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Interlude: The Legend
THIS is the story of a certain man in a place far removed from the world where Mynoghra and Lenea waged war. This man had a peculiar lot in life. Despite consistently winning the in-person tournaments hosted by Eternal Nations’ game developer, he never rose above second place on the online leaderboards. He appeared to be in his late twenties and had a charming and good-humored sort of personality that belied his nature as a gamer.
Known for his sun-kissed skin, toned figure, and friendly smile, the young man was currently sitting in a café being interviewed.
“Thank you very much for meeting with me when you’re so busy, Mr. cLoser,” the interviewer said. “You did me a big favor coming to the city center for this interview.”
“Don’t mention it. I happened to have some time today. I’m the one who should be thanking you. I can’t believe I’m being interviewed for a gaming magazine. Kinda nerve-racking.”
“What are you talking about?” the interviewer asked with a lighthearted smile. “I can’t possibly believe a popular streamer with a stunning record in Eternal Nations could ever be nervous. Not when you live stream almost every day. You’re being too modest here.”
W èbn о̀ v̂е̇ ĺ Eṅu.m а̄
“Haha! You got me there. Not much I can say in response to that, is there?”
The young man’s name was cLoser. Obviously, that was his username. Sitting across from him was an up-and-coming editor for a popular gaming magazine with a long history. Although the magazine struggled to stay afloat during the Internet age, it was still highly respected in the industry for its insight, opinions, and top-of-the-line news. The magazine was running a special feature on Eternal Nations, interviewing the game’s most famous players involved in the rapidly growing Esports category.
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Lively banter continued between them after their initial greetings. The interview was really starting to take off when the editor suddenly said, “We were hoping to have Takuto Ira join us for this interview as well, but he sadly rejected the invitation…” cLoser raised an eyebrow at that comment and quietly urged the interviewer to continue. “Say, Mr. cLoser, do you know if the rumors are true? Have you heard anything?”
“Beats me. I don’t know anything. I used to be obsessed with trying to get at least one look at that guy’s face, though! To this day, I haven’t had the chance to meet him in person.”
“Hahaha. I should have expected as much.”
cLoser was the undefeated second-place player in Eternal Nations. As an internationally renowned game, Eternal Nations’ official tournament came with numerous big-time sponsors and ran for several days.
Ŵ ӗ b n ò v е̊ ĺ Ё ñ u ṁȧ
Tournament spectators could enjoy watching the intense battles and mind-blowing strategies play out in person at the venue and from the comfort of their homes through the online stream. On the other hand, players were placed under strict surveillance and required to play from the tournament’s designated location to prevent cheating. If that wasn’t stressful enough, players were monitored 24/7 during the tournament’s duration, giving them no freedom to go outside or even relax at their hotel at the end of the day.
People often speculated that it was due to these specific rules that the player known as Takuto Ira was unable to participate in the official tournaments. Gossip ran wild with speculations, such as him having too important of a job to participate or that his family wouldn’t let him. Some even wondered…if he was deathly ill. Rumors about him being sick seemed the most reliable, which was why it was an unspoken rule in the gaming community not to dig into his life.
As a result of Takuto’s absence, cLoser reigned as the undefeated victor of Eternal Nations’ official tournaments. Many skilled players worldwide participated in these tournaments, where they could receive lofty sums of money and luxury goods from big-name sponsors, leading to epic battles unfolding every time. The results of the official tournaments fell roughly in line with Eternal Nations’ online leaderboard, give or take a few minor variations.
If Takuto Ira actually participated in the tournament, he would be the victor. Even if his nerves somehow made him lose the championship, he wouldn’t fall below second place. Every fan of Eternal Nations openly believed as much, which left cLoser feeling vexed.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“So…I know this is a tad rude to ask of the man called ‘The King who can’t be King,’ but…”
“You want to know the secret to Takuto Ira’s strength?” cLoser supplied with an undaunted smile.
Е ñ um̄а̂
It was more than his charismatic personality that prevented him from getting annoyed at the interviewer for slapping him in the face with the Internet’s nickname for him. No, he was far too busy simmering over Takuto Ira’s overwhelming presence in his life.
