Chapter 37: Hand-Cam

“Viewers, thank you for waiting.

I’m your caster, Lee Hyukjin, here to commentate on today’s match.

And joining me are streamer Taker and announcer ACK’s Kim Yeji.”

[They’re here, they’re here!]

[Noonaaaaaa!]

[Hyukjin’s energy is high today lol]

[Did Yeji noona dress up for her fans?]

[Taker’s slicked-back hair is so annoying]

[Is it finally starting?]

[The wait was too long]

“Alright, without further ado, let me introduce today’s match.

This is the 2nd Taker Abyss Streamer Tournament.

It will proceed with the semifinals, and shortly, the matchups will be drawn, with games starting right after.”

“Is there a specific reason the matchups are drawn right before the game?”

“Of course—it’s for a more entertaining game.

If teams know their opponents in advance, they might analyze the other team in detail and develop custom strategies.

While banning and picking are part of the game, that’s not the main focus of our tournament.

Plus, drawing matchups right before the game adds more excitement, doesn’t it?”

[True, that makes sense]

[Hmm… I wonder if there’s another reason]

[Trying to sugarcoat it looks a bit desperate]

[It’s all because of ‘those guys’]

[?? Did something happen?]

[Read up on the first Taker Abyss Tournament on Jam Wiki]

[One clueless guy ruined it by bringing in his current team’s coach and analyst to overanalyze everything, making it super boring]

[OMG;;]

[It was just a friendly tournament with a small prize pool lol. But he ruined the vibe]

[Other teams’ matches were fun, though]

[It would’ve been legendary if they had won]

[The unmentionable Voldemorts of the Taker stream]

“Several other changes have been made since the first tournament.

Taker, would you explain to our viewers?”

“Sure.

Unlike last time, there’s no outright banning of specific heroes.

Instead, each team can take turns, banning three different traits.”

[Ah, the infamous banning phase…]

[The nightmare of that day haunts me]

[Aaaah! Demon of the ban phase, get out of my head!]

[Wait, is this because of the first tournament, too?]

[Trait bans sound interesting]

[So they’re banning six traits?]

[The mind games are gonna be intense]

“Otherwise, it follows typical tournament rules.

After banning traits, teams pick heroes.

Once a hero is chosen by one team, the other team cannot select it.”

“No mirror matches—it’s a classic rule, right?”

“And the semifinals will be best-of-three, with the finals being a best-of-five.”

“These are familiar rules, but is there anything else to keep in mind?”

“Ah, yes, this rule was added recently…”

Caster Lee Hyukjin paused briefly before continuing.

“To prevent illegal programs and substitute gameplay, all participating players will broadcast a small camera view.”

“Even streamers who don’t usually use a camera will have to set up a hand-cam or partial cam, showing at least their hands.”

“Is this to verify that they’re playing themselves?”

“Exactly.”

“For similar reasons, to prevent doxxing or stream sniping through the official broadcast, there will be a 10-minute delay on the official stream.”

[Hand-cam confirmed lol]

[Kayak’s hands will be revealed… Oh yes…]

[No room for any cheating in this tournament lol]

[This isn’t a small local tournament; it’s sponsored by Ionix lol]

[We can’t have a repeat of last time.]

[Dullahans are forced into hand-cam mode lol]

Though some might find the strict rules excessive, the audience seemed to understand.

Most viewers had witnessed the previous tournament and knew that Ionix was officially organizing this one.

The tournament’s scale had changed.

The prize pool had increased.

The audience size had grown.

With this elevated tournament came stricter regulations, which the viewers had no issue with.

As long as it was entertaining, that was all they cared about.

They wanted the tournament to start as soon as possible.

Some were even more excited about certain streamers being on camera.

“Alright!”

“That’s it for the overall rules and guidelines.”

“Let’s not drag this out any longer, right?”

“Right!”

“The official stream’s audience has now surpassed 40,000.”

“With so many people tuned in to watch this tournament, we can’t keep them waiting!”

