NoveLight ™
Recently, Sulbbang had distanced himself a lot from Ga-wol. It wasn’t just because Ga-wol had gotten busier after entering the professional scene, but also because Sulbbang had intentionally kept his distance.
It wasn’t that he felt particularly hurt by anything. In fact, if anything, it was the opposite. Ga-wol had always treated him without any hesitation or formality, just as he did in the past.
Sulbbang was an experienced streamer.
He had witnessed many things: from the downfall of once-successful veterans to the sudden rise of obscure newcomers. He’d seen countless broadcasters flip their attitudes as quickly as turning a hand, changing according to their popularity.
He’d lost people he considered friends, more times than he could count.
In contrast, Ga-wol, despite rapidly climbing to success, maintained their relationship just like before. Even now, despite being much bigger than he was back then, Ga-wol still freely suggested streaming together.
Sulbbang liked it, of course, and had no reason to dislike it.
Still, he kept his distance for their own good.
Daeun’s distance was definitely strange. If he had to describe it simply, it felt like she wasn’t aware of her own appearance.
At some point in life, everyone experiences a moment of self-awareness regarding their looks. But Daeun never seemed to show any sign of that.
It was almost as if she thought she was still a man. She didn’t seem to have any guard up at all.
It was at this moment that Sulbbang’s vague feelings became clear.
Honestly, there was a part of him that almost accepted it without thinking. At that moment, he was calculating in his head.
What would happen if this defenseless girl got completely drunk?
Especially in private, with no one else around.
Daeun looked emotionally unstable to anyone who observed her.
And Sulbbang, who had spent time drinking with her even before the broadcast, could tell.
If he created a certain situation, and then persuaded her carefully, he thought he could control Daeun and do whatever he wanted.
Of course, many would be disappointed in him for this. Especially people like Elderin, who would likely look at him with contempt.
But Sulbbang thought it was a manageable risk, as long as he handled Daeun carefully. She had only recently gotten better, after all.
If things got out of hand, he wouldn’t want to push her back to the way she was before.
It seemed like a realistic and plausible plan to him.
And, in his mind, it felt almost cheap to think of it as an opportunity to gain someone as beautiful as Daeun.
That’s why he stopped himself from pursuing it. He didn’t want to be that person who hung around ambiguously in Daeun’s space.
‘There would have definitely been a disaster. How long could I have kept up that act?’
Right after Ga-wol’s Arena victory, from the offline meeting, it had started.
His heart raced the moment he met her.
He couldn’t control himself, and ended up running to the convenience store just to get away.
The memory of her smiling face lingered in his mind for a long time.
The anxiety that Daeun carried, her carefree smile. The little things she did carried some kind of "meaning." It made him think irrationally.
He must have messed up.
Daeun was an attractive woman. Any man with a functioning body would be drawn to her.
But Sulbbang was a man, not a beast who threw everything away to fulfill his animalistic desires.
Up until now, the relationships he had built were precious to him.
Naturally, Daeun was included in those "precious relationships."
Once he made her drunk, there would be no going back. No matter how much he told himself he would be happy, the life that would follow would surely be a precarious, shaky hell.
On the other hand, he wasn’t thinking about completely cutting her off.
"Wow, that crazy girl. Did you see her take two steps back? She’s trying to keep her distance until she uses detection."
"Now she’s probably waiting for the ‘Ambush’ passive from the inside?"
"Probably. The Corsair is actively searching, but it doesn’t look like there will be much success."
What Sulbbang was doing now was a form of self-regulation.
It was a way to keep himself from making foolish moves.
Once he overcame the pain himself, he would become closer, healthier, and build a better relationship than before.
Meanwhile, he had told Daeun, "Professional gamers shouldn’t be hanging out with streamers who focus too much on flashy stuff."
He wouldn’t give in to his desires as a man, but as a broadcaster, he didn’t feel guilty about sticking with "Ga-wol."
In the past, Elderin had secured Ga-wol’s first broadcast, and Sulbbang had supported him.
