The Elixir of Victory
The Discord ping echoed like a distant bell.
DING~ DING~
**Dischodu's alarm.**
[세지세지: 다은아?]
[세지세지: (털바퀴 슬레이어가 출연한 흐린하늘의 유튜브 영상)]
[세지세지: 이거 뭐야?]
[세지세지: 😐]
[세지세지: 잘 모르는 사람이라고 하지 않았어?]
[세지세지: 자아? 해명할 기회를 줄게?]
[흐린하늘: …아.]
[흐린하늘: 그게 말 못할 사연이 좀 있었어요]
[흐린하늘: 죄송해요.]
[흐린하늘: 속이려는 건 아니었어요.]
[흐린하늘: 저도 엮이고 싶지 않았는데 엮인 거라서요.]
[세지세지: ㅋㅎㅋㅎㅋㅎ]
[세지세지: 사실 알고 있서 나도]
[세지세지: 울 다으니가 괜히 그러지 않았겠지ㅎㅋㅎㅋ]
[세지세지: 들어보니 생방 난리였다며?]
[흐린하늘: …하하…]
[세지세지: 그날 네 말 안들었으면 내 방송하고 유튜브에서도 그랬을 거 아니야]
[세지세지: 내 입장에선 다행인 일이지]
[세지세지: 다은이 네가 고생한게 문제지만...ㅠㅠ]
[흐린하늘: 예방접종한 셈 치려고요.]
[흐린하늘: 뭐, 덕분에 유튜브 조회수 꽤 잘뽑았으니, 나쁘지 않은 교환이죠.]
[세지세지: ㅎㅎ그러면 나도 저번에 쓰지 말라고 했던 영상 올리라고 편집자한테 말해야겠다]
[세지세지: 댓글보니까 반응도 좋던데]
[세지세지: 이럴 때 흐린이 낙수좀 받아야지 ㅎㅎㅎ]
[흐린하늘: ㅋㅋ]
[흐린하늘: 그러던가요]
[세지세지: 그런데 말이야]
[세지세지: 털바퀴 슬레이어라는 사람]
[세지세지: 진짜로 알몸도게자 한 적 있어?]
[흐린하늘: …아.]
[흐린하늘: 그게]
[흐린하늘: ……….]
(흐린하늘님이 채팅을 입력 중입니다…….)
(흐린하늘님이 채팅을 입력 중입니다…….)
(흐린하늘님이 채팅을 입력 중입니다…….)
(흐린하늘님이 채팅을 입력 중입니다…….)
The 1v1 duel between Yunseo and the mysterious Hairwheel Slayer had exploded across every community in an instant.
An uncommon Lulu expert. Overwhelming physical stats. A player skilled enough to defeat Yunseo in a one-on-one. A voice that melted hearts with its soft, sweet tone. The massive streamer’s influence, and more.
Only one week after the game had been uploaded to Seji Seji’s channel under the title “The Mysterious Lulu Expert I Met in Solo Rank,” Yunseo was a ghost to almost every Celt of Heroes player.
And Yunseo felt it most of all.
Even when she solo queued, 민초카푸치노: ? 민초카푸치노: 뭐야 민초카푸치노: 털바슬 찐임? 도도한도도새: 오 도도한도도새: 진짜네 도도한도도새: 팬이에요 무직백수켈대남: 저 루루 배우고 싶은데 무직백수켈대남: 혹시 친추받아주시나요? ㅎㅎ
Even when she sat quietly watching YouTube, “털바슬이 흐린하늘 패는 속도로 달려왔습니다” 👍1735
Yet the view count had already surpassed two million. Wasn’t the promised rematch supposed to happen? 👍531
I’m not dodging by making it look like I’m afraid of losing, are I, Yunseo? 👍987
If Yunseo is starting to fear the Slayer, that’s just sad. 👍1398
Silver__APPEND____APPEND____APPEND____APPEND__털바슬__APPEND____APPEND____APPEND____APPEND____APPEND____APPEND____APPEND____APPEND____APPEND__흐린하늘 👍419
The same comments again and again.
Not only the video she had posted, but every new upload brought the same flood.
“…Why are there only these comments?”
How could anyone not be blown away by the super plays on Yunseo’s latest stream? How was there not a single word about the 8:43-second moment where she slipped past the mage’s ultimate with perfect mana control and countered with one of her own?
It was infuriating.
This had to stop.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Whoa, 8:43 was insane. Yunseo is really something. 👍1
Click. Click.
Account swapped.
This 10:21 clip where she blasted a mage with lightning looked huge. 👍2
Click. Click.
14:23 The physical stats… if she plays like this she might hit Challenger in twenty games? 👍3
Click. Click.
Tap. Tap.
