Chapter 5 : Divine (5)

Even amidst the rush of wind as I descended, I knew. That radiant object, beckoning me, was my destination.

My body felt foreign, like it wasn’t my own.

It had felt like this when I first met the Imugi, and again when I entered the capsule and checked my mana.

This gradual transformation…

Like a beacon in the unseen, its presence called to me, confirming it as my rightful path.

Drawn like a bee to a flower, I adjusted my parachute towards the rooftop of the dilapidated building.

“Yena! Change course! Let’s go to that apartment building!”

“Huh? That’s the infamous ruin, known for having nothing. The viewing angle’s bad too.”

“Are we going or not?!”

“If WooSeok says we go, we go!!”

[– Don’t you have your own will?

– I didn’t raise my Yena like this.

– Did Mom tell you to follow strange men or not?

– Mom said follow hot guys lol

– Honestly, if I could just do it once, I’d die happy.]

“But I’ve already changed course, it’s gonna be a little difficult!”

Still free-falling, I approached her.

The world beyond my goggles was limited, but all the more beautiful for it.

The sun illuminated the world beyond the horizon, its light partially obscured by the descending parachutes of other players.

The dilapidated buildings and broken cars peeked between flowers swaying in the gentle breeze.

A sight impossible in the original World Game, it filled me with awe.

Awe for a view I might have witnessed, but was never granted, locked within a single game, my communication with others severed.

Glancing at Yena through the passing clouds, I saw her falling, head tilted skyward due to gravity, yet her beauty remained undiminished.

Approaching her as she descended, a smile illuminating her face, seemingly reveling in the moment, I wondered, ‘What brings her such joy? How can she always be so bright?’

“Now! Deploy your parachute!”

On my signal, her pack inflated and burst open, sending her drifting on the wind.

Swimming through the air, I drew closer.

“Wait, too close!”

Clearly not expecting such proximity, she let out a startled yelp. Taking her hand, I steered us forcibly in my desired direction.

I could see her long, sparkling eyelashes fluttering.

Her face flushed crimson as she gripped my arm tightly.

‘For her lightly tanned skin to turn that red, just how flustered is she?’ I marveled at the capsule machine’s high performance.

[– Can I do that too?

– Why don’t I have a childhood friend like WooSeok? Mom, why? Why? Why?

– That’s one of the things I want to do most before I die….]

“Heehee—Make your own childhood friends, then~”

[– Lock

– Record

– Lock

– Recording every moment now..

– Record]

Leaving Yena behind, still playfully punching the air and bantering with her viewers, I continued towards our destination.

Despite the fall, her Challenger rank wasn’t for nothing. Her control over direction and landing was impeccable.

It was strange.

I could read the wind’s direction. I saw the path, knew what to do.

“Hold on tight.”

Nearing the ruins, I cut one of the parachute lines while holding onto Yena, who was still engaged with her viewers. With a sudden lurch, we began to plummet, much like a rollercoaster.

“I don’t wanna fall to my death—”

Supporting Yena as she clung to me, screaming, we hurtled through the sky.

Or rather, we fell with controlled speed. An indescribable exhilaration washed over me. A beauty in one arm, the rapidly passing world in my eyes, my legs parting the wind.

With a thud, my feet hit the ground. We rolled across the rooftop, still embraced. I did my best to protect Yena, but she likely suffered some minor injuries.

“Kyaaaaa—”

The laughter wouldn’t stop. Me, the clumsy one, the inadequate one in a world where capsules were commonplace…

Reading the air, riding the wind, enjoying the world.

Laughing endlessly, filled with happiness and joy.

‘So this is the capsule. This is the landscape they saw.’

“Hahahaha!”

[– Wow, that’s the first time I’ve seen a man laugh. I’m losing it. How do I live now?

– I’m already addicted. Is this… love?

– Ah, f*ck, I wanna meet a guy!!]

Not long after we landed, a cloud of dust enveloped the rooftop. As if alerted by our commotion, something glinted from a distant apartment building, reflecting sunlight, targeting us.

Likely someone who landed before us, looted, and lay in wait. Considering Yena jumped right out at the start, they must be quite skilled.

