I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 166 ­ Cartographer Again

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“There are many words that describe Yoo Jin. If you had to choose one that you particularly like, what would it be?”

“To be honest, I want to throw them all away.”

Pffft!

There were bursts of chuckles and laughter everywhere. Most people couldn’t hold back their laughter and spat out the air mixed with amylase from their mouths.

In the midst of this, Dice was startled. Her crumpled expression showed half astonishment. If one had to summarize it in one word, it would probably be something like, ‘What is this person saying at an official event?’

She was told not to say anything strange, but as expected, the Queen of My Way was different in many ways.

Upon calming my surprised heart and thinking deeply, except for her tone, she wasn’t exactly wrong. The fact that she was shy was enough to tease Yoo Jin, who seemed like she wouldn’t bleed a drop even if stabbed with a knife or an awl.

Several things came to mind immediately. One of them was the nickname ‘Big Sister,’ coined during a special broadcast. But that was one of the exceptions, a well-chosen nickname. Others were quite the spectacle if examined one by one.

For example, Executioner, the sexiest person to hit someone according to Forbes, humanoid armored car, living pork cutlet hammer, axe goddess, and so on. Corvus, who gave her the last nickname, had to settle the score during KSM.

With such nicknames, it was understandable for her to react that way.

Anyway, the announcer, who barely regained his composure after being hit by Yoo Jin’s strong punch, added:

“Uh, that was a very unexpected answer. Is there a particular reason you say that?”

“If it were a decent nickname, I could somehow manage, but they’re all weird and ridiculous.”

“Ah, now I understand. So, Yoo Jin, I’m really curious about what nickname you would prefer. Could you tell us?”

“Personally, I’d prefer not to have any nickname. Although, that seems impossible.”

It was a natural statement.

Controlling millions, not tens of thousands, was impossible. But for the viewers, there was nothing as fun. The person concerned would jump up and down, of course.

Naturally, it couldn’t be said in front of her.

MC Oh Yeon Jin decided to change the topic.

“Personally, I think the nickname that suits Yoo Jin the best is ‘Apex Predator,’ which is also the name of the mode. Your performances have been overwhelming so far, which might be why. What do you think, Yoo Jin?”

“…I can tolerate that to some extent. But it’s a bit burdensome to receive such a nickname, as it’s not because others are lacking. Anyway, I’ll try to maintain it if possible.”

A cliché question received a cliché answer.

There were many things I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t ask them all. According to my calculations, there wasn’t much time left allocated for Yoo Jin. Considering that a video edit would be included later, that had to be taken into account.

Apart from that, the Q&A continued until time ran out.

Various questions were asked, such as whether there were offers from overseas teams. Many people half-overlooked the fact that it had only been a month and a half since she started Dark Zone.

It was an unexpected ordeal. Besides asking questions, choosing and extracting content from them was also a skill of the MCs.

Eventually, they chose a method to escape.

It was Dice’s turn.

“Thank you. Next, let’s interview Dice from SSM, who has been showing an upward trend even at the top lately! Please give her a big hand!”

Waaaah!

Thunderous cheers and applause.

Although she should have been used to it by now, Dice still felt the burden of countless people’s attention. It was common for pro gamers to experience this, prioritizing results over fans’ love.

Dice’s introduction video was playing automatically. The pride of SSM Entertainment, the Gambler, and more… Just as Yoo Jin received numerous nicknames recently, Dice wasn’t an exception either.

Originally, SSM didn’t have anything particularly outstanding compared to other teams, but she blossomed herself, defeating players from teams likely to advance to the finals, and became one of the three who went to America.

In the meantime, meeting Yoo Jin gave her wings to her already good performance. That was why she was said to be on an upward trend even at the top.

After a brief silence, Dice spoke into the microphone clipped to her collar.

“This is Dice from SSM Entertainment. Nice to meet you. It feels like I stood here once last year, and already a year has passed. Time seems to fly by, probably because I’ve had such intense experiences recently.”

“That’s right. Time flies so fast. Dice, you seem to have returned with a significantly different attitude compared to last year. Specifically, you seem much more proactive. Let’s hear from you directly.”

“Well, I guess it’s because I’ve gained more experience….”

Slide.

Dice, who casually placed her hand on Yoo Jin’s shoulder, added:

“It’s because of a certain scary person whose name I don’t want to mention. I’ve become bold enough to handle most things now.”

“Why are you bringing me into this just when the interview moved on?”

“Don’t worry. This is just the beginning.”

It was an opportunity.

Kim Kang Hyuk, seizing the moment, threw in a question not in the script.

“It seems like you two are very close. In that sense, what kind of person is Yoo Jin to Dice?”

“Uh… How should I say it? You know those teachers in school who are very strict and scary, but once you get to know them, they are very affectionate and care for their students.”

“Ah, I get the feeling. So, Yoo Jin feels like a physical education teacher?”

“That’s right. But unlike those teachers, she doesn’t suddenly explode with anger. Although that’s actually scarier….”

And then the following words:

“If I were to describe it differently, maybe a fitness trainer who is patient but hits you with facts?”

“Hahaha, that’s a very witty expression.”

To put it simply, it was like that.

When you say, ‘I overate today,’ she would say, ‘Then just do more sets tomorrow,’ hitting you with facts. In that sense, the image of a ‘scary teacher’ mentioned at first might not be entirely accurate.

At least those people have some mercy.

The script moved on.

At that moment, the MCs’ expressions turned mischievous. It was an intended timing. Due to various reasons, the range of questions that could attract people’s interest and curiosity was quite limited for Yoo Jin compared to Dice.

Specifically, it was like this.

“Alright, let’s move on to the next corner.”

Simultaneously, the script moved in front of the players.

