His friends weren’t good at games, so the opposing team matched at a similar level wasn’t that strong either.
However, because of the freeloader healer, they lost the first round helplessly.
In the second round, the overall map and battle situation came into view at a glance.
Pyeonghwa moved his eyes and hands quickly, checking how much his allies’ health had dropped, which direction the enemy moved, and how much of the surrounding terrain could be utilized.
When the healer performed their role, his friends got excited and flew around. The second match was their team’s victory.
In the third round, all his friends who were under the building died swept up in the enemy’s wide-range attack.
The only survivor was Pyeonghwa, who was on the building rooftop.
—Noh Pyeonghwa, quickly use resurrection to revive Kim Subin!
The resurrection skill could only revive one person, and he needed to be closer than he was now.
Even if he jumped down and used the skill, he couldn’t move for 2 seconds as a penalty.
Just then, a tree entered Pyeonghwa’s vision.
—I’ll give it a shot.
—What?
The enemy was running over to attack the surviving healer.
Pyeonghwa switched weapons from staff to gun and jumped off the rooftop.
—Headshot!
Bang! Bang! Bang! The enemy who took exactly three bullets to the head fell.
Pyeonghwa also got hit in the leg by a flying arrow, but his health was still more than half remaining.
—Whoa, what? How did you kill them?
As soon as Pyeonghwa landed behind the tree, he switched his weapon back to staff and used the resurrection skill.
The tree blocked the enemy’s vision and bought him 2 seconds of penalty time.
When the enemy entered the blind spot and attacked, Pyeonghwa had already left that spot with an acceleration skill.
—Double headshot!
Even while the acceleration skill was active, Pyeonghwa switched weapons and aimed the gun barrel at the enemy.
Bang! Bang! That makes two kills. Pyeonghwa switched weapons back to staff again and cast a healing skill on his allies.
—Are you crazy? Breaking heads as a healer.
—Didn’t you say it was his first time? Why is he so good?
—They have two people left too. We might be able to win?
Both their team and the enemy team had only one dealer and one healer remaining.
Pyeonghwa jumped around frantically and kept switching between staff and gun.
The small crosshair in the center of the monitor was accurately aimed at the enemy healer’s head even in the dizzying screen.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
—Three kills! We won… Huh?
He was certain of victory after checking the remaining time and points earned, but the lone enemy ‘BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo’ suddenly transformed like a different person.
‘BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo’ instantly killed his allies and rushed at Pyeonghwa.
Slash!
As Pyeonghwa’s neck flew off, the last round ended. They lost 2:1, but the highlight video’s protagonist was Pyeonghwa. Everyone who played the game together could watch Pyeonghwa’s dazzling control from a first-person perspective.
Pyeonghwa placed his hand on his pounding heart with an extremely flushed face.
—Fuck, this is so fun.
—Noh Pyeonghwa! You said this was your first time with this game? Was it all bullshit?
—You guys said you’ve been playing since elementary school, so what? Are you playing with your feet instead of hands?
—We’re just average, okay? You’re the one who’s fucking good at this!
—Yo yo, look at the chat. Noh Pyeonghwa’s being suspected of hacking?
In the chat window, ‘BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo’ was picking a fight with Pyeonghwa.
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: OurMomAMillion <- This ** used hacks]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: This is my sibling’s char and I’m on my main which is Grandmaster]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: My sibling is a total noob ** but said it got weird at the end so I watched and it’s obvious]
[OurMomAMillion: What’s a hack?]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: ** noob match but what’s with the aim lock lololololololol]
[OurMomAMillion: What’s aim?]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: So funny playing dumb lolololol reported bye]
[OurMomAMillion: The kids next to me say how do you use hacks at a PC room]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: PC room? Bullshit where’s the PC room lololol]
[OurMomAMillion: Seoul Myeonmok Station Intersection Wow PC Room seat 56]
[OurMomAMillion: I like you wanna play together again?]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: Ugh stop hitting on me ** don’t make it obvious you have no mom]
[OurMomAMillion: Ah]
[OurMomAMillion: Is it that obvious?]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: ;;]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: No]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: Sorry;;]
[OurMomAMillion: Your mom is my dad’s girlfriend]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: *** I apologized]
[OurMomAMillion: Joke]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: *** I’ll kill you *** **!!]
