NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78
I’m checking my emails personally.
It would be great if only business-related emails came in, living up to the name, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.
The ratio of strange emails is far higher than actual business ones.
Some senders claim they are desperate but plead for just one favor, promising they won’t forget the grace.
Others, without demanding money, instead ask for viewers, bowing their heads to ask for co-streaming or cross-promotion opportunities.
There are even emails critiquing my broadcasts, offering unsolicited advice on how to improve them.
Then there are the bizarre ones, like someone attaching ribbons to their worms before showcasing them in what might qualify as a form of cyber-terrorism.
…Why do they attach ribbons anyway?
These sorts of things don’t terrify me.
Frankly, the critiques of my broadcasts irritate me more.
The idea of someone physically threatening me is scary, sure, but these random strangers behind their monitors just evoke mild discomfort.
Once I filter out these kinds of junk emails, there are legitimate business emails buried amidst them that I truly need to read.
Even requests for co-streaming can have different implications depending on who’s asking.
If someone like Wild, who I helped previously, is requesting it, it might carry an ulterior motive of recognition or fame.
But if it’s a large corporation reaching out, their proposal often implies win-win situations—mutual benefits.
Among these, one person stood out.
He’s someone I’d encountered a few times in the rank games.
Since viewers often explain everyone’s identities and roles during broadcasts, having different names across platforms doesn’t matter too much.
“Once,” a Challenger ranked within the top 10, commands an audience of about 20,000 viewers—what they call a ‘large enterprise’ streamer in the online broadcasting scene.
Since we broadcast on the same platform, we’re considered colleagues in the internet broadcasting world, right?
However, merging streams with him doesn’t quite appeal to me yet.
If Wild were seeking to repay a favor, it would make more sense, but being a professional gamer, Once probably has no reason to call me.
Co-streaming with strangers isn’t exactly my style.
I might wait until I truly feel the need to breathe new life into my broadcasts or refresh the atmosphere.
And, frankly, I might never do it.
So, much to my regret, my response is a no.
It’s impossible to reply to every email.
As such, I showed my rejection by simply ignoring Once’s invitation to his ‘Veteran’s Corner’.
Then a second email arrived.
This time, it wasn’t about the ‘Veteran’s Corner’, but an invitation to participate in lecture content.
Even ignoring two consecutive emails made me feel a little strange, but responding to each would never end.
The third email brought an unexpected twist.
Once asked me to teach him about Teamfight Arena, even though he didn’t have the game running.
Citing that he couldn’t ask anyone in-game because he hadn’t received any friend requests, Once claimed he had no choice but to send the email.
It almost felt like someone without a martial arts school coming to a wandering swordsman and bowing deeply, asking to be taught the way of the sword.
Though, this was just an email.
“Teaching a game isn’t exactly hard.”
Still, I thought about it.
I wasn’t sure what he wanted to learn from me, but since it’s just a game, there’s no reason I couldn’t teach it.
If the student can’t understand, it’s not my fault, right?
But I am in the thick of a 1st rank run.
Surely, we can talk once that’s done.
So, I replied, tactfully hinting that I would consider it after the run was over.
Then the fourth email flew in.
Even Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times, and this person has now come to me four times.
Though, all via email.
This fourth email asked if Once could analyze my ranked games live on his stream.
What kind of analysis is this? I couldn’t help but feel curious—so I sent an approving reply.
What is he really planning?
Three muscular men sat side by side in front of the computer.
Their bulked-up upper bodies were so imposing that fitting all three in one camera frame proved challenging.
Despite being a gaming broadcast, the visual dynamic was so engaging that the chat immediately buzzed with activity.
[An Anonymous user donated 1,000 won.]
–”Is this the local gym meetup?”
[Let’s go straight to set 3.]
[Why are you sitting on a chair, risking muscle loss? Shouldn’t it be transparent seating?]
[Today, let’s demolish which part of the body?]
“This isn’t the gym meetup; it’s the Teama Analysis Desk.”
[A Side Chest user donated 1,000 won.]
–”What analysis can three brute-force players provide? Intelligent players should do the analyzing.”
