I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

Kendo is undoubtedly a combat sport.

While it is now sportsified, it fundamentally originated from a martial art aimed at killing opponents.

In such a sport, it’s only natural that some injuries are to be expected.

In fact, back in the days when the bamboo sword wasn’t even developed, people occasionally died during training.

Even without a blade, a wooden sword is practically a blunt weapon.

Of course, just because it’s a bamboo sword doesn’t mean there are no minor injuries at all.

So, I’m used to getting hurt and feeling pain to some extent.

In fact, the most tormenting thing is withering away alone without any pain.

What I need is the assurance that I’m moving forward.

As long as I have this conviction, I can endure the rest somehow.

[You have been killed by ……]

[You will not receive a death penalty due to ‘Training Mode’.]

[You will respawn in the ‘Player Waiting Room’.]

Death keeps coming at me.

My heart is pierced, a blade goes into my neck, my insides are crushed.

I clutched my chest repeatedly, gasping for breath.

With every pain, a certain ecstasy also found me.

Weapons that narrowly missed me, whooshing by.

It was the result of stepping back just in time the moment my opponent made a decision.

I can start to feel it.

Even while exchanging blows with me, I notice where they’re directing their gaze.

When their life was on the line, the way their breathing becomes unnatural.

Alright. I’ve improved since earlier.

Let’s try again.

[You have been killed by ……]

I move forward, stepping on death.

To be honest, I didn’t need to go this far.

What Sigma wanted was combat data. More precisely, various situational variables.

The fact that a high synchronization rate carries risks is something Sigma acknowledges.

So they didn’t make the foolish demand for me to continually experience extreme situations like death.

If it meant I had to stab a dagger into my left leg right now, I’d hesitate quite a bit.

Luce, meanwhile, was trying to lower the synchronization rate of the brainwave connection device somehow.

I may not know much about that, but they said the connection device my parents made turned out to be a bigger help than expected.

So I shouldn’t overdo it, after all.

‘Still, having it is better than not having it at all.’

Han Da-eun didn’t fall into shock after experiencing countless battles and deaths.

Even if something unexpected happened, Sigma could take immediate action.

If I protest based on this, perhaps there’ll be a way out for me as well.

The more I endure, the sooner I can return to paradise.

After all, I’ve died a few times in-game before.

This phantom pain is far worse than the dark, damp room I was in.

Let alone this is the dream I’ve longed for.

How much have I anticipated standing on the pro scene?

I wanted to prove my skills and validate my existence.

Now that the opportunity has finally arrived, I cannot run away just because it hurts.

If that were the case, I wouldn’t have clung to this pathetic life until now.

[You have won.]

[Prepare yourself. Your next opponent will be introduced without a waiting period.]

Pain in the hand gripping the dagger.

No, it was vitality.

*

Camelian. In Shin Eun-chae’s view, Gawol was a person best described by the word ‘poison gas.’

I realized she should not be placed in the category of an average person.

What I saw in Gawol was a person who was almost mentally ill with an obsession for victory, and indeed, that was the case.

I just didn’t expect it to be to this extent.

How many hours have passed since the confident practice began?

The space filled with hostility and eagerness gradually sank into silence.

In the downtrodden atmosphere, one man gathered his courage.

His voice was tinged with defeat.

“Can we stop…… can we wrap it up for today?”

“Already?”

“It’s not ‘already,’ we’ve been doing this for several hours.”

“Hmm. Fine. If you’re tired, it can’t be helped. We’ll just be less productive if we keep going.”

So the hierarchy has been established.

When there’s that much difference in skill, there’s no choice but to acknowledge it, even if you don’t want to.

Eun-chae, watching from a distance, smirked.

In the practice room, now filled with reverence, a certain awe lingered.

The main display in the center of the practice room.

It showed a phrase that the second-string players definitely didn’t want to see.

[ALL KILL]

[Rule: 5-player victor consecutive match]

[Battlefield: Shadow Arena]

[Achiever: Gawol (Assassin)]

To be honest, luck played a part.

The Shadow Arena is practically the home ground for assassins, and among the players participating this time, there were trainees included.

