Chapter 73: Record (2)

A high VNS score didn't necessarily equal video game skills just like a high IQ only sometimes resulted in good grades. It was just another statistic used to measure skills.

However, the correlation usually proved to be true. In the past, skilled gamers tended to have a high APM score. Academically successful students tended to have high IQ scores. Similarly, players skilled in virtual gaming tended to have high VNS scores.

Today, a no-name streamer set a new record for the VNS score.

"There’s a new world record for the VNS score right now! It's unbelievable! Almond is almost on his way. He’s finishing his medical checkup. Just wait a little..."

It was understandable why Yu Ha-Yeon was shouting so excitedly.

— Woah, for real?

— I can't believe I'm watching this LIVE

— Nooo!

— It’s BS af can’t believe this.

— No freaking way.

— What happened to stay alive?

— The record actually broke? No way.

— lolololol

— WTF

— Almond? Never even knew such a player ever existed. Stop bs-ing.?

— Damn, the chat is lagging.?

— A fking noob just beat JJP's record? Lol

[Current Viewers: 76k]

Over 75,000 viewers worldwide waited over an hour for a particular player's medical check.

Who was that player? Who beat JeonJaPa's record?

The viewers were dying to find out. They were curious how he would react too.

"Almond is now coming in!"

As Almond walked in, all the cameras turned to him.

— Ha-Yeon is suddenly so polite. LOL

— Now he's in a higher position.

— Oh, he's coming!

— Dat guy...

— He's coming!

— Wow, he's cute!

— Almond? Never heard of him...

— Almond is coming!

— Hey! Hey! Sir Almond is on his way!

Their attitudes completely changed from when he first walked into the studio.

'What's going on?'

Sang-Hyeon still felt confused because Ju-Hyeok hadn't explained VNS to him. Regardless, they informed him that the stream would continue, so he returned to his initial spot.

"Almond! You're finally here!"

"Yes..."

Sang-Hyeon couldn't keep up with Yu Ha-Yeon's excitement.

— Look at his reaction lol

— Does he know what's going on? I heard he fainted.

— Wow, Almond!! Now you're truly world class!

— Almond! Almond! Almond! Almond! Almond! Almond!

— I hear you achieved a world record.

‘World record.’

He read that word from the chat. Ju-Hyeok also told him that he beat JeonJaPa's record.

"How does it feel to set the new world record for the highest VNS score?!"

The question was finally asked. The chat slowed because no one wanted to miss out on his answer. They waited all this time to hear from him.

"Uh..."

"Yes?"

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"What is that? I asked my manager, but he wouldn't tell me."

"..."

A moment of silence followed and the chat filled with question marks.

— ???

— Huh?

— ?

— What…

It didn't take long for the question marks to turn into laughter.

— LOL

— HAHAHA

— LOOOOOL

— Hahaha

— You really don't know? LOL

Almond's expression seemed too honest. Anyone with a slight interest in games knew the term, yet Almond didn’t know. It showed how much experience Sang-Hyeon lacked in the gaming world.

The foreign viewers made fun of him by calling him a noob in the chat, but they also felt fascinated at the same time.

— Wait, this guy didn't even know what VNS was and still beat JeonJaPa's record?!

— VNS is all talent so...

— Crazy talent

— He's a genius who's unaware of anything...

— Wow…

Almond set the world record for a category he didn’t even know about. His ignorance in such matters truly suited an overwhelming genius who even surpassed JeonJaPa.

"

Ah... um...

You really don't know, do you?"

"Yes…"

Yu Ha-Yeon slightly panicked.

'What is this person?'

She thought Almond was a strange individual from the beginning, but that feeling peaked even more now.

"

Ahaha!

As expected from a genius among geniuses! Almond, you're incredible! Setting a record for something you don't even know about!"

"So what is it?"

"Ah..."

Yu Ha-Yeon became stunned again. Her expression said,

‘Do I have to explain this during the stream?’

— LOL

— Ah, just tell him!

— She was trying to pass it off, but no way!

— LOL Almond doesn't look too pleased.

— Urk!

‘The world's best. A genius. A new record.’?

All those phrases sounded significant, but not to Almond. He heard them throughout his life.

Achieving first place in something he was passionate about was what mattered. Not obtaining a high VNS score that he didn’t know about. Right now, only one thing interested him.

"I heard that my score is tied with JeonJaPa's. Why are you saying I beat it?"

"

Ah

, you are tied for Stay Alive!"

— Exactly to the 0.00001th second.

— Are you sure it wasn’t staged?

— Even that's incredible. He said it's only been three weeks since he first used a capsule.

— For real.

Whip.

Yu Ha-Yeon put her hands in the air.

"We do something like an in-game skill assessment. In that assessment, we measured your ability in virtual reality gaming called the VNS. You beat JeonJaPa's VNS score!"

Yu Ha-Yeon suddenly strung her words together. However, a sign with dialogue written by the staff sat across from her.

— Script on!

— Thank you for the staff's efforts.

