Chapter 182

Events There were also several events immediately after the match ended.
The two players were interviewed and signed autographs for lucky spectators. It was a big event for the company, and they were determined to pull out all the stops.
It was an uncomfortable situation for Alvarez. He had every right to be frustrated, but he handled it like a professional.
“I’ve been trained before. It’s entertainment, so if you’re not good, you have to come up with another selling point or something? That’s probably what they said.”
“It’s been a while, but I remember it well.”
“Hyun really thinks I’m an idiot.”
“That’s a big deal.”
Says the guy who didn’t even know who he was playing not long ago. There was no reason to make a scene. It was a good day to win, and it was a good day to make money at the box office.
Asterique, tears in her eyes, continued.
“Actually, I didn’t hate it at the time. I felt like I was being ignored, but it wasn’t for a day or two…. I think it was more like, ‘Wow, this person is working really hard.'”
“Yes,” Kim agreed.
“He’s a hard worker. He’s been here for seven seasons, his grades are steady, there are no rumors of a messy personal life, and he seems to take great care of himself.”
“Huh? How do you know the strings so well?”
“Because you did your own research?”
“Why? What do you have?”
“I was just wondering who you were talking to.”
I was worried about getting caught up in an opponent’s scandal. I was also worried that Far Far Far Away’s management seemed to focus on aggro.
Of course, it wasn’t an illegal background check – it only looked at what was known about him as an athlete. The investigation didn’t find anything wrong with Alonso.
“He’s a rare clean player, so…?”
Kim raised one eyebrow as he spoke.
Asterique, sitting across from me, was fidgeting strangely.
“What. Why are you laughing.”
“I guess the strings are just bothering me. Hehe.”
“How can you not pay attention to this guy….”
“What do you mean by gold?”
“I feel like Arya by your standards.”
“……Am I that good?”
What does that even mean?
Aren’t they socialized and smart these days?
“You’re both making progress, just keep doing what you’re doing.”
There’s no point in trying to sift through the rankings.
There’s also the bizarre experiment of the praise onion and blame onion.
“Anyway, back to what we were talking about.”
Kim Yi-hyun was asked about the questions he had during the match. She was careful with her words because it might sound like a criticism. With the mindset of growing onions with praise.
“Aha, that?”
Soon, an unexpected answer came out of Asterike’s mouth.
“Half of it was staged, they don’t want it to be too one-sided. The crowd didn’t like it and it would affect the other player’s reputation. I didn’t want to lose, but I didn’t want to lose….”
Deliberately creating a crisis situation. Even if the winner or loser was not decided beforehand, there was some manipulation. If it was a regular game, it would have turned the league upside down.
“Well, it’s an event match.
Modern esports is no different, with event matches being more entertainment than serious gaming. The fact that Asterike wasn’t holding the [Vibranium Composite Sword] in the first place was enough to make the crowd guess.
What was surprising was that Asterique complied.
The League seemed to understand the premise that it was part of the capitalist business.
And.
The key was the other half.
“He’s been saying some strange things.”
“What do you mean, weird?”
“So, ugh.”
Asterike wrinkled her brow and relived the moment.
“How can you not care, you devilish bastards, no matter how many people die because of what you’ve done, you think it’s okay…!”
He croaks to see if he’s straining his vocal cords.
“As I recall, it was like this.”
I appreciated the acting, but as Kim, it was just ridiculous.
“……What the hell?”
“I don’t know. He just came at me like he was going to kill me. I felt cheap, so I gave him a round. The next game he was fine, but I don’t know yet. Maybe he got into a fight with Pekatum at some point.”
Asterike seemed to think of the Pekatum first when she heard the term ‘you’. It’s a race that’s often looked down upon, and with so many incidents involving their kind, it’s only natural.
Kim, on the other hand, had a different prediction.
“We’ve made quite a few enemies.
Neither Kim nor Dustborn have always done good deeds to be praised by others. While their intentions may have been “good,” their problem-solving methods were extreme in many ways.
For example, Johanna Feldner, who was previously fired.
If you realize the truth, it’s no wonder that Dustborne is considered an iron-clad supporter. So did the companies that were victimized after the NoFace arrests a few years ago.
“I think that’s a bit of a stretch.
This is just Kim’s point of view. We need to recognize that we all have different perspectives on the same incident. So that we can react quickly instead of feeling resentful in hindsight.
There are corners to cut.
‘No matter how many people are dying.
The tone of voice is telling.
Assisted murder, not direct murder. And it implies mass casualties. I can’t think of a single case I’ve ever worked where there were so many casualties.
If we restrict the location to Kilikia, the number of cases is even smaller.
“MetroCity, and the Celbrosics Lab.
The latter refers to the rumor that the Celbrox Rap was responsible for the cataclysm. While the lab didn’t cause any events in Kilikia, there are conspiracy theorists here who believe the rumors about the lab.
To them, Cellbrox Labs is the source of all evil. Its bioterrorism has unleashed a carnage unprecedented in history and has the citizens of Kilikia on edge.
“Dustborne, which has a contractual relationship with the lab, is also to blame.
