Evening Game
Chapter 27: Interlude

Weapon switch, a feature where the player switched weapons without needing to open the inventory. It allowed players to pull a surprise attack, but the technique itself wasn’t particularly easy.

“Switch!”

Chione, who lay down on the ground, tilted her body to the right, her hands reaching for the empty holster on her waist. She gripped the empty air and pulled something out, before aiming at the tree in front of her.

“... Damn.”

She looked at her hands, which were still empty.

“Let’s try again. You’ll get it eventually.”

“I wonder if I’ll make it in time.”

“Don’t worry about it. It won’t change the game that much.”

Having the weapon switch skill was something useful. Ethan found himself using it occasionally, both against high-level enemies and players. In the last battle, he fought using the skill twice. Using it too often may make his enemy unnecessarily wary of him.

“Don’t all top players use it?”

Ethan shook his head. He recalled all his encounters with other top players. Most of the time, he encountered them in limited-time events or in large ones like these, but other than exchanging fists or guns, they hardly talk to each other.

“Use it? No. Can they do it? I don’t know.”

Using a skill and learning it were two entirely different things. Ethan too often found himself wondering whether the enemies he faced could use it or not. Considering his play style that involved getting up close and personal, they should be able to use it against him without much challenge. He himself was always wary of a sudden weapon switch, but until this point, only one person ever attempted to use it.

Attempted because said person failed and switched to the wrong weapon, exposing his weak points to Ethan.

“Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Don’t use it unless you have mastered it.”

Ethan wouldn’t want Chione to go down the same route, to mistakenly switch weapons and give her enemies an easy kill.

“If you say so.”

Chione said as she returned to her previous prone position.

“How long did it take for you to master it?”

“Two days… I think. I played three hours each day so… maybe five or six?”

“Is that fast or slow?”

“My only comparison is my sister, who took a day to do it.”

Chione let out a sigh.

“Guess you’ll be stuck with me for a while.”

She said with a light chuckle.

“I don’t mind.”

“Really?”

She rolled over, bringing her face toward Ethan who stood not far behind her.

“I don’t know you’re the flirty type.”

She said as she pointed her hands toward him, an imaginary gun intertwined between her fingers.

“Ah, that’s not- that’s not…”

“I know, I know.”

Chione let out another sigh and rolled back, facing the sniper who lay on the ground before her.

“Still, thank you.”

“Umm… no problem.”

“You’re too strict, Ethan. Girls don’t like that. Loosen up a bit. Be more confident, like FireRock. So confident you’re willing to force me to talk with a spear right on my throat.”

Chione’s words reminded him of an event he had forgotten, one he didn’t want to remember.

“Sorry about that.”

Even when he told himself that he didn’t need to be involved, his emotions got the better of him.

“I didn’t ask for an apology, jeez.”

Chione turned around again, her hands pulling an imaginary gun from its holster and pointing it toward Ethan.

“It’s disrespectful to keep lying after you go out of your way to help. Still, I didn’t expect you to see through me that easily.”

“I can compare your in-game self and real-life self so that’s probably why.”

“Makes sense.”

She rolled back, and with one quick motion, cocked her sniper and fired. A bullet flew through the air, cutting into the tree.

“Seriously, Ethan. Thank you. Regardless of whether we see my sister or not, I’m grateful for the time I spent with you.”

“You sound like you’re going to leave…”

“Oh, do I? What if I say I will stop after we win that event?”

Ethan froze. He knew that he couldn’t keep playing with her forever, but he didn’t expect it to be that quick-

“Gosh, Look at you! I say what if!”

Chione laughed after he saw his gloomy expression. Ethan could only shrug, a wry smile on his lips. After she was finished, Chione pulled herself up. She reached out her hand toward Ethan.

“You’ll continue playing with me, right?”

She asked, a genuine smile replacing her previous laugh. Ethan reached out and held her hand.

“Of course.”