NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 149 - Wanted: People
“See, hyung. Didn’t I tell you I’m really good acting like GetDevoured?”
“Don’t feel too proud. Honestly. Is your idea of covering as a large shield knight really like that?”
“Come on, I’m just creating some good FanTube moments for you. What else can a fan do, really? It’s just that.”
“What FanTube moments… I’m honestly grateful you turned off your live broadcast. If your footage of you flinching with the shield and then getting hit on the back of the head goes public, that’s a year’s worth of ridicule.”
“I’m not specialized in large shields, and I normally don’t go to damp places like Underground… Ah, I get it. But I did well after that match, right? I just made a mistake from nervousness. If we try again, I’ll win everything. Especially when I sync perfectly with you, like real soulmates. Truly.”
“Jihan.”
“Yeah?”
“I hate to say this, but… do you really want to sync up with me this time, for real?”
“Um… hyung, I really respect and like you as your junior, but… I like women-”
“Don’t joke because you think this is your chance.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you think professionally this isn’t right, just tell me honestly. But if you think it’s possible and have any interest, let’s try it once in tomorrow’s scrimmage. And if it looks promising… then in the tournament as well.”
“Coach will flip out, though.”
“I’ll handle that, so don’t worry about it.”
“Saying you want to sync up but always doing things alone… let’s do it together, together. Oh, by the way, when did you become close with GetDevoured? Don’t tell me… No way, right? I’m saying this because I genuinely like you, but there are people in this world who are pretty only when you look at them from a distance with your eyes closed-”
“Jihan.”
“Yes.”
“You know?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
* * * *
The sunlight wasn’t particularly warm.
The air subtly carried a chill.
And heavy eyelids…
-Buzz
-Buzz
-Buzz
The ringing phone.
It was an ordinary late-autumn day, if such a day could be called ordinary.
I strained my gritty eyes to check the screen. An unsaved number.
Just a few months ago, unknown numbers like these were the scariest thing in the world. What if it was someone I somewhat knew but just hadn’t saved their number?
If they started speaking familiarly, saying things like, “It’s me, you know.”
I wouldn’t know how to respond.
Even now, I didn’t have a perfect solution for handling such moments, but I no longer worried. Over the past year, not a single acquaintance had contacted me in that manner.
It didn’t feel fortunate, though.
Moving my fingers, I answered the call, only to hear an artificial voice mentioning it was for a survey. I immediately hung up.
Even that slight action made me feel muscle pain, a reminder that I had overexerted myself in the spirit of helping with practice.
I had felt too tired to continue with VR and had switched to the keyboard and mouse midway through practice, but even after two days, I hadn’t fully recovered. Now, on the third day, my body still ached here and there.
But I had no regrets.
I had passed on strategies directly to a pro who might showcase 2-Underground at the World Series, even helping with some drills… Surely, that was a rare accomplishment. If they happened to win, it would be a story to tell at gatherings for the next ten years.
Revan would definitely appreciate it. Although he hadn’t shown appreciation quite yet, life was unpredictable.
… Assuming that KoK became a hit for the next ten years, that is.
Faraday Games here seemed competent. It was only Season 1, but the popularity was already on a different level. They were diligent in their promotion and management.
Come to think of it, in my previous life, I developed 2-Underground centered around rogues around mid-season of the first season.
As far as I knew, I was the first to try and establish the theory… but frankly speaking, it didn’t hold much significance.
I couldn’t even confirm if the European team that won the championship had referenced my gameplay.
They hadn’t officially learned 2-Underground from me… They might have just coincidentally thought of a similar strategy around the same time.
In that context, if GP Hustler happened to win with 2-Underground this time, wouldn’t that count as a minor achievement?
It would bring me a bit of joy, even if nobody acknowledged it. If I really thought about it, I wanted to watch it live. Maybe I should catch the game.
Recently, the demand for World Series broadcasts had soared, so much that it was boiling over. When I thought about it, it seemed quite appealing.
It could also become a piece of content in its own right. Though I’m not confident about being a great commentator… watching it with friends could be fun in its own way.
Sure.
