Chapter 30 - Solo Play is Also Possible (1)

The number of viewers was a measure of a streamer's status. Among these, the change in the number of digits was a clear indicator, wasn't it?

Lee Kyung-bok felt a sense of satisfaction that the leading digit had changed, and he burned with even more enthusiasm.

"Alright, now for the much-anticipated third game. We're almost there with the quest success!"

Perhaps his enthusiasm was conveyed.

The chat window also became more lively.

- Haha, good vibes, good vibes!

- Quest?

- Haha, there's a Q-agent quest.

- Yami 3-peat? Still no conscience, huh? Haha

- In the purple room, it's Q-dari. Haha

- Wow, but you're already on a 2-peat with Yami?

- Q-dari, shaking now, right?

- Ah, Haha, no one can stop the purple.

The game was matched during this time.

As soon as they entered the lobby, everyone chose their champions without hesitation.

- Look at the pick speed, hahaha

- His MMR went up again in solo, so he's probably around high diamond?

- Ah, that's right.

- Haha, how can Yami come out in such an MMR?

- MMR is so high, it's crazy.

The viewers didn't hide their excitement at the rare sight. Lee Kyung-bok intended to meet their expectations.

[> What is this?]

[> Ah, damn...]

[> Oh, really?]

[> Is this trolling at this rating?]

The reactions from his teammates were as expected. After all, he had experienced this before.

But this time is different. Unlike the first time, there is a record of playing with platinum-ranked users.

He thought that once they saw this, their resistance would decrease.

"It's not trolling. My record..."

But before Lee Kyung-bok could finish his sentence,

[> Is this fun for you?]

[> Really, it's so pathetic.]

[> Losers are all the same.]

[> It's obvious when you see them dragging others down.]

The chat window was filled with insulting words.

- What is this?

- Are these guys crazy?

- Actually, this is the normal reaction, haha.

- Of course, they think it's trolling.

- Skill and personality don't always match...

- Not one, but all four are trash, huh? Haha

- Teacher Jirobo? That's not right, isn't it just one?

- It's frustrating when Yami is picked in the placement match.

Seeing Lee Kyung-bok's response, the viewers also calmed down.

However, the teammates didn't even wait for that brief moment.

[> Just ignore it.]

[> Swearing at them just gives them what they want.]

[> That's right. If he can pick Yami in a placement match, he must be serious.]

[> He's not just a typical attention-seeker.]

They knew how to deal with trolls because they had a lot of experience.

[> Block him first.]

[> Really, so pathetic...]

[> Report him after the game.]

[> Let's do our best together.]

That was their last chat. Lee Kyung-bok didn't expect that he wouldn't even have a chance to explain.

- Look at the instant block, hahaha

- Actually, this is the norm in such cases.

- Is ignoring everyone normal?

- Ugh, is this the average for Mystic?

- They're so invested in Mystic, it's no wonder, hahaha

- They'll be shocked when they see a perfect Yami, hahaha

Lee Kyung-bok frowned slightly when he saw the chat window.

"This is... I'll show my record first and then pick next time."

If he shows them directly, they'll believe him. That's what happened last time.

Meanwhile, the countdown ended, and the game started. The background changed, and the players arrived at their base.

The teammates who arrived with him sent mocking and contemptuous glances before dispersing to their respective lanes.

- Wow, those eyes are intense.

- Hey! Open your eyes properly!

- It's like they're seeing an enemy for the first time, hahaha

- Ah, Haha, he opened a notepad.

- New Text Document.txt (7GB)

- What did he write so much? Haha

Despite this, the chat window remained bright. The viewers knew Lee Kyung-bok's skills and didn't doubt that they would be proven.

"Let's go, then."

Lee Kyung-bok thought the same.

However, the situation didn't go smoothly.

- What, why are they pulling out there?

- That was the perfect timing for a gank.

- What? Are these really platinum players?

- What's up with this MMR?

At first, Lee Kyung-bok and the viewers thought it was a coincidence. They thought the teammates' judgment was immature, which is why Yami couldn't easily get involved.

‘...No, they're doing this on purpose.’

Lee Kyung-bok was the first to realize this. More accurately, his intuition kicked in.

