Question Mark (3)
"...Alright."
After the closing remarks, I end the stream. A small smile creeps across my face at what felt like a pretty successful broadcast.
"...Ha, Alicia actually watched it."
Of course, it was surprising that the arrogant Alicia had tuned into my fledgling stream, barely out of its crawling stage. And to even ask about Speed Swordsman? What on earth had gotten into her?
If it was just to tease me, her own situation wasn't exactly enviable... So was she genuinely curious about Speed Swordsman?
Well, only she knows the truth.
...Not mentioning her at all turned out to be a smart choice too.
Given how the chat was veering into mocking Alicia, if I'd brought her up, no matter my intent, it would've spiraled into full-on grave-digging levels of piling on.
"...Not a fan of pile-ons."
I quietly close my eyes, recalling the time I got roasted in Harim's stream not long ago.
"...Yeah, that sucked."
No matter how many times I think about it, it still stings. I definitely don't want to become some sleazy streamer like Harim who stirs up that kind of vibe on purpose.
My stream is strictly a clean Speed Swordsman tutorial. Roasting other streamers? Not on my watch.
So skipping any mention of Alicia's question wasn't just for her—it was about sticking to my principles for the stream.
Still, she must've picked up on something. In a way, she kinda owes me one now.
I'm not expecting any special favors—just hoping she'll show some respect for Speed Swordsman on her own stream.
...Bonus points if she hypes it up.
"Phew..."
With the stream wrapped, I prep to log out of Legend Frontier too. Pushing straight into ranked matches feels a tad exhausting right now.
You have 1 new message!
"Huh...?"
Right as my finger hovers over the logout button, an in-game message pings in. I tilt my head and check the sender.
"Alicia...?"
...Shockingly, it's from Alicia herself. The nickname 'Alicia In Wonderland' makes me furrow my brow instantly.
"Hmm..."
If it were roooobot, someone I'm on decent terms with, sure—but what business does Alicia have messaging me? Maybe something about the stream just now?
"......"
A string of question marks in my head, I click the message. A concise note unfurls in the air.
From: Alicia In Wonderland
Watched your stream. You seem talented. Not as much as me, though.
Want to play together? If you really want, I can make an exception and collab or duo with you.
As the greatest laner ever and Rank 1, I'll teach you all sorts of stuff. Hit me up if you're interested. Your loss if you don't.
Get in touch. —
"Duo...?"
Alicia's out-of-nowhere collab and duo pitch adds another question mark to my brain.
Did I say I wanted to game with her? Did she take my closing remark about playing together someday seriously?
"That wasn't my intent..."
I let out an awkward chuckle. It was just polite respect, not a real invite for duos with Alicia...
"Duo, huh..."
I mull over collabs and duos seriously for a moment.
I've never duoed once. Solo suits me fine—no comms needed, solid win rate, no urge to change.
"Hmm..."
But this is a duo offer from Rank 1 Alicia, with her innate combat sense.
Like she said, beyond just wins, I could learn something—like that game-changing ground-pound counter from last time.
A collab with her top-tier stream presence could boost my baby channel too.
No real downsides after weighing it, so no need to flat-out refuse.
"Thank you for the offer... I'll get back to you soon..."
Still, no plans to jump in right away. I send a noncommittal reply leaving the door open, then log out of Legend Frontier.
"Ughhh..."
I pull off the headgear I've worn for hours and stretch long and hard. Through the small window by my desk, hazy sunlight filters in more dimly than usual.
"...Maybe make some green onion pancakes."
The iffy, gloomy sky screams for pajeon. Makgeolli usually pairs with it, but I hate booze... so soda as a compromise?
"Ngh..."
I stand, shaking out my stiff legs. With fully functional legs that can take me anywhere, no hesitation for a sudden craving.
I throw on some clothes and head out to buy ingredients for pajeon.
...Just another day without the wheelchair, feeling natural now.
...If the greatest laner ever is the Reaper Alicia, and the greatest midlaner is Galaxy Express Metia, then who's the greatest jungler of all time?
Unlike other contentious roles, everyone agrees unanimously here.
They'd all name Legend Frontier's first-ever Rank 1, Seven Star eSports' captain, Mac Bass.
Not the flashiest physicals, but a battlefield commander who flips games with insane order-giving and outlandish strategies.
A ruthless destroyer who dives teamfights at perfect timings to shatter the enemy.
...They say even if you get 20 kills against his team, never let your guard down if Mac Bass is on it.
He single-handedly dragged perennial losers Seven Star eSports to league dominance—no one doubts his skill.
"Interesting."
In Seven Star eSports' office, during post-practice break, Mac Bass—Yoon Ji-hoon—muttered while watching a personal stream on his phone.
