Episode 180
“Then, shall we go check the basics of imaging next?”
Imaging.
A term used in virtual reality.
It mainly refers to the act of moving a new body that doesn’t exist in reality or an intangible special energy.
Naturally, this feels a bit different from what you’d normally think, but since it’s not quite the same as moving your body either, the word came about because there was no other way to refer to it.
And the biggest influence on this imaging is not imagination.
It’s the assimilation rate.
-Gasp ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
-That controversial topic is here
-It’s not controversial, what bullshit is that
-Anyway it’s controversial lol
-So how does the streamer have an assimilation rate of 10??
-Ah lol, he says he hits better in reality, right?
-For real, can he actually use a sword well in real life? I’m so curious
-Lololol I think it might just be a display error with the assimilation rate
Even though Seojun had verified it, it was a topic viewers were still curious about.
Since these comments appeared every game.
[Really lol, is his assimilation rate actually low? Unbelievable.]
[He’s just bluffing!]
[He properly verified it, you idiots]
[Whatever lol, how the hell is he so good]
Most of the play Seojun showed had few elements related to imaging.
Of course, even using skills could be considered imaging, but its influence was minimal, so it was somewhat understandable.
Nevertheless, the reason such talk came up.
[The only counterexample to the belief that a high assimilation rate is necessary to be good at the game! Support!]
-Your assimilation rate’s low, isn’t it?
└Caught me? (commenter)
-He’s not the only counterexample, but
└For cases that are extremely low, under 20, honestly he’s the only one lol (commenter)
└I admit that
Because that perception is ingrained.
Why is that perception so ingrained?
There’s no special reason.
Because it’s generally true. If you grab a good player and ask their assimilation rate, it’s high.
“How do you check the basics of imaging?”
Rumi raised her hand and asked.
“Well, first we should start by hearing your assimilation rate, right? Everyone, what’s your assimilation rate?”
“It’s 10.”
Seojun confidently announced first.
For reference, there was no one here who didn’t know Seojun’s assimilation rate.
-lolololol
-That bastard might really be bluffing lol, he’s talking as if he’s proud of it?
-Saying he looks proud is a bit harsh lol, seems like he just doesn’t care?
-As expected of the streamer
“Well, that’s Seojun hyung. What about the others?”
“I’m about 78.”
Wind Sword said.
“Oh! That’s really high!”
“Haha. Still, compared to the coach……”
Most pro players reveal their assimilation rate without burden.
Because it’s not important. Having a high rate doesn’t win you the match.
Of course, it’s true that a high rate gives you some inexplicable confidence.
And if it’s high, there’s no real reason not to disclose it.
“Was it 98?”
Seojun said, searching his memory. He hadn’t heard it from Lee Dong-soo, but thought he’d seen it on the community.
“Haha. That’s right.”
Lee Dong-soo scratched his head with a very humble expression.
-Kyah!
-98 lol, insane
-This is real talent
-Those blessed bastards with over 90 all went pro without exception lol
-Jealous!
-Streamer, being jealous means you lose
Seojun read the chat and let out a scoff.
“Why would I be jealous, everyone.”
As long as he could play the game, that was enough.
-But streamer, you should be a bit jealous
-Ah lol, he says even 10 is enough
“What about the rest?”
“It’s 56.”
“Alpaca hyung is average. What about you, noona?”
“47!”
Likewise, average.
“Yunho hyung?”
“It’s 80.”
At that moment, the gazes of Seojun, Lee Dong-soo, and Wind Sword all turned to Ha Yunho, who had just stated his assimilation rate.
They were all hearing Ha Yunho’s assimilation rate for the first time.
“Really?”
It was a considerably high figure.
No, it was tremendously high.
Pros like Lee Dong-soo were special cases, but 80 was top-tier among ordinary people.
Rumi, Alpaca, and the viewers, who already knew, clicked their tongues.
-Lol, everyone denied it at first… but that guy Ha Yunho used it as content and completely proved it…
-My points that I lost back then…
-The donations gathered like a spirit bomb. Seriously, who’d believe a Bronze player has 80?
