Chapter 6: “Isn’t it a sniper shot?”

Research is inherently a process that involves countless successes and failures.

Numerous clinical trials—many of which yield bizarre results far from the intended outcome.

Experimentation is much like a grind, where if you keep going, a few ideal results will eventually emerge, and from those, you make use of whatever you can.

Those become the first instances of success, solidified over time.

But I want to ask something here: if a result different from the original objective is obtained, if an entirely unexpected outcome arises, can we simply label it a failure?

Researchers may have differing opinions, but I don’t think so.

After all, there’s a saying that failure is the mother of success.

Such outcomes, step by step, become the nutrients that feed future success.

Among them, there are often a few that show potential for improvement.

There is no such thing as a pure failure, nor a complete failure.

Even if I fail now, it will serve as the foundation for new builds I create in the future and add to my experience.

This is why I can remain so composed even when facing defeat at this moment.

However, just because I’ve accepted the process and embraced defeat doesn’t mean my team has to.

[Ezarnox (Nox): What is Camilla even doing in the front line, getting wrecked in one second? How are we supposed to deal damage like this?]

[LoathingCrapChars (Ran): If you’re struggling, just switch to a tank and balance the comp, geez…]

There was some unfairness in these comments.

I’m not the type to recklessly pick a hero without considering the team comp.

In fact, knowing we needed a tank, I specifically brought out the sturdy Camilla MK.1.

[Camilla’s Weak (Camilla): It’s tank Camilla, though.]

I tried to offer a soft rebuttal to their complaints, but…

[Ezarnox (Nox): Uh, what even is that? ;;]

[ShrimpSlam (Evie): Reported for intentional trolling –]

My excuses fell flat, and all I got in return were my teammates’ icy glares.

Well, fine. I admit it.

Camilla, despite my grand expectations before the game, couldn’t properly perform as a tank.

Whether it was due to the hero’s design limitations or not, she simply couldn’t hold the front line.

She felt more like a seawall that would shatter as soon as the tide hit.

Given my understanding of Abyss, I could imagine the frustration my teammates, especially the damage dealers, must have felt.

“Sturdy Camilla MK.1, scrapped…”

I drew a harsh line through the note beside my computer.

I thought Camilla was a versatile pick, but evidently, tanking wasn’t for her.

While I was at it, I drew lines through the MK.2 and MK.3 designs I’d sketched out as well.

The previous game had made it clear enough.

You can’t ask a dolphin to fly.

I decided not to push Camilla any further out of stubbornness.

[Ezarnox (Nox): Ugh, we had that game in the bag…]

[Camilla’s Weak (Camilla): Yeah, I didn’t play too well there, sorry ;;;]

From Nox, who kept venting his frustration in the chat, to Miriam, who’d been spamming emoticons for a while, I offered my condolences to my disgruntled teammates, who were frustrated by the loss.

But even as defeat became certain, I was satisfied.

Why? Because I had gathered data.

When refining a build, there are wins and losses.

It just so happened that this game was one of the losses.

We’ll win the next one.

A researcher mustn’t be preoccupied with victory or defeat during the process.

That is the right path for a researcher and for Camilla.

I found myself matching up again, contemplating the situation.

A devastating two-game losing streak!

In shock from this, Nicang was momentarily speechless.

Considering her usual high energy during streams, where her audio never seemed to fade, this was a rather rare sight.

[Mental is gone ᄏᄏᄏᄏ]

[This is the brutal world of Abyss…]

[Nicang has fallen apart…!]

[Two losses right after reaching Platinum… hmm…]

[Gold… I guess?]

Nicang stared blankly at her computer screen for a moment, then glanced at the chat, shivering slightly before speaking.

“No, I did well earlier…!”

[Did well earlier? What do you mean by that?]

[The host did do well earlier, yes ᄋ]

[Are you seriously blaming the team right now?]

[Didn’t you also not pull your weight? Hmm…]

[Honestly, you weren’t as fierce as when you shredded Nicang.]

When she said, “I did well earlier,” it was clear whom she was referring to.

It was Camilla, who had mercilessly torn Nicang apart in the previous match.

However, in this game, she was oddly unable to perform well, and that was whom Nicang was addressing.

“Why can’t you do well when you’re with me?”

[You might not be able to do it ᄏᄏ]

[Looks like your items and traits are different from earlier.]

[But it’s tank Camilla, right? ᄏᄏ;]

[Yeah, why didn’t you just play as a tank?]

[The host is making a lot of noise despite making a mistake… hmm…]

[What kind of hybrid is tank Camilla?]

