Chapter 23: If you do it well

In the old days—so far back I can’t even recall exactly when—a few lines in a newspaper article could completely shift public perception.

Sometimes, a few seconds of televised news could shake an entire nation’s opinion to its core.

And once in a while, when something personal about the First Lady leaked to the press… it was huge.

Even looking back on all my years in the National Intelligence Service, nothing left as strong an impression as that moment.

“They say even rivers and mountains change in ten years…”

But even now, living under the new name Yoo Seo-ah, not much has really changed from back then.

The power of the media remains formidable.

Especially in the age of the internet, where information spreads fast and wide.

Communities have replaced newspapers, and popular streamers shape public opinion more than the 9 o’clock news.

On the internet, perception flips in an instant depending on who says what.

In that sense, my meeting with Navel… might have been a golden opportunity.

To the users of Battle of Legend, the influence of the streamer Navel rivaled that of any major news outlet.

[Navel’s Channel]

(LIVE) Navel Goes for Diamond

Viewers: 13,279

#BattleOfLegend #BoL #Navel #DiamondPromotionMatch

‘…It was a rare opportunity to spread the truth about Archers.’

A chance to use Navel’s influence to change the negative perception of Archers.

And also, a chance to demonstrate their strengths live, in front of more than ten thousand viewers.

If only I had performed better—if I’d led the team to victory…

Perhaps it could have made a real difference in reshaping the image of Archers.

Maybe even been the turning point in breaking the bias against them.

But instead, we lost.

And with that, my plan to rehabilitate the image of Archers fell apart.

I still don’t know why the opposing team kept targeting only me… but the match was over.

-Click.

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission]

KDA: 1/12/2

“Hmm…”

They say wins and losses are just part of the game, but losing in front of over ten thousand viewers—especially with such a poor KDA—was definitely not ideal.

・Would I get banned if I report this?

LOL

・This is brutal, Professor.

・But honestly, the stream-sniping was real.

・In ranked, you can’t avoid anti-Archer comps.

・Looks like trolls were just targeting her because she’s a woman.

Don’t give them attention, just move on to the next match.

“Hmm…”

The perception of Archers might’ve taken a few steps backward because of this.

From my point of view, it was an unintended accident—and one I needed to take responsibility for.

For example, I could express regret.

Or maybe… provide a reasonable explanation for posting a 1/12/2 KDA with an Archer.

[Friend Request (1)]

[NotNavel]

Gasp

I’m so screwed!

I should bow down right now;;

— Why’d they send a friend request?

No matter how bad it gets, they don’t usually do that.

— Here comes the wrath of the corporate giant… Here it comes…

Luckily, Navel’s ID had shown up in my Battle of Legend friend list.

My guess was that maybe they also wanted to hear my side of the story.

Even if the chat during the stream was mostly filled with concern…

Anyway, what’s done is done.

Dwelling on the past isn’t productive.

What mattered now was doing what I could in the moment.

‘First… I should apologize.’

Explaining the unintended loss, and finding out if there was any way to make up for it.

That was why I reached out to Navel first.

No other reason, really.

-Tap tap.

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission: Hello]

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission: I’m reaching out to explain what happened in the last match]

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission: Would you be open to a brief chat?]

“…I’m gonna go wash my face for a second. I can’t think straight right now.”

Go ahead

・You’d lose your mind too if you dropped a log on your foot LOL

・Is this the next match already?

After failing the Diamond promotion match, Navel, unable to hide their disappointment, decided to take a short bathroom break to reset the mood.

It was for the sake of the stream.

Even if they’d failed to rank up, showing continued frustration wouldn’t help anything.

That’s just part of being a streamer.

Shake off the loss and keep the energy up.

The stream must go on, after all—it’s their job.

People watch Navel’s stream for entertainment, so it was important to get their mood and mindset back on track.

-Clack.

“Whew.”

Leaning against the sink, Navel wiped their face with wet hands.

The cold tap water helped them cool down and slowly return to their senses.

From here on, they’d have to carry on the Battle of Legend stream with their usual wit and flair.

The opportunity for great content that was the reunion with “PermissionIsOptional” was gone—but they couldn’t dwell on it.

Or at least, that’s what they thought…

-Ping.

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission (3)]

“…Huh?”

Somehow, not only were they now friends with “PermissionIsOptional,” but there were messages too.

Did they accidentally hit the friend request button while clicking through their profile earlier?

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission: Hello]

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission: I’m reaching out to explain what happened in the last match]

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission: Would you be open to a brief chat?]

If you messed up that bad, you’d better grovel LOL

“I’m sorry” and log off LOLLL

Don’t cling like that, just leave~

You griefed hard, what are you even trying to explain;

“GTFO lololol”

Is being clingy some kind of trait for low-tier players?

・Mosquito alert lmao

As expected, the chat window in the stream was already overheated.

Full of one-sided criticism toward “허용빠” (Huh Yongppa).

To put it bluntly, it wasn’t good.

If it were just a malicious sniper, maybe, but having a female streamer from “빠지직” get trashed in Navel’s stream was dangerous in itself.

It was necessary to defuse the situation, even now.

