While many abilities are essential in a 5v5 arena, the fundamental factor that ultimately raises one’s tier is their ‘power level.’
Of course, various elements contribute to this power level, but the most representative is the laning phase.
The side that performs more excellently than their opponent in their respective lanes is considered to have a higher power level.
Thus, in that sense, my power level is slightly higher than what my skill tier would suggest.
“The opponent specialized in Blood Magic Movement, didn’t they? That makes their combat ability weaker, so I won’t have an angle to die.”
The character in the red coat appeared in my sight.
They were attacking allied soldiers, scattering blood with each strike.
However, I wasn’t fixated on their movements.
I knew they were merely waiting for me to enter their range.
‘It’s an obvious mind game.’
It was literally obvious.
For a Blood Assassin, whose attack range is short, to attack an Elemental Mage like myself, they would need to use a movement skill.
If I were to approach within the range of that movement skill, they would immediately unleash all their abilities, trade damage, and seize the initiative.
This is the basic logic for assassin-type classes when facing a mage.
However, I could tell just by observing their movements.
I would never lose to them in terms of range control.
“Just trade damage with them when they go for that minion.”
Coins and experience points could be gained by killing soldiers, meaning that in the laning phase, a simple damage trade or a kill wasn’t the only important factor.
Especially in the case of siege minions, which granted several times more coins than other soldiers, it was natural for the opponent to try not to miss them.
Therefore, I designed my magic coordinates to align with that timing.
Wind – Fire – Fire.
I quickly formed hand seals (TL Note: ‘Suin,’ a series of specific hand gestures used to activate or control magical abilities in many fantasy settings) to set the spell, then cast it on the designated coordinates.
A storm of flames erupted from my hands, engulfing them, and the bewildered opponent used their movement skill to escape the area of effect.
“See? Their movement skill is gone.
Now I’ll push past the half-lane and harass them.”
The defensive turret blocked enemy soldiers and heroes in the lane.
Up until now, I had been positioning myself near it, but there was no longer a need.
A Blood Assassin without a movement skill was incapable of resisting me.
‘A Blood Assassin who specialized in movement has a 20-second cooldown.’
During that time, I could perfectly torment the opponent.
I formed hand seals once more, aiming at the opponent who had retreated.
Lightning – Lightning – Water.
Koo-rurururung—!
A rain cloud, pregnant with lightning, floated into the sky and began to strike the designated coordinates.
Kwang—!
The first hit.
Kwang—!
The second hit.
Kwang—!
The third hit.
The Blood Assassin, having been struck by all three attacks, saw their health drop to 30 percent, and with a look of panic, they pulled out a potion from their waist and drank it.
–Wow, LOL, are you serious? They hit all of that?
That cast time is insane; isn’t that purely prediction?
–Those skill shots are just broken.
They’re hitting like they’re on drugs, LOL.
–It probably helps that the opponent is a Master, but those skill shots look almost pro-level, don’t they?
–Pro is way too much; you’re just praising him too much because he’s a guy, LOL.
–The expression ‘praising’ sounds a bit suggestive……
Yes, certainly, calling it ‘pro-level’ was a bit of an exaggeration.
After all, I had a past failure attempting to go pro.
I don’t know if the Kim Hyunwoo of this world experienced the same.
But it felt good.
Even if it was undeserved praise, I liked it.
I wished they would praise me even more.
Therefore, I decided to showcase a slightly more audacious play.
“Once they’ve used all their potions, they’ll be at half health, so they’ll probably use Blink to try and make a decisive move.
I’ll intentionally give them some space.”
Blink was a special skill that could be chosen separately from class skills.
Both the opponent and I had it, as it was a skill almost universally adopted by all classes, with only a few rare exceptions.
Blink’s effect was the ability to instantly teleport approximately 15 meters without delay.
If I gave them an opening, the opponent, being a high-ranked player, would likely attempt a decisive move.
After all, if this one-sided damage trade continued, they would incur significant losses unless a jungler came to their lane.
Water – Wind.
I intentionally used the elemental combination with the shortest cooldown.
A spray of water erupted, damaging enemy soldiers and increasing our allied movement speed.
A few seconds later, empowered by the movement speed buff, I subtly pushed forward.
I acted as if I had no interest in them, focusing solely on quickly clearing the soldiers.
And then—
‘They took the bait.’
As soon as I confirmed the Blood Assassin’s forward movement, I combined elements.
Earth – Wind – Wind.
As the hand seals were formed, the enemy Blood Assassin simultaneously cast their dash skill.
Kwaaaak—!
They shot the blood gathered in their body at me.
Having anticipated this, I lightly twisted my body to dodge it, but the real fight was what came next.
