Chapter 12: Shouting Summer from the Edge of Yellow

The flame of the furnace, which had not stopped for a thousand years, was dying.

The steel city was emitting the stench of blood instead of the usual scent of iron.

The clanging sounds of weapons clashing gradually lost their momentum.

What remained was a path of blood created by the corpses of the small giants.

The chieftain of the dwarves, with a beard braided down to his chest and wielding a hammer as tall as himself, continued to charge through the battlefield.

Yet, he ultimately couldn’t break through the shields wielded by the warriors born in the desert heat and fell to his knees.

Gathering his last bit of strength, the chieftain threw his hammer with all his might.

The hammer, shot out like a throwing ball, tore through the desert army and eventually exploded, creating a large gap.

However, the rain of arrows that fell upon the chieftain quickly claimed his life.

Coughing up blood as he lay dying, the chieftain instinctively looked back.

As long as the god of iron watched over them, defeat was unthinkable—or so he had boasted.

Now, he felt ashamed to face the human heroes who had sided with the dwarves.

The human woman, who had watched over him until the end, was sobbing.

Her beauty, which transcended even the concept of species, was worthy of being called a goddess’s descent.

It was because of her that he had been able to fight as long as he did, sweeping away hundreds of enemies, including the ‘hero’ who sided with the desert nation, thanks to the life force she replenished in him whenever he was on the verge of collapse.

However, he had finally reached his limit.

Beyond his kneeling body, his overtaxed mind began to drift.

O god of iron, if you are still watching over us, grant me this one request.

Though we are defeated due to our own failings, the human heroes who fought alongside us are blameless.

So—please, bless them.

The last warrior of the dwarves closed his eyes.

As he did, a hero of the desert nation walked past him.

Mocking the iron-worshiping dwarves, this man wore no armor.

Although human, his complexion was ghastly pale, like a corpse, and his short-cropped hair was a striking, vibrant pink.

The man trudged towards the priest who had sided with the dwarves and spoke.

[Global chat has been activated.]

TrainWatcherHere: “I have a superb offer for you.”

HelloEveryone: “What the hell are you doing not hitting the core, you idiot!”

ThoughtItWasTheEnd: “What, is everyone except that guy dead?”

CurrentlyScribing: “That chieftain guy’s death throes are something else.”

TrainWatcherHere: “Wouldn’t you like to become a warrior too?”

19990608: “Hurry up and end this already, ffs.”

OneTwoPunchThreeKnockouts: “Anyone know why he’s acting like that?”

ThoughtItWasTheEnd: “I heard he lost badly in close combat to that priest just now.”

TrainWatcherHere: “Do you know why you’re losing? Because you’re a priest! You’re not a warrior!”

CurrentlyScribing: “If that priest wasn’t around, this game would have been 15 minutes long, moron.”

TrainWatcherHere: “I checked your record! Yellow, 40 points!!!”

SayMyName: “Was he demoted to priest? LOL”

16YearOldBoy: “And why is he even using so many exclamation marks LOL”

TrainWatcherHere: “No matter how well you play, as a priest, you’ll never beat a warrior!”

19990608: “But you lost to him earlier, moron.”

TrainWatcherHere: “……”

SqueakSqueak: “Is he a real weeb? With all these exclamations and ellipses… wow.”

HelloEveryone: “Respawn in 20 seconds, hit the core now or I’m reporting you for trolling.”

TrainWatcherHere: “I’m going down!! I’ll drop to Green 1!!”

TrainWatcherHere: “Say you’ll become a warrior!”

TrainWatcherHere: “Then, I’ll surrender!!”

SqueakSqueak: “Damn, look at his typing speed; he’s insane.”

16YearOldBoy: “On whose authority??”

CurrentlyScribing: “Are you intentionally throwing the game?”

ThoughtItWasTheEnd: “This damn weeb is ruining the game.”

Esder: “Priest, if your health is full, go defend the core already, hurry.”

Saint: “I’m on my way.”

TrainWatcherHere: “Hoho.”

TrainWatcherHere: “So, you’re not giving up?”

SayMyName: “No, it’s not too late; hurry up and hit it.”

TrainWatcherHere: “Marvelous fighting spirit! You truly are becoming a warrior!”

And shortly after:

SqueakSqueak: “Whoa, whoa, is that a priest? He’s fighting way too well.”

RKERKERNERKf: “Wait, is this guy using a smurf account? You can parry punches in this game?”

19990608: “But seriously, why isn’t he playing a warrior instead of a priest?”

HelloEveryone: “Dude, we would’ve won if you hit the core. Why didn’t you? Can you explain, you damn weeb?”

