Chapter 72: The Boot Camp and an Unexpected Opponent

In any game, tournaments require considering many factors.

The main reason is information.

In solo rank matches, you don’t know what character your opponent will pick, but tournaments are different.

You can find out not only your opponent’s main character but also their playstyle, and sometimes even their habits.

That’s why having a broad pool of characters is usually the most important factor in tournaments.

What happens if someone can only play one character?

They will inevitably face targeted bans.

In Eternal World tournaments, each team is given five ban cards.

Of course, under the 3+2 ban rule, teams can only use three bans until three characters have been picked.

However, considering that opponents might steal a pick with their first choice, you needed to master at least five characters.

In this environment, lower-tier players were often at a disadvantage.

Higher-tier players not only had a wide array of characters but could often play multiple positions as well.

But lower-tier players?

It wasn’t uncommon for them to struggle with even their main character, let alone their main position.

They were prime targets for targeted bans.

“Our team, however, is in a better position.”

“Why?”

“Because neither of those two has to worry about character mastery.”

For one, all they needed was to focus on mastering Yurimhwa.

For the other, it was enough to simply learn how to control their character.

In Chae Narin’s case, it didn’t matter how she used her skills.

She just needed a character that relied heavily on basic attacks and required good control.

After all, her strength came from controlling Yurimhwa, not from her mastery of characters.

On the other hand, with ChocoBbangbbang, you could give him any character that didn’t require precise control.

Difficult management? Complicated skill timing? None of that mattered to him.

His game sense was flawless. When it came to anything that could be solved through memorization, he had skills on par with a gold-tier player.

Of course, he had a weakness—he stumbled the moment a character required skill combos (no one knew why this happened).

But considering the vast roster of characters in Eternal World, it wasn’t hard to assign him one that didn’t rely on such things.

“This is a team?”

“It’s still a team.”

I also had Mos and Paepae practice various characters to align with Chae Narin’s and ChocoBbangbbang’s character pools.

It might seem strange for higher-tier players to adjust to lower-tier players rather than the other way around, but that’s how tournaments work.

You had to accommodate lower-tier players for the game to progress smoothly.

Expecting lower-tier players to make sacrifices?

Even if a lower-tier player ended up in a support role in-game, that wasn’t a sacrifice.

Sacrifice was something only those who had something to give could make.

If you demanded sacrifices from lower-tier players who had nothing to offer, the game would collapse.

Fortunately, Moss and Paepae managed this balance well, and Bbangbbang helped out occasionally, so I wasn’t worried about them.

Right now, there was only one person I was worried about.

“Bunnyrun, repeat after me. ‘I am an outer-lane specialist who excels in team fights and rotations.’”

“I am an outer-lane specialist who excels in team fights and rotations… Hey, unnie, don’t you trust me?”

“I absolutely don’t.”

What should I do about this rabbit, who’s addicted to solo play, growth strategies, and backdoor tactics?

Even for a super developer, this was a challenging puzzle.

“I only play like that in solo rank. Why would I focus on outer lanes in a team game, especially when you’re the core, unnie?”

“Hmm.”

“Outer-lane-focused gameplay is something I use in solo rank because you can never trust your teammates there.

I prioritize personal growth because I don’t know what kind of strange players I might get matched with.

But in a team with you and Paepae, who would be crazy enough to focus on outer lanes?”

“Hmm.”

“I’m going home.”

I folded my arms as I watched Bunnyrun sulking.

Our team’s victory formula was simple:

1. I grow strong in the city core.
2. Paepae ensures Chae Narin grows safely.
3. A fully controlled Chae Narin and I dominate team fights.

Of course, players like ChocoBbangbbang, Moss, and Bunnyrun, who followed pre-determined strategies or made independent calls for rotations and growth, were important too.

But ultimately, the key was to take good care of Chae Narin.

Clang!

I blankly stared at Chae Narin, who just got parried effortlessly.

In a small voice, she said, “I’m sorry…”

Her control over Yurimhwa had just lasted four seconds—a shorter duration than usual.

It was because she’d stayed up late watching MeTube yesterday, which only increased my concern.

‘Will she really be able to master Yurimhwa’s control before the tournament?’

“Why were you watching MeTube?”

“I was trying to study by watching Yurim-unnie’s videos…”

“As I’ve said, all you need to do is follow Paepae’s instructions. You don’t need to learn anything else. You know Pokemon, right? You’re like Pikachu. Just rest peacefully in your Pokéball.”

“…Okay.”

Though Chae Narin answered confidently, something still felt off.

This won’t do.

“Chae Narin, you’re on school break, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Would you be okay with an offline meeting? Since you’re a VTuber.”

“……I’m fine with it.”

“And a training camp?”

“…I wasn’t joking when I said I’d agree on the first day.”

Good. If she was ready, there was no reason to hesitate.

