I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

Chapter 122

Sigma allowed Dune Sentinels to land a decisive blow, resulting in a loss. However, that match was part of the group stage; a single defeat didn’t mean the end of their run in the Prelude.

Surviving the group stage doesn’t require finishing first. Sigma managed to dominate the remaining two teams in Group D, securing second place and advancing to the Round of 16.

Though they failed to beat Hashashin in the second round of group play, Sigma had clearly improved in both skill and assassin counterplay. Still, they hadn't reached a level where they could topple top-tier players.

A bitter yet inevitable result; for now, they had to be content with having shown meaningful resistance.

"By the way, he uses that sword technique quite interestingly."

All the weapons I’ve used are straight-blade types. I can’t replicate Hashashin’s moves exactly, but there seemed to be a few motions I could adopt with minor adjustments.

Martial arts often share common ground. Watching and experiencing it firsthand can be beneficial. The simple act of sparking new ideas can be a big win.

In any case, there have been times when Korea was entirely eliminated in the group stage of international competitions. Sigma advancing to the Round of 16 meant avoiding the worst outcome. Even amidst harsh storms, they were still moving forward.

I’d watched all the must-see matches, out of loyalty or fan interest. Now it was time for me to handle my own work – naturally, my work was none other than the game.

Great. Let’s log in and start the stream.@@@@

[Title: Going All the Way to Rank 1 Again Today]

[User 'Ga-wol' is streaming.]

[ON AIR | 00:00:02 | Zephyrion Continent]

Infinity Black is a game with substantial global attention.

Being skilled in a popular game has its own appeal. In today’s world, public interest generates revenue and creates a market. Consequently, reaching the top rank in the game serves as a stepping stone to becoming an Infinity pro trainee or a high-caliber streamer.

Most players who reached Infinity rank at least dabbled with pro training or started their own streams. By this level, it’s no surprise to encounter streamers as opponents.

[Rank Match – Infinity 1938 RP]

[Arena: The Great Forest of Fairywood]

[Rules: Duel]

[Opponent: Soulful Lies (Cardmaster)]

In other words, it wasn’t the “streamer factor” that would catch me off guard. I checked my opponent's class and frowned.

“Cardmaster? You can run a rank game in this tier with that class?”

You can, but what are you implying, Tenryeon?Did you just say all Cardmasters are hopeless gambling addicts with ruined lives?Not that far, but...Picking Cardmaster in this game usually means disaster.Wrong! Cardmaster is actually awesome; you’re just unlucky!Wrong? Seriously? The only surviving Cardmaster is Soulful Lies.Prove it in a duel, if you’re so sure.You’ve got to be kidding me.

“No... I didn’t mean it negatively. I’m just surprised Soulful Lies got this far as a Cardmaster. Weren’t they in Top Abyss recently?”

They just ranked up recently.People can rank up, right?Ga-wol doesn’t understand people’s feelings.Cardmaster got a slight buff, you know.

Classes in Infinity Black are incredibly diverse.

The chatroom buzzed with comments. Regretfully, I didn’t have time to read them individually. The moment was ripe, and I had to move.

Moving at max speed, I closed in on the Cardmaster from above. I successfully struck their neck as I dropped down, but the outcome was less than ideal. Just before the dagger could deal critical damage, the Cardmaster used a survival skill to teleport backward.

[Used ‘Ghost’ Card.]

[Grants 0.6 seconds of invulnerability and relocates the user.]

“W-What? How? Whoa... Wow...!”

Clearly shaken, the opponent stammered more in awe than in coherent words.

Well, it’s fine. I hadn’t expected to end it in one strike at this level of play.

The key was saving my stealth. I left a few projectiles in place, retreating to prepare for the next shadow move. Something unusual had flashed in their hand.

Cardmasters, if they draw the right cards at the right time, are surprisingly versatile. There was one particularly notorious combo I had in mind.

“The cards are vanishing as if you were waiting for it. I feel like I should avoid whatever it is.”

[Card: The Hermit]

[Meaning (Reversed): Secrecy, Greed]

[Card: The Tower]

[Meaning (Upright): Failure, Ruin]

[Active: Consequence of Greed]

[Inflicts damage and slows all enemies within a 12m radius of the caster. The effect intensifies with closer proximity.]

As expected, a golden magic circle spread from the Cardmaster. Despite a long casting time, it activated quickly. If I’d only relied on visual cues, I’d have been too late.

The surroundings distorted as if the space itself was warping. Cracks appeared in mid-air, and the inner part of the magic circle shattered like glass, sending projectiles my way.

While deflecting some mana-imbued attacks, I noticed the Cardmaster had drawn a new card.

Cards are limited, high-value resources in a Cardmaster’s hand. Seeing one added meant they’d either fulfilled a condition or drawn a card with an extra-draw effect. Fair enough, they need to gather resources to continue fighting.

But then...

With an oddly pleased expression, they drew another card... and yet another. They managed to replenish all three cards they’d used up in the fight.

“No way. Does it usually draw that easily?”