Arena Tournament

,Arena tournament?”

I was diligently moving my pen and solving math problems.

Harang started to say something out of the blue.

,Yeah, the rumor’s going around now.”

,There’s nothing on the homepage though?”

He definitely mentioned an arena tournament.

I hurriedly checked the homepage, but I couldn’t find any announcements related to the arena tournament anywhere.

,Well, it’s just a rumor, but if you watch the broadcasts now, VRS pros have started Deron broadcasts, right?”

,Isn’t it just a homework broadcast?”

,It’s a homework broadcast alright. Everyone’s doing the same thing. Leveling up a bit and just running the arena.”

1-on-1 tutoring with Harang starts at 10 PM.

As I started to catch up a bit with my studies, Harang, who had nothing to teach, would occasionally browse internet broadcasts on his phone.

He must have mentioned the arena tournament after seeing the chat on the internet broadcast.

Here, VRS is an abbreviation for the game Virtual Reality Swordsman, which was more widely known to the public than Deron.

At least in this world, that was the case.

It’s a game that didn’t exist in other worlds. I didn’t pay attention to it. Or rather, I wasn’t interested in it.

The game stories that the school students were talking about were mostly related to VRS. Therefore, I had also looked up videos of the game a few times. It wasn’t a pro-level play, but it was a video of a streamer who was in a relatively high rank.

But it was so disappointing that I immediately turned off the video.

Watching them waving their swords around so slowly, it just looked like they were messing around.

They did show some sharp moves from time to time, but even so, from the perspective of someone playing Deron, I couldn’t understand why they were playing such a slow game.

,So, they’re all playing Deron, without exception?”

,Yeah. If you ask them why, they don’t give a detailed answer, but they’re all just running the arena, right? So, there’s talk that an arena tournament might be held.”

,Is that so?”

This was clearly an advertisement from Deron’s side. It was clearly a trick to secure more new users in line with the global launch.

,So, are they good?”

,They died a lot at first while getting used to it, but it seems like they’ve adapted now.”

,Hmm, hmm… I see.”

***

The place where I could feel the popularity of VRS was, of course, school.

Kids who usually didn’t even pay attention to me knew that I was playing Deron and started approaching me and asking questions.

,Hayeon-ah. Is this you?”

,Is Hayeon the Blood Demon?”

,Can you do what’s in the video?”

,Hayeon liked martial arts novels…”

,Can I meet pros in the arena?”

Was it because VRS pro players and streamers were all playing Deron? It seemed that the kids in the same class were watching videos about Deron and found my video.

I gave an awkward smile and hid behind Sohee.

,Everyone, move aside.”

Sohee dismissed the gathered kids for me.

Sohee, who always had a bright smile, opened her mouth with a firm expression, and the kids easily agreed and stepped back.

If they were ordinary questions, I would be able to answer them with a smile.

But the [Absolute Blood Demon Declaration] that was pinned at the top of Deron’s event page was my embarrassing dark history.

There was no way I could repeat that embarrassing past in reality with a smile.

[This master is the Blood Demon.]

At that moment, I heard the sound of a video from afar.

Seeing that they turned up the volume to the maximum so that everyone could hear it, it seemed like they were playing the video to test my reaction.

,Wow, it’s Hayeon Blood Demon-nim.”

,Cool…”

I felt like I was suffocating to death.

I glared at the kids who were stuck behind Sohee and watching the video, but they just gave playful smiles and made even more noise.

,Hayeon-ah, are you having a hard time?”

My face was flushed red, and I had trouble breathing.

I carefully nodded at Sohee’s question, and she led me out of the classroom.

Of course, not all students recognized me. Even if they happened to see my video, there was a significant difference between the impression in the game and the impression in reality, so few people recognized me at a glance.

,S- 수업은?”

,I’ll tell them I’m going to the nurse’s office.”

What would I have done without Sohee?

I would have been ridiculed by the kids until the end of school today.

I held onto Sohee’s sleeve tightly and followed her into the nurse’s office.

The nurse’s office, which I arrived at with Sohee, was empty.