Dice, who was preparing the next answer without any thoughts, saw the four-letter word ‘Pressure Interview’ and widened her eyes. It was a term unrelated to her, who joined SSM through headhunting.

Before she could wonder how it was done, the explanation continued.

“In simple terms, you have to answer all the questions within three seconds.”

“I didn’t even have an interview when joining the team.”

“Haha, you can try it today. Now, here comes the question!”

The question appeared before her eyes.

Unlike before, where the MC asked the questions directly, a hologram suddenly floated in the air. The questions were simple enough to be answered within three seconds, not long, drawn-out answers but simple choices.

She quickly scanned it with her trained dynamic vision.

But the answer came out even faster, almost like a reflex.

“Of course, it’s training.”

The audience started murmuring. Even the caster and commentator, excluding the questioner, did so, but only the three professional gamers appearing as guests tacitly agreed with the answer.

Next question.

“Originally, I would have chosen the seventh game of last year’s Asia preliminaries… but this time, it’s the port city of Tannhäuser from KSM.”

The audience’s reaction changed.

From questioning to ‘I knew it.’ It was understandable. The small snowball rolled by Dice turned into an avalanche as it descended the mountain. The result was the apocalypse at the center of the map.

Now there were reactions of understanding.

“Someone I can trust and rely on.”

In fact, it was more like ‘If you don’t follow her, your life will be tough,’ which everyone felt in their bones.

But people tend to hear what they want to hear. The sound of ‘Oh~’ was coming from the audience. It was obvious what they were thinking without looking. It was probably something pink.

If you actually did the training she provided, it was not pink at all; it was a sharp atmosphere that dehydrated you of every drop of blood and sweat in your body.

Next question.

“I don’t think I have any rivals. I usually practice while looking at people who are always higher than those of the same level.”

And so the questions ended.

It was time for further explanations about the answers.

“Yes, thank you for your answers. It seems like you were well-prepared. In other words, it means that Dice is now a complete player.”

“That’s right. Anyway, coming back to it, there are many people in Korea who aspire to become Dark Zone pro gamers. In a way, Dice’s words seem to validate their endeavors. Can you elaborate on what you mean by saying that the qualities of a pro are training?”

Dice.

In a way, her path seemed more innate than trained. It was a sentiment shared more by fellow pro gamers who knew her true identity than by the general public.

In the FPS combat considered highly reliant on physical abilities, she, a woman who

might not have shown much interest in this field, suddenly stood out and rose from an SSM trainee to the first team in no time.

Why did she emphasize training?

Her mouth opened.

“…Many may not agree, but the training I’m talking about is not the ‘usual training for pro gamers’ that you think. It involves analyzing every single hand movement, foot movement, body movement, stride, aiming, and other aspects.”

It didn’t end there. That was just the beginning.

Repeating simulations hundreds to thousands of times, familiarizing your body, mind, and actions with the most special situation in this world: ‘combat.’

Once the procedure was over, the real customized training program would begin.

For instance, finding out the shape of your current shot grouping and understanding why it’s that way by studying your body structure. Mobility was the same. It was also checked whether you subconsciously preferred left or right.

You shoot countless guns, check whether you can counteract the recoil above a certain caliber, and find the optimal firing rate and shooting posture. Finding the shooting posture means checking all postures, including standing, kneeling, and prone.

These were combined with various gripping methods and shooting techniques, increasing the number of aiming methods to thousands. Then you consider the center of gravity of attachments such as dozens of types of grips, stocks, and magazines.

When all of that was done, you actually performed them until they were ingrained in your bones, coming out even in your dreams.

Creating literal muscle memory.

In other words, the training she referred to was based on an almost obsessive analysis of an individual.

To achieve the best possible results.

“…So, when I talk about training, I mean using all this data to find and apply the optimal performance for yourself. With this kind of ‘training,’ many of you could probably achieve a high level of skill, even in the top ranks or as professionals.”

“Uh, um….”

The answer flowed smoothly.

At that moment, everyone except Yoo Jin, Dice, and a few others had their brains shut down.

And a few words came from the side.

“That’s the feedback we got last time.”

“Hey, Dice and Yoo Jin. Let me have some of that training. Stop beating me up all the time.”

Gambit from Clear Sky and Michael from Reaper Infected.

Dice felt that common sense was diverging from reality at that moment.

“Now! Before we proceed with the event match, please give a round of applause to all the talented individuals and streamers who joined us today!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Along with the loud applause, various avatars stepped forward one by one. They greeted everyone with a “nice to meet you” and shook hands with the pro gamers, then bowed to the gallery seated in the audience.

All were at least TIER 1. In other words, they were skilled players in ranked games competing against pro gamers, which is why it was called an event match.

For pros, it was a subtle ordeal. In AP, a single mistake could often overturn the result.

Eighteen participants.

They were divided into six teams of three, and each team played a match against a pro gamer team paired in groups of two.

Six event matches were held in a 2:3 format.

Yoo Jin, Dice, Gambit, and Michael. The six combinations of two pros ensured that half the teams wouldn’t get to fight Yoo Jin even once. And one-sixth wouldn’t get to fight either Yoo Jin or Dice.

Hence, all eighteen participants had their own expectations of meeting Yoo Jin.

“What’s with the long face?”

“…As long as it’s not Yoo Jin, not Yoo Jin….”

“Hey, Yoo Jin is the main attraction of this event, and you’re avoiding her? Even if you got burned before, come on.”

‘That’s why, you idiot….’

Correction.

There were seventeen.

“The draw will now begin! You have 10 minutes to prepare your tactics and strategy!”

I was doomed.

The skilled streamer Cartographer, who had forgotten about Yoo Jin who had risen to an unreachable height, thought so while watching the drawing board spin.

It was a clear, blue sky day.

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