The Clone's Calculated Gambit
I stepped out of the capsule after finishing the black-screen game, only to find Oh Seeun sitting in the gaming chair with an expression that tried too hard to look casual but carried a faint trace of anticipation.
"So? How was your first game inside the capsule? Was it any fun?"
Her reaction made me want to tease her a little, but if I was being honest, it had been more entertaining than any game I'd played before. Especially the way the ninja's face crumpled in utter despair every time he got solo-killed—that part had been absolutely priceless. So I answered seriously for now.
"Yes. It was way more fun than I expected. It felt strangely similar to Master of League, yet the sense of immersion was on another level."
When I gave her a genuinely positive evaluation based on what I'd actually felt, Oh Seeun smiled with fresh satisfaction.
"That was actually the part I cared about most when I was choosing which world to reincarnate into. I was a little worried you'd react differently like you did earlier, so I'm glad you enjoyed it."
...Wait, sure, the game was fun and all, but did that really mean she'd picked this world out of countless others just for one single game?
"The criteria for choosing a world seems a bit weird, but overall it seems decent enough..."
Of course, no matter how strange it was, the fact that she'd done more than enough for me up until now remained crystal clear. So I chose to respect her decision, at least moderately.
But she simply smiled softly at my slightly skeptical reply and immediately pushed back.
"Decent? Is that all? I consider a world where games suit you perfectly to be the greatest form of welfare for people like us."
"I'm not sure... I'm not a pro gamer anymore, and until yesterday I was living as a saintess, so I wouldn't really know."
"Ahaha. Is that so? You still don't fully understand what kind of person you are, do you?"
She spoke with absolute conviction, but honestly, I still didn't get why she was so obsessed with games. Even though I still had some lingering interest in gaming, I'd already quit my pro career decades ago. The sense of defeat and competitive spirit I'd felt back then had long since burned away—or so I'd believed. Did she know something I didn't?
"To be honest, I don't really understand why you're so certain."
"I already thought my competitive drive as a pro gamer had completely disappeared. Is there some special reason behind your confidence?"
Oh Seeun listened to my words, then smiled with relaxed confidence and spoke firmly.
"Yes. If you want, I'll explain my reasons."
"First of all, you were so blinded by revenge in that fantasy world that you temporarily forgot your own true nature."
"Deep down, you're still starving for the thirst for glory, the roar of fans cheering your name... and the catharsis that comes from crushing your opponents and reaching the very top."
"Do you really think someone like you could keep ignoring the second, third, and fourth chances this world will offer?"
"Could you truly turn your back on every single one of those desires and live an ordinary, normal life?"
...She was striking right at my most vulnerable points with terrifying accuracy. Since she'd claimed to be a clone from the future, I had expected she might be able to speak like this. Still, hearing her list out all the deficiencies I'd tried so hard to ignore—in a tone that completely contradicted the kindness she'd shown me until now—left me with nothing to say.
Seeing my silence, Oh Seeun rose from the chair with a satisfied smile.
"At this point, I'm sure you've fully understood and accepted which path would be better for you."
"Then I'll be looking forward to your future moves, okay?"
As if she'd said everything she needed to, she began walking leisurely toward the elevator. Watching her, I suddenly realized something. Maybe—from the very beginning—she had planned all of this.
It started with dragging me into the modern world under the pretense of giving "true happiness" to someone already perfectly adapted to a fantasy one. Then, when showing me around the house, the fact that the final room she'd revealed was a PC bang. The explanation that the VA pro scene would begin this year in a flow similar to my first pro career. And right after finishing VA, the immediate satisfaction survey about the game.
All these circumstances were connected far too deliberately to be mere coincidence. If she'd brought me here from the start hoping I'd return to being a pro gamer, then even her excessively game-centric criteria for choosing a parallel world suddenly made sense.
Once my thoughts were organized, I was ready to stab a dagger into that relaxed face of hers. I pressed her with a slightly venomous tone.
"Thinking about it again, you were designing the foundation for my pro gamer comeback from the very beginning, weren't you?"
"So bringing me to this world was nothing more than one step in fulfilling that wish of yours?"
