I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

TS sickness was mostly a curse for me.

First, my physical abilities took a nosedive.

From a sturdy young man, I became a petite girl, having lost most of my physical prowess even without considering my left leg.

The stamina that once allowed me to run a full marathon now made it hard to even walk to the local convenience store.

And speaking of strength, to my dismay, my muscles seem to refuse to stick, probably because of my female body.

No matter how many dumbbells I lifted, my arms remained soft and squishy.

Ultimately, the pink dumbbells I had bought with high hopes became a wandering ghost somewhere in my room.

They would occasionally pop up just when I was about to forget about them.

But if I left them alone like that, they’d vanish again.

The last time I saw them, they were somewhere under the bed.

Well, it wasn’t all bad, I suppose.

If the house I lived in burned down, I wouldn’t have to worry about laundry tomorrow.

There was no need to see everything negatively.

– “When will today’s broadcast end? I’m not sure either. I plan to keep it going until I fall asleep.”

– “The spear-hunting type… definitely feels strong. I’ve been seeing them a lot lately.”

– “They’re a bit tricky, but not to the point where they’re unbeatable. If I just tweak my build a bit more, my win rate could reach 50:50, right?”

For instance, there was one aspect where I had improved since before.

Even though I couldn’t handle spicy ramen like I used to, I could now savor the flavors of food more distinctly.

The rich and mild taste of the fat melting in the boiled pork.

The texture of the meat gliding over my tongue, and the sweetness flowing from the crushed rice grains.

And the pleasant sourness of the napa cabbage kimchi covering my mouth just as the heaviness began to build.

I was experiencing sensations I couldn’t before.

That meant the boiled pork I enjoyed while watching Luce’s broadcast tasted amazing.

I still had some left from when the coach had brought it over.

The power of well-cooked meat had not diminished at all.

Let alone, I even had instant rice now. I doubt even Liu Bei, after getting Zhuge Liang, felt as secure as I do now.

[Infinity Arena Second Preliminary – First Phase]

[Battlefield: Arena of Duel]

[vs Unknown Adventurer (Hunter)]

Luce’s arena broadcast was proceeding smoothly.

Her unique solid gameplay shone brightly in a one-on-one environment.

As a Paladin, holding the front lines of the team, there were many times I had to act alone, and sometimes I had to fend off the enemy team’s main dealer on my own.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it is the position requiring the most varied combat experience in this game.

Naturally, individual combat ability was crucial.

– “Oh, it’s a hunter! Is that the build Yulang posted?”

– “In the arena of duel, there’s no blind spots…”

– “I’ll close the distance right away. Here I go!”

Suddenly, bullets flew in the open corridor.

The unique sound that comes when bullets break the sound barrier.

Bullets, tearing through the air, left dark marks on the shield.

[Corrosive bullet hit the shield.]

[Physical defense reduced by 20.]

[Guard gauge takes an additional 40% damage.]

As expected, the opponent was to blame.

The initial builder named it “Extreme Damage Shotgun Hunter.”

Later, those who tried the build began calling it the “Spear Hunter.”

It was a build that sacrificed the unique area control and harassment abilities of the Hunter class in favor of extreme firepower.

While all-in builds tend to be recalled after a while, this one was particularly severe.

A front guard tank was torn apart with the shield still on. Clearly, it was an overbalanced build since the fundamental structure of the game was broken.

It was a flaw only possible during the pre-season right after a large-scale overhaul.

In the current patch version, Paladins couldn’t even gain the initiative against hunters and couldn’t rely on guards or shields.

There was only one way to respond. When the hunter projected their firepower, I needed to recover my defense and guard gauge with my unique buff.

If I used it at the right timing, I might survive with just a little health left.

Just as the distance narrowed, the hunter pulled the trigger.

[Front guard destroyed!]

[The Blessing of the Celestial Being has descended upon you.]

[All defenses increased by 15%, and the guard gauge is fully restored.]

[Front guard destroyed!]

“Oh, I blocked that cleanly. It’d be great if Assassins could increase their guard gauge a bit too.”

Luce succeeded.

Even though shotgun pellets poured like a storm, they couldn’t end the Paladin’s life.

With that exchange, the hunter used up all their ammo. Their moment of triumph turned into vapor.

They killed the opponent’s strength and saved their own.

Then, the rest was pretty obvious.

Having given up all other abilities, the spear hunter had no follow-up.

Time to finish this.

The enlarged shield was set up like a wall.

Luce charged in, smashing through crude traps in an instant while the hunter was unable to secure time to reload.