Even Sulbbang thought it was a good choice at the time. He hadn’t known Ga-wol would become this famous.
When Ga-wol entered Sigma eSports, he spread his wings as if he had been preparing for this moment for a long time. He made an undefeated record in the regular league and, even in the playoffs, things were heading toward disaster.
In the third round against ACL, Ga-wol had a strong start.
An assassin hidden in the corner held his breath.
"Daeun really knows how to find spots like that. Places where she can hide her body. She said she checked every corner of the battlefield in practice mode."
"Isn’t it just because she’s small? So she hides well."
"If you say that, Daeun would probably hate it… but yeah, it’s true. She seems shy about showing her face."
Moreover, Elderin had become much closer to Ga-wol.
He could talk about things he couldn’t say in official Sigma channels.
Ga-wol’s first broadcast had symbolic meaning, and it had garnered a significant following.
It was the perfect moment for a low-risk, high-reward move!
What kind of place did they think they were in? The internet broadcasting world was strictly governed by capitalism.
Sulbbang wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by. He’d suck the juice out of it until people called him disgusting.
As a co-streamer.
While Elderin happily talked, Sulbbang was getting fired up. People who came here weren’t expecting any technical breakdowns from him.
If they wanted that, they should have listened to an official broadcast or gone to a former pro.
When it came to the game, what he could talk about was just the basics. But if Elderin showed Ga-wol’s hidden side, his role was simple: to entertain people.
"What? I’ve been through that before!"
"Really? Yeah, you died a lot to Ga-wol."
"Honestly, it felt good with those soft thighs…"
"Sulbbang?"
"Ah, nothing. Forget I said that."
A week passed, and the third round of the playoffs began.
Our opponents were ACL, who had just knocked out Galaxy Gaming.
It was a bit of a shocking upset, but a win is a win.
They had earned their spot in the winner’s bracket and were set to face us.
Even if the result ended in defeat.
[‘Sigma Camellia’ has eliminated ‘ACL Donghae’.]
A pleasant victory announcement sealed the deal.
Just as I was finishing off my opponent, I jumped up, wrapping my legs around the thick neck of the warrior.
My arms had already been rendered useless, but there was no risk of counterattack. The problem was that one of my arms wasn’t functioning properly.
This method was the most efficient way to break his neck in time.
"Mmm..."
"Don’t squirm. It doesn’t hurt that much, does it?"
"It’s not that it hurts, it’s just…"
"Huh?"
"It’s nothing. Let’s do our best in the next set."
Wrapping my arms and legs around my enemy’s head, I twisted with all my might.
Crack. Snap.
With a chilling sound, his neck twisted. The warrior’s body collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
[‘Sigma Ga-wol’ has eliminated ‘ACL Igor’.]
[The last opponent has been eliminated. Ending the match.]
[Victory.]
The first set on the proving grounds ended with the death of the warrior.
The kill score was 30 to 9. A result that was more than satisfying.
ACL hadn’t started with new tactics from the beginning.
They seemed to want to bring everything they had to the table and face us head-on.
Their momentum was strong.
It was clear that they had come well-prepared.
But good momentum doesn’t always lead to victory.
Growth and preparation aren’t the exclusive domain of the underdogs, and the world of competition isn’t always a stage for youthful ambition.
We weren’t about to become sacrifices for anyone, even the underdogs.
After reviewing the combat statistics, the commentators were hyped.
"Sigma eSports’ performance speaks for itself," one of them said.
"It’s clear that they won through overwhelming power," another added.
"It’s easy to analyze using various terms, but ultimately, ‘overwhelming strength’ is what stands out," another remarked.
"Sigma has shown incredible strength and set new records, and this is one of the biggest surprises of this year’s IKL Summer."
Their desire for victory was undeniable.
But if they wanted to beat us, they needed more than just desire.
The opponents would have learned a valuable lesson in this match.
Would we see a new card in the next set?
It would need to be a groundbreaking strategy, or we’d crush them like we did with Q Prime.