NOVEL WEB Chapter 23
Title: That Was a Good Fight
[‘Sulbbang’ is currently streaming.]
– You’ve received a lot of rewards just before the finals.
– Well, it’s better than just hunting, right?
– Honestly, I should’ve fallen in the first qualifiers, so if I’ve made it this far, that’s not bad… but we shouldn’t say that, right?
– So, what’s the plan now?
– Meeting Silphie and losing would’ve been an honorable death, haha.
Streamer Sulbbang.
A sturdy warrior was sprawled out in the middle of a field.
Fluffy clouds floated across the blue sky. And a brutal system message was also floating around.
[Infinity Arena 2nd Qualifiers – 4th Phase]
[Unfortunately, your journey has come to an end. There will be better results next time.]
[Claim Participation Reward]
That was quite a decent result.
Most of those who entered the last phase were monsters you’d recognize just by name.
For someone like Sulbbang, a regular streamer, he had already been feeling his limits for a while.
Things got worse when he started encountering international gamers.
Exotic metas from around the world. Getting smashed by various types of monsters.
So, the fact that he fell out wasn’t particularly surprising.
“Wow… guys, I really felt the wall this time. What should I do?”
– When did you get so good?
– Hey, Kim, stop talking nonsense and go catch the commander.
– I’ve asked what you’re gonna do three times already.
“Dude, it wasn’t just a matter of when. I thought I had at least some decent skills. Okay, Silphie is good. She’s amazing. I acknowledge that.”
But his pride was shattered.
He wasn’t overly overestimating his skills.
Monsters by name alone.
Watching them play, you’d begin to doubt if they were even human.
In front of such people, Sulbbang felt endlessly small.
But he was still a legitimate top-tier streamer.
In Korea, if you mention Great Sword Warrior, his name pops up immediately.
At least until he got dusted by the international gamers.
“Was I really just a frog in a well? Am I truly insignificant? How am I supposed to do better from here? I feel so lost, guys.”
– Do you think the ones you defeated even know your name?
– He thinks he’s a world-class player.
– I’ve asked you what you’re gonna do five times.
– What are you gonna do if I keep asking?
– Oh yeah? Then you better see what I can do from now on.
“Don’t! Don’t show me! Uh, I’m sorry. Yeah, I was being a bit pathetic. Let’s figure out what I’m gonna do from now on.”
Sulbbang dismissed the system message.
But seeing the solid rewards coming in made him feel a bit better.
He sprang up from his lying position, but there was really nothing he needed to do.
Originally, he planned to take his time deciding based on the chat ambiance.
Just then, a message chimed.
– Elderin: Hello, Sulbbang.
– Elderin: Do you have a moment to talk?
– Elderin: I’m fine with whatever time, even if you’re streaming. You can contact me whenever you’re free!
“Wait a minute. I just got a message from Elderin asking if we could chat? Right now?”
– Look at that voice tone go up, haha.
– This guy just loves to freak out.
– I wanna punch that grin off his face.
– Sulbbang one-shotted him back then… He definitely brought the entertainment…
– I miss you, Gawol…
[
Calling Elderin…]
“Yeah, I can hear you well. I’m currently streaming. What’s up?”
《 I heard you dropped out of the arena this time, Sulbbang. 》
– Hahaha.
– Ohhh.
– What?
– Hahahahahaha.
– ??
Sulbbang momentarily lost his words.
The Great Sword Warrior froze like a broken robot, then pressed his throbbing forehead.
If it were his usual self, he would’ve sniped back with a retort.
But he figured Elderin wasn’t the type to do that.
She wasn’t the kind to contact someone just to poke fun at them.
It wasn’t because she was a woman.
It was probably because of that.
“I… dropped out, yeah.”
《 So, I was wondering, do you have any streaming schedules coming up? Are you busy? 》
“No, not really. I was actually just contemplating whether to jump into a raid or not.”
《 That’s a relief! How about you join me in co-commentating the arena? 》
“Co-commentate? Hmm, if you’re okay with it, sure. Who am I commentating with? Honestly, I’m not at a pro-gamer level of commentating…”
《 With Gawol. 》
– ??
– Gawol, you say?
– PTSD ON.
– Gawol is gonna stream?
– Is he gonna do interviews too?
“Uh… Gawol, you mean that Gawol? The assassin who does PK in the field?”
《 Yes, that Gawol. 》
“Me?”
《 Yes, that’s right. You and me. 》
“That?”
《 ……? 》
“Why…? Am I being blackmailed right now? Is Gawol hiding nearby?”
