Chapter 9: Chapter 9

The streamer "KimchiNinja" was famous for his unique playstyle as an assassin streamer. While somewhat niche in Korea, he had achieved high rankings in card games and had garnered a reputation for his strategic mind games and unconventional gameplay.

This earned him a following, albeit among somewhat malicious viewers.

His usual philosophy was that everyone should show respect to their opponent. On the surface, this seemed like an obvious statement, but it had a different meaning.

For him, respect meant that his opponent should demonstrate a certain level of skill. In other words, if someone got utterly destroyed by KimchiNinja, it meant they hadn’t respected him. His motto was that anyone who didn’t adequately prepare or strategize before entering a game should pay the price.

Thus, KimchiNinja’s streams typically featured him "toying with others" in various ways. Even in fighting games, where he had some experience, he would employ bizarre methods. You could often witness him swinging toy guns or squeaky hammers during what should have been a serious duel.

But this time… it was the first time anyone had ever seen him so utterly helpless.

— "I’m confident in assassin mirror matches" (a direct quote from him). — "LOL." — "Seems like there’s a lack of respect here."

Both of his daggers were effortlessly bound. He couldn’t seize control of the fight at all, and every opening he thought he found turned out to be an obvious trap. Every time he lost a mental game, a kick came in, feeling more like a reprimand than an attack.

No, calling it losing a mental game wasn’t accurate at all.

Combat, in essence, is like a game of rock-paper-scissors. But in this case, when KimchiNinja threw out paper, his opponent would respond with scissors just a little later, as if playing by some unspoken, twisted rules.

— "It’s like, ‘Oh, I won? Guess I have to take a hit then, right?’" — "Not sure who agreed to these rules."

[Message from TalkingPigeon: Donated ₩3,000]

"Respect kicks! Respect shin hits!"

— "Ninja, you can’t even land a single hit?" — "Honestly, I don’t think it’s that KimchiNinja is bad; the opponent is just that good." — "Cabbage, what are you even talking about?"

Regardless, from KimchiNinja’s perspective, he was half a beat slower than his opponent. As frustrating as it was, this was perfectly plausible. He was always quite realistic about his own skills.

In games with a large player base, there will inevitably be monstrous players. Among them, there are bound to be some who are physically more gifted than him. These people are often referred to as prodigies.

But no, let’s be honest here.

Most top-tier players had better physical reactions than KimchiNinja. After all, he wasn’t the type to rely on overwhelming physicality or reflexes to dominate his opponents.

So, the real problem wasn’t that he was half a beat slower. The issue was that he was always

half a beat behind.@@novelbin@@

"How is this even possible…?"

"What? You’re doing fine. It’s impressive, really."

He had to grit his teeth to stop himself from snapping.

This was blatant mockery.

While the viewers may not have realized it, seeing this as just another one-sided match, KimchiNinja knew deep down that his opponent was playing with him.

Whether he sped up or slowed down, his opponent’s reaction time remained consistent. No matter what unpredictable or risky moves he tried, the opponent responded in the same steady tempo.

Every time he swung his daggers, it felt like he wasn’t just being read—it felt like his opponent had been waiting for him.

There was only one possible explanation for this. There had to be a vast skill gap between him and his opponent. It was as if the other player was treating this like a child’s game, humoring him by playing along.

The most infuriating part? There was nothing he could do about it.

No matter how much a five-year-old swings their fists, they can’t beat a UFC fighter.

‘Should I just give up? If the goal is to toy with me, quitting might be the best option.’

That thought naturally crossed his mind. But he couldn’t act on it. The reason? The atmosphere in the chat.

— "Still, the opponent seems good, but Ninja is holding on." — "Our Ninja isn’t washed up yet!" — "Comebacks in games like this are the most exciting."

To the viewers, a streamer’s broadcast was just a hobby. It was easy for them to forget that, for streamers, it was a business.

Every streamer had a role to play and certain reactions to fulfill during a broadcast.

KimchiNinja didn’t aim to keep his streams "clean," but ignoring the heated chat and giving up would be hypocritical. Especially for someone like him, who specialized in "teabagging" and taunting others, accepting defeat was part of the game. Sometimes, you had to take your punishment.