When I get back, I’ll look into how to do the broadcasting. There might be some procedures to apply for it.
With these thoughts in mind, I unzipped the sleeping bag. Immediately, the cold air enveloped my body… Did I buy the tent too cheaply? I had a philosophy that solo camping gear didn’t need to be expensive, but maybe it was foolish.
I pulled the wool hat, which had slipped off while I was asleep, back over my head and stepped outside the tent.
The air was crisp and invigorating, and the wide-open forest view soaking me in nature… was unfortunately nonexistent.
There was indeed a forest, but the smell of food wafting from various directions, people bustling around, and a long row of tents… somehow diminished the romance by more than nine-tenths.
With a light sigh, I turned on the burner I had rented. Let’s have some ramen for breakfast.
Though they would give me hot water if I bought a cup of ramen from the convenience store just 100 meters away… still… there’s something about boiling the water yourself…
“Sigh.”
No matter how I thought about it…
This isn’t camping.
.
.
.
Coming here alone with a cheap tent to a camping site near Seoul where children were running around… was a rather impulsive choice. Quite so.
The trigger was the trailer for “The Rogue 2” I saw on WeTogether the day before yesterday. They seemed to have implemented proper group camping, and it looked so… delicious.
I was sure someone said it was coming out soon! But when I checked with excitement, it turned out to be at least three months away.
Whoever gave me that false information is not going to get away with it. They’ll earn the second-ever permanent ban. Despite the sadness of being deceived, my newly ignited desire for camping didn’t easily fade away.
So I searched for games with a camping theme but didn’t find any satisfying ones… Instead of buying a game, I ended up getting a tent and heading to a camping site that rents out camping gear.
… I probably shouldn’t have done that.
-Slurp.
Regardless of the bubbling regret deep in my heart, the ramen was delicious. It was so good that I couldn’t even taste the bitterness of the soju I had with it.
The taste of ramen warming your cold body outdoors is really special, no matter when or how you eat it.
“Sigh.”
It would have been perfect if only the background was a bit different. The crowded camping grounds were really not to my taste.
If I liked packed places, I would have camped in some busy downtown square.
Still, it had been a while since I had come out alone to spend some time. Perhaps that made watching people somewhat amusing.
There were kids running around and an older man struggling to set up a tent by himself.
For some reason, the couple, who seemed fairly chilly compared to last evening.
And then…
Whoa, what’s that?
My wandering gaze was caught by a group of four men who had come camping together. They seemed particularly busy since the morning, grilling the leftover meat… Now, that looked enviable. Truly.
I sat there watching them bicker, chat, and offer drinks to one another until a sudden thought struck me – I wanted to broadcast.
Of course, it wasn’t really possible. Too many people who shouldn’t be in the broadcast were walking around behind me. Filming a video seemed out of the question. Moreover, in such a camping ground, wouldn’t I need permission to film… something like that?
There was also a high risk of someone’s face accidentally appearing on camera.
… Though I no longer worried about thoughts like, “It’d be a disaster if my face showed up.”
Initially, there was a reason to be cautious about my identity being revealed. Starting internet broadcasting had been unavoidable, but my face? That felt like something I could choose to conceal.
Later on, it simply became a habit to hide it. Also, watching the chat eagerly flame up with demands to “turn on the cam” was kind of enjoyable.
By now, it didn’t seem like such a huge secret… but mistakes were still unwelcome. Too many unintended events happened in my life as it was. A little caution wouldn’t hurt.
-Slurp.
I took another sip of the now-cold soup and stood up.
Next time, a proper, more wild place…
It would be nice to come with friends.
Hmm.
Should I try to gather some?
Something like, ‘Looking for companions,’ ‘Hardship and discomfort. Lots of labor, continuous darkness, no guarantee of good weather. Choosing shelter by day, lighting the sun by night.’
I painstakingly crafted the message and uploaded it to the chatroom where StarPork, Ark, and Revan were present.
Damn, it’s freezing.
The number indicating how many hadn’t read it quickly dropped to 2. Since Revan and Ark never woke up at this time, it must be…
『StarPork: I’m in』
TL’s corner:
StarPork, ever a faithful supporter.