,The nurse isn’t here?”

,It’s usually locked.”

Deureureuk-

Sohee, who answered my question in a quiet voice, closed the door of the nurse’s office.

,Shall we go to the bed and rest?”

,Yeah.”

Following Sohee’s suggestion, I approached the bed and sat down.

When I swept the blanket with my hand, I felt a cozy and fluffy texture.

Sohee, who was looking at me sitting on the bed, twitched her hand.

She looked like she was contemplating something inside.

Sohee, who was looking at me in that state, swallowed hard and turned her body.

,W-Well, come up when you feel better. I’ll go up first.”

,A-Are you sure it’s okay?”

,Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll quiet them all down.”

Sohee left those words and hurried out of the nurse’s office.

The nurse’s office, which was left alone, was silent.

I lay down on the cozy blanket and blankly closed my eyes.

Was it because there were no people around? My flushed and nauseous stomach slowly began to regain stability.

After all, attention in reality, not in the game, was unwelcome.

Why did Deron spread advertisements to VRS streamers? The user base that plays the game is clearly divided.

Deron was a game that middle-aged men mainly played. It wasn’t the type of game that young users preferred.

The users who were introduced through advertising would also leave easily.

While lying in bed, I suddenly became curious.

What kind of fighting style would users who were good at VRS show in the world of Deron?

I was very curious.

I turned on my phone while lying face down and started looking for broadcasts.

The more I wriggled on the bed, the more the skirt I was wearing rolled up, but there was no one around to see it anyway.

I stopped caring about that and started focusing on the broadcast.

***

Streamer Binggeul Binggeul.

He was a popular streamer with 300,000 subscribers on his personal broadcasting channel.

The main content of his broadcast was the game VRS, and he was so skilled that he had been offered to join a pro team in the past.

Was that why? There were also many viewers who enjoyed his broadcast, so it was natural that he received an advertisement offer from Deron.

-Bingha. [Not that cold Bingha]

-Is it homework again today?

-Don’t you do VRS? These days, all the other rooms are doing this.

-Is Deron fun?

,Everyone, welcome. Is Deron fun? It’s not bad.”

Binggeul Binggeul started matching in the arena while talking to the viewers.

Deron, it was more fun than I thought. I couldn’t easily answer the question of whether I would enjoy playing it, but the first impression of the game was not bad.

-Don’t you level up? Show me the dungeon.

-What dungeon, just spin the arena lol

-VRS please VRS please VRS please VRS please VRS please VRS please

-You can’t spin the dungeon with this character, it’s an arena-only character

Binggeul Binggeul didn’t hide that this broadcast was a homework broadcast.

The other streamers were the same, only giving a mysterious smile to the question of how much they received.

Binggeul Binggeul himself also received a huge amount of support. Streamers with more viewers than him would have received even more than him.

At that moment, an arena match was caught.

The character supported for the arena broadcast homework could set the job he wanted at any time.

The job Binggeul Binggeul chose was a warrior class, with the lower 2 ranks being Highlander and the upper 2 ranks being Fencer.

Binggeul Binggeul took out a thin rapier and pointed it at the opponent.

Based on his experience so far, the opponent’s job was clearly a paladin class wearing full plate.

More accurate job information would have to be obtained by directly colliding, but anyway, it was a troublesome job.

,Ah, it’s a paladin class.”

-Paladin is so hard.

-But Binggeul will win, right?

-The pros are spinning the arena right now, so I don’t know who’s who.

Binggeul Binggeul put the viewers’ chats behind him and started focusing on the game.

The arena in this game had a different tempo than the game he used to play.

Faster, stronger, and sharper.

The game’s stats, which made impossible movements possible, often brought confusion to his sharply honed senses.

It’s a paladin match. It was disadvantageous for him to take the battle time long.

The moment the waiting time ended, Binggeul Binggeul started running.

The movement was extremely fast. The moment the paladin user started to react, Binggeul Binggeul aimed for that gap.

He abruptly stopped his rapidly moving body and changed direction. It was a movement that put a lot of strain on his ankles, but Deron’s characters were able to handle the movement without difficulty.

