Realization
Realization
Project Eden was a game that had already gone through one beta test.
Searching on Nutube, I could easily find videos uploaded by those who had participated in the beta test.
I watched the videos to increase my understanding of Project Eden.
'The things I need to be careful of are special entities and... humans, huh.'
In any apocalypse setting, the most dangerous thing was humans, not zombies.
However, there was a risk factor in Pden even more dangerous than humans.
That was precisely the zombies named special entities.
Zombies equipped with camouflage abilities, for instance.
Or zombies with overwhelmingly fast speed.
Or zombies with bizarrely high jumping power.
-Uwaaak!!! Seriously!! Fucking nerf the stealth zombie alreadyyyyyy!!
Pishik-
A slight laugh leaked out at the sight of the man in the video letting out a bizarre scream.
It was a situation where he got done in right before escaping by a zombie possessing camouflage, stealth, and disguise abilities.
If I died after farming that hard, a wave of annoyance would rush over me too.
After the video ended, I fell into thought.
Once the survival show ends, my life of legally 'taking a break' will be over too.
According to Aki's words, my chances of winning are close to zero.
There was no greater waste than giving my all in a fight where the outcome was already decided.
[User-nim! What are you thinking so hard about?]
Aki approached me while I was contemplating what to do after Zero Point.
[Were you perhaps thinking about your victory ceremony?]
"What victory ceremony. I just need to get the participation fee and go to work."
[Yes? What does that...]
"Why? You said so. Because of that API System or whatever it is, my chances of winning are..."
You definitely said it was so low that calculating the probability was meaningless.
[!!!]
Aki's expression is dyed with panic.
And three exclamation marks appeared above Aki's head.
Pareureu-
Aki's flapping wings trembled.
Did some problem occur?
[No, no, no! The situation is different from back then.]
"Suddenly?"
[Yes! Back then, I spouted that nonsense without knowing User-nim's exact combat power level! So please forget about it.]
"Hmm... Is that so?"
As I stared with a gaze demanding an explanation.
Aki, who was pretending to clear its throat, made its eyes sparkle.
Like some beam projector, a screen was outputted in mid-air from Aki's eyes.
"Cereal's Nutube?"
I look at the recently uploaded video list.
Among them, one video particularly catches the eye.
Number 500. A video compiling my plays.
"The view count is..."
It's unusual.
It has barely been a day since it was uploaded.
It's recording a view count surpassing a whopping 30 million.
"As expected, a 20 million subscriber Nutuber is on a different level."
Doridoridori-!
As I was marveling to myself, Aki came in front of me and shook its head violently.
[This isn't 'Cereal', this is a splendid achievement accomplished by User-nim!]
"By me?"
[The fact that the average view count of the other groups' highlight videos is around 5 million is precisely the proof.]
Certainly, as Aki said, the view counts of the other videos, excluding my gameplay video, were relatively low.
[Currently, Zero Point is drawing hot reactions in various communities, and the public awareness of User-nim, who put on the most dazzling performance, is also skyrocketing drastically.]
"Really? I don't use communities, so I didn't really know."
[There are already many people who have become fans, captivated by the performance User-nim showed! These fans are currently eagerly looking forward to User-nim advancing to the main round and turning on your personal stream!]
"...Fans."
I merely enjoyed the game according to the rules of the tournament.
Aki's words about me gaining fans didn't really hit home.
"Your words mean that since there are such 'fans', I can also actively use the API System. Is that right?"
[Exactly! As a result of high-performance AI Aki's analysis, User-nim's chances of winning Zero Point have soared drastically!]
The API System was a structure where, when the main round advancers turned on their personal streams.
They could receive donations from viewers and purchase special items depending on the donation amount.
Instead, if they purchased an item, the donated amount would be transferred to the Cereal Company's side.
"And the transferred amount is scheduled to be used entirely as a donation for undernourished children... They're smart."
Something that could easily lead to a bad image of extorting the money earned by participants if they made a single misstep.
To attempt to revamp their image in the form of a donation.
Their business acumen isn't bad at all.
As expected, not just anyone can be a 20-million-subscriber Nutuber.
"Anyway, your words mean my chances of winning are much higher compared to before, right?"
[That's right! Even if you don't win, User-nim has gained something valuable that absolutely cannot be bought with money!]
"Public awareness, popularity, fame... things like that?"
Aki smiled brightly and held up a placard with an O mark written on it.
It was a cute visual that made me want to pat Aki's head if it wasn't a hologram.
I checked the comments on my video uploaded to Cereal's channel.
A situation where tens of thousands of comments and hundreds of thousands of likes were attached.