A sharp and eerie sense of threat mixed with a sticky and unpleasant feeling came through.

This feeling came from his allied champions, not the enemies.

- These guys are doing this on purpose, right?

- Yeah, they're intentionally pressuring to send us to the tower.

- Haha, it's so petty.

- They're intentionally not giving kills, hahaha

- Even I, a hardcore player, can see their intentions, hahaha

The viewers quickly caught on to their intentions. Since MMR is not determined by wins and losses alone, it was clear that the teammates were conspiring to isolate Lee Kyung-bok.

Even when he tried to gank other lanes, there was no cooperation from his allies.

"Ah, if I solo dive, I'll just be hindered."

Lee Kyung-bok didn't hide his displeasure. The feeling he got from them was getting stronger, not weaker.

- These guys are trying to lower the purple MMR, huh?

- Damn, winning the game is the most important thing, right?

- They're not even giving him a chance to shine.

- So frustrating.

Heaving a sigh and shaking his head at the viewers' reactions, he wondered what to do in this situation.

If it were just an insult, he could have lashed out or vented his frustration.

But Lee Kyung-bok was streaming, and many people were watching him. So, he came to one conclusion.

"But if I give up here, I won't live up to my nickname."

Thinking about what the viewers wanted.

- ???

- What are you going to do?

- What? What are you hinting at?

- Are you going to leave the game?

Lee Kyung-bok's eyes widened at the word 'leave'.

"Ah, leave? How can I turn my back? That's not at all 'perfect'."

His statement divided the viewers into two groups.

- No, you can just leave, and no one will say anything.

- That's right.

- They should be punished if they report you.

- With Purple's skills, a 3-peat will be quick again.

- You're not wrong at all.

First, the new viewers who hadn't fully trusted him yet. All they had seen was Lee Kyung-bok leading his team to victory.

So, without the team's support, they expected him to give up on this game.

- Ah, Haha, he's showing his true colors.

- With Purple, it's fine, Haha.

- It's over, it's over.

- Comfortable.

- The doubters are stunned, Haha.

On the other hand, the existing viewers who knew his achievements were different. They already knew that 'Purple' was special.

"I have a way to win on my own."

Lee Kyung-bok said confidently.

This filled the chat window with question marks again.

- Alone? Alone?

- It's a waste of time and energy. Just leave.

- Even if you show your skills, they won't recognize you with that attitude.

- This is hopeless.

- If Purple can't perform, it's 4v5, so we'll lose anyway.

Unfortunately, words alone couldn't reassure the new viewers. The existing viewers just laughed.

Among them, there were some strange chats mixed in.

- If you're confident, why not take a penalty?

- Haha, can you do everything with just words?

- If you leave here, the quest will fail, right?

- Is he making a bold declaration?

At first, it seemed like they were on the same page as the existing viewers, but the nuance was subtly different.

The trolls were showing their faces.

- This is crazy.

- <The manager has removed the viewer.>

- I don't care.

- They like it when you feed them.

- <The manager has removed the viewer.>

- Manager is on a roll!

- The trolls look good, Haha.

But their chats were quickly silenced by the manager.

"I have a way to win even without cooperation. This time, I'll adjust my item build."

- Items?

- Ah!

- Thinking about it, Purple has only played without items, Haha.

- Wow, Haha, that's true.

- Full build Yami?

- Crazy, Haha.

The viewers realized that Lee Kyung-bok hadn't adjusted his items before.

"From now on, I'll focus on farming. Let's see if I can wipe out the creeps."

Lee Kyung-bok smiled again as he read the last chat.

- A killer smile.

- This is real... Haha

- The will to kill them all...

- This streamer is 'serious'.

- Purple, awakened by the wave of killing intent!

- Ah, Haha, this is unbearable.

The viewers also smiled, following him through the screen.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jinom was in the middle of a scheduled ad broadcast.

"Ah! Why are their minds so weak!?"

He shouted and wiped his face.

- Jinom can't handle the luck-based game, Haha.

- Being physically strong alone doesn't help, you know!

- Welcome, Dark Ruin is new to you?

- Enemy: Ah! Singular Strike!

- Did you feel the hit? Got it?

- Huh? This is homework! Homework!

- Hey! What?

The viewers couldn't hide their joy at his suffering.

