NoveLight ™
"Thank you for the interview!"
"You really worked hard…!"
It's busy.
So busy.
Although my face was smiling, I let out a long sigh internally.
The more tangled the world is and the more external factors there are that secure one’s place, the more one gets dragged along. What this means is that, well, Dais—I am currently part of SSM Entertainment. It’s an entertainment company that manages celebrities, artists, and professional gamers, meaning I’m officially affiliated with the team.
The salary and incentives that go into my wallet come from their pockets, and the building where I secure my lodging also belongs to the team, along with the practice rooms and all sorts of amenities—of course, having achieved the incredible result of 4th place in the Final Championship (essentially 2nd place, excluding Yujin and Logan), my treatment has greatly improved compared to before.
In any case, I was legally tied to these people. When interview offers come in, I still have to oblige. A result that no one in Korea could have produced, except for one person, had flown all the way from New York, so I could technically decide whether to execute these schedules at my discretion, but….
Isn’t this just a bit too much?
“…Has our company really grown this much?”
"Indeed. It's also more likely because of the urgent schedules organized by the entertainment side. There are many people lined up who don’t want to miss this opportunity."
"Thanks to that, I’ve had the chance to see so many people who appear on TV."
Boy groups, girl groups, artists, actors, PDs, and producers… SSM’s main focus was indeed this area. It all started here, after all. With the emergence of the game Dark Zone, the esports pie suddenly expanded wildly, and now the gaming sector occupies over 40% on its own.
Anyway, no one would be particularly curious about our company’s history. The point I wanted to make was that I had returned home less than four days ago, yet I had already been busy with all sorts of New Year’s schedules. Of course, I wasn’t being dragged along. Professional gamers are a hybrid creation formed by a mix of gaming skills and fan popularity, and I had no intention of denying that.
But I never thought so many influencers and celebrities would come together just for me.
"…Every time someone I appeared with asks, 'Have you heard our song?' I end up with no answer, so it was quite embarrassing."
"Haha. Why not start listening from now on?"
"I’ve been so distracted that I really can’t…."
It’s not that I only like the sounds of beans frying and metal grinding or explosions, but I guess I don’t have the time to listen to music. Of course, my taste shifting towards military themes had quite an impact too. Especially while training with Yujin, as my action adjustments had converged to zero, I became more accustomed to actually handling metal, such as firearms….
I never expected them to bring replica guns during the interview.
"I never thought I’d be doing CQB even during an interview."
"I remember everyone really enjoyed it, so it should be fine, right?"
"I was quite stunned."
Given that I had worn a rather calm outfit, I never thought we’d be doing something like that.
Anyway, since I had practiced a lot in VR, it wasn’t a big deal. There was no need for nervousness or reason, and I showcased a series of skills, adjusting the stock, loading, tweaking the joystick, swapping magazines, and various other techniques with great effort.
Of course, unlike in virtual reality, my real body was weak itself, so my arm hurt a bit from that short demonstration and the CQB combat scenarios.
And now, back to the present.
I figured that by now, aside from me, Ink, Gambit, and Michael must also be in similar situations. At this point, it seemed those without entanglements were the least busy. Harmony was probably still appearing on shows here and there due to requests sent by the Icarus Korean branch under the title of partner streamer, receiving interviews and picking up cars and whatnot, but….
Perhaps Yujin was the least busy.
Given her personality, I didn’t think she would intentionally take time to appear on interviews or programs, nor was she affiliated with a team. It was quite enviable that she, as the champion, was the most relaxed while the rest of us were busily caught up in everything. Was this what we called responsibility-free pleasure?
Of course, I only thought that for a moment, and it didn’t mean that it was true. Everyone inherently has their own struggles.
"Ugh…."
It was a tumultuous time.
Only the eye of the storm was calm. Those interested in Dark Zone, whether online or offline, were chattering about the game. Not only the esports channels on the internet but also all sorts of articles echoed this. The world was in a state of chaos as a continuing trend, and despite the cold weather in Korea, it was noisier than ever during the New Year.
I wondered how many schedules I had left.
Of course, I might have said that due to the hectic situation, as I blurted it out without thinking.
