Chapter 18: Don’t Be Cocky. Always Stay Humble (2)

Raid & Master download complete.

Logged into the game immediately and slipped on the VR headset.

“Oh.”

Since it was my first time launching it, grand background music greeted me.

Then came vivid images of champions locked in intense combat.

Truly a VR game.

I could feel not just the visuals, but the tactile and olfactory senses as well.

Every time swords clashed, I felt the impact.

Every time bullets rang out, the sharp smell of gunpowder tickled my nose.

No wonder VR games dominated the market despite their steep prices.

Maybe the developers wanted users to experience VR’s full potential—because a series of dazzling, diverse battle scenes unfolded before my eyes.

It was awe-inspiring.

As I admired the action and thought of a mouse, one appeared in mid-air.

Click.

Instantly skipped.

Korean gamers are known for fast-skipping these things—it’s practically a cultural rule.

Of course, there was another reason too: Raidel was waiting.

Sorry to the devs who worked so hard on that video, but it was just too long.

‘You can even watch streams during this.’

Turns out, it wasn’t just for gameplay.

Maybe because this was the model Raidel bought for streaming, it also supported syncing with streaming platforms.

Not only could I start my own stream, I could watch others too.

I turned on Raidel’s stream.

In the corner of the game screen, her stream window popped up.

“Ah! Silver-hair! You’re here!”

Raidel’s now-familiar voice rang out.

It wasn’t from the stream.

We were already added as friends, so voice chat activated directly in-game.

I quickly typed into the floating keyboard that appeared before me.

Like the mouse, you could conveniently summon a keyboard within the system.

Even in VR, there were plenty of situations where you had to type.

[SilverSilver: Yup. Hello?]

Unlike Raidel, I communicated via chat.

Setting up the mic required adjusting several configurations…

‘Also… it’s kinda embarrassing.’

Revealing my voice in front of thousands of viewers? My inner shyness held me back.

Even facing a convenience store clerk was a struggle for me.

Talking in front of at least 5,000 people? Absolutely not.

I wondered if it was okay to be like this, considering I might stream myself one day.

But at least for now, I needed some emotional preparation…

「Does Silver-hair only use chat?」

「Ahh, I was curious about her voice…」

「Turn on your mic~」

《’ForestGuardian’ donated 3,000 won!》

• But why are y’all so curious about a guy’s voice tho….

「Could be a cute girl, you never know.」

「For real, top-tier cutie carrying this game.」

「As if, lololol」

Most assumed I was a guy.

Can’t blame them—most good gamers tend to be male.

Skilled female players were rare in any game.

Raidel making it to master tier was already a rarity.

“Even I don’t know Silver-hair’s gender. We haven’t met in person.”

Raidel picked up from the chat.

“Alright! Thank you for making time today, Silver-hair. Since it’s your first time trying a VR game, I’ll be giving you a full tutorial of Raid & Master!”

She glanced to the side.

“Like they say, seeing is believing! I’ll show you myself through gameplay.”

– Exactly. Seeing is ‘one-hundred-words-worth’

“Eh? Ahh! Since when have you been watching the stream!”

「LOLOLOLOL」

「Got exposed for being clueless lol」

「We saw everything lol」

「Our Raidel… her airhead charm is peak」

“Ahem! Anyway, let’s jump right into the game. Normal mode can get chaotic with multiple players, so I’ll start with a one-on-one mode.”

She clicked on quick match.

The auto-matching system paired her with another player of similar tier.

Didn’t take long.

“Spectator mode will be more comfortable than watching the stream.”

From the friend list, I clicked on Raidel’s ID. “Spectate” appeared.

Makes sense. If I were only going to watch the broadcast, there’d be no reason to even use a VR headset.

As I hit the button, I felt myself being pulled into somewhere—and her game screen unfolded before me.

---

In Raid & Master, there are several modes.

One of them is the 1v1-exclusive Showdown Mode.

Perfect for quick training. Even pro players often play it.

“Let’s warm up these fingers, shall we?”

A variety of characters appeared in front of her.

Raidel selected Rogue Master.

Once the pick was locked in, a hooded figure spun a dagger with flair.

From the name to the movements, the character clearly had an assassin archetype.

“It’s a solid pick for one-on-one. Doesn’t have too many bad matchups. If you’re planning to enjoy 1v1 too, I recommend Rogue Master.”

Raidel confirmed her pick as she spoke.

「Wouldn’t a warrior be safer for you, Delbung?」

「You sure you won’t fumble using an assassin?」

「You’ve been playing chill games lately. Might be rusty.」

《’SneakyThief’ donated 3,000 won!》

• Still, Delbung did reach master tier with Rogue Master.

「Her mechanics aren’t bad tbh.」

「Yeah but her game sense is trash.」

“Hey! What do you mean? I’ve got a big brain, okay? How would I reach master tier without game IQ? Only those who’ve been to master can chat here.”