Click. Click, Tap. Tap.
Click. Click.
Tap. Tap.
After thirty minutes she had written one hundred and eighty comments and mass-liked every previous one each time she swapped accounts.
“…Okay. That’s better.”
She couldn’t touch the top comments, but scrolling just a little lower, Yunseo’s own super-play moments were praised.
—Hah.
Fine. Time to start the day properly.
**[털바퀴슬레이어] Title: Looking for a 1v1 Opponent** {Write your nickname in the comments}
As soon as the post went up, hundreds of replies flooded in.
The moment she felt her own name begin to spread was the clearest sign yet that she was becoming a little famous.
Sixty people left comments in just three minutes.
A soft smile bloomed on her face.
—Ah.
She was happy.
While typing the title and password into the first comment, she thought that.
***
Three hours into the 1v1.
One comment caught her eye.
[루루사랑꾼] — Hairwheel Slayer, I’ve been recording your 1v1s for a long time. I can’t watch live fast enough anymore… Could you please turn on your stream? I’m begging you… I just want to see you play Lulu… Without being able to watch, life loses all meaning…
The familiar nickname. Of course. She had sat in the spectator seats every single time she played. And when no one challenged her for hours on end, he was often the one she picked as her opponent. On top of that, he analyzed her plays and sometimes posted them on CeltinGal. For someone who had never really built human connections, he was one of the very few people Yunseo felt close to.
His request couldn’t be refused.
“…Hmm. I see.”
…Broadcast.
A word she had never imagined would be connected to her.
She wasn’t good with small talk. She didn’t enjoy standing in front of people. ‘Broadcast’ was something only loud, open people claimed.
People like her — dark and gloomy — would simply wither under the bright lights.
…But.
‘Yunseo was fine when she stepped into Yunseo’s stream.’
On that day she had actually talked to people without much trouble.
To the old Yunseo, that was unthinkable.
The socially awkward person who couldn’t even speak more than a few words to strangers had been Yunseo herself.
That was exactly why she had planned to do the interview through Discord chat.
…But that day she had shown an unexpectedly natural communication skill.
It was simply because she was used to broadcasting, and because she was talking to a streamer she liked.
Was that the reason? No. If anything, she should have frozen up like a body turned to stone the moment she met her favorite idol.
“…Maybe it’s because of this body.”
Like how she kept craving chocolate she had never liked in the first place.
…Ah.
So then.
For now…
…Just once.
…Shall I turn it on?
***
DING~ DING~
The Discord notification rang out.
[Ha Yunseo: Yunseo-nim]
[Ha Yunseo: If it’s not a bother, may I speak with you for a moment?]
[Ha Yunseo: If you’re busy, please don’t answer.]
[흐린하늘: 아니에요. 괜찮아요.]
[흐린하늘: 3분만 기다려주실래요?]
[흐린하늘: 유튜브에 이상한 깡계로 도배하는 사람이 있어서]
[흐린하늘: 그거 차단만 좀 하고 올게요.]
[하연서: ……아]
[하연서: 음…]
[하연서: 그래도 나쁜 마음으로 그런 건 아니지 않을까요?]
[흐린하늘: ……….]
[흐린하늘: 혹시 연서님이신가요?]
[흐린하늘: 아니죠?]
[하연서: 아, 그게 중요한게 아니고요]
[하연서: 궁금한게 좀 있는데]
[하연서: 미천한 제가 흐린님께 감히 여쭈어봐도 괜찮을까요?]
[흐린하늘: …그냥 편하게 말씀해주시면 안될까요.]
[흐린하늘: 어떤걸 물어보고 싶으신가요?]
[하연서: 방송 어떻게 켜요?]
(흐린하늘님이 채팅을 입력 중입니다…….)
(흐린하늘님이 채팅을 입력 중입니다…….)
[흐린하늘: …방송 시작하시려고요?]
[하연서: 그런 건 아니고, 그냥…잠깐 필요해서요.]
[흐린하늘: ……어, 음. 일단은, …알겠어요.]
[흐린하늘: 채팅으로 알려드리기엔 불편하니까, 통화라도 할까요?]
[하연서: 아…! 네!]
***
[ㅇㅇ] Title: Breaking News! Galju Streamer Appears! { This is real. Galju actually turned on her stream in response to a 1v1 request on CeltinGal. ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
(Stream link) }
—?? —Really? —What the hell —HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA —Let’s go, let’s go~~ ㄴ(mandu rolling sound) —Even Galju is helpless when money is involved… —?? —What? —It’s on! —HAHA Water comes in when it’s ready, Galju! —KYAAAAA!!!! I knew it!!!! —Show us your chest?!
🔴 **Hairwheel Slayer Live!**
[Broadcast Test]
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