Still, my vision was clear, and they appeared as if they were close by.

The way they shouldered their rifle indicated they were a seasoned player.

Gulp—

I saw her Adam’s apple bob. ‘I can dodge this.’

The moment her finger pressed the trigger, I tackled Yena, rolling with her once more. Though the sniper’s firing rate was slow, the shrapnel was the problem.

Even dodging the bullets, the scattering fragments chipped away at our health. As Yena had pointed out earlier, there was no cover in this open space.

But there was a reason I landed here. The old bow at the edge of the rooftop. That bow would turn the tide.

[– Is WooSeok looking at the bow?

– Did he come here for that?

– Bows are trash. Why use a bow in a shooter game? It’s not a variety show.

– Did he bet on a mission or something?

– You idiots didn’t see the Imugi earlier? The bow is legendary. WooSeok is a god.]

Negative opinions dominated the chat.

With the Imugi, the attack was direct, physical. Now, it was a ranged battle between bow and gun.

I wasn’t unsure.

I wasn’t unsure of victory.

Gripping the bow, the same sensation returned.

The azure world welcomed me back.

A pleasant thrill, a clarity.

Dodging the bullets still aimed at us, I drew the bowstring.

[– Dodging is legendary, but drawing a bow while running?

– Honestly, it doesn’t matter if he misses. Every action is a work of art.

– I wanna trash talk so bad. I’m holding back ’cause this isn’t even a stream, and I don’t want him to quit.

– I’m making this guy stream. For real.]

The opponent seemed puzzled, watching me through their scope. But it would all be over soon.

As I released, an intangible arrow, imbued with mana, snaked through the air.

It was a fleeting instant, but I knew I had aimed true. The sound of shattering glass followed by a kill log on screen.

[– ?

– Didn’t he even aim?

– He fired a single shot without an arrow.

– Is that a hack?

– Don’t you know there are no hacks in the capsule?]

Being in a capsule, the damage wouldn’t be significant. Since it was duo mode, the immediate kill log meant she was alone.

I walked over to Yena, who stared back in disbelief, rubbing her eyes.

“There’s a car over there. Wanna ride?”

“I’m not seeing things, right?”

I remembered her boasting about her gameplay during her streams. Seeing her dazed expression now, juxtaposed with her past confidence, a playful urge arose within me.

“This is what skill looks like.”

Striking a pose, I placed my hand on her head. The bow on my back felt incredibly reassuring.

My sense of touch was heightened. Even within the capsule, I could almost feel her body heat through her hair.

I almost added, ‘It can’t be helped. Your opponent was me,’ but stopped myself.

It was the pose she always struck when we played games. Always mindful of my lagging skills, yet never failing to boast. It felt good to have the tables turned, especially with Yena’s face flushed with embarrassment.

A little more teasing, and she might explode. Time to stop.

“…”

Contrary to my expectation of anger or a struggle, Yena remained still, head bowed, body trembling.

Concerned I’d gone too far, I knelt to meet her gaze.

“Are you okay? Did I go too far?”

Her dark eyes seemed to sparkle intensely. Avoiding my gaze, she scrambled to her feet and fled.

“Hey! Wait up!!”

As I pursued, she broke into a run. The problem was, having jumped early from the plane, we were in the initial stages, surrounded by open wilderness. Perfect sniper bait at her tier.

[– Wow….

– At this moment, I wanna be Yena so bad.

– Oppa, kill me!!!

– So grateful I was born in the same era as WooSeok..]

“Running blindly like that will get you spotted! You’re a Challenger here, remember!”

As if on cue, a gunshot rang out. Yena collapsed. A countdown timer and a ‘knocked down’ icon appeared above her. The chat erupted in laughter again.

‘Called it.’

[– LOL

– Choi Yena (24): Don’t worry, I’ll carry you.

– Choi Yena’s last 2 matches: 0 kills, 2 deaths. (Current season Challenger)

– Bugged out! Bugged out! Bugged out!]

“Yena….”

Watching her twitch on the ground, I felt a pang of sympathy.