Chapter 20: Going Out⑤

[Do you need more explanation?]

The streamer, Holkop.

His voice was heard in my ear. When two people use the capsule, communication is possible, so the settings could be completed smoothly.

“Wait a moment.”

[Please tell me when you’re ready.]

I nodded unconsciously.

I looked at my current appearance in the mirror placed on the large ring.

I covered my white hair with black.

It felt like I had regained my vitality. As a bonus, the length of my hair was also shortened. The feeling of it slightly touching my shoulder was a bit awkward.

Because it was an arcade capsule that anyone could use, detailed adjustments were not possible. So this was the best I could do.

I moved my body slightly.

If I recall Holkop’s explanation, no one can see my current appearance or actions.

So, to get a little used to it, I stretched and shook my body, but there was no particular difference.

In the end, you can’t accept anything unless you actually experience it.

“I’m done.”

Just like I did.

I muttered that I had finished preparing, looking at the empty space, and a reply came.

[Okay! Then, as I told you, please wait without moving for 1 minute after starting!]

It was Holkop’s request.

I nodded, although I knew he couldn’t see it.

The reason for waiting 20 seconds after the game starts is, apart from those watching directly at the arcade.

‘Spectating, huh.’

There are viewers who want to watch more vividly.

By using the capsule to access the game currently being played, and running the spectator mode, viewers are waiting to enter the ‘spectator room’ created by Holkop.

Virtual reality fighting game.

In [Clash], there was a function that made it possible to run the spectator mode.

In addition, the game itself was free, so anyone with a capsule could watch directly.

I had no particular complaints.

Because the current situation itself was what Holkop was conducting.

Rather, I was looking forward to it.

I turned my gaze and scanned the people flickering like shadows outside the ring.

Can I think of it as entering the bodies of the spectators who are just cheering without ego?

‘I’m a little excited.’

A smile bloomed on my lips.

While raising the tension of my body with moderate excitement and calming my mind with deep breaths, Holkop said.

[Now, please say ‘Start’ out loud.]

“Okay. Start.”

Following Holkop’s words, I muttered ‘Start’, and a bright red circle appeared in front of me.

It was engraved with [Start] in black letters. Then Holkop told me to press it, so I reached out and touched the circle.

I pushed my palm with a pressing feeling, and the circle began to glow.

[Because we will be running spectator mode, you will set a nickname to distinguish the players. When a message appears in front of you, please say the nickname you want.]

After that was said, a moment later.

[Please say the nickname you will use.]

As Holkop said, a message appeared.

I said without hesitation.

“Ashilis.”

Because it was a name that no one would know except for me and Sephie, and because it was a name that proved me, there was no need to hesitate.

A moment later, with the message that the nickname was set, the number 10 appeared in front of me.

The 10, which was glowing bright red, decreased to 9 exactly 1 second later.

It was a countdown.

There were 8 seconds left until the game started. When I was about to get excited by the gradually rising excitement, Holkop’s voice was heard.

[Ah, by the way.]

Can I still talk now?

“What is it?”

[Um, do you really not need a handicap? Even if it’s······.]

Handicap.

I had already refused once, but it was a little funny that he was offering again.

Give me a break, huh.

Who? Me?

There was no way.

“Rather, I think you might need a handicap?”

[Oh······ I’m really looking forward to it.]

It was a voice mixed with laughter.

I also smiled, watching the number become 1.

And after feeling a sensation as if my mind was slightly distorted.

There was a man who appeared in front of me.

It was Holkop.

He and I were facing each other on the ring. The moment I realized it, a loud cheer erupted from around me.

I felt a tingling sensation all over my body from the tremendous energy that hit my ears. It was at that time.

“Hello! I’m Holkop!”

Holkop revealed his name with a greeting.

Is he being polite?

Even if it was a game, it was an appropriate action for the person who challenged first.

‘It reminds me of chivalry.’

With a faint smile, I answered.

“Yes. I am Ashilis. I hope it will be a good match.”

I thought we had exchanged greetings, but Holkop’s expression seemed to crumple slightly.

“Yes Yes?”

Saying such a bewildered answer.

He tilted his head, questioning.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no.”

He looked a little embarrassed.

‘Hmm?’

Why would he be like that?

I was curious, but there was no way to solve it because Holkop, who had relaxed his expression, opened his mouth again.

Arcade scene.

Streamer Holkop’s manager brought his mouth to the microphone part of the recording equipment and said.

“Now! Then, from now on, I will continue the progress!”

-Let’s go~
-Can I spectate this time too?
-It started, but they’re not fighting right away, so I think they’re waiting for the spectator room to enter ㅇㅇ.

“That’s right! The room name is Holkop15Wins, the same as before, so those who want to watch vividly, please enter as soon as possible!”

The manager continued the progress smoothly. It was possible because he had worked with Holkop for quite a long time.

The focus of the recording equipment was directed towards the ceiling.

There, an image of a black-haired man grinning, with Holkop’s name along with a bar indicating his health to the right of his face.

And likewise, a woman with short black hair.

“Holkop’s opponent’s nickname is Ashilis? What does it mean?”

Ashilis was the same.

Finally, Ashilis, Yujin’s appearance was revealed, and the manager looked at the chat room, expressing his curiosity slyly.

The manager saw Yujin in person.

Therefore, he knew that her appearance was beyond the level of being pretty, to a level that was difficult to express.

Of course, direct filming was refused, so the original could not be captured on video, but even though it was after changing the appearance, the reaction of the viewers was truly beyond imagination.

-Wow crazy;
-You challenged such a person to a fight, sht ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ?
-Just amazing;
-This Holkop bstard was a super insider ㄷㄷ I don’t think I could even look at her ㅋㅋ.
-Was there an appearance change in Clash?

