I Am Not a Neungi Mushroom

After a brief wait, the queue popped.

I didn't want to ruin the game, so I temporarily hid the stream overlay.

I caught a glimpse of someone asking to change the stream perspective, so I switched the settings to a third-person camera view.

That would be the last chat message I checked.

I couldn't possibly afford to pay attention to chat while playing.

It hadn't been long since I started ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the stream.

But my usual in-game vision felt strangely awkward.

Maybe it was because knowing someone was watching made me self-conscious.

No. Stop thinking about it.

Once I'm in the game, I have to focus on the game.

I can't be like this when I play in actual matches later.

I slapped my cheeks with both hands to snap myself out of it and focused.

Every ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠game started with analyzing the battlefield and the rules.

It looked like today's first match would be a straightforward one.

The battlefield had no special gimmicks, and the Geas simply guaranteed clear weather.

Aside from the abundance of coniferous trees acting as obstacles throughout the map, it was a normal field.

In this battlefield, projectiles were heavily restricted by the tree trunks.

Mage-type classes had an advantage over ranged damage dealers who used weapons like bows or guns.

It was also easy to hide, meaning engagement distances upon encountering enemies tended to be short.

Well, I didn't overthink it.

Since it wasn't an open field, I didn't need to take on the role of a tank.

That meant I could just pick what I was best at and most confident in.

Maybe... people came to see my Berserker? No. No. Stop thinking about things like that.

As expected, one's mind doesn't always cooperate.

Even though I tried not to think about it, the thoughts kept creeping back.

Just knowing the stream was live, even if I couldn't see it, made me nervous.

It felt just like when I appeared on Hanul's stream or played in the Challengers Cup.

It felt like the strings of my sanity were being pulled taut.

It was hard to shake the tension, but this time, it was truly my own stream where I was the protagonist.

So it couldn't be that bad.

Anyway, pulling myself together.

We needed to play aggressively this game.

The difference in weight class between the frontline melee bruisers was clear.

The opponents relied on a single tank and brought two mages, while our team had a Battlemage who could cover both close and mid-range.

The key to the game would be how quickly we could break through the enemy tank.

I took a deep breath, trying my best to calm my mind.

During the brief loading screen transitioning from the lobby to the battlefield,

I closed my eyes and repeated to myself like a meditation.

I am not a Neungi mushroom.

I... can do this.

Around the time Yu Nabi began scouting in her first match,

staff members from SnowWitch were among the viewers watching her stream.

Well, that was only natural.

Although she hadn't made her official pro debut yet, Yu Nabi was already deeply involved with the team.

Since the "Climb to Glory" video was currently being edited in the office, they couldn't afford any major incidents.

Naturally, her mentor, Hero, was right there watching.

Every time Nabi shut down her stream, Hero's heart had dropped.

Honestly, the throbbing headache in her temples hadn't fully subsided yet.

"Well... at least the game has started."

"I seriously thought something terrible was going to happen."

Hero was holding her head, so she missed exactly who said it.

But at the casual remarks, she let out a chuckle.

Hero burst into laughter.

It really was like that.

Who knew getting someone to stream just once could be this difficult?

When the stream went down twice, she had hovered her hand over her phone repeatedly.

She ultimately decided against calling, fearing it would only add to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pressure.

Seeing how well Nabi had overcome it, it seemed she had made the right call.

Hero now leaned back comfortably on the sofa.

Her attitude was that once the game started, everything else would take care of itself.

In fact, she wasn't worried about the match itself at all.

Communication in solo queue was naturally sparse.

They weren't teammates who had practiced together for a long time, and they didn't know when they'd ever meet again.

And Yu Nabi grew stronger the quieter her environment was.

The original intention behind making her stream wasn't because she lacked performance in solo queue.

The goal was to build up her immunity so she wouldn't miss what her teammates were saying and wouldn't shake too much during official matches.

This wasn't the high end of the Infinity rank, just the entry level, so nothing disastrous was likely to happen.

And Hero's prediction was spot on.

