Chapter 25: Group Draw (feat. Ronaldo Spirit)

“Alright, dear viewers! We will now begin the group draw broadcaaaaaast! I will!”

The group draw that marked the opening of the tournament finally began.

I was currently streaming the main tournament channel with my cam displayed on the bottom right.

The viewership of the main broadcast was already over 10,000.
The average viewership of other big-name streamers who were also restreaming this, just like me, was well over 5,000.

Even ‘Korani’, the most popular streamer with the most followers, had already surpassed 20,000 viewers, more than the main broadcast itself.

‘The viewership is already insane.’

My stream, on the other hand, had a slight pump to about 1,500 viewers.

I had hoped I could hit my career high of 3,000, which I recorded once during the drinking stream… but it seemed that was just a bubble after all.

Still, this is pretty good.
I’ve surpassed my dream of 1,000 average viewers.
It means I can now move on to the next goal.

And if I do well here, I might even be able to pump it up to 3,000, right?

Heheh.

“Alright… first, before the group draw, we will introduce the group draw method and rules!”

While I was having various delusions, the tournament caster with a clear voice began by explaining the rules.

The rules weren’t much different from what I already knew.

Basically, a roster of 24 people in 8 teams of 3.
The format is that the 8 teams will play a full league, and then the top 4 teams with the highest points will advance to the tournament.

The practice period is a total of 3 days, and after that, the tournament schedule will continue without a break.

“Next, I will explain the group draw method. The group draw method for our 3v3 Grand Melee is divided into three tiers according to skill. Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3! In other words, in this tournament, three players of different skill levels will be on the same team and proceed with the tournament.”

I knew this fact as well.
It’s a natural method for the sake of balance and fun.
It would be a disaster if three highly skilled streamers ended up on the same team.

However, I hadn’t been informed in advance what tier I was in.

It seems they were planning to make a surprise announcement today.

“Then, right here, we will introduce the 8 streamers selected for the highest skill tier! Tier 1!”

Along with some flashy BGM, the Tier 1 roster was revealed.

Inside a square border painted gold, befitting Tier 1, was the streamer’s name along with their profile picture.

‘Let’s see….’

Among the streamers I knew well, ‘Nunmurinayo’, who had the most average viewers among the female streamers participating in this tournament, stood out.

And there was one more.

[………, Nunmurinayo, Gangnani. ………]

It was my name.

[-????]
[-Why is this b*tch Tier 1? lolol]
[-How can a one-trick be Tier 1? This tournament is f*cking ruined lol]
[-An Irelia one-trick is Tier 1 lol]
[-Tier 2 and Tier 3 are in for a treat!!!!]
[-Upvote if the tournament is already f*cking ruined lol]
[-UV lol]

As my name was firmly on the Tier 1 list, the viewers spammed question marks and subtly put me down.

“N-no… what’s wrong! With my tier, being high is right!”

I immediately denied the viewers’ words and shook my head as if to say, ‘What’s the problem?’, but.

‘…Is this for real?’

I’m a little flustered myself right now.
W-well, it’s true that Diamond is high among streamers, but.

What is Tier 1 in a tournament like this?
It’s a position that’s expected to carry the team.

In other words, the expectations are naturally high.

And if you do poorly, you get roasted the most severely.
Moreover, if that team does poorly, all the arrows of blame are directed at the Tier 1 player. I know this because I’ve seen it happen several times in similar tournaments.

It’s burdensome.
It’s so f*cking burdensome!

I was already a little nervous, but I feel like I’m getting even more nervous.

Let’s take a deep breath… a deep breath!

Fuwa-fuwa.
Fuwa-fuwa time.

“Then! Our Tier 1 players with the most powerful mechanics! We will show you each one’s resolution and highlights!”

Along with the caster’s words, the screen changed, and Nunmurinayo’s introduction came up first.

It felt like a video message.
In the video, Nunmurinayo was talking about her determination for the tournament.

Next, the commentators and casters briefly introduced what her main champions were and what her tier was.