“Yes. She allowed us to film after I told her that appearance change was possible. More than that, she’s really pretty. Wow.”

It was a line for the atmosphere of the broadcast, but it was actually admiration.

The manager tried to keep his mind firmly so as not to be seduced by her appearance and looked at the chat, but he was momentarily flustered and widened his eyes.

‘The number of viewers, why is it like this?!’

It was because.

-I came from the Eftarel gallery, where is our gallery owner?
-Is it the real Hero?
-Is it the real Hero?
-It’s Clash? Is there a spectator room? Quickly the name;
-What?
-Why are there so many viewers ㅋㅋㅋ?

The number of viewers had suddenly increased.

Holkop’s streaming, where the average number of viewers was over 2000, now had a whopping 7000 viewers connected.

The manager was momentarily flustered.

First of all, he expected that it would be a mess if he left it as it was, so he blocked the donations with tears in his eyes.

And after quickly grasping the situation, he smiled and began to put more effort into the broadcast progress.

“Now, now! Everyone! Please refrain from flooding! The spectator room name is······.”

The manager said so, reading the chats that came into view here and there, and picked up his phone.

-Ashilis! Ashilis! Ashilis!
-Ah! You know Hero! The tutorial boss of the game called Eftarel Verden is very difficult······.
-The chat firepower is amazing ㅋㅋ;
-Please go back to your gallery!

The manager checked the most frequently mentioned things in the chat on his phone, and twitched the corners of his mouth.

Rarely in the Awakened Being Gallery.

And, the name that is a huge topic in the Eftarel Gallery.

The manager checked a post in the concept post, and realized that the person in the photo and video of that post.

He realized that she looked exactly like the woman who entered the capsule of this arcade, and muttered.

“Go, golden go······.”

And immediately shut his mouth.

It was because there were so many people praising Ashilis, Yujin’s appearance in the chat.

The manager, who swallowed the words he was about to say, soon spoke out for the progress. His voice was trembling a lot.

“She was a huge big shot! This, if you predict that Holkop will be beaten like a dog, give me a thumbs up!”

-[Thumbs up]
-Thumbs up ㅋㅋㅋ.
-C-rank awakened being? No way ㅋㅋㅋ.
-Can you handle the despair…
-Do you think our ‘Hero’ Ashilis, who bears despair, is a joke ㅋㅋㅋ Thumbs up ㅋㅋ.
-But is it really her?
-Her hair length and color are different?
-If it’s fake, it’s going down immediately ㅋㅋㅋ.

After that, the manager also threw lines, ignoring the chats that sometimes made his spine chill.

On the monitor hanging from the ceiling, Holkop was also constantly speaking to explain the situation while waiting for the viewers to enter the spectator room.

What the current situation is.

How it’s progressing, and other things.

When Holkop suddenly said that he would play without any handicap, the firepower of the chat was so great that the manager was also momentarily speechless, but.

―I refuse any handicap from this side.

Black-haired woman.

Ashilis.

―Give it your all.

When such words came out of Yujin’s mouth, the chat started again with tremendous firepower.

-It seems like it’s really her ㅋㅋㅋ?
-Why is her tone like that ㅋㅋㅋ.
-That attitude, tone, and so f*cking cringey lines!
-It seems to be ‘her’ we were looking for…
-But has she ever played a fighting game?
-I don’t know.

The manager couldn’t figure out what the words coming up in the chat meant.

He didn’t know why Holkop chose Yujin as his opponent, or whether Yujin had ever experienced a fighting game, but the manager decided to trust Yujin’s insight, so he hid his embarrassment and continued the broadcast.

Most of the people gathered in the arcade gathered around, wondering what was going on, and the manager laughed, cheering that today was a really good day.

So the explanation continued for 1 minute, and the count ended.

―Then, start!

With Holkop’s voice ringing from the monitor, the two men and women standing on the ring began to move towards each other.

-Let’s go!
-Show me!
-Ah, is there no betting ㅋㅋㅋ?
-Taste the despair…!

The manager immediately opened his mouth.

It was to proceed with the commentary. It was a consideration for viewers who were watching the broadcast, not watching directly in the spectator room.

“Now, slowly each other······ Huh?”

-?
-What?
-What is it?
-I knew it ㅋㅋ At least S-rank awakened being, my *ss~
-Is catching a game boss a big deal ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.

But, as soon as the commentary started.

Something happened that broke everyone’s expectations.

Viewers who knew who Yujin was, those who came from the Eftarel Gallery.

And the existing viewers whose expectations for Yujin were tremendously inflated by being swept away by them.

Apart from them, the manager and other people who were watching from outside couldn’t continue speaking.

Because.

Thwack―!

A cheerful hitting sound was heard from inside the monitor.

That sound was not from Holkop’s body, which everyone expected.

―······.

It was a woman with black hair.

It was from Yujin’s body.

She showed a spirited appearance, rushing towards Holkop and throwing a punch at the same time.

But she was ridiculously knocked down by Holkop’s counterattack that came straight in.

―Uh, are you okay?

Including Holkop, the person who counterattacked on the monitor, most of the people watching were dumbfounded.

“······.”

Only, Sephie alone.

She was quietly shaking her head.

On the monitor hanging from the ceiling, while scratching her head. Looking at Yujin, who was getting up with her eyebrows furrowed as if something was uncomfortable.

Yujin’s voice came out of the monitor.

―It’s uncomfortable. It feels like I’m wearing clothes that don’t fit.

Only Sephie understood the meaning of those words. A faint smile was already blooming on her lips.