The seething anger was something he would have to bear.

"What’s on your mind? It’s insulting to me if you’re daydreaming while facing me."

"Huff…"

Ssshhh!

The blade grazed his neck.

A shallow cut. It wasn’t a fatal wound, but it sent a chill down his spine. His opponent could have ended it right then if they had wanted to.

Who were they? Even when facing professional players, he hadn’t felt such a wall between them.

In the qualifiers, players' usernames weren’t displayed. The names were only revealed once the match was over. Yet, somehow, his opponent seemed to know he was streaming. Was it because of something he muttered at the start of the match? He didn’t think it was loud enough to be heard.

‘Could it be… Gawol?’

The way they toyed with him felt all too familiar. There weren’t many players who could handle an assassin like this.

Even though their username and character’s appearance were hidden, it wasn’t too far-fetched to suspect.

But he couldn’t be sure. Many male pro players used female characters, and with the advancement of auto-translation tech, it could easily be a foreign player.

Still, did it really matter who his opponent was? Right now, it felt like his viewers were being held hostage. If he suddenly quit the game or lost too easily, the audience would riot.

The only thing he could do was play along.

— "Looks like that last hit really hurt." — "Lost 30% health with one hit!" — "Whoa, why’s he getting destroyed all of a sudden?"

Despite his resolve, his opponent’s attitude shifted.

...This couldn’t go on much longer.

"You’re not very fun."

The assassin laid down on top of the corpse below, as if stacking their bodies together. Before the next match began, they seemed content to just lie there.

Dust covered the area.

It seemed like other players couldn’t feel it due to their lower immersion settings, but on this map, which was filled with sand, my throat felt dry. I could even feel the gritty texture of the dust sticking to my clothes.

Oddly enough, the streamer’s corpse was quite soft. Maybe it was because he wasn’t wearing armor like the warriors. Resting my arm on his chest like a pillow, I found a position I rather liked.

If I closed my eyes for a moment, I could probably take a nap right here.

‘This guy… he was a shame. I was hoping he’d show me something more embarrassing.’

High-level streamers tend to have a lot of pride. If you completely shatter that pride, their stream falls apart, and there’s nothing more entertaining than seeing a streamer lose their audience. It’s like watching a star fall from the sky to the cliff where I stand.

But the fact that he kept fighting until the end made me lose interest. When a streamer wants something from you, it’s more fun not to give it to them. So, I killed him off in one swift move.

[Gawol - Infinity Arena, 1st Round Qualifier]

[vs WrestlingKingSmoking: Victory]

[vs KimchiNinja: Victory]

[System: You are currently 2-0. One more victory will qualify you for the second round of the tournament.]

My progress in the Infinity Arena was going smoothly. If nothing unexpected happened, I’d win my next match and advance to the second round.

The second round was scheduled to start in two days, so I had a little time to rest.

I couldn’t wait to meet Luce. The main broadcast would start airing during the finals. She was the only star I acknowledged. If I got to play against her and the footage was recorded, I’d feel like I was flying.

As I lay there on the body of the dead male character, the familiar deep tone signaling a match echoed.

[Infinity Arena, 1st Round Qualifier - Round 3 match has been found.]

[Will you accept the match? Y/N]

[You will be automatically transferred to the battlefield in 20 seconds.]

While I casually prepared for the next match, I had no idea what was happening on the internet.

The Infinity Arena is a special event tournament. There’s no death penalty for losing, and even after dying, if you don’t exit, you can watch what’s happening in the arena in third-person mode.

After losing, KimchiNinja had been too busy managing his chat to leave the game. So his screen stayed on the battlefield, broadcasting Gawol’s every move.

The tiny assassin girl was now shown wriggling atop the male character’s corpse in full view of everyone.

[Post by: NunaWhyIsTheNeighborSeatTaken]

[Title: What the hell is Gawol doing? LOL]

I just got wrecked by KimchiNinja in a match against Gawol, and now she’s wriggling on his body.

What the hell is she doing? Is this some kind of female appeal? Is she wagging her tail?

[Comments]

— "What does Gawol even look like? Urgent."

Reply: "Why’s it urgent, huh?"

— "If you’re going to post this, bring a video with it!"