how Yujin got drunk and had a drink with you in the past."

"Wait, what?"

"When we drank wine together back then, you didn’t do that, but you cried, right? Why were you crying? Eek! Ow ow ow ow!"

"How dare you talk about that in front of me! You didn’t go off on a field trip just because you fought with Logan, right?"

As Dice’s soft, chewy cheeks were pinched by Yujin’s vice-like fingers, they stretched out on either side. The sound escaping her mouth was filled with pain, but Yujin had no intention of letting Dice go.

Of course, she was merely the messenger, and it was a complete reversal of roles.

But that didn’t mean that Dice’s guts were instantly returning to their rightful place.

"I’ve heard that’s not all you heard? People are saying Yujin has terrible drinking habits…."

"Alright, stop it."

"But during the Asian preliminaries, you wrapped around me with your tail like a death pillow. I came home with muscle pain and a hangover, you know?"

"…Ugh."

It was just poetic justice.

Thus, Yujin became a deflated Byung-kyung, and Dice offered her consolation with a bitter smile. It was truly a mystery how this person had developed such absurd drinking habits.

The night deepened, and the cutting wind after the snow had stopped was chilly. The two passed through the entrance of the now-familiar luxury hotel and vanished.

It was the second night of the championship.

"…Korean representative Yujin with two wins, North American representatives Logan and Cain with one win each, and Arthur from England with one win. This year looks tough."

"With people drowning in worries about how to counter skills, will they have the luxury to watch that too?"

The second night passed, along with the concerns that existed for each person. Day turned to night again, and the third day’s match was preparing to begin.

As always, Madison Square Garden was so packed that it was hard to find a place to stand, and within it, only a select 60,000 could enter the private arena. The host and a hundred hologram players greeted the audience as they always did.

Tension was apparent on the faces, as were expressions of determination. Among many faces were the few who truly held any semblance of ease, but they were nearly non-existent.

However, ignoring that, the gathered audience of 60,000 cheered for the players they wanted to support.

And today, not surprisingly, the one who garnered the most attention was none other than Yujin.

"Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin! Yujin!"

"Oh Yujin, I came to smash the head of the Final Championship~ The anaconda that crossed the Pacific is the top predator~!"

"No, seriously. What the hell are those guys singing?"

The American cheering squad was more frenzied than those who had flown in from Korea to watch the match. Their overwhelming volume, along with a bizarre song that sounded like it had been pre-composed, quickly transformed the atmosphere into a more enthusiastic one.

Even those who had been chuckling couldn’t escape the grip of that song. The fact that they had flown in from Korea to support Yujin stirred the curiosity of North American spectators, and soon both sides clumsily began attempts at conversation.

Questions about where they came from and responses that they had come from Korea were all that was needed. It was enough. The instant they found common ground, they sang out loud as if there were no tomorrow, and even the host couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Of course, unfortunately, Yujin was a master of English, above a native level, and that meant she could not only decode the song the cheering squad was belting out in real-time but could easily answer the host's questions without needing any translation.

The host, who had been laughing heartily, gave Yujin a microphone with an expression that suggested there was no other option, and a simple interview began.

"Haha, you certainly have a very enthusiastic cheering squad here."

"My fans tend to develop thorns on their bodies when they act normally or do anything ordinary…."

Of course, there was no need to mention that the host laughed once again at Yujin’s response.

The map draw began. The Final Championship’s characteristic was to go through the eight existing maps over Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday—meaning today was the time to play the remaining maps that hadn’t been drawn yet.

Aurora Power Plant, California Gas Complex, and the port city of Tanhoizer.

As the bizarre song was finally silenced, the 100 holograms standing on the central stage vanished in unison, and a screen appeared before the eyes of 60,000 spectators.

A transport plane crossed the air.

"Then, let’s start the Final Championship Wednesday match—!"

Cheers erupted along with applause.

And—

• [CSAG chemical foam / foam grenade / chemical launcher - suppression foam]

• [Notification: 10 seconds until combat support equipment data download….]

 

"Nowadays, there seems to be an oddly high number of people in the skill activation zone…."

Smoke slowly billowed from the red-hot suppressor, a clear indication of how much had been fired. Holding the gun in her left hand, Yujin leisurely activated her skills amidst a massive forest fire that seemed to herald the end of the world.

