Ex Rank Supporting Role's Replay in a Prestigious School
Chapter 822: Countermeasure (5)

Although Dokgo Miro had mentioned several times that he was undergoing vocal training for a project, I never imagined he was participating in the OST production for this god-tier game.

It seemed like the training wasn’t yielding results as quickly as he had hoped, but hearing a sound that seemed to open up his ears, it seemed his hard work had paid off.

Dokgo Miro carried the song solely with his voice, with no accompaniment or lyrics.

‘Plamago didn’t mention anything about vocal tracks for the in-game music. If there was such a song, it would’ve been mentioned at least once.’

True to being a god-tier game, they had paid attention to the OST, but if I recall correctly, there were no vocal tracks.

Something had clearly changed because of Dokgo Miro’s presence.

Could it be that, after seeing the Player Survival Program playlist, the developers decided to add a vocal track?

Since SZ Games is a Korean game company, it’s entirely possible.

‘Besides, the main characters in this game are players. They probably wanted to capture the voice of a player.’

This god-tier game depicts the challenges, adventures, competitions, and battles of players heading to another world.

It would make sense for the main theme song to be sung by a player.

As I listened to Dokgo Miro’s clear and powerful high notes, the logo of SZ Games appeared in my mind.

Below the logo, a small notice appeared.

―This video was created with the consent of users who participated in the closed beta test.

Does the game trailer include videos or voices of users?

As I was thinking about this, Dokgo Miro’s vocals stopped, and the sound of wind could be heard.

On screen, high-quality in-game graphics showcasing the background scrolled by.

In every scene, newly summoned players in the new world were looking around in awe.

Then, the screen shifted.

―The Blue Valley at Twilight, The First Raid.

A subtitle appeared at the bottom, followed by what seemed to be voice chat from users using the in-game voice feature.

[How much time is left until midnight?]

[About 5 minutes and 30 seconds.]

[Let’s double-check. At 11:58, we’ll enter the boss room and start spamming Gwangrim continuously.]

The screen brightened, and the in-game scene appeared.

It seemed to be a recording of a device game screen.

In the game, the 3D model of the raid leader pointed to the minimap and gave a pre-raid order.

The raid leader was planning to use the fact that Gwangrim would be available again at midnight to spam it in rapid succession and defeat the boss in one go.

The raid leader, trying to relieve the tension of a nervous raid member, quickly finished the briefing.

‘The first raid team to conquer the Blue Valley at Twilight was ranked number one in the entire server, if I remember correctly...’

As I racked my brain for the memory, the raid leader calmly gave the command.

[We’re going in.]

The screen showed the players charging forward, and the scene lit up with light.

The screen shifted again.

This time, it wasn’t a cooperative PVE mode but a team PVP mode in progress.

―The Chains of Purgatory Arena, The Final Round.

[Stop the fight, stop! Don’t bother with the minions. They’re summoning lava again on the other side, take out the Lava Mage first!]

[I think I’m going to die. Where’s the support? Can we use Barrier Magic?]

[It’s too far! I can’t get there. Use an item. No, just fall back.]

[Stay calm, it’s not too late. Our points are still high.]

As many players clashed in the arena, chaos ensued.

Well, it appeared chaotic, but in reality, the situation was being steered by one team’s meticulous tactics.

The opposing team communicated using telepathy skills, playing with their enemies.

[As expected, they’ll probably come after the Lava Mage soon, right?]

[Once they do, I’ll switch positions with the Berserker using a Switch skill, and when the Berserker provokes with Gwangrim, we’ll wipe them out.]

Even though they ordered a suicidal tactic, the Berserker responded with a hearty laugh, showing no complaints.

He chose victory for the team over personal survival.

[Got it!]

The in-game scene changed a few more times.

Players taking screenshots against scenic landscapes after customizing their avatars, trading leisurely as merchants, and others excavating ruins and naming them after themselves all appeared briefly.

The trailer was filled with images of players thoroughly enjoying the game that the developers had poured their hearts into.

From these scenes, the vast world, high quality, freedom, and immersion of the game were evident.

What was most striking was that these scenes weren’t CGI or voice acting by professionals, but rather created by regular users.

The trailer neared its end.

―The Harbor City of Ascent, The Otherworld Defense Battle.

The subtitles appeared as usual, but this scene was from a different viewpoint.

Up until now, the characters had been viewed in shoulder perspective or from a distance, surveying the map, but this time it was a complete first-person view.

It gave the feeling of actually entering the game.

‘This isn’t a device game screen. This is a full-dive version using a VR device.’

In the full-dive version, more detailed controls are possible compared to the device version, but the view is much narrower, making it harder and requiring more focus.

It’s a mode that wasn’t commonly used at first, but to use it during a high-difficulty battle like the Otherworld Defense, the person must be a serious game enthusiast.

Whoever it was, they were clearly a dedicated gamer.

[Another floor master has appeared! Approaching from the 7 o’clock position!]

[Two of them? Can we take them down? The Otherworld Defense is moving too quickly!]

[Ah... we barely broke the boss room’s barrier...]

The situation was dire.

The voice chat was briefly interrupted by despair-filled sighs.

Then, the player in the first-person view, presumably the main character, spoke for the first time.

[We’re going to be wiped out. I’ll hold them off. You go take down the boss.]

When I heard that voice, I nearly gasped.

The player on the screen was Yu Sang-hoon!

Yu Sang-hoon’s gameplay footage was used in the trailer! The identity of the game addict was Yu Sang-hoon!

While I was still in shock, the video continued playing.

[You’re going to hold them off by yourself?]

[Yes, stop the boss before I die.]

While saying this, Yu Sang-hoon opened the settings and switched the targeting mode from automatic to manual.

