Chapter 4: This is ridiculous

Was it the aftermath of losing a game that should have been an easy win, due to a sniping troll, after a prolonged battle?

In the next game, Miya’s play was somewhat off. There were physical mistakes and critically wrong decisions. It was

an undeniable defeat where Miya was largely responsible.

Starting with 1 win and then 2 consecutive losses. The 4th game, which could be the last, was also unfavorable from

the beginning, and it seemed that the dream of Diamond was fading away again.

However, in the mid-game, Miya caught the opponent’s Executor’s mistake and started a counterattack. After that, a

fierce battle with back-and-forth exchanges continued several times –

The result was a victory for Miya’s side. It was a miraculous comeback achieved through her own efforts.

『Choco Miyabi sponsored 50,000 jellies!』

『Win-Loss-Loss-Win-Win, let’s go』

『Anonymous sponsored 10,000 jellies!』

『Super Miya』

-The strongest magician Miya! The strongest magician Miya! The strongest magician Miya!

-This time, it’s really Diamond

-Now that the Ori reign is about to end, I might feel a little sad?

– Don’t get ahead of yourself, there’s still one game left

“Yeah! I’ve been saying this all along! Miya’s skill was already at the Diamond level!”

The thrill of carrying the game herself, and the excitement from the numerous reactions praising her. This double

dose of exhilaration might be a privilege only for those who stream Ori.

However, concentration is a limited resource. After a game where you pour your all, it was difficult to perform at

your best in the next game. Rationally, it was the right decision to postpone it to the next day.

But it was different for a streamer. Postponing the last game of a promotion series was as good as a wrong decision.

It was an action that showed a ‘lack of sense.’

So, giving the sniper another chance was inevitable for Miya.

-‘That sniper’ appeared

-Look at him, he’s playing Executor normally since he’s on the enemy team, disgusting

-Let’s pay him back for what he did!

Game loading screen. This time, seeing ‘Elf Cho Eun’ on the opposing team, Miya’s eyes lit up.

‘This might be a chance. Revenge on the sniping troll and promote to Diamond? It’s like writing a real drama.’

With rising motivation, she entered a state of concentration again. She started ambitiously, but.

{Elf Cho Eun has scored a Double Kill!}

-He’s good though…

– It’s faster than the last game

Whether he was a sniper or an intentional troll, it was undeniable that the opponent was skilled.

“It’s okay! This time, that guy is an Executor?”

Since the map was separated in the early game to guarantee a certain amount of time, kills in the forest had limited

growth. It meant that he couldn’t show explosive growth like last time. Miya placed her hopes on that.

What she overlooked was.

The opponent had gotten more kills than expected in the forest. And if such an Archer joined the battlefield and

performed flawlessly, it was impossible to stop his explosive growth.

Moreover, as expected from a sniper met as an enemy, the opponent was persistent with Miya. He would suddenly

appear and kill her one-on-one, and in battles, he would often target Miya first.

оAimgod (Hunter/Executor): Mage, please be careful

○Nari(Priest/Supplicant): It’s a bit harsh…ᅲ

The two who had fed the opponent’s Archer in the early game shamelessly opened their mouths. That’s how much

Miya had been caught.

“Do the same thing as before! My friend, you were throwing and stuff!”

– As if he would…

-He’s just unstoppable when he plays normally

– There’s no way he’s at this tier… He’s definitely using an alt account to snipe

Just when the embers of hope for Diamond were fading away.

A miracle happened.

“What, he actually came in?”

Suddenly, the opponent closed the distance and entered the middle of the allies. Perhaps it was because she had

experienced this before. Miya was the first to react. <Arcane Explosion>, with the fastest casting speed, was

launched at the opponent.

Whoosh.

He narrowly dodged it. A blue aura, like a mist, surrounded his body. It was the effect of the special skill ‘Swiftness’

that increased movement speed for a certain period.

Although she missed the first attack, the other teammates had also started their actions. They surrounded the Elf

from all sides and launched an aggressive offensive.

But.