There was no presence, but the bullet holes scattered across the containers and walls, along with the ground that was dug up in forms that could never occur naturally, hinted that several battles had taken place here, and that Yujin was the ultimate victor of those skirmishes.

Two foam grenades filled with green and black liquid poured into her multipurpose pouch. The blueprints for the Icarus gear had already been downloaded, so they would continue to be manufactured and added periodically.

Taking a breath and smiling lightly, Yujin recalled the sound of clattering in her pouch, a sound she had often heard during her time as the point man for her team.

And one thing she had never mentioned.

The skills she cherished the most were none other than the foam launcher and grenades.

‘…The real potential of the skill lies in its ability to create or alter terrain.’

Until now, everyone had thought the Final Championship was a competition to see who could sharpen their knives more keenly within a limited framework, but after the third finals, those uttering such claims would completely vanish.

Creating new variables and introducing them into combat would be a true innovation from the perspective of either attacker or defender—and the infinite ways to apply these techniques would loom as a catastrophe for all existing users.

And among them, the foam launcher Yujin chose was a skill meant for the "defender."

Click!

Compressing the chemical foam launcher as much as possible, Yujin tucked it neatly into her tactical backpack and began to move. And the sight was observed by over millions of eyes. Every play that Yujin executed was filled with unpredictable peculiarities that ordinary users couldn’t comprehend, which paradoxically stirred their curiosity.

It was a skill Yujin had never chosen before. Of course, that wasn’t all; it was also a skill with the lowest pick rate during the Final Championship.

In fact, the chemical launcher itself wasn’t a mainstream skill, and even more so, the foam launcher was even less so. Not only could you not immobilize the ground unless you hit the opponent, but the projectile speed was also a clear disadvantage.

Likewise, it was precisely for this reason that so many people were watching Yujin.

• Our snake teacher is doing something strange again, kkkkkkkkkkkk
• Strange behavior (beating the opponent)
• I’m already looking forward to what creative way she’ll use to kill the opponent this time, lol
• Fact: If it were last year, I would have been deemed crazy
• I’m feeling dizzy, seriously

 

At least five individual languages were being spewed out as the audience eagerly watched Yujin’s play in real time.

However, one of Yujin’s many nicknames was Iron Man, and she stood there without an ounce of tension, thoroughly understanding the surrounding terrain. One of her many advantages was her quick thinking, and this, coupled with experience, produced an absurd level of battlefield awareness.

And it didn’t take long for the results of that to be revealed.

BANG!

In the materials warehouse where the layers were indistinct, Yujin was on the first floor, while the enemy was positioned on the second-floor balcony, and since it was pitch black, the situation wasn’t looking favorable. Moreover, with no adequate cover and an unobstructed view, getting shot was incredibly easy.

Of course, the subject didn’t hesitate to confront all those unreasonable situations head-on.

In the most bizarre way.

She took two foam grenades out of her multipurpose pouch, activated them, and shoved them into the iron bars in front of her. Everyone who thought she was throwing them to bind the enemy was proven wrong in the next moment when that prediction was smashed into tiny pieces.

BANG!

As the two foam grenades exploded, the iron bar, easily weighing hundreds of kilograms, shook and became a thick cover that could easily hide a person.

Normally, or just that, the polyurethane foam would have been easily penetrated by bullets, but this time, because there were iron bars inside, the protection level was incomparable to before.

This forced the enemy, who was engaged with Yujin, to move in search of a favorable shooting angle, but naturally, she wouldn’t let that slide.

Waiting for the enemy who had quickly crossed to the other side through the iron balcony was a grenade primed for explosion.

A fleeting flash, a shockwave.

A twisted scaffold.

A falling enemy.

Though he crashed roughly into the first-floor ground, it wasn’t a serious injury. However, losing his weapon while falling was quite painful.

Fortunately, there was an emergency exit right in front of him, and he hastily tried to rise and open the door.

BANG!

Before he could even comprehend the speed at which something was flying in, the pushbar, along with more than half of the door, was covered in polyurethane foam before he could react.

Of course, when he looked straight ahead again, Yujin was already right in front of him.

Click.

As the gun was raised, it aimed at his forehead.

"This is a shame—"

BANG!

And there was no one left.