Season 5: Chapter 47: The Hopeless Trio (3) |
Bubblegum had a lot riding on this match too. Did he have a mission on the line? No, there was something bigger.
— Ugh, that’s pathetic
— So shameless, Chosen Gum…
— He keeps queueing with Almond LOL
— This is just a jackpot game, what is this?!
— Climb with skills, man~
— Reverse Russian roulette?!
The viewers kept mocking him. Bubblegum had always endured those irritating little lines. A mob of malice hid behind anonymity, tearing down his skills. They called him disgusting for clinging to the one-in-ten chance of ending up on Almond’s team.
“Yeah, I admit it. I’m disgusting.”
Even as he fell, Bubblegum admitted it. He was disgusting, but wasn’t a disgusting victory better than a beautiful defeat on a battlefield?
— LOL
— LOL true
— He admits it
— Can’t even argue
“That’s why I have to win even more!”
— ???
— ?
— Huh?
“Because I’m disgusting! If I don’t at least win, I’m done! I finally hit the one-in-ten jackpot! If I don’t get first this time, it’s over for me!”
He had sold his soul to win. If he couldn’t even win this match, that would be the worst possible outcome.
Bubblegum would be selling his soul for nothing. It would be like making a deal with the devil without getting anything in return? No one would pity him. They would just laugh.
— LOL true I guess
— That logic is insane…
— But it makes sense
— He’s really desperate…
— Bro, just deploy your glider already
Whoooooosh!
Cutting fiercely through the wind, Bubblegum’s face was filled with resolve.
“Hup!”
Paat!
He deployed his hang glider perfectly and landed cleanly.
“Oh…!”
Clap, clap.
Almond applauded at the sight.
— He’s clapping for that? LOL
— Isn’t Almond mocking him?
— LMAO
— Isn’t landing supposed to be normal?!
Some thought it was sarcasm, but Almond was sincere.
‘I got a good feeling.’
By now, Almond had been thoroughly tempered by Bubblegum. Just seeing a successful landing gave him a good feeling about this match. At the very least, it meant they wouldn’t have to waste time reviving a rune spirit right off the bat.
Next, Choco Shroom and another teammate also landed.
Last was LetMeTank. She had been slow to jump, still dazed that her main pick had just been banned.
“Why are you so late?”
“Hey, I have something to say…”
“We’re moving out. There’s no time!” Almond cut her off and pushed forward.
— LOL
— Is this also a smart strategy?
— Commands? Leave it to the Smart Young Man!
— Smart Young Man era, this can’t be stopped~!
***
The team quickly headed for the crates and began the distribution. Almond, Bubblegum, and Choco Shroom naturally picked their weapons. Almond took the bow, Bubblegum took the shield, and Choco Shroom chose the staff. LetMeTank hesitated, but eventually picked a blunt weapon that perfectly suited the Hammer Paladin.
The other teammate whispered beside her, “Didn’t you say you weren’t going to play it?”
LetMeTank scratched her head. “Ah… I-I didn’t even realize…”
‘I mean… Some big streamers told me to do it. What was I supposed to do?’
She wasn’t someone who could easily go against big streamers.
[Current Viewers: 308]
LetMeTank was just a small-time streamer.
Ding.
[Yep has donated 1,000 won.]
[That nut bastard definitely did that on purpose, right?]
LetMeTank ran a modest stream on Paprika.
“Uh, e-everyone, please refrain from mentioning other streamers. Okay?”
— Other streamers? They’re right next door LOL
— You can literally see them, how do we not mention them
— So we’re not allowed to watch?
“N-no, why wouldn’t you watch? Just, um… Mention them a bit less… Haha…”
She was completely rattled now.
Bubblegum was a streamer among streamers, a dream figure for all variety gamers. Being matched with him felt overwhelming. On top of that, Almond had also recently risen into the ranks of major streamers.
‘Even Ms. Choco Shroom is way above me.’
Compared to them, even Choco Shroom’s relatively small channel felt like a mountain to LetMeTank.
She quickly began making excuses on Almond’s behalf. “F-for starters, Mr. Almond is a hero who won a world championship. He’s not that kind of person…”
— Lol true
— They say he’s smart though?
— Is that so?
— What are you talking about LOL he did it 100% on purpose
There was nothing more terrifying than bad talk about major streamers coming out of one’s own channel.
‘Ugh… I-I feel dizzy.’
Someone once said that the unprepared wouldn’t even seize the opportunities when they came. This was exactly that moment for LetMeTank.
— Hesitating like this is boring
— So frustrating, just be confident, it’s more fun
— Just say it: “I’m a Master! I don’t want to play Paladin!”
— Cue Mom’s Spaghetti
— You think she’d really say that? Almond obviously banned it on purpose LOL
The viewers grew frustrated with LetMeTank’s attitude. She looked anxious.
Almond walked over and asked, “Hey, are you okay?”
‘She’s a valuable talent.’
The Lord was simply showing care for his talent.
LetMeTank suddenly blurted out, “Uh… Honestly! You’re handsome, so it’s fine! Okay!? Why are you all making such a big deal!?”
“…?”
— ?
— …?