“Hey, people. She says she wants to resolve this peacefully. And again, just because she’s a woman, why are you all getting heated? Calm down a bit.”

Disaster sense ON lololol

Sweet Young-seo Tea is screwed, Navel.

If it were a dude, you’d have told him to f*** off (Temporarily banned user)

Naru-dwellers always overreact, lol

Saying “clearly never met a woman IRL” is kinda harsh lol

Just a minute ago they were trashing her, now look at them flip-flopping lol

Anyway, after calming down the heated chat, a message was sent to 허용빠.

Navel wanted to settle the issue through a peaceful conversation.

“I was too emotional earlier.”

To be honest, he felt guilty for repeatedly clicking on 허용빠’s info panel earlier.

What he did wasn’t so different from a medieval witch hunt.

And all in front of over ten thousand viewers.

After splashing cold water on his face, his overheated head started to cool down.

허용빠 may have been the main reason for losing the promotion match, but Navel decided it would be better to let it go after receiving her apology.

So he entered the chat room with 허용빠 and was about to type something like “It’s okay.”

But ding ding, unexpectedly, a voice call connected with her.

『Hello? Navel? Can you hear me?』

“…Uh……”

A clear and gentle voice.

From beyond the 1-on-1 chatroom, the voice was much calmer and softer than expected.

He was flustered by the fact that a total stranger—only connected through ranked matches—was calling him first.

And even more flustered by 허용빠’s naturally soothing voice.

『First of all, I want to apologize. I unintentionally affected your promotion match.』

『If you’ll allow me to explain my side about the recent ranked game—』

『If you’d let me share my thoughts about the misunderstandings—』

“Ah… um.

04…”

Navel’s pupils trembled as the soft, melodic voice continued from the speaker.

She was unexpectedly polite, and her voice was more enchanting than anything else.

Meanwhile, the chat was blowing up:

That voice is god-tier

NUNAAAAAAAAAAAA

Where did all the haters go?

Hngggg

[oo donated 1,000 won!]

『Look at this clown grinning…』

Her voice is so smooth lololol

Why is Navel lagging now

Maybe Navel was just a shy guy with no experience talking to women.

Or maybe he instinctively felt there was something different about her voice.

Or maybe he thought this awkward moment would make great video content.

『At 7:15, after I revived, for some reason my movement path was exactly pinged by the enemy. I was worried about another ambush, so I took a different route—』

“Ah, yeah… I think… it wasn’t really a bad play or anything…”

Just moments ago, Navel planned to brush it off with a simple apology.

But now, he was listening to 허용빠 explain her plays in detail—Even screen sharing via Discord.

Her calm and logical voice continued while his responses kept stuttering, further heating up the chat:

『At 9:23, I looped around the shrine to block the priest’s path. You can see from the enemy knight’s position that—』

『If the priest was blocked, then both I and the enemy priest wouldn’t be able to reach the central shrine—』

“Uhh… yeah… I think that was a good call… maybe… no other options… umm…”

Damn, he’s stuttering like crazy

AAAAGGGHHH

Speak properly, Navel!

Still a cute voice tho

Look at that clown smile twitching lol

Why is he suddenly half-brain-dead?

Looks like he’s never talked to a girl before lol

Just tell her to f*** off and leave already

Navel kept fumbling his words.

Even though 허용빠’s argument relied on ideal conditions, there weren’t any real flaws in her logic.

When asked for reasoning, she explained everything fluently, like reading a pre-written script.

And honestly, it seemed like they would have won if things had gone the way she described.

『Also, um… do you know why my position kept getting pinged so precisely? Even in the replay, it kept happening.』

“Ah… that’s probably because the enemy team was stream sniping. Not your fault, 허용빠…”

Then Navel slowly explained the concept of “stream sniping” to 허용빠, who seemed unfamiliar with it.

Most likely, it was someone targeting Navel who leaked info.

He had to explain what “getting mad because he liked her voice” meant because 허용빠 didn’t get it either—Stuff like “They kept killing only you” and so on.

『Ah… I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect to be targeted like that.』

“N-No, no. It’s the fault of the people who sniped, not yours. Stuff like that happens in ranked streams… Just be careful next time…”

lol this is a circus

Ah, a sweet simp moment™

His stuttering kills any affection you might have had lol

You’re probably going to die alone, bro

And yet people say ‘love just happens’

Her voice really is pretty tho

Now, more than the frustration of losing promotion, Navel was overwhelmed by this awkward exchange with 허용빠.

The same chat that was flaming 허용빠 before was now mocking Navel for being awkward and shy.

Thankfully, 허용빠 eventually wrapped up her long explanation.

『So, I think I understand your perspective now. I really think we could’ve won if not for the stream snipe… It’s a shame, yeah… too bad…’

“…Right.”

LOLOLOLOL

This guy just got gaslit

Even without the snipe, archers never win lol

Just tell her to f*** off and leave

Too bad, this would’ve made a sweet YouTube vid

In the end, Navel looked at the increasingly toxic chat and tried to end the call.

『Then, if there’s anything I can do to make up for unintentionally causing trouble—』
“Uh, t-thank you for explaining! Take care!”

Click.

