Chapter 11

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 11

Chapter Title: The Return of Unknown

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"Fuck. I'm screwed!"

Sea clutched her head and crouched down on the sidewalk, looking ready to smash her forehead into the pavement.

What the hell had she just done? Calling her future sister-in-law a "bitch"?

And throwing in a motel joke on top of that?

It was over. Maybe it was time to log out of this life right here.

"...Hey."

A shadow fell over her head.

Sea flinched and looked up to find Dojin staring down at her with an impassive face.

In one hand, he held the wine shopping bag his sister had left behind.

"Get up. Sis is gone."

"...She's gone? What'd she say? Did she call me a crazy bitch? Tell me never to see her little brother again?"

"Nah. She just said you were hilarious."

Dojin tapped away at his phone with one hand like it was no big deal.

"And check this out."

Dojin shoved his phone screen right in Sea's face.

On the display was a photo of Sea crouching there just moments ago, along with a chat window.

"...Huh? S-Sister-in-law...?"

Sea’s pupils shook like there was an earthquake.

Dojin smirked and pocketed his phone.

"My sis is cool like that. She thought it was cute how you freaked out and bolted."

Sea’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

Dojin grabbed the wrist of the still-dazed girl and pulled her to her feet.

"Come on. We're tossing those clothes."

Sea rose unsteadily, led by Dojin's hand, her expression blank.

"I'm heading home today... My heart's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠still pounding."

With a lost look on her face, Sea climbed into a taxi.

Normally, she'd bounce back quick and chase him all the way to his place, clinging like a koala.

But today, the shock must've hit hard.

Through the window, her shoulders slumped like a guilty puppy's—pitiful, but kinda funny.

It was nearly midnight.

In the cramped studio apartment, only the clacking keyboard and sighs filled the air.

Every time I hit enter, red error messages scrolled across the monitor.

"Argh, this just won't fix."

I ruffled my hair in frustration.

Three hours of spinning my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wheels.

In a huff, I slammed the coding window shut.

My eyes landed on the Battle Ark icon on the desktop.

Something inside me itched to smash shit.

"Might as well cool off."

I didn't fire up my usual smurf account tucked away in the corner. Instead, I opened a notepad with login creds I'd buried deep.

The account from way back when I'd gotten pro offers.

The one they called a legend, now forgotten.

ID: Unknown

PW: **********

Around the same time.

Top viewer count in the Battle Ark category.

Current rank 38, BJ Kaiser's live stream chat was buzzing as usual.

"Ah~ bros. Real talk, my current form's the best I've ever been, top of the tops."

Kaiser crossed his legs smugly and pointed at the camera.

"That old Unknown guy? He blew up in the bubble meta back then. If he came back now, he'd get wrecked even in diamond. Bet my right hand on it."

With a mocking chuckle, he pulled up his friends list.

Pinned at the top: 'Unknown'.

The legend of old, now a dead account.

Kaiser pointed at the gray name like a trophy and cackled.

"See? Over a thousand days ghosted. Dude pussied out and quit."

That was the moment.

The 30,000 viewers watching the stream held their breath in unison.

The nickname under Kaiser's cursor...

The gray text flickered oddly, then turned a vivid green.

"......Huh?"

A dumb noise leaked from Kaiser's mouth.

The chat scrolled into a frenzy.

"Ah, no bros, hack? Yo, is this really him?"

Kaiser's eyes shook in panic.

But 30,000 eyes were on him.

Backing down now would tank his cred.

With trembling hands, he hammered the keyboard.

Meanwhile, in Dojin's studio.

"...Who the hell is this."

I'd come to blow off steam, and some ranker picks a fight.

'Friend-added, but no clue who.'

Kaiser. Checked the profile.

'Rank 38, huh. Been out a while, so not total farming.'

Perfect, I needed a punching bag.

Dojin yawned lazily and hit [Accept].

Map: Colosseum.

No cover, pure aim duel arena.

Load-in complete, Kaiser's chat popped up.

Shop screen showed the guy packing a 4,700 credit top-tier sniper: Titan.

Graze it and you're dead.

I flicked my mouse.

[Heavy Revolver: Python]

The legendary pistol that ruled Season 1 three years back.

But after endless nerfs, recoil jacked up, fire rate tanked—now a 0.1% pickrate trash gun.

'Gotta start with something familiar.'

I hit select without hesitation.

Clunk.

A hefty metallic click, and the character gripped the bulky revolver.

Right on cue, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kaiser's chat:

On stream, Kaiser smirked slyly.

"Yo, this is too easy, gonna be boring. Alright bros, mission accepted."

Kaiser leaned back in his chair, all chill now that he'd scoped my weapon.

"Fossil opponent. 10-second cut? 100k pot? I'll etch the current meta into his bones."

I casually hit the 'inspect weapon' key.

The character spun the cylinder with a chunk, checked the barrel.

Basic skin, no frills.

But I loved that weighty feel.

"Hoo..."

I relaxed my grip on the mouse, then squeezed again.

Sensations sharp as ever.

Last time with Sea was casual fun mode, half-assed.

This time, I'd focus.

Dojin's lips curved into a smirk.

Game start.

3, 2, 1.

Start.

Thud, thud.

My character strode to map center.

'No time for hide-and-seek. Got homework.'

Opponent was obviously scoped from the central tower top, lining up this reckless prey.

KABOOM!

A razor-sharp crack split the air, slamming my eardrums.

Kaiser's sniper round streaked straight for my head.

But.

Swish.

My mouse twitched ever so slightly.

The character flickered left-right like an afterimage.

Bullet grazed by a hair, embedding in the wall.

"Huh?"

Kaiser's pupils quaked.

But he was a stream vet.

Swallowed the curse, hammered the keys with a straight face.

"Bros, that was a fake-out! And this? New skill! Wasn't around three years ago!"

Kaiser's character shimmered blue and vanished.

Enemy gone from my view.

A noob would've panicked, whiffing aim and dying.

But my face stayed blank.

'New skill this season, huh.'

I didn't track with eyes.

With ears.

The faint air-rip where sound came from.

I slammed the mouse 180 degrees, elbow back like instinct.

Bang!

Kaiser's shot from behind whiffed.

I was already gone.

Slipped between bullets like dodging raindrops.

Guy taunted me for the old iron, spamming chat.

But my monitor world was silent.

I got why he called it trash.

0.55-second recoil reset.

Spray like modern guns? Bullets to the sky.

But recoil didn't matter now.

10 meters.

My range.

"Gonna die in one anyway."

I muttered low, flicking the mouse casual-like.

Crosshair magneted to his dome.

Click.

BOOM!

Slow-mo replay hit.

Million-credit sniper rig, current rank-whatever, crumpling to one pistol pop.

That moment, Kaiser's stream chat exploded.

I hit ESC right away.

"Boring."

Click.

Quick read on the guy: for a ranker, bad habits galore.

Sniper bolt after every shot? Unconscious right-strafe.

0.3-second delay. 20 degrees right.

Timing, muzzle direction, even breathing.

All predictable.

I quit without a second thought.

Fan whine died, room fell silent again.

"...Back to homework."

This very moment.

Internet forums flipping over "Legend Returns,"

YouTube algo flooding with my clip,

Dojin had no clue, staring at the error-riddled code window once more.