Chapter 72 of Season 1 of The Genius Archer's Streaming

Chapter 26: Record (1)

"There's nothing wrong."

It was only after an hour-long examination that these words were finally heard. Sanghyun finally got up.

He had been tied up like a prisoner, so every part of his body was numb.

"Thank goodness."

Phew.

Joo-hyuk let out a sigh of relief from beside him.

Director Oh and the supervisor were the same. They seemed to have had a big argument earlier, but now they appeared to have reconciled.

"Why are you all gathered here like this? There was nothing really wrong."

Joo-hyuk immediately reprimanded Sanghyun, who was trying to act as if everything was fine.

"Don't joke around."

"…Anyway, there's nothing wrong, right?"

Just as Sanghyun was about to leave the room, taking off his gown.

"Hey…! Excuse me, patient?"

The doctor grabbed his shoulder.

"?"

"I'd like to have a word with you separately."

It's not uncommon for a doctor to want to speak to a patient alone.

Everyone was just relieved that there was no accident, and didn't think it was strange.

Only Kim Joo-hyuk and Director Oh's faces hardened. They had a certain premonition.

"Alright."

Sanghyun quickly moved to a private area with the doctor.

* * *

In the private consultation room, only the doctor and Sanghyun were present.

"Please sit down."

They sat facing each other.

Silence filled the room for a moment.

The doctor, tying up her disheveled hair, broke the silence.

"I believe you have some idea of what I'm about to say."

"Yes."

Sanghyun nodded.

After so many tests, modern medical technology would surely have found out.

"Your right hand is inconvenient, isn't it?"

"Yes."

As expected, it was a problem with his right hand.

"Do you know that the problem isn't actually with your hand?"

"Yes."

Sanghyun answered simply.

The doctor's expression showed a hint of regret.

She seemed to be struggling to convey the difficult news, speaking slowly.

"Mr. Sanghyun, the problem with your right hand is actually in your brain. The capsule is a device that interferes with brain waves. In simple terms, this is why you feel exhausted after a full-dive play session."

"…I see, that's what it was."

After playing the game, sweating profusely, feeling fatigued, and having a short playtime… Sanghyun had suspected that it was due to his disability.

He had just been avoiding the fact, not wanting to accept it.

I wanted to believe that only my right hand was injured.

"The symptoms you're experiencing now are a type of neurological disorder, similar to cerebral palsy."

"I know."

"It's a huge stroke of luck that it only affected your right hand. Many people end up with hemiplegia."

"…Yes."

The doctor had called it a stroke of luck back then.

'A stroke of luck…'

To Sanghyun, it didn't sound like luck at all.

Even if he had lost an eye, or both ears, or even his nose… his right hand had to be fine.

The part of his body that held and shot the bow had to be fine.

But it was damaged.

Permanently.

There was no way to call that a stroke of luck.

It even seemed to be blocking his path forward.

What's the problem? Why did the doctor call him?

"What's the problem?"

The doctor shook her head.

"There isn't one yet. We don't know exactly. But there's a risk that one might arise."

"How much of a risk?"

"Does your right hand move well in the virtual world?"

"Yes."

"Have you thought about why? If it's a brain issue, it shouldn't move there either."

"Isn't it because it's a physical damage issue, not a brain signal issue? In the virtual world, there's no damage…"

"No. If there's damage to the brain, there will be issues with the signals too. The capsule can create a hand, but it can't replace the brain."

"…."

He had no response.

Sanghyun had been puzzled by this too.

He knew his brain was damaged, yet his right hand moved well in the virtual world.

Since it moved well, he didn't question it much.

The most important thing was that he could shoot the bow.

"Why is that?"

"Other areas of your brain are compensating for the right hand."

"…?"

"Think of it like this: in a company, if an employee is on sick leave, other employees from unrelated departments have to work overtime."

"Oh…"

"It's possible in the virtual world, which is driven entirely by the mind, but not in the real world due to physical nerve system issues."

It made sense.

The area of the brain that controls the right hand was damaged, but in the virtual world, other areas could compensate.

"Working overtime for a colleague must be tiring. It causes overload. That's why you sweat a lot and feel more fatigued than other gamers."

"I see."

"There haven't been any major issues so far. However, if it continues for a long time or if the game time increases, we don't know what might happen."

Sanghyun swallowed hard.

'I decided to aim for the Diamond rank.'

He was planning to increase his playtime from now on.

"Then what should I do? I want to increase my playtime."

"Consistent exercise and a healthy diet are essential, and regular check-ups to monitor the data are necessary."

Does that mean he has to keep visiting the hospital?

"I understand."

He was worried about the medical expenses, but he had to find out. With that in mind, he answered and was about to leave.

Click.

The doctor handed him something.

A business card.

'Song Hana.'

A casual name for someone with such a serious demeanor.

"You should see me. It's not a boast, but there are very few people in the country who can handle this."

Joo-hyuk had mentioned this before.

There were only a few medical professionals in the country who could handle both brain wave tests and capsule play.

But that also meant it would be expensive.