Yet that doesn’t diminish the achievement of an all-kill.

How many among the top-tier pros could even pull that off?

Even taking into account the connection device problem, Luce definitely had a reason to covet Gawol.

‘And how is it that her stamina outmatches that of the active pros…….’

Sigma e-Sports does not shy away from training hard.

Korea is traditionally a country that churns out people to generate efficiency.

That long-standing culture hasn’t excluded e-Sports, which continues to have the highest training volume in the world.

Even as a second-string player, a pro is still a pro.

Therefore, I expected Gawol would fall short in terms of stamina.

Yet an incomprehensible result has emerged.

As people exited, the practice room became empty.

Eun-chae took Da-eun’s vacant seat.

Her pretty eyes glanced at her, before she fiddled with her phone as if not to care.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I just, don’t feel like it right now.”

“I bet you’ve heard people tell you to gain some weight.”

“I don’t want to hear the nagging.”

Ah, she seemed disheartened.

Camelian’s lips curled into a sly smile.

Though she didn’t voice it, I could have sworn I heard the sounds of her complaining.

“Come on, just eat something. If you do, you’ll be able to practice more.”

“Why, are you going to join me?”

“If I eat all this, how about some sandwiches?”

“…… Give it to me then. I’ll eat.”

Munch munch, gulp.

slurp

Da-eun stuffed food into her tiny mouth.

Seeing her rush to eat while sipping coffee, it seemed she was trying to eat quickly.

Given the physical limits, she couldn’t eat very fast.

From just this, she looked like a tiny little creature, and yet this person was actually Gawol.

It’s now been a few encounters we’ve had, but she still feels unfamiliar to Camelian.

“By the way, is it okay? I thought you were told not to overdo it.”

“I can go on for an entire day.”

“Since when have you been quoting that line?”

“Shut up. I like it.”

Her complexion didn’t really look that good for someone saying that.

Her already pitiful-looking appearance made me feel like I had done something wrong.

What the heck did I do to make this small and delicate girl end up like this?

Ironically, it was Han Da-eun who was older.

‘That face is over twenty? Really?’

At a glance, she could easily pass for just a girl.

With a subtly dark and gloomy atmosphere trailing her.

If there was no decadent charm, I might have thought ‘Today’s kids are growing up fast.’

Is that why?

It’s fine to drop polite terms now and then.

But I can’t bring myself to call her ‘sister.’

Somewhere in Camelian’s heart, it screamed that this should never happen.

The moment Shin Eun-chae called Han Da-eun ‘sister’ outside,

Anyone who witnessed that scene would think they had stumbled into some bizarre social experiment.

As a woman, that would feel too humiliating.

“I, I tried the brainwave connection device. I was curious.”

“Really? How was it?”

“It didn’t feel like something a person should do.”

“Pfft… Once you get used to it, it’s doable.”

The synchronization rate of a typical pro gamer slightly exceeds 20%.

But right now, Gawol was operating at a synchronization rate of 65.8%.

And that was already lower than during the arena.

It truly was not something a person should be doing.

When the synchronization rate exceeds 20%, one can perceive their bodily condition purely through sensation.

They can feel the extent of the damage done.

Whether it’s a fatal injury or just bearable pain, as long as they can sense it.

In other words, it’s painful enough to feel real.

The 65.8% Camelian experienced could hardly be compared to reality.

Does that mean they engaged in a fierce brawl without hesitation?

If the roles were reversed, could she have done the same?

The creeping sense of defeat made Camelian suppress her competitive spirit once.

“How long are you going to stay?”

“Until there’s someone to practice with.”

“What kind of ridiculous standard is that?”

“I don’t feel like explaining. You’ll understand once you experience it.”

That much was true.

Two hours later, Camelian, who couldn’t win a single round, stormed back to her lodging.

Only then did Han Da-eun begin her way home.

*

[Author: Elderin]

[Title: Tomorrow, there’s a Guest Invite Broadcast!]

ლ(ㆍωㆍლ)

I’m not gonna tell you who it is.

But I think everyone might already know?

[Comments]

– Tenryon is finally coming.

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