"There are four next week. Three the week after. After reviewing the program content, you can cancel anything that seems impossible."
"Cancel, huh."
Well, there wasn’t a big problem just yet. Besides, if I didn’t work a bit busily in January, I’d soon need to prepare my physical condition for the upcoming tasks in February. I wanted to avoid any additional work then.
By the way, speaking of cancellations, there was indeed one I had to make.
"As I mentioned last time, I’d like the schedules for Saturday and Sunday to be completely free."
"That has been approved. It shouldn’t be a problem."
That’s a relief.
But amidst all that, a follow-up question arose.
"But everyone is curious. Usually, program recordings peak on weekends. Do you happen to have any schedules then?"
"Ah."
Unlike other professional gamers under SSM, my position had grown too large after placing in the top five of the Final Championship, so they might have approved my request without writing any reasons, hoping to accommodate me. All I could think of was that.
Anyway, there was a reason, of course. I definitely had a proper schedule.
"I'm scheduled to appear on Yujin’s stream then."
"Ah."
From the look on their faces, it seemed no one had the audacity to turn that down.
Thus, my weekend was completely cleared.
It was the first week of a busy January.
"…So, this is the restaurant. Quite nice, isn’t it?"
Per Se, located on the left of Columbus Circle.
It was the three-star restaurant in New York that I had visited the day before the Final Championship—though this was actually my second visit, I didn’t mention that. The soft lighting created a misty atmosphere, with beautifully plated dishes atop bowls that seemed made from the finest quality milk.
When I played the dining video, everyone seemed to enjoy it. Of course, those who complained about only talking about food must have all left long ago, or something like that. I didn’t need to worry about that. After all, starting tomorrow, the discussion about the matches would kick off in earnest. Plus, I had even preemptively revealed the trophy and the One Chip.
The match video stories that would begin tomorrow were set to use the full video of the Final Championship available on the official YouSpace Icarus channel. Since the duo and squad matches I participated in wouldn’t be relevant, they would be entirely omitted.
Anyway, back to the topic.
"The view from outside is like this. Columbus Circle is visible. True to New York, there’s never really a time when it isn’t bustling here."
Columbus Circle.
Named after the statue of Christopher Columbus, it’s a sort of rotary. Opposite was Central Park, shrouded in darkness. It was so vast that I couldn’t see all of it. Of course, it was partly because the restaurant was on a lower floor.
Then came the unveiling of the dishes. The captured photo of the scene after the lids were opened displayed three plates of food on the table, starkly contrasting in size. The chat window was immediately filled with question marks. Perhaps because I had previously mentioned it was a fine dining restaurant, everyone seemed even more startled.
"It was really delicious. Mina and Dais also asked for little bites if any were left. There seems to be a different charm when the quantity in one bowl is so plentiful."
Ohsan Nine Excelsis donated 2,000 won!
Of course, the donations were flying in.
The viewers always seemed to need to chime in with something whenever a significant moment arose, and it felt like they often poured in donations at just the right times. So, I had no choice but to not read donation messages unless they exceeded a certain amount. I couldn’t just read donations when I came to tell stories.
Then came the next photo. A handsome, somewhat seasoned-looking man and I were shaking hands. Seeing the time-sliced photo reminded me of the memories that came flooding back. I chuckled softly as I opened my mouth.
"That’s the head chef of the restaurant. He kindly attended to us. It was quite enjoyable."
Leaving behind the viewers who were throwing a ruckus, I continued sharing the rest of the stories. I remembered Dais declaring that she wanted to rank in the top five this year, stating that it was her gift to me, and reflecting on how that actually came to fruition. Was this what we call a self-fulfilling prophecy?
As the results were good, that was what mattered.
Anyway, I shared that story as well. It seemed that by now, everyone had roughly caught on to what kind of monster Dais had grown into. And it was true. She had become strong enough to contend for 1st place in the Final Championship without me or Logan.
It was almost time to wrap up the story.
The first part had been a brief game, and the second part had lasted a whole five hours, so it was about time to soothe and send the viewers away. It wasn’t that I was annoyed; it was to guarantee their right to sleep. Plus, Harmony was also streaming at this point, so they could always go over there if they wanted to hear more.