It didn’t make sense. He had no reason to hide from him.
Sulbbang’s mind was in confusion.
*
[Author: PeroPero]
[Title: Latest Survivor List of Arena]
[Votes: 311(216)]
(Attachment)
I went through the survivor list left in the database and compiled some noteworthy names.
The criteria for my list are known nicknames, Koreans, pro-gamers, streamers.
I might be missing some, but that can’t be helped.
If you have a problem with it, you can organize it yourself.
Notably, a surprisingly large number of domestic pros participated.
Even names like Rifle and Camelian from the second tier are showing up.
Could this be Luce’s influence?
I’m excited since it’s Gawol’s first time participating in a tournament.
As for the winner… just look at Kelberos’s track record. It just leaves you in awe;
[Author: Kimchi Ninja]
[Title: Gawol is Commentating in the Arena?]
Haha.
I feel like I’m losing my mind.
Yeah, I’ve wanted to see how that assassin operates…
I’ve been getting my butt kicked every day, so there should be something to gain.
[Comments]
– Are you still getting killed by Gawol these days?
└ Yup, now it feels welcoming, to be honest.
└ But I get shocked every time I see someone in black clothes, haha.
└ Hahahahahaha.
– Kimchi Warrior…
– Your video skills are impressive.
└ ?
[Author: Mocha Gold Coffee Mix]
[Title: Is this the first time Gawol is on stream?]
[Author: Hwang Bu Europe League]
[Title: Damn, Kelberos’s moves are insane, haha.]
[Author: Dongtan Miss Education]
[Title: Elderin has started streaming, everyone sit down.]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(375.208)]
[Title: Gawol’s 1st Round Opponent is nuts, hahaha.]
*
The promised time has come.
Why am I trembling over this?
My heart was going wild while checking my gear.
[Elderin’s Whisper]
– Getting the broadcast ready!
– As stated, we’ll go live in 20 minutes, and you’ll join me in the voice channel 
– Is Gawol really not joining?
– Many people are saying they want to hear his voice.
– Good luck in the match!
[Sulbbang’s Whisper]
– I accepted the co-commentary, so don’t kill me, right?
– I really mustered a lot of courage for this.
– The moment we announced it, I got hundreds of emails.
– I’m scared to step into the field now.
– But… since I’m co-commentating now, show me a winning performance.
– Ugh, the grudge is real…
In the corner of the screen, the viewer count was rising.
Elderin’s viewer count just crossed a thousand, while Sulbbang’s exceeded 800.
The rate at which both were increasing was impressive.
Is this really okay?
It felt strangely unreal.
I couldn’t just do nothing; my restlessness was showing on my face.
Fidgeting, I started spinning a dagger between my fingers.
[Infinity Arena 2nd Qualifiers – Final Phase Matching is complete.]
[Do you accept the match? Y/N]
[……You will be transported to the battlefield in 20 seconds.]
Just by thinking about something else for a moment, the viewer count rose again.
There would be all kinds of people in there.
Some came in out of curiosity, while others might harbor ill intentions.
I know I shouldn’t be careless.
Is there someone in there cheering for me?
It’s hard. Honestly, the past weighs heavily on me.
[San-sae’s Whisper]
– Win it!!
“Ugh…”
Looks like there were.
A smile unintentionally escaped my lips.
[Battlefield: Arena of Duel]
[vs Sigma Camelian (Warrior)]
[Battle starts in 3 minutes.]
[Warning: Please check your equipment, traits, and skills. Changes are not allowed once the battle starts.]
Putting aside my curious mind, I turned off both streams.
Now was the time to focus solely on battle.
Was it fate’s trickery, one might say.
From the battlefield to the matchup and even the opponent’s nickname, nothing felt coincidental.
The ‘Arena of Duel’ is a wide, long battlefield with no obstacles.
Being a 1:1 exclusive design even in rank games means you’ll clash solely based on skill without any irritants.
It’s a battlefield where surprise plays are impossible, so any stealth-related traits and skills are all removed.
Instead, focus on shadow skills or combat-oriented builds.
After all, the opponent is a warrior.
It was a matchup where skill would determine the winner without any traits in play.
Especially with Camelian from Sigma e-Sports, touted as a promising player in the second-tier league.
“If I’m gonna meet Sigma, it would’ve been better to encounter Luce.”
No, wait. This is still the qualifiers.
If I’m meeting, it’d be best to meet in a bigger match.
[5 seconds until battle starts… 00:03]
[Wishing you victory.]