I Have Reasons to Hate Streamers

After finishing my lament, I bought a bottle of soju from the convenience store.

This too was a luxury I could afford now that my pocket situation had improved.

I sat on a bench with a cool breeze blowing and took a sip – it tasted awful.

“Ugh. Blech?”

My reunion with soju after several years was the worst.

Did soju always taste this strange?

Although it wasn’t a drink I drank for its taste before, I was surprised at how different it felt.

The chemical taste unique to alcohol is hard to bear.

If only it had a stronger sweet taste…

Ah, is this why women drink things like fruit soju?

I felt like I had gained an uncomfortable realization.

I didn’t expect to experience the changes in my body even in a place like this.

Still, I won’t waste the alcohol I bought.

[Author: Anonymous (259.25)]

[Title: Can Gawol beat Reaper?]

[Author: TalkingPigeon]

[Title: If she beats Reaper tomorrow, I’ll eat fried rice with mint chocolate]

[Author: CoolShot]

[Title: Mint chocolate fried rice? I’ll add pine needle snow]

While drinking, I saw that the community was occasionally talking about me.

It seems they expect me not to win.

I thought things would change a bit after I beat Rime, but it looks like I still can’t match Reaper’s reputation.

Well, European teams have been showing strength against Korea so far.

I understood, given what has accumulated over time.

All sorts of outrageous pledges were being posted on that basis.

I captured the posts and continued gulping down the alcohol.

I’ll make sure you all eat your words.

[Author: Anonymous (438.58)]

[Title: Even Sparrow got put in his place, what chance does Gawol have lol]

[Author: Anonymous (420.324)]

[Title: Korea can never win international matches]

“Hmph. I can win. There’s no one in this world I can’t beat.”

Am I a lightweight?

Maybe the alcohol was hitting me quickly, as my emotions suddenly surged.

I don’t know when I drank so much, but the soju bottle was already empty.

Thinking back, my friend was truly a monster.

The first opponent who made me feel utterly lost. I had no idea how to beat him.

I felt despair, but soon I tried to find ways to win.

‘Just poking from afar, charging in like a mad dog, getting scolded for overtraining while trying to build muscle…’

I tried everything I could possibly do.

Each time, all my weaknesses were exposed and I was defeated.

Then I would patch up my weaknesses and charge in with a new method.

Physical abilities like reaction speed, dynamic vision, strength, endurance, agility?

Of course, I had to keep up. These are basic requirements without which nothing else matters.

Since my opponent was inhuman, I had to be at the very edge of human capability.

Then I had to see things I hadn’t seen before.

No matter how strong an opponent is, they can’t hide everything.

The back muscles move before pulling the arm, and you have to check the attack position before feinting.

Skill battles ultimately come down to who gains more clues.

From simple power struggles to endurance battles, psychological warfare, slugfests… as I challenged in every area, I started to catch up in some areas.

So, what I’m best at isn’t just relying on physical abilities.

Rather, it was the opposite. My time as a player was spent trying to beat opponents who surpassed me in all abilities.

Playing like Reaper, finding and exploiting the opponent’s weaknesses, is exactly the direction I’ve been pursuing since my player days.

“Phew…”

Today, I was in a strangely good mood.

It must be because of the alcohol.

So I did something I wouldn’t normally do.

I logged into an account I had created but never used.

I immediately pressed the write button.

* * *

[Author: Gawol]

[Title: Hello. This is Gawol.]

[Recommended: 1,695]

(Attached photo: Infinity Black account verification)

It seems many of you are making pledges about my victory.

Unfortunately, many of you are betting on my defeat.

Still, I’m glad that you seem to be watching with interest.

Of course, I’ve captured all the pledges.

To add fuel to the fire, I’ve come to make a pledge too.

If I lose to Reaper tomorrow, I’ll do whatever the top comment tells me to do.

Of course, nothing illegal or harmful to others is allowed.

[Comments]

– Face reveal (Recommended: 565)
└ Let’s at least see what you look like

Today’s order started with the loser’s bracket matches before the winner’s bracket that included me.

In Group E, a desperate Rime defeated Fury and won.

One person was eliminated, and one gained a new chance.

After the last loser’s bracket match ended, it was my turn.

The commentators raised their tension as soon as they saw my name.

