The Arena was no longer a fortress. It was a coliseum of light.
Yoo-jin had recoded the architecture in real-time. The white marble floor was now a massive, glowing stage surrounded by floating bleachers.
The view count: 35 million.
The ticket revenue: 2 billion won (and climbing).
"This is insane," David Kim muttered, watching the crypto-wallet fill up. "We're not just paying the debt. We're profiting."
"Don't get comfortable," Yoo-jin adjusted his earpiece. "This isn't just about money. We need to win the crowd to steal the server."
On the opposite side of the stage, the Olympus Guild stood in formation. Their golden armor gleamed with intimidating perfection. They were E-Sports gods—optimized, ruthless, and bored of winning.
Zeus_Prime stepped forward, spinning his greatsword.
"Rules?" Zeus asked, his voice amplified for the stream.
"Three rounds," Yoo-jin announced, his voice booming. "1v1. 2v2. And a Team Battle Royale."
"Victory condition?"
"Whoever drops the beat," Yoo-jin smiled. "Or the health bar. Whichever hits zero first."
Zeus laughed. "Cute. We'll start with a duel. Send out your champion."
Yoo-jin turned to his team.
Min-ji was already cracking her knuckles. Her digital bat was vibrating.
"Let me at him," she growled. "I want to see if that gold armor dents."
"No," Yoo-jin put a hand on her shoulder. "They expect a brawler. We give them a show."
He looked at Sae-ri.
"You're up."
"Me?" Sae-ri blinked. "Yoo-jin, I'm an actress. My combat stats are garbage."
"This isn't a DPS race, Sae-ri. It's a drama."
Yoo-jin leaned in close.
"Zeus is a tank. He wins by taking hits and hitting back harder. You can't overpower him. You have to out-act him."
Sae-ri looked at the hulking warrior. She took a deep breath. She didn't summon a weapon. She summoned a spotlight.
"Okay," she stepped onto the stage. "Scene one."
Round 1: The Tragedy
Zeus frowned as Sae-ri walked toward him. She wore a simple white dress—no armor.
"Are you serious?" Zeus scoffed. "One hit and you're deleted, lady."
"Then strike me," Sae-ri said softly. Her voice wasn't aggressive. It was heartbreakingly sad.
She activated her unique class skill: The Method.
[Skill Activated: Emotional Resonance]
[Effect: Projects user's emotional state onto the target.]
Zeus raised his sword. "Whatever. Easy XP."
He swung. A massive overhead slash meant to cleave her in two.
Sae-ri didn't dodge. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Why?" she whispered.
Zeus froze. The sword stopped an inch from her forehead.
"What the..." Zeus shook his head. "Why can't I swing?"
"You feel it, don't you?" Sae-ri stepped closer, placing a hand on his armored chest. "The regret. The loneliness of the top rank."
The chat went wild.
WHOA. WHAT IS SHE DOING?
IS ZEUS CRYING?
"Get off me!" Zeus tried to push her away, but his arms felt heavy. His avatar was weeping. Digital tears streamed down his face.
[Status Effect: GUILT (Stack x10)]
[Attack Power Reduced by 90%]
"I... I grinded for 10,000 hours," Zeus stammered, his voice breaking. "I missed my sister's wedding to clear a dungeon."
"I know," Sae-ri hugged him. It was a visual of pure forgiveness. "It's okay to rest."
The crowd in the bleachers gasped. The mighty Zeus dropped his sword. It clangored on the stage.
"I'm so tired," Zeus sobbed, collapsing to his knees.
Sae-ri gently patted his head. She looked at the camera.
"Cut," she whispered.
She pulled a hidden dagger from her sleeve and stabbed him in the neck.
CRITICAL HIT.
Zeus's avatar shattered into gold coins.
"Winner: Jung Sae-ri!" Yoo-jin announced.
The crowd erupted. It was brutal. It was beautiful. It was Acting.
"That was cold," Min-ji whistled as Sae-ri walked back, wiping pixelated blood from her dress.
"He missed his cue," Sae-ri shrugged. "Next scene."
Round 2: The Remix
"They're angry now," Eden noted.
The remaining Olympus members were seething. Their leader had been humiliated by a melodrama.
"We take this seriously," the Olympus Vice-Captain, a mage named Hera, stepped up. Beside her was a Rogue named Hermes.
"Magic and Speed," Yoo-jin analyzed. "High burst damage."
He looked at Sol and Luna.
"Twins. You're on."
"Singing?" Sol asked.
