Boredom, a New Game, and a Fresh Start

While grinding raids to finish up some farming, I couldn’t shake the thought: repetitive tasks are such a drag.

Maybe if I were a fresh newbie, it’d be different, but as a crusty veteran, it feels even worse. Even new dungeons don’t excite high-level players like me—we can figure out boss mechanics just by hearing their skill names.

RPG gimmicks are all the same; it’s like, “Oh, you again?”

That’s why I declared I’d quit PKing.

Slaughtering similar-level players for days got boring fast.

The reactions from PK’d users were predictable, and playing the same old concept got stale.

“Anything fun out there?”

Overcome with boredom, I parked my character in town and leaned back in my chair. Come to think of it, the main quest has been out for a while, and raids are winding down.

Rumor has it a new update’s coming soon. Hope it drops quick.

“So bored…”

Propping my chin on the desk, I stared blankly at the monitor. Some random user was spamming whispers, begging me to accept a PVP request. Ugh, so annoying. I don’t wanna deal with this. Accept one, and others will expect the same. It never ends.

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: Yo, anything fun to do?]

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: I’m bored to death…]

Unable to bear the monotony, I sent Beta a whisper. She’s the type who enjoys gaming more than anyone, so maybe she’d know something fun.

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: Crafting lol]

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: Boring as hell;;]

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: Lolololol true]

“Is she messing with me…?”

She’s definitely salty I didn’t join her guild. Pouting and grumbling, I sent another whisper, and a new message popped up.

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: If you’re that bored, watch a stream?]

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: I follow this streamer, and they’re live now.]

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: Never watched one.]

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: Just give it a try.]

What’s the point of watching someone else play when games are all the same? A true gamer plays themselves for the fun. Staring at the stream link Beta sent, I hesitated, then copied it like I was possessed.

Pasting the link into my browser, I connected to the stream, and a 30-second ad popped up. What? You have to watch ads to see a stream? Frowning at the unexpected hurdle, I waited impatiently for the ad to end, determined to see how “fun” this was. Finally, the live stream loaded, and I had to grab my headset.

• Ugh… lane’s getting pushed. Can’t do this.

“What…?”

A low, amused voice caught me off guard. Just a few words, and I understood why Beta watches this guy. Is he a voice actor or something?

“His voice is really nice.”

He’d probably kill it doing ASMR. But watching his gameplay, I realized he’s not streaming for nothing. He’s good. Even with my limited knowledge of this game genre, I could tell: “Wow, this guy’s legit!”

The game he was playing wasn’t an MMORPG like Freesia but a MOBA—a 5v5 PVP siege game where you destroy enemy towers. The streamer, with that great voice, was giving precise orders to his team while showing off dazzling control.

• Enemy jungler’s going top. Keep them in check and farm some CS.
• If we time the teamfight right, we can burst them down.
• Oh, nice ult! Well played! Wipe ‘em out!

Skill effects exploded as a message popped up about his team going wild.

I didn’t fully get what was happening, but the game’s momentum clearly shifted to the streamer’s side.

His slick control and enemy takedowns were so cool, I thought, “Should I try this game?”

“No way.”

Me, a diehard MMORPG player, switching to another game? I’d get cursed out ten times over. I’m not scared of user trash talk, but losing in a game? Terrifying. They say MOBA players rage-quit a lot.

As a Korean who plays to win, I’d probably explode twice as hard if I tried it.

I watched the streamer’s gameplay closely, listening to his calls.

Who knows, maybe one day I’ll try it, and this could help. Even if I don’t get it now, learning the basics might make a difference later.

The match ended with the streamer’s team winning, forcing the enemy to surrender.

He thanked his team and logged out, briefly reviewing the game—something about early CS gaps and bot lane.

Honestly, I barely understood half of it. No matter how much gaming experience I have, a different genre is a different beast. Experts exist for a reason.

• Wow, that ranked match was intense… Haven’t had one this tough in a while.

His amused voice tickled my ears, and I scratched behind them unconsciously. As he announced the stream’s end, I closed the browser. Freesia’s background music filled the silence. Ah, that calming BGM.

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: Stream’s over.]

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: Watched it? How was it?]

How was it? What kind of question is that?

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: Thinking of switching games.]

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: Lolololololol you’re gonna get wrecked by veteransㅎ]

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: I’ve got experience, though.]

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: Nope~ You’re a newbie in another game~~]

Harsh. I argued back, but deep down, I agreed. I watched one match and had no clue what was going on. Guess that’s why you don’t mess with MOBAs lightly.

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: I might dip my toes in when I’m bored.]

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: SoonToDie’s future: wins bot games, thinks he’s talented, gets cocky, then mental explodes in ranked.]

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: Is that from experience?]

[Whisper/Beta > SoonToDie: Lol… lol… oops, caughtㅎㅎ That was me ㅎㅎ;;]

[Whisper/SoonToDie > Beta: Lol, figured as much.]

Still, watching some guides might let me handle casual games, even if ranked is off-limits. I’ll try it someday. Maybe the stream refreshed me, but I felt like I could have fun with something now.

“How about playing a new character as a fake newbie?”

A newbie in another game? Then I’ll just pretend to be one in this game! If it’s fun, I could even switch mains. This account’s drawn too much agro from all the PKing, causing all sorts of hassle.

I’d miss my SoonToDie character, which I’ve had since Freesia’s launch, but I’m not deleting it.

Re-grinding titles and achievements will be a pain, but it’s doable. Veterans don’t stay veterans for nothing.

Just in case, I’ve got a mule on a new account, so transferring items there should make the early game a breeze.

I’ve got leftover EXP boost items too, so leveling will be smooth. This could work.

Decision made, I fired up my laptop, logged into the new account, and hit the character creation button.

RPGs are all about customization, right? What class to pick? Maybe stick with the familiar Berserker. I don’t know other classes well, and I already know the skill rotations and timings.

While mulling over the class, I finished customizing and let out a dry laugh at the result.

A tough-looking female character with long red hair—exactly like Altania, and even SoonToDie’s look. Am I really that obsessed with Altania?

“No helping it. She’s my first ever fave.”

Shaking my head, I redid the customization. Short hair, grayscale colors, male character.

Click, click, I moved the mouse, decking the character out in all black from head to toe.

Looking at the finished product, I smiled proudly—it turned out better than expected.

It feels strong in a different way from Altania. Black just has that undeniable cool factor.