Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented-Chapter 198

"...So you can actually get the figure out."

"Of course," Hopkins said with a grin. "Getting box-shaped prizes like these requires a special touch."

"You're amazing, Hopkins."

"Feels like I’ve just become the cool uncle who gets his niece a gift."

Hopkins chuckled proudly. I, on the other hand, kept marveling at the figure box resting on my lap as we headed up to the third floor.

Despite spending 30 minutes struggling with the claw machine, I hadn’t managed to grab the figure. Hopkins had stepped in, his skillful maneuvers making it look easy. Unlike my futile attempts, he first targeted boxes surrounding the figure, nudging them to build a tower near the exit. Once he maneuvered the figure box onto the top of the pile, he used the claw to nudge it sideways until it tumbled into the prize slot.

It was a display of patience and strategy I hadn’t considered.

In a way, it was no different from Astria Online—you needed the right skills to handle monsters efficiently.

This was just another kind of skill to learn.

Realizing how universal the importance of "skills" was in games, I nodded to myself.

Still, I remembered why I’d come here in the first place.

"Hopkins, do you know where the capsule room is?"

"And here we are—welcome to the third floor, the rhythm game zone!"

My mouth fell open as I stepped onto the third floor.

Loud music filled the air, and the dazzling lights from various rhythm game machines painted the room in vibrant colors.

People were engrossed in their games, with upbeat tunes and rhythmic tapping noises blending into a chaotic symphony.

I spotted a player furiously pressing keys on a piano-like machine, the rapid-fire clacks of their fingers ringing out. Nearby, someone danced on what looked like a washing-machine-sized turntable.

It looked... fun.

Thud, thud, thud.

The sound of stomping feet drew my attention to a pair of players on a dance machine.

The woman seemed clumsy, her steps unsure, while the man moved with the practiced grace of a professional. On the monitor in front of them, colorful notes cascaded down the screen. Despite playing to the same song, it was clear their difficulty levels were different.

Were they friends? A couple?

I wondered if Chris and I could do something /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ like that together.

The thought made me glance down at my legs.

No, that wouldn’t work.

I found myself staring at the dance machine a little too long.

After circling the rhythm game zone and briefly checking out the fourth floor, we arrived on the fifth.

"The fourth floor has racing and shooting games," Hopkins explained. "They’re perfect for couples—many of the games are designed for two players."

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One of the shooting games caught my eye: a zombie shooter with mounted guns.

But as I looked at the setup, I realized it would be more fun with a partner.

Every time I paused by a game and glanced at Hopkins, he just smiled knowingly, making no move to join me.

Behind me, I heard him chuckling softly.

"You and Chris should come here together sometime. These couple-friendly games are a lot of fun."

"...Chris is busy. Besides, she only plays Astria Online."

"Still, I think she’d enjoy these—especially with you."

"Really?"

I tilted my head, puzzled.

Why did he keep bringing up Chris when talking about couple games?

Chris never played anything outside of Astria Online. Her entire routine revolved around work, taking care of me, and playing the game.

Reaching the fifth floor, I was greeted by rows of retro game cabinets.

Each cabinet had its own charm, with pixelated or polygonal graphics featuring everything from cute dinosaurs to fighter planes and muscular characters in fighting games.

Punch! Thwack!

Two players were locked in a heated match at a fighting game cabinet.

I recognized the game immediately.

Pointing to the screen, I turned to Hopkins.

"I know that one."

"Impressive," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Not many people your age are familiar with Iron Fist Tag. It’s a classic among retro gamers. These days, its sequels have moved to virtual reality, but some players still seek out the old joystick-and-button experience."

His approving look made me squirm a bit. Was knowing a retro game really that noteworthy?

"Want to give it a shot?"

"Maybe later," I said, scanning the room.

My gaze landed on a cabinet displaying a spaceship shooting lasers at enemies.

"A...shooting game," I murmured, drawn to it.

"This one?"

Hopkins followed my gaze, his eyes widening before he shook his head.

"That’s one tough game. Even hardcore fans struggle to beat it. Beginners often lose all their lives in the first stage."

"I want to try."

"Heh. You might not find it fun if you die right away, but go ahead. Trying different things is part of the fun."

Sliding the game center card into the machine, I gripped the joystick.

Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself.

There’s a concept called "muscle memory."

Even if the body forgets, the soul remembers.

Though this body wasn’t the same as my previous one, I felt an inexplicable pull toward this game, as if my soul demanded it.

Tap, tap, tap.

"...She made it to the second loop."

"What? How is that possible?!"

"She’s an adult," Hopkins explained to the onlookers.

"But clearing the second loop means she’s memorized the entire bee route!"

"Look at that! She’s not just dodging by reaction; she’s guiding the bullets in a perfect arc. Her pattern recognition is insane!"

Whispers surrounded me, but I was too absorbed to notice.

In this moment, I was the spaceship.

Weaving through waves of bullets, destroying enemy ships, and pushing toward the boss fight.

Stage after stage fell before me as I reached the final boss: a massive queen bee.

Destroying her unleashed a hidden boss—a smaller bee with erratic, lightning-fast bullet patterns.

It wasn’t something you could memorize. It required raw reaction speed.

Somehow, I felt like my past self had a score to settle with this enemy.

This fight was for closure.

With each precise movement, I chipped away at the boss’s health.

Finally, a massive explosion marked its defeat.

"Haaa..."

As the ending credits rolled, I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes.

"Hibachi... cleared."

"No way!"

Cheers erupted around me.

Snapping back to reality, I realized a crowd had gathered behind me, mostly older men who looked like they belonged in retro gamer circles.

"You’re amazing! I’ve never seen someone this young clear a game like that!"

"How many Hibachi clears are there in Korea? This is insane!"

Among the excited voices, one man even wiped away tears.

I gave a sheepish smile, unsure how to respond.

But then, through the crowd, I spotted something unsettling.

A familiar flash of red hair.

"Ah."

My body froze.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

With a cheerful grin and beads of sweat on her forehead, Chris emerged from the crowd.

"Wow... Slbi, I didn’t know you could do something like this!"