"Phew, guys. I'll be back from the bathroom in a moment."

Jinom grumbled and got out of the capsule. But what he urgently needed wasn't the bathroom.

"How's it going?"

He immediately asked the manager. Though the question was brief, the manager knew what he wanted to know.

"Mr. Purple has accepted the friend request."

"Really? Wow, that's a relief."

Jinom sighed in relief. The issue that had been bothering him during the ad broadcast was finally resolved.

"Bro, you're so worried?"

"Of course. Didn't you monitor it? There are really few, no, no one who can play like that. Just no one."

Jinom waved his hand and said.

He genuinely admired the streamer Purple's skills.

"To be honest, he could play professionally right away. With such skills, he'll become famous quickly."

"He already is, though?"

"What?"

"Looking it up, he's famous on the Bark side. They call him the Baton King in that community."

"Ah, really?"

"Yes."

"Oh, then it should be easy to propose a collaboration, right?"

Jinom smiled and his eyes lit up. Collaboration between streamers should be at a similar level.

It wasn't that he was picky, but because of the viewers' perception. If the gap was too large, it might look like a smaller streamer was clinging to a larger one.

It could easily turn into what's known in the industry as 'sucking the blood'.

"Well, we can gradually learn more about him, even if we don't know who he is."

Jinom was happy that Purple wouldn't be treated that way.

The only thing left was the streamer's personality. If there were any issues, the manager would have mentioned it first.

"Bro, but we should be careful about the collaboration..."

"Huh? Why? Is there an issue with him?"

The manager's expression changed, and Jinom's face also became serious.

"No, I watched Mr. Purple's stream as you suggested, and if we collaborate..."

The manager glanced at Jinom. Jinom frowned and pressed him.

"Ah, what is it? Just say it. Don't think I have constipation."

"Bro, you might end up being the side act."

"Huh?"

Instead of explaining, the manager brought up a holographic screen via a smart link.

The screen showed Purple's live stream.

Jinom's eyes widened as he watched.

"No... Is this possible?"

* * *

Lee Kyung-bok's team struggled. The players in this game all had skills befitting their high diamond rank.

Excluding 'Yami' from the start was like breaking the balance from the beginning.

They had to fight 4v5 in every team fight, and with each loss, their gold income dwindled.

Eventually, the item build gap widened, making the disparity even more severe.

Did they regret their actions in this situation?

No, they didn't.

"Ah, because of one crazy troll."

"There should be a feature to ban picks."

"Ah... We could get diamond if we win this."

"Because of that guy, we're suffering."

They started what is known as 'politics', not analyzing the cause of their loss objectively but blaming others to save their fragile egos.

They even turned on voice chat to gossip, and the target was clear.

"Exactly. This isn't a normal ranked game, but a placement match. What's with Yami?"

"Ah... We're all suffering because of one crazy guy."

"Look at what he's doing. He's just farming, killing creeps like crazy."

"Does he think he's a jungler? What a crazy fool."

The problem was that they weren't gossiping without any basis. In reality, Lee Kyung-bok had never successfully ganked.

Of course, they easily ignored the fact that they had blocked his chat and deliberately didn't cooperate.

"Is he trying to carry the game solo?"

"If he picked a carry champion, I could understand. But Yami for a solo carry?"

"He's clearly here to troll."

"This is a funeral for us, but a party for him."

'Solo carry', short for 'solo carry',

It refers to a playstyle where a player conserves themselves, steadily gathers gold, builds items, and performs in the late game.

Many champions can change dramatically with the right item build. However, this requires support from other team members until then.

In the current situation, Yami was neither.

Without team support, and being a troll champion, Yami could only manage a successful gank or two, not change the game's flow.

"Unfortunately, there's no hope for this game."

"Ah... It's still frustrating to think about."

"I agree. Let's just manage our KDA."

"Let's focus on defending and try to get kills in team fights. We'll report the troll after the game."

They decided to focus on defense to prevent their MMR from dropping. They smoothly finished their 'politics' and reached an agreement.

"I'm coming!"

As the minions spawned, the enemy champions gathered, seemingly determined to end the game.

Another 4v5 team fight began. They protected the tower as agreed, trying to hold off the enemy.

Just as they were