I Have Reasons to Hate Streamers

Heat coursed through my entire body.

Due to the strenuous exercise, blood circulated madly through my system, and a sweet smell emanated from my mouth.

The good thing is that even if my body is drenched in sweat, it won’t give off a bad odor.

I wiped my face as if washing it with the water that had risen up to my lower body.

Then I grabbed the support again and walked forward.

I’m not sure if this can be called walking, though.

A movement embarrassing to show others.

When a person walks, their ankle should move properly, but for me, it was difficult to move even a single toe, let alone an ankle.

If I went around outside in this posture, my feet would drag on the ground.

I don’t know for sure, but it would probably look quite funny.

There was a classic game where a scene of dying to a snail was impressive, I’d end up walking just like the zombies in that game.

“Haa, ugh! Haaa…”

“Patient, if it’s too hard, you can take a break. It’s not good to overexert yourself.”

“Just a little, I’m fine so I’ll do a bit more.”

“Okay. But make sure you rest properly during break time, okay?”

“I understand.”

Fortunately, the therapist didn’t forcibly stop me.

I was grateful. This was an opportunity that came only once a week for me.

I can’t whine on days like this when I usually live like trash.

It’s a regret I have every time, but I should have exercised in advance.

To think my stamina is only this much. Compared to my athlete days, it’s not even at the level of a warm-up.

I wondered if I should have listened to the master’s words.

But it’s not like I would put it into practice.

It was difficult to exercise properly with a leg I should have cut off long ago.

What can I do with a body that can’t even walk without crutches?

Besides, if I get injured doing something unnecessary in that cramped room, that would be even more problematic.

Moreover, when I enter the game, I can move freely.

For me, the less time I spent outside the connection device, the better.

Both physically and mentally.

“Aaargh!”

“Patient! Are you okay? Should I move you right now?”

“No! It’s just, I made a small mistake. I’m fine.”

“Okay. Then… I’ll hold you from behind.”

“Thank you.”

This is the rehabilitation center of Sigma Medical Group.

It’s the Korean branch of a global medical corporation and where most of the money I earn is spent.

It’s also the only place that has shown progress among all the attempts I’ve made so far.

The cutting-edge equipment here cares for my body by finely controlling even a single stream of water.

Even now, a micro-current is probably collecting data, and I’m floating with only my lower body submerged in water.

Yes, here I could attempt rehabilitation.

It was amazing progress compared to when I first heard the doctor’s opinion.

To think I could try something!

– Ms. Han Da-eun? I have something to tell you about the detailed examination results.

– The patient’s condition is medically difficult to diagnose accurately, but looking at the symptoms, including left hemiplegia…

– The test results show problems with tissues and the circulatory system. Imperfect blood circulation can cause discoloration or necrosis.

– We couldn’t reach a reliable conclusion regarding pain or functional decline.

I couldn’t remember everything because the story was complicated.

I couldn’t understand it all anyway. My head wasn’t relaxed enough to understand medical terms at the time.

So, rather than the doctor’s words, his desperate and helpless expression remained more in my mind.

To summarize, my left foot was in a state close to a comprehensive ward.

They said it showed symptoms as if constantly poisoned by something, and this was unprecedented.

The doctors didn’t recommend amputation for nothing.

Still, today, I received one hopeful piece of news.

– The results of the detailed examination we conducted last week are out.

– How is it? Has it improved?

– There’s a very slight improvement. First, if you look at this data, the current nervous system…

The doctor said it wasn’t a significant figure yet, but what mattered was that it had improved, even if just by a speck.

That alone was enough for me to hold onto this tenacious life more tightly.

Even if it’s like pouring water into a bottomless pit, it’s fine.

If I can regain my legs.

If I can stand on my own and start over, even with this body, I couldn’t ask for more.

So I’ll endure this kind of training as much as needed.

…That’s what my mind says. I really couldn’t do it for hours on end.

The time allocated for my rehabilitation training was three hours at a time.

As soon as the training ended, I was exhausted and immediately sprawled out in the lounge.

