Ch. 69 VS Play (3)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 69 – VS Play (3)
‘Honestly, this might be considered mild. Open clashes are better than underhanded schemes brewing in the shadows.’
I sighed after scanning the forum, piecing together the situation.
If fanbase rivalries revolving around challengers were considered tame, then I’d fully adapted to Fate Road, the Constellations’ community.
Of course, as a challenger, I had no interest in fueling unnecessary competition just to meet their expectations.
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[I’ve negotiated with their moderator. We’ve agreed to a one-month challenge: whether Reina can surpass the 13th rank or not.]
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“A month? Seriously?”
I muttered blankly after reading Perbas’ post.
Their solution to the heated rivalry was to formalize it—a blatant, head-on clash.
It was a wager. Which fanbase’s chosen challenger could grow faster within the set period? The losing side would forfeit their staked points, while the winner took all. A brutally simple method.
I didn’t disagree with the approach.
The toxic trolls sabotaging me were products of suppressed hatred and twisted obsession. This gave them an official outlet before things escalated.
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ㄴ“Why just one month?!”
ㄴ“Even two months would be tight! We don’t even know Reina’s current achievement points!”
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The problem was the absurdly short timeframe.
A month was barely enough—even the forum users were panicking.
Rank shifts happened quickly in the lower tiers, but breaking into the top 20 was a different story. Everyone was grinding just as hard.
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ㄴ“Don’t you trust her?—Sounds irresponsible, huh? There were concessions during negotiations.”
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Perbas clarified when the backlash grew.
The 13th-ranked challenger’s fanbase had pushed for the shortest possible window.
It made sense.
Even the Constellations acknowledged my growth trajectory. The longer the timeframe, the higher my chances of climbing—so my opponent’s side had every reason to tighten the leash.
‘A shorter time means higher stakes if I win. But the only major event this month is the 151st Floor Main Dungeon…’
I racked my brain for other rank-worthy achievements.
The Tower only recognized official accomplishments. Personal training? Meaningless.
“Damn it… So I’m the one who has to sweat blood.”
My lips twisted bitterly.
The 151st Floor alone wouldn’t cut it. I’d need to clear sub-dungeons I’d ignored until now.
And Lienblad, my rival, wouldn’t sit idle—his Constellation would feed him tips.
In the end, we were the ones suffering for the Constellations’ amusement.
‘Better be worth the reward.’
Perbas had hinted the payoff would be substantial. They’d never skimped before.
But if it sucked? Well, tough luck.
I’d just have to ‘livestream’ myself grinding in the training yard every damn day.
.
.
.
“Let me reiterate: This is strictly a reconnaissance mission. If things go south, use escape items without hesitation.”
While the Heavenly War raged outside the Tower, we kept fighting inside.
As the unchanging Rank 1 and raid leader, Jung Chan-soo led us into the 151st Floor once more.
“Your lives come first. Remember—others depend on you.”
His usual oppressive aura weighed heavily as he addressed the team.
When he emphasized escape, his gaze lingered on me—specifically, where I stood arm-in-arm with Kim Ji-eun.
‘Don’t overdo it.’ The message was obvious.
So obvious that others noticed.
‘As if I don’t know.’
I scoffed. His concern wasn’t for me.
The 151st Floor’s party size was halved compared to the 150th—proof of its relative ease.
Officially, this was reconnaissance. But Chan-soo planned to clear it today, just like the original work.
‘I appreciate the invite, but…’
He’d handpicked me to join, likely to gift me the first clear rewards.
It was… complicated. Lately, his attention had become undeniable.
The Heavenly War had overshadowed it, but Fate Road had buzzed about this for weeks.
“Nothing’s gonna happen, right?”
“Who knows? We won’t till we’re inside.”
I smirked at Ji-eun’s nervousness—uncharacteristic for someone usually stiff during raids.
I’d already planned to go all out, but now I had extra motivation.
Things might not go as smoothly as she hoped.
“It’s been a while since we talked.”
“You—”
A towering lizardman warrior approached me then.
“For reasons unknown, my Constellation has taken a sudden dislike to you.”
“…”
Unlike me—able to peek into Fate Road and fan forums—Lienblad was an ordinary challenger. He could only rely on his Constellation’s filtered words.
“No personal grudge. As the raid leader said, we’ll keep fighting together.”
“I get it. If your Constellation says so, what choice do you have?”
The Lienblad I knew was apolitical. A quiet grinder from the old faction, avoiding faction wars.
If he learned this rivalry was over fanbase drama…
“I don’t understand why we’re competing, but… I’ll follow the great ones’ will. We’ll split paths inside. I’ve already informed the raid leader—he swapped you and Xask’s positions.”
“Wait, where were you originally—Huh?!”
He’d requested to avoid being in my group. The problem?
My new placement was right beside Chan-soo’s faction.
‘How am I supposed to rack up achievements like this?!’
My plan was crumbling.
I’d intended to stay far from Chan-soo, leveraging my foreknowledge to maximize contributions.
“Damn it.”
A prickling sensation made me glance back. Chan-soo was watching me silently.
Suddenly, I remembered our first meeting in the past—when he’d choked me without hesitation, deeming me a variable.
What would he do now if I showed that same unpredictability?
Even after years beside him, I still couldn’t read him.
“The groups are just for emergencies. No one knows how the 151st Floor will unfold.”
“…Right.”
Ji-eun tilted her head as I groaned.
Dungeons varied wildly. Some required minimal combat, while others—unlike the multi-path 150th Floor—had a single route.
‘But the 151st has two paths.’
A trap-heavy gimmick dungeon, not a large-scale war.
‘I can’t flaunt my knowledge in front of Chan-soo. But I can’t just ride the bus either.’
As both a transmigrator and a lurker on Fate Road, I was torn between two missions: surviving reality and meeting my fanbase’s expectations.
Even as we stepped into the dungeon, no clear solution came to mind.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
It can’t be helped, at least he is respectful and tells her about it.Unlike a certain noob, smh.
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