Chapter 8: Silence and Strategy

There are random events that occur at various times across the map.

These events differ depending on the type of map.

For example, in the ruined ruins,

a large-scale bombing typically takes place to match the atmosphere of the map.

So, what kind of event will occur in the Silent Forest where I’m currently playing?

Most events are often linked to the name of the map.

In that sense, the event in the Silent Forest is quite intuitive.

True to its name, the sound across the entire map completely disappears.

That might not seem very impactful at first.

It’s like muting the game and playing, right?

But from my own experience, it’s on a whole different level.

Can you imagine what it feels like when one of your senses is suddenly numbed?

You might think it’s not as important as sight or touch,

but apart from when you’re sleeping, your hearing works tirelessly 24/7.

When that sense is suddenly cut off, it can throw a first-timer into a state of panic.

You can’t even hear your own breath or heartbeat.

If you haven’t experienced that feeling firsthand, it’s hard to understand how surreal it is.

In reality, that’s what it feels like, but in the game, the absence of sound isn’t as shocking.

The game developers are aware of that, so they added an extra element.

The watch also goes silent.

When this event triggers, the watch,

which provided all essential information, stops working,

and the player is left without any useful info.

Just how important is the watch?

To put it simply, apart from settings and inventory,

all systems are contained within the watch.

Maps, the number of players, health status, time, weather, etc.

The biggest problem is that without the map, you’re clueless about where to go.

You don’t even know where the fog is coming from or where the designated safe zones are.

You have to rely entirely on your instincts.

On the bright side, it adds a lot of realism, but frankly speaking, it makes the game a lot harder.

In the Silent Forest, it’s essential to constantly check the map and memorize it.

To avoid wandering aimlessly when an event occurs, it’s almost a requirement.

If you’re in a safe zone and there’s no immediate reason to move, that’s the best case scenario.

You just need to wait for the event to end without doing anything.

However, if you do need to move for some reason,

the best course of action is to stay calm and plan your strategy.

In such a situation, the best way is to viSuahlly confirm the fog’s location.

The fog always comes in a neat circular shape, gradually closing in,

so by checking the overall position of the fog, you can roughly guess where the safe zone is.

If there are no elevated areas around, your backup plan is to head toward the center of the map.

Of course, there’s a chance the safe zone could appear on the far edge, not the center.

But since that’s random and there’s no way to check it,

you have no choice but to head to the center and wait for the event to end.

What if you move southwest, but the safe zone is in the northeast?

Without any chance to react, you’d be caught by the fog and die, just like that.

“…?”

Even though I say that, such worst-case scenarios uSuahlly don’t happen.

But today, unfortunately, the worst is unfolding.

If luck is bad, I might not get first place.

Of course, it’s frustrating to even think about such a situation,

but there’s still a small consolation I can take from it.

If I lost not because of a random element but purely because I wasn’t good enough,

then that would be truly maddening.

Anyway, to get to the center, I recalled my current position and started drawing the map in my head.

I was in the southeastern valley, so I needed to move northwest.

While heading toward the center, I ran into an opponent.

By the way, the opponent didn’t realize I was coming until I was right in front of them.

It’s not easy to spot an enemy in a dense forest unless you hear any sound.

I immediately fired three shots from my revolver.

Since there was no sound of the gunfire, the thrill of shooting was lacking.

My guess is that the opponent didn’t even realize I was close until their health was almost gone.

It was truly a tragic and meaningless death.

After a brief moment of silence, I searched through the body.

Even in situations like this, I couldn’t skip looting.

It paid off.

I managed to obtain a Stained Western Shirt.

The name might sound odd, but it was a much-needed item because it’s part of the revolver set.

With this, I now have two pieces of the set.

Typically, set bonuses become much stronger with three pieces,

so finding just one more piece will bring me one step closer to victory.

I continued heading toward the center while thinking.

Maybe it’s time to take a sip of water.

One of the tricky things during an event is managing your physical condition.

Since stats are displayed on the watch, it’s difficult to estimate how much water to drink or when to eat during the period of silence.