TrainWatcherHere: “……”

SayMyName: “No, no, just go in all at once, stop taking 1-on-1s, for crying out loud.”

Esder: “Isn’t it too late already? You’re dead anyway.”

MutedWhilePlaying: “LOL won this game muted.”

Nalrangsoda: “It’s the rogue difference.”

OneTwoPunchThreeKnockouts: “What are you even talking about? Look at your K/D ratio, idiot.”

Nalrangsoda: “Lost to the idiot K/D rogue, though?”

Nalrangsoda: “Don’t take it too hard; it’s only natural LOL.”

[Red Team’s Core has been destroyed.]

[The match has ended.]

[The desert nation ‘Nil’ has been defeated.]

[The victorious dwarves, having claimed territory, will hold a grand celebration tonight.]

The game had ended.

Instead of dropping, my rank actually went up.

When was the last time I had a win like this?

[24-game losing streak, LOL. Finally a win LOL.]

[Weren’t you throwing the game?]

[LOL thought I’d stumbled into some old-timer’s lobby with that one arrow.]

[One more loss and I would’ve been in Green 1.]

[MMR must be totally screwed; up by 11 points LOL.]

[Is the enemy warrior a smurf? At this rate, LOL.]

[Why didn’t noonah use voice chat? Why didn’t noonah use voice chat? Why didn’t noonah use voice chat?]

[Must have been super focused.]

[Is the mic off?]

Oh. Maybe I concentrated too hard. We finally won…

[Noonahhh…]

[Finally freed from the Hancom typing practice.]

[Did you know there’s a streamer who types out “When Buckwheat Blooms” for an hour every time they lose?]

[Summer’s season may be long gone, and yet the sun’s still at its peak… uh, what was the next line again?]

[Beneath the exhibition hall laid out in the sunlit, desolate field, the scorching rays beat down upon our backs.]

[Stop memorizing it, lololol.]

[The host is adorable, struggling every time she tries to type “scorching.”]

[But she’s quick with typing “desolate,” lol.]

[It’s hilarious how she’s getting faster at typing and improving in-game too, lol.]

[What kind of training method is this anyway?]

[Well, since it’s in Korean, I guess it’s from Joseon?]

[Oh.]

[Credit to the priest for carrying the game.]

[12/3/6? A priest with more kills than assists?]

[But how did we actually win? Even though the enemy warrior’s a weeb, he seemed skilled.]

[Yeah, the enemy team kept jumping in for 1v1s, but even so, how did it work out like this?]

[Whether warrior or rogue, if you get smacked in the head with a mace, you’re done for.]

[It’s like the host can read the enemy’s weapon moves—100% parry rate, is this for real? Is this guy cheating?]

[How is this person in Yellow 4, with 0 points, though?]

[Their split-second judgments and reactions are good, but they do weird stuff sometimes;]

[Like chanting holy spells right in the middle of a parry, and they’ve died from that dozens of times.]

[I mean, the ‘Hymn of Life’ command is close to the parry key, but still…]

[They’ve been playing this game for 10 years. How are they still hitting the wrong key?]

[Host’s got chubby fingers, lol.]

[Don’t badmouth my noonah like that, jerk.]

[If you’re so upset, ask her to turn on the cam. There’s a reason she’s a Dullahan (headless, i.e., not on cam).]

[A priest who starts off healing and buffing in the early game, only to switch to mace-wielding warrior mode in the late game… is this a new meta?]

[If she’s going to do that, why not just pick a warrior build from the start? LOL.]

[Whoa, whoa, what is the host even doing?]

[Yo, host, where are you going with the mouse, dummy?]

[Careful, careful! Stop that hand! Stop it!]

[Hey, Ms. Holy Woman, quit messing around and start another match.]

“The summer marketplace…”

[Ahhhhhh! Arrrghhhhh!]

[Teachers, is it normal to start hating summer this much?]

[Beeeep! Yes, it’s normal.]

[We won! Why are we training again, lololol.]

[I feel like I’m losing my mind, losing my mind, losing my mind, losing my mind…]

[Forget it; let’s just go out for lunch.]

[Should I just come back in an hour?]

[I… I can’t take it anymore, guys. Please give me courage.]

[Then quit if you can’t handle it, LOL.]

[Still not leaving? Still not leaving? Still not leaving?]

[Hehe, I’m going to be the only one who gets to hear noonah’s voice. Hehe, I’m going to be the only one who gets to hear noonah’s voice.]

[Spending my precious youth watching someone practice typing…]

[So, you hate it?]

[Nope, I love it.]

