[Title: Skill-Oriented Healing Stream]
[‘Eldorin’ is now streaming.]

For a moment, there was silence. Normally, a streamer like Eldorin would be alert and aware of the situation. Yet, her stream had gone quiet, the screen dark except for the system messages floating across it.

[You were killed by an unknown adventurer.]
[Death Penalty: Restricted Access (4 hours)]
[You can reconnect in 3 hours, 56 minutes, and 43 seconds.]

She needed to say something—anything to fill the silence. It took her too long to realize that.

“Uh… I just died. That was Gawol, right?”

Eldorin scratched the side of her head, awkwardly. The chat was filled with concerned comments, most of them worrying about her. Fortunately, no one pointed out the brief lapse in audio.

However, the tone toward Gawol had taken a sharp turn.

Eldorin’s viewers were very invested in her streams. She wasn’t a huge corporate streamer with massive numbers, but she had a loyal and engaged audience. So, when their beloved streamer was interrupted during a hunt, it was natural for them to react with anger.

“Everyone, please calm down. I think we’ll have to call it for Infinity Black today. Maybe we can chat for a bit before I log off?”

Slowly, Eldorin worked to calm her viewers down.

In truth, she wasn’t too upset about dying. Death in the middle of a hunt wasn’t exactly pleasant, but she had been planning to end the stream soon anyway. Even if Gawol hadn’t shown up, she would have logged off before long.

On reflection, the experience wasn’t all that bothersome. At first, she had panicked when her throat felt tight, but her sensory synchronization was only set at 25%. She had lowered the pain synchronization even further, so what she felt was more like mild discomfort in her neck.

In fact, other sensations had been more noticeable. For instance, she distinctly recalled the sound of breathing behind her neck.

‘I should switch the screen and delete the replay, right?’

It likely hadn’t come across clearly on stream, but she couldn’t shake the memory of that slightly warm breath. Even the faint sound of Gawol’s laugh had been oddly alluring.

And in the final moment… hadn’t Gawol hugged her? It should’ve felt unsettling, but instead, it struck her as somewhat pitiable.

Was she overthinking it? Maybe she should be careful how she phrased it.

“I think that was my first time encountering Gawol. She’s really good, huh? I’ve heard that high-ranking players have a different kind of movement, and it’s true. It felt like I was up against someone from another world. I couldn’t do anything.”

- Yeah, she’s really good.
- She’s always doing PKs; it’d be weird if she wasn’t good.
- Heard she did pretty well when she mercenary’d in a siege battle too.
- Someone said if she went pro, she’d be top-tier. Who was that again?
- But solo-queue warriors don’t always translate well to the pro scene, so that might be an overstatement.
- Still, she did beat Traveler one-on-one.

“Oh, I’ve heard of Traveler. Right, Gawol’s an assassin, right? Ugh, assassins… I wish I could’ve gotten good at playing one. I found them too hard to master.”

Eldorin spoke with a hint of envy. Though she was a mage now, she had focused on playing an assassin just a few months ago. It didn’t take long for her to realize it wasn’t the right path for her.

Combat in Infinity Black was heavily movement-based. In other words, you had to control a character that was almost superhuman in speed and agility. While the system provided some assistance, it was still no easy feat.

Assassins, in particular, were an extreme case.

When she first tried playing an assassin, Eldorin quickly learned just how difficult it was to rely on dodging and speed as core mechanics. Her reaction time simply couldn’t keep up with the speed of the character. It felt like her body was moving on its own, completely out of her control.

“I noticed she was using a chain scythe earlier. I’ve never seen anyone use one before. Have I tried it? Oh, of course! I played around with it in the training area and quickly realized it wasn’t for me.”

- Isn’t Gawol the only one in Korea using a chain scythe?
- There are a few players in the Japanese league and occasionally in North America and Europe.
- The assassin meta in the Japanese league is wild.
- It’s the land of ninjas, after all. LOL.

「RiceSeparator has donated 5,000 won」
「You should check out the highlights from the Japan vs. UK international match. It was mesmerizing.」
「(Attached Video)」

The chat shifted as viewers began sharing clips of high-level assassins pulling off incredible plays in professional matches, one after another. A ninja-themed character performing elaborate moves to take down an enemy mage. It was like something out of a movie.

