I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

The scale of eSports has been growing for quite some time.

The skepticism toward this industry has not disappeared yet.
The question of whether eSports should officially be classified as a sport has remained unresolved.
However, there is one undeniable fact.

eSports excites people.
Many dive deeply into the intense matches, exploring the narratives that build between teams and players.
Whatever identity one might give it, it was clear that eSports had become a culture in itself.

As a result, stadiums capable of holding tens of thousands of people were filled to capacity.
The time it took for every seat in this massive indoor arena to sell out was said to be but a moment.
The fans who filled the seats sent as much heat as the players.

The performance to raise the atmosphere concluded.
The white spotlight illuminated the empty stage.

"Finally, the long-awaited day has arrived."
"Today marks the end of Inble eSports' year. Only one of the two teams that made it to the finals can sit on the throne."
"It has truly been a year of upheaval after upheaval. Looking at the entire league’s history, there hasn’t been a season with this much change."
"That’s right. Among those, Sigma eSports has been at the center of this huge turmoil."

As time passed, Inble's league accumulated history.
For competitors, a year is never a short time.
Teams that made it to the top of the world stage inevitably had their own stories.

It all started with the last IKL Championship victory.
The glorious moment faded and disappeared like ash, while Phantom and Hero’s faces briefly passed by.
The dark period for the league, which had reached its peak, did not end easily.

Until today.
In the darkened stadium, a video slowly began to play.

"Sigma eSports is bringing an end to IKL’s long night."
"Morning has come, and the sun rises slowly, bringing warmth with its light."
"There is no one who suits the meaning of the name Luche better than the player himself."
"There’s no team that embodies growth and overcoming adversity like Sigma."

Luche’s beginning was at the bottom of the Korean server.
He was a paladin who couldn’t even raise his shield properly due to an injured arm.
Through relentless rehabilitation and practice, he climbed step by step to the top.

Hekate endured long periods of humiliation.
Her brave challenges left only burdens on her heart.
Repeated failures eventually became a nightmare.

Ga-wol was the same.

The assassin who thirsted for victory more than anyone else.

They were a mess of individuals who came together.
They gathered and moved forward.

"World Championship Finals. Sigma eSports is challenging the defending champions, AT!"
"This is a team that has experienced countless failures. But those very failures are the identity of Sigma."
"In mathematics, sigma usually represents a sum. Like the name of the team, the players have embraced both victories and defeats, adversity and suffering."
"Please welcome the players of Sigma eSports with applause!"

When the lights came back on, the members of Sigma, wearing their uniforms, appeared on stage.
With so many people, it felt as if the entire world resonated with their applause.

The players who greeted them were those who could easily claim the title of the world’s strongest.
A team that is recognized not just for individual abilities but also for their collective skill, considered the best in the European league.

While Sigma's story was one of growth and hardship, AT’s was one of dominance.
A team that broke the dreams of top-tier players and rose to the top.
Although there were moments of wavering, even those were moments when AT proved their strength.

"As for the team AT, honestly, talking about them is almost a waste of breath."
"Kelberos' individual duels are still highly rated. It’s hard to find an opponent, except for Hero."
"Though Ga-wol did defeat him in the arena, we must not be complacent."
"Recently, some players have completely abandoned the swordmaster class, switching to dark knight or weaponmaster... "
"The evaluations from overseas officials are intriguing."

The players from both teams exchanged greetings.
As both teams returned to their positions, the stage for the finals was set.

In a best-of series, the significance of the first set is both heavy and light.
It’s a prelude, where each side gauges the other. While the outcome itself is important, what matters more is the overall flow of the game.
If one side falters in terms of physicality, things could get tougher for them in the next sets.

"Now, the World Championship Finals. The first set."
"All the players are ready. It’s time to reveal the battlefield and the rules."
"A rare battlefield has emerged. The first battle will take place in the Mirror Labyrinth, Aspectrium."
"This is going to ramp up the tension right from the first set!"

In that sense, 'Mirror Labyrinth Aspectrium' was an excellent stage to test the strength of the damage dealers.
It was a rare battlefield that only appeared in the top four of regional leagues and in international matches beyond the quarterfinals.
Since it wasn’t a frequently seen battlefield, it had many gimmicks.

In Aspectsrium, the connection between team members is limited.
Basic UI communications are drastically reduced, making them impossible to use over longer distances.
Due to the labyrinth's nature, the use of snipers becomes difficult, and 'operators' can’t rely on their usual advantages.

Moreover, the labyrinth contained monsters wandering through mirrors.
The more players stuck together, the higher the chance they’d encounter these monsters, and nothing good comes from facing them.

So, in this battlefield, unless they’re a support character, individual action is the norm.
Because it’s difficult to group together, it’s not uncommon for fights to break out without the support role.
The team’s overall combat efficiency and ability to respond to variables would be thoroughly tested.

"Aspectrium is all about skirmishes from all sides."
"The constantly shifting maze, and on top of that, teleportation traps scattered across the map."
"It’s a battlefield where chaos constantly reigns, with variables exploding without a break."
"The rule is a 4-player elimination match. Every single life will be valuable in this battle."

With the battlefield and rules decided, the remaining choice was the players' selection.
Since close combat situations would arise frequently, the advantage of close-quarters classes was more prominent.
Naturally, expectations were high for Sigma eSports.

By now, no fan of Inble eSports could be unaware of Ga-wol's swordplay.
In a hellish draw, he defeated top-tier players head-on.
Even Hero was taken down by this sword, which, for some, became a source of exhilaration, while for others, it became a nightmare.

But a new issue had arisen—Ga-wol’s personal instability.
Though he showed some answers by the end of the fourth set, it was undeniable that he was a card too valuable to be left to rot.
Therefore, Ga-wol’s swordplay was a hot topic heading into the finals.

Would Ga-wol be able to endure without breaking down?

"Kelberos from AT has chosen the Weapon Master class. Recently, this class has even overtaken Dark Knight to become a new signature class."
"This seems to be a choice made with swordplay in mind, rather than an assassin."
"That’s right. With its sturdy defense, it’s impossible to apply pressure with this playstyle. It’s not suited to countering an assassin."
"And Ga-wol... responds with the swordmaster! He seems to want to dive straight into a sword duel from the start!"

The class selections for both teams were finalized.

The screen darkened before brightening again.
Outside the battlefield, it was a cold, dark night. The camera passed through the darkness and entered the beautifully lit labyrinth.
Amidst the complex space, the eight players appeared separately on the battlefield.

The first to appear was someone, as expected.
Caster Hoeun couldn’t help but express admiration into the mic for the first time.

"Ah..."@@novelbin@@

Within the labyrinth, a new version of Ga-wol appeared.
But this was not the Ga-wol everyone knew.
The knight standing in the bright corridor looked far more radiant and beautiful than before.

His once cold, dark expression, which reflected a dead heart, had vanished.
His previously cloudy eyes now glimmered with vitality, and the slightly embarrassed look on his face even exuded the freshness of a young girl.
The heavy, oppressive atmosphere around him had completely dissipated.

Ga-wol moved forward.
His steps seemed much lighter than before.
There was no overwhelming weight, but there was a soft confidence.

Whether they were fans of Sigma or AT, everyone watching the game could instinctively feel it.

He had changed.
And far too much.