Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 202
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 202
Seo Jun’s Provocation didn’t earn a standing ovation from Spoon alone.
Team Rainbull.
In place of the red bull that invariably appeared whenever someone watched an extreme sports video with a casualty rate of 0% survival and 100% fatalities—
The team captain had “Lain” appended to their name, differing by just one character, and their A-rank Ace was Hwang So.
In that team’s Lobby, a slow, rhythmic applause now echoed.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
A standing ovation, just like Spoon’s. The expression of emotion was identical.
The only differences were the reason for applauding and their gender.
“That’s perfect. Perfect! Wow!”
Lain.
Team captain.
Position: royal Mid lane.
That’s right.
She had called in a pro player to get past the Group Stage, and after learning nothing but how to survive without dying, she was now cheering.
More precisely.
[Today, let’s learn how to identify minions we can afford to miss.]
[This time, we’ll practice letting go of those minions you identified yesterday.]
[Here’s how not to respond when the jungler fights anywhere during laning phase, Lain.]
[Don’t venture beyond that tower—that’s the rule.]
[Let me teach you the mental management technique of adopting the mindset that merely staying alive is good enough.]
[We should also cover how to hide completely behind the tower.]
In short, Lain had received intensive instruction in a single lesson: “How Not to Be Greedy.”
After going to such lengths to bring in a pro player!
Incidentally, that pro was Taker—the one who lost to Seo Jun on the first day and had been tagging along to the Gymnasium every morning during the training period.
So she had studied even harder. How not to die.
Having experienced it herself, she would understand.
Lain was grateful that Taker taught her thoroughly, but she couldn’t help being dissatisfied that the method was entirely for the sake of survival.
Of course, it wasn’t that she hadn’t considered the possibility that Wind Sword’s main Position was Mid lane, so Seo Jun would go to Top.
But even in that case, Lain would have to buy in.
So why was she cheering so loudly now?
“Seriously! Nice! That’s great!”
Either way, at least it was better than Seo Jun. Seo Jun was out of the question, regardless of who the opponent was.
That’s what Taker had guaranteed.
If anyone could stop him, it would only be Hwang So.
Lain’s gaze shifted to Hwang So.
Trabol’s finest true man.
The kind of man who didn’t flinch, who had the boldness to provoke in interviews yet compliment his opponent as handsome.
“You secretly wanted Seo Jun to go Top, didn’t you?”
She believed it.
She believed in the Top laner who had learned and practiced tips for one-on-one matchups and marking against Taker.
“If Seo Jun goes Top, every lane except Top becomes easier, and his influence diminishes. If you can stop him in the laning phase, then his influence in the mid and late game also diminishes.”
The viewers were skeptical, but Lain waved it off with a laugh.
“It’s good news. Good news.”
-How is it that easy?
-Can’t you see what happened to Spoon and still not get it lol
-The top inhibitor will be pushed down like a highway in no time lol
-Still, if they get a kill, that’s at least ten million won lol Hwang So profits from that alone
The teammates were thinking the same as Lain.
Humans are creatures who always run their hope circuits and happiness circuits at full throttle.
“If we win here, things will really get easier, won’t they?”
“Of course, but be careful—Seo Jun might come to Mid this time too.”
“Yes! But I won’t die easily.”
“No doubt. You’ve learned a lot. Ha ha. But doesn’t he always follow through whenever he provokes?”
-A man’s got pride lol
-He’s a true man, no joke.
-They all have the skill to back it up, so they’re confident
-Is that not because of looks?
-That’s also true, dammit.
“Right. He does follow through on what he says. Hwang So, what should we do about the Ban-Pick? Hwang So? Hwang So?”
“Back to the act again. Heh heh. Hwang So?”
Caterpillar giggled and called out to Hwang So.
They were all harmonious. With good news, how could the mood be anything but good?
But among them, one person couldn’t resonate and was internally crying out for SOS.
That person was none other than Trabol’s greatest concept actor, who had been holding down the atmosphere since earlier.
‘Help me.’
* * *
Of course, he had mentally prepared himself for a direct laning matchup.
He’d even let slip hints about swapping lanes.
But back then, Seo Jun had spoken in a tone that suggested he trusted Wind Sword.
So why did he provoke directly this time?
Hwang So worried and worried.