“Starting tomorrow—no, starting today. Pack your things and head to the address I’ll send—”

“No!”

Someone interrupted abruptly, cutting me off.

Surprised by the sudden intrusion, I took off my VR headset to find the culprit.

It was Bunnyrun, standing at the front door.

So, when she said she was “going home,” she meant my home?

This kid… Where did she learn this strange, cryptic way of speaking that leaves people confused?

Who’s her teacher?

Bunnyrun marched up to me and spoke.

“Unnie, why are you leaving me out?”

“What are you talking about? When did I leave you out?”

“You said you’d do a training camp with the turtle without me.”

“How can we have a training camp in a one-room apartment? Of course, it has to be somewhere spacious.”

And the only person I knew who lived in a big place, lived alone, and was a woman was…

Bunnyrun blinked.

“You’re saying we should do it at my house?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Of course not. Let’s go right now.”

With the same determination she’d shown when coming into the house, Bunnyrun went back out.

Hmm.

She’s changed so much since we first met. Why is that?

Is it because outer-lane-focused gameplay is toxic?

That seems about right.

I packed my essentials and headed to Bunnyrun’s house.

And so, a week passed.

At 8 a.m., I woke up sharply and got out of bed.

It had been a long time since I’d had proper sleep—probably since I tested it during Excel Busters.

And because of that, I had a dream for the first time in ages.

Right, there wasn’t anything in the ability description saying I wouldn’t dream.

I must’ve been mistaken because I didn’t dream last time.

I’m never sleeping again.

Swoosh.

I walked over to the window and drew back the blackout curtains. Sunlight spilled into the room through the window.

“Ughhh.”

“What’s with the groaning? Hurry up and get up.”

“Internet streamers are supposed to sleep at this hour.”

“If you’ve been waking up at this time for a week, it’s time to get used to it.”

I left Bunnyrun to her whining. Once the serotonin-inducing environment was set, she wouldn’t have a choice but to wake up.

“…Grrrr.”

Well, in some cases, that didn’t work.

What a tough one.

I gave Chae Narin a sharp smack on the butt.

Startled by the impact, she opened her eyes, looked at me, and mumbled in a daze.

“…Is this hell?”

“If you don’t get up, hell will truly unfold.”

There’s no limit to the things she can say after seeing someone’s face.

And let’s be honest, my face leans more toward heavenly than hellish.

“It’s because you work me to the bone.”

“The only mistake I’ve made is assuming you were human, Chae Narin. All accountability lies with you.”

If I could turn back time, I would’ve started the boot camp from the very first meeting.

Honestly, she was impossible to manage with words.

[???: If you could turn back time, wouldn’t it be better to bring someone else into the team instead of Chae Narin?]

Bring someone else?

Who are you to say such dreadful things?

Have you even explored Iron?

No matter how beastly, who else could you bring in as the main carry instead of Chae Narin?

Explain yourself.

Go on, explain.

“Unnie?”

“For a moment there, Satan seemed to pass through. Maybe this really is hell.”

“That was award-winning-level serious acting.”

Together with the two of them, I went to the apartment gym and started with some light running.

Afterward, we did some basic stretching and had a protein-based meal paired with healthy carbs.

“Do we really have to go this far?”

“It’s more important than you’d think.”

“That’s not what I meant. Why do I have to do all this too?”

“Boot camps are all about shared suffering.”

In a 3NO environment—No MeTube, No songs, No dopamine—we cleanly finished our oatmeal, salmon, and Greek yogurt meal before heading into the VR room.

Looking around the VR room, I tilted my head.

“Someone’s missing, aren’t they?”

“Softforehead just went to the bathroom.”

The one who answered me was Paepae.

She tried to sound calm, but her voice trembled ever so slightly.

Well, it made sense. The event was about to begin.

Ding.

A message popped up in the voice messenger.

After reading it, I turned to my teammates and opened my mouth.

“The group stage matchups were just announced. Our first opponent is…‘Unstoppable Rampage Potato.’”

“‘Unstoppable Rampage Potato’? Who’s that? Bunny, do you know them?”

“I don’t either, Unnie. Who are they?”

That was Paepae and Bunnyrun’s response.

I frowned.

“You don’t know ‘Unstoppable Rampage Potato’?”

“You do?”

“Are they someone you know personally?”

“Look at who the team leader is. Then you’ll know.”

“I’ve already looked. I know practically every notable streamer, but I don’t recognize this one.”

“Unnie, who is this person anyway?”

I was in shock.

They don’t know?

“Have you all forgotten this person?”

“…Who?”

“Have you all forgotten Rojon, ranked 1072nd as a Lee Sahyang specialist?!”

Did my reaction come off as too intense?

Paepae spoke in an apologetic tone.

“Are you insane? How would we know that?”

“That’s a bit harsh, Paepae.”

“No, the harsh one here is you.”