NABC Chapter 23
Chapter 23
[Title: That Was a Good Fight]
['Sulbbang' is now streaming.]
You got quite the reward for making it to the finals.Better than just grinding mobs, right? ᄋᄋHonestly, you should’ve been knocked out in the first round, but hanging on until now is pretty impressive, right? Or is that not okay to say?So, what are you gonna do now?If you lost to Sylphie, it’s an honorable death, lol.
Sulbbang, the streamer.
A solidly-built warrior lay sprawled in the middle of a vast field. The sky above was a clear blue, with fluffy clouds floating by. Brutal system messages floated alongside them.
[Infinity Arena 2nd Qualifiers – 4th Phase]
[Unfortunately, your journey has come to an end. Better luck next time!]
[Claim your participation reward]
Considering everything, it wasn’t a bad result.
By the final phase, most of the players left were monsters whose names were well-known.
Sulbbang, as a regular streamer, had already hit his limit long ago.
Things only got worse when he started facing international players.
Strange metas from all over the world, and monsters of every shape and form beating him down.
So, it wasn’t exactly shocking that he got knocked out.
“Wow... Guys, I really hit a wall this time. What do I do?”
Since when were you that good?Yo, Kim, quit your whining and get the raid leader.I’ve asked three times already, what’s your next move?
“It’s not about since when! I honestly thought I was good enough. I mean, Sylphie is skilled. An amazing player. I’ll give them that.”
Still, his pride had taken a hit.
He hadn’t overestimated his skill.
Those monsters whose names alone struck fear.
Watching them play made you wonder if they were even human.
Facing them made Sulbbang feel small.
But he was still a top-tier streamer in his own right.
In Korea, when you thought of greatsword warriors, his name was the one that came to mind.
At least, before he got smacked around by international players.
“Was I really just a frog in a well? Am I nothing more than a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things? How can I get better? I’m feeling really disillusioned right now, guys.”
Do you think the people you beat even know your name?Thinks he’s world-class.That’s the fifth time we’ve asked what you’re doing next.Keep asking and what’ll happen?Yeah? Then let’s see what you can do next.
“Don’t! I won’t! Sorry, I was being whiny. Let’s figure out what’s next.”
Sulbbang closed the system message.
The hefty reward lightened his mood a little.
He sprang up from where he had been lying, but nothing came to mind about what to do next.
He had planned to decide slowly, based on the mood in chat.
Just then, his messenger pinged.
Eldorin: Hello, Sulbbang!Eldorin: Is it okay if we chat for a bit?Eldorin: I don’t mind if you’re streaming. Just call me whenever you’re free!
“Hold up, Eldorin messaged me. She’s asking if we can chat. Should I call her now?”
Look at that voice pitch rising, lol.This guy just loves the attention.Look at that cheeky grin, I wanna smack it.He used to be unbeatable, guaranteed fun.I miss Gawol...
[Calling Eldorin...]
《Hey, can you hear me?》
“Yes, I hear you fine. I’m streaming right now. What’s up?”
《I heard you got knocked out of the arena.》
lolOoohhh.lololololol.??
Sulbbang momentarily froze.
The greatsword warrior stopped like a broken robot, pressing his throbbing temples.
Normally, he would’ve shot back with a snappy remark.
But he knew Eldorin wasn’t that kind of person.
She didn’t contact him just to mock him.
??Did she say Gawol?PTSD ON.Gawol’s gonna be on stream?!Is he doing interviews too?Are you still getting killed by Gawol these days?
└ Yeah, I’m used to it now.
└ But now, seeing someone in all black freaks me out IRL, lol.
└ lololololol.Kimchi, you’re a martyr...I’ve been using that video you sent, thanks.
└ ?We’re setting up the stream now!As planned, the stream will start in 20 minutes, and you’re already in the voice channel with me :)Gawol still won’t join?People really want to hear Gawol’s voice.Good luck out there!Since I accepted this co-stream, you’re done killing me, right?This took a lot of courage, you know.Ever since I announced the stream, I’ve gotten hundreds of messages.I’m afraid to go out into the field now.But seriously, show us your best out there.I’ve grown fond of you, despite everything...
The viewer count in the corner of the screen was rising.
Eldorin’s numbers had just passed 1,000, while Sulbbang’s were climbing past 800.
The rate of increase wasn’t normal.
Was this really going to be okay?
It felt surreal.
I was afraid that if I did nothing, my nerves would start showing on my face.
I twirled a dagger between my fingers for no real reason.
[Infinity Arena 2nd Qualifiers – Final Phase match confirmed.]
[Do you accept the match? Y/N]
[...You will be transported to the battlefield in 20 seconds.]
I’d only been distracted for a moment, but the viewer count had jumped again.
There had to be all kinds of people watching.
Some out of curiosity, others with malice.
I knew better than to get my hopes up.
Was there anyone in that crowd cheering for me?
Probably not. Too much bad blood.
[MountainBird’s Whisper]
Go get ‘em!!
"Heh..."
Turns out there was.
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
[Battlefield: Hallway of Duels]
[vs. Sigma Camellia (Warrior)]
[The match will begin in 3 minutes.]
[Reminder: Check your equipment, traits, and skills. They cannot be changed once the battle starts.]
Pushing my curiosity aside, I turned off both streams.
From this point forward, it was time to focus purely on the battle.
Call it fate’s cruel joke.
Everything from the battlefield, to the matchup, to my opponent’s name—it all felt deliberate.
‘Hallway of Duels’ was a wide-open battlefield with no obstacles.
It was designed specifically for 1v1s in ranked matches, a place where only raw skill mattered.
Ambush tactics were useless here, so I swapped out all my stealth traits and skills.
Instead, I built my setup around shadow-based and combat-focused skills.
After all, my opponent was a warrior.
In this matchup, it was all about who had better raw skill.
And considering I was up against Sigma eSports’ Camellia—an up-and-coming player in the second-tier league—this would be a serious fight.
‘If I had to face someone from Sigma, it would’ve been nice if it were Luce.’
No, not yet.
This was still just the qualifiers.
It would be better to meet Luce in a bigger match.
[5 seconds until the match begins... 00:03]
[We wish you the best of luck.]