Chapter 213
As expected, the match ended in a victory for Wealth Gap.
The teams that made it to the finals were now Wealth Gap and Bat.
After the match, the casters replayed the highlight moments.
And among those highlights, Taewoo was included.
[Heaven, why did you give birth to me...!]
- lololololol just tell them not to give birth to everyone
- It's amazing he memorized that line there
- No way lololol why are pro players getting involved, this is driving me crazy lololol
"Hahaha. Taewoo seems really wronged!"
"Considering how Seojun sensed his killing intent, it's quite understandable that he feels wronged."
"Shall we take a look from Seojun's perspective? How did he notice at the last moment?"
They replayed the footage, this time centering on Seojun.
They examined the map and everything within Seojun's field of vision.
And reached a conclusion.
Arin was amazed.
"There's nothing! Absolutely no basis for it!"
"Unless he actually sensed the killing intent, it makes no sense."
"It's insane intuition! Truly the #1 male streamer you'd want to bring along if you were stranded on a deserted island!"
- Since when was there such a survey? ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
- There's never been a survey like that lolololololol it's just the host going off the rails
- But honestly, if you really had to go to a deserted island with one streamer, wouldn't it be Jin Seojun?
- For real lolol
- He's just a total munchkin as a human being
"It would be fun if there actually was a survey like that!"
There does exist a website that runs World Cup-style polls on such topics.
It's primarily a site where broadcasters enjoy with their viewers, and now with Seojun's level of recognition, if he appeared there, many people would recognize him and choose him.
Arin continued, changing the subject.
"Now! The final matchup has been decided. Wealth Gap vs. Bat! A battle of mid vs. jungle! Will Seojun go jungle this time? And will Dokkaebi player manage to counter Wealth Gap like before!"
"And finally, how Wealth Gap prepared for Dokkaebi’s ganks! We'll see that."
"Thank you."
- Ment intercept ㄷㄷ
- The host's experience is insane
- It's all scripted, you idiots
- Where's the script? lololololol
"Everyone? We'll take a short break now, then proceed with the 3rd/4th place match. Just so you know, it won't be 10 minutes. We have to be considerate to the team that just finished."
* * *
The 3rd/4th place match was a showdown between One Bite and Jipaljikon.
Seojun was pondering who would win.
Spoon and Kale, was it.
[If you predict the winner of the 3rd/4th place match, you'll admit it – Mission reward 890,000 won]
"Ah, they're kindly providing some dinner money for us again."
As Seojun chuckled, teasing his viewers, Rumi, who was sitting beside him, asked.
"What dinner money?"
"I was just sitting still, and it got placed on me instantly."
"Placed what?"
"A mission."
"Oh?"
"If we predict who wins the 3rd/4th place match, the viewers are treating us to the after-party."
"Kya!"
"Oh? A mission went up in our room too."
Alpaca suddenly spoke up.
"It's in our room too?"
"Me too."
Baramgeom and Ha Yoonho as well.
"Oh! It's in mine too!"
Finally, even Rumi—all their rooms had missions placed on them.
- Kya
- The viewers' unity is insane
- lol They're saying they'll pay for the after-party if we guess right lololol
Now that the momentum was set, the mission reward would keep rising for a while.
Seojun quickly assessed the situation and waited. But he didn't stay quiet.
"Listen, viewers in the other rooms. I have a 100% mission success rate so far. Don't place bets."
When Seojun tried to stop them, his teammates chimed in.
"He's a super high-risk asset among high-risk assets."
"That's right."
"Ahehe. Leave it, leave it."
They knew this was how wallets would open.
- Just do it
- This time for sure!!! Well, we've lost every time so far lololol anyway we'll win this time!!!!
- Betting on high-risk assets is what true beasts do
The sound of wallets opening could be heard from all around. You could tell from the teammates' expressions.
The mission reward kept climbing.
"I'll use all of this reward for our after-party if I win it."
"Me too!"
"Same here."
"I'm not?"
"......"
"Just kidding, of course."
Of course, the mission in Seojun's room stopped at around 1 million won.
Since it was just a simple prediction, even with 50,000 people gathered, it wasn't a small amount.
After confirming that the missions in his teammates' rooms had climbed to about half that level, Seojun finally spoke.
"Everyone. Based on the amounts, how about I and Baramgeom bet on One Bite, and the other three bet on Jipaljikon? 2 million won should be enough for the after-party, right?"
That was it.
From the moment the missions were split, there was no way they could lose.
- Ah
- Host!!!!!
- This ^^cking clever bastard
- Foul! Stop! Time! Halt!
"Uh... Seojun. The public sentiment is really bad, though?"
"Baramgeom. Endure it. That's what being a streamer is about."
Seojun spoke with a serious face like a senior giving advice on enduring the hardships of life or work.
For reference, as a streamer, Baramgeom was the senior, not Seojun.
- That's just you, you prick!
- #1 streamer at beating up his viewers ㄷㄷ
- lolololololololololololololololololololololol
- Viewers in other rooms are losing their minds lololololololololololololololololololol
- This is the taste of the host!
"I was joking. Alright, let's discuss it."
"Sounds good."
They quickly began chattering away.
Chattering about someone else's fight, nothing to do with them—that's the most fun thing of all.
"Since both are bot, wouldn't Spoon obviously win?"
"Huh. Bot fights are support fights. And even if not, the average tier difference is way too big. Going bot with someone like Rumi, no matter how Challenger she is!"
Jipaljikon: A-tier support, B-tier ADC.
One Bite: A-tier ADC, D-tier support.
