I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

The chaos of the New Continent was finally quelled only after an emergency maintenance began.

It seems the developers tried to make some changes, but can the world really be made to bend to our will?

In the end, they had to wag their tails and adopt the same methods used on the existing continent.

However, amidst the turmoil, some would always see an opportunity.

I managed to scoop up a pretty decent share by cleaning up the area.

The sweet gold mines didn’t last long.

Even if they stole your possession, they couldn’t touch the gold coins stored in the village.

After realizing that the fields of the New Continent were far more dangerous than expected, players started to avoid carrying gold coins altogether.

Killing gamers near the village became pointless, you see.

You could argue that the purpose of the New Continent has been ruined, but such issues would soon be resolved naturally.

After all, the top hunting grounds have always been located far from the villages.

In Inbl’s hunts, consumables are often used up.

Going back and forth to the village for supplies is clearly going to drop efficiency like plop.

To restock consumables from nearby merchants, you’d need to carry enough gold coins, right?

The intention is to avoid bullying the weak and have the strong fight amongst themselves.

[Would you like to store 80,000,000 Gold? Y/N]

[Storage completed.]

Anyway, it’s true that the merits of hunting players have diminished for now.

So, it’s time to properly explore the New Continent.

There is still much information about the New Continent that remains undisclosed.

Several pieces of information were revealed with the intention of amplifying expectations, but ultimately it’s up to the players to figure things out for themselves.

Relying solely on community sites in situations like this is for amateurs.

The monopoly on money-making information, what we call a “hive,” can’t be discovered without taking action.

Naturally, such endeavors are more efficient when done as a group rather than alone.

“Are you broadcasting right now? If you are, turn it off. The hive will get shattered!”

“Do you think I wouldn’t know that? But I’m recording. I’ll edit and post it later. Is that okay?”

“As long as I get to review it before you post.”

“Of course! Do you think of me as some punk?”

A warrior with a large sword strapped to his back.

Sulbbang shrugged his shoulders.

…He was the only one I could call upon right now.

What can I say?

It’s not my fault my network is limited.

Not many are worth bringing along in this line of work.

Especially, at a time when the dynamics of siege guilds are swiftly changing.

It’s not easy to find unaligned players among the top users.

Surprisingly, Sulbbang met those conditions.

He had only ever operated as a mercenary and had his own specs and skills.

He could even take my place on the front lines, making a two-person party a viable combination.

Honestly, the name Traveler even flitted through my mind for a moment.

But he needed to prepare for the League now.

Even if I asked, I would have been turned down immediately.

– Q Prime vs Sigma, this season’s opening match big match!

– Korean League, can the Lucé and Traveler-centered system be sustainable?

– Sigma e-Sports, Camelian called up to the first team!

With the patch for the New Continent, it was finally time for the Pro League to start.

With the first match being against Lucé, there would surely be a lot at stake.

Lucé would also come well prepared for the event.

The Lucé I saw in the Arena had become stronger than before.

Ah, I can’t wait to watch the match!

“Sa—… Ahem. Is sis not coming?”

“It’ll be tough. Elderin is originally a pro at styling. She’ll probably join only after reviewing all the new additions. Dol-gwal said tomorrow.”

“San-sae said she wouldn’t be able to log in until tomorrow either. No choice then. Let’s wander around today, just the two of us.”

By the way, it’s a big deal.

I’ve slowly started to refer to her as ‘sister.’

I know it’s pointless to worry about things like this.

Yet, the words that used to feel so distant have slowly begun to slip from my mouth.

Are people really animals that adapt to their environment?

Even my comfort with physical contact has somehow softened.

It strangely calms my heart when I cling to someone else.

That’s why at the karaoke, I was sitting entirely on San-sae’s lap.

There was absolutely no ulterior motive.

It just felt really comfortable. I think I get why women hold hands now.

‘Warm and soft… No, that’s not it.’

Anyway, it was a massive change from the past when I felt disgusted just by body contact with others.

I haven’t tried touching a guy yet, so I wouldn’t know, but I can’t carelessly experiment either.

Am I actually an easier person than I thought?

A sense of crisis was creeping in.