《 Next… the moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived. It’s been generating a lot of buzz since yesterday, hasn’t it? It’s the match between Reaper and Gawol. 》

《 This already exciting match has drawn a lot of attention externally as well. I’m curious to see how it will unfold too. 》

It seems the commentators had seen the post I uploaded.

My face was flushed, but I calmed down quickly.

I can’t beat Reaper if I’m distracted by strange things.

As I slowly calmed my mind, I suddenly couldn’t hear the commentators’ voices anymore.

After a final check for any mistakes, I prepared for the upcoming battle.

[Infinity Arena Main Tournament Group E – Match 8]

[Battlefield: Fairy Tree Great Forest]

[vs Acid Gaming Ripper(Mist Mage)]

The battlefield where I fought Camellia in the second preliminary round.

It’s a place with many branches, making concealment and aerial maneuvers easy, and where magic power recovers quickly.

Even among assassin-class characters, I have the advantage in search battles.

It’s a difference that can be overcome, but if I know Reaper, he won’t step into an unfavorable fight.

If you can eliminate one of your opponent’s advantages before starting, that’s a gain in itself.

As expected, a thick mist had settled in the middle of the great forest.

He had given up on completely hiding himself, instead trying to lure me into the mist.

But I have a different answer.

As I’ve analyzed you thoroughly, have you done the same for me?

I decided to throw out a light question.

[‘Black Moon’s Rhythm’ effect is applied.]

[For 30 seconds, all actions using the chain sickle will have positive effects.]

[Damage dealt using the chain sickle increases by 16% and…]

This is the second time I’m using this in the Arena, but I haven’t let the chain sickle rust in the meantime.

I’ve been practicing constantly because I thought it would be a good card.

Just as you avoided a dangerous search battle, I have no intention of entering the dangerous mist.

Try to avoid everything if you can.

I’ll swing wildly.

I slammed down one of the assassin’s few area attacks like a bombardment.

Several black chains endlessly pounded the earth, and the ground turned into a red-green quagmire.

My chain sickle cut through the mist, roughly searching for Reaper’s position.

[‘Ancient Demon’s Curse’ effect is applied to the enemy.]

[The enemy’s all stats decrease by 8%, movement speed decreases by 20%, and it lasts for 4 seconds.]

[Deals damage equal to 2% of maximum health every second.]

I hit.

Along with the system message, there was a tingling sensation at my fingertips.

The chain that tasted the enemy’s blood growled.

Right. This is how it had to be.

An attack thrown so hastily that even I, the user, couldn’t fully confirm everything.

With the boost to magic power recovery, it doesn’t make sense to see and avoid all of this.

I immediately adjusted the skill’s position to where the chain had rung.

A little further forward than the expected position. Because he’d want to close the distance right away.

The moving chain started to retract, pulling towards me.

Unlike reality, the chain sickle I use utilizes the blade at the end of the chain.

So it has an overwhelming range, but there’s no weapon in the world with only advantages.

If the situation flows into close combat, it becomes difficult to respond.

Just like this situation.

“You’re fast.”

“……”

“But I’m not slow either.”

Faster than my chain, Reaper’s figure appeared from the edge of the mist.

The boy who appeared and disappeared momentarily was now rushing towards me.

He was aiming from the neck to the heart. The blade of the eerie claw flew in mercilessly.

There was no need to dodge.

I lightly tapped the dagger in the hand not holding the chain.

As I playfully thrust it forward – the two weapons stopped, leaving just a hair’s breadth between them.

Reaper’s form disappeared into mist like a lie, and shadow chains pierced where he had been.

The vanished mist mage appeared above me, reaching out with his claws again.

I bent my waist backward to avoid the attack, waited exactly half a beat, and parried.

Kaang-! With a clear ringing sound, the retrieved chain aimed for Reaper’s head.

The chain missed, but the opponent’s attack opportunity also ended.

Reaper seemed to recognize this fact and obediently retreated, maintaining a suitable distance.

A smile was etched on Reaper’s revealed face.

Seeing that joyful expression, I smiled along.

Of course, neither of us forgot that we were aiming for each other’s lives.

“Is it funny?”

The mist took the form of a giant and swung a hammer at me.

The shadows of the trees bristled like thorns, aiming for Reaper’s body.