I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

Once I stepped out of the connection device, the practice room area was oddly quiet.

Contrary to the usual sight of at least three or four players around.

It felt a bit empty, as if I was tossed into the vast space alone.

The players from Sigma hadn’t suddenly slacked off on practice.

The trainees and second-string players were on a short break.

The first-string players, including Luce and Camelian, were busy preparing for their overseas departure.

Soon, the first international war would kick off, gathering the strong teams of the Spring League.

Its official name was Champions Prelude, but it was usually just called Prelude.

Among users, it was understood to be a tournament of a check-up nature.

That didn’t mean the league itself lacked impact, though.

Even now, the e-sports community was buzzing with anticipation and churning out articles.

– Champions Prelude: Which teams to watch?

– [Special Feature] The unprecedented power of Sigma. Will this end the international war’s brutal history?

– Something feels off. Keep an eye on this team! ‘Falcon’

– The worth of an S-class assassin! About the Middle Eastern league, the Hashashin’s homeland

– This is the land of martial arts. Introducing the teams competing in the Chinese league

– [Column] Can a weak team survive?

At the start of a new season, right after one league ended, there’s a natural curiosity among e-sports fans.

How well can last year’s strong teams maintain their power?

Did they adapt to the meta without issues?

Who are the new threats to watch out for, and which region’s league shows the most strength?

It was a pre-battle before the World Championship that would close out the year.

Performing well in the Prelude could offer some merit in the Championship later.

It was a chance to gauge competitive power too.

This year, it felt like Camelian showed strength beyond imagination.

Or perhaps it was due to the Traveler’s withdrawal that Q Prime’s power seemed weakened.

Domestically, there was a growing expectation towards Sigma.

Well, it didn’t matter much to me.

It was a tournament I couldn’t even participate in anyway.

I’d just analyze the necessary matches as they came.

Shall I fill my stomach first?

Having not eaten anything since I woke up, I was feeling hungry.

I used to be able to last a long time on just a quick bowl of ramen.

But now that I started managing my health with exercise and whatnot, my eating habits had changed considerably, and my intake had increased.

In the past, selling gold to make ends meet would’ve been quite a hassle.

But now, it wasn’t such a big deal. Being part of Sigma meant I could use the player’s restaurant.

It was a paradise where I could get delightful meals for free at any time of the day.

And now, I had streaming income too.

I hadn’t checked, but there must be some donations piling up.

Thinking of that, I might as well take a look now.

Gasp.

I knew it wouldn’t be a small amount, but…

The amount displayed on my balance far exceeded my expectations.

…Cosplaying? With this much money, it might be worth a try, right?

*

The practice room of Sigma was on the 5th floor of the lodging building, while the players’ restaurant was on the 3rd.

Given my leg troubles, it meant I had to obediently take the elevator.

Fortunately, the entrance was right in front once I stepped out of the elevator.

– 3rd floor.

– The door is opening.

And just as the elevator door opened, it seemed like it was meal time since I ran into Camelian.

“Ah.”

“Um.”

Naturally, we ended up sitting together, which led to an awkward silence.

As for my relationship with Camelian… well, it wasn’t that bad.

She might ignite a rivalry with me from her side, but that was about it.

She had never really tried to show me any dominance.

Honestly, it was more on the positive side, I’d say.

According to Luce, she had secretly looked out for me, so it seemed.

Personally, there were no hard feelings left.

After all, I had agreed to accept her apology, leaving no grudge behind felt unmanly.

So emotionally, there was nothing between us.

However.

Despite that, dining with Camelian and Sin Eun-chae felt pretty awkward.

“…….”

“…….”

Before becoming a pro gamer, Sin Eun-chae was your typical honor student.

She seemed a bit sharp in demeanor, but beyond her lava-like competitive spirit, she generally kept to herself.

In other words, she was quite introverted.

I was no different.

I wasn’t someone who could drive the conversation just because I was alone with someone.

In the end, the silence persisted between two introverted souls.

You know those situations that happen sometimes.

It’s fine when there are three, but things get awkward when it’s just two of you.

Just like it was between Camelian and me when Luce wasn’t around.

Did she feel the tension?

Camelian‘s lips quivered as if she was about to say something.