“Wow. Not even an eye twitch—really dedicated to spiritual discipline.”
“He doesn’t seem to hear us at all?”
“Just leave him. Don’t interrupt the Ace. Let’s go over there.”
Did his last provocation upset him that much?
Was he trying to teach him directly?
Even though he’d called him handsome?
-Guy. Top trouble. Popular.
-Hwang So choked lol got scared?
-Why do these negative factions keep appearing? Our Hwang So is clean manliness incarnate
-That’s because the asshole tells him to come at him, you handsome bastard
-Ah lol if a prettier guy had even better skills it’d be too much
-But that pretty guy said he’s coming Top to look at Hwang So. Hwang So’s popular!
-He’s coming to destroy him lol
‘Lie. Possibility. Exists.’
Bluffing.
‘If kill, they pay. Truth.’
But there was no direct mention of coming to Top.
So.
See it in the Ban-Pick and judge.
‘Ban-Pick. Wait. Possible?’
Possible.
It seemed like maybe—just maybe—he’d found a way to win the game while avoiding laning against that person.
Hwang So’s eyes shot open.
Honestly, it was nerve-wracking, but Hwang So thought that if he laned against Seo Jun, the probability of losing was high.
‘This is legal.’
Hwang So, who had found the solution, lifted his head. The world suddenly brightened.
It was unavoidable.
And because Hwang So had a soft heart.
He couldn’t let all the preparations Lain had worked so hard on go to waste just because Seo Jun came to Top.
If someone prepared that thoroughly, they deserved a chance to use it.
‘Seo Jun. Mid. Success.’
Guide him there.
Even if not, to the best outcome.
[Now then, the match for Group B is about to begin!]
* * *
Seo Jun was in reality, sitting at a desk.
On one monitor, he was video-calling his teammates, and on another, he had the official broadcast screen open.
The second match, the first match of Group B, was between Heavy Mental and Pado.
The next match was Team Rainbull versus Wealth Gap—their team.
But the reason he was outside watching instead of joining from within was—
[Alpaca ordered chicken. Ah, should I have ordered chicken too?]
[Ha ha. No, Yun-ho, you just brought snacks? You should’ve brought something tasty.]
[Wow, everyone ordered delivery. Even Seo Jun ordered chicken.]
Not to shoot a mukbang broadcast—
They had just agreed to do this beforehand.
And when Wealth Gap suddenly started broadcasting a mukbang, people flocked to watch.
-Lol I’m also watching Trabol while eating
-You guys are pro players lol
-If you’d lost, I’d have cursed you out, but since you won, I’ll give credit!
“No, you all would’ve eaten even if we lost, right?”
Seo Jun tore into a chicken leg while engaging with viewers.
-As a shareholder with Points invested in Wealth Gap, I cannot condone such a carefree attitude from a player
“But we won, right? And the major shareholder Jo Am says it’s fine, so what can you do?”
It should be fine, right?
Probably.
Even if Seo Jun drank alcohol right here, Jo Am might throw dotes telling him to drink more.
Seo Jun laughed and swallowed the lean meat.
-Real talk lol
-Captain arguing with viewers lol
“No. It’s not an argument, it’s communication.”
-That’s not communication, that’s one-sided character assassination lol
-But honestly, I kind of like this captain-style communication?
-He does beat up the viewers better than anyone
-Sometimes when the viewers lose, we feel a bit better about it
As he chatted with viewers and joked around with teammates, the forty-minute break passed quickly.
His stomach might feel full, but that’s fine. He’s going into virtual reality anyway.
[Since we won! But if we’d lost, it might’ve been just Seo Jun out here.]
[It’s the victor’s specialty meal.]
[With just one win under our belt, it feels so reassuring.]
The tension had eased off appropriately.
After all, there were only two matches, and only one team would be eliminated.
[Pado’s carrying this against Heavy Mental.]
[Pado’s completely carrying this?]
[He said he learned from a Champion and his understanding of team play improved so much. He’s amazing, isn’t he?]
-Pado carry!
-Mid lane dominates the game!!!
-Royal. Mid. Lane.
-Because Mid is the protagonist of the game
-Captain, you still going Top with all this?
A rival (or so they thought) Mid laner played well, and they’re asking if he’d still go Top?
“Who knows?”
Seo Jun logged into the Capsule with a meaningful smile.
