NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13
Wherever people gather, you’re bound to find a variety of characters.
If five people come together, you might not have a garbage person among them, but with everyone having their own quirks, it’s inevitable that conflicts will arise in crowded places.
And what about the internet, where laws and even basic manners between people get blurred?
Here, everyone drops their social masks and starts throwing around crazy comments like “How are your parents?” and “What’s up with your life?”, things you’d never say in real life.
The Abyss Gallery, currently ruling the live gallery access charts, is no different.
[Kayak started broadcasting, go go!]
[Kayak, why isn't she using her mic? ]
[Kayak is doing really well, I admit...]
“Kayak, Kayak. All they talk about is Kayak….”
Hanmo, the big-shot regular in the Abyss Gallery, muttered discontentedly as he scanned the posts.
Every single post popping up in real-time was about Kayak. He typically hated it when Kayak was mentioned, and moments like this made the gallery exceptionally uncomfortable for him.
He could just log off and do something productive, but for Hanmo, who spent most of his day immersed in the Abyss Gallery as if it were his entire life, that was impossible.
“What’s so great about some no-name brat broadcasting?”
People have different tastes and different senses of humor.
Equally, opinions vary.
From Hanmo’s perspective, he couldn’t fathom why the gallery folks were so obsessed with Kayak.
Old users from the game’s early days? The very essence of the game? Is playing a dead game something to brag about?
To Hanmo, who was drawn into the game in Season 6, during the peak of Abyss, these reasons just didn’t resonate.
“And it’s not even a female streamer.”
He had no reason to watch broadcasts unless they were by female streamers.
Why? Because male streamers have neither the interest nor the teaching value for him.
That was his fixed mindset, which, to some extent, was true.
Hanmo had climbed up to Challenger rank every season through his stellar skills. Regardless of whether it was by sheer luck or skill, squeezing into that exclusive rank of just 500 was strictly impossible without some level of ability.
From Hanmo’s viewpoint, Kayak was quite the irritating presence.
She had no skill, a low tier, and nothing to show for it, yet people flocked to her broadcasts and even gave her coverage just because she did a little socializing in the gallery.
People are tuning in to watch a broadcast just because someone hung out in a gallery with nothing special to offer.
It really grinds my gears. There’s no unfairness quite like this.
It’s not that I’m jealous—Hanmo put his heart into his broadcast, but it flopped with less than ten viewers.
Unlike Hanmo’s unnoticed stream, Kayak’s broadcast had the entire gallery buzzing with commentary, and I’m not feeling inferior about it at all.
I’m just a bit miffed about the absurdity of it all.
Just that.
[Kayak's Insane Dribble 3-on-1 ㄷㄷㄷ]
But why does Kayak’s name keep catching my eye?
“Is she really that good?”
Well, I have nothing else to do. Maybe I’ll just check out her broadcast once—why not?
Hanmo thought that for a moment and was startled by himself. But before he knew it, he found himself watching Kayak’s stream.
*
“She is kind of good…”
After quite some time, Hanmo, as a quasi-ranked player, keenly observed Kayak’s gameplay.
He didn’t see any shortcomings. Perhaps it was because he didn’t know much about the hero Camilla, but there didn’t seem to be anything to critique. The fundamentals were solid too.
Even if it was a bit stale, a ranked player is still a ranked player. The gallery had once described her as the “absolute ruler of Season 1 and the nightmare of Season 2.”
Truly, once someone reaches the top tier, even with time passing, their skills don’t just vanish. Hanmo unknowingly got absorbed in the broadcast, feeling strange emotions.
Like watching a silent film, the broadcast was filled only with sound effects of the game, which made it easier to focus on the streamer’s play.
Hanmo and even the viewers were engrossed, marveling at Kayak’s gameplay.
[Whoa, what was that just now?]
[Was there that kind of command?]
[The parry timing ㅆㅅㅌㅊ]
[Thinking about parrying here, lol; bold move]
[For real, if there was a fail, her neck would’ve been on the line right then]
“What kind of confidence is that?”