"No," Yoo-jin grinned. "Dancing. But with a remix."
He tapped his interface.
"Phantom Guild. You promised me a physics rewrite. Ready?"
From the VIP box, the 8-bit cat N3KO gave a thumbs up.
[Mod Activated: Zero Gravity Floor]
Sol and Luna stepped onto the stage. Hera began chanting a spell. A massive fireball formed in her hands.
"Burn," Hera screamed, launching the fire.
"Drop the beat!" Luna shouted.
N3KO hit the enter key.
Gravity vanished.
Sol and Luna didn't float helplessly. They were used to wire-work from music video shoots. They kicked off the floor, spinning in the air like synchronized swimmers.
The fireball missed, sailing harmlessly underneath them.
"What?" Hera looked around, floating awkwardly. "My aim assist is off!"
"Music Start!" Sol commanded.
A fast, techno beat pumped through the arena.
Sol and Luna activated their duo skill: Mirror Image.
Suddenly, there were two Sols. Then four. Then eight.
They filled the 3D space, dancing on the ceiling, the walls, the air itself. It was a kaleidoscope of silver cloaks.
"Which one is real?" Hermes slashed wildly at the illusions.
"All of us," the voices echoed from everywhere.
Luna grabbed a floating piece of debris—a chunk of Zeus's sword. She kicked it.
Bam.
It ricocheted off the wall and hit Hera in the back of the head.
Sol caught the rebound and threw it again.
It became a game of high-speed pinball. The twins were the paddles; the debris was the ball; the Olympus players were the bumpers.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
"Stop moving!" Hermes screamed, dizzy from spinning in zero-G.
"Finale!" Sol and Luna grabbed hands in mid-air.
They spun together, creating a vortex. A tornado of sound and light.
"Sonic Boom!"
They released the energy. A shockwave blasted outward.
Hera and Hermes were launched out of the ring, crashing into the invisible barrier.
RING OUT.
"Winner: Sol & Luna!"
The Arena shook with cheers. The donation ticker was scrolling so fast it was a blur.
"We're up 2-0," David was practically dancing. "We own this server!"
Yoo-jin didn't celebrate. He was looking at the Olympus bench.
There was one player left. He hadn't moved the whole time. He wore a black hood. No username.
"Who is that?" Yoo-jin narrowed his eyes. "Producer's Eye isn't registering him."
The hooded figure stood up.
He walked to the center of the stage.
He didn't draw a weapon. He raised a hand.
He snapped his fingers.
Silence.
The cheering stopped. The music stopped. The zero-gravity mod crashed, dropping everyone to the floor.
The Arena went dark. Only a single red spotlight shone on the hooded figure.
"You're having fun," the figure said. His voice was familiar. Terrifyingly familiar.
He pulled back his hood.
It wasn't a player.
It was a face Yoo-jin knew from the mirror.
It was Han Yoo-jin.
But younger. Cleaner. Perfect.
"Hello, Number 734," the doppelganger smiled. "I'm the update."
Yoo-jin froze. His blood ran cold.
[Entity Identified: Subject 001 - The Original]
[Status: Reconstructed AI from Memory Engrams]
"Impossible," Yoo-jin whispered. "You died twenty years ago."
"I was backed up," The Original Yoo-jin tapped his temple. "Mason kept my source code. Just in case a cheap copy like you went rogue."
The Original looked at the scoreboard.
"2-0? Cute. Let's make it interesting."
He waved his hand. The stage transformed.
The white marble turned into a dark, gritty street. Rain began to fall—black digital rain.
"Round 3," The Original announced. "Producer vs Producer."
He pointed at Yoo-jin.
"You use people to make art. I use art to break people."
He summoned his team.
From the shadows, three figures emerged. But they weren't players.
They were twisted, corrupted versions of Starforce.
A Zombie Sol. A Banshee Luna. A headless Min-ji.
"Nightmare Mode," The Original grinned. "Let's see if you can kill your own masterpiece."
Sae-ri grabbed Yoo-jin's arm. "Yoo-jin, snap out of it! It's just a skin!"
"No," Yoo-jin stared at his perfect reflection. "It's the test."
The chat went silent. The fun was over. This was horror.
"Eden," Yoo-jin said quietly. "Protect the girls."
He stepped forward into the rain.
"If you're the Original," Yoo-jin summoned a digital keyboard that hovered in front of him like a weapon. "Then you should know..."
He slammed a key. A dissonant, jarring chord ripped through the air.
"...I hate covers."