NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 84 - Color Commentator
Chapter 84 – Color Commentator
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One of the characteristics of Icarus International, especially the Dark Zone department, was its strict policy of rejecting anyone who did not play the game they were in charge of.
This was a company rule meant to ensure empathy with the game’s mechanics and the practical opinions of many users, to create a more efficient and ideal Dark Zone, and it had not changed since the game officially launched.
There were no exceptions, regardless of gender or preferences.
Thus, even after five years since the Dark Zone’s service began and three years since e-sports successfully launched, almost everyone working at Icarus International had become familiar with the Dark Zone’s system and actual gameplay.
Specifically, as the Preliminary Rank began, they constantly checked the so-called ‘super plays’ that were continuously edited by AI and uploaded to the company intranet, so much so that they could even rank them by preference.
Editing significant scenes from the Preliminary Rank and uploading them to the official Yourspace account had been part of the promotion for the past three years.
As interest exponentially increased and professional gaming teams were established over the years, the number of important scenes became too overwhelming for a few dedicated editors to handle.
Consequently, more spectacular and interesting scenes were selected based on the preferences and choices of numerous company personnel, naturally becoming part of official advertisements.
And this time, as usual, amidst the countless user play videos being uploaded───
“Hey, have you seen the clip with the most recommendations?”
“Yeah, I saw it. Who is that person anyway?”
“I have no idea. How can someone flip a person with a shield?”
As always, Yoo Jin was quickly put under the spotlight like a thorn hidden in one’s pocket.
It was a common occurrence.
“Hello, everyone. This is Unreal, always striving to bring you excellent information. Just like last year, the official broadcast channel will open on Thursday, so until then, I’ll be acting as an observer.
Additionally, today we have a special guest here, none other than Russ, a former AP pro gamer and now a coach for the Reaper Infected sub-league, who will be joining us as a co-observer. Please give him a warm welcome!”
“Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you.”
[Unreal’s Personal Broadcast Channel ON AIR］
As the red light turned on and the five-minute pre-broadcast timer set earlier ended, a flood of chats rushed in like waves.
Over 20,000 viewers were gathered in one broadcast, watching the same screen. Cameras were floating in the air of the cold Arctic Power Plant map, with observing cameras installed all over the map.
As always, people could not bear their boredom, and the absence of the official broadcast channel starting on Thursday was an opportunity for many streamers. Thus, they began broadcasting under the guise of personal broadcasts, which soon became content itself.
Among them, Unreal’s broadcast, which had already established a unique position by explaining numerous patch notes and various tips about the Dark Zone, was something many had been waiting for. He was responding to the overwhelming support by going ON AIR.
Since the total number of participants in the Preliminary Rank exceeded roughly 1,500, he had at least sixteen rooms to commentate on, and he had already selected one to pop up.
Confirming that there were three minutes left until the game started and until noon, Unreal opened his mouth again to ensure there was no silence.
The two began their banter.
“The Preliminary Rank. It may be the initial stage leading to the Asian qualifiers, but seeing the number of participants increase significantly every year is truly remarkable. Not only in AP but also in other PVP content, we see similar trends, right?”
“As you mentioned, yes. Moreover, what many people overlook is that this is just the beginning. The Dark Zone has only been around for five years, and the professional scene has only been around for three years. There’s plenty of room for growth.”
“If the competition is already this fierce, in a few more years, even more people will be competing for a narrow entry. It feels like the sparks are already flying.”
At the same time, detailed information about the map was being displayed.
The two continued speaking as if they were familiar with it.
“This map is the Aurora Power Plant that you all know well. It has the Arctic Ocean in front and mountains behind. Key features include avalanches, facility explosions, and toxic leaks. It’s a complex yet well-made map.”
“You’re right. To add more, fitting its power plant theme, there are plenty of cover and bypass routes, and the multi-layered structure makes it a place where you can see various types of engagements. That’s why beginners find it difficult.”
“Haha, it’s always hard to get used to. From an expert’s perspective, is there anything specific to watch out for on this map?”
“It’s best to avoid narrow and one-sided paths as much as possible. Especially at connection points between buildings, there are many such spots. You need to be mindful of your movement routes to reduce the chances of getting flanked.”
“Thank you for the excellent answer!”
At that moment, the game began.
Unlike other maps where players jump from high altitudes and deploy parachutes, here, players designated their approximate entry positions and woke up somewhere nearby.
Around a hundred players simultaneously stood up, opened boxes around them, and acquired items and weapons. Immediately, engagements erupted in all directions, and several screens flickered in the air.
In an instant, five players were killed, and the death count started to rise at a slightly slower pace.
Players began to be forced out of the session one by one.
“The initial competition is already fierce. As many of you know, almost a quarter of the participants in the Preliminary Rank are trainees or pro gamers from the second or first division leagues. This means there’s a high chance one out of four people you encounter is a pro.”
“As always, Tier 2 may seem high, but it’s the minimum requirement to participate in the Preliminary Rank. I think we’ll see another brutal survival competition this time.”
“Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the prominent users in this session.”
A list of the hundred participants was displayed.
Soon, participants were arranged in order of their LP, and those active as pro gamers were marked separately.
Below that, detailed numbers and charts including only those from the first division league, and alongside it, those including the second division, were displayed for the viewers.
Based on that, the conversation continued.