“Spring, spring, scor…”

“Ugh.”

[Is this the cursed section or what, lololol.]

[At least you’re way faster than when you first started…]

[But you’re still hovering around 150 keystrokes, lol.]

[By the way, what happened with the competition?]

[What competition?]

[Three days ago, the Berserker came by and asked if you were interested in joining the streamer competition. They’re picking teams next week, and it’ll be on broadcast.]

[Did the host say yes or no?]

[She told him to ask later since she was busy practicing typing, lol.]

[What a madwoman… What a madwoman… What a madwoman…]

[The Berserker said he’d follow up later, but I haven’t heard anything since then.]

[She’s not on the list of participating streamers. Maybe she’s not joining?]

[Someone should donate and ask; she doesn’t check chat when she’s practicing typing.]

[I’ll ask. Here goes.]

“Viewer ‘1QuestionForTeacher’ donated 1,000 won! Teacher, are you joining the competition?”

[Competition? What competition?]

“Viewer ‘1QuestionForTeacher’ donated 1,000 won! The second streamer competition? Remember the Berserker asked you about it recently?”

What was that again?

“Viewer ‘1QuestionForTeacher’ donated 1,000 won! Hey, you’re not an old man with memory issues; how could you forget?”

Um… I don’t know… Hold on, let me finish typing this first.

“Viewer ‘1QuestionForTeacher’ donated 10,000 won! Don’t act like you don’t know; answer already!”

Oh, that thing.

[Oh, that thing, lololol.]

[Capitalism, once again, proving itself, lol.]

[Money well spent.]

[Wait, I can pay to talk to her? Where’s my card?]

[Look at that username—what a troll.]

[But… isn’t the word ‘question’ a little too suggestive…?]

[Do you guys talk like this to other female streamers?]

[Trying to get yourself sued for harassment?]

[Host is cool with most things, so it’s fine.]

[Is she an angel?]

[Saint, actually.]

[Aww… Saint noonah… feed me…]

[Don’t underestimate her.]

[There are chat logs from before she turned on the mic; this stuff’s mild in comparison.]

[If you bring that up, she’ll be so embarrassed she won’t say a word.]

[Huh? What are you even talking about?]

[If you’ve got any illusions about her, don’t go looking it up…]

[She’s human too, you know.]

[Whatever it is, isn’t it better than those fake-innocent types?]

[I mean, shouldn’t the host at least pretend to be ladylike?]

[Lolololololol.]

[That’s why she stops talking like that once her mic’s on.]

[Are you trying to ruin her social reputation by saying that out loud?]

[What’s she even saying? I want to know, tooooo!]

[Our noonah’s… unconventional desires… enough to make most guys say “oh dear.”]

[The Dark Host…]

[Why isn’t she saying anything?]

[There are two ways to make people anxious: one, by not finishing what you’re saying, and two…]

“…Oh. I decided to postpone joining the competition.”

[Postpone? They’re pretty much done finalizing the list.]

[Out of 48 slots, 46 are already filled.]

[There’s only one slot left in Yellow team.]

[Is Yellow 4 still considered Yellow?]

[As long as it’s not Green 1, they’ll let it in under the rules.]

[Stay as my little private streamer, Saint noonah…]

[Not like there’s a player with this much fame, lol. But I kinda want to see her struggle too.]

[Someone throw in a donation; only typing practice and money can move this madwoman.]

[Money-grubbing noonah, aww.]

[I’m going in.]

“Viewer ‘OO’ donated 1,000 won! How much, huh? How much do I need to give?”

What do you mean, “how much?”

“Viewer ‘OO’ donated 1,000 won! How much for you to join the competition?”

I don’t really understand what you’re asking.

[Here she goes again, pretending not to get it.]

[Asking this devilish noonah anything with just 1,000 won? Big mistake.]

[“I don’t understand” = bring more money.]

[It’s infuriating how well she knows how to handle us poor viewers, lol.]

[If you pay her, she’ll do anything…]

[Hey, watch it, buddy.]

“Viewer ‘OO’ donated 10,000 won! Please, I’m begging you!”

I feel like my performance has dropped a lot lately. I’d probably just be a burden on my team.

“Viewer ‘SekaiIchiban’ donated 10,000 won! Are you just avoiding it? Or are you actually hesitant for some reason?”

It’s not that I’m reluctant… it’s just something about it makes me hesitant.

“Viewer ‘SekaiIchiban’ donated 10,000 won! The winning team gets a prize of 70 million won. Split among 7 people, that’s 10 million each, including the coach. Are you really not going to do it?”

Wait, why are you only telling me this now?!