Yet, what caught Eldorin’s eye wasn’t the flashy plays.

- I heard Gawol’s good with sword classes too.
- Yeah, she brings it out sometimes in sieges or ranked games.
- If you check her match history, the stats are insane.
- Is that really true?

“Huh… interesting.”

Eldorin found herself growing more intrigued by Gawol.

Menstruation was unpleasant enough by itself, but it was also a hassle. The constant flow of blood meant she had to change her pad regularly.

Sure, there were other hygiene products, but she found those even more uncomfortable. Even changing her pad felt awkward at times.

But if her precious VR capsule malfunctioned, it would be a real problem. She couldn’t just replace it easily, so proper care was the only option.

[Timer 3 – 04:59:57 until next reminder.]

At least now that she had changed it, she was good for the next few hours.

Even after browsing through various streaming platforms, no appealing prey showed up. As her mood continued to rise and fall like the tides, her hand kept absentmindedly fidgeting with her dagger. In the end, there was only one choice left.

[Infinity Arena – 2nd Preliminary, 4th Phase]
[Starting random match… Estimated time: 02:40]

Personally, she preferred field fights, which offered more variables. But if no opponents were around, this was the next best thing.

As time passed, the number of survivors in the Infinity Arena had dwindled significantly. That made sense—each phase cut down the competition drastically. It was also rumored that queuing now meant a higher chance of being matched with foreign players.

In a few days, the final phase would open, and then it would be time for the main tournament.

[Infinity Arena – 2nd Preliminary, Final Phase match found.]
[Accept match? Y/N]
[Transporting to battlefield in 20 seconds…]

Maybe it would be time to look forward to the match with Luce. The smaller the pool of players, the more likely that match-up could happen.

If the match was streamed, maybe she’d consider “viewer participation.” Meeting early might not be ideal, but there was no guarantee they’d face each other later. Since it wasn’t with malicious intent, it wouldn’t be sniping.

A famous person had said that, so it was probably true. She could decide later about the arena match.

[Infinity Arena – 2nd Preliminary, 4th Phase]
[Map: Sanctuary of the Dead]
[vs. Unknown Adventurer (Protector)]

For now, she needed to focus on the fight.

Her opponent was a troublesome one. The Protector was the class with the highest defense in the game. Although it wasn’t an impossible match-up, it would take a long time to bring him down.

Normally, this would turn into a slow and tedious battle… but a faint smile crept across her lips. She had thought of a way to enjoy this game.

“Heh.”

In the Sanctuary of the Dead, as the name suggests, many undead monsters spawn. They’re slow-moving enemies that provide no real reward and act more as obstacles. The map is designed to force players to keep moving as they fight.

And the Protector was one of the slowest classes in the game.

Eldorin began making her way toward the high ground.

About ten minutes later, the Protector was kicked down the hill, rolling toward the bottom.

The undead grasped at his body, forcing him to twist and struggle to break free. He shoved them away with his shield, and a hand that tried to grab his leg was smashed by a holy hammer. Just as he tried to take another step, the assassin appeared again, kicking him in the back of the head before disappearing.

No. She didn’t just run away.

[You have been poisoned by Neurotoxin.]
[The strength of your divine power resisted the poison.]
[You are immune to poison damage, but your movement speed has decreased by 10%.]

The assassin continued to harass him relentlessly.

Whenever he tried to take a step, or when he finally broke free from the undead, the silver-haired assassin would reappear and push him right back into the horde of undead, laughing the whole time.

“Pfft… Haha!”

She could have killed him if she wanted to, but she made sure never to deal a fatal blow. By now, even a fool would realize they were being toyed with. After being kicked in the back of the head for the fourth time, the Protector’s patience reached its limit.

He tried to express his frustration—about how this was poor sportsmanship, a cruel and disrespectful way to play the game. But when he attempted to voice his complaint in-game, the system’s language filter butchered his words into an incoherent mess.

“You bad kid! Enjoying the game! I come to ask your well-being!”

Realizing his message had not been conveyed properly, the Protector’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Goodbye… in sadness.”

[Your opponent has forfeited.]
[Victory! You have gained 28 ranking points.]