Season 2: Chapter 129: Cookie (3)
In the national competition, two hundred soldiers started the game already summoned. From the start, this format was significantly different from the standard one. Although viewers already familiar with it took it in stride, those seeing it for the first time felt bewildered by the scene.
— ???
— Isn't summoning part of the game??
— So it's really RTS?
Questions filled the chat. Normally in basic games, players would gather resources to summon soldiers to fight. Here, two hundred players were already on the field from the start. It was unclear how the game would proceed, but the following explanation quickly cleared up the confusion.
"The initially summoned soldiers only have basic equipment."
Suddenly, all the weapons the surrounding soldiers held suddenly vanished. They were left holding only tiny daggers or clubs.
— ???
— So they start off fighting bare-handed??
— What's this?
"This is the first task for commanders. Commanders are..."
As Cookie pointed to someone, that soldier rode forward on a horse and was apparently a deputy commander.
"The soldiers are supplied with weapons and the resources are used to produce these weapons."
— Ah
— Oh
— That's innovative
Indeed, instead of gathering resources to summon soldiers, weapons were produced and supplied to them.
"The soldiers are categorized by the weapons they receive. For special positions, appointments are made separately."
When a commander gave a spear to someone, they became a basic spearman. Another soldier, when pointed at, gained the title of Tiger Huntsman.
Boom!
A massive light shone. A large shield with a goblin drawn on it and Eastern full body armor appeared.
"This unit here is called the Tiger Huntsman, a special elite force from Joseon. Although they were considered a special force for hunting tigers, this is actually the best unit for wars in this game."
— Whoa
— The patriotism is strong LOL
— Wow, shit
Viewers marveled at the elaborate attire of the special forces. Besides this, there were French royal knights, English longbowmen, Danish Vikings, and more...
"Wow..."
Almond was captivated by the different sights too and inadvertently gawked at the spectacles.
Cookie resumed his explanation, "Each civilization has diverse positions in the national competition, so categorizing units by name is meaningless. It's much more efficient to recognize the hierarchy and nature of the enemy by their weapon craftsmanship and the material of their armor."
Then, he summoned the remaining two commanders to show Almond.
"As you can see, a total of three commanders will participate in the national competition."
Almond memorized their three IDs.
[Coffee]
[Bread]
[Cookie]
— LOL, those IDs
— Did they coordinate this?
— Cafe part-timer vibes LOL
Like Cookie, Coffee and Bread also appeared to be around the same age. They simply exchanged eye contact and didn't extensively introduce themselves.
— Where's Kimchi Warrior???
— Isn't Kimchi a commander?
— Bread and Coffee haha
Noticing the chat asking about Kimchi Warrior, the commander named Bread responded.
"Kimchi Warrior and Water Dumpling are part of the think tank. They don't actually play. They handle talent recruitment, strategy development, and team management."
— Ah...
— Some don't even know what a think tank is.
— Really? We won’t see Kimchi Warrior then…
— Wow, so they’re support behind the scenes.
It seemed viewers wanted to see Kimchi Warrior since he was more well-known.
"The biggest difference between the national competition and basic games is this."
Cookie continued his explanation.
"In the national competition, commanders are actually summoned to the field."
— Really??
— Huh?
— Then how does the game work?
The fact that commanders were actually on the field puzzled Almond. Weren't they supposed to just issue orders from a bird's eye view?
"One of the three commanders is the chief commander."
Cookie pointed at himself.
"In our case, that's me."
He then pointed at a town hall that appeared out of nowhere.
"The chief commander stays inside this building and takes charge of the overall command. The role is similar to that of a commander in the basic game. The other commanders directly engage on the field and communicate with me."
The chief commander played the usual role of a commander. The two deputy commanders carried out the field command. In this case, they were Bread and Coffee. Cookie pointed at them.
"These two field commanders cannot be resurrected if they die."
"…?"
Almond was receiving a series of shocking revelations. The deputy commanders would be out of the game completely if they died.
"It's completely different."
Almond realized why the top level of this game was called the national competition. Basic games were just that, basic. It was the simplest mode for getting the basics right. The real battles took place in this national competition mode.
"If a commander dies, another soldier can pick up their flag and become a commander. However!"
Cookie pointed above his head where a faint crown of light floated.
"The death of the chief commander is an automatic loss in the game."
The chief commander's death counted as an immediate loss. Viewers were shocked.
— ???
— Really??
— Wow
— Damn…
"Of course, the chief commander hardly ever dies unless the main base is completely overrun. The chief commander controls the workers and manages the internal affairs from inside the building just like a commander in the basic game mode."
At Cookie's gesture, Almond was instantly moved inside the building.
[Town Hall Interior]
It was the interior of the town hall where workers were created. The interior had a medieval design, but giant screens and maps appeared all around. It could also pass for sci-fi. It seemed that the chief commander managed all the internal affairs from here.
"I manage the internal affairs and make the major decisions. The actual combat is directed by the other two commanders."
He pointed at a screen. There, Commander Coffee was leading soldiers and fighting the enemy.
"That's all for the explanation. You'll learn the rest in action."
Bang...
Suddenly, everything vanished. The soldiers, meadows, and buildings all disappeared. Only the three commanders and Almond remained.
Even they stepped back and only Cookie stepped forward.
Cookie slightly tilted his chin and asked, "Any questions?"
Almond wanted to ask about swordsmanship, but perhaps now wasn't the time for that. It seemed the question was meant to confirm if he understood the rules.
