The broadcast staff were waiting out of sight and there were hidden cameras, but the only thing visible to me was the self-cam I was holding. It was a lone testament to the casual vibe of the shoot.
Perhaps this laid-back feeling was akin to the filming of Graduating, where one could easily forget they were on a set at all. Could it be because Ji-Hyuk naturally embodied a free-spirited persona whenever he was on air?
‘I remember that he was once nicknamed 'the free spirit.'
Anyway, Ji-Hyuk was intently waiting at the reception desk for our food. This made me forcefully drag him to our designated spots once it was ready. I hadn't noticed during our time on the competition program, but it seemed he had transformed into a leader who was often on the receiving end of the members' playful scolding after his debut.
“They will notify us or bring out the food once it's ready. Let's dive into the game for now."
“Got it. So this is One Hours," Ji-Hyuk muttered. His fingers tapped haphazardly at the game's start screen before he stumbled into the character selection menu.
“Hyun-Woo, have you played this before?"
“Yes, it's been a while since I last played though. Do you have a preference for a class? You can choose from here."
“But I thought I already had a character. Why isn't it showing?"
“Oh, really?"
Classic Ji-Hyuk. He seemed to care about nothing else and had probably had a trial run with the game already. I was initially worried he might not grasp the gameplay fully, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.
I took control of the mouse at Ji-Hyuk's computer and began searching for the alleged pre-made character by toggling through different servers.
“It's probably on a different server. What class did you pick before? We could just continue with that."
“Ah, um... Hyun-Woo..."
“Yes?"
Ji-Hyuk, who until then had been all smiles, suddenly had a look of consternation on his face. He appeared genuinely troubled, as if my suggestion was less than welcome. When I paused my search and turned to face him fully, he shook his head resolutely. “I am not going to continue with that class."
“Oh? It doesn’t really matter, though. Wouldn’t sticking with what you’re familiar with make things easier, especially if we are tackling tough raids?"
“No, I feel like I am just terrible at that class." Ji-Hyuk pouted and mimed tears in a display so dramatic it seemed fit for the stage. I always thought he'd excel in theater or musicals. “But I tried it because our youngest insisted I should... and then..."
“And then?"
“I got kicked out after a torrent of harsh words... I am not sure what I did wrong, but the insults were quite severe. They were directed squarely at me."
Swearing? One Hours was reputed to be newbie-friendly, which was a stark contrast to its earlier days of player attrition. When I had signed back in after a long hiatus, the community’s warmth was palpable. I was immediately drive-by gifted(an initiation where older players gift items to a newbie before disappearing).
Newbies, even those who jumped levels via purchases, were clearly marked with 'newbie' next to their nickname. Therefore, it was uncommon for them to face harsh treatment.
“What happened, ah..."
The answer became clear the moment I accessed Ji-Hyuk's character setup. His character was pre-leveled to nearly max with perfectly suitable equipment, and shouldn't have had any issues. Jumping users were basically provided with max-level equipment, and it seemed that the members of High Tension had helped set up the gear.
The problem was his choice of character’s class.
“Ji-Hyuk hyung, did you actually enter a dungeon or raid?"
“Yeah, I tried out a raid in preparation, you know?"
“What did you do there?"
“I did what you are supposed to do. Attack and dodge, right? I even studied strategies beforehand because of what our youngest said."
“..."
The thought alone sent a chill through me. Even a newbie healer who neglected to heal and focused solely on attacking in a max-level raid was bound to face criticism.
Fortunately, this incident hadn't escalated to a public forum post since he was a newbie.
“This class is a bit challenging. It requires managing not just your own health but also that of other players. It involves a lot of movement. Do you like using magic wands?"
- We won't head to our main target just yet.
- Today, we are tackling the Dark Citadel raid, a must-clear for any seasoned One Hours player.
The Dark Citadel used to be a notorious raid five years ago perceived as end-game content, infamous for its punishing mechanics that drove many players to despair. However, thanks to general equipment and skill level improvements, as well as nerfs[1] to the raid difficulty over the years, it had become a moderately challenging introductory raid for new players.
- Let's give it a go and see how we do.
- That sounds great!
- This will be fun^^
- I am not the best, but I will give it my all!
- Shall we head there right away?
Everyone agreed to dive in immediately. I hurriedly assembled the party and hovered the mouse over the raid start button.
- Is everyone ready?
- Yesss!!!
- Yep
- Go go go go go!
- Then let's get started!
I clicked the raid entry button and cast a quick glance at Ji-Hyuk. Despite his efforts to appear relaxed, his tension was palpable. It was likely a hangover from his previous nerve-wracking experience as a healer in a raid.
“Hyung, it’s okay to die. Just relax and do your best."
“Yeah, I know, I know. But I will try my hardest anyway."
Although he feigned nonchalance, I wondered if we'd manage to see the raid through, given that it was still similar to the ones back five years. Ji-Hyuk was among the least experienced of us, and although some in the group were in their forties, one reportedly still enjoyed MMORPGs and had spoken during a pre-interview about investing heavily in the game. They might have more gaming acumen than I did.
...But, as usual, reality often strayed from expectations.
- Uh oh, I’m dead, oof
- Why did you die, hyung?
- Sorry, my bad.
- I don’t know why I died.
- Why did you die?
- lol, everyone but the tank and healer died.
The dragon's four consecutive breaths in Phase One had been devastating. Despite clear markers for safe zones, the dragon's fiery breath had sequentially knocked down the ranged damage dealers.
I looked around and realized it was just the tank and I left standing.
- Should we restart?
The tank responded:
- No, no. You, the healer, is still alive. We should be fine, I think.
- Let's keep going^^
1. Certain aspects of the game have been made less challenging, either by decreasing the strength of enemies, simplifying mechanics, or making other adjustments to make the game more accessible and less demanding for players. ☜