‘Come to think of it, there was that too.’

A while ago, there was a request via email to send a short resolution and personal highlights.

For the highlights, well, I just cut out some appropriate parts from my VODs and sent them.

The problem was the personal resolution part.

W-well, how should I put it… trying to talk to a camera by myself in a corner of my room, I guess I should say it was a bit embarrassing?

Anyway.

After some time, it was my turn for the introduction.
Just like the previous streamers, the video message I sent was played first.

[……….]

On the screen, I was seen with my arms crossed and my eyes closed.

5 seconds passed like that, but the me on the screen said nothing.

[-?]
[-What is this b*tch doing? lol]
[-???]
[-Is she meditating?]
[-Ugh, so f*cking embarrassing already lol]
[-I can’t watch this, turning away, cya]

Me, still with my eyes closed and arms crossed.

Finally, I opened my mouth.

Still with my eyes closed.

[A genius of effort, a spirit that always sacrifices for the team, a legendary madman.]

[And.]

Flash!

The me in the video opened my eyes and said with a serious expression.

[My favorite soccer player, Ronaldo.]

Just like that, I shrugged once, and the video of me stating my resolution ended.

[-????]
[-Where’s the resolution, you b*stard lolol]
[-F*ck lol]
[-A f*cking Gang-Jeot-pyeong lolol]
[-What a scene lol]
[-SIUUUUU]
[-The primate GOAT again?]
[-Sa?cri?fice? Spi?rit?]
[-Nothing but ‘legendary madman’ is correct-yo lol]

“Ah… yes, c-cough! That was the resolution from player Gangnani!”

[-The caster is holding back laughter lol]
[-Ugh, so embarrassing, f*ck, ugh, so embarrassing, f*ck, ugh, so embarrassing, f*ck]
[-We’re sorry… we’re sorry… we’re sorry…]
[-Let’s drop out right now lol]

I couldn’t understand the viewers’ reactions.

Hmm.
Why is everyone like that?

My resolution was clearly contained entirely within the video.

The message I sent was the Ronaldo spirit.
In other words, it meant that I would approach the tournament with the spirit of our hyung, the one and only GOAT in soccer history.

Good grief… was it a bit hard for the commoners to understand?

“Hmph, that could be it-yo.”

[-?]
[-Did you eat something bad?]
[-Your condition is strange today-yo]
[-Suddenly, ‘hmph,’ my ass lol]

Next, along with the grand BGM, my highlights were played again.

On the screen were the flashy Irelia plays that I had edited.

Things like 1v3s.
Pentakills.
Those kinds of cool scenes.

The commentators and casters showed their admiration with reactions like, “Ooh!”, and the chat also praised my play by spamming ‘Kyaa’.

It’s a natural reaction.
Because I only sent the best highlights I’ve had in my years of streaming.

Heheheh.

“Wow… player Gangnani, to think she’s an Irelia main, so to speak, a one-trick user, right? Looking at it now, her profile picture is also Irelia. Haha.”

The caster’s introduction of me continued.

“Irelia requires immense mechanics… and to one-trick her. This is extremely rare among streamers! What do you think, Commentator Kim?”

“First, as the caster said, she seems to be a person with very good mechanics. Irelia is really hard to handle.”

The hosts continued to praise me for maining Irelia.

I let out a slight smile.

“Is that so? Heheh….”

[-She’s laughing right away lol]
[-‘Is that so,’ my ass]
[-Are you happy? lol]
[-Hmm… is she that good? Hmm… is she that good? Hmm… is she that good?]
[-Irelia mechanics appeal <- honestly, it’s just hype]
[-Did you pay for it?]
[-How much did you pay the commentator, Nani-ya?]

“Nooo… well! The commentator has a good eye! Uheheh.”

Somehow, hearing that from a real commentator instead of a viewer made me feel good.

‘Oops.’

I had forgotten.

What am I liking?
This will just raise the expectations even more!

Don’t praise me all of a sudden!
I-it’s burdensome… heheh.

