Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Blue Zone's Invitation
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Entering the accommodations prepared by Baehae, Lee Soo-hyuk immediately lay down on the bed.
Sleep is the best form of rest. That had always been his philosophy, so he usually slept as much as possible during breaks.
But tonight, sleep wouldn't come no matter what.
'This is exactly the kind of thing I hate.'
He had competed in countless showdowns in front of crowds.
They were boring and exhausting. That was Soo-hyuk's view of events like this.
But the prizes on offer were reason enough to participate.
"It's been a while."
He didn't know the event format.
But whatever it was, he was confident.
Like it or not, it was these big and small tournaments that had made him who he was—Lee Soo-hyuk.
'I wonder what it is.'
He pictured the tournaments hosted by Blue Zone.
'A solo event would be ideal, if possible.'
He knew such thoughts were pointless.
Still, he kept entertaining them simply because he couldn't sleep.
And then.
Knock knock—.
Right on cue, the person he had been waiting for knocked on the door.
"It's Unhyang."
Soo-hyuk put on the mask beside the bed and sat up.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Unhyang entered hesitantly.
She seemed awkward somehow.
"I-I'm coming in."
Her footsteps were frustratingly slow. Glancing around uncertainly, she headed to the sofa opposite where Soo-hyuk sat.
"Is it because it's a strange man's room?"
"N-No, it's not that..."
"Don't worry. If it comes to a fight, I think I'd lose."
"Pardon?"
Unhyang looked back at him with wide eyes in surprise.
She seemed like any ordinary girl.
But.
'She's definitely no ordinary manager.'
Just the aura she exuded told him that.
It was impeccably refined, without a single flaw—perfectly controlled, fooling even herself.
It was a realm he couldn't even aspire to with his current abilities.
He recalled the conversation with John Tail just hours earlier.
"I was curious. It's the first time Unhyang has praised a player like this."
"That picky girl must have taken a shine to a new player for once."
The praise for the manager felt oddly off.
As if receiving her approval was some great medal of honor, John Tail had praised Unhyang even more than him.
"W-Why are you staring like that?"
"No, nothing. More importantly, you were supposed to bring tournament materials."
"Yes. That's why I came."
Rustle—.
Unhyang handed over a bundle of papers from her pocket.
"The format is a contention battle. A simple setup where they fight over one prize."
"Solo event, at least."
"Yes. With only one prize, that's natural."
He liked that.
The specific event was secondary; he just hoped it wasn't a team battle.
"The stage is a virtual proving ground. Participants are all 3rd-floor players. Entry fee is 1,000 points, no limit on numbers."
"It's not free?"
"Huh?"
Unhyang's eyes widened.
Realizing what he'd said, Soo-hyuk hurriedly glossed over it.
"No, I mean, it's more expensive than I thought."
More than anything, the entry fee stuck in his mind.
Since starting streams to earn points, he seemed to have developed a miserly streak.
'Let's see how many points I have now...'
Fortunately, he had enough for the fee. The problem was that paying 1,000 would leave him broke again.
He let out a sigh.
How long until he could refill them?
"I'll send materials on contention battles suited to your kit. A few should give you a feel for it."
Ding—.
With those words, a message arrived on Soo-hyuk's kit.
Videos of contention battles from lower floors.
So that's what she'd been fiddling with on her kit earlier.
[Awesome Lee Soo-hyuk Contention Compilation]
[Lee Soo-hyuk Contention 10-Second Cuts]
[Lee Soo-hyuk Guaranteed Win Contention Route (with pics)]
[Contention by Era...]
[...]
Soo-hyuk's eyes twitched as he scanned the titles.
'It's basically all me.'
They were practically his personal history. He even recognized a memorable scene from one he clicked.
What was he supposed to reference from this?
She said she was a fan, and it showed in moments like this.
'Well, whatever.'
As the materials indicated, he had enough experience with tournaments to be jaded.
Besides, this was the 3rd floor.
Fresh players who had just cleared the 2nd floor and entered the tower, barely shedding their rookie scent.
'If I fail here, I couldn't face them even if I tried.'
This was the first step.
He had no intention of letting outsiders take their comrades' belongings.
"Thanks. I'll check them out."
"No need to thank me. It's my job."
Watching Unhyang awkwardly wave it off, Soo-hyuk made a puzzled face under his mask.
He'd never seen her this tense since their first meeting. Something was off today.
Then she broached the subject awkwardly.
"And... did Team Leader tell you anything?"
His hunch was right; something was up.
"About what?"
"You haven't heard?"
Unhyang's eyes widened round.
Her expression said it all.
She was hesitating to speak.
"What is it?"
"Well, the truth is—"
She squeezed her eyes shut and blurted it out.
"Blue Zone reached out."
Swoosh—.
Soo-hyuk's expression hardened instantly.
"They want to meet you, Soo-hyuk."
Wearing a mask in daily life had its uses.
He had nearly let his face betray him to Unhyang.
"Blue Zone?"