「Chat lockdown incoming? 👀」

「Tbh 99% of chatters here are bronze/silver/gold LOL」

「Fr fr lmao」

「Mmph! Mmmph!」

“Also, coming back to R&M after a break often works in your favor. Don’t worry about it… Hmm, what did the opponent pick?”

The game began, and Raidel checked the enemy’s pick.

You could see your opponent’s champion in the loading screen.

“Hm? Sniper, huh?”

The enemy was a woman loading bullets into a long sniper rifle.

“This’ll be easy.”

Raidel smiled.

Snipers are long-range damage dealers—prime targets for assassins in team fights.

In regular games, tanks or supports usually protect them.

But in 1v1? No such protection.

‘Matchup won.’

Especially since snipers are more useful in team fights, they’re vulnerable in duels.

[Welcome to the Temple of Duel.]

[Monsters will spawn in 30 seconds.]

The game started.

Raidel twirled her dagger like a warm-up.

Her hand movements were pretty smooth.

「Look how hyped she is in front of a newbie lol」

「Don’t show off, Delbung!」

「Raidel’s giddy rn lol」

「Watch her stab herself with the dagger next」

The stream was meant to educate Silver-Hair—Yoo Seo-yeon.

Veteran players love showing off in front of newbies.

‘I get it, though.’

Yoo Seo-yeon thought.

Back in school, when playing at PC cafés, even grown-ups would open their inventory to flex expensive gear when kids watched them.

Raidel was probably feeling the same way.

‘It’ll be super embarrassing if she loses now.’

Showboating and then getting wrecked doubled the shame.

Raidel knew that too—her face showed a hint of tension.

“Alright then, today I’ll teach you how to delete a ranged DPS using an assassin!”

The game began, and the shop appeared.

At the start, the item options were limited.

Assassins typically chose between:

• Warrior’s Sword (more attack)
• Defender’s Shield (more defense)

Raidel chose Defender’s Shield.

「Delbung chickened out?」

「Oooh, coward detected.」

「Picked an assassin and chose shield LOL」

「Shield is disgraceful for assassins.」

「Then why even pick a dagger champ~」

The chat exploded with teasing.

She had picked defense instead of offense.

“Hah~ This is why bronze-silver-gold players shouldn’t type in chat. I picked the shield because ranged poke hurts. If you go sword, you have to play even safer because of how scary autos are.”

Even if ranged DPS are assassin food,

early laning isn’t easy.

Assassins, who rely on melee attacks, struggle against poking from afar.

If they manage to close the gap, they can win with raw burst,

but their HP pools are usually lower too.

“So actually, a shield is an aggressive pick. Best defense is offense, right?”

「True true」

「Bronze-silver-gold talk too much」

「No backseating pros from low ranks」

The viewers agreed when Raidel made a solid point.

“Okay, Silver-hair. Let me break it down simply. See that tower?”

In standard Raid & Master, there are 3 lanes.

But this is a 1v1.

Only one lane. Only one tower.

“If you step into the tower’s range, it’ll shoot a mana cannon at you. It’s fast and strong, so don’t go in if you can avoid it.”

Standing in front of her own tower, Raidel tapped it.

Sturdy-looking, glowing with a faint blue hue.

“In 1v1 mode, you can buy all your items from this tower.”

No need to recall—purchases could be made on the spot.

“Except for healing potions.”

“Monsters will spawn soon. Kill them to earn gold, buy better gear… What else…?”

A sniper appeared in front of her, spinning their rifle provocatively.

“And here’s how you win: get first blood, kill enough monsters, or destroy the enemy tower. First to any of the three wins. Got it?”

First blood.

Monster kills.

Tower destruction.

Any one would seal the win.

Raidel stepped forward toward the sniper.

Snipers have some of the longest auto attack ranges in Raid & Master.

But not longer than the tower’s.

Staying in the tower range is safe—but Raidel intentionally stepped out.

Clack!

The sniper moved forward, loading a bullet.

Bang!

As they closed in, a gunshot rang out.

A bullet aimed straight at Raidel’s head.

“Ha!”

But Raidel only took one step back.

And the bullet, despite its loud report, barely brushed against her.

“Even ranged DPS can’t do damage if you’re out of their effective range. No need to panic just ’cause they’ve got a gun.”

Maybe annoyed by her confidence,

the sniper fired multiple shots.

But Raidel expertly stayed just outside their range.

It was like she had the sniper’s max range memorized.

「Damn, Raidel still got it.」

「She’s dodging every shot!」

「She really was master tier.」

「Gotta respect her mechanics tbh.」

「Queen of spacing, for real.」

Viewers admired her pinpoint spacing.

Bang! Bang!

Meanwhile, the sniper kept shooting in frustration.

Unlike the precisely aimed first shot, these were sloppy.

‘Emotional player, huh?’

Rattled ranged DPS are the easiest prey.

Raidel thought it would be an easy game.

Meanwhile…

‘Ugh, this…’

Yoo Seo-yeon frowned slightly.

‘Maybe it’s just me, but this doesn’t look easy at all…’