Kwooooh—!
The blood they had shot flew past, then curved back.
It was a more difficult attack to land than the initial shot, but they were trying to force a hit using Blink.
Their intent to use Blink, timed with the blood’s return, was plainly obvious.
“……Cute.”
With that thought, I simultaneously activated Blink.
Pang—!
Pang—!
Our Blink destinations intersected.
Their expression, upon realizing their attack turn had been completely wasted, was utterly crestfallen.
It wasn’t just a feeling; it was clearly visible on their face.
A poker face is quite important in this game, you know.
“You’ll have to pay the price, won’t you?”
I grinned, then unleashed the spell I had prepared.
Kwadududuk—!
As the flying rocks and storm struck, the status effect ‘[Stun]’ appeared above their head.
The Earth – Wind – Wind spell combination offered significant returns if landed.
In this battle, where victory was decided in seconds, a two-second incapacitation meant certain death.
“Die.”
First Blood—!
Watching their collapsing form, I checked the timer.
Three minutes and thirty seconds.
It was an achievement slightly faster than I had anticipated.
“I told you I could get a solo kill.”
I spoke smugly, a slight smile on my face.
……Had I known that this recording would be clipped and circulate throughout my streaming career, I would never have done it.
****
[ Disconnecting from device! ]
With the alert ringing in my head, I removed the smartwear attached to my body.
It was a March evening, far from hot; in fact, a slight chill could be felt, yet my body was drenched in sweat.
“I really focused, didn’t I?”
I mumbled, flopping onto the bed.
Indeed, perhaps due to the tension, my body ached.
[ Hyun-i-oh ]
Rookie Streamer
Followers: 17,000
I entered ‘Tripy’ on my smartwatch and browsed my channel.
Four hours of broadcasting and 17,000 followers?!
Even that number was steadily climbing.
I wasn’t an expert on streaming, but I knew this was an absurd feat.
“……Things have gotten really big.”
The first thing that came to my mind was precisely that.
Initially, I hadn’t harbored any grand ambitions about starting an internet broadcast.
Having been abruptly dragged into this strange world, I had concluded that I didn’t know why I was here or how to go back.
So, how should I live here? It was simply the result of a necessary line of thought.
Anyway, it was a very lighthearted thought, along the lines of, ‘Even if that doesn’t work out, it seems I can make a living here.’
But as I actually started streaming and performed in front of an unexpectedly large audience…… it was enjoyable.
“It had truly been a long time.”
When was the last time I felt a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment while doing something?
Honestly, I couldn’t quite remember.
I rediscovered that long-forgotten sensation while streaming.
I realized anew.
Even though I hated to appear that way to others, I was an incredibly immature and foolish person.
I liked it when viewers cheered for me and praised me as amazing.
Their sincerity felt stronger than the reason behind their praise.
Even if the fact that I was one of the few men in this world was my only value, and that in my original world, they wouldn’t have liked me this much—
“So what?”
The world is inherently unfair.
Rather than wasting time contemplating such useless things, it was right to consider how to utilize this unexpected benefit that had suddenly appeared.
“Frankly speaking, it’s not like I’m going around seducing women or anything.”
I chuckled, examining my smartwatch.
Today was Saturday.
Tomorrow, I had an appointment that all men apparently had to attend, so I decided to stream starting Monday evening.
“Comprehensive Reproductive Activity Examination (TL Note: A formal term for a check-up related to male fertility and sexual health, often implying a sperm count or function test)…… Isn’t that basically a sperm test?”
There was a manual filled with extremely difficult terminology, but it essentially described a sperm test.
Periodically, for those who volunteered, sperm was also collected for donation—they naturally paid money for it—and even for those who didn’t donate, there seemed to be a mandatory duty to maintain sexual function.
I didn’t feel a strong aversion to it.
It’s not like I have any problems.
……Though I am a virgin.
Well, anyway, it seemed the Kim Hyunwoo of this world also had no issues before me.
“It’ll be over in two hours…… Maybe I’ll go register at a gym afterward.”
Working out was one of the few routines I had before coming to this world.
It seemed the Kim Hyunwoo of this world hardly exercised, yet strangely, his body was almost identical to mine in my original world.
I honestly wasn’t sure how that was possible.
“It’s not a bad thing, I guess.”
In any case, it was fortunate for me.
As I searched for nearby gyms online, a thought suddenly crossed my mind, and I tilted my head.
“……I wouldn’t need to go to a male-only gym, would I?”
Surely nothing like that would happen.
I shook my head, denying the thought.
“This one looks good.”
It would be hard to find a specialized gym anyway, so I decided to just go to the closest one.