“I heard you’ll be cosplaying.”

Pffft. Ahem, cough.

What did I just hear?

The sudden declaration had my heart racing.

Good thing I wasn’t chewing on anything.

“Word travels fast.”

“It just happened to come up. Anyway, what character will you be?”

“Why do you want to know that…?”

“Of course I’m curious! It’s something someone I know is doing.”

“Well, nothing’s set yet, so I’ll have to think about it slowly.”

Originally, I hadn’t intended to make a real rule around it.

The initial idea was just to have a bait that existed but not really used.

Nothing more and nothing less.

But now that it had spun, the words felt pointless.

Thinking that way made me a bit bitter.

So I shot back in a teasing manner.

“You seem pretty confident about the tournament? With all this unnecessary interest.”

“It’s your business. It isn’t that unnecessary.”

“Is it?”

I almost smirked.

“If you’re a Royal Loader, being cocky might…”

“I don’t want to hear that from you. You’re the least humble person in the world.”

“…Anyway, you’re preparing for the tournament, right? How’s it going?”

“Yeah. I’m doing my best.”

Camelian’s enthusiasm is definitely not lacking.

After her defeat in the Arena, she had come up with her own strategies.

If I said there weren’t any shortcomings, that would be a lie, but she was definitely doing something impressive.

Thanks to that, she was showing significant skill even in the Assassin matches currently.

I couldn’t deny her physical prowess either.

“You depart tomorrow, right?”

“I’m heading out tomorrow from the lodging, but the flight is past midnight.”

“Got it. Go do well and come back. I might not be able to send you off tomorrow since I will also be streaming.”

“Yep! I’ll make sure to bring back great results. I won’t lose to you.”

Camelian smiled brightly.

Did she want my encouragement that much?

If that were the case, it would make me happy as well, but for some reason, I felt compelled to tease her.

“Win? You’ve lost every match so far. You can’t do it, right?”

“…….”

Oh, her gaze turned intimidating.

*

[Title: Until I Rank #1]

[Gawol is currently streaming.]

[ON AIR | 04:10:24 | Waiting Room]

The contract with Sigma and the ability to stream from the connection device.

Even though the two longed-for things had stepped closer to me, my daily life remained unchanged.

I eat, sleep, and play games.

It’s true that the time spent on other activities has increased.

Still, the majority of my life is still occupied by gaming.

I mustn’t let down my guard just because my environment improved compared to before.

In fact, it should be the opposite.

If I’ve been given a better environment, I should be ready to put in more effort.

“Can I really become #1? Who knows. Not until I try.”

A viewer’s question plopped into the chat.

Since I was genuinely uncertain, I just answered honestly.

The path to reaching rank #1 is a treacherous one.

It’s not just about being good at the game; you also need to play a significant number of matches.

Even assuming I win every match going forward, the time needed is no small feat.

[Matching complete.]

[Do you accept the match? Y/N]

[…Moving to the battlefield in 20 seconds.]

Inbl’s rank matches were based on a point system, and theoretically, there was no upper limit to the maximum score.

Most common players find their limits at Diamond.

Once you surpass that, you enter the rank competition of the unlimited point system, often called the celestial realm.

The highest tier, Infinity, accommodates the top 400 players, with the top 1,000 registered in Abyss Rank.

As you go higher, the amount of points you gain decreases, effectively preventing it from becoming an endless marathon.

Usually, there’s an appropriate cutoff line, but… that’s the scenario when maintaining rank like last season.

To get to a single-digit rank, the points needed soar astronomically.

“If I think I can’t do it, I wouldn’t have bothered starting. If I’ve decided, then I’ll see it through.”

No matter the circumstances, the outcome in this game is determined by skill.

If I needed to play many matches, then I simply needed to do that.

After all, what I had in abundance was time.

[Rank Match – Black 541 RP]

[Battlefield: Lava Zone]

[Rules: Duo]

I lightly moved the dagger in my hand.

It felt almost as if the hilt had become a part of my body.

After a short waiting time, the moment the names of my allies and enemies were displayed.

The chat began to buzz.

– What the hell is this?

– Why is that person showing up here?

– Is this yet another ambush?

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