Of course, that’s a huge leap. There’s no evidence anywhere that Al is a conspiracy theorist. Maybe he thinks that Dustborn is the black cloud behind the defense of MetroCity, regardless of the rap.
Either way, the conclusion is the same.
‘There’s a good chance they’ve been in contact with Legion remnants.
Aluminum. You need to recognize the face of a professional league player.
* * *
The next day, the clues started rolling in.
– Mr. Hyun. We have new information.
“Is it larval-related?”
– We don’t know for sure, but that’s what we think.
Once again, Kavek delivered the news. The government official, who had been deeply suspicious of the Legion when they first met, was now a friendly outside ally.
– Rumors were spreading, mostly in the second division.
“That’s all I need to know: eating caterpillars makes you good.”
– Haha, I think about it all the time, but it’s so easy when I’m talking to Mr. Hyun.
“I’m a Kilikian myself, and I know a player.”
We have a good understanding of the League’s ecosystem.
The second division is a minor league that is closely related to the first division. Every player puts their blood and sweat into the game with the sole goal of getting promoted to the first division. Players like Asterique are very rare.
Naturally, the placenta of one of them gets stuck in the wall.
It’s not a position to give up early. They usually stay in the second division for the rest of their lives. They often retire only when their form falls off and get a job as a manager or coach.
The craving for power must be intense.
It’s a little bit of a no-brainer, which makes you want it even more.
– I personally don’t understand it. Eating bugs to get stronger. Not only does it not make sense, but it’s dangerous….
Kim calmly thought about it. Would she eat a suspicious bug if she was sure it would make her stronger? To be fair, there had already been a similar case.
“Helixivir is the way to go.
The side effects are ridiculous, and I’ve had to plug it in 3 times.
The first time was forced, but the other two times were voluntary.
“It’s like grasping at straws.”
– Hmmm. I’m still not sure about that.
“It’s not really our concern.”
– He’s right, too.
The players’ plight is frankly none of our business. The only thing that matters is that the caterpillar that is slowly turning humans into parasites is spreading in the second division.
And one more thing.
“It’s a slightly different story, but I heard that Alum has a younger brother.”
– Yes? Alas, it’s famous in league play.
“Is that so?”
– My brother and sister play in the first and second divisions, respectively, and even though he’s behind me, the second division is an easy place to be. They’re both getting endorsement deals, and they’re probably making more money than me.
To summarize
The younger brother is likely to have an inferiority complex to his overly superior older brother. A condition in which dabbling in the path is not unnatural. Doping almost seems cute.
“It was my brother who made contact.
It’s a situation where a few words paint a picture.
But even the tragedy that will befall the brother and sister will not be so obvious.
We’re sorry, but we can’t leave it alone.
* * *
The League is entertainment.
Al realized the truth in his first game in the first division, when the officials’ box was plastered with sponsors’ banners and he was playing in state-of-the-art equipment that he had been given.
I didn’t feel skeptical. Rather, I felt responsible. For a player, it’s just one game. Afterward, astronomical sums of money are exchanged for a short period of time that only counts as a season’s worth of wins.
“A better game.
We felt we had to make it more of a spectacle. It became more about entertaining the audience than being a champion. As a professional athlete.
By now, the longing has completely faded.
Number one? That’s cool.
But privacy is only lost in the spotlight.
Why do it when I have enough money to play for the rest of my life?
In a way, Al was more professional than anyone else. He knows exactly what he’s doing and where he’s at, and he’s respectful to the audience and his sponsors.
That’s why I regret it.
‘Damn it. I shouldn’t have done that.’
I didn’t let the emotion of the moment win and made a mistake. Asterique must have been embarrassed. The result was good, but it was unprofessional. He had a high opinion of Asterique in the first place.
‘I’m the kind of player who wouldn’t come back from the dead.’
A brilliant spell and a striking appearance. A star in her own right. There are some stars who can mesmerize audiences without any math, and Asterique was one of them.
But as humans, we can’t like it.
– Woohoo, woohoo…!
A gagging sound came from beyond the closed door of the restroom.
Al is a celebrity in Kilikia. He boasts a wide network of contacts in many areas. He has the ability to know what happened to his brother and what conspiracies are lurking in the city.
The research wasn’t difficult.
Asterique is a major figure in Dustborn.
Dustborn has a close relationship with Celbrosys Labs.
Labs are associated in some way with the apocalypse.
And my brother got infected.
I don’t believe all of the malicious rumors that have surrounded Celbrox Labs. But there’s no denying that there are a lot of suspicions. So, naturally, Dustborn is to blame.
After all, we needed something to hate.
Ding.
My pale-faced brother walked out. They didn’t say much. As if on cue, he nodded his head, and Al held out his electronics.
Aluminum was a separate contamination instrument.
There were a few electronic sounds and numbers.
“……, are you still okay?”
The measured contamination is shown on page 44.
This is unusually low for an infected person.
A quarantine of league players a few days ago yielded similar results.
Al had a vague hunch. This was no ordinary form of infection, perhaps even more dangerous than the usual parasite.
Still, I had to say this.
“Uh. Eighty-eight.”
That night.
Al’s brother attacked a man on the street.