Abyss has now grown to the point of being called a national game.
The news that leagues are consistently held, the game is thriving, and now a movie is even being produced caused quite a stir.
Articles about it have been written by the dozens. Even pro gamers from Abyss couldn’t hide their excitement, all saying they’d go see it, making those who weren’t in the loop aware that the Abyss movie was about to hit theaters.
On a day when everyone’s attention was focused, Abyss: The New World finally landed in theaters across South Korea.
“Is there really no seating left?”
“Wow, if I’d been even a little later, I wouldn’t have been able to book a ticket.”
“Ah, I guess I’ll have to catch the next show….”
On the movie’s opening day, the theater was packed with people, most of whom were there to see the Abyss movie.
Simple users who loved Abyss, couples who bonded over the game, and even fervent fans of specific streamers.
The word had spread far and wide about the Abyss movie. The theater was bustling with people wanting to watch it.
And among the crowds, one viewer stood out.
“So… you want tickets for every single showing from the first time to the last?”
“Yes.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, the woman nodded in agreement.
On the opening day, when reservations weren’t even an option, she showed up at the theater early in the morning.
She had booked tickets for every possible showing of the film.
Truthfully, this wasn’t all that special. Plenty of fans and people cashing in on coupon codes for events were watching the entire showing that day too.
What was unusual, however, was her outfit. A pulled-down cap, sunglasses, and a mask covering more than half her face.
“Is she a celebrity?”
That thought naturally crossed one’s mind. Her petite face, flawless skin peeking through the gaps, and most notably, her hair color was so striking it hardly belonged to an ordinary person.
Such snow-white hair would certainly attract a lot of attention, suggesting involvement in a profession that commands interest.
The ticket office employee tilted their head, stealing glances at the mysterious woman. They mentally narrowed down their list of potential celebrities they might know.
“Ticket issuance is complete. Enjoy the movie!”
However, in the end, the employee couldn’t figure out who the mysterious woman was. If they could recognize someone all bundled up like that, that would be an entirely different issue, but they didn’t even have a clue.
The employee watched the woman’s back as she walked away, then quickly lost interest.
*
“Yawn….”
Maybe I was a bit tired; a yawn escaped me.
Waking up at 8 AM might have been a bit much after all. Even the steel-like body of Camilla likely felt that 4 hours of sleep was quite insufficient.
It seems I seriously underestimated my sleep time.
But there’s nothing I can do about it. Everyone predicted that people would flock here. If I hadn’t come this early, I wouldn’t have even been able to get a ticket.
A sea of people. Even though it’s early, the chaotic scene in front of the theater confirmed my thoughts.
The weather has already turned cold. I came fully armed with a thick jacket, a cap, sunglasses, and a mask.
The cap, sunglasses, and mask… have nothing to do with the cold, but they were still essential.
After all, it’s a movie related to the Abyss. But imagine if someone who looks just like Camilla is walking around in the middle of the theater. It would really be chaos.
Realistically, people don’t have that much interest in others. So I guess you could call this thought of mine a kind of paranoia.
‘Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry.’
If I wanted to enjoy the movie comfortably, I had no choice. I could just take off the sunglasses and mask briefly while watching the film. By then, everyone would be focused on the movie, so I wouldn’t get caught.
“The teacher said he would start watching from today too.”
“Can we really have a fan meeting if we wait in the theater?”
“What kind of fan meeting when we don’t even know his face….”
“Wouldn’t you know if you heard his voice?”
“Maybe. But searching for him while he’s resting feels a bit awkward.”
“It would just be a coincidence if we meet.”
I shuddered.
The voices of three men from the other side made me tremble slightly.
‘Please tell me that’s not about me.’
Is it not? Is it? Are those my viewers?
Jokingly, I said if we meet in the theater, it’ll be a fan meeting, or would I give autographs if they ran into me?
To that, I said I’d not only give autographs but hugs too. And then, the chat exploded with people claiming they’d find me in the theater.
That’s why I’ve been cautious. I thought it was just a joke, but now I didn’t expect to actually run into them.
‘I’m glad I came fully prepared.’
How strange it felt, like I became a real celebrity, famous enough for people to recognize me. The relief from not being caught. And that subtle thrill of sneaking in, almost like a spy.
With those mixed emotions, I entered the theater.
*
“Damn….”
A man who loves the Abyss. His tier is Platinum.
University student Park Joo-seung roughly ruffled his hair with a displeased expression.
With a face like that, I roughly ruffled my hair.