Of course, the tens of thousands of users instantly transformed into a bunch of brats, but traditionally, the more they act up, the more you have to slam the door shut.
And since I had things to do today.
"Alright, everyone, see you tomorrow. For those who have spread out mats, please pack up and head home."
Of course, not even a minute later, everyone was practically kicked out.
Harmony would probably be startled by the sudden influx of viewers, but I trusted she would manage it well, given her experience as a streamer. After all, she might very well establish order among the newly arrived viewers the same way I had with some trash game.
Anyway, since we were talking about games—there was something I had to do after the broadcast today.
I entered my mailbox and opened a bookmarked email among those I had previously sorted. There was a game there.
"Glory and Honor."
To put it simply, it was a game where you wielded melee weapons and struck down opponents.
As I recalled, it was a first-person VR action game that ranked around 3rd or 4th beneath Dark Zone. The system was quite similar to Dark Zone, but instead of guns, you used swords, axes, etc., and similarly had a hardcore mode for more realistic play.
Since that suited me better, I entered the game name into the search bar without hesitation. The moment "Glory and Honor" was added to my library, which until now had only contained Dark Zone, I thought I should learn the system a bit, so I could explain it in more detail during the actual promotional broadcast.
"So far, it doesn’t seem too complicated."
As soon as I started the game, three categories were visible.
They generally divided classes and weapons.
First were knights in full armor wielding swords, the usual melee weapons. The main weapons varied slightly, ranging from standard straight swords to claymores, maces, and axes. The second and third categories—Vikings and Samurai—also had slightly different appearances and reach based on the swords or spears they carried, with classes further refined.
I had a rough idea of what it was like.
So I chose a character wielding a simple tomahawk and moved on to the next stage, where a calibration section appeared that looked quite similar to Dark Zone… although I hadn’t actually seen this screen when I first played Dark Zone, it felt a bit peculiar.
I set the sliders to the lowest for hardcore mode without hesitation. Numerous warning windows popped up, but I didn’t pay them any mind. After all, this was just a newly created character, and I didn’t plan to stick with it.
"…Wow, this place is incredibly friendly."
On a snow-covered mountain range, a training ground greeted me.
It was the quintessential tutorial, completely different from Dark Zone, known for its unfriendliness. A target was visible in front of me. As numerous UIs popped up, it began telling me what I needed to do next—summarizing that this game featured specific initial motions that triggered corresponding attacks, allowing me to defend or counter at the right timing.
In other words, it wasn’t a straightforward melee battle for muscular men, but it simultaneously held elements of a sneaky timing-based game.
However, despite those friendly pop-ups, since it was hardcore mode, there was absolutely no correction to the attacks I executed.
Of course—
Crack!
"Excellent."
With an ominous sound accompanying a horizontally swung tomahawk, the wooden post I struck splintered entirely. An NPC standing beside me applauded. He seemed to play the role of a trainer.
I wasn’t sure if I was the only one smashing the wood or if that was the intention, but anyway.
"Then, let’s move on to the next."
Saying that, the previously solemn NPC approached with an actual spear in hand and popped up various UI prompts, stating that I’d learn the basics of defense and attack from this moment on—showing me about counter systems, light attacks, heavy attacks, stamina, and more.
While it was indeed an important time to learn all that, including the counter systems…
I figured I could save the learning for later.
In other words, not right now.
After exiting the tutorial, I swung my tomahawk to deflect the incoming spear and, with a horizontal swing, severed the enemy’s head and torso, both of which disappeared into polygons. With that, the real game finally began.
There were sessions that could only be accessed by players below a certain level, but there were also sessions where everyone could participate regardless of level in the general game. In that sense, compared to Dark Zone, it could be said that participating in combat was much more intuitive in this game.
"Well, I need to check out how the game operates…."
I thought it might be better to enter a regular game, die a few times, and figure out how it works rather than starting off in the beginner’s zone.
So, thinking that, I entered a room with no information whatsoever—
"…I shouldn’t be doing this."
This game wasn’t one I could advertise or review.
If I had played this while streaming, all the newbies that were there would probably have left.
Sitting among the dozens of polygon corpses without arms, legs, or heads, I muttered to myself.