Lions give their all even when catching rabbits.
Director Rozie of Team Valhalla was a man who perfectly embodied that saying.
Despite both the viewers and players already exuding an air of finality before the match even started, with public opinion overwhelmingly siding in favor of Rozie’s team, he remained vigilant.
No matter how much the Abyss Streamer Tournament was an amateur entertainment contest, Director Rozie couldn’t afford to slack off in preparation. After all, it was inherent in his nature to not do things half-heartedly.
Just before the match began, he held onto his ace and team leader, Kainik, for the final briefing as part of that preparation process.
“…so as long as we keep it in a standard fight structure, we shouldn’t lose. Myung-hyun, are you listening?”
However, Kainik seemed to be off today compared to usual.
“Uh, yes, hyung.”
Myung-hyun, the streamer known as Kainik, lifted his head and awkwardly responded to Director Rozie’s words.
“Is something bothering you? Why can’t you focus?”
“No, it’s nothing really…”
“Or is it that the opponent is such a weak team that you feel you don’t even need to listen to the pre-briefing to beat them?”
The opponent being too weak, huh?
That may apply to other players, but not for Kainik. In fact, he almost felt the opposite.
To Kainik, Myung-hyun, there was no team as intimidating as the Kayak Team, led by General Kayak.
This wasn’t about the power of the team. To be blunt, the objective analysis was that the Kayak Team had no room to shine in this tournament. This was because their director, Kayak, was inexperienced in auctions and had assembled a weak team as a result.
Yet, the reason Kainik felt the Kayak Team was so formidable, the reason he feared them, stemmed not from objective indicators but from his psychological state.
Kainik felt inferior to Kayak and Taker.
He felt a sense of inadequacy and inferiority compared to the two industry giants leading Twishy.
Why was that? There could be several reasons if we got into it.
Kainik had considerable broadcasting experience, much like Taker, yet his viewer count was notably low. He was skilled at Abyss, capable of climbing the challenger ranks just as well as Kayak, but he received feedback that his streams were boring.
In short, he was close to being a skilled broadcaster, but his streams themselves were simply not entertaining. Because of that, he struggled to attract viewers.
It was said that it was boring. Because of that, the viewers didn’t show up properly.
Kainik was thirsty for interest and viewers.
No matter how introverted and generally apathetic he was, it was unavoidable. Streamers were, by nature, attention-seeking creatures that thrived on interest.
What was the reason Kainik began streaming? Didn’t he start hoping that his exceptional skills would be seen by more people on a bigger stage?
His skills were a bit lacking for dreaming of being a pro, yet even more regrettable to let them go to waste.
That’s why he chose the path of an Abyss specialist streamer, but being a streamer wasn’t just about being good at the game.
To be precise, it became that way a few years ago. In the past, with the image of skill-based broadcasts, viewer counts were high, and VTubers were thriving, allowing people to make a living somehow, but that’s not the reality now.
The time when one could consistently stream solely based on the category of ‘Abyss’ had long passed. The Abyss is still a great game and quite popular, but it’s a fact that its excitement has somewhat waned compared to before.
In a way, it was only natural. It’s been several years since the Abyss transitioned from a failed game to a dominant force, taking over various leagues and internet broadcasts.
It’s strange to not lose interest while repeatedly watching the same content. As always, repetitive tasks were endlessly boring.
The Abyss had already evolved into a phenomenon, somewhat resembling a folk game, just like the space aerospace war that had gone through such processes long ago.
Both players playing the game and viewers were starting to rot under stagnation. As Kainik, who played Abyss daily, he couldn’t help but notice these changes.
He came to realize that simply being a streamer skilled in Abyss wouldn’t allow him to survive.
In the end, if no one is watching, it means nothing at all.
Just as a sport cannot exist without an audience, a streamer, no matter how skilled they are, cannot even be called a streamer if there are no viewers.
Like Taker, who made an early career shift to a clown position, and Kayan, whose very existence seemed absurd, he needed to be a streamer who excels at Abyss while also possessing other charms.
Thus, Kayan and Taker served as beacons for Kainik, showing him the path he had to take while also being a source of inferiority complex.
For Kainik, this match was indirectly a stage to relieve his inferiority complex. Though he didn’t let anyone know.
“Anyway, get it together. Losing due to carelessness is just an excuse.”
“Yes.”
Even without Rosie’s emphasis, Kainik had no intention of losing.
Absolutely not.
