Chapter 14
Looking back now, there was no streamer as deliciously targeted as Curry.
It was also a mystery how he managed to keep that high tension for so long.
His constantly positive mindset was something I just couldn’t understand from my point of view.
That must have been the reason.
The reason I started targeting Curry.
At first, I did it because I wanted to see Curry genuinely angry.
I didn’t intentionally troll, but I enjoyed the game with New Meta picks as an ally.
When we faced each other, I switched into serious mode and thoroughly crushed him.
Now, let’s see that proud face twist in agony.
… I targeted him with those thoughts, but Curry never once showed that side on his stream.
That must be why.
The reason I don’t target other streamers apart from Curry.
Or, to be precise, the reason I still target Curry.
Other streamers were just too easy.
It only took three days to genuinely anger them and make them frown.
So, in the past, I concentrated on targeting Curry even more.
However, not long after, seeing Curry’s indifferent reaction to my targeting completely drained my interest.
The excitement in targeting was gone.
Thus, like a machine, I mindlessly repeated League of Legends.
But once the excitement fades, it doesn’t last forever.
I could have enjoyed it longer if I had faced some defeats along the way.
But endlessly repeating victories made my interest in League disappear from my mind.
This was the birth of the “Unknown Yone Master.”
And this was why the Unknown Yone Master vanished suddenly.
And now.
As I watched the wandering swordsman’s stream, I felt a strong sense of excitement I used to feel.
A streamer continuously losing to the Unknown Yone Master.
And the viewers comforting that streamer.
It was a heartwarming sight, one that the past me terribly hated.
Of course, that was all a past for a man named Son Minwoo.
Now, I was a woman named Choi Nayun.
So I didn’t feel the urge to destroy him.
But I did want to see the wandering swordsman in despair.
“How long can you hold on…”
Curry had endured over 300 matches against me, yet never fell into despair.
So, wandering swordsman, how far can you go?
No, how long can you hold on?
The third match ended in the wandering swordsman’s defeat.
Yet, he didn’t hesitate and instantly queued up again.
I followed suit and applied for matching.
Currently, we were in the mid-tier Challenger range.
Even having suffered three consecutive losses, a rematch was possible.
Even if he had ten losses in a row, the wandering swordsman and I would keep matching up.
As expected, we faced each other again, and just like the previous games, I secured victory once more.
But the wandering swordsman was changing significantly from the last match.
A subtle change that no one else would feel if it weren’t for me.
Curious to see how that small change would grow, I continued my targeting.
In the fifth match.
For the first time, there was no skirmish during early lane phase.
The wandering swordsman no longer relied on the advantages of “matchups” and recklessly engaged in trades.
Instead, he threatened me with minor harassments and small movements, hindering my growth.
He began pressuring the lane gradually, just as I had done, forcing me to consider the invisible jungler’s dives.
This was the first noticeable change; this was no longer the wandering swordsman I once knew.
The actions he displayed were the same tactics I used against him before.
‘Interesting.’
When a person sees hope, they sink into despair even deeper.
Could the wandering swordsman withstand the continuous defeats after glimpsing a tiny possibility?
But his play was just so predictable.
After all, I was the one who played like that in the last match.
It was good to apply pressure by utilizing the invisible jungler, but…
[Enemy slain!]
Trying to do too many things at once led him to get ganked because he couldn’t anticipate the enemy jungler’s position.
While silently providing advice that wouldn’t reach him, I cleared the lane and joined my jungler who was taking the dragon.
The enemy jungler had already shown up at the top, and the enemy mid had died.
There was no reason not to engage the dragon, and no reason we couldn’t do it.
[Fire Dragon slain!]
After securing the dragon, I returned home and purchased ‘that’ item.
I tapped to check the wandering swordsman’s items and couldn’t help but smile a bit.
He was holding the ‘Sword of Rage,’ a low-tier item in the same line as the ‘Guinsoo’s Rageblade.’
‘Well, it would be strange if he didn’t buy it.’
Having been defeated by the same Guinsoo Yone multiple times, not knowing about it would be more peculiar.
Yasuo’s passive also doubled his critical chance like Yone and had a 10% damage penalty on crits.
So, even if he wasn’t as broken as Guinsoo Yone, the Guinsoo Yasuo would show significant power.
But I had already gone for the overpowered Guinsoo item.
Whether or not I completed Guinsoo was a bigger difference than heaven and earth.
