NOVEL NEXT Chapter 68
Chapter 68
Midway Checkpoint.
The current state of power dynamics, which rankers had been defeated and what had transpired.
Speculation on what would happen next.
The stream was a session inviting renowned individuals to discuss potential developments until the rankings were publicized at ten o’clock.
Sojun had turned on Ark’s stream and fixed his gaze on its screen.
He had become adept at setting it up.
Even among the viewers, there were those who praised him for this skill.
He felt a sense of pride swell within him.
『”Now, now, yesterday’s scuffle between the Orthodox Faction and the Unorthodox Faction was merely a prelude. It’ll get more exciting from here since the rankers have accrued some Reputation Points. We’re ready with the ammunition!”』
Currently, Ark was indulging in some pre-stream small talk.
『”Of course, those aiming for the top 16 will likely be more cautious about choosing their battlefields though. Hehehe.”』
Ark revealed why he had never encountered top contenders within the top 50, although he had met several mid-level rankers.
Of course, each victory was crucial for them, but it didn’t mean they wouldn’t be part of their factions’ strategies.
If that were the case, things would have been less entertaining.
Within “For Justice”, there was no culture oriented towards winning unfairly.
This also seemed to emphasize the close-knit nature of the network where everyone seemed to know each other’s interests.
『”Anyway, you know why I started today’s stream, right? Because today, the contribution rankings are being revealed! It looks like people are very curious about this…”』
He went straight to the main topic once sufficient viewers had gathered.
Who would claim the top spot in contribution points was just as important as which faction would emerge victorious!
The ranking showcased the top 200 contributors.
Once the rankings were released, the players involved and their locations within the game were revealed to all.
Competition intensified, and frequent shifts occurred.
Nonetheless, the odds favored the current leader when change couldn’t alter the eventual victor.
『”That’s why I invited two guests today. First, we have JustOneCoin-nim, who posted a Reputation Points estimation chart for No Justice!”』
-Welcome
-JustOneCoin’s here
-Takes care of himself in real life haha
-No way he’s a social person though
-With that face, isn’t it obvious he’s social?
-Why? ㅠㅠ Streamer-nim is just a homebody too
-Do you believe that? lol
『”Hello, I’m JustOneCoin.”』
『”Yes, hello. Thank you for joining us.”』
『”Thank you for inviting me instead.”』
Their current location was Ark’s studio.
JustOneCoin appeared in real life.
“Who is that, exactly?!”
Sojun wondered aloud upon seeing JustOneCoin for the first time.
-A regular guy, like Ark, who’s good at analyzing stuff
-A named character
-He’s a ranker but not aiming for the top 16
-The brains of the Orthodox Faction
With help from the crowd’s collective knowledge, Sojun learned about JustOneCoin and refocused on the stream.
『”JustOneCoin-nim received the most recommendations from the Reputation Points estimation chart published this morning.”』
『”Ah, did I?”』
『”Yes. It’s probably because you thoroughly explained your estimation methods. As expected, those who are good at games excel at analysis.”』
『”Thank you.”』
『”Of course, there’s bound to be some opposition, right? Not everyone can share the same opinion.”』
『”True. What’s the issue?”』
『”Ah, don’t you know? Do you not read the comments on your posts, JustOneCoin-nim?”』
『”No.”』
『”Why’s that?”』
『”Since I’m not going to argue or persuade through comments, it’s just easier not to read them.”』
『”Ah, so you ignite a topic and then step back from the flames you’ve started, right? Just indulging in irresponsible pleasure…”』
– hahahahahaha
– Listening to that explanation, sounds like a real rascal haha
– Was he the culprit? ㄷㄷ
Ark kept the stream alive with his witty banter and smooth hosting.
『”Indulging in irresponsible pleasure? If there’s an issue, I delete it immediately and post an apology.”』
『”I see. Keep enjoying that pleasure responsibly.”』
『“……”』
『“So, what is the most controversial point about JustOneCoin-nim?”』
『“Yes.”』
『“It’s about Heavenly Demon14-nim.”』
『“Oh, is that so?”』
Sojun was taken aback when his name unexpectedly came up. It was a sudden jab from an unforeseen direction.
-Wow! Mentioned in front of 80,000 live viewers!
-Our Streamer-nim is world-class! Our Streamer-nim is world-class! Our Streamer-nim is world-class! Our Streamer-nim is world-class! Our Streamer-nim is world-class!
-JustOneCoin views Streamer-nim as number one.
『“Yes. It’s fine that Heavenly Demon14-nim is ranked first, but the issue mainly lies in the significant gap between first and second place.”』
『“I see.”』
『“To be honest, anyone within the rankings likely hasn’t lost a single match and probably has collected bonuses as well.”』
『“Hmm. Is it necessary to refute this? Let’s just say I’m wrong…”』
-Haha, classic case of “if retorting, the other’s words are true.”
-Living a carefree life, huh?
-Wisdom
-So did you choose to be a beggar? Competing fiercely in the mundane world might be futile.
The small image of Sojun on the lower left corner of Ark’s streaming screen moved up and down. As an analyst, he wisely nodded his head.
『“Ah, the comments say it’s just about living a simple, carefree life. Is this the elegance of the unrestrained?”』
『“Haha. Thank you.”』
『“Still, please tell us. Otherwise, there’s no point in having you here.”』
『“Hmm.”』
『“What’s the reason for setting such a high reputation point gap, excluding the win streak bonuses?”』
『“Well, I’d like to first mention the unique method Heavenly Demon, or rather Sojun-nim, uses for dominion battles.”』
『“Yes.”』
『“For other rankers who need to recover stamina, internal arts, and strength, blocking the entrance like that is not easy.”』
『“Ah! Does that mean the Demonic Cult is good?”』
『“Hmm…”』
『“Yes, I understand.”』
-Master of progression, haha.