1 PM. I had already finished my third viewing after waking up early this morning.
Abyss: The New World. An event where you receive coupon codes for in-game items every time you watch the movie.
Having watched the movie three times, I entered three coupons. But they all ended up being duds.
“Did you not get anything again?”
“I got some stupid old man skin. How about you?”
“I got a Camilla emoticon. I’m pretty satisfied with that, though.”
“Damn, I’m envious….”
“At least it’s a skin. Earlier, I only got some weird icon.”
“No, I want a pretty female character skin, not some old man. Or Lennok, at least.”
Juseung muttered, clicking his tongue.
He felt like he was the unluckiest among the group.
Originally, there were three people in the party, but now only two remained.
One of them went home after achieving their goal during the second screening at 10 AM.
“Snowflake Queen Camilla! Hahaha! I’m leaving first!”
“I’m the only one who’s unlucky. Just me.”
That laughing face was still vivid in my mind.
“As for me… I keep watching to get both the emoticon and skin. Isn’t the Snowflake Queen Camilla something you can just buy?”
“That’s so lacking in romance.”
Imagine watching the movie, entering the coupon code, and then the Snowflake Queen Camilla pops up? Nothing could release dopamine like that.
There had already been four posts certifying her appearance in the gallery. It meant the stock of the Snowflake Queen Camilla was rapidly depleting.
At this rate, all the winner coupons might be gone today or tomorrow, at the latest by the day after.
The lucky owner of that chance had to be a man.
“Let’s head in. It’s time.”
“Oh, okay.”
As Juseung clenched his fist with determination, his friend patted him on the shoulder and moved ahead.
“It’s nice and roomy.”
1 PM. Maybe because it was lunchtime, the theater was less crowded than before.
Most likely, people had gone out to eat. The ones left were either those who had eaten a hearty meal beforehand or real champs like the men, who could endure hunger.
Juseung felt a subtle sense of kinship and glanced around.
Then, for some reason, he spotted a familiar face. It was someone he’d seen multiple times in this theater already.
Juseung whispered to his friend beside him, “Isn’t that the person who was here earlier?”
“Yeah, it looks like they’re watching just like us.”
The woman, with her striking long white hair, caught his attention. And her outfit too.
She was bundled up so tightly, from her hat to her face, that it aroused his curiosity.
She had wrapped her entire face so tightly that it sparked unnecessary curiosity.
The woman was fixated on the screen in front of her, occasionally nabbing handfuls of popcorn. Each time, she lowered her mask just a bit, and even that glimpse showed she was quite the beauty.
Vroom—
As he momentarily lost himself watching her, the lights in the theater dimmed, and the movie began to play on the screen.
“Boring.”
To be honest, Juseung was starting to feel a bit drained. He’d seen this movie three times already. He could pretty much predict the plot, the dialogue, and what scene would pop up next.
It was his first time experiencing the mind-numbing ordeal of watching the same movie three times in a row—it was worse than he imagined.
So instead of watching the film, he decided to keep an eye on the woman who had caught his interest earlier.
Although it was dark, she wasn’t far enough away to hinder his glances. In fact, the darkness allowed Juseung to covertly observe her—after all, it wasn’t like he could just stare at her openly in broad daylight.
Then it happened. The woman suddenly took off her sunglasses and mask, sitting upright in her seat.
It was the scene where Camilla appeared. More specifically, Camilla’s battle scene.
The woman stopped munching on her popcorn and stared intently at the screen.
“Uh…”
Juseung began to focus on her for a different reason.
“What? What’s happening?”
She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on in his life.
He could genuinely feel what it meant to be so stunning that it took your breath away.
But what shocked him even more was something else.
“Doesn’t she look like… Camilla?”
Juseung, who invested eight hours a day into Abyss, could tell.
The woman’s features were strikingly similar to Camilla’s, as if a skilled craftsman had artfully replicated her likeness.
“Is this cosplay? The quality is insane…”
There wasn’t really a reason to dress up for a movie theater. It was odd that her face was all covered too.
But if it was for her own satisfaction, it could be understood. The world was vast, and there were all sorts of people.
Anyway, for Juseung, who found the movie dull, it worked out in his favor.
Seeing a woman resembling Camilla for the first time, whether she was cosplaying or not, was way more entertaining than watching the movie.
So, until the film ended, Juseung couldn’t take his eyes off the mysterious woman.
Thoughts of the Snowflake Queen Camilla had long vanished from his mind.
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