"What did you just say? No, you're an E-tier, what right do you have to say that to me?"
"Well, true."
"Ugh. Anyway, I agree with Yunho on this. The support's influence in bot lane is bigger than you'd think."
Bot lane matchup.
Jipaljikon favored.
"Then the issue is late-game carry ability."
"But when did Jipaljikon become this strong a team?"
"Exactly. I thought they'd get demolished helplessly."
"This is why you never know until you play."
- But honestly, from the other teams’ perspective, Wealth Gap is probably the scariest lolololololol
- For real, the scariest
- The teammates are solid, and this host bastard is way too OP
- Did I say I'd win?
- Eouma! Eouma! Eouma! Eouma! Eouma!
- That was ages ago, he's already long since class-changed from Heavenly Demon to Sword God
"This time it seems more like a matchup issue rather than pure team skill, but whatever. Let's see."
They chose Jipaljikon.
* * *
Meanwhile, Dokkaebi.
After tons of practice, even bringing in a pro (as all the other teams did too), racking their brains together, and reaching the finals, their team didn't look particularly happy.
It wasn't a bad atmosphere, either.
Just ambiguous.
"Hmm..."
"Third place is Jipaljikon."
"Wow. Hahahaha."
It was because they were all desperately racking their brains for a way to win.
Not winning would be really disappointing.
Even if it was just a streamer tournament, not something that would add a line to their careers.
It would be disappointing.
That's why they were all trying to figure out a way, wracking their brains during the single day they had.
Through the past matches, they felt what they had prepared before wasn't enough.
Of course, the viewers who came to them were excited.
For reference, the viewers gathered there mostly consisted of fans of the teams that had lost to Seojun.
- Is this the room of Dokkaebi, the King God Emperor General Chungmugong Majesty who defeated the one whose name cannot be spoken?
- Dokkaebi! Dokkaebi! Dokkaebi!
- The only hope left for us!
- The only one who beat ‘that bastard’!
- People who are trusting only Dokkaebi right now, thumbs up lolololololololololololololololololololol
- Everyone's pissed because their team got completely wrecked
- Kya! Dokkaebi will at least get one win, right? Won't get totally smashed in the match, right?
- Show us! Show us! Show us! Show us!
Thanks to Seojun, Dokkaebi's current viewer count was #1, excluding the official broadcast.
80,000 people.
Just like the eliminated teams, Dokkaebi's stream had been in spectator mode until a moment ago, but this was where the firepower was strongest.
"Phew. Let's wrap up the broadcast first."
Dokkaebi, acting like a leader, called for the viewers to disperse.
- Yeah, if you want to give that bastard a proper lesson, you need to rest well
- Is that really possible?
- Impossible lolol
- Honestly, you guys aren't even seriously cheering, are you?
- Still, they won last time, so who knows
- Lol
- I said who knows!
- Lol
- Lol
- Lol
Anyway.
Dokkaebi spoke to the team members after ending the broadcast.
"Let's think on it until we go to sleep."
"Got it!"
Since they weren't the type to sleep exactly at midnight, they could chatter for a few more hours, but time was short. The match was tomorrow.
"First, let's reconsider the weaknesses."
"Hmm... the teammates?"
"They're performing decently, about as expected for their level."
"Then the jungle? The jungle was the biggest potential and weak point. The problem is, watching today's match, they were solving it with shotcalling."
Everyone looked at Dokkaebi.
And one team member asked.
"How does that player's shotcalling compare to your skill, Dokkaebi? We saw today—he understands the game really well."
"......"
Dokkaebi smiled again.
There must be a way, somehow.
* * *
Seojun ended the broadcast and stepped out of the capsule. The after-party funds were well earned.
Thanks to Taewoo. His friend had fought hard.
Even though it was only 3rd place, with no real prize, he had grit his teeth to earn it.
It was thanks to him.
Seojun smiled contentedly and, thinking he should definitely offer thanks, not trash talk, headed to the living room.
"Thanks."
"For what."
Taewoo answered curtly.
Seojun chuckled and continued with cliché dialogue.
"We won thanks to you."
"Why the hell are you saying something to me that you'd say to a comrade who sacrificed himself in place of the protagonist?"
"Really, it's thanks to you."
Seojun's words were sincere.
They had won because Taewoo played poorly.
But what was it he was trying to thank him for again?
"Wow. Tea-bagging a loser like this? Blocking a friend's path forward? While making so much money?"
"Oh, right."
"This bastard's not listening to me right now."
That was actually true.
"Because your team got 3rd place, we succeeded in the prediction mission."
"Wow. And in the middle of all that, you bet on us again?"
"The godlike viewers placed the bet first, though?"
"I see."
"Anyway, thanks to you, we've got a lot of money for the after-party. Around three million won?"
"So?"
"Invite them all. Every team."
"Oh. That's a great idea. Let's do it right away!"
"We already decided to do it. Anyway, you tell your team about it."
"Alright. Yunho hyung must be busy right now, telling the other teams. What's the date?"
"We'll do it sometime."
Taewoo nodded. Then, after a moment of thought, he spoke.
"Hey."
"What."
"Since I've already blocked you once and trampled on the budding sprouts, win, okay? Got it?"
"Why. Think we might lose?"
"No. Honestly, I..."
"Yeah."
"I bet all my channel points on your team."
Taewoo grinned with a smirk.
"Wow."
Seojun was impressed.
"What. Why."
"Have you been reading books lately?"
"What books?"
"How are you all of a sudden acting smart, making a fuss?"
"You bastard?"
* * *
The next day.
The finals began.