— Gasp…
— LetMe’s speech bubble just changed
— LMAO
— LOL
— ?!
— ?
— Almond’s expression LOL
“Huh…? I-I think my mic channel… um… What do I do…?”
Almond watched her for a moment, then offered reassurance. “Everyone’s like that at first. You panic and worry. What if this isn’t fun? That anxiety, everyone has it.”
LetMeTank’s eyes widened.
‘A-a senior streamer’s advice!’
Almond was giving her advice.
‘He knows I’m a streamer!?’
LetMeTank wasn’t even on Cheese. She streamed on Paprika. How did Almond know a channel with just three hundred viewers? Was it because of her earlier slip-up?
“Even if you get hurt a bit, even if it’s tough, people always say this at the end of the game…”
“Yes…” She nodded, trying to engrave Almond’s words into her heart.
“Ah, I’m glad I played tank!”
‘Huh?’
— ??
— ?
— What did he say?
— Did he not hear a single word?
— LOL
— That advice was about being a tank!?
— All he’s thinking about is forcing them to tank LOL
— Thought it was career advice, damn it!
‘What the hell…? What kind of advice is that?’
Almond thought LetMeTank had only shouted because she hated playing tank. He hadn’t actually listened to anything LetMeTank said.
“You know there’s a saying, right? It hurts… because you’re not a tank.”
He just kept telling her to play tank.
— LOL
— Hahaha
— Tanks do get hurt, yeah
— LMAO
Bubblegum stepped up beside Almond to back him up.
Clack.
He raised his shield. “No pain, no gain. No tank, no damage.”
— LOL
— True!!
— Come join the tank profession~
— Hahahaha
LetMeTank was subjected to the department heads’ impromptu lecture on tanking.
Slip.
Another teammate quietly reached for the assassin’s blade.
“Hey.” Choco Shroom stopped him.
He flinched, startled mid-grab. “N-no, I was just… just looking at the items…”
— Why does he look like he committed a crime? LOL
— Why is the vibe like this? LMAO
— They already assigned him tank??
“I-I’m really going to tank, but there’s no shield right now is there?”
“There’s a perfectly good spear as an option.”
“No, I’m already holding a blunt weapon. What am I supposed to do if I take a spear too? We have to think about fighting before contracting!”
Choco Shroom and the teammate started arguing.
Almond tilted his head. “Hmm?”
He could never forget this familiar face and voice.
‘This is…’
The nickname made it unmistakable.
[BornToB]
It was definitely him.
“BornToB?”
The teammate jumped and spun around. “Ahahaha… H-hello? I didn’t queue up trying to meet you or anything…”
No way, it was BornToB. The guy he had climbed to A-rank with in Civil Empire. BornToB was currently helping Ju-Hyeok while streaming on the side. There had been a rumor about him back when they played Civil Empire.
[Is he Bubblegum’s cousin or something?]
In other words, he was a commander with Bubblegum’s skill level.
‘W-what the hell is going on?’
Almond felt dumbfounded.
‘How did Bubblegum and BornToB end up on the same team?’
The legendary matchmaking algorithm for the final placement match was real.
— That’s really BornToB???
— The BornToB Chi-Seung brought over?
— This is insane…
— BornToB! Guess his home base is B now!
— LOL
— Holy shit…
— The god of losing archer mains!
— Shouldn’t we give BornToB the bow?
— I watch BornToB sometimes, he’s cute
— Wow…
Almond’s chat was on the verge of exploding.
— Dopamine overload!
— Should we just press mission failed now?
— Told you the final placement would be like this
— Legend legend and legend~
— Just grab a bow and run like a losing archer again?
— Russian roulette bullet finally fired!
— LOOOOL
— Smart Young Man’s discipline check incoming!
After all, countless viewers had money riding on the mission. They had effectively bet on Almond losing. Survival board users wanted to manufacture buzz at low risk, and hardcore nutcases just wanted to clown on Almond.
— The Hopeless Trio has assembled~!
Who wouldn’t cheer at this dream lineup?
‘Uh… Wait, my head is spinning.’
Even Almond felt dizzy for a moment as if he would stagger.
‘No.’
He shook his head sharply, forcing himself back to his senses.
‘BornToB… is still better than some random troll.’
At least BornToB had clear strengths. Once he learned one thing, he would stubbornly repeat it over and over.
“Just take the blade for now.” Almond allowed BornToB to pick up the blade.
“Ah, okay.”
BornToB had a point. They couldn’t think only about after contracting. Even before that, the team needed some balance with the weapons available. Without a gun, holding a blade would at least pressure the enemy backline and prevent free damage.
“We’ll swap later.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve got a guaranteed win strategy.”
Almond didn’t say it was his four tanks and one DPS comp.
“Let’s move.”
— Is it really guaranteed?!
— Bubblegum, Choco Shroom, and BornToB, let’s go!
— So this is basically the Suicide Squad, right?
— The hopeless trio deployed!
— LOL! BornToB feels so reliable!!
— Fact: It’s a one-win strategy
— LOL look at Almond’s face
***
[Beginner’s Tip]
[The managers of the Sanctuary say this: Greater trials create greater legends. As their stories spread farther and wider, they eventually become champions themselves.]
