[Title: Skill-Oriented Healing Stream]
[âEldorinâ 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 somethingâanything to fill the silence. It took her too long to realize that.
âUh⦠I just died. That was Gawol, right?â
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.
Eldorinâs viewers were very invested in her streams. She wasnât 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.
âEveryone, please calm down. I think weâll have to call it for Infinity Black today. Maybe we can chat for a bit before I log off?â
Slowly, Eldorin worked to calm her viewers down.
In truth, she wasnât too upset about dying. Death in the middle of a hunt wasnât exactly pleasant, but she had been planning to end the stream soon anyway. Even if Gawol hadnât shown up, she would have logged off before long.
On reflection, the experience wasnât 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.
âI should switch the screen and delete the replay, right?â
It likely hadnât come across clearly on stream, but she couldnât shake the memory of that slightly warm breath. Even the faint sound of Gawolâs laugh had been oddly alluring.
And in the final moment⦠hadnât Gawol hugged her? It shouldâve felt unsettling, but instead, it struck her as somewhat pitiable.
Was she overthinking it? Maybe she should be careful how she phrased it.
âI think that was my first time encountering Gawol. Sheâs really good, huh? Iâve heard that high-ranking players have a different kind of movement, and itâs true. It felt like I was up against someone from another world. I couldnât do anything.â
- Yeah, sheâs really good.
- Sheâs always doing PKs; itâd be weird if she wasnât good.
- Heard she did pretty well when she mercenaryâd in a siege battle too.
- Someone said if she went pro, sheâd be top-tier. Who was that again?
- But solo-queue warriors donât always translate well to the pro scene, so that might be an overstatement.
- Still, she did beat Traveler one-on-one.
âOh, Iâve heard of Traveler. Right, Gawolâs an assassin, right? Ugh, assassins⦠I wish I couldâve gotten good at playing one. I found them too hard to master.â
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 didnât take long for her to realize it wasnât 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.@@novelbin@@
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 couldnât keep up with the speed of the character. It felt like her body was moving on its own, completely out of her control.
âI noticed she was using a chain scythe earlier. Iâve 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 wasnât for me.â
- Isnât 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.
- Itâs the land of ninjas, after all. LOL.
ãRiceSeparator has donated 5,000 wonã
ãYou should check out the highlights from the Japan vs. UK international match. It was mesmerizing.ã
ã(Attached Video)ã
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 Eldorinâs eye wasnât the flashy plays.
- I heard Gawolâs 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?
âHuh⦠interesting.â
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 couldnât just replace it easily, so proper care was the only option.
[Timer 3 â 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 â 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 senseâeach 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 â 2nd Preliminary, Final Phase match found.]
[Accept match? Y/N]
[Transporting to battlefield in 20 secondsâ¦]
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 sheâd consider âviewer participation.â Meeting early might not be ideal, but there was no guarantee theyâd face each other later. Since it wasnât with malicious intent, it wouldnât be sniping.
A famous person had said that, so it was probably true. She could decide later about the arena match.
[Infinity Arena â 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 wasnât 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.
âHeh.â
In the Sanctuary of the Dead, as the name suggests, many undead monsters spawn. Theyâre 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 didnât 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.
âPfft⦠Haha!â
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 Protectorâs patience reached its limit.
He tried to express his frustrationâabout 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 systemâs language filter butchered his words into an incoherent mess.
âYou bad kid! Enjoying the game! I come to ask your well-being!â
Realizing his message had not been conveyed properly, the Protectorâs shoulders slumped in defeat.
âGoodbye⦠in sadness.â
[Your opponent has forfeited.]
[Victory! You have gained 28 ranking points.]