I Have Reasons to Hate Streamers

It was a terrible misfortune.

There was no other way to describe it.

The exact scientific name was… what was it again?

Generally speaking, there’s something called TS disease.

An unidentified phenomenon that suddenly transforms a human’s entire body.

In fact, it’s something that’s hard to even call a disease – it was like a devil’s prank that comes without warning.

“You’re leaving the country tomorrow, right? I came to give you a change of mood.”

“Dad, you make it sound so easy? I got permission from the coach and director that you absolutely won’t come out just like that. The director also said it would be good for you to go out for a bit since you’ve been practicing too much.”

If I hadn’t gotten into my parents’ car then, would it have been okay?

No. That wouldn’t have been the case.

The journey for my parents to come to the athlete’s village wasn’t that short.

Despite taking time out of their busy schedule to visit, it was at most an hour.

I couldn’t betray their devotion to come see me for that short time.

My tragedy wasn’t anyone’s fault.

How could I blame my father for being struck by TS disease while driving?

It’s the pain of having your body reversed while conscious.

There was no way he could have controlled the steering wheel.

So, my father did his best.

The reason I ended up like this was due to a natural disaster.

At least, that’s what I thought.

“Da-hoon’s dad! What’s wrong?

“Ugh. My body… suddenly. Aagh, nnngh!”

Of all times, we were going down a mountain road.

Father desperately grabbed the steering wheel and moved his foot towards the brake.

Despite his efforts, the car body shook wildly. We had no time to think.

While I hesitated in confusion, mom wrapped her whole body around me.

For what reason did she do such a thing?

And how did she find such courage?

I still don’t quite understand a parent’s heart.

The moment the car heading for the cliff floated in the air.

As if the world had stopped, silence fell, and mom chose one thing among many words as her last words.

“I love you, my son.”

Crash─!

I don’t remember much after that.

It felt like the world flipped dozens of times as the car rolled over several times.

A roaring sound echoed in the darkness. Dizzying impacts came from all directions.

I think I tasted soil in my mouth, and maybe the characteristic fishy taste of blood.

What’s clear is that mom’s sacrifice saved me.

The vehicle discovered due to my master’s missing person report was close to being just a chunk of scrap metal.

They said it was a miracle that I was even alive.

That’s why I couldn’t see my parents’ bodies.

Please don’t go see them. My master pleaded with tears as I lay in the hospital bed.

How could I not know? It was obvious what had happened to my parents by the time this kind person made such a request.

Probably their faces would be unrecognizable.

They probably couldn’t even properly arrange their outward appearance.

If I saw their faces – a terrible image would be painted over the faces of the mother and father I knew.

My master must have been worried about that.

But there was something my master didn’t know.

That I had a very vague memory of a hand torn off still gripping the steering wheel until the very end.

My father’s hand, trying to move the steering wheel until the very last moment, couldn’t be detached even by death.

So I guess they had to cut off the entire arm.

Naturally, I was the only survivor.

My parents’ bodies couldn’t be identified by the corpses alone.

They say there was only one blood-covered girl barely breathing in the car, so they didn’t think it was me.

It seems they barely noticed because the clothes I was wearing looked particularly big.

They said TS disease wasn’t contagious at all.

The cruel devil, as if mocking me, left the same curse on me before departing.

When I opened my eyes, I had become a girl who looked to be in her mid-teens.

“Then, as the patient requested, we won’t perform amputation surgery. It will cause great inconvenience in daily life. Are you really okay with this?”

“You said there’s not a 0% chance of recovery, right? Then, I want to try walking, even if just a little.”

“I understand. Regarding your new identity, someone in charge will visit you today.”

Mom almost succeeded in protecting my entire body, but she couldn’t protect everything.

From the left knee down to the toes. It seemed some problem occurred during the body transformation.

There were hideous burn-like marks, and it couldn’t function properly.

If weight was accidentally shifted or if there was an impact, pain like my body was being torn apart would occur.

The doctor’s opinion was amputation. They said it was practically a dead body already.

However, my attachment decided to preserve the corpse-like left leg.

That’s how the national kendo champion Han Da-hoon died, and Han Da-eun was born.

A guy who only did kendo lost his physical body, so there was nothing left.

No. Actually, it wasn’t that there was nothing at all.

The enormous hospital bills that would be used for future leg treatment.

A small room barely acquired with my parents’ inheritance and insurance money.

And there was an old brain wave connection device that my parents, who were VR device researchers, used for experiments.

