Chapter 58
Chapter 58
Chapter 58: Debut Match (2)
Translation: godtl
[Korea's Gold-rank Debut Match has begun.]
[Summoning participants now.]
The Gold Debut Match where all of Korea's top prospects would compete.
It was also a stage for the talents who would lead the Galaxy Arena in the future.
Thanks to that—
-"The Gold-rank Debut Match is finally starting!"
-"That's right! This day has finally come!"
The Debut Match had become one of the main segments of National Representative Arena, South Korea's most-watched program—commonly known as the "National Arena."
-"There are quite a few promising players in this Debut Match, aren't there?"
-"Yes. More players are participating compared to the previous Gold-rank Debut Match."
-"Ah, we just received the participant count. As our commentator Song mentioned, there are a total of 110 participants—a number exceeding the average!"
Choi Gang-yeop, Korea's famous MC and the main host of National Arena, had secured his position for good reason.
With perfectly modulated tone and smooth delivery, he effortlessly captured the audience's attention.
-"Then we can't overlook the participants of this Debut Match, can we, Commentator Song?"
-"Well, I have to be careful saying this... but I'm sure everyone remembers the Gold Debut Match from four years ago?"
-"How could we forget! Wasn't that the Debut Match that produced the largest number of top-tier Rankers in Korea's history?"
-"Exactly. With over 200 participants, it was called the Generation of Stars."
The Generation of Stars.
A generation that shattered expectations, surpassing even 200 participants in Korea's Gold-rank Debut Match—which usually hovered around 100.
Considering that the Debut Match was an Arena only the absolute elite could enter,
it was clear that this had been a generation overflowing with exceptional players.
-"I think I can guess where Commentator Song is going with this?"
-"As expected of MC Choi! You can't fool someone with sharp instincts. That's right. I dare say the caliber of participants in this Gold-rank Debut Match rivals even that of the Generation of Stars."
-"Whoa! If Commentator Song is saying this much, they must all be hot prospects!"
As Choi Gang-yeop reacted dramatically, Commentator Song promptly pulled up a data screen.
Displayed were the logos of various guilds, neatly arranged in order.
-"As you can see, among the guilds competing in this Gold Debut Match, two stand out as the most formidable."
Commentator Song pointed to the two guilds positioned at the very top of the screen.
One logo depicted a scorpion, while the other showed two swords crossed behind a shield.
-"The Scorpion Guild and the Myth Guild."
-"Ooh! I've heard of them too. The Scorpion Guild has Yu A-yeon and Yu A-jun, the rising stars of the Magic Class, right? And the Myth Guild has Choi Jin-su leading the charge, along with Jang Ji-soo and Cha Hyun-woo?"
-"Correct. All the players you mentioned are considered the cream of the crop among current prospects. However, there's one point I should clarify."
-"What would that be, Commentator Song?"
Though smiling, Choi Gang-yeop's eyes betrayed his panic as he asked.
His expression practically screamed—
"Song Jae-kyung, what the hell are you doing? Why are you going off-script?"
-"You mentioned Yu A-yeon and Yu A-jun as the rising stars of the Magic Class... but in truth, there's another rising star."
Unfortunately.
Song Jae-kyung, who had become a commentator based on his player career rather than broadcasting experience,
might have been articulate—but he wasn't exactly perceptive.
No, to be precise, he was clueless.
As a former player,
there was no way he could understand the complicated dynamics between broadcast production teams and the major guilds wielding influence behind the scenes.
-"It's somewhat puzzling why this player isn't listed on the data screen, but there's another Magic Class prospect everyone's been keeping an eye on lately."
-"O-oh, is that so? Maybe it's because they're a recent addition, so their data hasn't been updated yet?"
-"Ah! That could be it. He's a solo Ranker who doesn't belong to any guild. His name is Kim Si-mun."
Having gone as far as dropping the name, Song Jae-kyung remained oblivious.
Choi Gang-yeop sighed deeply internally but maintained his professionalism.
-"Aah! I know who you're talking about. The one who recently became a hot topic on deep-sea broadcasts, right?"
-"Exactly. The combat prowess he displayed was truly astonishing."
Quickly regaining his composure, Choi Gang-yeop steered the program forward.
-"No one knows what kind of trait he possesses, but the supernatural abilities he unleashes with just a flick of his fingers are absolutely mind-blowing. And on top of that, he's quite skilled in combat, isn't he?"
-"I agree. Before he clarified that he was Magic Class, everyone assumed he was Combat Class, right?"
