BXBX NOVEL Chapter 207
Chapter 207
A very large machine is set up on the stage. Suupaa guessed that it was probably the punching machine that would be the main attraction.
(Amazing ……)
Suupaa thought as she ate some cotton candy she bought at a food stand.
It was supposed to be a small event, but strangely enough, the venue was filled with a passionate cry.
The only time she had seen so many people getting excited like this was at a field day in elementary school. It’s been nearly five years since the last time Suupaa has been to school, and this made her feel nostalgic.
“Suupaa, what’s wrong?”
“No, I just thought… that was a lot of fun.”
“I see. Are you having fun now?”
“….the cotton candy is delicious.”
That’s the only answer she managed to squeeze out when Rinne asked her. Because somehow, she still felt guilty to say she had fun right now.
“The most important thing to do is to have fun.”
“I know… anyway…”
“Nn?”
“I didn’t get to say it earlier, but will Nana be okay…?”
Suupaa looks at the stage and changes the subject. Men are coming from backstage, or to be exact, macho men, which her want to question if they are really a gamer.
It’s not like there are no women in that line up, but she is also so muscular. It will tempt someone to ask [Are sure you are a woman?], their muscle is definite proof that they belong to this group.
It’s not as bad as the bodybuilding competitions Suupaa had seen on TV, but it was still too much for an event in the game convention.
This pack made Nana stand out even more, and the audience could not help but smile at this scenery.
Even from Suupaa’s point of view, she thinks Nana is a player who looks very young.
Contrary to how both Rinne and Touka look like mature-looking women, the real Nana’s appearance is somehow too youthful.
People would believe it if they said she’s still in high school or even a junior high school student. And when she’s walking side by side with Rinne, they look more like sisters than friends.
There’s no denying that Suupaa feels that Nana is not fit for that stage.
“Would you believe if I told you that Nana was the strongest of them all?”
“Huh? no… I honestly can’t believe it.”
Nana probably weighs half as much as the other professional gamers standing on that stage.
Size and weight will translate directly into power. This is something that Suupaa knows very well as someone with a big stature herself.
That is why she feels it was strange that Rinne sent out Nana, the smallest on the team.
And moreover, most of the people standing in that place were macho men with a lot of muscles. In her eyes, it seemed that Nana did not stand a chance, even more so if we were talking about her muscle strength.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but you have to let go of your common sense when it comes to that girl. Just watch, and you’ll be surprised.”
“Huh…?”
“What a boring response.”
Suupaa understands that Nana is not normal, even she has a reasonable understanding of it from yesterday’s practice.
However, she still couldn’t understand what Rinne was saying, so that’s why Suupaa let out that stupid-sounding reply.
There is a connection between being good at VR games and one physical ability in real life to a certain extent. It is said that people who are good at exercising understand [how to move efficiently] through knowledge and experience, so they adapt more quickly than people who have never exercised at all.
In reality, however, most gamers are not good at exercise. Even Suupaa is not a good athlete in the real world.
Whatever the case may be, Suupaa believes that it’s all about getting used to it in the end.
Unlike in the real world, your muscles won’t get tired until you can’t move. In the virtual world, only your brain gets tired. That’s why you can practice in virtual space for longer periods.
The experience of exercising in the real world can be surpassed by the experience of exercising in the virtual space. This was Suupaa’s belief.
That said, no matter how well you can exercise in virtual space, your real body cannot move as freely as your avatar.
It was just her opinion on the theory that [those who are good at exercising in real life are also good at VR games], and Suupaa had a sincere respect for athletes.
(Nana is the type with too much full dive aptitude. Those things happen sometimes).
The higher the full dive aptitude, the more you can [do as you wish] in virtual space. They will be able to move as they imagine, albeit within the physical capabilities set for their avatar.
Naturally, Suupaa also has a high full-dive aptitude. It is true that she was born with a high aptitude, but a large part of it is due to her training.
And the previous statement could also say that full dive aptitude can be trained in the real world as well.
The main reason for this misconception is Nana’s outstanding ability to manipulate her avatars. Suupaa thought she had an overwhelmingly high aptitude for full dive, judging by Nana’s shooting ability and acrobatic movements.
That was, in a sense, a correct evaluation.
However, Suupaa later realized that she had been fundamentally mistaken.
Nana’s full dive aptitude is indeed high. However, this was only a side effect of the irrational physical ability of The Monster.
☆
“Now, now, all the players have gathered one after another! Then! Sebas, it seems that macho men are the standard now, but look! There’s a spectacular flower among them!”
Onstage holding the microphone is [Michael], a self-proclaimed popular MC. Well, she’s indeed a popular female streamer there who has MC’d multiple projects at major conventions.
The other MC who was asked to speak was [Sebas-chan], whose trademark is a butler’s uniform. She is a butler-type MC who has gained popularity for her somewhat unusual background as a former voice actor voicing a butler in anime.
“Was flower being the right expression for this? But yeah… it sure is spectacular. The reason why professional gamers are professional nowadays is not only because of their gaming skills. They are the very embodiment of that.”
“That’s exactly right! But this picture almost makes you wonder if they are having a bodybuilding competition, but no, no, no! The main thing today is their power! I’m sure everyone is wondering if their muscles are just for show!”
“We have been measuring their muscles in various ways, but this time we are going back to the basics. I’m surprised that we haven’t done this before.”
“The first pro-gamers punching power competition! I know it’s a very strange idea, but thanks to that we could see the not-so-often punching machine! Thank you so much for providing the machine!”
“Thank you to all of our sponsors.”
A punching machine is a machine that measures the power of a punch by striking it. They were mainly installed in game arcades and once gained popularity as one of the attractions.
