I Have Reasons to Hate Streamers

This is truly the era of great streamers.

Full-dive action VR MMORPG.

Streaming targeting the global user pool.

Advanced technology has even conquered the language barrier, and the market that had been growing since the early 21st century has finally reached its golden age.

Now, being good at games – specifically ‘Infinity Black’ – was equivalent to being good at studying.

When cousins boast with their Seoul National University student ID in front of elders during holidays, one could receive the same applause by proving their game tier.

The day you entered a famous siege guild, you could stand shoulder to shoulder with elites who joined major corporations.

Can’t seem to absorb anything no matter how much you read your textbooks?

If you can’t raise your grades, at least raise your tier!

If even that’s not possible, at least go hunting!

Any top-tier user aspired to debut as a streamer or professional gamer.

Because that’s where the money is. Because it’s the way to grasp both enormous wealth and popularity at once!

It was incomprehensible by common sense for someone to be good at games and not step into either of these fields.

In that regard, there was one existence in Infinity Black’s top echelon that was utterly incomprehensible.

“Ah, thank you for the donation, ‘FarmingDrunkBread’. I was actually planning to focus on farming for a while. The next season isn’t far off, so we need to prepare solidly. Everyone must be busy right now, right?”

“Huh? Drunk Bread. Didn’t you just see a white dot on the minimap? Was I imagining things?”

“A white dot? I don’t think I saw anything… Besides, we don’t have any hostile guilds right now, so it should be fine, right? Is there anyone who would pick a fight at this timing?”

Just as he was about to dismiss his party member’s voice as needless worry.

One anxiety popped into Drunk Bread’s mind.

Come to think of it, there was one.

Next season. An oddball who would pick fights without caring about the power structure that would be reorganized.

The malicious sniper that every top-tier streamer encounters at least once. An assassin user who not only engages in field PK but also rank game sniping and teabagging.

The nickname was ‘Gawol’.

As if to confirm his fears, it seemed his anxiety was about to become reality.

Just seconds after the ‘white dot’ representing another player was seen.

The party’s archer, who was a little distance away, was killed without even being able to scream.

[Drunk Scout has been killed by an unknown adventurer.]

With the ranged DPS dead, it was obvious who would be next.

An assassin who suddenly appeared among the party members flashed a faint sword light.

Drunk Bread’s spine chilled at the sight of the assassin who appeared.

Silver hair peeking through a black hood. A characteristic long sword without its usual gloss.

Due to the smaller than average build and low stance – the gaze looking up from below was unbearably cold.

The assassin stabbed the party’s mage in the heart, slit their throat, and kicked the corpse away.

While secretly admiring that clean skill, Drunk Bread felt heat rising to his head.

It was because of the feeling of being subjected to something unreasonable.

Infinity Black had a death penalty, and the person who had most recently gifted Drunk Bread with a penalty was Gawol, who stood before him.

“Why… Why me again! I just died not too long ago!”

It’s no use. No matter how much he pleaded, the assassin showed no intention of stopping their blade.

At this rate, he would die anyway, so he had to try some form of resistance.

Drunk Bread charged forward with his shield.

It was a futile act.

Gawol lightly jumped to avoid the charge, then plunged a dagger into a gap in the armor.

It was an attack that a knight’s toughness should have been able to withstand sufficiently, but the brief moment of stiffness was the problem.

The blade that had approached unnoticed now aimed at the back of Drunk Bread’s neck.

A voice altered by modulation spread out, as if mocking him.

“Just because. You happened to be close by. Looks like you’ve been making a lot of money lately too.”

“The money is just what you’re not earning…”

Thwack. Drunk Bread’s screen went dark.

The last thing his eyes caught was the chat window scrolling up wildly.

[Author: Anonymous (423.62)]

[Title: The most incomprehensible bastard in this game.jpg]

That would be this bastard Gawol.

This guy killed Drunk Bread as soon as his stream started today, why the hell is he doing this?

It just doesn’t make sense, you know.

I thought maybe they were starting as a streamer with a sniping concept, but there’s no news of that either, and it’s not like they’re trying to go pro.

There hasn’t been any special incident, so why are they particularly acting crazy towards streamers and pro gamers?

Are they just a psycho bastard without any purpose?

With that skill, you should have gone pro, you fucking bitch.