-For real lol
-If the two of them swapped, it’d be perfect
-But Yunho fits his rate, while the streamer honestly should have over 100, he beat pros
-But training grounds have little to do with assimilation rate
“Haha. This team has two special cases… That’s rather good.”
Lee Dong-soo thought for a moment and said.
“Huh? What’s rather good about it? So there’s still plenty of room for me to improve, right!”
Ha Yunho said that familiar line again.
A hint of his desperation for skill was visible.
But unfortunately.
“No? I just said it’s good as a nice example that assimilation rate has limits in judging talent. You don’t need to cling to assimilation rate. Well, high is good, but you don’t need to set limits just because it’s not high.”
“Grrr.”
Lee Dong-soo looked warmly at Ha Yunho.
The team members’ gazes naturally alternated between Seojun and Ha Yunho.
And they nodded.
“Looking at Seojun-nim and Yunho-nim, I clearly realized that assimilation rate is just a mirage.”
“No, that’s a bit offensive, Alpaca-nim.”
“Thank you! Team leader!”
“I said it’s offensive! And Wind Sword-nim, your rate is only 2 off from mine!”
“Yunho! I gain hope from you!”
“Agh!”
-lol
-I gained hope too!
-Yeah, but if it’s high, they’re good, right?
-Ah, whatever lol
-Alright, then let’s properly check it out
-The second one, you don’t even need to see, right?
* * *
They entered The League.
After that, they were invited to Lee Dong-soo’s Memory Tower.
Memory Tower. The Hall of Heroes.
It’s the lobby, shop, training ground, and event venue of the game The League.
That’s right. It’s just The League’s client.
Anyway.
“Hyung-nims, you’ve heard the famous saying about assimilation rate: ‘Assimilation rate is how well you can move in virtual reality as if it were reality.’”
“Yes.”
“That saying didn’t come out of nowhere. In the end, assimilation rate is about the loss in information sent from the brain and the capsule.”
“Ah, is that so?”
-Oh
-First time hearing that!
-He’s just overreacting with info that comes up even on iTube
-Then you go search it on iTube instead of Dong-soo lol
-For real lol
“Of course, I don’t know the details either. It’s complicated and I just don’t know. Well, the science guys will figure it out.”
Seojun was impressed. This guy. He’s good at broadcasting, isn’t he?
-For real lol
-Please make a wireless Bluetooth showerhead, science guys!
-What’s a Bluetooth showerhead?
-It’s one that sprays water without a hose!
-Lol, liberal arts guy, are you crazy?
“Anyway, I said it’s a loss, but ultimately it means the brain and the capsule don’t match well. The cause is still unknown. That amazing Surface is researching it, so let’s wait for the science guys. Anyway, the important thing is that it’s true that higher assimilation rate leads to better imaging. Because information is transmitted more smoothly.”
True. That’s why Seojun lacked confidence regarding imaging.
Seven years ago, just to use a skill, he had to amplify his thoughts by doing actions equivalent to imaging.
‘Well, that was fun too, though.’
Anyway, as Lee Dong-soo said, the cause is unknown.
“So what I’m going to check now from the team hyungs and noona is that very test of how well you can do imaging relative to your assimilation rate!”
The Memory Tower was structured with the middle wide open so you could see the ceiling, and you could ascend a sloping path attached to the wall in a spiral.
In other words, most of the space was embedded in the walls, not the center of the tower.
The spiral ramp for going up.
Next to the starting point on the first floor wall was a training ground.
Then Lee Dong-soo passed the training ground and began to climb the tower.
They followed.
As they went up, a space they could enter appeared.
That place was an exhibition hall.
The weapons and armor of heroes belonging to each faction were displayed.
The place they had just passed was the exhibition hall where heroes related to the God of Light were gathered.
Kael’s sword had briefly caught Seojun’s eye.
Soon.
After passing four rooms, when the fifth room appeared, Lee Dong-soo entered it.
It was the fifth room, so the fifth floor.
“Is this for the unaffiliated?”
“That’s right.”
It was a room related to heroes who had no affiliation.