“Alright. Looking at just the first division… there are about eight participants this round. Including the second division, there are seventeen pro gamers in this match. Are there any notable players?”
“There certainly are. Looking at the rankings, we have Corvus from Xi, Michael from Reaper Infected, Axymand from Clear Sky, Mars from GEARUP… and many others following. Truly an impressive lineup.”
“As a fellow Reaper Infected, could you analyze pro gamer Michael’s play style for us? It would be great if you could share information accessible to other viewers.”
“Well… he’s solid. He never lets his guard down in any situation. Rather than racking up kill counts, his main strategy is safe play and assured kills in certain situations.”
Explanations, quantified and charted information. Despite the half-impromptu nature of the conversation, the two continued their dialogue smoothly due to their long involvement in the gaming industry.
Whenever significant plays were popped up on the observing cams, they explained them from a pro gamer’s perspective, clearly showing why over 20,000 viewers were flocking to a non-official broadcast channel.
When the remaining number of players dropped below seventy, the cam enlarged a screen with a high interest level.
The two immediately turned their attention to the screen and began to speak.
“Oh, the observing cam is now focusing on an expected combat zone… there’s a user who has entered the dormitory to move to another building. They’re moving very fast, but someone is already tailing them.”
“The movement is very swift. However, looking at the expected movement route, someone is already positioned at the path leading to the power plant. It will be quite difficult to break through.”
“This is a very common scenario. This is often called a ‘sandwich,’ right? I’ve heard that most eliminations occur in this situation at this level of competition. Is that true?”
“Of course. At this stage, most participants are seasoned in engagements, so there’s a strong tendency to maximize gains with minimal effort. Using others’ hands to handle enemies is not a bad idea.”
“Thank you for the very kind explanation. Then, let’s check the usernames of the players in this scenario.”
As the hand moved, Unreal’s mouth, which had been moving without a break, stopped.
Familiar letters appeared before his eyes.
“…Yoo Jin, it’s Yoo Jin! And below is Michael! Yoo Jin is exposed to a 1:2 situation!”
Oh my god?? What is this????
Is something big coming? Is something big coming? Is something really big coming?????
Wow, I was about to take a nap but I’m wide awake now hahaha
Yoo Jin vs Michael, this is huge hahaha my heart is pounding hahaha
My heart is racing suddenly hahaha
Excitement soared in an instant.
Although she had remained in the mid-tier 2, a mysterious user Yoo Jin, whose name was recently associated with rumors of unreal skills, and Michael, a pro gamer mentioned second by Russ among the first division players.
The sudden big match between these two, with an unpredictable outcome, was igniting the excitement of 20,000 viewers including Unreal and Russ.
Meanwhile, the screen popped up Yoo Jin trapped in a series of winding corridors due to continuous gunfire from the corridor’s end.
Unreal, now calmer due to the situation’s danger, spoke first.
“Oh no, Yoo Jin is in a very dangerous situation! From what I see, there’s no way to avoid
the grenade right now! There’s another enemy in front, and Michael is behind! Is there any way to overcome this obstacle?”
“Uh… I don’t know. Yoo Jin has one smoke grenade, but the structure on the other side is very similar to this corridor. This means that even if they use it to move across, the situation won’t change much.”
“I see. Will she be able to get through this situation…?”
───Ratatatatat!
Amidst the thrilling firefight on the screen, Yoo Jin quickly took out a smoke grenade from her pouch and threw it without hesitation. The sound of it rolling and the explosion of the smoke grenade were drowned out by the gunfire.
However, no one noticed.
As smoke began to billow from the corridor, Unreal and Russ kept repeating how they couldn’t understand what Yoo Jin was aiming for.
Meanwhile, Yoo Jin quickly hid in the smoke at the corridor’s end while Michael threw a grenade towards the corridor entrance.
The broadcast channel was filled with confusion.
“Oh, Michael’s grenade didn’t go deep! No, it looks like he didn’t throw it deep intentionally! Why is that!?”
“It seems Michael couldn’t pinpoint Yoo Jin’s exact location. So he threw the grenade where the last gunfire was heard.”
No one knew what Yoo Jin was aiming for, but the result was clear.
She survived, Michael lost his advantage, and the grenade explosion provided her the opportunity to infiltrate close to him.
However, there was no complacency. As if determined not to die even if faced with a corpse, Michael slowly moved forward with a bulletproof shield in his left hand.
If it had been an ordinary user, he would have secured a kill at this point.
But Michael wasn’t so lucky.
───Thud!
A heavy sound. And a voice squeezing the lungs.
Yoo Jin, who rammed into the shield, snatched the pistol from Michael’s hand and threw it to the ground, then twisted her body and threw him to the floor. Amidst the sudden throw that left everyone stunned, she neatly finished off the fallen enemy.
A moment of silence followed the development, which was too intense to follow.
“No, what just happened….”
What did I just see? What did I just see? What did I just see? What did I just see? What did I just see?
What the hell Yoo Jin you crazy woman hahaha
Once again… she mercilessly breaks the tender sprout….
This onewwwwwww doesn’t know moderationwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Did you catch a disease that kills you if you don’t win????
Meanwhile, at that moment.
Bang!
“Surprisingly, quite a few people try close combat….”
She knocked out an enemy who charged at her during close combat by striking their jaw with the buttstock, then cleanly finished off the stunned enemy.
As always, Yoo Jin was progressing smoothly.
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