“Still, in this mode, it’s a bit… you know.”

The commentator slightly frowned and continued.

“Basically, this mode is very similar to the existing Howling Abyss map, right? Probably, champions that can push lanes quickly and have good poke will be preferred… It is expected that it will be quite tricky to operate Irelia here. Perhaps player Gangnani’s champion pool will be a variable.”

“…….”

At the commentator’s factual assault, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

[-lolol]
[-Champion pool? I don’t know such a thing-yo lol, I’ll just insta-lock Irelia-yo lol]
[-The worst Tier 1 in history has entered lol]
[-I’ll pick last here too-yo lol]
[-They picked a good commentator lol]
[-As expected of Hae-pyeong’s sharp analysis lol]

In fact, I secretly agreed with the commentator’s words.

‘Seriously, even I think Irelia will be f*cking trash….’

I can already see the picture.
A picture of being beaten so badly in the early game that we can’t even make it to the late game before our Nexus is pushed.

…Ah, whatever.

“Ha… haha! The commentator doesn’t know anything-yo! Everyone, watch closely-yo! How I use Irelia to her limits!”

[-Kyaaa]
[-The Ronaldo spirit]
[-A mineral talking about limits lol]
[-So cool-yo, so cool-yo, so cool-yo]
[-As expected, her ambition is wide-yo (her chest is small)]

Come to think of it, the enemy Tier 1 is at best Master-entry or Diamond like me. And the rest of the lower tiers are distributed among Plat, Silver, Gold, and even Bronze.

If I play it right, I might be able to draw a picture of me just stomping them.

“Heheh….”

Suddenly, I can imagine it.

A scene of me carrying with Irelia, shuk-shuk-shuk-shuk, and receiving cheers and applause from nearly 50,000 people.

And so, the group draw ended, and the 3v3 teams were formed.

To introduce my teammates, first, one is Daengyul (Tier 3, Bronze).

‘…So the saying ‘what you fear will come to you’ is true.’

Of all people, I ended up on the same team as the woman I wanted to avoid the most.

Seriously, when that woman’s name was called during the group draw broadcast, I barely managed to stop my expression from crumpling.

Daengyul.

The woman who first made me feel a wall in terms of simp-farming power, and the fox who earned 1 million won just by sitting still.

She has a fundamentally cold-looking impression, but when she smiles, she has a fatally charming smile.
Also, the owner of a captivating voice that makes even women fall for her.

The final boss of simp-farming female streamers.
The overwhelming number one in the donation rankings.

‘Ugh… I really, really didn’t want to be on the same team as her!’

It’s not like that woman has done me any harm… but how should I put it.

It’s a bit much for me to say it myself, but my woman’s intuition after changing.

In other words, my female instincts were wary of that woman.

[-Big ooh la la]
[-She is pretty, yep]
[-So elegant… so elegant… so elegant… so elegant…]
[-Ah~ makes me want to switch allegiance, for real lol]
[-For real, just looking at her expression, she’s not venomous and is demure…]
[-Unlike someone, she’s big, whoever said that, get out lol]
[-Hmm… why is she being compared to someone (no subject)]

This was the chat’s reaction when Daengyul was put on the same team as me.

See!
She’s already bewitching my simps!?

This is so f*cking dangerous!

‘Well, it’s not like I can ask for a change….’

Anyway.

Another one is Erica (Tier 2, Platinum).

As for her characteristics….

‘Hmm… I’ve never seen this Erica woman’s stream, so I don’t know.’

First, her appearance in her profile picture was like this.
Of course, it’s not her real appearance, but just an avatar.

Basically, a ‘ppuaaaang’ body, with a shimmering blonde ponytail.

A full suit of silver, shining armor on her body.

A huge greatsword slung on her back.

That’s right.

Erica’s avatar was like a character from a medieval fantasy story.

Just like an ‘honor’-valuing ‘knight’.

And that word, ‘knight’, somehow gave me a familiar feeling.