Chapter 52
『Lee Suhyuk: 2.91x』
The odds were set. Un Hyang grumbled as she looked at the odds placed on Suhyuk.
“They must be blind. Does this make any sense?”
Odds close to 3 to 1. It meant far more people had bet on Schneider.
“Well… That guy is pretty strong now. I’ll give him that. Just a bit.”
Un Hyang, who rarely acknowledged others, couldn’t deny Schneider’s prowess. She wasn’t acknowledging his talent but his determination and effort and what he had achieved through them.
Though some might see it as foolish persistence.
‘In this section, he’s like a dragon.’
Even though she bet on Suhyuk out of loyalty and had a wager with Cheon Ryang, she wasn’t blind to the facts. Un Hyang could see clearly. Realistically, the probability of Schneider winning this tournament was higher.
But.
“A draw. Just that much is good enough.”
She kept thinking about Suhyuk’s confidence shown during the collaboration with Falcon Eye. As if he deliberately made it a draw. It felt like he could have done much more if he wanted to.
‘Was it all for show?’
Who knows?
At least, the Lee Suhyuk she knew. Not the streamer Lee Suhyuk, but the Blue Eyes’ Lee Suhyuk wouldn’t act boastfully without reason. And now, her assigned streamer Lee Suhyuk.
He was more like her idol, Lee Suhyuk, than anyone else.
‘Let’s trust him.’
Un Hyang’s gaze moved to the center of the colosseum. Not far from Schneider. Suhyuk stood there.
‘As a manager, I must.’
Then, she looked at the kit in her hand. The stream had started. Even though she was at the tournament, her world was right here.
—
The stream had begun.
-Finally!!
-Suhah!
-Let’s win this!
-It’s been a while!
Seeing the viewers’ greetings as they joined, Suhyuk smiled. What had started as a way to make money was becoming genuinely enjoyable for him.
“Long time no see, everyone.”
-Not us, you
-We were always here
-Yo, you’re the one who didn’t stream
The viewers’ complaints didn’t bother him. By Un Hyang’s words, these complaints showed how much they liked him. The real issue was elsewhere.
‘The chat is too fast.’
Suhyuk tried his best to keep up with the viewers’ messages. While it would be hard during the trial, he thought he could engage with them during moments like this.
But reading the chat now was impossible. Even with excellent visual acuity, the messages sped up the screen too quickly to catch.
‘This hasn’t happened except during collaborations.’
Suhyuk reluctantly gave up trying to read all the messages.
‘How many viewers…’
『Viewers: 3,179』
How many minutes had it been since he started the stream?
The growth rate of viewers was staggering.
‘At this rate… it’ll definitely surpass ten thousand.’
The effect of collaborating with Falcon Eye. Combined with the strength of the edited videos.
-Is this the real Lightning Room?
-What does Lightning Room mean?
-It’s a term newbies from the videos use, LOL.
-Hahaha newbies
The video’s impact was immense. For the viewership to spike this much. Today’s stream might indeed be a significant turning point.
-Are you in a tournament?
A chat message caught his eye. It sparked a flood of tournament-related questions. The chaotic atmosphere from the long hiatus seemed to settle a bit.
“Yes. I’ve entered a tournament.”
-Saw you, LOL.
-I’m in the audience right now, streaming your stream, LOL.
-LOL, watching the stream live from the audience, insanity.
“Isn’t the view better from the audience?”
He appreciated the enthusiasm but couldn’t quite understand the reasoning.
-They just want to interact.
-Yeah, you can’t converse just by cheering in the stands.
“Is it because of that?”
It was a puzzling concept. Why would people go to such lengths just to support someone they’d never met?
He felt an inexplicable sense of responsibility weigh on his shoulders. Nodding, Suhyuk addressed his rapidly growing viewer count.
“Thank you. I’ll repay you with a victory.”
-Okay, deal.
-Let’s win like beasts!
-LOL, he might come second.
-For real, this time’s different.
-I’m honestly just curious when he’ll crash and burn, LOL.
Maybe it was because of Schneider’s presence?
Few seemed confident in Suhyuk’s victory. The general sentiment leaned towards seeing his challenge as reckless. And nothing says reckless challenge quite like a wager.
『’IloveLoveLeeSuhyuk’ has created a mission.』
『Cheering for you, Suhyuk >_< If you win, 30,000 points!』
The mission’s promise brought a smile to Suhyuk’s face. The stakes were set, his path was clear, and the challenges ahead only fueled his determination.
It was time to show everyone, including Schneider, what he was made of. It was indeed a mission.
-30k?
-Big stakes here.
-Hard to throw in a measly couple thousand now.
-Chairman-level support, damn.
Eyes widened. A 30,000-point mission. This was on a different scale compared to previous ones. Actually, considering the nickname, it was less of a mission and more of an encouragement.
The viewer ‘IloveLoveLeeSuhyuk’ was one of Suhyuk’s top supporters, often referred to as the ‘chairman’.
“Won’t regret it?”
『’IloveLoveLeeSuhyuk’ has donated 100 points.』
『No.』
-Wow, one word costing 100 points, cool.
-Throwing 100 points per letter, crazy efficiency, LOL.