"Ultimate? Yeah, fixed. Always Hermes' Prank..."
"......"
On his small screen, a silver-haired, green-eyed beauty—customized player—gesticulated animatedly in AI practice, explaining something.
The stream? A so-called 'Speed Swordsman Tutorial.' Breaking down the bizarre all-in agility build.
And the instructor? None other than current Rank 6 in Legend Frontier, the hottest topic: Gale Dancer, nickname 'SION.'
Mac Bass—Yoon Ji-hoon—had heard the name. A coach hyped a monster sweeping ranked with pure agility saber build.
But he dismissed it as hype. Logically, 120 agility, 0 everything else? No way it works.
Just a fluke streak from info gaps, he figured.
"This thing actually works..."
After watching SION's stream, though, he realized he was wrong.
Win plans and macro were detailed; skills and item trees optimally synergized—a legit viable build.
Though the skill ceiling looked high enough to make even him question if he could handle it.
"Yoon Ji-hoon, whatcha watching?"
"Whoa!"
A cheerful voice from behind startles Yoon Ji-hoon—Mac Bass—into whipping around.
A familiar face approached: Seven Star eSports coach, Kim Ho-jin.
"Oh, SION?"
"...Yeah."
Kim Ho-jin, who'd long been into SION's play—the very coach who'd raved about her to Mac Bass—ID'd her instantly on the screen.
"How is it? She's good, right?"
"...Yeah. Better than I thought."
Mac Bass nods curtly at the question. The short coach shrugs like he's the one praised.
"Told ya? Not for nothing she's on the shortlist as your jungler replacement."
"My replacement...?"
"Didn't mention? SION's on the recruitment list to sub for you."
"I see..."
"Board's been busy lately. Your retirement's coming up soon..."
"...!"
The word 'retirement' makes Mac Bass flinch. As Ho-jin said, this season's his last before pro scene exit.
Age aside, main reason: he still owes military service.
Like every Korean guy, 18 months for the country.
Olympic gold exempts you, but a wrist injury sidelined him then—golden chance gone.
So with age and no outs, he prepped for retirement calmly. Stellar career, few regrets.
...The retirement of Seven Star's franchise star and core jungler, Mac Bass.
Lately, the board hunted his replacement. Coach Ho-jin noted Rank 6 SION—Speed Swordsman creator—as a candidate.
"They rate her control, aggression, and order-giving solid. Probably mostly her star power right now, though."
"Star power..."
Fair. Even in pro scene plus all, no one's as buzzy as SION lately. Post-stream start, she outshone even Queen of the Lane Alicia.
To match Mac Bass's own star power now? SION or Alicia, for sure.
"Hm..."
Pondering, Mac Bass tosses a question.
"Job flexibility? League has ban picks."
...Unlike ranked, league bans one job per team.
Usually OP builds, but sometimes sniper picks on aces.
So if SION only does Speed Swordsman, a Swordsman ban cripples her pre-game.
Pro recruitment weighs job pool heavily.
Mac Bass himself drilled every melee DPS job/build for ban counters.
"Ha, that's the issue."
Ho-jin sighs at the question.
"We'll talk later, but... she looks like a one-trick Speed Swordsman."
"......"
"That's the snag— she's lower priority. Some float her as sub or strat coach."
"......"
"Don't sweat it. Just 'what if' talk."
"...Got it."
Just vague hypotheticals, per Ho-jin. Mac Bass—Yoon Ji-hoon—nods faintly.
"Anyway..."
Ho-jin sits beside him, asks:
"Post-retirement plans? Gap till enlistment."
...Asking about the retirement-to-army void. Mac Bass smirks softly.
"Thinking personal streams."
"You? Streaming?"
"Yeah. Grind ranked, chat with fans... Jump in streamer tourneys, farm noobs..."
He chuckles, picturing it. Ho-jin gapes.
"Can't imagine you trash-talking... Tourney like Xwitch Frontier Cup? That platform one?"
"Probably. Any indie ones too."
"Hilarious."
Ho-jin stifles laughs, amused by streamer-Mac Bass in his head.
"Streamer Mac Bass... Pfft... Collab with Alicia, face SION in tourney to sort the hierarchy... Lol."
Collab Alicia, tourney vs. SION? Casual toss from Ho-jin.
"Hierarchy...?"
Brainless remark for him, but sparks Mac Bass's imagination.
'Tourney with Gale Dancer...?'
Intriguing. Wanted to clash with the hot-topic Speed Swordsman.
Verify the hype with his own eyes and blade.
"Who knows..."
After a brief daydream, Legend Frontier's former Rank 1, Mac Bass, murmurs meaningfully.
"Might just happen..."
Though obviously, I'd win.