Versus

I waited for her to contact me for another two hours. Then I tried opening the Versus app again, but this time, unlike the previous attempts, a pop-up appeared asking for an update.

“New version of the app available. Update your app for a better battle experience and to access new features! Update later or update now.”

Did they seriously put an option to “update later”?

I didn’t hesitate and tapped “update now.” It didn’t take long for the loading bar to hit 100%.

When I opened the app, I didn’t notice any drastic changes, so I started tapping through all the available options to see what had changed from one version to the next.

I went into settings, and a new item had appeared there: “User Guide.” Inside it, there were two clickable options: Tutorial and FAQ. I tapped on Tutorial, and a new pop-up opened with the option “Start Tutorial.”

Once I started the tutorial, a short demo video began. I’ll try to explain what I saw.

The video opened on the Versus app’s home screen, which displayed four options:

1. Start Combat
2. Skills
3. Equipment and Skins
4. Settings

The tutorial video simulated a tap on Start Combat, followed by a message explaining its function.

I should note that everything was written; the video had no sound.

“Start Combat: By tapping here, you can initiate combat wherever you are. Your fighter will begin with the skin and equipment previously selected in the Equipment and Skins menu.”

The text box disappeared, and a new simulated tap occurred on another menu item.

“Skills: Here you can view all the skills acquired during your battles, along with a tutorial on how to use them in the next one.”

A sub-item opened within Skills to illustrate what a skill was.

“Mimicry: This is your fighter’s special ability, allowing you to acquire new equipment and skins by copying your opponents during battles.

Note: In your first battle, the chance of successfully acquiring a new skin is 50%. If successful, all future attempts will have a 100% success rate.”

I was in disbelief as I read every word of that note. What was the point of mentioning this now, right before my first fight? Still… knowing that future attempts would be successful was a relief. Did that also mean Inertia was okay? I chose to believe so.

The tutorial continued with another menu item.

“Equipment and Skins: In this option, you can select your skin before starting a battle. Here, you can mix and match the equipment obtained during previous battles.

Note: All equipment and new skins are acquired exclusively during battle.”

“Settings: In this section, you can configure your camera sensitivity, sprint sensitivity, and other options under Gameplay Settings. You can adjust your audio settings in Audio and use the User Guide if you have any questions.”

With that final explanation, a last text box appeared.

“The tutorial ends here, and remember: enjoy yourself!”

The video ended, and the app returned to the main menu.

Enjoy myself?! How can I enjoy myself while knowing someone’s life is at risk? This isn’t a game, I can’t just restart a round from the beginning if I fail. If I lose, she dies. So, what then?

I remember when I first opened Versus during the battle. I felt like I had finally understood my purpose in relation to Inertia. I know how to fight very well — online, of course. But I always lose some battles. I don’t remember ever playing a game without making a mistake before the end. This is unfair. I’m not the best choice for this.

I was angry.

“Hey, you asshole! Can you hear me?! I’m sure you can. You’ve been monitoring me from the start, haven’t you? How dare you tell me to enjoy myself? This isn’t a joke! Inertia’s life isn’t a joke. You can stop this, I know you can, or—” I shout out loud.

Or what? What can I do? Give up? Yell at my phone like some crazed, furious man, unloading all my frustration into a screen in the middle of the night? But I keep going.

“I’m tired. There are better players, Shadow, Faker, Aspas. Why me? What if she dies because of me? What do I do then?!”

I kept staring at the phone, holding it with both hands. I could feel my heart racing as I waited for a response. But nothing came.

Still sitting, I tossed the phone onto the mattress and gripped my hair tightly, as if some genius idea might appear from doing that. Nothing. My stress kept building, so I decided to leave the house for a walk, hoping it would shake off that feeling…

In the end, I had to accept my condition and wait.

What else could I have done?

Nothing.

I went into the nearest convenience store and headed straight for the candy aisle. My body seemed to know exactly what it needed at that moment, so without thinking too much, I grabbed a chocolate bar and a cola.

The store was small, and even from the outside I could see that it was just me and the cashier inside. The sound of a TV near the counter echoed through the place, perhaps for that very reason.

♫ “Do you know what a streamer is? Learn more about this rapidly growing profession.” ♫

I went to the counter to pay, setting the items down. On closer look, the cashier seemed indifferent, listening to the news on the TV while sitting on a bench. It took about five seconds before he even noticed I was there.

♫ “A streamer is a professional who broadcasts live content on the internet, whether it’s to stream a game, a reaction, or a program...” ♫

Before I knew it, the world no longer seemed so cloudy. The last phrase uttered by the journalist was enough to spark an idea that could serve as a beacon, even while I felt like I was sinking in my own mind.

If by some miracle Inertia survived, the next transformations would be 100% successful... and from what I understood, this thing called Mimicry worked as a mechanism to copy a fighter’s abilities.

Theoretically, I could start fighting with abilities and equipment I had already acquired, but if I wanted better ones, I could only copy them during battle, right? On my own, I wouldn’t win. Fighting with unknown abilities increased the chance of error, but… streamers usually didn’t play alone. Through the chat, they got help, and whether I liked it or not, that would reduce my chance of error.

What if I stream her moves?

But that second rule might stop me:

2. You will lose something valuable if you mention anything related to this phone or this situation to unauthorized people.

If I mentioned anything about the phone or Inertia’s situation, I would lose something valuable… but streaming the app as just another game wouldn’t break this rule, because I wouldn’t actually be telling anyone about the phone or about Inertia.

Am I wrong? Is it too risky?

I don’t know... I just know that the idea was enough to lift the anxiety off my chest.

I paid for the items and went back home.

End of Report 19