"The terrain is... a bit. Um. I think the enemy might be there. Since it's dangerous... I'll go slowly."

Hero admired her decision slightly.

Good call.

The Silent Coniferous Forest was a random battlefield where the terrain changed with every match.

Because of this, players had to constantly assess the advantages and disadvantages of their positioning as they moved.

The area Yu Nabi was facing now had narrow pathways and plenty of hiding spots, giving the advantage to the enemy.

It was perfect for setting up a tank as a wall and projecting firepower from behind.

If they were ambushed there, the flow of the battle would turn disastrous.

Hero would have thought the same if she were in that position.

It was proof that Nabi's judgment as a frontliner had improved significantly.

But the real reason for her admiration lay elsewhere.

She's actually talking to herself for the stream!

It was a commendable effort to host the stream in her own way!

Despite saying she would ignore the stream entirely and just play, she seemed to have found some breathing room.

Hero had been ready to be satisfied as long as no disasters occurred, so seeing this made her feel quite emotional.

At any rate, if the enemy had already taken up positions there, they would hold the high ground.

This meant the enemy had a wider field of vision.

Although the pine trees currently hid them, it would be difficult to approach closely without being detected.

Not that they were completely without options, of course.

The reason entering that area was difficult was the high probability of taking concentrated fire.

For Yu Nabi, who had low defense, she could easily be vaporized without doing a single thing.

If she died, no matter how good the cards in her hand were, they would all turn to waste paper.

But looking at it the other way, it means the enemy will dump all their main skills.

As soon as her teammates were ready, Yu Nabi prepared to charge.

A bruiser is the team's sword, but also its shield.

Now was the time to act as the shield.

The Berserker dashed through the narrow pass between the hills.

True to her class name, she showed not a shred of fear.

Though she had the appearance of a petite girl, her momentum was not to be underestimated.

And just like that, Yu Nabi's intuition proved correct.

For the enemy, this was an ideal battlefield.

It was too good an opportunity to pass up, so they made the standard, rational choice.

Meaning, the two hidden mages immediately unleashed their spells.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Naturally, the waiting tank stepped forward to block the entrance.

An ideal tactic. And to that, an ideal response followed.

A high damage reduction was layered over the thick shield.

However, the firepower of the prepared mages was beyond imagination.

Even with the Barrier Mage's additional support, Yu Nabi's health bar plummeted.

The Berserker... didn't care.

Lost health? Great, now I can activate Frenzy.

That seemed to be the extent of her concern.

Even as her body was enveloped in flames, she did not stop.

Even as potent poison sizzled against her skin, she swung her axe.

As if she were immortal, Yu Nabi executed a leaping strike directly onto the enemy tank.

First, a massive blow.

The ground shattered from the shockwave, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Then, another strike.

Letting the enemy's blunt weapon strike her head directly, she delivered yet another blow!

With every consecutive attack, the enemy's shield shrieked.

Spit.

Spitting out red blood, her axe never stopped.

How many blows had they exchanged?

The enemy tank finally realized that the Berserker in front of him was an absolute lunatic.

Every time the axe collided with his shield, his guard gauge plummeted, and the damage was far from ordinary.

Anxiety crept into his mind.

The enemy tank was also a skilled player, worthy of claiming a spot among the game's apex predators.

Naturally, he possessed a wide view of the battlefield.

He didn't believe for a second that Yu Nabi was charging in without a plan.

She definitely has something up her sleeve.

But she gave him no time to think.

Where is their Battlemage right now?

Are they flanking us for a surprise attack?

Or are they hiding, waiting to dump their ultimate to break through me?

Yu Nabi's team had a ranged dealer too.

But why isn't there any fire support?

All sorts of worries cluttered the tank's mind.

Meanwhile, Yu Nabi... was unleashing a relentless onslaught as if she knew absolutely nothing.

Because she was acting so overtly reckless, it was impossible to read her intentions.

Wait, is she actually just not thinking at all?

The thought even crossed his mind for a brief moment.

Naturally, she wasn't completely brainless.