199 - Tax Notice

"So what I'm saying is, we need to minimize those random luck factors as much as possible to gain the upper hand. It's like slowly shifting from a 'coin flip game' to a 'Baskin-Robbins 31' kind of setup, you know? Sia unnie, what probabilistic elements are there in your role?"

"Opponent jungler's position?"

"Exactly. Sure, the enemy jungler has limited spots they could be, but it's still not certain, right? So you narrow down the candidates and draw imaginary dotted lines around those areas. If they're outside that zone, the loss from ignoring ganks outweighs any gains from farming."

"Uh... and then?"

"When they're inside the zone, you tightrope carefully. When they're outside, you play aggressively to exclude them. Oh, and when zones overlap? After 14 minutes, just watch the enemy team's movements. In laning phase, observe the other lanes—top and mid—and gauge how bold or timid the enemy laners are based on their psychology—"

The narrow space between tables had transformed into a virtual battlefield. Nami scurried back and forth on her short legs, delivering ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an impassioned game lecture. Tanghulu dipped in chocolate fondue made a perfect bribe for extracting pro tips from the pros.

"See? Super simple. You don't even need to check constantly—just glance when it's uncertain."

"Ha... I didn't understand a single thing!"

"Hey! We can't even read the minimap properly!"

"Do you really need to go that far in a game?"

It was territory they could never replicate even if she explained it. Nami blinked her cat-like eyes and shrugged, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as if wondering, Why don't they get this?

"NoName, were you watching our top and mid laning in real-time while handling your own lane? Is that why you warned us about ganks?"

Min-jun asked in shock. Nami had an uncanny knack for knowing the enemy jungler's position.

"No way, that's straight-up map hack! Cheating! Give us back our finals trophy!"

"Even pros don't go that far. When do you even have time to watch other lanes?"

The streamers she'd faced as opponents protested vehemently.

"Oh, damage calculations these days? That's too easy. I do most of it by feel, but for tricky ones, just rough it out with geometric series where public cooldown is 1.25."

Introducing math into gaming made everyone foam at the mouth and collapse. Even after the short lecture ended, streamers kept flocking to Nami's table. Eventually, she started a personal service, visiting each one to guarantee at least one guest spot on their streams.

"Do an Asteria impression, Nami-nim!"

"Huh? Asteria...?"

Nami fidgeted, twisting her body shyly as she parted her small lips. She seemed mortified.

"Asel, Liba."

"Something longer!"

"Do I have to?"

The streamers nodded twenty, thirty times.

"Selena's vengeance...!"

Nami scrunched her face, stood crookedly, and pointed dramatically upward.

"Kyaaaaaaa!"

"Ultimate too! Ultimate!"

"Rat... Ra Asteria Shuhata Phileum... There, happy?"

The charismatic Asteria was gone, replaced by a lisping kid's voice.

"Total satisfaction!"

Amid double thumbs-up and wild cheers, Nami's flushed cheeks returned to normal.

At the next stop, streamers thrust tablets at her.

"What's this?"

"Reaction speed test! Wanna compete?"

The guy demonstrated first, tapping the instant the screen turned green.

"Like that."

Nami nodded. Her double-lidded eyes showed no flicker.

First try: 150 milliseconds.

Second: 138 ms.

Competitiveness rising, Nami called a timeout. She pressed index and middle fingers together, channeling aura at the tips. A faint glow shimmered. Slowly, she moved them over her closed eyes.

When she opened them, her pitch-black irises blazed gold.

"Y-you! How'd you do that? Aura in your eyes...!"

"Tablet."

"Here!"

Nami focused her sharpened senses solely on the tablet. Red and blue became yin and yang, the world drowning in black.

"No way it's this slow? Tablet lag?"

Nami shared the results with a dissatisfied pout.

"Whoa, insane! How? Teach me the secret!"

"Wanna know? Learn it on VTube."

"What do I search?"

"Not sure the title, but search synapse cleft or neurotransmitter. IIT video's top—guy with huge eyes."

"Neuro... Whoa, eternal thanks! Thx bye!"

After Nami left, streamers searched with viewers.

"This one?"

"Seems right...?"

"This it? Eyes are huge... Let's watch."

Thick Indian accent unleashed incomprehensible English.

* * *

The alley, expected dark at dusk, glowed brighter than sunset. Bright streetlights and neon signs painted a cyberpunk vista straight from a movie. Familiar yet alien—this was still a world of people.

One change: multicultural Korea meant diverse fashions.

"You okay? Not tired?"

Borum approached from behind, grabbing my shoulders.

"Where were you, unnie? Didn't see you on our floor."

Bored standing still, she rocked me side to side.

"Haha, well! Met Yogurt real quick..."

"Whoa, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my manager ditching for another streamer? Kinda hurt."

"Aw, don't be like that! Mad? How can unnie make it up?"

"Pfft. Not mad at all."

"Hehe."

Today's schedule wasn't easy. Muscles knotted from overdoing it at the end.

"Then massage my shoulders?"

"Sure! Anytime!"

I hadn't planned lingering at the afterparty. Half-empty soju bottles in ice buckets, tipsy folks. Meant for drinking—not kid-friendly. Time to bounce.

Idle hands reached for my phone habitually. Adella's spam begging for VR birthday party before it got too late caught my eye first.

Bustling group chats, spam texts. Scrolling down, one stopped me.

Unread message from Mana Corporation to NoName.

Tax time, huh. Today's usage not included?

"Ten million won?!"

"Eek! What's wrong?"

Unbelievable. It was a 3rd Circle spell—why 5th Circle cost?

Base circle fine. Problem: visible spell. Barely any mana—why?

Visible spells depend on main circle, negligible mana. Delved into mana tax law I'd skimmed before. Buried in final appendix.

Article 14(2)? Twisted legalese hell. Minimum mana unit for billing? For 1st Circle scraps. Prevents penny taxes on interrupted casts—base station costs too high, prevents abuse.

But independent? My unique magic Medusa counts 6th Circle. Minimum 1%. Over ten million.

"What the hell?"

"Wh-what? Big deal?"

"Not huge, but... annoying! Total robbery!"

Too happy today. Happiness conservation law? Joy always crashed by crap.

"Tax? Eek why so much?"

"Right?"

Expected a million max—units off. Not about affording. Like ten million for lousy rest stop chicken skewer.

"C'mon cheer up. Special day, Nami-ya."

"..."

"I'll pay?"

"No, I'm not broke..."

Glanced at Borum. Wait, chaebol daughter?

"For real?"

"Yup! No pride issues—got cash."

Black card popped from pink wallet.

"Three million annual fee."

"For real? Fee?"

"Birthday gift level."

"Feels wrong taking free."

"Not refusing though?"

"Don't wanna pay myself."

What to give back? Chaebol lacks nothing, but mooching rude.

Borum, Samyeon Group, manager, Cat Church... Cat?

"Introduce Adella later? Too late today—next time."

"Kek... R-real? For real?"

"Yup."

"Take the black card! Not literally! Anyway... thx cutie Nami!"

I sold my pet cat for ten million today.

"See Adella up close...!"

No guilt.

"What's tail taste like?!"

Or maybe a twinge...