Chapter 28: “Am I the Only One Feeling Uncomfortable?”

• You have been selected for the 2nd Abyss Streamer Tournament organized by the Taker.

Thank you for applying.

It was an email that flew in one afternoon.

Upon checking, I found the same message had also come through a private message on Twitch.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say I didn’t have any expectations, but I didn’t have high hopes either.

It’s more accurate to say that I intentionally didn’t want to get my hopes up.

If you don’t have expectations, you won’t be disappointed, and I thought that if I became overly hopeful and then didn’t get to participate, the sense of loss would be quite overwhelming.

After applying, I had subconsciously tried to erase any thoughts about the tournament from my mind.

In fact, it wouldn’t have been strange if I hadn’t been selected at all.

After all, my broadcasting experience was limited, which meant I likely had fewer viewers compared to other participants.

Most importantly, the highlight video I sent featured gameplay from an older game that had been around for a while.

Just in case, I played a few solo ranked games and sent additional recorded footage, but the only decent highlight was that old video I had submitted at the start.

I thought it wouldn’t be surprising if the organizers just dismissed it, thinking, “What’s this dinosaur?”

But who would have thought the results would turn out like this?

I felt a bit dazed, but nonetheless, I was happy.

• Team selection will be conducted through an official broadcast.

Please check the broadcast to see which team you will be on.

Team, huh.

Teams are important.

As I read through the email to confirm the details about the tournament’s proceedings and important notes, I noted that the team selection would be done via a broadcast.

This was something I had to make sure to watch.

Let’s see, the date is…

“Is today…? ”

So, I changed my planned broadcast schedule.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

[Kayak! Kayak! Kayak! Kayak! Kayak! Kayak!]

[Kayak! You’re the pride of the Abyss Gallery!]

[Surprise worship!]

[Wait, this actually happened? Haha!]

[This tournament will definitely attract attention with Ionyx competing.]

[You’ll be debuting in front of tens of thousands of viewers, right?]

[Suddenly becoming a world-class streamer?]

[My little Kayak…]

[Actually, I’ve never had less than three-digit viewers from the start…]

[Just like Camilla’s heart pocket.]

“Come on, don’t be so worked up.”

The viewers’ reactions were incredibly enthusiastic.

It seemed like they were deliberately trying to put pressure on me with comments about winning and how curious they were about how famous I’d become after the tournament ended.

It wasn’t entirely incorrect.

In reality, streamers who lacked recognition had been able to rise to fame quickly through competitions with a large number of fluctuating viewers.

However, I couldn’t say that would happen to me.

You never know how things will turn out.

Even if there’s a possibility, thinking that way at this stage would be akin to drinking kimchi soup too early—merely getting worked up over nothing.

I had informed the viewers that I would be participating in a tournament organized by Taker.

At the same time, today’s broadcast content had also been decided.

< Kayak >

• Watching the team selection broadcast together.

The official broadcast will cover… a spontaneous stream that only those who have obtained participation rights can do.

It was good for me to be able to broadcast comfortably, and there was no reason for the viewers to miss out on such satisfying content.

“Anyway, today we’ll be watching the selection together.

Everyone, sit back and enjoy.

Who do you think I’ll team up with?

Hmm, I still don’t know all the participants…”

Here’s the translation with each line starting on a new paragraph:

As I chatted for a moment, the screen of the official broadcast, which had been a waiting screen, switched, revealing people right away.

“Hello, everyone.

This is the 2nd Taker Abyss Streamer Tournament, sponsored by Ionyx.

Before we explain the matches and select teams, let me introduce myself.

I’m caster Lee Hyuk-jin.”

“I’m streamer Taker.”

“I’m announcer Kim Yae-ji. Hello!”

The brief introductions of the three-member commentary team opened the curtain for the tournament.

I had heard that originally, Taker handled the commentary alone, but seeing that they had called in a commentary team showed that Ionyx was indeed not skimping on their investment.

The neatly organized studio where the commentators were seated gave off a rather official tournament vibe.

[Wow]

[Look at the commentary team, it’s impressive]

[Taker has really made it big, and we can see Yae-ji too]

[Yae-ji… ]

[So pretty]

[I’m already excited Haha]

It felt almost like a festival, signaling the beginning of a celebration.