* * *
The Ban-Pick phase had begun.
“Curious why we didn’t turn off the audio?”
-Yes
-Ye
-Real lol
-Right, we hear your voice but you can’t see chat
-But then everything’s exposed anyway
“I noticed that teams usually mute themselves during Ban-Pick to avoid exposing strategies they’ll use next round, so they can talk freely. But we don’t have anything like that.”
“That’s true.”
“Agreed.”
They’d completely relaxed their nerves.
The leisure of a team with one win under their belt.
“So we decided to just stream it. That said, let’s ban Garan for the first ban.”
At Seo Jun’s word, Wind Sword unhesitatingly banned a hero.
-???
-Why suddenly ban Garan???
-Garan’s a trash hero nobody uses lol
“You’ll see.”
[Forbidden Hero – Shadow Sorcerer Zen]
The opponents made their ban.
“Our turn. Wind Sword?”
“Ah. That will. I have inherited it.”
“Is that so?”
Wind Sword sent a look that said he trusted himself, then made a ban without instruction.
-Why Galan again lol
-Does anyone even play Galan?
-Wait, could it be????
The legendary Gagarang ban.
Setting aside the honorific prefix, the Interface sorts heroes in the pick window by name.
Gagarang consists of.
The first three heroes in alphabetical order.
That’s right.
A legendary troll Ban-Pick passed down from the PC era.
“This is right, yeah?”
Wind Sword grins wickedly.
“Correct.”
-Gagarang! Gagarang! Gagarang!
-You maniacs lol
[Forbidden Hero – Escaped Automaton Eric]
-Eric has to be banned
-Real lol
-Just always
-The last one’s Kael?
-With Id banned, maybe we see Id for the first time in a game.
Wind Sword finished banning through the third hero.
There was no need to deliberate. It was Gagarang.
“What do you think the opponents will ban third?”
He didn’t know. But for some reason, Seo Jun had a feeling the opponents would make another unusual move.
The Ban-Pick was similarly running behind.
[Forbidden Hero – Abandoned Automaton Id]
As expected.
“They left Kael open?”
“Huh?”
“Your Kael can’t be stopped.”
Seo Jun grasped the opponents’ intention at a glance.
“Wind Sword, grab it right away.”
“Kael?”
“Yes.”
They were on Blue Team, so they had first pick priority.
And Seo Jun immediately picked Kael.
The opponents’ first and second picks came next.
“Hmm. Seo Jun? Sure enough, Hwang So picked a hard Counter to Kael?”
“Didn’t you anticipate that much?”
“Even so, if you go Top like this, it seems like it’ll be pretty rough.”
Of course it’d be rough.
Kael wasn’t great for Top anyway, and the opponent was a hard counter.
If that were the case, he could avoid Top and go Mid instead.
Everyone had expected the counter pick anyway.
But.
“Rough? Why would I have it rough?”
“Huh?”
-???
-What are you saying
-Obviously it’s super rough with matchup disadvantage
“Well, Kael is Wind Sword’s pick. I’m going Top with a different hero.”
“Oh… Oh!”
Everyone had been thinking Seo Jun would play Kael because his Kael was so OP.
But Wind Sword, being a representative Kael enthusiast himself, could just as easily take Kael to Mid.
Wind Sword caught on immediately and muttered to himself.
“Ah… this cold, heavy sensation….”
-Time to return to being a Kael devotee! lol
-This could work
-Is Hwang So an idiot? lol
-Actually, it makes sense to think the captain would always pick Kael. Sometimes it’s just too broken
-So what’s the captain doing?
“But what are you going to do, Seo Jun?”
Rumi asked out of genuine curiosity, and Seo Jun answered immediately since he’d already thought it through.
“Oh. I heard that ranged damage dealers are great for beating Top laners. Seeing Hwang So’s pick, it seems perfect.”
Actually, this is why he’d wanted to keep the audio unmuted.
The viewers would love this, right?
-Ah… ADC… ADC Top…
-^^ㅣ get destroyed don’t bring ADC to the sacred Top lane dammit lol
-Oh no PTSD coming back… ugh…
-Lol Top laners remembering getting beaten by ADC
-Men’s blood and sweat bleeding on the Battlefield, and you’re playing the mosquito that pecks from afar?
-But that mosquito sucks all the blood, doesn’t it? lol
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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