Especially with food, if you eat too much, you end up in a state of overeating, which lowers your stats.

Ultimately, it comes down to relying on your instincts to eat at the right time.

After struggling a bit, I finally reached the center, just as the event ended.

“Surprisingly ended quickly.”

Since the duration is random, sometimes it lasts more than a day.

When that happens, if you check the watch after the event, you’ll see that almost everyone is dead.

That’s how crucial the watch is in this game.

I immediately turned on the watch to check my status.

There were only eight players left.

Even though the silence didn’t last that long, over ten people had already died.

My health was thankfully in good condition.

After all, my five years of experience in the real world have their benefits.

The safe zone was to the east.

If I had stayed still in the southeast, it would’ve been even closer.

It’s a little regretful, but I don’t think the decision to move to the center was wrong.

From my experience, sometimes bold decisions are needed to win,

but most of the time, safe, well-reasoned plays work much better.

Right now, it was just a matter of taking a little time,

but I could still make it to the safe zone in time.

On the other hand, if I had stayed in place and the safe zone appeared at the far northwest,

I wouldn’t have made it in time.

I’m confident that my play was correct.

“Phew. Good.”

As the sound started coming back, the game felt much more alive.

Honestly, I don’t particularly enjoy the Silent Forest event.

When I first experienced it in real life, it almost gave me a trauma.

After that, things were pretty uneventful.

The game was heading toward the final phase,

with the players who had grown stronger gathering in the small safe zone,

battling it out, until one final survivor claimed victory.

Who’s the winner, you ask?

Well, of course, it’s me.

It’s not arrogance; it’s just inevitable.

The current match is probably in the Bronze to Silver range,

and there’s a huge gap between me, a seasoned player with five years of experience,

and these rookies who are just starting out.

If I didn’t get first place here, that would be strange, wouldn’t it?

For example, someone cheating with hacks, or a pro using a secondary account.

Honestly, even if they were a pro, I’m confident I could beat them easily.

“Ugh…ugh!”

I stretched, loosening up my stiff body.

When I checked the time, it had already passed 7 PM.

This always happens.

Whenever I play this game, I get so immersed that it feels like I’m sucked back into that world,

and I completely lose track of time.

As soon as I became aware of time, my stomach started growling for food.

I planned to have a simple dinner here. With such a fancy menu, it’d be a shame not to try something.

By the way, I’ll skip the noodle dishes.

Suah’s Jjamppong (spicy noodle soup) was more than enough for me. I had already had enough noodles.

Today, I decided to try something else.

The part-time worker at the PC cafe, Mr. Kim, was amazed.

First, he was struck by her appearance.

He had never seen such a beautiful woman before.

Second, he was impressed by the game she chose.

Although there are some female players, this game, IBA, is undeniably male-dominated.

Third, he was amazed by her gaming skills.

He was an avid fan of IBA and regularly watched strategy streams and professional tournaments.

As a passionate player himself, he thought her play was extraordinary.

While she didn’t show off flashy moves,

her decisions and strategies were smooth and flawless there wasn’t a single flaw.

Was it just infatuation?

Maybe.

Since the game is always relative,

it was natural that her level would be lower when compared to the top-tier players.

Still, her skill seemed better than his, at least, as a gold-tier player.

So he thought to himself.

What if she started streaming?

Good skill. Amazing looks.

If she debuted as a streamer, it was guaranteed to be a huge hit.

She’d be a jackpot, a guaranteed first place.

Instantly, a cliché from the streaming world flashed through his mind.

She’d start streaming without a camera,

with her amazing game skills causing people to suspect she was hacking,

then she’d turn on the hand cam to explain, only to accidentally reveal her face and her stunning beauty,

quickly gaining massive attention. She’d become a top-tier streamer and then debut as a professional player…

“Excuse me.”

“…”

“Excuse me!”

“Yes, yes?”

He snapped out of his daydream and stared, mouth agape.

There, standing in front of him,

was the very woman who had been the protagonist of his fantasies.

Wow. She’s even more beautiful up close.