-"That's correct. Even I, a Platinum Ranker, thought he was a martial artist at first."
Perhaps too caught up in his excitement,
completely unaware of Choi Gang-yeop's internal suffering beside him,
Commentator Song's eyes sparkled as he raised his voice.
"But a Magic Class? And he hasn't lost a single first-place spot so far. In fact, since his last Promotion Match, he's been receiving countless love calls from guilds!"
"I see. Then Player Kim Si-mun, whom you mentioned, must be one of the key players to watch this time."
"Absolutely! Personally, I think he's the most anticipated player. Given his track record so far. And since he's guildless, he'll probably participate solo."
"Ooh! A solo participant? That's definitely something to look forward to. But since we don't have his data prepared yet, let's first take a look at the promising players from guilds whose data we do have..."
Choi Gang-yeop smoothly steered the conversation away from Song Jae-kyung's commentary.
Meanwhile, a man watching the National Arena program scowled.
"Fuck, this is ridiculous."
He cursed and furrowed his brows.
"Why are you already pissed off? The Arena hasn't even started yet."
A voice came from behind the man—slightly higher in pitch but otherwise identical.
A woman who looked exactly like him, save for her gender, spoke with a bored expression.
"Noona, did you not just see the National Arena? There's another rising star in the Magic Class besides us!"
"Isn't Song Jae-kyung commentating this Debut Match? Why would you listen to a washed-up first-generation Platinum who struggled before retiring?"
"I'm not listening! It's the dumb viewers watching that crap that's the problem!"
"A-jun~ A-jun. You really don't understand public opinion, do you?"
The woman, Yu A-yeon, sighed deeply and patted her younger brother Yu A-jun on the shoulder.
"The masses only see what's in front of them. If that bothers you, then just show them something better."
"I know that already! I'm just worried the guild might start talking nonsense because of this."
"Pfft! Hey, don't you know the guild already purged all the Gold-and-below prospects? Do you really not get why we're the only ones left as prospects?"
"I know. And I also know the bastard who wiped out all our Scorpion Guild's prospects is participating this time."
A-jun spat out the words with clear dissatisfaction.
At that, A-yeon's lips curled up mischievously.
"Aah~ Now I get it. My little brother's scared, huh?"
"Sc-scared? Who the hell's scared?! Don't talk nonsense!"
"Ohoho, is that so?"
Normally, she would've teased him more, but seeing her brother's expression darken, A-yeon decided to ease up.
'His Debut Match is right around the corner. No point ruining his mood.'
She wasn't exactly relaxed either—after all, they were still prospects.
The guild had recognized their potential and invested heavily in them.
Now, they had to deliver results worthy of that investment.
"A-jun, the guild already prepared countermeasures for that Kim Si-mun or whatever his name is, remember?"
A-yeon spoke in a soothing tone, casually shaking the bracelet on her wrist.
"...Yeah, I guess."
A-jun nodded slowly and looked down at his own wrist.
An identical bracelet adorned his arm.
"Besides, isn't he going solo? We've got a full party—even a solid tank. What's the problem?"
A-yeon cheerfully patted the hulking figure in plate armor standing silently beside them.
At that, A-jun's tense expression softened slightly.
"True. No matter how good that guy is, there's no way he can handle our combo magic."
"Exactly. So don't worry about him. Focus on the Myth Guild instead."
"All we gotta watch out for is that brute, Choi Jin-soon or whatever."
"You think the other two are pushovers? An archer and a healer. We're Gold now. We have to consider class matchups too."
"Yeah, yeah. Quit nagging."
As the siblings bickered, a message appeared above their heads.
[All participants have been summoned.]
[The Gold-rank Debut Match will now begin.]
With a whoosh—
The surroundings transformed as the sound of rushing water filled the air.
A refreshing breeze, as crisp as the sound of waves.
The salty tang and coolness of the sea air tickled their noses continuously.
A breathtaking vista of endless blue ocean stretched in every direction—
A scene so idyllic it should've inspired awe.
But Si-mun's expression remained unimpressed.
"An ocean map..."
His face was utterly indifferent.
-LMAO, look at this map.
-Wow, an ocean map for a Debut Match? That's a first, right?
-Nope. The U.S. had an ocean map for a Debut Match a few years back. Never again, though.
-The real shocker is that he's going solo.
-Well, he's guildless, so obviously?
-What are you talking about? At his level, major guilds would be scrambling to hire him. You're not even a player, are you?