Anyone involved in the game industry had heard the name Takuto Ira at least once. Just as he was known as the mysterious number-one ranked player in Eternal Nations, his same username had appeared in a ton of other games too. He’d achieved outstanding results in every game, earning him a cohort of fans drawn to his mysterious history and people who just wanted to know the secret to his gaming skills.
The magazine editor probably wanted to offer some fanservice to all the Takuto fanboys and girls out there. If he couldn’t meet with the legend himself, asking someone from the same gaming sphere was the next best option.
cLoser felt more than a little slighted being used as a pretext to talk about another player, but he wasn’t such a fool as to say anything under this username that would get him trolled and hated for life in the gaming industry. Besides that…he painfully shared in their desire to know more about the elusive legend.
Fine, I’ll pay lip service about the Takuto Ira I know, he decided.
“Good question… I would say he has one trait that stands out. Or should I call it a bad habit?” cLoser said suggestively.
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“And what would that be?” the editor asked, leaning in.
“He fools around every time. It’s like he cuts corners or underestimates his opponents. He makes naïve decisions like he’s thinking, ‘Eh, this should be good enough.’ That’s his bad habit.”
“Yeaaah…okay,” the editor drawled, sounding doubtful. “But won’t that lead to an instant game over if you do something like that during the early stages? I know all too well that Eternal Nations isn’t a forgiving game.”
“Exactly,” cLoser said with a nod, his estimation of the editor rising a peg. Not needing the interviewee to explain every little detail about the subject is the bare minimum requirement for a halfway decent interviewer. Seeing as the interviewer had some understanding, cLoser figured he’d comprehend his honest evaluation of Takuto Ira. “And that’s why he’s the best there is.”
cLoser quietly closed his eyes in thought. Every game session he’d ever played replayed in his mind’s eye like it was being projected on a TV display. This was a skill he’d acquired from an astounding memory and playing the same game a million times over until it made him capable of simulating game sessions that were long over.
The skill did cLoser little good, however. No matter how many times he simulated the game sessions in his head, they always ended with him losing to Takuto.
Е̃ n ú m̄ а̂ .ǐd̄
If there was one thing cLoser knew without a doubt as a man who knew more about Eternal Nations than anyone else and could proudly declare he was strongest—save for Takuto—it was this:
“No one can beat Takuto Ira when he gets serious,” he declared, looking up at the heavens in resignation, even though he had reached the peak of what a human can achieve in his own field.
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Stunned to silence by the deadly serious edge to cLoser’s words, the interviewer swallowed loudly.
Silence ran between them as though time itself had stopped until the melting ice cube in their cups shifted with a clank, restarting the world once more.
“If you want a story, editor, then I’d listen to what I’m about to say very closely. I once seriously believed that he might be an AI developed by some tech company. I don’t know what his deal is, but I suspect he’s cheating to maintain his winner’s streak.”
cLoser thought back to the sequence of events that led to him admitting his defeat and Takuto Ira’s superiority. One day, back when he was still madly chasing Takuto’s shadow, he initiated a voice chat with him just once. The voice on the other side of the line sounded painfully hoarse and feeble, making him doubt he was speaking to the real Takuto Ira at all. It just didn’t feel real. That’s why it inevitably led to cLoser having doubts and an insatiable desire to unmask his greatest rival.
Ē n umå .і d̀
“A word of advice. I know you’re interested in Takuto Ira, but it’s best not to piss him off.”
The interviewer was about to say that would never happen, but he shrunk back like a frog locked in a snake’s hungry gaze when he saw the warning look on cLoser’s face. Sometimes a good article requires a reporter to take more radical means to get the scoop. The interviewer realized that the other man had seen through his intentions to employ such means with Takuto.
“You’re freakin’ screwed once you cause him to snap. He’ll use any means to get back at you until your mind breaks under the pressure. I promised to never get involved with him again.”
The interviewer was curious about what had happened between Takuto and cLoser in the past. His magazine would fly off the shelves if he could dig up the dirt and turn it into a scoop. It’d only help improve the magazine’s standing. But he realized the impossibility of getting anything out of the young man in front of him from the sheer terror on the gamer’s face.
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“I still get chills just hearing his name,” cLoser whispered shakily.
The interviewer nodded, vowing not to pry deeper.
Еnúḿа̄ . ĭd́
cLoser’s hands were visibly shaking.
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