NoveLight ™
“What on earth have you been doing?”
“Just a light prank.”
In-game time: 11 AM, the day after we shattered Wilford Hospital.
During the debriefing that followed the air support received for moving from San Antonio to the western U.S., the commander responsible for city defense asked us that question, looking utterly dumbfounded. It was just like the memories from the past. He had that same expression back then.
Meanwhile, Laurentina chuckled and threw in that joke. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but… the results were quite devastating from the enemy’s standpoint. The command structure in that area had been disintegrated. A civil war had already broken out before that.
However, the civil war that erupted after the higher-ups were blown to pieces was incomparable to the previous one. It was literally a Warring States period. The reason was simple. Since the upper echelons had vanished, countless individuals had scrambled to seize their share of the spoils.
And the result was what we faced now.
“...According to drone reconnaissance, enemy forces have decreased to 30% of what they were a few days ago. It’s time to initiate the vacuum operation we couldn’t perform during that time.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t help with that. We still have a busy schedule ahead.”
“Of course. So, is the next destination El Paso or Phoenix? I’ll arrange support for a military transport aircraft.”
“We need to hear about the situation in each city first. If there’s nothing particularly wrong, we’ll probably head to Tucson.”
Of course, I said that, but I exchanged glances with the Dagger Team members for a brief moment. We needed to discuss whether or not we would go.
El Paso. A city divided by a single river from Ciudad Juárez, known as the city of beasts, which is an extremely dangerous area. However, precisely because of that, El Paso was considered one of the safer cities. The well-known 1st Armored Division is stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso.
If they dared to touch that, the cartel’s backbone would surely snap. How could a cartel with just some light infantry and a few armored vehicles challenge a place that has over 300 Abrams tanks?
And as I mentioned, in the past, it had been a kind of rest stop and save point. Once there, there wasn’t much to do. Based on my experience, I figured Tucson and Phoenix further west were far more chaotic.
After saying that, the commander nodded and added.
“I understand what you mean. Indeed, we still maintain close communication with Fort Bliss. I don’t recall anything particularly unusual occurring there. Even if I were a warlord controlling this city, I would never dare touch it.”
“Haha, that’s true. Anyway, please prepare one C-130J.”
“Of course. Refueling procedures are already underway.”
After saying that, he sat down and took a sip of coffee.
Despite the scarcity of supplies in this world, it was easy to find such luxury items.
Anyway, he regained his composure and spoke again.
“Thanks to your team crushing over half of the cartel in southern San Antonio, the operation has become considerably easier. It seems I’ll be playing the role of a mayor I never expected to take on.”
“It’s not uncommon for former military personnel to turn into politicians these days. I believe when I visit again, the world will have advanced much further than now.”
“I appreciate your words.”
After he stood up, he raised the blinds.
Hundreds of soldiers in military uniforms were rushing somewhere, and armored vehicles and tanks that had been stored in the hangars were now beginning to move… it was truly an imposing sight. In just a few hours, they would likely advance toward southern San Antonio.
Thus, the conversation concluded. With the help of the stationed gunsmith, I exchanged my previously used firearm for the M110A1 that uses 7.62 mm NATO rounds. From now on, I had to ensure we would decisively end the enemies’ breathing.
The team members’ missions were gradually adjusted as well. Harmony and Dais’s tactical backpacks were packed with medical supplies, and all the assault team’s firearms were switched from 5.56 mm rounds to 7.62 mm.
As departure time approached, the unit commander added to us.
“Be careful. I’ve often heard rumors from Fort Bliss that the cartel forces invading the western U.S. are oddly well-armed.”
“That’s not something to take lightly. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“May blessings be upon your futures.”
Before we knew it, the transport aircraft was fully prepared. As the propellers spun vigorously, the lower ramp opened, and a control officer inside shouted at us to board.
The distance from San Antonio to Tucson was about 1,200 km. With the C-130J transport aircraft cruising at speeds exceeding 600 km/h, it would be a journey of about two hours.
Two timestamps were displayed on my UI. One was the time elapsed since the operation began, and the other was the same but added to the time spent moving on helicopters and transport planes.
The former was about 3 hours and 40 minutes, and the latter was longer, but it didn’t matter.
“Can everyone go a bit more?”
Then everyone checked their watches.
“With about 2 hours of rest in real-time, it shouldn’t be a problem. If we can clear Tucson, Phoenix, and San Diego within the remaining 3 hours in virtual time.”
“I agree.”
Since Owens and Laurentina said so, we should have no significant issues for the next hour—or about 3 hours in VR. Harmony and Dais had no choice anyway, and Logan and I had plenty of time, so this wouldn’t pose much of a problem either.
Thinking it over, I might have to wrap up the game just before reaching San Diego. Fortunately, the mission itself was quite lengthy, so it had a save function. Of course, the viewers who were anxiously hoping for a completion within the day would probably be casually cast aside again.
Laurentina and Logan would be difficult to replace with personnel other than the same Dagger Team.
As the lower ramp closed, I added.
“So, let’s see how far we can get in the next 3 hours. It’s highly likely that it will conclude before we invade San Diego, so please keep that in mind while watching.”
I checked the scrolling chat.
Among them, only a few had given up, while the majority were raging. Of course, the former group had already adapted to my streaming style.
As the transport aircraft accelerated and soared into the sky, someone tapped me on the shoulder.
It was Harmony.
“Truly the tier 1 malicious streamer, teacher Yujin.”
“No, what did I...”
There are so many things that must inevitably be canceled in this world.