-The guest almost got into trouble.
-Phew.
-JustOneCoin doesn’t say the Demonic Cult is good. He speaks only the truth, haha.
-Complete opposite of someone selling snake oil.
『“Now let’s call in the next guest! This is someone who famously contradicted JustOneCoin-nim. Introducing Heaven-Slaying Star-nim!”』
The nickname sounded familiar. Although naming oneself after the stars that govern death was a bit overly dramatic, given he had named himself after the Heavenly Demon, Sojun could infer its profound meaning behind it.
Only after checking the chat did Sojun manage to dig up who he was from his memory.
-Wow, a top-tier player shows up.
-Not an analyst, but ranked first in the previous Battlefield.
-Amazing! Ark’s recruiting skills!
-Awesome.
『“Yes. Some of you might know, but Heaven-Slaying Star-nim was the former World’s Greatest!”』
People called the one who contributed the most in the Battlefield the “World’s Greatest” until the next Battlefield opened.
『“In the last Battlefield, you displayed outstanding skill and brilliantly sniped to earn that title.”』
Brilliant sniping, indeed.
It’s worth noting that after the rankings were made public, sniping was encouraged, making it a critical skill.
Sniping where team members were bribed was criticized, but it wasn’t unheard of.
『“Who do you expect to have the highest rank, Heaven-Slaying Star-nim?”』
『“Obviously…”』
Sojun listened intently, interested in the answer. The words of the previous Battlefield’s top player carried weight.
He would likely know many competitors that Sojun didn’t and have accumulated experience over the years.
Most importantly, unlike Sojun, he probably knew his own reputation points.
『“The person with the highest rank would be me. Not that streamer-nim with the flawed concept.”』
Hmm.
Maybe the anticipation was unwarranted?
-???
– Provoking, huh.
– It’s getting exciting, lol.
– Trash talking is starting.
– Curious how the Streamer-nim will react.
– His expression is calm?
Sojun merely observed without saying much.
『“Oh! That’s a mistaken concept. I would appreciate it if you’d refrain from provoking.”』
『“Haha. I’m sorry. However, it seems inevitable that the Heavenly Demon becomes a mistaken concept.”』
『“What? Why is that?”』
『“Well, traditionally, the Heavenly Demon is perceived as someone at the peak, like the strongest boss.”』
『“Yes, that’s true.”』
『“But today, right from the start of a proper competition, you’ll inevitably lose to me. How can you then use the name of the Heavenly Demon? Isn’t that right?”』
『“Ah……”』
The logic was sound. If the Heavenly Demon loses, he isn’t the Heavenly Demon.
Sojun chuckled, recalling the Heavenly Demon from his past life.
However, the viewers seemed to interpret his laughter differently.
– Oh no, the Streamer-nim seems angry.
– Crazy.
– That laughter isn’t genuine.
– About to challenge in a duel?
– I’m scared…
– It feels cold.
Despite his viewers’ misunderstanding, such provocations were commonplace. The chatroom was filled with laughter.
『“Hahaha! Really?”』
『“Yes.”』
『“You must be confident?”』
『“I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”』
『“I reiterate, the statements by Heaven-Slaying Star have no relation to me.”』
Heaven-Slaying Star laughed, and the person to his left, JustOneCoin, shook his head.
The two seemed familiar with each other.
『“Before we listen to Heaven-Slaying Star’s rationale, let me first briefly explain the Reputation Points to our viewers.”』
Reputation Points were used to match players with similar scores in the game.
However, the tier was neither extensive nor uniform, making it impossible to match only players of similar skills with high Reputation Points.
This fact made sniping somewhat easier, but in battlefields, it wasn’t a significant concern.
『“The true importance of Reputation Points lies in acquiring attack points and contribution scores equivalent to those points, isn’t that right, JustOneCoin-nim?”』
『“That’s correct.”』
It was said that the number of Korean users who participated in the Battlefield even once approached 300,000.
However, only about 10% of the users, roughly 10,000 per faction, joined daily. It might seem like a small number.
But these 30,000 individuals consistently entered capsules every day for 21 days to play four games.
Virtual reality games held more users compared to the era of PCs, and the number of simultaneous online players increased.
Yet, the game’s growth didn’t proportionally reflect the increased number of users.
This was largely due to the game’s significantly higher fatigue compared to PC games.
‘Thanks to that, the streaming market for vicarious satisfaction has massively expanded.’
In this context, the core user base of 30,000 was indeed a high figure.
However, over half of them couldn’t even accumulate the Reputation Points rankers could earn in a day.
In a match, earning a portion as a single player nets 30 Reputation Points.
Assuming a win rate of 50%.
Over the past nine days, winning 18 out of 36 games would yield 540 Reputation Points.
Of course, occasional lucky win streaks could gather more.
『“The win streak system resets and calculates daily, multiplying by four from two wins. For example, winning just two games grants an additional 50 Reputation Points the next day, while four wins add 200 more, totaling 250 Reputation Points the following day.”』
『“Everyone gets that, so there’s no difference.”』
『“Yes. Tomorrow, being a day when win streaks can farm Reputation Points again, it may change, but for now, that’s how it is.”』
『“Hence, the most significant factor distinguishing players is the Reputation Points calculated after each game ends.”』
The conversation between JustOneCoin and Ark flowed smoothly. They seemed well-prepared.
– The explanation is neat, lol.
– Oh, that’s how the mechanism works. I didn’t know.
– You thrive even without knowing. Look at Ark.
– A typical case of brawn over brains, lol.
– For real, lol.