NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32
“Me, quit it?”
“Quit it.”
Those words were like a massive shame bomb for gamers.
Just three syllables, but they came with the implication of “You can’t play for crap.”
Despite being just a bronze player, Riri had been a gaming enthusiast since childhood and was currently pouring her heart into playing the Abyss.
Naturally, she had the spirit of a gamer, so when she heard Kayak’s words, she was hit with a huge shock.
“Have I been that bad…?”
Riri couldn’t help but think that way. It was a natural thought process, and she unknowingly went all pouty.
It had been a while since her expression turned so glum, and that moment flowed through the cam seamlessly.
Thanks to the multi-view feature provided by Twishy, viewers watching both Kayak and Riri’s broadcast quickly relayed the news to Kayak.
[Riri is crying]
[Teacher, Riri is crying!]
[Menacing Ryen]
[Payback is science]
[No matter what, saying quit is a bit much;;]
[I]
[Are you telling someone in the tournament to quit and leave? LOL, what a character]
[Saying to quit Haven, of all things]
[Rack]
“Weren’t you just playing Haven and Miriam? And now you want to quit?”
Women’s tears have always wielded a significant conversational power, and it was no surprise that public opinion quickly turned against Kayak.
Especially given the scale of this tournament, it attracted quite a swarm of flies, with many who had been lurking in the community all day harboring baseless hostility toward Kayak, ready to strike.
In reality, Riri hadn’t shed a single tear; she merely sported a slightly pitiful sad face for a moment. But to the viewers, that didn’t really matter.
At least there were still loyal viewers in Kayak’s stream, and the fact that she was a woman like Riri helped her case. Without that, the chat would’ve erupted into chaos.
“Hmm…”
Despite that, Kayak appeared unfazed. Even as the chat escalated rapidly, she seemed indifferent, merely licking her lips slightly, while Riri was quickly grasping the situation and trying to keep the viewers in check.
“I’m not crying! What are you talking about? Why are there so many people? Please don’t type weird stuff-.”
“Riri.”
“Y-yes…?”
Gulp.
Riri tensed up like a mouse before a cat when her name was called by Kayak and swallowed hard.
Feeling Riri’s shaky voice, Kayak tried to discern why she was so jittery but continued with what she intended to say.
She continued with what she was saying.
“First of all, I want to say I’ve been watching Riri since before today’s broadcast started.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
[I’ve been watching you for a long time.]
[What the heck is this?]
[Are you confessing something?]
[Yandere Kayak ㄷㄷㄷㄷ]
[Stalker lol]
Just as Riri’s ears began to turn red with embarrassment at Kayak’s sudden words,
“I watched all your gameplay videos on VTube and the replays. And there’s something I’ve been thinking about.”
“Yes….”
So, it’s about the game. Riri, who had woken from empty delusions back to reality, nodded with a rather gloomy face.
“After watching your recent gameplay, I’ve come to a clear conclusion. What I mean is that I’m not just giving you a suggestion based on today’s result alone.”
Kayak continued with her characteristic voice.
“Riri, you don’t fit as a Damage Dealer. To be exact, the ADC position doesn’t suit you at all.”
It was a painful statement even when heard again. It felt like all the effort Riri had put into her time was being negated.
However, despite the rising emotions, she bit her lip and asked Kayak.
“Then, what should I do…?”
“You should…”
With a tone as if to make her listen closely, Kayak said with newfound confidence.
“You should be a Supporter.”
*
Supporter, otherwise known as a Support.
Just like in any common AOS game, the role of Support in the Abyss wasn’t held in high regard.
Heroes specialized in support, whose very existence is to assist others.
Such heroes are basically not fun. So why would anyone play them?
Because they can’t. They lack the skills to be DPS or even tank, so they end up being Supports.
That’s the common mindset of gamers.
[??? : You’re so bad, just don’t mess around and be a Support.]
[Ah lol, what’s with the Haven—go practice with Theodora instead.]
[As expected of Kayak, performance is guaranteed.]
[Instantly solving every viewer’s frustration.]
[Just a ‘tool.’]
[Hye Ji…]
[Honestly, if you want to win tournaments, this is the way to go ㅇㅇ…]
[In low tiers, just heal and buff without a self. lol]
[It’s definitely more beneficial to give wide buffs to Riri than to let a Bronze player be ADC.]
[The name fits so well lol.]
[It’s fate.]
[Riri, just go play Lily lol.]
I knew this kind of reaction would come, but it was still frustrating.
“Did I really not do well…?”