Of course, I protested, but it didn’t take hold.
Thus, the six of us crossed the southern United States.
And—
“It took about an hour to get to Tucson, so it shouldn’t take more than two hours to reach the larger Phoenix. I’ll conclude today’s broadcast here, and when the time aligns with this crew, I’ll try to do it as quickly as possible again.”
Of course, their uproar didn’t hold any weight either.
“...I feel like that’s how it’s been until now.”
“Impressive.”
A few days later, at SSM Entertainment headquarters.
Dais was there—I had to bring up something I mentioned when I visited here not long ago, but my thoughts hadn’t changed. Our company was unnecessarily large. And these days, I visited often due to all sorts of affairs.
Anyway, the reason for my visit today was trivial; it was because the re-signing season was approaching. I didn’t know about other people, but Dark Zone pro gamers signed contracts on a yearly basis. This was because the movement and replenishment of personnel were quite active. Though it felt odd to say, it didn’t apply to me.
In any case, like most things here, the base salary and performance bonuses were divided—this year, I had quite a bit to receive. The basic salary was about 400 million won due to my participation in the previous year’s Final Championship, but the problem was that I had accomplished almost all of the performance bonus clauses, which were nearly decorative.
Getting fourth place in the Final Championship was a rank I never thought I could achieve.
“...This is the performance bonus.”
“Wow, there are quite a few zeros at the back.”
Just as he said. I was almost dizzy counting the zeros.
Although it didn’t feel particularly real, ultimately, it was the money I had earned. Compared to the cost they had earned by selling my name, it was likely much less. If I managed to earn like this five more times, I might even find my name on the list of residents for the Signiel Residence at Lotte Tower.
But—
“And this is the increased base salary, along with the performance bonus achievement conditions.”
“Eh….”
...I might only need to earn three more times.
Anyway, what was slightly more important were this year’s performance bonus achievement conditions. The list had changed quite a bit. Whereas the previous conditions were about winning various awards at different tournaments, this year, they had increased the base salary significantly but set conditions that might be even slightly more difficult.
“I didn’t know SSM was this interested in nurturing talent.”
“Would you like to make a suggestion for adjustments?”
“No, that’s not it.”
In summary, the content written in the contract was that if a certain number of trainees and lower-tier SSM pro gamers placed in tournaments, they would receive bonuses accordingly.
At first, I thought it might be a bit troublesome, but soon a tail of a snake brushed past my mind. Of course, from this year on, I wouldn’t realistically be able to rely on SSM to pull me in...
Not that they would outright ask me to help with empty words anyway.
It shouldn’t be impossible.
Moreover, the performance bonus clause regarding participation in the Final Championship was still valid. I wasn’t sure how this year’s situation would turn out, but frankly speaking, the skills I learned from Yujin would still be valid for several years to come.
Ultimately, even if Dark Zone adjusted various figures, the meta always converged to a single point.
I picked up the pen and signed my name. The yellow paper attached underneath was also signed, and thus I ended up with one copy of the contract, while SSM kept the other.
This meant that this year would be a busy time.
Anyway, once the contract discussion concluded, the lawyer from the legal team, who had consistently worn a frozen expression, smiled brightly. She tucked her hair behind her neatly tied bun and instantly melted her cold demeanor as she added.
“Thank you for your hard work. I hope to see wonderful performances from you this year as well!”
“...Your ability to change your image is quite fast.”
“If I keep being cold even outside of formal occasions, my image will solidify. Moreover, I can’t even say I enjoy this work without some positivity, and there are no same-sex players I can communicate with in this field.”
I see…
In any case, that was that, and now that I was nearing thirty but still not there, I chatted with this lawyer about various things. It felt a bit suspicious that this relationship was merely an extension of work, but I believed her to some extent since, after all, she had a profession that had "law" attached to it.
As I was munching on some sweets, she continued.
“By the way, I’ve been reviewing the realities of various contracts recently, and this year, SSM seems to be putting a lot of emphasis on game-related matters. There’s something related to Dais, and I wanted to mention it.”
“I’m all ears.”
“It’s nothing major; it’s about creating a PVE-focused raid team as part of the contract review. I heard that GEARUP is running a Cerberus raid team, so it might be because of that… especially since Dais is currently clearing invasion missions with the hot Yujin.”
“Hmm.”
I roughly understood what she meant.
I discreetly scanned her expression, but for something she said so excitingly, her face was surprisingly uninteresting. It felt more like she was just saying it because she had to—after all, if she didn’t mention it, I would receive official confirmation if it was confirmed, and if not, it would just be passed over.
In any case, if I consulted whether or not it was realistic, I would say… well, that’s uncertain. The core of the raid team would be Yujin and her acquaintances, while Harmony and I could only keep up, so we’d essentially be like the backup.
It seemed that SSM was eager to insert various advertisements into the “world’s first raid” title, but who knew.
“If I could move that snake with money, I would have been raking in cash in the pro scene long ago.”
“Pfft.”
At this point, I figured my intent and the indirect intent of that snake had sufficiently been conveyed.
So, after about 30 minutes of snacking, the day’s schedule finally came to an end.
Just before I closed the door to leave, the lawyer asked.
“Speaking of which, it seems like you’ve been taking a break from missions lately. What are you doing today?”
Hmm.
But the answer I was about to give was already decided.
“I’ll be heading to do missions again.”
“Ah….”
When a mission ends, a mission begins.
In any case, that snake who seemed to have no intention of doing things half-heartedly brushed past my mind.
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