For Pyeonghwa, who had only experienced single-player console games, online PC games were a whole new world. It was fun how the same character showed different movements depending on who controlled it. Especially ‘BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo’s’ final movement was unpredictable, making it even more fascinating.
I want to play against them again. I want to game together. I want to become close… Pyeonghwa looked back at his friends with sparkling eyes.
—I want to become friends with ‘BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo’.
—You already exchanged pleasantries about each other’s moms and you want to become friends?
—Can’t I?
—Would it work?
—Fuck, I want to learn from a pro, not scrubs like you guys.
—Be honest. You have a main account, right? You saying it’s your first time playing is a lie, right?
—I’ve played a lot of console games at home.
Until elementary school, Pyeonghwa could play console games for 30 minutes a day after finishing his homework. It was a common rule set by his moms.
They strictly limited game time, but on commemorative days like birthdays or Christmas, they always gifted him newly released games.
As over 100 game titles accumulated, Pyeonghwa unconsciously began calculating efficiency.
He boldly discarded unnecessary parts and moved only on the fastest path to shorten time by even 0.1 seconds. One mistake meant losing several days, so he had to make the best choice at every moment.
Adapting quickly, grasping quickly, judging quickly, and executing quickly were habits formed from playing console games.
—Hey! You said you wanted to become friends but why do you keep provoking him in chat? That bastard’s even angrier now!
Even while talking with his friends, Pyeonghwa diligently sent replies to ‘BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo’. He was actively appealing because he wanted to become friends, but ‘BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo’ was raging even more than before.
—Guys, first let’s stop Pyeonghwa from chatting. He has no social skills since we’re his only friends. If only Pyeonghwa keeps his mouth shut, I think I can resolve this.
Kim Subin, a friend who returned late from the bathroom and read the chat, began mediating.
[PrinceSubin: BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo-nim. I am OurMomAMillion’s friend.]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: So what lol]
[PrinceSubin: My friend played this game for the first time today. That’s why his control became more familiar as it went on. He didn’t use hacks.]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: ** funny lol but the aim was stuck to the head?]
[PrinceSubin: Ah, yes. We also just found out our friend is a gaming genius.]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: Yeah sure hacker lol]
[PrinceSubin: Will it work if we prove it’s not hacks?]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: How lololol]
[PrinceSubin: Myeonmok Station Wow PC Room.]
[PrinceSubin: Come see for yourself. It doesn’t take long by subway.]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: Bullshit lol how do you know where I live lol]
[PrinceSubin: If you graduated from Myeongmun Elementary and attend Jawang Middle, it’d be around that area.]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: …..??]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: Who are you??]
[PrinceSubin: Kim Subin from Myeongmun Elementary]
[BaeSinhyoSiblingBaeJiHyo: Whoa]
With Kim Subin’s help, Pyeonghwa was able to meet Bae Sinhyo that very day.
Bae Sinhyo was a giant well over 180cm tall, with his hair and eye color both bright red.
While it was common among Awakeners for their appearance to change under a Constellation’s influence, it was difficult for fourteen-year-old kids to treat him as a friend their age.
—Huk, hello…
—We’re the same age, so speak casually.
—U-uh. Sorry.
—Nothing to be sorry about… Ha, let’s just play games.
Whether because of the eerie aura rippling in his red eyes, no one tried to make eye contact. Bae Sinhyo scratched the back of his head looking at the thoroughly intimidated friends and sat next to Kim Subin.
Though they graduated from the same elementary school, Bae Sinhyo and Kim Subin weren’t that close. Kim Subin was a model student who had even been student council president, and the large and rough-looking Bae Sinhyo hung around with bad kids, half by choice and half by circumstance, so they had no common ground.
Fortunately, Kim Subin didn’t find Bae Sinhyo intimidating like the other kids.
—Actually, Pyeonghwa said he wanted to learn games from you, so we called you.
—Pyeonghwa? Who’s that?
—He said he was bringing bribes and ordered all sorts of things, where did he go… Ah, he’s coming.
Bae Sinhyo turned his head in the direction Kim Subin pointed. His eyes met directly with Pyeonghwa, who was holding food in both hands.
Pyeonghwa stared intently at Bae Sinhyo’s red eyes. Bae Sinhyo unconsciously averted his gaze first.
Pyeonghwa set down chicken mayo rice bowl and a hotdog in front of Bae Sinhyo and said in a proud voice.
—I won the staring contest.
—…’OurMomAMillion’?
—Hi.