"I understand the rules."
"That's good to hear."
— ??
— What?!
— ???: Almond understands.
— Fact: Almond will get an explanation at home later, lol.
No one believed Almond's response, but Cookie seemed to trust it and nodded.
Then, Cookie asked him further, "Are you sure you don’t have any other questions?"
He noticed from Almond's expression that he had something more to ask. Cookie invited him to inquire further. After a moment of contemplation, Almond decided to speak up. Words that came to his mind usually had to be said to give him peace of mind.
"I think it would be good if you could teach me swordsmanship."
"… Swordsmanship?"
Cookie raised his eyebrows and felt puzzled.
The two other commanders also glanced at each other for a moment. It was understandable as Almond was recruited as an archer, but he was asking to be taught swordsmanship.
"May I ask why?"
Instead of outright refusing, Cookie asked for his reasons.
"It's because the moment I face someone skilled with a sword, I'm at a disadvantage. I've experienced it a few times. I think they practice swordsmanship based on some manual, but I don't have anywhere to learn it."
"..."
Cookie exchanged glances with the other two commanders for a moment before turning back to Almond.
"How long have you been playing this game?"
"… It's been just under a month, I think."
Cookie's eyes widened momentarily before returning to his pale appearance.
"If you're feeling that already, your game sense is indeed sensitive."
It seemed like Cookie would agree to teach him, but his response was otherwise.
"Sorry, but I can't teach you."
"…"
"First of all, we recruited you as an archer Almond. My judgment is that you won't have time even if you focus solely on that task."
It was a valid point. Swordsmanship wouldn't be useful in the national competition, but it would be useful for getting to S+ rank.
"However─"
Of course, Cookie anticipated this too.
"You asked because you want to reach S+ rank more easily, right?"
"Yes."
"What's the point if someone recruited as an archer reaches S+ rank with swordsmanship?"
"… I see."
Almond was quick to understand and simply nodded. He didn’t have high expectations when he asked in the first place.
Cookie made sure to establish a clear hierarchy.
"You're not part of the national team yet. The fact that the three of us came here to teach you the rules is already a favor."
"Yes, I understand."
"If trust is built later after joining the team, then I'll consider it positively. It was nice to meet you."
"Yes."
— They could teach him a bit.
— He’s a pro at speaking harsh truths. Damn lol.
— Fact on fact speaker lol.
— So stern;
— Will Almond become an Almond Cookie?
While some viewers felt let down and others understood Cookie's stance, at least Almond belonged to the latter group. That was why he asked the question lightly without much expectation.
'Is swordsmanship that important?'
It seemed like it wasn't just any information that could be shared. Not being told made him even more curious.
'That knight from before was going to tell me.'
Previously, a Western knight seemed willing to share it without much thought. Almond had also taken it lightly.
Judging from their reactions today, it didn't seem that simple.
Swoosh. Swoosh.
The two commanders vanished first and Cookie turned to leave as well. However, Cookie didn't disappear. He paused, seemingly in thought, and then spoke.
"There's a national competition scrimmage with actual tournament teams scheduled for tonight."
"?"
"If you're interested in participating, you're welcome to. It might help you understand better."
— Wow!
— He acted so sternly, but now he’s asking to practice, LOL
— You said earlier that he’s not part of the team!
"Is there a place for me?"
"We'll make one.”
Whoosh.
Cookie vanished with those last words.
***
A capsule opened with the sound of a hydraulic mechanism. A somewhat tired-looking young man emerged from it.
"How was it?" a woman beside the capsule asked.
"Who?"
"The person named Almond."
Cookie paused for a moment before responding, "It's too early to judge."
The woman nodded and sat next to Cookie and asked again, "And you? How's your condition?"
Cookie touched the area around his abdomen and replied, "The same."
The woman, seemingly his partner, had a look of concern. The words, “Do you really have to do this?” were left unsaid. This question had already been asked a thousand times before.
Every time, the answer remained the same. His condition was unrelated and couldn’t be helped, so he wanted to do what he desired at least. Who could stop someone from doing what they wanted with such an argument?
The woman stared intently at her partner, Cookie.
Then, he looked up and asked, "How's the cafe?"
"No problems. The new coffee beans we tried last time seem to be well-received. Just need to close up shop at our new seventh branch."
"I'll go," Cookie said and got up, but the woman pressed his shoulder and stopped him.
"No. You focus on this for now. What about your practice match tonight?"
"I can go after closing up."
"No," she firmly repeated and got dressed to leave.
"I'll go. I put the laundry in. Just transfer it to the dryer later."
"Alright, thanks."
Cookie went to his desk after his partner left, took out a bottle of pills, and swallowed them without a glass of water as if it were routine. His computer screen displayed information he had gathered about Almond. Cookie scanned through it again and couldn't help but smirk.
Almond had been through all sorts of experiences just like Cookie, like Gook Hui-Chul himself.
'Maybe I should watch him before joining the practice.'
Although he had left this to Chi-Seung, he wanted to observe Almond's style today. It was Almond’s first match in the promotion matches to A+ rank. The match had just been set up.
[Opponent Found!]
[Brr]
Cookie's eyebrows twitched slightly.
'Korea?'
It was suspicious that the opponent's nationality was immediately Korean at the start of the game. Since it was only practice...
In real games, even more extreme strategies could emerge. They couldn’t do anything but endure it.