Echoes of the Reverse Planet

Chapter 95: Fire department

The idea was to engage in a simulation battle against Baek Woohyun, and based on the experience gained from facing such a strong opponent, try to gain an upper hand in battle against the easier opponent, Etinel.

However, without getting beaten up to a considerable level, the reverse perception wouldn’t kick in, so they would have to get beaten up enough to match the term ‘extreme prescription’.

“Sounds good.””Let’s try it.”

The Beau-tiful Twins, looking at each other, answered with resolute faces.

They firmly nodded their heads, thinking that no matter how difficult, they had no reason to refuse if it helped them get through the current situation.

Since if they couldn’t surpass Team A’s record in the next challenge, they would be immediately eliminated, so they had to try something.

“I-I’m okay too.”

Shuria, who had been gauging the mood, also timidly agreed.

Even someone as somewhat timid as her didn’t want to just accept defeat like this.

“It’s good that everyone agrees, but there are about two problems.”

“Problems?””What are they?”

“One is that the person in question’s consent is needed, and the other is a fairness issue.”

Actually, regarding the person’s consent, it seemed it would be fine. It didn’t seem like Baek Woohyun would refuse Team B’s request for help.

What Geomsaeng Geomsa thought would be the real problem was the second one: fairness.

For the reverse perception operation, they essentially needed to monopolize Baek Woohyun for Team B, but there was a high likelihood that Team A would consider this unfair.

“I’m not sure if Team A will accept it.”

“But we have to try.””We can’t just lose like this.”

“That’s true too. Please wait a moment. I’ll put forward the suggestion.”

“…Good luck!”

Geomsaeng Geomsa, shaking his head slightly, approached the three judges and explained to them about the reverse perception operation Team B had come up with.

Although in the end, the whole point was whether Baek Woohyun could continuously have simulation battles with Team B during this practice time, whatever you call it.

‘That’s a pretty good idea?’

Jeong Nayeon thought Team B had found a quite brilliant breakthrough. In terms of the contest and for the broadcast.

Drawing in Baek Woohyun to carry out a reverse perception operation would be more helpful to both sides than just repeating the same combat training for thirty minutes.

However, the problem was, as Geomsaeng Geomsa had subtly hinted, if Baek Woohyun only helped Team B, it would be unfair.

‘How to overcome this- Ah?’

A flash of light sparked in Jeong Nayeon’s mind as she pondered.

If it’s unfair because Baek Woohyun only helps Team B─

‘─Then we just need to assign an exclusive coach to Team A too!’

“Then let’s do it this way!”

“How do you mean?”

“We’ll assign Woohyun to Team B, who were at a disadvantage in the first challenge, and Seongcheol-nim and I will be assigned to Team A, who had the advantage. Like exclusive coaches!”

“Ohho.”

– Sounds good?

– Are the judges participating too?

– Then do the judges of the eliminated team get eliminated too?

– They share elimination too, holy—

“That seems like a good idea.”

Cha Seongcheol said with an interested expression.

In addition to the simple Team A vs. Team B matchup, there was no reason not to create a matchup where the judges also participated as exclusive coaches for each team.

It’s good for the participants as they can learn better, good for the viewers as there’s more to watch, and good for the judges as they can teach more easily.

It was truly a win-win method, pleasing everyone involved.

“I agree too.”

Baek Woohyun, who had been listening quietly, also nodded.

He thought that teaching them while directly facing them would produce much better results than just giving one or two pieces of advice.

Moreover, aside from his position as a judge, he had a personal wish for Team B, where the Beau-tiful Twins belonged, to win.

– Emergency implementation of the exclusive coach system, go go

– Exclusive coach gets eliminated along with the eliminated team, go go

– Why do you guys want to kick out the judges too? lol

– Well… because that’s more fun.

‘The chat opinion is fine too.’

Glancing at the chat atmosphere, Jeong Nayeon judged that proceeding with the exclusive coach system would be fine.

“Alright! Hold on a moment! Participants, gather over here please! I’ll pause practice time briefly!”

Immediately gathering the participants, Jeong Nayeon informed them that she and Cha Seongcheol would be assigned to Team A, and Baek Woohyun would be assigned to Team B to perform exclusive coach duties.

Team B naturally welcomed it as their suggestion was accepted, and Team A, who were already ahead in the first challenge, didn’t seem to have much opposition either.

It would have been different if only Team B got an exclusive coach, but since Jeong Nayeon and Cha Seongcheol were assigned to Team A, it was hard to argue.

‘Even with an exclusive coach…’

‘How much can change in thirty minutes…’

Frankly speaking, Team A’s judgment was that even with an emergency exclusive coach assignment, there wouldn’t be a dramatic change in just thirty minutes.

Even if Baek Woohyun boasted insane physical prowess enough to earn the nickname Hackphysical, that doesn’t mean he could perfectly transplant it to Team B.

No matter how you think about it, it seemed impossible for Team B to suddenly grow enough to overtake Team A just by having simulation battles, beyond simple advice.

Of course, it wasn’t that they had absolutely no thought of not wanting to introduce variables like exclusive coaches when victory was almost certain if things continued as they were.

But if they stubbornly opposed the exclusive coaches here just to win somehow, it wasn’t even the final decision, and they would get cursed at, called stubborn, etc.

In that case, it was better to show confidence by readily agreeing.

‘Besides, our main force is ranged anyway.’

‘Hackphysical hasn’t proven himself in ranged builds enough to be an exclusive coach beyond light advice.’