“Now, without further ado, let’s proceed with the matchups.”

“I’m already excited to see which of the four formidable teams will go head-to-head….”

[They’re really dragging it out]

[Just reveal the matchups already and start the game]

[My chicken is getting cold T_T]

[Mine hasn’t even arrived yet lol]

[This is actually fast-paced for a public tournament; other streams go at a snail’s pace lol]

[Is it going to be Kayak vs. Yoo-hye?]

[Go, Team Decal!]

[The championship is going to Yoo-hye anyway]

“Ah, the results are in!”

“Team Kayak, led by streamer Kayak, will face off against Team Decal, led by streamer Decal, in the semifinals!”

“This leaves the other two teams, Team Yoo-hye and Team Quattro Cheese Whopper, to battle it out in the semifinals.”

After exchanging a glance with the staff, Lee Hyukjin spoke again.

“Ah, it looks like the players have just finished their preparations.”

“Let’s dive right into the first match between Team Kayak and Team Decal.”

“Which team will advance to the finals in the 2nd Taker Abyss Streamer Tournament?”

“We’ll soon find out!”

With the commentators’ final shouts, dramatic background music swelled, and the screen transitioned.

“I’m so nervous, what should I do?”

“It would’ve been better to go second. Why did we have to be the first match…?”

“Aaah, I can do this.”

“I can do this.”

As soon as the matchups were revealed in the broadcast everyone watched together in the Discord room, people went straight into panic mode.

They had been informed beforehand that, if selected as the first group for the semifinals, they would have to begin the match immediately.

However, knowing that didn’t make them any less nervous.

When the time finally arrived, the team members couldn’t hide their anxiety.

It was somewhat expected. Everyone, except Han Kang, was new to this kind of tournament.

Any first-time experience is bound to be nerve-wracking.

Your first day at school, your first relationship, your first job.

In a situation like this, it was impossible not to feel nervous—especially given the grandeur of the event. The viewers’ excitement suddenly made sense.

Even Han Kang, who had participated in a few tournaments before, was subtly shaken by the sheer number of viewers, leaving me as the only truly calm person on the team.

As the team’s highest-ranked member, the captain, and a veteran of countless exhibition matches, I had a responsibility to calm them down.

But I couldn’t manage it.

After all, I wasn’t exactly relaxed myself.

I waved my hand to the side.

A flash of white passed by the corner of my computer screen.

It was the hand-cam feed. The white flash that just went by was my hand, which I had positioned in front of a small camera to show it on-screen.

When I first heard we’d need to do a hand-cam, I was flustered. I’d thought a day might come when I’d turn on a camera, but I never imagined that day would be today.

For a moment, I lifted my hand and stared at it.

A small, pale hand, immaculate without a single blemish.

It looked so different from my original hand, exuding a distinctly “feminine” feel.

Camilla must have struggled at least as much as I had, if not more, so how could her hands look like this?

How could the hands of someone who danced and fought on a battlefield be so beautiful? Shouldn’t they be covered in scars, maybe even missing a few fingers?

…Not that I mind how they look now.

It’s better to have a normal, healthy body, and better still if it’s abnormally beautiful.

Anyway, I’d set up my camera according to the tournament rules to show my hands as I played. I hesitated slightly.

Some might say it’s just a hand, not even a face, but for me, in a broadcast with a long history, this felt like a small yet significant step.

It was an action I couldn’t take without some serious resolve.

“Whew…”

My restless hand stopped in place. With a small sigh, I set my hands neatly on the keyboard and mouse.

The chat window remained silent. Probably due to the broadcast delay.

It wasn’t a difficult thing to do. Once I got into the game, I’d forget all about it. Now that I’d gone through with it, my previous fuss seemed a bit silly.

“Everyone.”

Only after I’d finished all the preparations did I finally speak to my teammates, who were just as nervous as I was.

As a veteran of many tournaments, I knew no elaborate words were needed to ease their nerves.

“Let’s win.”

One word, focused on victory. That would be enough.