Chapter 39
Suhyuk entered the lodging arranged for him in Balhae and immediately lay down on the bed. Sleep is the best form of rest. With that thought in mind, he usually tried to sleep whenever he could.
But for some reason, sleep was remarkably elusive tonight.
‘I despise this kind of thing.’
He had participated in countless competitions in front of people. It was boring and exhausting work. That was Suhyuk’s perception of such tournaments. But the prize alone provided enough reason to participate.
“It’s been a while.”
He didn’t know the event. But he was confident no matter what it was. Whether he liked it or not, these various competitions were what had made him who he was.
‘What could it be?’
He tried to visualize the tournament hosted by Blue Zone.
‘It would be great if it was an individual event.’
He knew that such thoughts were meaningless. Yet he continued these pointless musings simply because he couldn’t sleep. And then.
Knock-knock.
At that moment, the person he had been waiting for knocked on the door.
“It’s Un Hyang.”
Suhyuk put on the mask placed beside the bed and rose.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Un Hyang entered hesitantly. She seemed somewhat awkward.
“I-I’m coming in.”
Her steps were painfully slow. Unsure where to go, she rolled her eyes and then headed towards the sofa opposite Suhyuk.
“Is it because this is a strange man’s room?”
“N-No, it’s not that.”
“Don’t worry. If we fought, I’d probably lose.”
“What?”
Un Hyang’s eyes widened in surprise. At a glance, she looked like an ordinary girl.
But.
‘She’s definitely not an average manager.’
You could tell just by her aura. An immaculate demeanor, as if perfectly composed and concealing her true self. She had reached a level that Suhyuk couldn’t dare to fathom at his current state.
He recalled the conversation he had with John Dale a few hours ago.
“I’ve been curious. I’ve never seen Un Hyang praise a player like this before.”
“That strict friend surprisingly seemed interested in a new player.”
It was awkward praise for a manager. As if merely being acknowledged by her was a great honor, John Dale praised Un Hyang more than himself.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Nothing. Rather, I was supposed to receive some information about the tournament.”
“Yes. I came because of that.”
Rustle.
Un Hyang took out a few sheets of paper from her pocket and handed them over.
“The tournament’s format is a contest. A simple fight over a single prize.”
“So it’s an individual event.”
“Yes. Since there’s only one prize, it makes sense.”
He liked it. The nature of the event aside, he had just hoped it wouldn’t be a team event.
“The stage will be set in a virtual testing arena. The entry requirement is that all players on the third floor can participate. The entry fee is 1,000 points, and there are no participant limits.”
“It wasn’t free?”
“What?”
Un Hyang’s eyes widened. Surprised by his own words, Suhyuk quickly tried to cover up.
“No, it’s just that it’s more expensive than I thought.”
More than anything, the entry fee had caught his attention. Ever since he started streaming to earn points, he seemed to have developed a bit of a miserly streak.
‘Right now, the points I have are…’
『Current Points: 1320』
Fortunately, he had the entry fee. The problem was that paying the 1,000 points would leave his balance almost empty.
He sighed.
When would he fill it up again?
“I’ll send the tournament information to your kit in the form of a contest. Reviewing a few should give you a good idea.”
Ding-.
As Un Hyang said those words, a message arrived on Suhyuk’s kit. It contained videos of contest-style tournaments held in the lower floors.
So that’s what she had been doing with the kit earlier.
『Must-See Suhyuk Contests』
『Suhyuk’s 10-second Contest Highlights』
『Guaranteed Win Suhyuk Contest Route (Photos)』
『Contests Through the Ages…』
『…』
Suhyuk’s eyes twitched as he scanned the titles.
‘Almost all about me.’
They were practically his history. He played one of the videos and saw scenes that brought back memories. What could she possibly want him to reference from these?
Claiming to be his fan definitely showed in this aspect.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
As the materials indicated, he had participated in so many tournaments that he could do it in his sleep. Moreover, this was the third floor.
A place filled with players who had just barely shed their rookie status after passing the second floor of the tower.
‘If I fail here, I wouldn’t even be able to face those guys out of embarrassment.’
This was just the beginning. He had no intention of letting others take the relics of his comrades.
“Thank you. I’ll take a look.”
“Thank you? It’s my job.”
Seeing Un Hyang awkwardly wave her hands, Suhyuk felt a bit confused behind his mask. She had never seemed this tense since their first meeting, so something must be off today.
Then she spoke hesitantly.
“And… did you hear anything from the team leader?”
As expected, something was definitely off. Something was going on.
“What story?”
“You haven’t heard?”
Un Hyang’s eyes widened. Her expression made it clear. She was hesitant to say something.
“What is it?”
“Actually-.”
She closed her eyes tightly as she spoke.
“Blue Zone contacted us.”
Suhyuk’s expression stiffened instantly.
“They want to meet you….”
Moments like these were when wearing a mask in daily life paid off. He almost let his changing expression slip in front of Un Hyang.
“Blue Zone?”
“Yes. They couldn’t find a way to contact you directly, so they emailed us. They want to meet streamer Lee Suhyuk….”
“When did this happen?”
“Just a few hours ago.”
A few hours.
That meant John Dale probably knew about it too. Yet he hadn’t mentioned it, likely because he didn’t want Suhyuk to engage with Blue Zone.
‘Faster than expected.’