"It seems like you see me as little more than a tool. I'm wondering if there's any reasonable justification for me to go along with your intentions."
At my sharply honed words, Oh Seeun flinched for a moment, but she quickly restored her expression and instead stepped closer.
"I can't exactly deny it."
"But my desire for you to be happy is sincere, so there's no need to be that wary."
With words meant to reassure me, she placed her cool hand against my cheek and continued in a more serious tone.
"And those deficiencies I mentioned earlier can be filled little by little as you continue your pro career. I hope you'll understand that this isn't necessarily a bad offer."
Hmm... Honestly, it didn't hit me strongly right away, but I could feel the sincerity and conviction in both her words and her eyes. After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided to trust her for now.
"Ha... I understand what you're trying to say. Then for the time being, please give me time to adapt to this world first."
"Anyway, to become a pro gamer I'd need to raise my in-game tier and go through various procedures, so that much time should be enough."
"And since you know better than anyone that if you keep pulling stunts like this, I'm the kind of person who can make whatever choice I want... from now on, stop hiding things behind my back and just be honest with me. Got it?"
At my slightly softened attitude compared to before, Oh Seeun took a small step back and added,
"Alright. Like you said, there's not enough time to jump straight into being a pro gamer this season anyway, so take your time adapting and think it over carefully."
"Your skills aren't worse than in your previous world—they're better. So you don't need to worry about that part either. Keep that in mind."
"Then I'll be in the room with the red door handling some work, so make yourself comfortable."
Oh Seeun paused briefly in front of the elevator, then told me to send her a text or come to her room if I needed anything else. With that, she left the PC bang.
Left alone in the PC bang, the first thing that caught my eye was the capsule—the very thing with a strong connection to the pro gamer topic we'd just discussed.
I stared at it blankly for a long time, turning over everything she'd said once more. Before long, I decided to play a few more games and see whether that old passion could be rekindled.
"So this is how you turn it on."
I pressed the capsule's power button and waited for it to boot up. The mint-colored LED built into the oval device lit up, and the lid slowly opened.
Once inside, I selected VA without hesitation. This time, instead of a normal game, I planned to take the ranked placement test. Since I needed to approach the game with a more serious attitude than before, I decided to review the explanations for the objects and items that I'd skipped earlier.
Cerberus Spawn: 5 minutes after game start. Center of the labyrinth.
Kill Effect: Strengthens allied turret destruction power.
Wyvern Spawn: 5 minutes after Cerberus is killed. Center of the labyrinth.
Kill Effect: Increases allied movement speed and attack speed.
Dragon Spawn: 5 minutes after Wyvern is killed. Center of the labyrinth.
Kill Effect: Increases allied mana regeneration, attack power, and defense.
Demon King Spawn: 10 minutes after Dragon is killed at the center of the labyrinth, or 5 minutes after a previously summoned Demon King is killed.
Kill Effect: Greatly increases all allied stats until the next Demon King spawns.
(Maximum of three can be purchased)
[Attack Items]
Gambler's Dice: After using a skill, a die automatically rolls. The higher the number (1-6), the more damage dealt.
Flash of the Moment: Reduces all skill cooldowns.
Recluse's Cloak: Increases movement speed if no damage is taken for 4 seconds.
Magician's Clock: Increases control effect duration by 1 second.
Echo of the Apocalypse: Increases buff duration.
Cursed Ring: Reduces enemy's health recovery effects.
[Defense Items]
Crown of Immortality: Grants lifesteal on basic attacks.
Guardian's Oath: Grants a shield when health falls below half.
World Tree Seed: Increases health recovery effects.
Holy Pendant: Increases resistance to status effects and control abilities.
[Special Items]
Emblem of Blazing Flame: All allies gain adaptive stats proportional to the number of allies who chose this as their first item.
Demon's Contract: Gains additional stats proportional to the number of kills participated in. All additional stats are lost upon death.
Ward of Insight: When placed, secures vision in the surrounding area for 1 minute.
Well, this should be enough to cover the basics of game knowledge. Of course, there were probably still parts I hadn't fully adapted to or memorized perfectly. I'd just have to check those again while playing and get used to them naturally.
"Then let's do this properly."