I take in the sights of people wondering about me and positive contents.
Only then did it feel somewhat real.
That it was a valuable thing that couldn't be bought with money, just as Aki said.
"Wait."
They definitely said the 'participation fee' would be given if I advanced to the main round and got eliminated from Zero Point.
But if I advance to the main round like this and aim all the way for the championship.
I would reach a fatal situation where I wouldn't be able to receive the participation fee during that process.
The day I have to pay rent.
Will arrive faster than the day the winner of Zero Point is decided, at the very least.
In other words, I need to somehow scrounge up money within that time so I don't get kicked out of my house.
Hmm... what should I do about this.
Falling into thought for a moment, I quickly reached a conclusion.
Once I advance to the main round.
I'd have to negotiate a deal with the Cereal Company that hosted Zero Point.
A pure white space.
The waiting room for the Zero Point preliminaries.
The 250 participants who survived the first event gathered.
Unlike the messy beginning, a heavy silence had settled down in the waiting room.
It was just quiet, the participants' gazes were solely focused on one spot.
Number 500. The Underdog who showcased a truly shocking performance.
No, Number 500 was no Underdog.
A predator innately born as the apex of the food chain.
Just because you put a sheep's mask on such a predator didn't mean it would become a sheep.
Cereal took in the scene of the waiting room from inside the monitoring room.
Cereal watched the sight of Number 500, who nonchalantly stared only at the electronic display board in front despite receiving everyone's gazes.
Judging that the timing was about right, Cereal moved to the waiting room alongside a flashy production.
"Hello~ Participants. Everyone, you know who I am, right? I greeted you yesterday... is there any meaning in greeting you again today? Ahaha, I'm joking. Joking. It's troubling if you look at me with a 'what the hell is this guy doing' kind of gaze."
"Anyway, I believe you've all come having familiarized yourselves with the rules, but..."
"...For those who might not have familiarized themselves with it, and for those who can't read more than three lines, I will explain just the core rules exactly one time."
"First. The number of people who can escape to the paradise, 'Eden', is a total of 50. It's first-come, first-served, so you'd better hurry!"
"Second. Since it's first-come, first-served, a benefit will be given to the first three participants to escape! This benefit will be of huge help in the main round, so if you're going to escape anyway, it'd be better to be the very first to escape, right?"
"And third. The paradise does not wait for you. If the designated time is exceeded, you will be processed as eliminated without any questions asked! Huh? Then the 50 spots might not be filled?"
Cereal pulled the microphone closer with an innocent expression.
"I know."
"I'm just joking. Haha, let's take a look at the chat window reactions here!"
"He's using a completely outdated meme... old-keke... I really hate this... Forty-hyung really is unstoppable... I don't want to get old... Goodness, you viewers are casually driving daggers into my heart. My tension is dropping drastically from this, you know?"
"Anyway, getting back to the main point! It's okay if the 50 spots aren't filled. In the event that all 50 spots aren't completely filled... there is one of the national rules of survival shows. A 'loser's bracket'. I'd appreciate it if you check the Cereal Company later for detailed information."
"Now, then, as a token of gratitude for the participants who followed along well during this boring explanation time, and to the viewers."
Ttak-!
Cereal snapped his fingers.
"Let's begin the game."
At the same time, everyone's screens transitioned.
The second event of the preliminaries, Project Eden, began.
'The place I spawned in... is an industrial complex, huh.'
The core of the early stages in Project Eden is farming.
Weapons, the means to survive against zombies.
And there absolutely needed to be food and water to manage stamina.
Unlike the original Project Eden, the Zero Point exclusive version of Pden was very simple.
They said it was designed to feel realistic since it was a survival show, so it didn't have a lot of game-like elements.
For me, all I had to do was equip gear that could be used as weapons and armor.
And escape; it was just a very simple game.
I look around my surroundings.
I search for something usable as a weapon.
Because no matter how capable I am, engaging in bare-handed combat against zombies carries a high risk.
During my search, something shiny entered my field of vision.
It was too dark to see properly, so I approached closer and found it was two long, object-like things.
Upon moving to a place where the moonlight seeped in, I could immediately tell what their true identity was.
"Tonfas...?"
I try equipping the tonfas.
I wasn't used to them, but I roughly knew how they should be used.
A usage method I naturally realized while dealing with enemies or allies who used tonfas.
Geueoeoeo-
At that moment, a single zombie crawled into the building.
Through the small gap in the shutter where the moonlight was leaking in.
The zombie that crawled in sluggishly raises its body.
Ppagak-!
As I swiftly swung my arm, the zombie's head was smashed by the tonfa.
"That's one for now."