I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

The hammer of the fog giant sliced through the air with a thud.

It struck the tree with a heavy impact. Shards flew up and hit my collar, causing them to drop to the ground.

The giant immediately prepared a second attack aimed right at me.

Dodging wasn’t difficult.

The Ripper wouldn’t have thought that I’d let myself get hit by something so massive and unwieldy.

Yet, the fact that they used such a large, clumsy skill meant they intended to bind my attention, even if just for a moment.

“I lost track of my position. My field of vision is blocked.”

Unfortunately, this time, the Ripper succeeded.

They were definitely a formidable opponent when it came to manipulating vision.

I tried not to take my eyes off the Ripper while dodging the hammer, but the giant’s body blocked my view, ultimately giving them the initiative.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to waste time looking for the Ripper.

No matter how much the fog obscured my line of sight, I couldn’t hide a shadow.

I estimated the opponent’s position by looking at the shadow on the ground.

Faster than I expected. If I waited to establish my sight, it would be too late.

I reflexively swung my dagger, blocking the blade. My defense wasn’t perfect, so my hand got a bit hurt.

But things didn’t look too bad.

No matter how skilled someone was, it’s difficult to adjust their stance while airborne.

I was faster at regaining my balance, and my body moved mechanically.

Switching grip on the dagger, I drew a line downwards.

I slashed the Ripper’s thigh, and red blood splattered.

Not satisfied with just one hit, I aimed for a second, but the Ripper wouldn’t fall for that.

The physical body that had just existed vanished like smoke.

The most troublesome survival tactic. It was the moment of fogification.

[When a certain amount of blood gathers in the fog, the ‘Blood Mist’ effect activates.]

[All senses are slightly reduced, and you take 1% damage of your maximum health every 3 seconds.]

The fog around me began to turn red.

As if being attacked, my health bar continued to show hit notifications.

This was it. The reason why those who faced the Ripper couldn’t find their composure.

Heightened vigilance and an animalistic sense of crisis.

The surrounding red light and hit sounds made it hard to maintain my cool.

That might be due to the diminished senses as well.

Since the Ripper was out of sight, I had to keep fighting with the delusion of enemies surrounding me.

“Huuh… Huh.”

First, let’s control my breathing.

There’s no need for deep breaths. I don’t have the luxury for that.

However, maintaining a steady rhythm is a big psychological help.

The important thing is not to rush.

Defeat is assured the moment one’s composure crumbles.

I knew that fact better than anyone.

Luckily, the next attack happened within my line of sight.

The claws of both arms seemed to target different places, as if telling me to choose one.

The angles of entry and intention were rather threatening. But surprising the opponent with a different response is the essence of battle, isn’t it?

I decided to withstand one side with my dagger while accepting a bit of damage on the other.

The blade passed by my side, and even though I pulled my body away as far as I could, I was still quite deeply cut.

It’s alright. It was manageable.

The injury I just received can be returned manyfold.

I didn’t let go of the arm that passed me and caught it between my armpit.

I had practiced this moment countless times.

I slightly loosened the chain I was holding and wrapped it around the Ripper’s arm.

Once wasn’t enough, so I went for a second. With a little time left, I even managed a third.

The cooldown for fogification should still have a while left, so wrapping it this tightly should make it hard to escape.

I tightly grasped the bloody chain.

The Ripper let out a gasp of astonishment.

“Indeed, your weapon handling skills are not ordinary.”

“I’m good at everything, you know.”

The mist mage shares some characteristics with the mage class.

In other words, it means I am far superior in physical capabilities.

Pulling on the chain with all my might, the Ripper’s body was dragged over.

I changed directions and slammed them into a tree. I didn’t hold back with the active skill that was now off cooldown.

Just like when I faced the fog for the first time, once I secured the situation, I had more cards in my hand.

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

[All of the enemy’s stats…]

I hadn’t even unleashed all my strength when the Ripper made a decision.

The claw aimed at the bound arm.

If they cut off their arm, they would be freed from the binding.

The Ripper had reached the conclusion that they couldn’t win like this.

I held the same thought.

I respected their quick judgment to arrive at the optimal conclusion in a disadvantageous situation.

That’s why I had no intention of letting go.

I pulled on the chain forcefully as I closed the distance.

Now, the speed of my approach became irresistible.

As if waiting for this moment, the Ripper redirected the claw toward me.

If I miss, it means they had a counterattack in mind all along.

Alright. I never expected to suppress them without risk.