"Yes. They don't have a direct way to contact you, so they emailed us. They want to meet streamer Lee Soo-hyuk..."
"When was this?"
"A few hours ago."
A few hours.
John Tail probably knew too.
Yet he hadn't mentioned it, likely because he didn't want Soo-hyuk engaging with Blue Zone.
'Faster than expected.'
They hadn't approached in person yet.
But he knew they would show interest eventually.
Lightning was Blue Eyes' symbol. To Kim Il-su, who sought to inherit their legacy, Soo-hyuk would be quite appealing.
But.
"Ignore it."
Of course, he had zero intention of joining that guild.
"Pardon? Really?"
"Yes. I have no plans to join any guild."
Unhyang's eyes widened like a rabbit's at his response.
"R-Really?"
She leaned in so eagerly that Soo-hyuk was the flustered one.
"Y-Yes. Really."
"Wow— Wooow—."
Her eyes sparkled as she let out inexplicable exclamations.
The tension from entering had vanished. She grinned broadly, clearly delighted.
"I'm so glad I told you. Hehe."
She jumped up, her steps light.
"Then I'll go prep the collab stream! See you later!"
Her personality was back to normal.
Soo-hyuk waved her off and removed his mask.
A cold expression emerged.
Blue Zone.
He hadn't expected to hear that name so soon.
'They won't give up this easily.'
He knew Kim Il-su's personality best.
He wasn't the type to quit so quickly. His greed for lightning was no joke.
"You'll come soon enough."
But what could he do?
He'd die before joining the guild you built.
Evening.
After a simple meal, Hawk's Eye hurriedly prepared his stream.
The vast virtual proving ground.
Today's broadcast venue—and where he would meet streamer Lee Soo-hyuk.
"What? This is the content?"
John Tail read the content report Hawk's Eye had prepared.
The concept for today's stream was straightforward.
"Real Soo-hyuk vs Baby Soo-hyuk. Talent Comparison Test..."
"What do you think? Good concept, right?"
"You asked for Lee Soo-hyuk's test data, and this is why?"
Half of streamer Lee Soo-hyuk's buzz came from Hawk's Eye.
His bombshell claim that, purely on talent, he surpassed prime Lee Soo-hyuk.
That sparked community debates about who this streamer Lee Soo-hyuk was, boosting Hawk's Eye's streams to a higher league.
"Yeah. Figured a simple test wouldn't cut it."
"Smart move. But isn't it too risky? If you lose, it'll hit you hard."
John Tail scanned the materials, his face worried.
"And honestly... I still think it's tough."
Lee Soo-hyuk.
He was a legend among players.
No matter how highly Hawk's Eye rated streamer Lee Soo-hyuk's talent or how impressive his feats, no one could confidently claim to surpass prime Lee Soo-hyuk.
"Gotta go head-on. And I have to own my words."
"Sigh. Isn't Soo-hyuk the one paying for your cool guy act?"
"Is it?"
Hawk's Eye scratched his head sheepishly, then took a deep breath.
"Makes me nervous for no reason."
"Why? Scared?"
"Nah, not that. Just excited. Seeing lightning in person."
"What, you're a Soo-hyuk fan too?"
"Fan might be too strong, but... you remember that era, right? Anyone who lived through it was a Soo-hyuk fan."
"True..."
John Tail nodded.
It was accurate.
Differences in degree aside, every player from the Blue Eyes era cheered for Lee Soo-hyuk.
Hawk's Eye was no exception.
Before becoming a streamer, he was a player—and one of the countless fans who idolized Soo-hyuk.
"What about you? Not a fan?"
"If you're a fan, so am I."
"But?"
"I saw Unhyang's fanaticism up close and thought all Soo-hyuk fans were extremists."
The biggest Soo-hyuk fan John Tail knew was Unhyang.
Compared to her, most couldn't even be called fans. Her devotion bordered on madness.
"That intense?"
"You'll see. And hey, in this industry, you're the senior. Heck, even as a player, you're ahead."
"Fair point."
"No matter the talent, streamer Lee Soo-hyuk is a fresh 3rd-floor player. Don't forget that—loosen up."
"Got it. You think I don't know?"
No matter how talented, no one beats time's power.
Talent always required time to bloom.
Differences were in speed, but time was inevitable.
Streamer Lee Soo-hyuk started climbing the tower right after launching his channel.
By player tenure, he was a newbie of mere days.
But.
"I know... but I still doubt it."
His mind knew, but his gut didn't buy it.
Streamer Lee Soo-hyuk's broadcasts flashed in his head.
Really just a player of a few days?
'Gotta see it myself.'
On-screen streamers were always glamorized. Viewers projected fantasies onto them.
The truest judgment would come face-to-face.
Knock knock—.
"Team Leader, we're here."
Unhyang's voice came from the door.
"We're here" meant Lee Soo-hyuk was with her.
"They're here. Come in."
Creeeak—.
The door opening felt agonizingly slow.
'Finally meeting.'
"This could be an opportunity. Ride the rising star to become one yourself."
The words that had circled his mind.
This meeting might be the start.