Riri also shared the same perception as the typical gamers. Just because I suggested she be a Support didn’t mean she should see herself as a lacking and poor player.
The player thinks they’re a lackluster and incompetent player.
Well, it’s true that they kind of are.
“Yes.”
“Uhh…”
Uhh, Riri. I can’t believe someone actually makes that noise.
I added a comment to the suddenly demoralized Riri.
“When it comes to ADC, that’s what it means.”
In terms of ADC, Riri is just bronze level—perfectly matched for my tier.
But…
“I think Riri has a talent for being a supporter.”
If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, Riri would actually soar if she switched to Support. I wouldn’t be surprised if her rank jumped up dramatically.
As long as she plays normally, her escape route is straight out of bronze and silver.
By now, Riri began to respond differently.
“Re-really…? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better…?”
“Yes. You can ignore the chat. They’re all worse than I am anyway.”
[Whoa]
[So cool lol]
[Instant shut down of a riot ㄷㄷㄷ]
[Does the fundamental Challenger Kayak look like a joke to you?]
To sum it up in one line:
Riri, you’re better suited for Support than ADC.
“Hehe.”
Riri laughed stupidly, possibly feeling better. Hearing that sound, I let out a little sigh and then headed into the main topic.
“Aren’t you curious why I recommend Support for you, Riri?”
“Ah, I’m curious…!”
“Would you mind watching my broadcast for a moment?”
Riri positively responded and immediately pulled out what she had prepared.
It was a video of her gameplay with timestamps carefully added.
“Is this me?”
“I just picked a few from the replays and VTube. But the context is pretty much the same for the ones I didn’t bring.”
[So what?]
[Show it already!]
[Just fluffing up some bronze player, huh?]
All the attention of Riri and the other viewers was fully on me.
Curious and skeptical gazes awaited me to present evidence to back up my claims.
“Here, why did you take Nox’s ultimate instead of Kaisya’s, Riri?”
“Uh… because Kaisya is more important than me?”
“Okay, moving on to this scene. Why did you concede credit to Nox?”
“Uh, he said he was short on money for his core item….”
“Weren’t you also low on your core items?”
“Hehe, I’m fine….”
[Hmm…]
[Looking at this all together, that’s legendary]
[Why are you sacrificing so much?]
[Slowly getting why Kayak said that, thumbs up lol]
After that, I continued to highlight a few more scenes, questioning Riri about her thought process during each moment.
I asked Riri about her reasoning in several scenes, each time expecting her to give me a deeper insight.
Her answers always came back with things like “I thought it would be better,” “You do it better than I do,” and “Team members are precious,” and so on.
The mindset of a truly, truly excellent supporter just flowed from her lips effortlessly.
These days, such a human example is hard to find in the Abyss. Even top-tier supporters don’t approach the game with this mindset.
“Got it?”
Anyway, I’ve pretty much laid out all the reasons I think she’s more suited to being a supporter.
Riri fundamentally cares for her team members, assists them, and has a natural talent for syncing with them.
“Come on, it’s just a natural talent…”
Riri trailed off, sounding a bit embarrassed, but I shook my head firmly.
“This is akin to a player’s inclination; some just can’t do it no matter what.”
It’s called aptitude.
Those born with the aptitude for a dealer can’t help but see themselves as the protagonist, never willing to sacrifice.
In reality, they shouldn’t be sacrificing at all. If a dealer ignores their own needs, yielding to teammates and willing to face death for them, it would be strange not to lose that game.
“So I guess my aptitude is for being a supporter. That’s why I keep losing even when I go ADC.”
“That’s about right.”
Explaining by showing her own gameplay through replays, Riri looked fully convinced. In fact, she seemed more passionate than before.
She was even asking questions instead of trailing off!
[Her natural talent’s a tool, lol]
[Riri is a perfect supporter—no doubt!]
[It’s just natural for a bronze to support, right?]
However, even after convincing Riri to shift to being a supporter, the mockery from the chat didn’t stop.
It must be due to that perception.
The belief that supporters are easier than other roles, lacking in importance and influence.
“But that’s not true at all.”
There’s no unimportant position in the Abyss. Every role is crucial, and without performing their duties, you can’t win the game.
It was designed that way from the beginning, a fact that has persisted since the game’s launch.
I have no idea why these perceptions exist, or how they got so solidified.
I felt a need to shatter those biases.
“Hey, Riri.”
“Yes?”
Thus, my next action was a bit impulsive.
“Aren’t you curious about how to carry as a supporter?”