“Maybe I should have just thrown this away. It takes up too much space.”

The reason I, who knew nothing about VR, didn’t throw away the connection device.

It was nothing more than a trace of my parents.

However, curious about the identity of the connection device that filled the room, trying it once became the start of my game addict life.

You might call this a trick of fate too.

The device my parents were developing was for disabled people or severely paralyzed patients.

So unlike the latest connection devices that simultaneously scan brain waves and movements, it was a radical device that only directly acted on brain waves.

It seemed it was originally intended to gift daily life, not games, but I happened to get addicted to games.

Now this connection device is practically mine alone.

There were side effects because I didn’t use it for its intended purpose.

Ordinary gamers can only apply sensitivity, or more precisely, sensory synchronization rate, up to 30%.

Mine, on the contrary, doesn’t go below 70%.

It doesn’t even help with game performance, but I can’t reduce it, so I just feel the pain more intensely.

Because it was still in development, I couldn’t use broadcasting programs or replay functions, and conversely, if I used a new device, I couldn’t properly move ‘Gawol’.

This was the reason I couldn’t become a streamer or pro gamer.

I tried everything I could in my own way, but neither path was allowed for me.

‘A body with absolutely no use.’

But I couldn’t give up gaming.

In the game, like my old self – like when I was preparing for competitions, my keen senses and physicality returned.

While moving like that, I didn’t think about reality at all.

Because I just couldn’t let go of that feeling.

The heretic of Infinity Black. The nightmare of streamers and pro gamers.

An assassin who kills targets for money – Gawol had been building up notoriety for 2 years already.

* * *

“Hmmph.”

When I opened my eyes, it was midday this time.

What did I do last?

I went to the convenience store and ate ramen. Then I felt bad and just came back.

I think I fell asleep right away after arriving because climbing the stairs was so hard.

Come to think of it, it’s a bit of a waste.

I should have just eaten it. Even a drop of ramen broth is money.

How important could my mood be?

Still, this body had pretty good fuel efficiency.

I’ve never tried it, but if I had managed it properly, my physical condition would have been considerable.

Even living like this mess, I’ve never had minor illnesses, and in games, I wasn’t inferior compared to my athlete days.

If it weren’t for my ruined leg, it would be no exaggeration to call it a blessed body.

As proof, even now I wasn’t particularly hungry.

I should just pull myself together and go play games.

On the monitor, Sooljbbang was in the middle of streaming enthusiastically.

I drank cola while unmuting the sound.

“There’s no gain today. Can one accessory be this hard to get?”

– If you hadn’t been caught by Gawol, you would have gotten it long ago. Ah, do you not have hair to be caught?

“Thank you for the donation, Sooljbbang’sHairRoots… No! It’s not that bad. My hair is still lush! And about Gawol, we just have to accept it. What can we do? Surely they won’t come again?”

Hmm. Sorry, but I will be coming again.

When I visit as a hobby, I tend not to kill consecutively, but when a job comes in like now, it’s a different story.

If I only kill the target I’m told to, it raises suspicion.

I need to choose a few suitable streamers and kill them together to make the real target unclear.

It’s not really an obligation, but… well, it’s fun.

Anyway, this time’s chosen one became Sooljbbang.

He’s been a subject I’ve had my eye on for a while.

His basic skills are decently good. He has a thick fan base, so when he cries loudly, it becomes good gossip.

He even has some experience in siege guilds, so he has many enemies knowingly or unknowingly.

And well, his reactions when killed are fun, so it feels good to kill him.

I switched through a few more broadcasts and decided on about three sacrificial lambs.

Good. Approximate location tracking complete.

Since Sooljbbang is close to where I logged out, should I kill him first?

The rest I can find in order. A simple route formed in my head.

The streamers in the middle of broadcasting will say what did they do wrong, but I’m just as innocent.

But you guys shine.

While I’m stuck deep in this gutter, you’re showing off to your heart’s content on a glamorous stage.

You’re freely doing things I can’t do.

The only difference between me and you is that my left foot is crippled.

Is that so wrong? I could have done well too. Even if I failed, it should have been my failure.

So… it’s okay to vent a little, right? It’s not like you’re really dying.

I─

I have reasons to hate streamers.

As I lay in the connection device and closed the door, I saw the system message.

[Launching Infinity Black.]

[Gawol. Thank you for returning.]

I already felt at ease.

The half-finished cola belongs in the fridge. And I belong in the connection device.

Feeling my body change into Gawol, I slowly grasped my weapon.