“Ugh… Heoyongppa, this person is kind of scary. I didn’t think they were like that…”
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

— Meeting them in real life really sobers you up, huh?

ㅋㅋㅋ

・Ugh, finally over.

— Why won’t you duo with a cool, S-tier beauty?

— How long are you going to keep grilling pancakes, seriously?

Clearly, I was going to break up.

— Ding.

Not Navel.

RoundPancakePancake

Hi

Kari and Yukari

Forgiveness is faster than permission

ThiefOneChampSister

Where’s Navel?

“…Huh.”

— Hehe, you can’t leave. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

口大

Let’s go for two losses in a row~ Let’s go for a losing streak~

— Why did you even leave Discord if you’re going to be like this?

— Just dodge, yeah?

~

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission – Call Request]

All.

『Sorry about the last game. I’ll really make it up this time.』 …They said.

“Ah… Um, I’ll be in your care. Yes…”

In the end, Navel had to start another ranked game with Heoyongppa.

And this time, they were even on a voice call through Discord.

…Was it just an occupational habit that the first thing to pop into their mind was how good this would be for YouTube?

***

“…Huh?”

Just as their second ranked game with Heoyongppa began, Navel checked the loading screen and was once again surprised.

A completely different setup from the previous bizarre utility build—this time, it was a full late-game carry build.

Attack speed, critical strike, attack power.

The textbook traits of a standard marksman.

Why the sudden change in playstyle?

『I don’t see the warrior. I think they’re hiding at the top sanctuary. I’ll send a hawk now.』
Against… the enemy thief.

『Please avoid direct fights. I’ll cut off their priest’s heal first and then initiate.』

『Once the next wave comes in, start the fight and I’ll follow up. The enemy knight is out of mana, so they can only use one skill.』

Even the shot-calling was different.

It made you seriously question whether this was really the same destructive archer from the previous game.

Pure fundamentals.

The way they read the laning phase was identical to the pro players Navel used to play with.

If the previous game’s calls were based on strange hunches and unconvincing momentum… now, it was different.

No reckless top lane roams—Heoyongppa didn’t even step out from under the turret’s shadow.

Gone were the bizarre plays of the last match; now they were preparing for a stable late game.

‘If it’s like this, even stream-sniping won’t help… Did they really change their style because of that?’

Before long, laning phase neared its end.

As the enemy mage began casting a spell, Heoyongppa pulled back their bowstring immediately.

At the same time, the warrior’s steel boots scraped forward.

Navel’s warrior stepped threateningly toward the enemy with a greatsword held low.

『We’ll target the mage first.』

“…Ah! Yes, sir.”

The silver longbow was silent, but its arrowhead was already aimed at the robed mage.

Soon, their allied priest chanted a blessing, imbuing them both with holy energy.

The battlefield grew tense.

Suddenly, the enemy knight made the first move.

With a thundering noise, their massive tower shield charged in, reflecting light.

Target: the fragile archer.

At the same time, a burning fireball began forming at the tip of the mage’s staff, and the enemy priest cast a shield on the knight to support the charge.

The clash had begun.

Boom!

Navel’s warrior collided head-on with the charging knight.

A crash of steel against steel echoed loudly.

Through the dust, their priest focused healing light on Navel.

And in that brief moment when all sound seemed to stop—

Thwip!

Heoyongppa’s archer finally moved.

With a snapping sound, the first arrow flew.

Like a meteor, it pierced the air and struck the mage in the shoulder before they could even react.

The mana shield shattered, and the mage’s HP bar dropped visibly.

『Navel, push toward the knight.』

As the mage staggered back with a painful gasp, a calm voice gave the next order.

Navel’s body moved before he could even respond.

The blond archer nocked the next arrow fluidly.

The enemy mage fired a fireball—but Heoyongppa dodged it with minimal movement, as if it had been predicted.

The heat grazed their cheek, but their eyes remained focused.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Three enhanced arrows followed in quick succession.

The mage’s second mana shield cracked on the first, shattered on the second, and the third pierced deep into their abdomen.

Their HP bar blinked red—too fast to even scream.

The enemy knight and priest moved quickly to save the mage.

The knight tried to knock Navel away with a shield charge, and the priest frantically cast a healing spell.

But even their desperate efforts weren’t enough to stop the archer.

Another arrow, drawn all the way back, was already aimed at the mage’s weak point.

Thunk!

The screen exploded with hit effects as the mage’s HP hit zero.

And the priest, who had been healing them moments ago, followed soon after.

[Horororo has been slain!]

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission (Archer) * Horororo (Mage)]

[SmiteWithLight has been slain!]

[ForgivenessIsFasterThanPermission (Archer) * SmiteWithLight (Priest)]

[Double Kill!]

With two teammates down instantly, the enemy knight stood frozen, stunned.

While Navel’s warrior rushed in like a raging bull to finish them off, Heoyongppa calmly turned their bow back to the minions.

『Let’s just push this wave and start preparing for the mid shrine fight.』

This was the image of a textbook archer, exactly as they had been before the game’s devs started nerfing them.

It made you wonder—why didn’t they play like this in the last game?

“…I mean, they’re clearly good at this… so why…?”