Wouldn't a regular hospital for general check-ups be enough?

"I'll do it for free."

"…What?"

He couldn't believe it.

How much does this doctor charge?

"It's also for research purposes."

Song Hana avoided his gaze, embarrassed to seem like she was soliciting for research.

"Research?"

"…Yes."

"What kind of research?"

"The phenomenon where other areas of the brain compensate. It's not common. In fact, it's the first time I've seen it. It can't happen in the real world."

I see.

It was a rare occurrence. Sanghyun was unsure whether to be happy or not.

"Is it possible in the virtual world?"

"It's the first time I've seen it in the virtual world too. I'm witnessing it for the first time."

"Are you going to research whether it's possible?"

"Yes. Don't worry about the research. You'll follow the same course. It will naturally add to my research."

"I understand."

"Are you… agreeing to it?"

"I'll talk to my manager first. But I have one question."

Sanghyun recalled the sensation he had experienced at the end of the game.

"Go ahead."

"I felt a tingling sensation in my right hand in the game, just like in the real world."

Song Hana's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Why is that?"

"…Well, to put it simply, it's like the overtime worker got tired and quit…"

She scribbled something down and continued.

"It's not a one-dimensional issue. I'll consult with the engineer and get back to you later."

"I understand."

As Sanghyun was about to get up, he paused, seemingly remembering something.

"Oh, one more thing."

"?"

"Since no one has told me yet, did I break the electromagnetic record?"

"Oh… it's a tie."

Sanghyun's expression twisted upon hearing the doctor's answer.

* * *

As Song Hana and Sanghyun came out of the consultation room, Joo-hyuk jumped up.

He had been waiting.

Song Hana nodded slightly and walked past them to the engineer.

"Hey, what did she say?"

Joo-hyuk immediately grabbed Sanghyun and asked.

"…."

Sanghyun didn't answer.

"Hey, what's wrong? Is it serious?"

"Yeah."

"…Really!?"

"Damn…."

"?! "

Joo-hyuk was shocked by Sanghyun's use of profanity.

What did the doctor say to him!

"Hey, why are you like this!? Talk to me!"

"I didn't break the record."

"…?"

"What's that look of not knowing anything? The doctor said it's a tie."

"…Is that why you're angry?"

"Does that make sense? A tie? To the second?"

"Wait, so you're angry because the record is a tie?"

"Of course I'm angry!?"

Sanghyun shouted.

It was rare for him to get this agitated.

Did he really want to break this record that much?

"I would have won if I had just 0.000001 seconds more. How can it be a perfect tie? Is this rigged?!"

"Hey, you crazy bastard! Your life was on the line, and you're worried about a tie? Tell me what the doctor said!"

"Life on the line? Don't overreact! The record is much more important right now…"

Just as they were about to grab each other by the collar.

"Um… Mr. Almond?!"

The youngest staff member, a junior writer, called out to Almond with a confused look.

"Y-You need to go in now…"

"…What?"

Sanghyun wasn't sure if he had heard correctly.

Broadcast?

They were still doing it?

He looked at Joo-hyuk, who repeated the question.

"Is the broadcast still going?"

"Yeah, man."

They had spent about an hour and a half on the medical check, so he assumed all the viewers had left.

But it was still going. Sanghyun asked the junior writer.

"Are there still viewers?"

"Actually, there are a lot more than just a few."

The junior writer showed his phone.

[Current Viewers: 71,000]

Over 70,000 viewers were waiting.

Sanghyun felt more bewildered than happy.

"Why…?"

He couldn't help but ask. Why were so many people waiting for such a long time?

He didn't even break the record, it was a tie.

By his standards, it was incredibly puzzling.

"Why? They're waiting to see you, the first person to break the electromagnetic record."

Joo-hyuk, straightening his wrinkled shirt, said casually.

"…?"

Sanghyun's face contorted strangely.

What was he talking about? Breaking the record?

"But it was a tie, down to the second."

"Not that."

Joo-hyuk pointed to the set's display.

[For the first time ever! VNS mystical 300 barrier broken!]

[Record Holder: Almond]

"…."

Sanghyun was speechless for a moment.

Joo-hyuk chuckled. He must be surprised.

Who wouldn't be surprised to learn they held a world record?

But Joo-hyuk's expression turned to the most bewildered look when he heard the response.

"…What's that?"

A moment of silence.

'Oh… right. He doesn't even know what it is.'

It was a concept most gamers knew, but of course, Almond wasn't a gamer. At least, not three weeks ago.

Joo-hyuk realized again who he was dealing with.

But so what? This is Almond.

"Go sit in the seat next to you. The pretty announcer will explain it to you."

"She looks younger than me."

"Hey, you…"

Avoiding Joo-hyuk's angry outburst, Sanghyun quickly ran to the set.

Everything was already prepared for him, and the broadcast was ongoing.

Yu Hae-yeon, spotting Sanghyun, started to build up the tension with an excited voice.

"Everyone! Almond, Mr. Almond, is coming in now…"

As if a great person had arrived, like the champion of the final match.