True to its name, Speed Mode queued almost instantly—less than 30 seconds—and I was matched. During the one-minute wait, I loosened up, moving my body in every direction. If I didn't do this, I had a strange feeling my body wouldn't move the way I wanted.
By the time I finished warming up, Speed Mode had started, and I jumped out of the plane.
'It's a small map anyway, no need to start somewhere big.'
The viewers, however, reacted differently. They probably expected me to land somewhere large.
―Landing immediately?
―Trying to throw the game?
―There's a first-place mission—why farm in a small village?
―He's been at this a long time, so he must have a plan.
―I thought we'd fight immediately, but looks like we won't.
Viewers watching for dopamine naturally wanted action, deaths, and exciting moments. Of course, I liked those thrilling fights too, but chasing dopamine doesn't pay the bills. The first-place mission on the first try meant I had to play cautiously. Fifteen thousand won wasn't something you find lying around, and this broadcast was ultimately work.
"I'll focus, so I won't be paying attention to chat for now."
I said that and immediately ran into a small house. It had no second floor—just the first, with maybe two rooms. I grabbed the weapon in the living room: a revolver and special revolver ammo. A type that sometimes spawns here.
'If this is here…'
I reloaded from memory and left the house without looting the other two rooms. When a revolver appeared in the living room, the other rooms rarely had anything worthwhile. Better to move quickly to the next house. I skipped the mid-sized houses along the way as well.
'Should be time to come out soon…'
Running on my own legs rather than pressing W made the distance feel longer. I reached my destination and entered the building—a mid-sized apartment complex. A fight had already occurred, so the building was relatively easy to enter.
'Right-hand room on the third floor.'
I retraced my memory and prayed it hadn't been looted. Inside, I immediately picked up the weapon: an M416—an assault rifle known as "MP" or "엠포." Easy for beginners, yet preferred by experienced players.
'Could've been another gun, but luck's on my side.'
High chance for an M416 to spawn, but without luck, it could have been a useless weapon. Experience suggested the M416 usually spawns, though. I loaded it and kept moving. With no attachments yet, the damage wasn't great—I could still lose in a straight fight.
Bang!
While moving, gunfire suddenly erupted nearby. Bullets ricocheted and sparks flew.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue and rolled to cover. Five potential angles could have fired at me; I couldn't tell where the shot came from. I rolled and continued looting, cautious of my new surroundings.
Click, click!
I attached any parts I found immediately. I'd never done this before, but the game mechanics allowed me to attach them instantly.
Tat-tat-tat!
I moved again, now with attachments, but bullets still came my way. This time, I could identify their origin.
"Judging by the bullet trajectory… rooftop."
I murmured and headed up the stairs to the roof.
―How does he know?
―Is he hacking? No, how does he know?
―Played a few rounds yesterday, but even then it's hard to track bullets.
―How does this guy know?
―Capsule game, so can't be hacks—how does he know everything?
The chat was full of confusion about my awareness, but I had no time to explain. My target would be moving to find me, so I needed to strike first. Luckily, no bullets came while I climbed the stairs. Once on the roof, I readied my weapon and opened the door.
"Huh?"
A startled voice sounded, and I fired without hesitation.
Tat-tat-tat!
Muzzle flashes, bullets flying. One burst wasn't enough to kill; the opponent rolled expertly, evading most shots. I adjusted aim, but they moved faster.
'A veteran.'
Knowing the angles suggested PC-era experience, and the movements confirmed it. I calmly ducked back into the stairwell I had entered from. The roof had no cover; a straight-on fight would be disadvantageous.
'Why is a veteran in my queue? Shouldn't the first match be low MMR?'
I reloaded and reorganized. To me, this complaint was natural—but the viewers reacted differently.
―Looks like he doesn't know he imported his PC records.
―First match, high MMR, he's probably frustrated.
―Can't send someone with a master record to beginner zones.
―The MMR's too high for him, but…
―Not used to it yet, he'll be back in form soon.
―Just watching him play, you can feel the veteran vibe.
As viewers speculated, I stayed focused.
'Huff…'
Exhaling calmly, I opened the door and rolled, widening my angle to slow their aim. It worked, though the delay was minimal. In a high-skill fight, short bursts decide the outcome.
Tat-tat! Tat-tat!
Two gunshots rang simultaneously. I moved right and left while firing; the opponent rolled, dodging continuously. A brutal duel continued until we both reloaded after 30 seconds.
Bang!
We were both reloading—not firing. That meant a third party had acted. The opponent in front fell—sniped! Speed Mode rarely uses sniper rifles, but they exist.
I lunged toward the door I had just kicked open.
Bang!
Almost simultaneously, another shot rang out. I was inside the door, but one leg wasn't.
Thunk!
HP dropped. In real life, the shock would've been unbearable. I quickly used a medkit from my backpack, restoring health just in time.
"Crazy… a sniper at this high MMR."
I muttered, and chaos erupted again—the earlier firefight reignited.
'Stay here, and I die.'
The spot was visible from other angles. With my HP nearly full, I moved. The M416 had already been looted, so there was no reason to linger. I moved to exit the apartment complex. Luckily, everyone was focused on fighting; slipping out now would be safe.
'Or so I thought…'
―Timing's brutal.
―How did the safe zone pick that spot?
―What a shame.
―Yep~ no chance at first place.
The reason for our reactions was simple:
[The first safe zone is shrinking.]
True to its name, Speed Mode shrinks zones fast, with heavy damage and short intervals. The safe zone was small, and unfortunately, the apartment I was in was in the shrinking area. Leaving meant instant death, so I returned to the apartment.
'How many survivors are left?'
I checked. The previous firefight had reduced numbers.
"Fifteen…"
The apartment was large, but with 15 players, fights would never stop. Like this:
Tat-tat!
Gunfire erupted from below—someone aiming at me. Fortunately, the bullets missed. I raised my M416 and fired blindly at the source.
Tat-tat-tat!
I could see the target below but couldn't pinpoint their exact position, so I sprayed. Moving a bit could give me a clear shot, but that would expose me. Each mistake mattered, so spraying was safer.
"Alright."
The spray paid off:
['Miaping' has died.]
The kill log confirmed it. No other gunfire suggested I was the one who killed them. I went down, avoiding being targeted from above again. I looted the body, taking attachments and healing items, then moved immediately. Staying put was dangerous. I continued looting while the others fought.
"Five players left… the circle's getting tight."
As expected, the system announced:
[The safe zone is shrinking for the second time.]