As I moved closer, I switched weapons with both hands.

The hand holding the dagger pulled the chain, while I received the dagger with the other hand.

“Ugh…!”

The moment I and the Ripper were pressed together, their claw blade slipped into my abdomen.

A mortal wound that choked me with pain. But there was still plenty of room before death.

With the hand that had yanked the chain, I wrapped around the Ripper’s remaining arm.

It wasn’t enough strength to subdue both of the enemy’s hands with one arm.

I compensated for my lack of power by thrusting my entire body forward.

The Ripper’s arm was firmly pinned between my arms and chest.

As if trying to increase the damage as much as possible — the blade tore at my insides, but I didn’t care.

The Ripper’s claws couldn’t move anymore, but I still had one free dagger left.

As I carved into the vacant body, the Ripper released their strength.

That was a de facto declaration of surrender.

The boy smiled slyly.

“Even so, a close-quarter battle still goes in the Ripper’s favor. It seems the fog mage can’t compete.”

“Right? Next round, bring an assassin.”

“Yes. I will.”

*

The official caster for Infinity Black.

Ho-eun had commentated on countless matches over the years.

His voice had become so familiar to e-sports fans.

Although he made calm and precise commentary his trademark, there were times when he unleashed intense emotions.

Just like right now.

“He’s got him! Gawol ties up the Ripper player’s arm with chains!”

“With this, the mist mage’s ‘Wave Crossing’ is blocked! It seems to be saying, ‘You have no fog transformation! How will you escape!’”

“He’s making use of every opportunity! He’s relentlessly pressuring!”

Perhaps influenced by him, the commentators on either side began to raise their tension.

Acid Gaming. And the Ripper.

Those names had ruled over the Korean League as a nightmare.

Korea’s top two teams were Luce’s Sigma e-Sports and Traveler’s Q Prime.

Last year, Luce fell to Kelberos, and Traveler succumbed to the Ripper, leaving disappointing results.

No. It wasn’t just a problem of last year.

Korea had been viewed as a weak team in international competitions for quite a while.

This had been the case even before Infinity Black began its service.

Ho-eun had been enamored with the e-sports scene for a long time and still hadn’t lost that passion.

“Gawol charges forward at the Ripper! This seems a bit hasty!”

“Ah… the Ripper’s counterattack hit precisely.”

“No! What is this? Gawol has completely subdued the Ripper!”

“The health bar isn’t dropping anymore. Complete suppression! Now all that’s left is to finish the match!”

Back in the days when Ho-eun first entered the industry, Korea was the undisputed home of e-sports.

It had become a glory that couldn’t be found nowadays, but there had indeed been days like that.

Ho-eun hadn’t given up that time yet.

The brief exchange between the two players.

And a screen filled with the blue light of Victory.

Definitely a screen he had seen countless times.

Yet, for some reason, it felt like a signal flare to Ho-eun.

“Delivering a strike to the unguarded neck — the match concludes!”

“Gawol brings down the Ripper’s mist mage, known as the Nightmare of London and Shadow of Europe, securing the first victory!”

His commentary was a bit more embellished than usual.

Yet, something felt lacking.

His chest felt tight. There was a bit more he wanted to say.

When he could no longer suppress his feelings, Ho-eun grabbed the microphone and shouted.

“Many fans have said this before. Korea has a weak assassin line. Especially every time we lost to the Ripper, how much criticism did we receive? We have no top-class assassins like the Ripper or Phantom! None will ever appear, and we will continue to be held back!”

Among pro gamers, assassins had the most difficult growth.

Achieving transcendental speed depends on the character, not the player’s own capabilities.

Maintaining the mobility of an assassin while executing delicate control was no easy feat.

And to have the sense for combat itself…Of course, immense talent and effort were required.

That’s why other countries operate youth systems through massive population numbers or capital.

But both resources were lacking in Korea.

“So what? The Ripper, known as the Nightmare of London and Shadow of Europe! A nameless amateur from Korea just shattered him head-on!”

“Indeed. There’s no mountain so high it can’t be climbed, and no impossibility exists. Isn’t it the unpredictability of sports that makes it enjoyable?”

“A result no one could have predicted. The match was good too. We won’t know until the next game, but one thing is certain: Gawol’s potential is beyond imagination.”

Ho-eun’s instincts whispered something in his mind.

It was the feeling he’d had during his days as a pro gamer, and perhaps again as a coach.

Something extraordinary was about to happen.

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