However, as the arcade itself has been disappearing in recent years, which has led to the rarity of punching machines over the past decade, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they are now an endangered species.
That rarity is why the punching machine uproar caused by Nana a few years ago attracted some attention and why no punching power-related event had ever been held before.
“Well, let’s start by introducing the machine for now. This huge machine here on the stage is [Bari Bari Health-kun No. 12].” {baribari = sound effect of something crushed.}
As Sebas introduced [Baribari Health-kun No. 12], the eyes of the entire audience turned to it.
The machine is gigantic.
It was so large that one could be tempted to ask if it was meant to be built as a simple house and does have room-like space in it.
The room is large enough to have a grown man move his entire body in it, and most of the machine’s size was occupied by the room.
“Oh no, the creator naming sense shines through! [Bari Bari Health-kun No. 12]! I’m pretty sure it wasn’t originally a punching machine?”
“That is correct. This is a health measuring machine packed with state-of-the-art technology, and it was said that [Bari Bari Health-kun No. 12] can complete a full-body health checkup in only 30 seconds, including blood tests, X-rays, cancer screenings, and CT scans.”
“I see! So it’s a universal measuring machine that can do everything! Is it originally used in hospitals? But why does it have the punching machine feature?”
“The strength of the punch is used to measure muscle strength, skeletal strain, bone density, etc.”
“Ho-ho-ho! So its function as a punching machine is just a bonus!”
“I can sense the creator’s intention to turn boring measurements into something a little more enjoyable. Anyway, we will be making use of this one, and at the same time, we will have a booth after the event for the audience to experience it, so please join us.”
Sebas’ explanation brought a small cheer from the audience; it was given since these state-of-the-art machines are exciting in their own right.
If we look at HEROES members, we can see Suupaa’s eyes were sparkling subconsciously, while Rinne and Touka were smiling warmly at her.
“Okay! It looks like while we are talking, all the players have gathered! Wow, you have nice muscles…!”
“Michael, you’re drooling.”
“*slurp* …Oops, my bad! I have a thing for macho people! Ha-ha-ha-ha!”
Tight and bulging muscles.
Skin tanned black like a bodybuilder.
After all, Michael still likes it no matter how many times she sees it. She can’t stand it.
The players involuntarily felt a chill under Michael’s unrestrained gaze. Sebas simply brushed it off as a normal occurrence.
“But while everyone is showing off their wonderful bodies, there is one person I’m a little bit concerned about.”
“That’s her coming out of the backmost section! Nana from HEROES! That newbie rising star of a streamer, who is not afraid to say that Rinne is her best friend, has finally lifted the veil on her six years since she was first mentioned!”
“You know a lot about this, don’t you, Michael?”
“I’m a big fan of Rinne’s! I watch her stream without fail! And between you and me, Rinne was supposed to be standing where Nana is standing! Today, we received a sudden request to change the lineup, and Nana will be making an appearance instead!”
“They okay with that?”
“Rinne says, [It’s definitely more fun that way!] and the management has been forced to bend in! Damn, I hate myself for being so powerless!”
“I see, I see. But still, she’s so small.”
That’s a whole lot of problematic talk from the MC, but if the sponsors have given the OK, there is nothing that Sebas or Michael as the moderators could do.
In an effort to quickly change the subject, Sebas turned her focus back to Nana.
The topic of conversation has been all about Nana since a few minutes ago, but that’s to be expected.
Among the macho people of all sizes, the smallest is 170 centimeters, and the tallest is more than 2 meters. The figure of a slender girl with a height of 150 centimeters sure stuck out like a sore thumb.
The eyes of the audience were drawn to her, and it even seemed as if Rinne aimed to raise Nana’s profile by doing so.
“A single flower is blooming amid all the machos!”
“There’s nothing sounds right about that metaphor, but look, Michael, we need to get the show going.”
“Oh, yes! So let’s hear about the aspirations of the players participating in this year’s event! Let’s start with Nana!”
“Yes, I suppose that’s a good choice.”
It’s because the purpose of this event is solely to rate the punching power of the players, not Nana.
If they can quickly finish the interview with Nana, the curious gaze will return to the main objective. On the other hand, if they let her go last, the attention of the audience and viewers would inevitably be drawn to Nana.
Both Michael and Sebas felt this way. That’s why they decided to call on Nana first.
“Then, Nana! What brings you to this event today?”
“Rin-chan… umm, our leader, Rinne, asked me to do this.”
Her voice is surprisingly calm compared considering her appearance.
The words “Rin-chan” Nana incidentally slip out caused a slight stir, and the comments on the big screen that glittered at the edge of their vision became lively, but the answer itself was not anything noteworthy.
“I see. True True, I guess you can’t refuse the order from your leader! Are you okay? Are you nervous or anything when you see their muscles?”
“Oh, I’m fine with that kind of thing. I don’t feel nervous.”
“Hoho! This is a bold statement! I’d say she’s motivated enough, even though she’s up against some tough competition! Now, please say something to show your enthusiasm!”
“Enthusiasm …… umm, yes, I understand.”
Nana, who looked a little troubled by Michael’s question, looked at the audience and then nodded as if she was ready for something.
Gently placing her hand on the microphone offered to her, she declared clearly so that the entire audience could hear her.
“I’ll take first place!”
Nana the Monster was just happily smiled as she said this.
===*
The “Bari Bari Health-kun No. 12.”
Medical equipment with a price tag of 1.5 billion yen per unit. It is very easy to dismantle and reassemble despite its size because its parts are divided into small pieces.
The main purpose of this device is to measure the body by getting in and exercising.
It is a promising new star in the world of medical equipment, reborn with performance that sets it apart from No. 11.