It felt like all the strength had left my body. I felt like marine debris floating on the sea.

Unable to move a finger, I closed my eyes in a languid mood.

What woke me up was the chill I felt on my cheek.

“We meet again?”

“Uh… uh?”

I thought I had just closed my eyes for a moment.

It seems I had fallen completely asleep.

When I opened my eyes, the silhouette of a woman appeared in my blurry vision.

Unlike me in patient clothes, she wore formal attire close to a suit. A kind impression with a fresh eye smile.

She was a beauty with long light brown hair.

The woman opened the cap of a cold bottled water and handed it to me as if telling me to drink.

“Th-Thank you?”

“Looks like you worked hard. You did well this week too.”

“Well… I have to do at least this much.”

“It’s not an easy thing to do. Not just physically, but mentally too. I know it well.”

Ah, I shouldn’t do this.

I couldn’t help but try to hold back the corners of my mouth from rising into a grin.

What the woman handed over was clearly plain water without any additives.

Just water you might buy at a convenience store.

Nevertheless, the water going down my throat was unbearably sweet.

That’s because – this woman was the person I admired most.

“Thank you. It’s very comforting.”

“I’m glad if it helped. I’m sure you’ll have good results. Oh, did you come alone today too? Should I help you when you leave?”

“It’s okay. Today, my mas… I mean, an acquaintance brought me. If I wait a bit, they’ll come to pick me up.”

Name Lee Ga-yun. Nickname Luce.

A professional gamer belonging to Sigma e-Sports, she was undoubtedly the top paladin player in the domestic league.

Befitting the top of a league, her fan base was also considerable in size.

Of course, I was also included among her many fans.

The reason I became Luce’s fan wasn’t just because of her skills.

Korea’s status in Infinity Black wasn’t that high.

The title of being the best in the country couldn’t be highly rated in the international league.

However, Luce had a story that touched my heartstrings.

If I was cursed in my legs, Luce was cursed in her arms.

It took 2 years to go from barely moving a single finger to moving her wrist.

It took another 2 years to even lift a shield in the game.

She started as a despised novice streamer.

Unable to even properly hold a shield, she stubbornly challenged ranked games.

In the early days, she was even famous as ‘a streamer with terrible skills who just plays a lot of games’.

But Luce never gave up once.

Her skills, which had been at rock bottom, suddenly surpassed ordinary people, and by the time she could handle the shield well, she advanced to the second division league.

Now, it goes without saying. Luce had become the light illuminating the Korean league.

A literal human victory.

It was natural that she became my role model.

“Well then, I’ll be going now. I have something to do.”

“Yes! I’ll drink the water well. Thank you.”

That’s why she frequently visits this rehabilitation center.

She does volunteer work periodically. It seems she encountered me while taking care of patients nearby.

Could I… someday shine like Luce?

I’d like to play a game with her sometime.

I’ve received requests to kill Luce a few times so far, but I’ve never accepted them.

While I might take away other streamers’ broadcasts, I didn’t want to take away hers.

Still, if I had the chance, I’d like to face her at least once.

I want to purely compete in skills.

A one-on-one duel with someone I admire, it makes my heart race.

But I didn’t feel like revealing my nickname because Gawol’s notoriety was so widespread.

The moment my thoughts reached that point, a sudden idea popped into my head.

“Ah, excuse me! So… are you participating in the event too? The Infinity Arena?”

“Hm? So Da-eun plays InBl too. Yes, I’ll be participating.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll cheer for you. I’ll make sure to watch your stream too.”

“Thank you! I’ll do my best!”

I can participate in this competition too.

With Luce’s skills, she’ll surely reach the top.

In competitions, the higher you go, the more likely you are to meet.

If I’m lucky… it was entirely possible to compete with Luce.

My heart raced. It felt like my blood was boiling again after a long time.

I clutched tightly around my heart as I watched the path Luce had retreated down.

Should I urge the master a little?

I need to go back quickly and finish the preliminaries.