Nothing But Offense

Nothing but offense.

There were several reasons why Hanul had his eye on Yu Nabi.

One of them was her character's overwhelming beauty.

Of course, he didn't think that face belonged to the player herself, but that didn't matter to Hanul.

The character model, clearly the work of a master craftsman, was a feast for the eyes.

As a veteran streamer, Hanul had collaborated with countless people.

In virtual reality, an avatar was the very expression of one's individuality.

He had seen an uncountable number of characters, and not a few of them had cost a fortune to customize.

Yet, "DoNotTalkToMe" was so beautiful that even Hanul couldn't help but marvel.

At the very least, she could satisfy the viewers visually.

Of course, he hadn't approached Yu Nabi solely because of her character.

'If internet broadcasting was a market where you could succeed on looks alone, celebrities would have taken over long ago.'

Simply showing off a pretty character didn't guarantee a successful stream.

Therefore, what Hanul truly valued was Yu Nabi's ability as a gamer.

Yu Nabi's build was already highly regarded among Berserkers.

It had been introduced to the world through Hanul, and after a few pro gamers started using it in actual matches, it spread rapidly to the general public.

Before long, statistics showed its pick rate had surpassed 30%.

Considering that Berserkers were expected to play flexible roles and use diverse builds, this was an incredibly high number.

This meant Yu Nabi had an extraordinary eye for the game.

A build capable of shifting the meta was not something just anyone could create.

"Alright, let's start the stream with DoNotTalkToMe. As you all know, we moderate the chat very strictly on guest days. If you start talking trash, you're dead. Seriously."

"Ah, today's guest will only be participating via chat. She has her reasons, so please understand. Instead, we'll play some games together after the interview. If the screen looks too empty, I'll paste a screenshot for you."

Having already anticipated the viewers' reaction, Hanul shamelessly pushed forward.

Instead of Yu Nabi's character, a photo of Hanul's own character was displayed on the stream screen.

It was a picture of a muscular, half-naked man roaring—a photo often mocked for looking like a gorilla depending on who you asked.

When accepting the stream invitation, Yu Nabi had set exactly two conditions.

First, the conversation had to be conducted solely through chat.

Second, she must not face the viewers directly.

Hanul was quick-witted enough to realize that Nabi's shyness was far from ordinary.

He wasn't so tactless as to force something she was uncomfortable with.

"Let's start with a light question. There are so many different classes in Infinity Realm. Why did you choose the Berserker, of all things?"

Though he claimed to start light, this was actually Hanul's main point of interest.

After their chaotic first encounter, curiosity had driven Hanul to check Yu Nabi's match history.

It was also on that day that he decided he should approach her as a streamer.

Surprisingly, this rising star had only recently started playing the game.

At first, she seemed to savor the game itself, rotating through various classes. But at some point, she locked her role to melee warriors.

From then on, she began researching, changing her class and build with every single match.

Her match history contained many ingenious builds besides the Berserker she currently mained.

Out of curiosity, Hanul had tried them himself and found their performance to be outstanding.

This meant Yu Nabi wasn't a so-called "one-trick pony" who only played one class; she was simply using the Berserker because it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was currently the most efficient class.

If Hanul's guess was correct, the name "DoNotTalkToMe" would undoubtedly remain on everyone's lips for a long time to come.

"Does that mean you can pull out other classes at any time depending on the patch?"

Hanul had gotten the answer he wanted.

There were more people than one might think who could generate hype once.

Every class had its masters, and their power when the meta favored them was extraordinary.

However, those who became famous in that manner ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lacked longevity.

It was fine to become friends privately.

But they weren't the kind of connections worth maintaining continuously on stream.

On the other hand, Yu Nabi was a truly fine rough diamond.

There was no telling how high her rank would climb, but her ability to theorycraft builds alone would keep her in the spotlight.

Her extreme shyness could also be an advantage depending on how it was handled.

At the very least, she wouldn't come across as aggressive to others.

Since networking was crucial for a streamer, choosing the right people to associate with was just as important.

Hanul reached a conclusion.

This was an opportunity. He had to claim her before other streamers laid their eyes on her.

At first, it might look like he was nurturing her, but they would soon develop a mutually beneficial relationship.

Conveniently, a good opportunity had recently presented itself.

"Alright, then the next question is..."

I patted my cheeks with both hands.

It was an attempt to somehow reduce my nervousness.

It wasn't very effective, but it was better than doing nothing.

In the Corridor of Duel, the enemy is visible right from the start.

This field had no special terrain or gimmicks, just a wide, flat corridor.

It was a warrior's arena where a pure one-on-one duel could take place without any interference.

And as if by mutual agreement, neither of us made the first move.

I knew why.

Hanul was giving me time.

He was making sure that I, in my nervous state, wouldn't collapse without even showing my true skills.

I had never asked for such a favor, but it didn't feel bad.

Taking a deep breath, I focused on the opponent's armament.

A massive tower shield that looked capable of hiding his entire body.

And a trident with large spearheads.

'Alright. It's clear what he wants to see.'

The dangpa, a trident used by soldiers during the Joseon Dynasty, was a fairly defensive weapon.

Its three-pronged blades were excellent for blocking an enemy's weapon or catching it to lock it down entirely.

Holding a similar weapon along with a large shield made his intention clear.

While my side weaponized high attack power, his build was designed for high stopping power.

It was a setup currently rising in ranked games as a counter-strategy to my build.

Even with my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠axe, I couldn't break the guard of that heavy tower shield in a short time.

If he blocked my weapon alternately with the trident while recovering his guard gauge, and then counterattacked with the Dragon Knight's unique magic attacks, he would be difficult to deal with.

But there was no need to fear.

No matter how solid a wall the enemy was, the way forward lay ahead, not behind.

My scattered mind gradually settled.

As I thought about the enemy and designed the fight, and as it became harder to think of anything else, only the enemy's weapon and silhouette filled my vision.

The moment I activated the buff, Hanul also began to move.

I was the one who had to close the distance first.

As I sprinted forward, I saw a red magic circle forming beneath Hanul's feet.

I pulled a throwing axe from my back and hurled it with all my might.

The axe bounced off his shield.

However, the opponent couldn't continue casting his magic either.

My build fundamentally lacked long-range poke options.

The axe I had just thrown was practically my only means ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of keeping him in check.

However, the leg strength provided by my high stats also affected my dash speed.

If the enemy were a proper ranged damage dealer, it might be different, but a Dragon Knight was a hybrid class based on the Knight.

With that sluggish casting speed, interrupting him just once was enough.

Soon, my battleaxe swung down like a bolt of lightning.

Crash!

A heavy recoil traveled up the shaft of the axe, wrapping around my hands.

This thrilling sensation of impact was a privilege only melee classes could enjoy.

'Since I've decided to fight, I will absolutely not lose.'

So what if the opponent's strength lay in high stopping power?

So what if the tower shield's guard couldn't be broken in a single blow no matter how much I raised my attack power?

What of it?

I hadn't designed my build so poorly that I would tremble at such a minor weakness.

If I chose attack power, the opponent could choose defense.

If I hadn't even anticipated this much, it would be a matter of intelligence.

A guard is bound to break eventually if you keep pounding on it.

If the guard is thick, the solution is simply to strike it more.

A Berserker loses not when the opponent's guard is solid, but when they stop attacking.

The Berserker class.

With the character for "madness" embedded in its very name, this class only showed its true potential when the player truly went mad.

Nothing but offense.

Even if my own body felt like it would shatter first, offense.

No matter what the opponent did, only by stubbornly hammering them with attacks could a path to victory be found.

My axe advanced toward the enemy, time and time again.