“We came to see this orb. Well, you all probably guessed.”
Lee Dong-soo figured they had all probably guessed since this morning when he said they’d test the basics of imaging.
Because most people test imaging through this.
However.
“What is it?”
Seojun was consistent.
“Ah. Then I’ll explain this too. Among the heroes, there’s a guy named Id. He’s a hero who uses this orb as a weapon.”
The orb inside the display case was shining brightly.
The surface of the orb, about the size of an apple, was a perfect sphere and looked ordinary, but inside, some mechanical devices were interlocked and turning.
[Abandoned Automaton Id]
“Id’s skill is summoning these orbs, and he can summon up to four at once. But summoning these orbs is quite difficult. As you can see, the inside is a bit complex, and you have to perfectly implement that.”
Ah.
“So you’re testing how many can be summoned at once using imaging?”
“Well, it goes further than that. Do you know about the special tests each hero has?”
“Ah.”
“Oh? You know?”
“No.”
-The streamer is a baby! He knows nothing!
-Ah, that’s right
-lol
-Since he didn’t get caught as Magical Girl, he doesn’t prepare anymore, it pisses me off
To be precise, he had heard of it but didn’t know well, so he needed an explanation.
“In The League, each hero has simple tests like mini-games.”
“Simple tests?”
“Yes. For example, for Kael, it might be how many seconds it takes to cut 20 vital points when fighting Kael’s afterimage. You do something like that, and the system records it and ranks it. Only the essential abilities for each hero. Simply.”
“What do they do by recording that?”
“If you’re the highest, Surface picks you up.”
“Oh?”
“Many parts of The League’s lore and past aren’t revealed. Do you know why?”
“No.”
“Because they were never set in the first place.”
What is that supposed to mean?
“The past of The League is created by the users.”
Hmm. It seems like a more detailed explanation is needed.
-No, streamer, at least learn the lore
-For real lol
-In my opinion, the streamer is a story-skipper. Skips the tutorial, skips the story, lol
-Lololol but skipping the story is unacceptable
“For example, if a past conflict between the God of Light and some country on the continent is to be revealed this year.”
“If it’s revealed?”
“Surface picks representatives of the related heroes, brings them even in reality, and directly throws them into that conflict. Dozens of users at once. As their respective heroes.”
Ah.
“And then they watch the outcome those users produce. Who wins. Or if the conflict is resolved. Based on that, the next year’s patch notes change. Things like new heroes or new skins. And the way to select those representatives is precisely……”
“These simple special tests, right?”
“Yes. The related event hasn’t opened yet, but the test can be done anytime. The record is saved. If you’re first place now, and if Id is involved in the next event, then hyung will be the representative.”
-Literally, the past isn’t set yet lol, because the users have to fight
-Schrodinger’s League ㄷㄷ
-Let’s go with Cat League, cats are good
-A game where the story isn’t made by the company or characters, but actually created by the users ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
-The competition rate for those simple rankings is insane. Competing globally lol
-Ah lol, if the God of Light side comes out in the next event, streamer is definitely confirmed since he has Kael
-But if the streamer becomes the representative and enters the event, I’m worried the League story will go completely off the rails lol
Dozens of users fight, and depending on the outcome, history is decided.
-During the event period, Surface provides lodging and meals to the representatives!
-Actually, they’re just summoned to control information lol
-Kidnapping + confinement + game lol, that’s a weird combination
“So then.”
“Yes.”
“What happens if you rank first in two heroes?”
“Uh…….”
Such a case had never happened before.
In the first place, people all over the world compete for those rankings. It’s hard enough to focus on just one hero, but aiming for two and ranking first in both? That’s absurd.
“If I wipe out the heroes on the opposite side of the hero I want and don’t show up, can I win easily? Just curious.”
But.
-You crazy bastard lol
-Streamer seems to want to be cursed worldwide now lol
-Ah lol, he’s going to prevent the opponents from even showing up lol
-As expected. The god of warfare who wins without fighting!
-You think Surface would let that slide? lol
Why does it sound plausible?
“Just stop it!”