– Even with a coach, Team A will win anyway~

– Hackphysical is invincible only when he’s the one directly fighting, right?

– Team B’s three members are close-combat builds, so still unknown.

– A two-unit difference is a bit big, hmm.

“Let’s go.”

Once all participants agreed, Baek Woohyun immediately sprang up from his seat and led the Team B members to the area where they had been training.

There was no time to waste idly if they wanted to make the most of the limited thirty-minute practice time.

“······.”

Baek Woohyun, who had been quietly watching Team B forming up for the simulation battle, suddenly opened his mouth.

“There’s an old saying: know the enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”

“I know that one!””Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without peril! Right?”

– It’s ‘need not fear a hundred battles,’ not ‘win a hundred battles.’

– Ugh, what does it matter if it’s ‘win a hundred’ or ‘need not fear a hundred’?

– For real lol, I’ll smack people who nitpick a hundred times.

– But why bring that up suddenly?

“That applies when facing Etinel as well.”

Baek Woohyun thought the reverse perception operation would certainly help Team B, but that alone didn’t guarantee victory against Team A.

If they faced a strong opponent for several days, engraving the experience, it might be different, but with just thirty minutes, there was a clear limit.

Therefore, for Team B to win, they needed something more. For example… improving their ability to predict actions through analysis of Etinel’s combat AI.

“Understanding what judgments Etinel’s combat AI makes in what situations. Just grasping that alone makes facing Etinel easier than facing a person.”

“Why is that?”

“Because a person’s judgment can differ even in the same situation, but Etinel’s does not.”

In combat situations, a person’s judgment tends to change even due to very small triggers.

They sometimes make unreasonable judgments based on overflowing confidence without any basis, and there are even choices that divide based on personal likes and dislikes.

To put it bluntly, there could even be cases where they dodge to the left simply because they suddenly don’t like the right side.

On the other hand, the judgment of Etinel, a machine, is based strictly on its combat AI, so it doesn’t change easily.

If Etinel faces the same situation a hundred times, the judgment it makes would be the same all hundred times. Even a thousand times would be the same.

Since the answer derived from the combat AI doesn’t suddenly change, it is inevitably much easier to predict compared to a capricious person.

“Ah-ha.”

“I understand perfectly what you mean!””Understood, this is Yun Areum speaking. Did not understand.”

– lololololol

*- Season 128593 sibling rivalry outbreak, holy—*

– So if you know the operating principle, prediction is easy.

– Now we’re even analyzing combat AI lolololol

“Fortunately, the combat AI of the mid-version Etinel is not programmed very complexly. It’s to the extent that you can fully experience it in about thirty minutes.”

Baek Woohyun spoke calmly to the Team B members who were agreeing (?).

“You just need to remember one thing. The foundation of the mid-version Etinel’s combat AI lies in eliminating the enemy most efficiently, regardless of what damage it takes.”

“······.”

“I’ll let you feel it more specifically. Come at me.”

To Geomsaeng Geomsa, who looked puzzled without understanding the meaning, Baek Woohyun gestured for him to come at him.

As they say, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. He intended to let them directly experience the combat AI of the mid-version Etinel.

For him, who had smashed countless Etinels ‘over there’, such a thing was very easy.

“Chaat!”

Whoosh!

– An attack without hesitation, holy—

– You attack just because he said to attack? lolololol

– Ah, he won’t get hit anyway~

– Truly following the master’s words as if they were heaven’s decree.

Geomsaeng Geomsa moved immediately without hesitation.

It was an action stemming from the belief that no matter what attack he made, Baek Woohyun would be able to handle it.

As he thrust his sword forward to attack, Baek Woohyun stretched out his left hand with a calm expression, and soon Pook! the blade pierced through his palm.

But to Baek Woohyun, having his hand pierced was no different from a scratch.

Nonchalantly, he pushed his left hand, impaled on the blade, to the side, neutralizing Geomsaeng Geomsa’s defense, and swung his right hand.

The fist that shot out, cutting through the air, stopped right in front of Geomsaeng Geomsa’s nose.

“Do you understand what I mean now?”

“…Yes. I think I understand.”

Geomsaeng Geomsa, whose eyes had widened, nodded his head.

Because, thinking about it belatedly, he realized there had been quite a few similar instances when fighting Etinel.

Back then, they usually overcame it with the help of the Beau-tiful Twins or Shuria, and when there was no help or it was late, they got counterattacked.

“Etinel is a machine. Not a human who fears getting hurt. Its performance doesn’t degrade from minor damage.”

Baek Woohyun continued his explanation without batting an eyelid, pulling the sword out of his left hand.

“Therefore, they thoroughly calculate the damage to be received and the damage to be inflicted. If they deem the damage to be inflicted outweighs the damage to be received, they proceed with the attack.”

Just like Baek Woohyun, who had tried to slap his face even while his left hand was being pierced.

Meaning that if subduing Geomsaeng Geomsa with only the ‘minor damage’ of having his palm pierced by a sword was possible, Etinel would have done so without hesitation.

If it were a higher-version Etinel, it might have shown a different method, but what Team B was facing was, after all, a mid-version Etinel.

“If we grasp that standard and use it in reverse—”

“—We can predict Etinel’s actions.”

– Oh, holy—

– Wait, why is this educational?

– Introduction to Etinel Studies lolololol

– Now we even have to study combat AI?

“That’s correct. Now that you understand the foundation, let’s begin the simulation battle in earnest.”