As the game progressed, Yasuo also completed Guinsoo in the end, but I was already approaching my third core item.
There was no way to stop a well-fed Yone decked out in Guinsoo.
To anyone watching, it would look as if a Challenger was bullying in a Bronze Silver gap.
No one could possibly stop a well-fed, overpowered Guinsoo Yone.
[Victory]
Just like that, the fifth match came to a close with Yone’s carry.
Once again, I turned the stream back on and targeted the wandering swordsman.
*
[Defeat]
Now, it was a familiar sight.
The seventh duel with the Unknown Yone Master also ended in defeat.
Yet, the wandering swordsman did not despair.
[I feel like I’m going insane, I feel like I’m going insane, I feel like I’m going insane, I feel like I’m going insane]
[I’m really going to die like this~ I’m really going to die like this~ I’m really going to die like this~]
[Why am I suffering?]
[This is the first time watching a stream has been so painful]
[Is this what they call being too immersed?]
[I feel so damn frustrated]
[Quick, give me some soda, damn it]
[The sweet potato is just too annoying]
… The ongoing losing streak seemed to have made the viewers feel hopeless.
[At this point, it’s clear that the Barcode Hunter is targeting him, lol]
[It’s only rational to suspect that]
[An equalizer has been laid down on the path of the wandering swordsman right now]
[What does that even mean?]
[Seven losses in a row, you idiot]
[Ah, lol]
The wandering swordsman recalled the Unknown Yone Master who was likely watching this stream.
Honestly, I never expected someone would target me for this long.
Isn’t it a bit unfair that I’m the only one benefiting? The wandering swordsman had gained a lot from his matches with the Unknown Yone Master.
His first time streaming.
The comfort provided by the viewers’ presence.
And above all, he felt as if his stagnant skill in League was finally improving.
The wandering swordsman shifted his gaze to check the current viewer count.
Simultaneous viewers: 3300.
For his very first stream, even with a mic-less setup, that was way too many people tuning in.
He didn’t quite understand why 3300 viewers were here for this stream.
But suddenly a thought crossed his mind.
If someone like him could gather 3300 viewers for a first stream, just how many viewers could the Unknown Yone Master attract if they started streaming?
Initially, he planned to stream only this time and never again.
But streaming had turned out to be more enjoyable than he had expected—perhaps he would actually set up proper streaming equipment and stream again later.
That thought crossed his mind, making the wandering swordsman feel quite pleased with the experience.
[zxcv1234님에게 귓속말 : Are you watching the stream?]
So the wandering swordsman sent a private message to the Unknown Yone Master.
Of course, he adjusted the streaming layout so that the message-sending scene wouldn’t show up on-screen.
[zxcv1234님의 귓속말 : Yes, I’m watching]
The Unknown Yone Master quickly replied.
[zxcv1234님에게 귓속말 : How about making a bet, if you don’t mind?]
[zxcv1234님의 귓속말 : Bet… What kind of bet? Let me hear it before I decide.]
What sort of bet should he propose?
After a moment’s thought, the wandering swordsman quickly typed in the chat.
[zxcv1234님에게 귓속말 : If I win within the next three matches, then that’s a win for me. If I lose, I’ll grant you one wish to the best of my ability.]
[zxcv1234님에게 귓속말 : But if I win, you have to stream for at least one day.]
[zxcv1234님에게 귓속말 : What do you say?]
The wandering swordsman conveyed his proposed terms.
However, for a while, there was no response from the Unknown Yone Master.
Was it a rejection?
Just as he thought that, he received a message.
[zxcv1234님의 귓속말 : Sounds good]
[zxcv1234님의 귓속말 : But if I win, you better brace yourself]
[zxcv1234님의 귓속말 : What I want could be more significant than you think]
The response from the Unknown Yone Master made the wandering swordsman swallow hard.
He never thought the Unknown Yone Master would accept his proposal.
Ultimately, the bet between the Unknown Yone Master and the wandering swordsman was established.
For himself, for the Unknown Yone Master who had helped him, and most importantly, to try and defeat the Unknown Yone Master at least once, he tried to calm his wildly racing heart.
Matching was set, and upon seeing the Unknown Yone Master pick Yone, the wandering swordsman couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
-Death is like the wind; always at my side.
Without hesitation, he picked Yasuo and resolved himself.
In this bet, I will surpass him.
Thus began a new game, one different from before.