He dodges. A beam of light grazes the long hair of the Elf as he turns his head. He deflects. The spear thrust towards

his back passes through the air as he twists his waist. He runs. Arrows that couldn’t reach him pile up on the ground,

following his steps.

The following flames, sword strikes, and binding circles also fail to reach the enemy. He just swiftly moves around,

here and there.

The movements were so spectacular that they were hard to follow with the eye. Every time he turned his body, his

long hair fluttered along. It looked like a beautiful dance.

Ori had an aiming system to target enemies. However, it wasn’t as strict as in FPS games where you shoot guns. Even

if you didn’t aim very accurately, there was some degree of correction.

Similarly, evasion and movement couldn’t be used indefinitely. Although it gave a very high degree of freedom by

taking advantage of VR, it didn’t implement every acrobatic movement.

A feat.

Therefore, what was happening before their eyes was worthy of being called a feat.

Determining which projectile would reach first among all the projectiles. Evading and simultaneously figuring out

the next incoming attack. How to step and where to move. Which opponent to immediately check with skills and

basic attacks. He had to judge and react within seconds, or even 0. something seconds, without a single mistake.

And. Without realizing it, the distance between them had become quite close. He was even taking hits from the enemy’s arrows.

Thud, thud.

Her health was rapidly decreasing. The opponent had no intention of increasing the distance. Arrows were fired

while intentionally closing in. It was complete mockery.

“Eek!”

The flames launched forward dissipated into the air.

Thud.

With the last arrow fired from a distance where their noses almost touched, Miya’s screen turned gray.

“This… is impossible….”

A devastating teamfight defeat caused by the enemy Archer. After that, the outcome of the game was obvious.

『Climb to Diamond』

『Amount: 1,050,000 won』

『Mission Failed!』

-TOT Good work

-It couldn’t be helped, the sniper was too much of a monster

-Miya looks completely defeated.. Cheer up!

– But what’s the opponent’s main account tier? Even a Diamond shouldn’t be able to toy with her like this

– Just ignore him, he’s a smurf sniper, just report him

Perhaps they thought it was a natural disaster. There were far more words of comfort than teasing.

“I really wanted to show you me reaching Diamond this time, I’m sorry… Thank you for being with Miya today….”

Miya’s closing remarks were filled with tears.

***

It was a satisfying victory.

The thrill of trembling hands, a racing heart, and a blank mind.

It was a sensation I had frequently felt while being immersed in Ori all week.

At first, it was enough to just freely shoot arrows in a realistic VR world.

But as time passed and I became sufficiently accustomed to the game’s structure and characteristics, the initial thrill

gradually diminished.

The standard play of an archer, maintaining a sufficient distance from enemies, was too easy. It lacked a sense of thrill.

The solution I found was to intentionally close the distance.

In the early game, where the body was too weak and could die from a few hits, it wasn’t necessary. But from the mid-

to-late game, where I could easily keep enemies at bay from a distance, I would always jump into the enemies.

It didn’t always guarantee victory. Due to the structural limitations of the game system, if I was unlucky, I would die.

Or, like in the last game, I could run wild.

In that limited space where arrows and magic flew past, and the blades grazed my nose, where I could hear the enemies’ breathing.

I could feel the thrill of the raised hairs on my skin and the rush when I defeated an enemy much more abundantly.

‘At this rate, it might seem like I wanted to come back for nothing.’

I definitely hated war in that other world. I didn’t want to repeat the experience of teetering on the edge of life and

death. Even now, thinking about it again, this was definitely sincere.

But what about me now that I’m back?

I was dissatisfied with any of the pleasures of modern civilization, and I was only focused on the most realistic battle experience.

How could I explain these contradictory feelings?

‘It’s strange. I even started to think of it as a battle from that other world little by little.’

That’s why I overreacted when I saw the ‘demon’ today. It was just a race in the game. But I unconsciously revealed

the hatred and hostility I had towards demons.

I advised them to change their race. And when I met them as enemies, I focused on killing them.

{Excessive game use can be harmful to your health. 16 hours have passed since login.}

The notification message that I had been ignoring until now, for some reason, sounded clear this time.

Could it be…

Am I addicted to the game?