While I was lost in thought, Sulbbang opened the map.

The unexplored regions that haven’t been revealed yet seemed to be engulfed in fog.

Still, the rough silhouettes were visible.

Sulbbang pointed right at the center of the fog.

“Most people seem to want to break through the center first, especially here.”

“The Siege Guild will probably head that way. They must think good rewards are concentrated in the center.”

“So, will you head to the center too?”

“No. Don’t say such terrible things. What are you trying to see there?”

No matter what treasure I find, if I can’t keep it, it’s not mine.

There’s nothing worse than getting caught up in a messy situation with the Siege Guild.

They’ve earned a reputation for being chaotic for a reason.

They’re basically a bunch of greedy predators.

Like starving beasts, logic and reason become irrelevant in front of them.

Powerful yet gluttonous carnivores.

As long as their instincts remain, they’ll target the weakest prey first.

That’s the essence of what I think the Siege Guild is.

So, it would be more reasonable to head elsewhere.

I had a place already in mind—the canyon in the corner of the map.

It was expected to be the most challenging and complex course on this continent.

“Let’s go here.”

“…Really?”

“Why, scared?”

A laugh bubbled up naturally.

Sulbbang gritted his teeth.

“I’m just so excited! Let’s go right now!”

*

The blood that entered my mouth was gritty.

Hot and sticky. The iron taste lurked, filling my mouth with a metallic flavor.

After spitting it out on the floor, the lingering grossness made me rinse with water too.

I angrily kicked the fallen monster’s head.

But it hurt me more than it hurt the monster.

I pretended like nothing happened as I hugged my foot.

It seemed that all the monsters around here were Minotaurs.

Beasts with a human body and a bull’s head. Not my favorite kind of opponent, as their vitality was tough.

Monster-type foes often get easily dirty from the blood.

“Ugh, my mouth still smells like blood.”

“Do you want some more water?”

“Yeah.”

For sure, the monsters in this area had high specs.

Just the Minotaurs I had hunted a moment ago exceeded the best hunting grounds back on the main continent.

When I first entered, I saw a few other users, but now I couldn’t find a single one.

Most of them must have died or fled.

Even with my equipment level, it was tricky to deal with them.

For an average user, hunting here seemed like an impossibility.

Moreover, due to the terrain of the canyon, it’s cumbersome for many people to move at once.

That reassured me even more.

This is the right choice.

“If we continue on, do you think something will be there?”

“Seems like it. I have a good feeling.”

There were two reasons I chose this place among many regions.

The first is that it’s a location that a massive Siege Guild would find hard to penetrate.

The terrain is narrow, and strong monsters imply vulnerability to ambushes.

It wasn’t the sort of place that greedy players would easily choose.

The second reason essentially aligns with the first.

Passing through this canyon is most efficient with a small elite group.

But most users with specs like mine are likely already involved in a guild.

Now that the majority of the big guilds are focused on central assaults, this spot could justifiably be termed the most deserted place on the New Continent.

The difficulty of dealing with each monster also signaled hope.

At least it means it’s not impossible.

If it weren’t an unorthodox route, there would have been monsters I couldn’t have dealt with stationed here.

Then it’s time to move on.

Infinity Black is a game, and as such, it obeys rules.

In games, after hardship comes rewards.

Unlike in reality.

“Ah, what do we do with the loot?”

“Let’s just hold onto everything for now. We’ll settle up later.”

“What’s this? It feels good to be trusted!”

“…Well, that’s one way to see it.”

In truth, I am quite grateful to Sulbbang.

Given how many times I had died to him, he surely harbored some ill feelings towards me, yet he never showed it.

What’s more, he even willingly extended a hand to me.

No matter what, I wouldn’t repay gratitude with malice.

But it doesn’t mean my childish jealousy has vanished somewhere…well, that’s not it.

Whenever that bad feeling fills my heart again, this guy is just slippery enough to avoid it.

“Let’s go. We’ve rested enough. Let’s keep moving and see if we can find something.”

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s right. Hehe…”

Sorting through my complicated feelings, I hit the road again.

Walking a path that isn’t lonely wasn’t so bad after all.

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