— Are you reading from a textbook?

— It seems like Almond understood anyways.

Now Almond understood that VNS referred to a player's stat whether it was from reading the sign or hearing Yu Ha-Yeon's explanation.

"So! How do you feel? Do you realize you're a record holder now?"

"But... is this official?"

Sang-Hyeon acted very meticulously when it came to records. He chased world records all his life and needed to be sure whether this one was official or unofficial. If unofficial records were kept, he'd already be a world champion in high school.

"Sorry?"

"I feel like the VNS record is very vague, especially if it's just a test done by Fantasia. I feel like it won't be an official record."

"Ah..."

Yu Ha-Yeon panicked and quickly looked at the staff.

— LOL Yu Ha-Yeon is getting owned!

— She was winning at first, but now it's his battle!

— Hahaha It's so cute to see her panic.

— Why is Almond so specific? Of course, VNS isn't official. It's just for fun.

— It's still meaningful.

— Nope!

— VNS is meaningful, but it's because Fantasia calculates it. You morons!

Yu Ha-Yeon continued the broadcast after hearing some new information, "

Ah

, it's not a record that's officially recognized worldwide because the criteria aren’t specifically set yet."

"So I'm unofficially first."

"

Ahahaha...

That's... that's right. But how does it feel to beat JeonJaPa unofficially?"

Yu Ha-Yeon's expression seemed to say,

?'Now tell me your thoughts!'

Sang-Hyeon responded as if he read her expression, "It's a shame."

"!?"

Another moment of silence passed.

‘A shame? He just beat the record!?’

"It's... a shame? You're number one in the world?!"

"Unofficially, everyone is number one. It's just like how sons are number one to their mothers."

"Uh..."

Words wouldn't come out of her mouth. Despite her many experiences discussing VNS, she didn't know how to respond to Sang-Hyeon’s logic.

— LOL

— His thinking is something else!

— Do you call this being modest? I'm confused, Almond!

— Hahaha!

— My son is number one!

— Son! I'm going to become Almond when I grow up!

Yu Ha-Yeon started turning even redder after reading the chat.

"So, are you disappointed? Because it's unofficial?"

"Not only that."

"Not only that?"

"I'm disappointed because I didn't beat the record in the game."

"In the game? You still tied."

"That's what's disappointing. It was right in front of me."

"Ah..."

Yu Ha-Yeon felt fascinated by him.

'Is he not even a little happy?'

Almond was a beginner in virtual reality games, but he tied with the world's greatest. However, he wasn't one bit happy about it. This fascinated her.

Why was he unhappy despite proving his genius talent? She would’ve been ecstatic if it was her.

Judging from his expression, he was happier when he shot the bow than now.

'What's with his expression?'

She couldn't read his expression well, but could tell it wasn't happiness.

Instead, it looked more like…

'Is he angry?'

He seemed closer to being angry. That's right. He was angry right now! That was baffling. Where did his competitive spirit end?

Yu Ha-Yeon began to grow dizzy. She couldn't understand his logic with the motto,

‘Good is good,’

embedded in her head.

She felt uncomfortable and jealous at the same time. This discomfort was how a prey felt towards their hunter: awareness, awe, and fear.

Naturally, she started to think,

'This person will surpass JeonJaPa someday.'

This person will become the best.

"It must be a shame. You were so close! But you just started playing virtual reality games and you still set the VNS record! Isn't that incredible? Don't you think you'll eventually overcome JeonJaPa?"

Overcoming JeonJaPa sounded like an absurd phrase, but Yu Ha-Yeon was being serious. This man would climb to the top. At least, Yu Ha-Yeon thought so.

What Almond said next confirmed her thoughts.

"It's possible."

His tone sounded calm. He stated that he would become the greatest without intending to brag at all.

— Damn!

— Wow!

— His ambition!

— That's crazy

— King of trash talk, Almond!

— Kumph!

It could've been a provocative statement, but everyone in the studio knew that wasn't his intention.

The aftermath would've been immense if he finished talking. Editors would've twisted his words to make him look bad in public and provoke JeonJaPa's fans.

"Ah…"

Thankfully, Almond hadn’t finished. What he said next became so famous that people forgot his previous words.

"I don't want to talk about the VNS anymore."

"

Huh?

Why?"

"Because the match ended in a tie. It's like getting comforted for having more ball possessions in a soccer match..."

He frowned and felt genuinely displeased.

— Hahahahaha

— Damn!

— Why's he pissed for real? LOL

— The national soccer coach is probably sneezing!

— Why's he suddenly attacking soccer? LOL

— The players are probably like wtf?

— Hahahaha

“Pfft.”?

Even the tense Yu Ha-Yeon burst into laughter. "

Ah

, it was fun to have you, Almond. You'll come back for the next analysis, right?"

"There's... more to analyze?"

"

Hmm…

I think we'll have a lot to do!"

The stream ended as their conversation faded away.

[Stream Over]

Almond's montage began playing like end credits.

All the gaming communities and websites only talked about Almond that day.