*
“Alright, the 11th Abyss Streamer Tournament semi-final match is about to begin!”
[Go Kayak!]
[Please win, Team Leader!]
[Kayak isn’t even there, LOL]
[Aren’t we supposed to be rooting for Taker?]
[Great Commander Kayak]
[No matter how much those Kayak fans bark, Rosie’s team is winning]
[I really hope Kayak fans get 2-hit KO’d]
[All I see are Kayak comments;; Talk about the match, you idiots]
[The superstar GOAT driving the pros and cons crazy]
“First up, the ban pick. Kayak’s team has banned Jerome, Kainik’s main character.”
“In contrast, Rosie’s team has banned Ian, Taker’s main character. Seems like the weight of each team’s leader and ace is coming into play. Since both are handling the top tier in their teams, it’s impossible to avoid these bans.”
[Does banning Taker even matter?]
[For real, Taker’s Ian is terrible]
[He looks bad because he’s always playing with banned characters, LOL. Does Taker’s Ian really look like a pro?]
[Kainik may hold on, but the others are getting wiped out]
[Since Ian is a typical champion for easy wins, lower tiers can’t handle him]
With that, the official broadcast screen switches.
The camera captures each team’s players, giving a brief glimpse into how each one is preparing for the match.
The Valhalla team looks calm, but the only one with a stiff face is the team leader, Kainik.
In contrast, the “Get out of the way, Commander!” team looks tense. Starting with Taker, all the players seem to be in a bad mood.
“Valhalla team only shows Kainik with a slight sign of tension. It seems there’s pressure on him as the team leader to lead his members.”
“On the other hand, it looks like most of the Kubernetes team players are tense. Taker, their team leader, seems the most anxious… his legs are shaking like crazy.”
[Oh, LOL. Just call a pause and hurry up and take a dump, Gunhee]
[Is he shaking because he needs to go?]
[That’s definitely the face of a dog that needs to poop]
[For those wanting to beat Taker, Tetchu is the answer, LOL]
[Why is Kainik nervous? He’s winning, LOL]
[If Taker loses, it’ll just be a laughing matter, but if Kainik loses, he’ll get roasted hard]
[Actually, underdogs usually feel no pressure]
[No wall]
[Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid]
“Oh, it seems that Taker is not just nervous but has a stomachache. Oh dear, Taker! As the team leader, you should manage that well.”
“Looks like their stomach is quite sensitive. I know that feeling too well.”
[What’s with the team leader punchline? OMG!]
[This dad joke is ridiculous, haha]
[Taker is planning to make a big release in-game!]
[I’m eating and all they talk about is poop, damn it;;]
[Taker is a notorious poo maker, yep]
The camera panned over the players of each team, landing on two directors monitoring the game with solemn faces.
Despite knowing that he was on screen, Director Rozie maintained a stoic posture. In contrast, Kayak waved at the camera, perhaps just for fan service.
[Is Kayak not nervous at all?]
[Why would they be nervous, they’re not even playing, haha]
[Kayak has a lot to lose if they lose, hmm….]
[Kayak is famous for their calm heart, yep]
[With Rozie and Kayak together, they just look like neighborhood uncles]
The screen shifted back to the in-game action, with both teams continuing their draft picks.
“The Kayak team doesn’t seem to have any dilemmas. Their pick-and-ban speed is much faster compared to the Valhalla team, right?”
“Maybe they have a prepared plan. They’re not giving Valhalla any time to think.”
“This means Kayak team is down to their last pick; the options are quite narrowed down.”
“Anya plays Theodora really well. It’s either Theodora or Lilith for a safe pick… or maybe even Calliope…?”
“Huh?”
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
Breaking everyone’s expectations, Camilla made her entrance.
Despite having plenty of time left, Anya went ahead and locked in Camilla.
[???? What is this?]
[Camilla pick, LOL!]
[Oh wait, is she an older sister? Haha]
[Did this crazy person train the players on Camilla?]
[Isn’t there anyone to play Camilla…?]
[Is it a supporter?]
[The supporter got their arms and legs ripped off and died]
[Team Leader’s Lick Show, OMG!]
“What’s happening? A Camilla pick?”
“Not a mistake… I don’t think so? Their expression suggests this might be a prepared scenario.”
“Then the Kayak team has absolutely no support. What kind of combination is this?”
As the commentators and viewers were all confused,
Kayak quietly raised the corners of their mouth.
As if everything was going according to plan.
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