Chapter Forty-Nine: Did He Really Choose the Sage?

At that time, Lin Hao was still a minor streamer. His live room rarely saw any active participants, so there was no need for moderators to clock in or draw salaries. Things were different now. With his current popularity, it was likely that rival guilds or competitors would keep an eye on him—maybe even flood his chat with fake viewers at any moment. It seemed he needed to recruit more moderators, and, like the bigger streamers, start paying them a wage and have them work regular shifts, helping to keep his live room tidy when necessary.

But these matters could wait until after the broadcast.

Lin Hao waited two or three minutes before starting that day’s Peak Competition. By eight-thirty, his points had steadily climbed, breaking through the 2300 mark.

2311. Ranked 169 nationwide.

The top spot was within reach!

Lin Hao was no longer a dark horse.

He clicked to start another match.

Peak Duel!

Lin Hao’s eyes lit up as he saw those four bold words on the matchmaking screen.

He’d been placed at the highest tier again. Surely he’d encounter some fellow streamers this time!

The moment he entered, without waiting for his resourceful viewers to ask, Lin Hao decided to ask the system directly.

“System, did I match with any streamers this time?”

“Host, detected: the opposing Peak Summoner 2 is Shark streamer Xiao Nan; Peak Summoner 5 is Tiger Tooth streamer Xinran.”

The system could only detect enemy streamers, not those on his own team.

Lin Hao understood this—after all, he was asking before even selecting his hero, just to prepare to provoke the enemy early. Whether his own teammates were streamers was beyond the system’s scope.

“Based on streamer popularity weighting: Host receives 1.3 times anger value when collecting from Xiao Nan, and 2 times when collecting from Xinran.”

Although Xiao Nan worked alongside Lin Hao, on the same platform, Lin Hao had little impression of him—he was probably a newcomer or a small-time streamer.

Still, any streamer who reached this tier had undeniable skill.

As for Xinran...

That name rang a bell!

Lin Hao quickly recalled—she was the first streamer he’d encountered after obtaining the system. A girl, and to reach this ranking truly spoke to her prowess.

But today, both of you have met me—me, who possesses national-level skill points for movement and awareness!

Lin Hao gave a cheeky grin.

While he was consulting the system about his opponents, his teammates had already chosen their heroes.

Lin Hao was last, so he wasn’t in a rush.

This match offered two streamers to exploit for anger value, so Lin Hao carefully watched which heroes they chose to better target them.

The opposing Yuan Ge and Xi Shi had been selected.

With the system’s help, Lin Hao learned that Xiao Nan was playing Yuan Ge, and Xinran was Xi Shi.

“Xinran is playing Xi Shi, Haoran! She said she’s going to crush you!”

“I just came from Xinran’s stream—she said exactly that, even threatened to make you cry!”

“Haha, Xinran dared you to pick Elder Master. Let’s see if you can handle it!”

From the moment they entered the game, fans in Lin Hao’s live room began spreading the word—they’d matched with Xinran.

Many viewers recounted her statements, all within about a minute.

Often, there were plenty of eager spectators, and most just enjoyed stirring things up.

“Can you stop acting as go-betweens? Is Xinran really that strong? Just wait and watch Haoran smash her!”

“Too bad Haoran’s Yuan Ge was taken. By the way, the opposing Xiao Nan is the new national top Yuan Ge—a real pro.”

“I think you could pick Guan Yu. Haoran’s Guan Yu isn’t bad, and Guan Yu does well against Yuan Ge.”

Lin Hao’s eyes gleamed.

“Xinran said she’s going to crush me? And dared me to pick Elder Master?”

Lin Hao locked in Elder Master immediately!

Facing the combination of Xi Shi and Yuan Ge, Elder Master was actually a difficult choice.

Especially since both Xi Shi and Yuan Ge were national top players.

Lin Hao had better options—Guan Yu, or his newly acquired national-level Ma Chao, both could be strong picks.

But...

Lin Hao trusted his Elder Master!

With two golden skill points and the national Elder Master’s purple skill point, Lin Hao’s Elder Master had undergone a qualitative transformation.

Yet what truly inspired him to pick Elder Master was not just the system, but also the information from his dear viewers.

Xinran wanted revenge for the last time her Guan Yu was toyed with by Elder Master!

She must be itching to use her signature Xi Shi to turn the tables!

Then I’ll use Elder Master, the hero she thinks is easy to manipulate, and give her a taste of her own medicine!

Lin Hao felt he’d grown a little wicked since acquiring the system.

But it was all in pursuit of anger value. If he could beat her with Elder Master, the anger value would pile up in no time!

“Elder Master is a jail pick this round!”

“Wow, Haoran went straight for Elder Master?”

“How is Elder Master going to win here? What kind of pick is that? Even Yifan would shake his head!”

“No worries, taking Purify makes it playable.”

“Wait, Haoran, shouldn’t you switch to Purify? Taking Flash is just asking to get locked down!”

Fans noticed that after Lin Hao chose his hero, he didn’t change his skill, sticking with Flash.

If he initiated a team fight, or even held back, Xi Shi would likely hook him into isolation every time.

Lin Hao shook his head and sighed, “Everyone, go check my stream’s poster again! See those five big words?”

“Movement Magician!”

“So don’t worry. Xi Shi’s first skill has a long wind-up in my eyes—I can dodge it easily. Taking Flash makes me more agile.”

Arrogant!

Far too arrogant!

Lin Hao, fully aware of his own skill points, chose Flash purely out of confidence that Xi Shi wouldn’t catch him in team fights.

Meanwhile, in Xinran’s live room—

The go-between viewers were as lively as ever.

He really chose Elder Master?

Xinran’s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.

She’d picked Xi Shi first!

And Yuan Ge too.

Haoran’s Elder Master was asking for trouble.

Even if he was confident in his Elder Master, he should at least respect their side—surely Purify was the minimum!

“Haoran says you definitely won’t catch him!”

“Haoran thinks you’re weak, so there’s no need for Purify.”

“Haoran swore in his stream that he’d demolish your team in ten minutes!”

Oh?

Xinran watched the comments, her eyes blazing with determination.

Let’s do this.

Unlike their first encounter, when she played blue-marked Guan Yu, this time she was using Xi Shi—bearing the highest national mark!

This was the Xi Shi mark she’d earned just this month—her greatest honor yet.