Hanmo felt the same way as the viewers.
Kayak’s recent play didn’t guarantee 100% success.
It was like a risky gamble, and if it had failed, there would have been significant losses, no doubt about it.
However, Kayak made the risky play without a second thought and nailed it.
High risk, high return. The play, fitting the gambling description, didn’t end in failure but success, sending a subtle thrill through the viewers. In hindsight, Kayak’s play was the best one could do from a tough position.
Hanmo was impressed by the earlier play but simultaneously realized one thing.
The reason why the gallery was buzzing only about Kayak’s game was clear.
“Seriously, there’s no choice but to focus on the game here.”
In Kayak’s broadcast, there was only the game to talk about.
Usually, when a streamer’s broadcast is relayed in a gallery, all kinds of talk come up. From just the relay, it’s a chaotic mix of conversations, making it impossible to guess what the streamer is even broadcasting.
But what about Kayak’s broadcast? Even with requests from viewers to turn on the mic, he remained silent, solely focused on playing his game.
A non-communicative streamer. Some viewers might get disappointed and leave, but even those were captivated by Kayak’s play.
And rightly so, if he continued to showcase moments like that successful gamble, they would naturally stay on the broadcast….
It was then that a chill ran down Hanmo’s spine.
It happened because a terrifying thought briefly crossed his mind.
“Could it be that this was all intentional…?”
No cam, no mic. It was a rather experimental setting for a streamer.
The biggest characteristic and advantage of personal broadcasts is the ability to communicate with the audience in real-time.
What was Kayak aiming for by giving up that advantage?
“To make people concentrate on his play.”
In a situation where he had some recognition in the gallery. Anyone who frequents the Abyss gallery, even out of curiosity like Hanmo, would pop in at least once.
And what happens when they do? The streamer says nothing, but viewers witness a bizarre scene of actively chatting away.
Unbeknownst to them, they would slowly get drawn in. Marveling at Kayak’s play, sharing their impressions through the chat, and then as a new game begins, another surprising play unfolds…
It’s like a sinkhole. Before they know it, they’ve sunk deep into the swamp, finding it hard to swim back out.
I’m already deep in the swamp, struggling to swim out.
‘Kayak, you scary creature…’
It was a clear sign that she was confident in her skills. Kayak was saying she could attract people’s attention with just her talent, even without a cam or a mic.
That’s probably why she prepared this entire setup.
This Kayak streamer had meticulously designed everything from the broadcast setup one by one.
Hanmo, realizing Kayak’s true intentions, couldn’t hide his fear.
He was aghast at the meticulous and sinister nature of his rival.
<< Please turn on the mic donated 10,000 won! > - Please, turn on the micㅠㅠ Please, turn on the micㅠㅠ One viewer sent a donation to the streamer along with a message. It seemed like they thought this was their only chance, as they timed it perfectly right after a game ended. 'What nonsense about the mic.' This Kayak streamer intentionally streams without a cam and mic to keep the viewers focused on the game! There’s no way she’d turn on the mic! While Hanmo scoffed at the viewers in his mind... Tap tap— '?' Contrary to his expectations, he suddenly heard some rustling. This sound was quite familiar to Hanmo, who had significant experience watching internet streams and even trying his hand at broadcasting. This is... this is— 'The sound of turning on the mic?' It was the sound of someone tapping the mic lightly before speaking. Followed by breath sounds that seemed a bit nervous. Hanmo's mind momentarily froze. "The mic was off. I’ve been talking to myself since earlier…." A voice, low yet clear and pleasant, echoed through Kayak's broadcast. Hanmo inhaled sharply. At that moment, the chat instantly halted. "Ah, hello. Weak Camilla... just call me Kayak." Once more, that voice tickled his ears. With a decent enough head, Hanmo quickly understood the situation and muttered with a voice that felt as if he were being squeezed from within. "This is insane…." [???] [What is this?] [That’s a woman’s voice] [Is Kayak a girl?] [? Is she cosplaying?] As if reflecting his sentiments, the previously stagnant chat began to rapidly spit out questions.