LMAO for real. Did you think guild sponsorships were just for recruitment purposes?
Civilian apprehension complete!
The chat reactions were similar to Si-mun's.
It was only natural.
The ocean was one of the most dreaded maps among players.
'If there's one small consolation, at least there's a decent amount of land.'
For a sea map, the dense clusters of islands provided some semblance of stability—if you could call it that.
Of course, no player would actually be happy about it.
'The distance between islands is a bit far.'
The gaps between islands were wide enough that swimming across would take considerable time.
Unless you had specialized swimming abilities, the penalties of a sea map remained unavoidable.
Then—
"But Oppa, the map doesn't really matter to you, does it?"
A clear voice echoed from the center of his chest.
It was the Philosopher's Stone, awakened just before the Debut Match.
"You could transmute underwater gear or even modify your body, right?"
'That's true.'
As the Philosopher's Stone said—
From alchemy to body transmutation—
Unless it was an exceptionally bizarre map, Si-mun was practically immune to terrain penalties.
"But Oppa, aren't the rewards for the Debut Match really good? That's how it is in other dimensional Arenas, at least."
'Yeah. Not just "good"—exceptionally so.'
The Debut Match was an event only the top-tier players of a given bracket could participate in—a one-time opportunity.
Naturally, the rewards were things you couldn't obtain through ordinary means.
And the first-place prize for this Debut Match was something even Si-mun couldn't ignore.
Which meant—
[This Debut Match's mode is Survival, with a total of 110 participants.]
[The designated area is the 'Rising Archipelago.']
[Eliminate all other players or survive until the time limit expires.]
'I'll have to go all out.'
Tap.
Without even waiting for the notification to fade, his finger flicked immediately.
Ooooh! This guy's making his move!
Choo-choo~! The murder train's leaving the station!
You dumbass, it's not a train, it's a submarine~.
You two above, cringe as hell.
- Black Goat noona! Please mute these lame jokes!
And without a single moment of hesitation—
Splash!
Si-mun plunged into the sea.
"Goddamn it! Of all things, a sea map?!"
A man in armor spat out his frustration in a rough tone.
Was it because they were underwater?
His voice reverberated oddly, distorted by the water.
Beside him, a woman carrying a bow spoke up.
"Hey, we've got it better than most. At least we have a mage."
"W-well, that's true, but..."
The man conceded immediately.
Then, the robed woman at the front of their group spoke.
"I know it's suffocating, but bear with it a little longer. You know exactly what's happening up there right now, don't you?"
As she said—
Those without swimming or diving abilities were currently locked in a desperate struggle to claim the islands.
"They're just pointlessly exhausting themselves without even a basic survival strategy. The smart move is to hold back and pick off the survivors once the fighting dies down."
"I agree with noona. We're matched against other rising stars anyway. The difference in stamina will decide the match."
The robed woman nodded and glanced toward the nearest island above them.
Even underwater—
Boom.
The sounds of explosions and tremors from the island never ceased.
"Looks like the fighting's going to drag on. Let's wait a little longer. My trait is water-based, so maintaining the bubble spell doesn't even cost mana."
That meant they could stay in peak condition—
And sweep up whatever exhausted team remained after the battle with minimal losses.
"Got it, noona. Should we prep our buffs now, then?"
"That sounds good. Let's drink our potions too. It's not like this bubble's any different from being above—"
Just as the three were about to take out their potions—
Gurgle.
A bubbling sound cut through the water.
"Noona! Behind you!"
Perhaps it was her archer's sharp senses—
The woman had already nocked an arrow and was shouting at the robed mage.
One.
Thud.
A heavy impact resonated through the water.
At the same time, the robed woman floated upward, belly-up like a dead fish.
Instant death.
Naturally, the spell she had been maintaining vanished.
"Ghk—cough!"
"Ugh—!"
The remaining two choked as water suddenly rushed into their noses and throats.
But—
Blurble!
This was the Debut Match, where the elite prospects of every guild had gathered.
Even as white bubbles streamed from their mouths—
Their eyes burned with fury as they locked onto their mysterious assailant.
A man in a gray hoodie.
'What the hell?! He attacked us alone, without any gear? Wait—'
"Arrogant bastard! I'll kill you... Huh? Wait, that person— could it be?!"
And the moment they realized who the mysterious ambusher was—
Snap.
Even underwater, the crisp sound of fingers snapping rang out clearly.
And then—
Crack.
That became their final memory.