I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

Chapter 203

[World Championship - Final]

[Battlefield: Mirror Labyrinth Aspectrium]

[Rules: 4-player Elimination Match]

[AT vs Sigma eSports]

When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing alone somewhere in the labyrinth.

In the bright space, the outer walls made of opaque glass or mirrors were visible.

As the name suggests, Aspectrium is a battlefield covered in mirrors everywhere.

Even if you hide, it’s hard to fully conceal yourself, and it disturbs visibility and perception.

Some mirrors were even shattered, causing significant strain on concentration.

This labyrinth was full of gimmicks.

Considering that most other fields have one or two gimmicks, it was fair to say that this one was complex.

But the real task for the players entering this battlefield was, in fact, quite simple.

‘It’s just a place where I walk around aimlessly.’

Carefully, while being wary of ambushes, I explored the labyrinth.

When I found an object, I collected it, and when I encountered an enemy, I fought hard.

In short, it was a battlefield where all I had to do was move well and fight well.

That’s because the design of all the gimmicks was based on that.

Through patch after patch, it was adjusted until the desired scenario emerged.

Now, it naturally led to random skirmishes and local battles.

At the end of the path, I found a green crystal orb.

I poked it with the tip of my sword, and the orb shattered and vanished.

Fortunately, this time, I got lucky.

[‘Rune of the Mirror: Health Regeneration’ object acquired.]

[All allies' health will gradually regenerate every second. The more objects you collect, the stronger this effect becomes.]

The objects in this labyrinth either provided beneficial effects to the entire team or triggered random spatial transfer effects.

Sometimes, it wasn’t even my own position that changed, but that of another teammate.

If luck was bad, you could end up switching places with an ally who was in the middle of a battle.

Suddenly being summoned could feel like having a sword flying right at you.

It was a place where you never knew when, where, or with whom you’d fight, but there was no need to panic.

As long as I could win, I didn’t care who came at me.

With my sword drawn, I advanced without fear.

Meanwhile, Rika found herself in a very awkward situation.

The Mirror Labyrinth was vast and enormous.

With constant combat being prompted by the gimmicks, there was enough space to move around.

It wasn’t common to encounter an enemy so early in the game.

Well, it wasn’t common.

But that didn’t mean it never happened.

Not even three minutes after the match began,

Rika ended up facing the one opponent she least wanted to meet.

Her only consolation was that the distance between them at the time was considerable.

The ranger, pushing her legs to move faster, clicked her tongue.

‘Why did I have to meet that guy?’

A man in black armor charged at her with fierce momentum.

Compared to the time she dealt with the Dark Knight, his armor was relatively light, but there wasn’t a professional gamer who wouldn’t recognize that appearance.

Kelberos. A monster whose match could scarcely be found even globally.@@@@

As she tore a piece of fabric from her clothes to tie around her neck, she muttered a short prayer.

Please, let it be him who got swapped.

This seems like a real swap, doesn’t it?

[Teammate has acquired the ‘Rune of Spatial Exchange.’]

[You have been selected for spatial exchange. Your position will be swapped with a random teammate.]

As soon as the position was swapped, a vicious halberd came crashing down.

The opponent was Kelberos. Judging by the terrible distance, it must have been a critical situation.

Was she almost dead before the exchange?

No kill log had come up yet.

There was quite a bit of blood scattered on the labyrinth floor... she might as well consider herself lucky.

She blocked the halberd with the back of her sword.

It was heavy. It wasn’t as heavy as Hero’s weapon, but the problem was that it was the perfect distance for her opponent to apply full force.

Rika’s hurried defense made the situation more difficult.

It was an incredibly disadvantageous start.

Had it been me, I wouldn’t have let this situation unfold, but there was no room to complain.

After all, Kelberos had likely missed his prey and was furious about it.

"Finally...!"

Or maybe he seemed to be enjoying it.

Kelberos’s weapon changed.

From the halberd, which was favorable for slashing, to a sharp spear.

Using the sword as a support, he angled the spear down.

[Passive: Thought Weapon]

[Weapon Masters possess weapons that change in response to their will. Each time the weapon changes form, a certain amount of mana is consumed.]

[As the number of form changes accumulates, the cooldown for further changes increases.]

[Target: AT Kelberos]

My defense opened.

At this rate, the spear would pierce either my neck or my chest.

But, well, I knew what was coming.

Since the point of force had shifted, the pressure from the sword lessened.

There was no need to dodge sideways; I could just push the spear aside.

Kelberos stepped forward with one foot.

I couldn’t just let him advance.

With the distance already hard to maintain, I couldn’t let him take more space.

If I couldn’t stop him from advancing, I’d have to go with him.

I stepped on his extended foot and pushed his thigh with the hilt of my sword.

The weapons locked again, and the stalemate continued.

Kelberos stared at me intently.

"You’ve changed a lot. The atmosphere, too. Now, you’re finally looking at me properly."

"So, is that bad?"

"No. You’re the best opponent fit for the finals."

"You’ve changed a lot too. In the arena, you felt a bit more... rigid."

"I thought I wouldn’t win if I didn’t change."

Yeah. We, people like us, know that well.

Defeat hurts and stings, but it’s a great help to growth.

As I matured, Kelberos broke out of his shell and stepped into a new domain.

Growth is not just the privilege of the weak.

In this unfair world, even monsters like Kelberos are allowed to grow.