3.

[The solo event has ended.]

The people who had returned to reality stared blankly into space, reeling from what they had just witnessed. It was as if they were replaying a film in their heads that couldn't be rewound. Human memory may not be perfect, but it wasn't hard to recall a broadcast that had ended only a few seconds ago.

All they could do was let out a collective breath. A deep sigh rippled through the crowds as they looked around, checking to make sure it hadn't been a dream.

'Was what I saw faked? Did I just watch some scripted movie?'

They thought and thought again, but the answer didn't come easily. Perhaps that was why more people than usual were flocking to the community boards.

—What the hell did I just watch?

—This isn't staged, right?

—Wait, hold on. Did everyone see the same thing?

Naturally, the reactions there were much the same.

—I'm a player, and it's real. I still can't believe it, even watching the hologram. Rank 1, Korea: 20 points. Rank 2, USA: 15 points. This is the first time since players awakened that Korea has been in first place.

It wasn't a dream; it was reality. And that reality was more than enough to send people into a frenzy.

—Insane. Fly lost. And to a tutorial player, of all people.

—It's the beginning of a new era.

—Who the hell is Kim Buja?

The excitement and cheers spread not only through Korea but across the entire world. It made sense. These days, people might not know the name of the President of the United States, but they know Fly's name.

To players, Fly was a god. To Americans, he was Iron Man. To ordinary people, he was the untouchable number-one.

And he had been toppled for the first time.

How could anyone not be shocked? This wasn't even the first time this event had been held. While this year's event had been upgraded, the basic framework and rules were no different from the last five years. Fly's performance had been the same as always, too.

If you ignored Kim Buja and looked only at Fly, his growth and firepower were so precise and swift that anyone watching would wonder if a human could really go that far. The levels alone told the story. While Kim Buja, who had been burning through gold, was closing in on the 70s, Fly had already reached the low 60s. The Curse had only started a few days ago, and in that short time, he had closed the gap that much. If Kim Buja had started even a little later, that final battle might not have ended so easily.

What shocked people most, though, was the final exchange between Kim Buja and Fly.

—When's the last time Fly acknowledged someone?

—Maybe he was just afraid he'd look pathetic if he made excuses after losing, so he just admitted it?

—No way. Fly's famous for never acknowledging anyone. He'd rather be called pathetic than back down from what he believes.

The source of his long-held title as the world's best, the reason his fans worshiped him like a god, was a confidence that danced on the line between arrogance and conceit—a confidence backed by undeniable skill. Even when he failed, he never gave up. No matter how lacking his preparation or experience, things always turned out the way he said they would. The same went for the countless up-and-comers who tried to threaten his throne.

—Has Fly ever said anything like that to a rookie?

—He's never even said that to the number two. He's the guy who once said, loud enough for the number two to hear, that even if he took a year off, first place would still be his.

And that same man had said it directly to Kim Buja. He had said that it had been fun, for the first time in a long while. He had said that he would be looking forward to what he did.

Even without overinterpreting, there was more than enough room to read into those words.

—He basically recognized him as a rival, right?

—Rival is a bit much. More like a successor.

Of course, that was how Fly's fans interpreted it. To everyone else, it sounded more like this:

—So he's admitting he lost.

—It sounds like, "I got cleanly outplayed. That's that."

Either way, the conclusion was the same.

—Kim Buja won. First place in the solo event goes to Korea.

It was the change most people had been hoping for: the fall of a stagnant king. It might be just a tiny crack, but people had seen it, and they were hopeful. They hoped that the tiny crack would turn out to be a needle-sized hole in the center of a massive dam.

At the same time, a flurry of activity began.

—I'm screwed. I burned all my vacation days expecting the solo event to be crazy fun, but it looks like the team event's going to be even better. Damn it, are they not putting this up as a VOD? I feel like I'll miss the ending if I have to watch a replay.

—I'm just a part-timer, but I quit on the spot. And I regret nothing. I'll spend the money I saved up on chicken while I watch the team event, then go back to working.

—I heard both Fly and Kim Buja are confirmed for the team event. Can't wait. Think we'll get a revenge match?

—The other countries must've come prepped to snipe Fly. They're not even being mentioned.

—Why would they be? Even Fly looks like a background extra right now.

—The team event will be different. Let's see how it goes.

—The team event is worth getting hyped for just because of what the Jeong Cheol Guild showed this time. With Kim Buja in the mix, as long as they don't completely shit the bed, a top-10 finish is guaranteed. Please, just play it safe!

Two days were left until the team event. Everyone was dying to see how this budding rivalry would play out. The viewers were moving even more frantically than the players actually preparing for the event.

While the world was getting ready, the man at the center of it all, Kim Buja, still hadn't even left the solo event map.

* * *

[The solo event has ended.]

[You are the last survivor.]

[You have earned 20 points.]

[You have achieved the achievement: Battle Royale! (L).]

[You have achieved the achievement: Solo Event 1st Place (L).]

[You have obtained 15,000 gold.]