Though they hadn’t approached him directly yet, he had always known they would show interest in him eventually.
Blue Eyes were practically a symbol of lightning. Kim Ilsoo, who sought to inherit the legacy of Blue Eyes, would find Suhyuk’s existence quite appealing.
But.
“Ignore it.”
Naturally, he had no intention of joining such a guild.
“What? Really?”
“Yes. I have no plans to join any guild.”
Un Hyang’s eyes widened to that of a rabbit’s at Suhyuk’s response.
“R-Re-Really?”
Her head jolted forward so suddenly that Suhyuk was the one who ended up startled.
“Y-Yes. Really.”
“Wooow- Wooowww-.”
Un Hyang’s eyes sparkled as she let out inexplicable exclamations of amazement. The tension she had felt upon entering the room vanished. She wore a delighted smile.
“I’m so glad I told you. Hehe.”
After standing up abruptly, her steps became lighter.
“Then I’ll go prepare for the collab! See you later!”
Her personality reverted to how it was initially. Suhyuk waved her off and then took off the mask he had been wearing. A cold expression surfaced.
Blue Zone.
He hadn’t expected to hear that name so soon.
‘He won’t give up that easily.’
Suhyuk knew Kim Ilsoo’s character better than anyone. He wasn’t someone who would give up so easily. His obsession with lightning was beyond normal.
“Then he’ll be coming soon.”
But so what?
No way in hell was he joining the guild that guy created.
*
Evening.
After a simple meal, Falcon Eye hurried to prepare for the stream. A spacious virtual testing arena. This was the location for today’s stream and where he would meet streamer Lee Suhyuk.
“What is this? Is this the content?”
John Dale skimmed through the content report prepared by Falcon Eye. The concept of today’s stream was simple.
“Original Suhyuk vs. New Suhyuk. Talent Comparison Trial….”
“How is it? The concept is good, right?”
“So, the reason you asked me to find Lee Suhyuk’s trial material was for this?”
Half of the buzz around streamer Lee Suhyuk was thanks to Falcon Eye. A bombshell statement claiming that in terms of raw talent, the new Lee Suhyuk was better than the legendary one.
Because of this, there was a lot of talk in the community about who Lee Suhyuk was, and Falcon Eye’s stream also saw an increase in popularity.
“Yeah. I thought it would be better than a simple trial.”
“You used your head well. But isn’t this too risky? If he loses, it will hit you hard too.”
John Dale’s face was full of worry as he skimmed the material.
“And honestly… I think it’s going to be difficult.”
Lee Suhyuk.
He was a legend among players. No matter how highly Falcon Eye thought of streamer Lee Suhyuk’s talent and achievements, it would be hard for anyone to confidently claim to surpass the Lee Suhyuk of his prime.
“I’m going head-on. And besides, I have to take responsibility for my statements.”
“Oh, come on. The one taking responsibility is Suhyuk, not you. Stop trying to act cool.”
“Is that so?”
Falcon Eye scratched his head awkwardly and then took a deep breath.
“I’m just feeling a bit nervous.”
“What? Are you scared?”
“No, not that. It’s just exciting, you know. Seeing lightning in real life.”
“What, were you a fan of Lee Suhyuk too?”
“Calling me a fan seems a bit grand… but you know, right? Among those who remember those days, who wasn’t a fan of Lee Suhyuk?”
“True, true…”
John Dale nodded.
It was true.
While the degree might vary, every player who had lived through the Blue Eyes era had cheered for Lee Suhyuk. Falcon Eye was no exception.
Before becoming a streamer, he was just another player who had once been an avid fan of Lee Suhyuk.
“How about you? Were you not a fan?”
“If you were a fan, then I was a fan too.”
“So, what then?”
“I just thought all fans were fanatical because of Un Hyang.”
The fan John Dale had seen closest to Lee Suhyuk was Un Hyang. Compared to her, most people couldn’t even be called fans. Her fanaticism for Lee Suhyuk was almost at a fanatical level.
“Is it that intense?”
“You’ll see soon enough. And remember, in this industry, you’re the senior. Technically speaking, you’re also the senior as a player, right?”
“That’s true.”
“No matter how talented he is, streamer Lee Suhyuk has just reached the third floor. Don’t forget that and relax a bit.”
“I know, I know. As if I’d forget that.”
No matter how outstanding a player was, they couldn’t beat the power of time. Talent is like that. Though the speed may vary, blossoming always requires time.
Streamer Lee Suhyuk had started climbing the tower as soon as he began his streams. As a player, his career wasn’t measured in years but in mere days.
But.
“I know that… but I still can’t help feeling confused.”
Though his mind understood, he remained uncertain. Images from streamer Lee Suhyuk’s streams occupied his thoughts.
Could someone like that really be a player with only a few days of experience?
‘I need to see it for myself.’
Streamers were often embellished on-screen, and viewers tended to hold illusions about them. The most reliable assessment would come from a direct encounter.
Knock-knock.
“Team Leader, we’re here.”
At that moment, Un Hyang’s voice came through the door, accompanied by a knock.
She said, “we”, implying she had come with Suhyuk.
“They’re here. Come in.”
Creeak-
The door seemed to open agonizingly slowly.
‘Is this finally the moment?’
“This might be an opportunity. A chance to ride the rising star and become a star in the sky together.”
The words that had been circling his mind.
Perhaps this meeting was the beginning of that journey.