[Guys, what match-up are we talking about?]
[Bring the original version!]
[What are these three wild boars sitting side by side?]
[Is this the real face of the gaming broadcast?]
[Is this a martial arts content instead?]
[Who is the guest?]
To clear up the identity of the guest for the spectators, Once, the host of the broadcast, began introducing him.
“This is Vulcan, the coach of X6, and this is Scraper, an X6 player.”
“Hi, it’s Vulcan.”
“Hi, it’s Scraper.”
[Professional players and coaches?! Impressive!]
[Internet connections have gone wild!]
[Can we invite Victor as well?]
[A Protein Supplement user donated 1,000 won.]
–”These three met in the gym, just like classmates at school lunch.”
“Not at the gym. The coach and I ascended through the ranks together in Season 1. We discussed a lot about the game.”
After some casual banter, Once revealed the main purpose of this co-stream.
“The point of this stream is the Sol Disassembly Analysis Room. We’ll analyze the secrets behind the high win-rate of the current rank prodigy, Sol.”
“Sol herself has granted permission.”
[Is this a co-stream?]
[Is a face-revealing stream incoming? DGDGDGDG]
[Hope for the best, expect the best.]
[A genre shift might happen if Sol comes in, though.]
[An ordinary person stranded in the gym.]
[Is the gym an uninhabited island for people to be stranded?]
[They might end up as a trio of bears with a beast tamer unexpectedly.]
“Unfortunately, this isn’t a co-stream. We’ve only received permission for the analysis.”
[An Anonymous user donated 1,000 won.]
–”Phew, my inner unicorn almost turned into a bicorn ㅋㅋ.”
[Of course, it’s natural to be worried about Once’s innocence?]
[Obviously ㅋㅋ]
[Who is Sol anyway?]
[No one can take Once away from us.]
[Once will always live with us doing fitness!]
While the chat buzzed with such remarks, they didn’t genuinely believe them, but they insisted on spreading the chatter. Amidst this peaceful atmosphere, the analysis stream officially began.
“This is one of the most impactful games I’ve seen recently. Here, our team actually starts after losing 4 kills to the enemy. If this were mutual, it wouldn’t be a big problem, but they were completely wiped out. We want to understand how they achieved the reverse victory, how it was unraveled, and what lessons we can glean.”
[Have you reviewed all of Sol’s recent replays? This is love?]
[??? : I only see you, a straight line.]
[Once, that woman isn’t right for you. She belongs to Victor.]
[What the heck? ㅋㅋ Wild is the main wife.]
An incredible gamer had appeared in the gaming scene, and many were eager to learn from their gameplay by reviewing their replays.
Why do people love to attach elaborate narratives to what’s essentially a simple incident—such as the gender difference between two people?
“Let’s refrain from making unfounded assumptions about Sol.”
[A Bicorn user donated 1,000 won.]
–”You’re the one obsessing, buddy ㅋㅋ.”
“This user will be banned.”
[Paid ban ㅋㅋ.]
[Why do Koreans obsess so much over shipping couples?]
[The romance nation ㄷㄷ.]
“Let’s focus on the game content.”
The Illusionist, Sol’s favorite and main character—unable to play because of being banned.
A culture of banning Illusionist emerged every time Sol wasn’t in the team, making her signature picks scarce in the games.
But soon, everyone would realize Sol isn’t a calamity that can be stopped by bans.
Anyway, in this game, she opted for Wolf Captain—a role neither pure damage nor pure tank, but a deal-and-take damage role, riding a wolf that grants remarkable mobility.
But the Illusionist-like bursts aren’t present.
So how did she play?
The trio of muscular analysts began meticulously examining the game content.
And then Vulcan, the coach of X6, voiced his amazement.
“Wow, insane. Why aren’t you pro?”
Scraper, X6’s player, felt the same way.
“The playstyle is so clean; not a regression case, is it?”
“Would you regress just to win a game?”
“But she moves like she can see the future.”
Agreed—Once also clearly resonated with that impression.
Her gameplay felt almost superhuman, like someone playing on a different time axis.