“Ah… my precious points, no!”

Nicang screamed, wailing.

However, the truth was, she wasn’t that worked up.

She was just exaggerating a bit for the sake of entertainment, a typical tactic used by streamers.

It just wasn’t that obvious.

It’s actually quite funny to think that losing one or two games could cause such a mental breakdown.

Losing two games in a row is somewhat disappointing, but that’s about it.

‘It’s not like it’s a five-game or ten-game losing streak.’

If she could be shaken up this easily, how would she manage a stream in the first place?

If she were that fragile, she wouldn’t even be able to look at a chat filled with people rushing in to share their opinions.

Everyone knows that viewers enjoy seeing streamers suffer, so they intentionally act it out.

‘Viewers like to see streamers in pain.’

For some reason, that seems to be the case.

Perhaps it’s because human nature is inherently wicked, and people take pleasure in watching others’ despair from a distance.

‘This should be enough.’

Nicang paused her thoughts and composed her expression again.

She looked like someone who had just emerged from a state of sadness, somewhat calmed down.

It was a kind of acting, but then again, what unscripted program is genuinely authentic?

Even human relationships aren’t entirely sincere, so it’s impossible for a stream to be purely genuine.

[Is this where it ends for today?]

[Platinum 4, 0 points—will Nicang fall asleep here…?]

[Quick, get the match going, what are you doing?]

“Mental broke, huh? No, not at all. Just a two-game losing streak. I’m not that soft. The game… we can just win again.”

Her eyes sparkled, as if she had gathered her thoughts.

This alone completed a narrative.

Nicang, the streamer, felt a wall at Platinum.

But she didn’t falter and continued to push herself in the game.

‘Though I might lose a bit more, I don’t care.’

She thought it was inevitable that she would hit a wall someday.

She hadn’t been consistent in Abyss, having played other games instead.

While it would be great to go on a winning streak, she realistically didn’t believe that would happen.

Losing wouldn’t actually drive her mental state away, either.

There were no issues at all.

“Match found.”

With that mindset, Nicang queued up for another game and discovered a familiar face.

“Wait, this person….”

[The ‘Camilla’ makes an appearance ᄏᄏᄏ]

[This time they’re on the opposing team ᄋ]

[Time for revenge]

[If they play well again, it’ll be hilarious]

[Is she not going to play tank Camille this time?]

Something felt off.

A sense of foreboding lingered.

But regardless of Nicang’s unease, the game began.

She picked Miriam again and played her usual ADC style, familiar and standard.

“Ah, ah. Why! What’s going on this time!”

Out of nowhere, she was unexpectedly taken out by Camille, who charged into her team.

Of course, Camille soon met her demise as she overcommitted, but the team suffered a massive defeat.

The reason was Nicang’s death.

As the core damage dealer, her demise caused the team to crumble helplessly.

[Wow, she just melted away]

[What was that instant combo?]

[Challengers are challengers ᄉᄇ ᄏᄏᄏᄏ]

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

[Nicang, oh Nicang….]

After that, similar scenes played out several more times, and Nicang tasted defeat once again.

“Ugh, it’s okay! We can win the next game!”

Up to this point, things were still manageable.

The loss was a bit annoying, but this kind of match could make for great YouTube content.

A title like “I Met a Mysterious Camilla Master in Abyss” seemed fitting.

However, as time went on, Nicang was becoming less and less okay.

Her ability to manage her expression was starting to wear thin.

Her unique version of “Jinten” began to surface.

“Wait, what is this person doing? Like that…!”

The cause was again that player.

This time, a former challenger Camilla master was on her team.

It seemed he had brought a different build than before, and unlike before, he had no significant impact on the team.

As a result, the game ended in defeat once again.

It was cruelly ironic how such similar scenes kept repeating.

It was as if someone was playing a prank.

[I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere before…]

[Devastating losing streak ᄃᄃ;]

[Hey, shouldn’t we take a break?]

[Every time we meet that person, we lose]

[The host is getting really pissed ᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏ]

Six losses in a row.

That made a total of six consecutive defeats.

At this point, cracks were beginning to show in Nicang’s calm demeanor.

Every time she met that player, they lost.

When they were allies, they struggled, but when they faced her as an opponent, they performed remarkably well.

She grit her teeth, making a cracking sound.

“Is this person… targeting me?”

It wasn’t surprising that viewers, who usually would have told her to stop talking nonsense, oddly agreed with her this time.

 


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The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, Surviving as the Youngest Among Giant Vtubers is a must-read. Click here to start!

Read : Surviving as the Youngest Among Giant Vtubers
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