NoveLight ™
[Title: Ranking Climb Stream Until Exhaustion]
['Ga-wol' is streaming.]
[ON AIR | 00:03:29 | Zephyrion Continent]
Perched comfortably on a thick tree branch, a small drone buzzed around me.
It was a camera drone used for streaming, flying around to capture different angles and relay them to my audience. Essentially, it became the viewers' eyes.
Currently, the stream was on a waiting screen, but once things got going, the drone’s footage would be used more frequently. I had been advised to use the drone's perspective rather than my own because, apparently, my first-person view tended to make viewers dizzy.
The drone’s movements reminded me of a little bird. It hovered close when I sat still, but flew away quickly if I tried to approach it, almost like it was startled. It was surprisingly quick, making it hard to catch.
I reached out to grab it a few times but couldn’t catch it. While I could temporarily disable it through the settings, that felt like cheating. I wanted to catch it using my own skills.
Finding the process amusing, I pretended to lose interest, then when the drone came closer, I quickly snatched it up and held it tightly in my arms. The little camera drone struggled like a cat trying to escape.
So, it turns out I can catch it if I act at the right moment. I had heard that while in stealth mode, physical interaction was impossible, but now it seemed like I could touch and hold it.
It resisted more than I expected, struggling like a small animal. I pressed it against my chest and stomach, holding it tightly to steady it. When I gently stroked it, it reacted just like a little pet. But no matter how hard it fought, it was futile. I had won.
Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this? To stream while playing in-game like this? You cute little thing, I’ve always wanted this moment.
I spent a few more minutes petting the drone, and by then, the viewer count had risen considerably. It was probably time to switch off the waiting screen.
Yesterday, I was told how to do this, so I reached for the button.
“Huh?”
I checked the stream screen a bit late. Instead of the waiting screen toggle, only the ‘Activate’ button was visible, meaning it was currently deactivated. In other words, the waiting screen wasn’t on, and my live feed had been visible this whole time.
A cold chill ran down my spine. When I finally checked the chat, I saw that it had been filled with comments about my chest for quite some time. I had made a big mistake on my first stream.
I hadn’t started the stream without preparation. There had been a small... accident, but that was just due to inexperience. I had learned how to handle these situations.
It was obvious that my stream would attract more trolls and troublemakers than most. I had gotten plenty of advice from Sulbbang and Elderin on how to deal with it.
So, it was all a game. Rather than responding to the comments, I decided to dive straight into a ranked match and shift the focus. As soon as the match started, the chat, which had been filled with inappropriate comments, started to clear up a bit.
I pretended I hadn’t seen anything. The constant harassment? Didn’t notice it. As far as my stream was concerned, nothing had happened.
[Rank Match – Black 0 RP]
[Map: Hall of Duels]
[Mode: 5v5 Winner Stays]
“This is a good start. I’m pretty confident in Winner Stays.”
Despite my words, I was actually a little nervous. I had to be careful not to let that show in my voice. Even though it wasn’t a high-ranking match, it was my first solo stream.
After messing up at the start, I wanted to make sure I performed well in combat. After all, I was a socially awkward recluse. With no social skills to fall back on, my gameplay had to speak for itself.
Kanu was a name I had heard before. A streamer who mostly stuck to ranked matches, specializing in Gunner. He had even reached the top-tier Infinity rank in previous seasons, depending on the meta.
In any case, he wasn’t someone who should be in this bracket. But that was fine. Battles are more interesting when they aren’t one-sided. The viewers wanted something exciting, and it wouldn’t be fun if my opponents were too weak.
I selected Assassin, of course, choosing a versatile build that had no glaring weaknesses. In Winner Stays mode, I was prepared to take on all five players on my own.
“Why don’t I have team chat on? Well, since it’s Winner Stays, there’s no need to coordinate with my team.”
Sure, there were mind games involved in Winner Stays. Deciding the order of players, choosing classes—these things could be important at the competitive level.
But this wasn’t a tournament. It was just a ranked match with a thrown-together team. Honestly, it didn’t feel tense at all.
I wanted to go first and end the match by myself, but I was placed in the last position instead. The competition for the starting spot must’ve been fierce.
“Well… since it’s come to this, I guess I’ll watch the others and see how they perform.”
In ranked games, there are two main types of snipers: those who sabotage you as allies and those who target you relentlessly as enemies. I encountered both types.
On the opposing team was a streamer who had probably been eager to meet me. On my team, it seemed I had someone with a grudge.
‘This isn’t great.’
The first match began, and our Paladin, who went in first, laid down on the ground, refusing to fight. He said something, but I couldn’t hear it because I had muted him.
Obviously, there was no hidden strategy. The Paladin stayed down until the game ended, resulting in a loss. The second player, a Spirit Shaman, did the same. Within minutes, we were down 2-0.
It felt cold, a stark reminder of how much I had been disliked. The reactions in chat were harsher than I’d expected.
I had known this was coming. I’d prepared for it. But facing it still stung.
Despite that, our third player managed to pull out a win, with our Berserker barely clinching a victory after a bloody fight. The enemy lost half their health going into the next match. Another team member managed to get the second win for us, but the opposing team’s mid-tier player was a problem.
Kanu, the Gunner.
True to his reputation, Kanu shredded through our team with precision shots, leaving three opponents in perfect condition for me to face.
A knot formed in my stomach.
‘What should I do?’
It wasn’t that I thought I’d lose.
In Winner Stays, I was stronger than anyone. Given the right circumstances, I could wipe out an entire semi-pro team on my own. There was no reason I’d struggle in a bracket like this, even while streaming.
But there was another issue.
The entertainment value of the stream! Would the viewers even enjoy me taking down three low-ranked players? I wasn’t sure if even my match against Kanu would be that exciting.
[Round 7]
[ＸＸＯＸＯＸ]
[Kanu (Gunner) vs. Ga-wol (Assassin)]
[Entering the battlefield in 3 seconds.]
In streaming, entertainment is all about keeping the dopamine flowing. As a streamer, it was my job to keep the viewers engaged. Relying on my social skills wasn’t an option.
I had to find something interesting to show them... fast!
My eyes caught something. In the Hall of Duels, you could see your opponent as soon as you entered. Normally, that would be frustrating for an Assassin, but right now, it gave me an idea.
The sight of Kanu, armed to the teeth with guns, sparked a plan in my head.
“Why don’t we do this for the next match?”
I pointed my dagger at Kanu as his sniper rifle aimed at me. As soon as the bullet left the barrel, I deflected it and declared my challenge.
“This time, I’ll only use guns to win. I’ll defend with my dagger, but no attacks.”