In automatic mode, pressing the skill button targets and fires at enemies, but in full-dive, switching to manual mode makes it almost like physically fighting, raising the difficulty significantly.

‘But in that situation, I would’ve made the same choice.’

The higher the difficulty, the better the character’s performance if I could overcome it.

Yu Sang-hoon knew that, which is why he made that choice.

[...Let’s go!]

The raid members rushed forward towards the boss room, leaving Yu Sang-hoon behind.

And then began Yu Sang-hoon’s desperate battle alone.

[Check debuffs. Someone has 4 poison stacks. We’ll brief you if it reaches 5.]

[Axe with instant-death curse incoming! Watch out for the axe!]

[Poison mist is blocking the view! I can’t see, where’s the axe? Use purification skills!]

[You’re only at 3 stacks, hold on. Your position is safe. Keep spamming your attack skills in the 2 o’clock direction.]

[If this takes too long, the shield bearer is going to die. Keep the damage cycle up!]

[We’re almost there. Focus. Stay sharp to the end!]

While the raid members’ voices could be heard frantically chatting, Yu Sang-hoon held off the floor masters.

The screen Yu Sang-hoon was looking at slowly turned red and dark.

As the character neared death, the focus on the screen started to blur, but Yu Sang-hoon didn’t give up.

At the moment when the floor master raised his sword toward the staggering Yu Sang-hoon:

Fwoosh!

The enemies before him turned into particles of light and disappeared in an instant.

Yu Sang-hoon had succeeded in defeating the boss enemy targeting the harbor city’s Otherworld transformation.

The sun rose from across the sea, and joyous voices rang out.

[Clear! We did it!]

[Really...? We did it?]

[We proved that this could be cleared!]

[We did it!]

Among the jubilant players, there was also Yu Sang-hoon, the shield bearer who had been alone, fighting against two floor masters in a near-death state.

A message confirming Yu Sang-hoon’s major contribution appeared, and the raid members could be seen rushing to welcome him.

As the screen grew brighter, it switched, and once again, Dokgo Miro’s voice was heard.

When the song ended, the sound effect of a “thud!” played, followed by the game’s slogan and title.

―Respect and victory to the players

―PlayerZ

The name of this god-tier game was ‘PlayerZ’, also referred to as ‘플젯’ (Pjet) or simply ‘피젯’ (Pjet).

It was a surprising moment to see two students from our school appearing in the trailer for PlayerZ, the biggest success in player-centered media.

Instead of basking in the lingering feelings, I first sent a message to Dokgo Miro.

After expressing my compliments and thoughts, Dokgo Miro sent a relieved reply.

Perhaps I was the first person to receive this link from Dokgo Miro.

[Me] I want to hear the full version too.

[Dokgo Miro] I’ll let you know when the full version is released.

[Me] Okay.

[Me] Is it okay if I send this link to the class?

[Dokgo Miro] Sure, go ahead.

Rather than sending the link directly, it seemed less awkward for a third party who gave a positive review to share it.

Since Dokgo Miro approved, I decided to send this link to the class.

I also sent it to someone outside the class.

[Me] (Link)

[Jang Nam-wook] Yishin, what’s this link? I’ll check it out.

[Jang Nam-wook] Oh? This is the trailer for the game PlayerZ that Sang-hoon was playing. Looks like the open beta test is coming soon. A lot of the cadets are waiting for it. Are you interested in this game too?

[Me] Just watch it first.

[Jang Nam-wook] Okay, I’ll check it out.

Although I wasn’t uninterested in the game, the reason I posted it in this chat was because of Yu Sang-hoon.

Jang Nam-wook, who immediately recognized Yu Sang-hoon’s voice, was amazed.

[Jang Nam-wook] That was Sang-hoon at the end! Sang-hoon, was that really you?

[Yu Sang-hoon] Yes.

[Jang Nam-wook] Wow, that control mode looks really hard. I can’t even imagine how long you’ve played to get that good.

He started with praise, but Jang Nam-wook’s nagging about being a game addict continued.

It seemed that Yu Sang-hoon had done poorly on the written exam, but his mind still seemed full of that game.

‘His practical exam score seemed to have gone up, though.’

I believed that playing this game had improved Yu Sang-hoon’s skills in handling his abilities.

I know that many players eventually use PlayerZ to practice their skills, just like how some people use driving simulators with specialized controllers.

This game would likely become more popular with those who admired players, rather than the players themselves.

‘Of course, there will be people who criticize it because they don’t like that.’

Even though PlayerZ is a fantasy game set in another world, there will always be those who are uncomfortable with the popular trend of games that involve players and otherworldly conquest elements.

However, when there are FPS games, movies, and dramas based on actual wars, the obsession with PlayerZ can only be explained by people being jealous of its success.

Regardless of these noises, PlayerZ was set to achieve great success.

A few days after the PlayerZ open beta test trailer was released.

On the way to the 1st-quarter student representative meeting.

“Mi-ro’s song, right? The student council members have asked me a few times if there’s a full version. They’re all really looking forward to it.”

Kim Yoori brought up Dokgo Miro’s song.

Dokgo Miro’s voice had received positive reviews and excited his existing fans.

However, unfortunately, the general public had not focused on Dokgo Miro.

Compared to the overall length, Dokgo Miro’s song was very short, and most attention was on the trailer’s structure, content, the users who appeared, and the game itself.

‘Still, it’s a huge opportunity.’

Participating in such a massive project always leads to great opportunities.

I just hope that Dokgo Miro grabs this chance well.

While talking, Kim Yoori suddenly checked her device and stopped.

“...Yishin, do you want to stop by the gym for a bit?”

The student representative meeting was about to start, so why the sudden detour?

My question was answered when I saw the hologram she showed me.

In the hologram, Han-yi and Jin Jeong-muk were seen warming up for a duel.