[Comments]

– This sniper bastard has real skills

└ So is that why your master gets his neck chopped off by Gawol every day?

– Solo rank and pro are different

└ I heard they rejected all pro team offers

└ Didn’t Director Kang Sungjin spill the beans about failing to recruit them last time?

– If they were at least cunning, I could understand, but they just seem like a blockhead

– If you look at what they said when rejecting pro offers, don’t they seem a bit off?

└ Then why don’t they stream, ffs

└ Being good at games doesn’t mean you’re good at broadcasting, you know

└ I heard Gawol is a woman, at that tier just existing as a woman would make you popular lol

└ I’m an assassin too, but I want to see Gawol’s gameplay in first-person view just once

* * *

[Infinity Black has been terminated.]

[Gawol, thank you for using our service.]

Woooong.

The cooler that had been spinning fiercely made a deflating sound as it stopped.

It was the sound I hated the most.

The moment the game stops and this damn reality comes back.

It felt like I had become a debtor receiving a debt contract.

It was time to pay in reality for the sweet dream I had.

From the assassin ‘Gawol’ to ‘Han Da-eun’, I became a miserable weakling like a debtor.

“Ramen. Why is there no ramen… Ah, was the last time I ate the final one?”

All strength drained from my body.

I sat on the bed and looked for my phone.

The blanket and pillow were in a mess, so it wasn’t visible to my eyes, and even when I put my arm under the pillow, it didn’t come out.

In this case, it must be stuck somewhere between the bed and the wall.

Found it.

The ramen I had ordered for delivery in advance wouldn’t arrive today, it seemed.

It was supposed to arrive on Thursday, but somehow it had changed to Friday.

And this is supposed to be the best logistics company in the country.

If I starve to death today, the cause of death will be this company’s delivery delay.

I should be prepared. There’s a lot of dust in my room.

I can leave a dying message without having to spill my precious blood.

“Ugh… Something other than ramen. Is there nothing else?”

Of course not.

My living radius is just this dark, narrow room, and I’ve been living like this for quite a while.

In other words, I knew the food situation at a glance.

Even if I open the refrigerator with vain hope, only cheap bottled water and carbonated drinks will greet me.

For now, should I at least drink something?

I’m too hungry right now.

If something sweet enters my mouth, I might feel a little better.

Why are humans designed to run on food?

I briefly satisfied my hunger with cola, but my body still demanded a meal.

It couldn’t be helped. I always played games until my limit and only came out when I couldn’t bear it anymore.

My being in reality meant that my physical body had reached its critical point.

Delivery food is out of the question. It’s beyond my wallet situation.

As terrible as it is… at times like this, I had no choice but to go to the convenience store.

My hungry stomach growled as if urging me. Grrrr-

“Okay. I’ll go. I’ll go if I have to. Just give me a moment to prepare myself mentally.”

For me, going out required a lot of courage.

I hold the railing with one hand and the crutch handle with the other.

The crutch goes down the stairs before me. My body can only go down when the crutch can properly support me.

When ready, I send my broken leg first, and then my good leg steps on the next stair.

It was a process that couldn’t be careless for a moment.

There was barely any muscle in my body, so even holding the crutch was challenging.

The sensor light that should illuminate the darkness kept turning off repeatedly.

Until I waved my hand or crutch to turn the light back on, the space in front of me was like an abyss with no visible end.

Yes. I had a disability.

A disability that prevented me from standing in this world on two feet.

Using my left foot like others was something I wasn’t allowed to do – if I were to break this solemn rule, excruciating pain would descend like divine punishment.

Moreover, the one-room apartment I lived in was on the third floor without an elevator.

This was unavoidable too. While apartments are said to be abundant on the Korean peninsula, all that was allowed to me were dilapidated old houses.

If I misstepped now, a terrible disaster would surely occur.

Unable to bear the pain, I would scream, “Kyaaak, kyaaaak─” and that sound would echo loudly through this stairway.

Then all the neighborhood people would see the pathetic sight of a cripple who couldn’t even go down the stairs properly, whimpering.

So even if it’s slow, I need to move safely.

For me, the path to the convenience store was like trudging through a very sticky swamp.

But what I really hated wasn’t this body of mine.

“Welcome.”

As I opened the convenience store door and entered, the male part-timer greeted me dryly.