I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

While Ga-wol and Hero were in the midst of their fierce battle,
a rather tense situation was unfolding outside the monastery.

Both sides were heavily worn out after the intense fighting.
The battle raged on, and at one point, a strong torrent of water poured down.
Though both sides retreated a step to catch their breath, the fight itself wasn’t over.

Sigma had snipers and a bowman.
W Titans had snipers and a gunslinger, a combination of long-range attackers.
As if to show exactly why range was necessary in this battlefield, a standoff continued at long distances.

This continued until the victory announcement from inside the monastery.

《Ga-wol single-handedly defeats Hero and secures the monastery’s object.》
《The ace warrior of W Titans! With this, morale outside the monastery will surely rise!》
《Thanks to the object, there’s a significant gap in combat power now. The number of players is also reduced, and the water on the field is receding.》
《This... Could they actually do it?》
《IKL’s hope strikes at the giant!》

Hero, a formidable opponent, had been defeated.
After taking down the hero, Ga-wol became his team’s hero.
Yet, on the screen, Ga-wol was simply calmly recovering his sword, his face expressionless.

Even when he exited the monastery, it was the same.
Once the water receded from the field, he surveyed his surroundings and charged at the enemy.

W Titans had lost their strongest card.
With the disadvantage in numbers, they were once again pushed to the brink.
Ga-wol displayed a remarkable skill by casually deflecting bullets as if they were nothing, catching the enemy off guard.

Not a single sniper bullet pierced his black uniform.

《With the sniper’s bullet deflected by Ga-wol’s sword... the game ends.》
《Sigma eSports leads the match 1-0!》
《We’ll be back shortly!》

Luche’s gaze turned to Ga-wol.
Seeing him drenched, her eyes were filled with mixed emotions.

The moment a break was given, she quickly washed her face in the restroom.
It wasn’t long, though. Perhaps due to being drenched in water throughout the game, the sensation of holding the sword seemed to resurface.
It was more of a side effect. She quickly dried her face with a towel.

Returning to the waiting room, she lay on the sofa.
She couldn’t muster the strength to manage her expression.

As she lay there for a bit, she heard a familiar voice.
It was Luche.

“Are you okay? Can you keep going?”
“Yes. No problem.”
“…Alright. If you start feeling unwell, be sure to let me know.”

It seemed like Luche was going around checking on the team’s condition.
She often acted like this before important matches.
Perhaps I was the one she was most concerned about, as she placed the back of her hand on my forehead, checking my temperature.

There didn’t seem to be any problem.
Luche, judging that I didn’t have a fever, removed her hand and merely observed my complexion.
Hekate, Outlaw, and Rika wandered near me for no particular reason before moving away.

Do I really look that fragile?
Looking into the mirror, my face did seem a little pale.
Well, this was still within an acceptable range.

There’s nothing to be done now anyway.
The semifinals. And if we win today, the finals.
Now is not the time to show weakness.

The weight on my shoulders was not light.
Even if my body were to break, I had to win.

《Now, the second match of the World Championship semifinals.》
《Sigma eSports vs. W Titans, taking place in the London Grand Central Hall.》
《Sigma eSports leads 1-0 after winning the first set.》
《Let’s proceed with the next match.》

The break was almost over.
The feedback from the coaches and managers had passed.
Since it was a victory, most of the comments were positive.

“Good job. Let’s keep it up. The opponents are good, but we’re better.”
I was also included in the words of encouragement.
I was told that I had played exceptionally well and just needed to push a little more.

When an important match is going on, coaches usually try to ease the players’ tension.
They rarely say anything harsh, but with me, it was even more so.
The only advice I got outside of praise was something like, “If it looks dangerous, retreat and regroup with the team.”
The rest of it felt like flattery, all encouraging words.

Well, of course, it felt good to hear.

[Notification: Class Selection]
[Would you like to select the class ‘Swordsman’? Y/N]

My hand didn’t move easily.
It was like how someone instinctively flinches when they touch something electrified.
Even though I had already made up my mind, my body resisted moving.

No. I can do this.
I can’t just sit down here.

Thud—thud—my heart pounded heavily.
I wasn’t underwater anymore, but I still couldn’t breathe, and the surroundings were swirling, distorting.
The heavy air felt like it was pressing down on my shoulders. I gritted my teeth and pushed forward.

I felt a glance from the side.
I knew. I would choose. It was just a matter of mentally preparing myself.
I wanted to win too.

I asked for their trust, and now I would prove it.

[You have selected the class ‘Swordsman’.]

The second set’s battlefield was the Pilgrim’s Desert. The rules were a 6-man elimination match.
In the scorching desert, Luche stepped forward to the front lines.

The team’s tankers mustn’t move carelessly, even one step.
Checking the expected sniper shooting positions and placing shields to protect both themselves and their allies.
Thorough preparation always brought results.

In the distance, something sparkled like a star.
The twinkling star became a black dot, and the dot soon transformed into a line, revealing its true identity.
It was a spear. One infused with incredible power.

As Luche took a step forward, she boldly raised her shield.

The class of Paladin was among the highest-ranked in terms of defense in this game.
A properly raised shield wouldn’t break with a single blow.
However, the desert sand couldn’t support the Paladin’s legs well.

At the moment Luche was pushed back, a red trail appeared in the air.

“Sniper!”

The attack range was incredibly clear.
Few skills would mark the range this clearly.
If it hit, it wouldn’t just reduce health; it would be much worse.

It was like forcibly tearing away the shield that protected Luche.
In a moment of vulnerability, the sniper’s bullet aimed directly at Hekate’s chest.@@novelbin@@

The bullet came from a world-class player.
Naturally, there was no misfire, and Hekate had very little time to react.
Even though she tried to twist her body quickly, she couldn’t avoid it entirely.

The bullet, traveling at high speed, was... blocked by a single sword and shattered.

Luche’s gaze naturally shifted.
It was obvious who had blocked the sniper’s bullet.
Ga-wol, the swordsman in the black uniform, retrieved his sword with an expressionless face.

Looking at her teammate’s eyes, Luche suddenly realized.

‘Ah, I see now.’

A mix of relief and regret settled in her chest.
She understood what lay behind Ga-wol’s expressionless face.
She had many things she wanted to say, but it was still during the match. Luche remained silent.

In the second set, in the Pilgrim’s Desert... they ultimately won.
Even though Hero had reigned as a nightmare for all melee classes, she couldn’t gain the upper hand against Ga-wol.
Whenever Ga-wol held his sword, he would always slaughter his enemies with eyes that seemed as dark as death itself.

W Titans had other strong players aside from Hero.
But Hero was definitely the core, and her presence was significant.

In moments of victory, hidden weaknesses often surface, and in moments of defeat, they are the ones that hold you back.
W Titans’ identity was centered around overwhelming close combat and superior ranged dealers.
While the synergy of those two strengths usually worked well, if one side faltered, the other would inevitably collapse.

《Sigma eSports claims another victory in the Pilgrim’s Desert.》
《The score is now 2-0, reaching match point!》
《My heart is swelling with emotion, really!》
《Only one more step to go!》

As the match ended,
Luche lowered her bloodied sword.
The moment of decision had arrived.

“Ugh... ek. Uhh...”

In the restroom, I gagged again.
Nothing came out, though.
It wasn’t even indigestion, but my body was acting up again.

This time, however, it ended quickly.
I tidied myself up and returned to the waiting room, where everyone’s eyes were on me.

The air felt heavy in a different way this time.
Even the coach and manager seemed to be nervous, glancing at me.
Lee Ga-yoon spoke.

“Daeun-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Next match. I think it would be best if you go as an assassin.”