Like the viewers, I was also happy to be participating in a tournament I had longed for and was excited to match my synergy with my teammates whom I hadn’t seen in a while.

But not right now.

At this moment, I was enveloped in a strange discomfort and couldn’t enjoy it like the others.

No, did nobody notice?

Was it just me who felt uncomfortable?

I thought I wouldn’t be able to endure the discomfort any longer, so I decided to speak up.

“Hey guys, over here.”

[Yes?]

[What’s going on?]

[They’re introducing the players now.]

“Isn’t this part a bit uncomfortable?

The font size doesn’t match, and there’s empty space left.”

I pointed my mouse at the part of the screen that had been bothering me and informed the viewers.

The section at the top of the screen that said, “2nd Abyss Streamer Tournament.”

The last character, ‘Tournament,’ was subtly smaller than the previous characters and didn’t match the spacing.

As I moved the mouse cursor around the area while explaining, the viewers finally began to understand and empathize with my comments.

[Oh my god]

[Why are you saying things like that?]

[No wonder they were quiet.]

[Teacher… Please focus on the broadcast.]

[You can’t even see it properly Haha.]

[Why are you the only one who knows?]

[Uncomfortable.]

[Now I’m suddenly concerned about it!]

“We’re all in this together.”

Originally, it’s said that friends share secrets they can’t say to others.

As we opened up and shared our thoughts, the bond between us naturally strengthened.

That’s what I meant to convey, but for some reason, people seemed to be in a rage.

“Yes, this concludes the introduction of player Nicang.

Wow, Miriam’s skill level from the highlight video looked impressive, didn’t it?”

Meanwhile, the introductions of the commentators’ players continued.

Before long, it was my turn.

“Now, let’s meet the next player.

This is someone who has recently brought a new wave to Abyss broadcasts on Twitch.

Streamer Kayak!

I hear the nickname is short for Camilla Kayak.

As you can tell from the nickname, the main hero they play is Camilla.

They have written that they are confident in the position of ‘all.’

Playing all positions with Camilla…

Does that mean they are a master?

This is a slightly more confident introduction compared to the other participants.”

[Kayak!!!]

[The host is here Haha]

[‘All Positions’]

[Kayak]

[Can’t stand discomfort, but plays well…]

[They might be a bit weird, but they play Camilla well.]

[Shouldn’t it be the opposite?]

I felt a bit nervous and somewhat embarrassed.

Above all, I never expected the content I had written on my application to come out of the commentator’s mouth.

Wasn’t that just for confirmation?

The viewers, who seemed to have held some complaints against me, became docile and began to focus back on the broadcast.

I too made an effort to concentrate on the broadcast without looking too far up.

“There’s another notable point about Kayak.

Surprisingly, they are the only streamer among the participants who has been playing the game since its release.

They achieved Challenger status from seasons 1 to 3.

Wow, Challenger since the points system.

I thought I had been playing for quite a while, but I have to concede to Kayak.”

“…You’re raising me too high.”

Since I was currently watching the official broadcast, I noticed the chat in the public match as well.

Reactions ranged from “That’s impressive” to “No way, can someone really be like that?” with people expressing their surprise.

From those reactions, it seemed my history was not something to be taken lightly.

“Well, that’s enough talk.

Now, let’s enjoy some highlight footage.”

Not long after the commentator finished speaking, the screen switched.

It was the video I had sent, which I had been uncertain about.

I wondered if they would actually play it, but they really started the video.

The beginning featured a pop song I had heard somewhere playing in the background.

As the aged visuals of Abyss appeared, a girl within them was illuminated.

Given the old footage, it was undeniable that the editing was somewhat outdated.

But why had I used this video without seeking a new one?

No matter how old-fashioned the editing was, and even though the game screen was something you couldn’t find in the current game.

The essence was the same—the rising sense of fulfillment of a mad movie.

I was confident that what I wanted to convey would be sufficiently expressed.

Just as I had anticipated, Camilla began to weave through the battlefield elegantly, accompanied by the familiar music.

[??? What is this?]

The chat in the official broadcast, which had around 50,000 viewers, began to shake rapidly.