Gender Swap: The Introvert's Broadcast

Chapter 28

"Losing is a bit annoying. Especially when I tried hard," I muttered.

It was one thing to lose without effort, but losing after giving it your all was frustrating on another level. Especially since I had been steering the game toward a favorable position.

[????️Omniscient Cthulhu]: Sometimes, it can’t be helped.

[????️Omniscient Cthulhu]: There’s always a few like that.

[If we could purge them all, Reore would be a healthier game.]

[Fact: Even with those players, Reore remains number one.]

[Big Reore, unshaken.]

[But honestly, for top Sonic, you did pretty well.]

[With another champ, you might’ve carried. Too bad.]

[Honestly, with another top champion, mid and jungle probably wouldn’t have fought either.]

Despite my frustration, what could I do? The game was already lost. Getting angry now wouldn’t change anything.

But there was something else.

"Playing with a random pick is actually fun. I think I’ll do random picks again next game."

Randomly selecting champions for the top lane was surprisingly enjoyable. Testing out different champions’ abilities added to the fun. I decided that, for the foreseeable future, I’d stick with random picks for my streams.

[Hwanhee]: I used to think it was inconsiderate to teammates, but...

[Hwanhee]: After watching this match, it’s better to just play what you want.

[For real, with so many weird players around.]

[If you’re going to lose anyway, might as well lose while having fun.]

[????️Omniscient Cthulhu]: Let’s go again!

[Kang Hoo-min]: Clearly, you’ve given up on reaching Challenger.]

[Did you actually take the Challenger joke seriously? LOL.]

[If you really thought that was serious, that’s a little creepy.]

I glanced at the chat, realizing that many thought my bet with a loyal viewer was a joke. To clarify, I spoke up.

"I was serious about that. If I don’t keep my promise, I’ll ban myself permanently from the stream."

I wasn’t joking. A person should keep their promises. It wasn’t some offhand remark—it was recorded and everyone had proof.

[????️Omniscient Cthulhu]: Wait, you were serious? LOL.

[????️Omniscient Cthulhu]: I thought you were just joking around.]

[Turns out it was real, LOL.]

[Hwanhee]: What if the guy just bails on the bet?]

[Hwanhee]: Breaks the promise and runs off.]

[Kang Hoo-min]: I don’t usually run away.]

[That phrasing implies you sometimes do, LOL.]

[If the situation’s bad, running’s the only option, isn’t it?]

"If someone breaks their promise and runs, there’s not much I can do. They’ll just be banned from my stream and the forums."

The person I made the bet with was heavily invested in forum activity, so I doubted they’d break their word.

As I queued for another game, a new viewer entered the chat.

[Salok]: Hello.]

[Salok]: I heard Mangming is here, so I came to visit.]

[Kang Hoo-min]: ?]

[Why is this person here?]

[????️Omniscient Cthulhu]: Is this stream a dumpster? Why do these people keep showing up?]

[Salok]: That’s a bit harsh coming from a manager.]

[Salok]: So unfriendly.]

[????️Omniscient Cthulhu]: Why would I be friendly to you?]

The new chatter seemed to have come from somewhere else, and at first, I didn’t think much of it. But their familiarity with the regular viewers suggested they weren’t just a random passerby.

The game queue popped.

“I think this is the first time I’ve been sniped like this.”

It was true; this was my first time experiencing such blatant targeting. I’d joined other streamers’ chats before, but I’d never been directly called out like this.

[LOL, Salok got sniped hard.]

[A small-time streamer messing with someone with 450k subs? Hilarious, LOL.]

[Why is Mangming even watching this guy’s stream?]

[While we wondered what Mangming was up to, she’s been watching a guy stream, LOL.]

[Let’s teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson.]

[It’s only fair, LOL.]

My head was spinning a bit, but I quickly gathered my thoughts. Being sniped like this was new territory for me, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. While I admitted that showing up in someone else’s stream might’ve been a mistake, the sheer audacity of the backlash was a bit grating.

As I pondered my next move, an idea struck me—a brilliant one.

“This’ll work perfectly,” I mumbled to myself.

It was a plan that could lightly prank Mangming and simultaneously leave a lasting impression on Dama’s stream and its viewers about “Salok.”

Meanwhile, in the game lobby:

“Wow, this champion’s head is huge,” I remarked.

I’d never seen a champion with such an oversized head before. It might’ve been fine if it were a guy, but since this was a female champion, it felt oddly unsettling. She was wielding two axes, her large head adding to the peculiar image.

[Don’t diss people with big heads, dude, LOL.]

[Too harsh, LOL.]

[You ever try wearing hats when your head’s big? Don’t talk until you know the struggle.]

[Why’s the pee joke coming out of nowhere?]

[Guess they really wanted to pee, LOL.]

Ignoring the chaos, I selected the champion and adjusted her runes. Once again, I relied on Mangming for advice.

"Okay, Precision... got it. All set."

As I finished setting up, a notification appeared on the screen:

[Salok donated 10,000 won!]

The name was familiar, and it caught my attention immediately.