With an empty shotgun, even if they came back from the dead, they couldn’t penetrate the Paladin’s armor.

After a one-sided ravaging, the match was decided.

[You have won! You earned 13 victory points.]

[You achieved a three-game winning streak. The longer you maintain your winning streak, the more victory points you can earn.]

[Current record: 21 wins, 6 losses]

“Ah, this is it. Those who are trying to cheese their way to victory with one-shot builds need a serious education, you know?”

It’s a refreshing outcome that fills my chest with joy.

Once again, justice was served in Infinity Black today.

Those who ride the meta without solid fundamentals are all delusional.

It’s not like I avoid games when something goes wrong just to boost my tier; I’ve diligently watched opponents’ match footage back in my heyday.

How could I acknowledge the likes of those who go up and down the tiers with a single patch?

After all, that hunter build, which can end the game with just a ‘click’ of the trigger, deserves nothing but disdain.

Its abnormal firepower distorts the game into a timing battle.

Duel should be a stage of fierce psychological warfare and a test of tactics, not a wish for lucky punches in a sacred arena!

This is an insult to dueling.

No, even worse, it’s akin to throwing filth at all users of Inbl.

The streamer who spread that blasphemous build has already died at my hands twice.

Shotguns have a wide attack area, making it tricky to dodge.

I hurt like hell due to sensory synthesis ratio.

If I accidentally got hit on the left foot, it could be genuinely dangerous.

Generally, sensory synthesis affects performance up to 10%.

Professional gamers set it a little higher to skip interface checks.

In my case, with sensitivity set to 70%, it’s unnecessarily high, risking acute shock.

There are reasons why developing devices haven’t been commercialized yet.

So, during my newbie days, it was truly dreadful.

The first time I died in the game, I came out of the connection device crying and throwing up in a frenzy.

Even though my body was just fine, my throat felt sore.

Unfortunate events tend to happen all at once; and that day, the coach had come to help me with moving my stuff.

Seeing me coughing on the floor, the coach was alarmed and rushed me to the emergency room.

– “The examination results show no special abnormalities in your throat. It’s a bit swollen, but do you have any idea what might be wrong?”

– “It’s just that, um…”

– “According to your guardian, you said your throat hurt, is that correct?”

– “Yes. When I came in, it was absolute chaos. I saw you vomit too.”

– “Understood. I would like to speak with the patient briefly, would that be okay?”

– “Sure. I’ll wait outside, so just listen carefully and come out.”

Not exactly a good choice.

The examination results showed there was no actual injury.

The embarrassment I felt as a patient, combined with the coach’s testimony about my struggles, led the doctor to a rather inevitable conclusion.

– “Han Da-eun? Developing interest in gender is a natural phenomenon.”

– “Huh?”

– “I mean, there’s no need to feel embarrassed. However, the oral tissues are quite important in the human body, and surprisingly fragile. I recommend avoiding foreign object insertion or any extreme behaviors.”

– “Uh, uh?”

– “I encourage you to find healthier ways to resolve your interests.”

I couldn’t dare say, “I died in the game, and it hurt so much.”

Not in front of the coach or the doctor.

However, correcting the misunderstanding seemed too painful, so I just hung my head in silence.

But now, I’m quite adapted.

Humans are creatures of adaptation! I can endure most discomfort now.

As long as I’m careful with my left foot, I shouldn’t have any problems moving forward.

“Should I do the dishes… later? Since I’ve already finished the boiled pork.”

While enjoying the broadcast, I realized I had finished my meal.

Having filled my stomach, it was about time to jump back into the game.

But I wanted to watch Luce’s broadcast a bit longer.

Well, I still have dessert left, after all.

I have a sweet and sour apple remaining, and it seems a shame to finish my meal just yet.

Once I enter the connection device, I can’t just step out, so I need to eat properly while I can.

If I hold back and it goes bad, that would be a nightmare.

If I can’t enjoy that precious fruit, it would take the lives of three Kimchi Ninjas to fill that sorrow.

And this is also a chance to assess my competitor’s skills, right?

Since I don’t know when I’ll meet Luce, it’s better to keep an eye on her recent plays.

Even back in my prime, I always watched the match footage of foes without fail.

So, it’s not that I’m avoiding playing just for the sake of it.

Luce said she could beat me, didn’t she?

Then I should prepare seriously.

With a strangely uplifted heart, I placed my hands on the keyboard.

– Chat from April26: “I hope Luce makes it to the finals!”

If I had money to spare, I would send support.

If she wins prize money, I should definitely send her something sometime.

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