[You have obtained 2,000 event points.]

Dozens of smaller holograms continued to scroll down beneath those messages. The results spread out before Kim Buja's eyes were more than enough to trigger a post-adrenaline crash.

"Phew."

He drew in a breath as he read them one by one, feeling just as dazed as everyone else.

'It's over.'

It really felt like he had just finished a single, long game. The feeling was positive, but not entirely happy. A game was always just a game. There was a reason people said to treat games as such; the moment you started confusing them with reality and got overinvested, your real life would start to crumble.

Events were no different. He had won, he had received rewards beyond what he deserved, and the roughly 12,000 gold he had burned through had been more than replenished. Yet in the end, the most important thing—the growth he'd achieved here—would vanish the moment he stepped out. It had been a good experience, and he had gained a lot from it, but once he left, he would inevitably go back to being the level 11 Kim Buja. That was an unavoidable truth.

It wasn't that he hated it. He was just a little disappointed to be facing that reality so soon.

"That was fun."

Fun enough that he would miss it.

He slowly shook off his emotions and prepared for what came next. The solo event wasn't the end, so he needed to wrap things up and find a new kind of fun in the team event.

He was thinking just that and had almost cleared away all the holograms when—

[Hidden Mission: A Beautiful Ending]

▶ Grade: Legendary

▶ Objective: End the solo event with a beautiful finish during the remaining time.

▶ Reward: Level 70 / Level 80 / Level 85 / Level 90 / Level 95 / Level 99 / Level 100

▷ While the mission is in progress, a 100% EXP buff will be applied.

▷ The hidden mission is valid until Day 10, 23:59:59.

A quest appeared, stopping Kim Buja in his tracks.

"What the heck is this?"

He had seen plenty of missions before, but never a hidden one. Judging from the name and description, it seemed to have appeared because he was the last one standing.

'Is it a first-place hidden mission, something like that?'

As if the Legendary achievements weren't enough, now he had a chance to earn even bigger rewards. There were two days left until Day 11. In less than forty-eight hours, how many levels could he gain?

He moved without hesitation. There was no reason to pass this up. Even if he just pushed himself to hit level 70 and then left, he would still come out ahead. It was a risk-free challenge, and the quest's grade made the rewards incredibly tempting.

'Maybe I'll play around just a little longer before I go.'

He would give it a day, maybe a day and a half. On this lonely island with no competitors, it was a chance to gather intel on high-level monsters that even Fly had never encountered.

That was why Kim Buja didn't emerge until twelve hours before the team event was scheduled to start.

* * *

The team event was important, which meant a lot of prep work had to be done in advance. Showing up late to something like that? You would deserve every curse word thrown your way. The mood was bound to turn ugly, especially when everyone was gathered and waiting on just one person.

That was exactly the situation with the Jeong Cheol Guild.

Nineteen players were participating in the team event. To make room for Kim Buja, one of their regular members had been dropped. Yet with only a few hours left, Kim Buja was still nowhere to be seen.

Everyone's expression was dark. Jeong Cheol's face, in particular, was twisted into an indescribable scowl. Not just the nineteen participants, but all the Jeong Cheol Guild staff were pacing anxiously in front of the solo event gate. The atmosphere practically screamed, 'Just you wait until you get here.'

In the midst of that tense wait, a day and a half after the solo event had ended, Korea's gate finally flashed. Every gaze turned in unison.

The familiar face they had been waiting for finally appeared. Looking haggard, with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Kim Buja flinched at the sight.

"What's with this grim atmosphere? It's downright murderous."

No one answered.

'Did I come out too late?' he wondered. He had only meant to hit level 70 before leaving, but the extra EXP buff stacked with the event's own modifier had been so huge that he had pushed for level 80 instead, just barely managing it on his way out. He hadn't even finished thinking up an excuse, and here they all were, packed in and waiting.

'Just apologize straight up.' He had taken first place in the solo event; surely they could cut him that much slack.

As he was thinking that, Jeong Cheol walked up to him. His expression was so serious that Kim Buja unconsciously took a step back.

"Hey, hey. Use your words, okay? Let's talk this out."

Despite the request, Jeong Cheol didn't use words. He expressed himself physically and roughly.

He pulled Kim Buja into a tight hug. Before he could even protest the less-than-welcome greeting, Jeong Cheol spoke from the heart.

"You did great. Thank you."

It wasn't anger over the lack of prep time. Their faces showed a mix of emotions—they were moved, pressured, tense, and excited all at once.

With everyone participating in the team event gathered, Jeong Cheol raised his voice in a powerful shout.

"No matter what happens!"

Normally calm and composed, his deep, booming cry rang out clearly, not only to the Jeong Cheol Guild members and staff but also to the many reporters and onlookers standing beyond the guard line.

"We win, by any means necessary."

It might have sounded ruthless. 'By any means necessary' could look ugly depending on the situation. But it was also a phrase that carried more determination than almost any other.

A massive roar answered his resolve. The team event had begun.

* * *

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