Immediately after, he used the Highlander’s job skill, Charge.

The body that was approaching from the left was suddenly shot out in a straight line.

The opponent was not flustered. He glared at Binggeul Binggeul with calm eyes and held out a large shield.

[Flash]

Binggeul Binggeul immediately activated the next skill. The moment his charging body floated slightly into the air, his body rotated and bent in the opposite direction with a thin layer.

From left to right, then back to left.

It was the moment when the opponent hurriedly turned his body after a total of three changes of direction.

[Evade]

The change of direction did not stop there. The moment the body floating in the air stopped abruptly, his body left a blurry afterimage and went over to the right again.

It was the moment when he went around to the opponent’s side.

Immediately after, the next skill was activated.

[Tondo]

Chwak!

A long diagonal slash scratches the hard armor.

There was no need to move his body directly. The moment he used the skill with a completely different feeling from VRS, Binggeul Binggeul’s body was swinging his sword with the correction of the game system.

At that moment, the opponent paladin, believing in his defense, started swinging his sword.

Binggeul Binggeul immediately used the next skill.

The moment the thin rapier was pointed forward, the tip of the sword shone brightly.

[Riposte]

Counterattack, ready to respond.

The moment the opponent’s sword tip brushed against the thin rapier, a counterattack like a ray of light sprang out.

Chaeng!

The attack that burst out with a colorful effect made the opponent unable to move for a certain period of time.

Immediately after, Binggeul Binggeul used the most powerful skill that Fencer had.

[Sette Tuwaire]

The moment he activated the skill, his body began to move at an overwhelming speed.

8 thrusting attacks that are fired quickly.

Chwajajajajak!

The attack that penetrated through the solid full plate instantly reduced the opponent’s health.

The Fencer’s job passive had the characteristic of ignoring the opponent’s defense.

This meant that it could show a particularly powerful appearance to paladin classes wearing such solid armor.

After 8 thrusting attacks, blood bursts out from inside the opponent’s armor.

It was an additional strike due to the stacked bleeding effect.

Immediately after, Binggeul Binggeul’s body rotated slightly and cut out a large part of the opponent’s body.

The additional finishing strike of the skill continues.

It was an attack with the effect of detonating the stacked bleeding stacks at once and dealing powerful damage, and the opponent paladin’s health flew away in an instant.

I won.

That’s what I thought.

[hayeon337-nim donated 10,000 won!]

That’s not how you do it.

A suddenly raised donation message.

Binggeul Binggeul’s eyebrows rose sharply.

That’s not how I do it? I’m clearly winning right now?

But the next moment, the paladin’s skills, who had escaped from the stun, began to pour out.

Binggeul Binggeul, who had consumed all of his counterattack and charge skills, repeatedly got hit until his health ran out.

As the paladin’s sword pierced Binggeul Binggeul’s chest, another donation message came up.

[hayeon337-nim donated 10,000 won!]

No, that’s not how you do it. How can you use all the charge skills?

,Ah, Hayeon, Hayeon-nim? Yes, thank you for your donation. Um, how should I do it…?”

Binggeul Binggeul checked hayeon337’s chat information, just in case.

However, no chat history could be found in that account.

In other words, it meant that it was the first viewer to enter his room.

At that moment, other viewers’ chats started to come up.

-That jammin kid came here too.

-Were you in other rooms too?

-Yeah, he’s giving so much advice lol

As other viewers’ testimonies began to come out one by one, the next donation followed.

[hayeon337-nim donated 10,000 won!]

I’m not a jammin kid.

He donated 30,000 won in that short moment.

Binggeul Binggeul smiled on his face. He was starting to get a rough idea of what the situation was.

-He’s donating with his mom’s card lol

-It would be better to refund that and kick him out

[hayeon337-nim donated 10,000 won!]

No, don’t do it.

Binggeul Binggeul manipulated the broadcast settings without hesitation.

He refunded all the donations that had just come in and kicked out the viewer named hayeon337.

,I almost had a big problem. Shall we keep matching?”