Clearly, they possessed significant wealth.
Grin-.
“Thank you in advance for the 30,000 points.”
Smiling at the thought of an abundant wallet, but only for a moment.
Buzz-.
As the tournament began, a massive field unfurled within the coliseum.
Fwoosh-!
The field engulfed over ten thousand players. Simultaneously, an identical message appeared before the participants’ eyes.
『Do you wish to participate in the trial?』
No matter how spacious, the coliseum was too small to host ten thousand players. Most importantly, without the trial’s format, players would face real danger.
“Participate.”
One by one, players, including Suhyuk, entered the trial grounds. The field spread throughout the coliseum.
『You have entered the ‘Preliminary Round.’』
A vast forest appeared. Tall trees surrounded the area. Suddenly, Suhyuk found himself standing alone. The players who had been around vanished.
They had all entered the field created by Blue Zone with the system’s power.
『The ‘Preliminary Round’ begins.』
『Fight until only 1,000 remain.』
『Survivors: 10,109』
A straightforward and brutal rule. Suhyuk smiled.
“A solo match.”
The trial’s format was deathmatch. And it was naturally a solo match. Suhyuk had hoped for a solo format, and fortunately, the preliminary round delivered.
Moreover, deathmatches were a category Suhyuk excelled in.
‘Could I encounter him here?’
Schneider. Perhaps, he might face Schneider quickly in this preliminary round. The number of survivors in the preliminary round would be about one in ten.
And there were two ways to survive.
‘Hide or reduce the numbers by my own hand.’
Naturally, Suhyuk had no intention of hiding. That wasn’t his nature, and it would make for a much more entertaining stream.
Moreover.
『’HolesAreTwo’ has created a mission.』
『Deathmatch? Can’t miss that. 100 points per kill.』
『’VongolePasta’ has created a mission.』
『Kill-per-mission is a deathmatch rule, LOL. I’ll go with 100 points per kill too.』
『’MissionVillain’ has created a mission.』
『1,000 points for killing Don Zhao. 10,000 points for killing Omar Schneider.』
Missions were being registered one after another. Instantly, Suhyuk’s eyes lit up.
“A kill per… 200 points?”
He had no intention of hiding initially, but now he had to adjust his strategy. 200 points per kill. If he took down 100 people in this preliminary round, that’d net him 20,000 points in an instant.
And if he managed to kill Schneider, that’d be another 10,000 points. Adding the victory mission…
‘60,000 points.’
It would almost recover the funds spent on leveling up his skills. As his stream grew, the incoming revenue significantly increased.
-Look at his eyes rolling, LOL.
-He does like money.
-Lee Suhyuk, the money lover… What a world.
At that moment.
Rustle-.
The sound of something moving through the grass. Suhyuk’s head turned to the side.
“Oh…”
The man who met his gaze had a look of regret. It seemed he recognized Suhyuk. For one person, there was no need to use lightning.
“A walking 200 points.”
The participant turned and ran. Suhyuk took a step forward, pursuing him as he spoke.
“Thanks for the meal.”
—
Step-step.
Somewhere deep within the secluded forest. Schneider continued to walk at a slow pace.
『Survivors: 8,544』
1500 players had already been eliminated. During that time, Schneider hadn’t fought a single player. It wasn’t that he hadn’t encountered anyone.
Just that everyone who did encounter him chose to flee rather than fight.
‘My goal is singular.’
Step-step.
Throughout his walk, Schneider’s mind was wholly focused on one target.
‘Lee Suhyuk.’
No one else mattered. Someone else would reduce the numbers anyway. In that moment, Schneider knew to focus entirely on preparing for his encounter with Lee Suhyuk instead of dealing with lesser threats.
Rustle-.
Not far off, the sound of rustling grass. Along with the breath of someone nearby, Schneider halted his steps.
“Think I’ll just let you go, bringing a mob?”
Snap-.
He combined the spears on his back into a lengthy spear. As Schneider readied his weapon, shadows hidden in the trees began to emerge.
“You catch on quickly.”
“You said there’s no point in hiding.”
“We should’ve gotten more…”
“It’s fine. This will do.”
Murmur-.
Dozens of players formed a circle. Their aim was clear: eliminating Schneider.
“You made a wise choice. Eliminating a top contender early improves your chances.”
Schneider didn’t panic. In their shoes, targeting him during the preliminaries was their best shot.
However.
“Even a flock of sheep is still just sheep.”
“No numbers can match skill. Where do you get off being arrogant—”
Boom-!
Mid-sentence, the head of the foremost player exploded. Schneider’s spear was pointed at his head, but the distance was too great for the spear to have physically struck.
“I’ve dealt with plenty like you.”
Unable to gauge his strength, the players began retreating.
Chuck-.
One person’s presence overwhelmed dozens. Schneider advanced toward them unafraid, like a wolf calmly approaching a flock of sheep.
And then.
Flash-.
“Gah…!”
“When did he—!”
Schneider moved into the midst of the group, swinging his spear in a wide arc.
Splat-!
Blood fountains erupted from the decapitated players’ bodies.
“If you wanted to take me down, you should’ve brought at least Lee Suhyuk.”