Kayak’s participation news in the Abyss Streamer Tournament didn’t just make the manager happy; it caused a wave of other reactions too.

First, it brought tears of relief at the thought that the urgent fire had been put out, and along with that came a slew of pragmatic benefits.

The most notable was the announcement of other streamers joining the tournament.

– Hehe, I want to join too… I’m a fan of Kayak.

– Just having Kayak on the team guarantees some kind of benefit, right? If we happen to get picked, the practice broadcasts will probably have thousands of viewers.

– Can I join too… Uh, just submit the application, you say? That’s scary…. Ah, yes, President, I understand. I’ll apply…!

[Anya applied too, everyone! ㅇㅇ]

[Who the heck is Anya, you crazy Hako fan?]

[Don’t you know the supreme knight Anya?]

[Even Kayak, the person in question, doesn’t know of her existence; what supreme knight? ]

[Can we stop talking about the bloodsucking mosquito squad living off Kayak? Haha….]

[Hako fans, please stop the viral nonsense, Hako fans ^^]

[Ugh, they’re all converging because Kayak is participating; it’s like a swarm of flies.]

[But hey, it feels good that the tournament is shaping up nicely.]

The community buzzed with continuous updates throughout the day. Posts about who applied for the Abyss Tournament and who confirmed their participation kept flooding in.

From small-time broadcasters to those rising in fame, the number of applicants more than doubled, leaving the manager happily pondering who to choose.

Then came another participant, one who would shake up the Abyss Streamer Tournament alongside Kayak.

– Oh, Kayak is participating? Then maybe I’ll give it a shot too…

– Don’t joke around; I’m not that kind of person. I’m not just a fan; I’m curious about Kayak’s coaching skills because she’s coming as a director. You probably don’t know, but she’s really good strategically. The top-tier challenge can’t be won with just physical skills. And as a former challenger from the early seasons 1 and 2—

– Can you stop recording? Alright. But I did originally plan to participate in the tournament. Watching others play lately has ignited the fire in me. A lot of people don’t even know I was a challenger. You were a challenger? Look at that. Many still don’t know me. I have to show them this time: the nightmare Taker from the foundational Challenger seasons 1 and 2—

[Taker is joining too, ssssss]

[Abyss Tournament is coming back with a bang, lol]

[Just Kayak;]

[So this is the glory of Kayak, or whatever, Jesus, why isn’t the meeting starting? Because Kayak hasn’t shown up yet…]

[Taker, that crazy son of a gun, is thrilled that Kayak is joining and is going for the tournament.]

[Taker wouldn’t gain much by joining the tournament anyway, lol.]

[The intentions are so transparent it’s ridiculous.]

[Taker is really a famous buffalo, yep.]

It was Taker. Following the news of Kayak’s participation, he announced his intent to join the tournament, causing the community to buzz even more than before.

Even with Kayak alone, the tournament was already worth attending, but with Taker joining, the lineup became ridiculously luxurious. The situation flipped in an instant.

Previously, the mood was somber as they mourned the impending doom of the Abyss Streamer Tournament and sent condolences to the streamers participating in AJST, but now it began to feel festive once again, just like before.

As the tournament day approached, a notification from the Twitch side went up.

…

Participating streamers – Kayak, Taker, Ins, Anya….

This was not a leak, but real official news.

Four directors and 24 players. A total of 28 names were revealed to form four teams.

*

Hako only has to sell Kayak’s name to gather viewers.

This was a recurring whisper circulating throughout Twitch lately.

What does this mean? Even if one isn’t a fan of Kayak, mentioning her name would provoke reactions like “I’m a fan of Kayak! I started streaming after watching Kayak’s broadcast—!”

This created a sort of urban legend where excited Kayak fans, known as Kayakers, would rush in to help fill the viewer count at the sight of a streamer claiming to be a Kayak fan.

It’s partly right and partly wrong, hence it might be a bit different from an urban legend.

In reality, many streamers hoped for a taste of Kayak’s blessings and claimed to be her fans, but only a few were true fans. Most were just “fans” in name, mere conceptual fans.

However, those who claimed to be Kayak’s fans conceptually often faced harsh consequences.

They would undergo an inquisition from the Kayakers, being classified into ‘real’ and ‘fake’.

Once outed as fake, many would succumb to the torment from the Kayakers and end their streams in despair. Kayak remained oblivious to these underground affairs.

It was something Kayak was unaware of, a matter of the underworld.

Needless to say, nothing in this world is easy.

Back in the day, just broadcasting her worship of Kayak would attract a horde of Kayak fans, but now there were dozens of procedures to prove one’s status as a fan. The gathered viewers could turn into knife-wielding thugs at any moment.

Thus, the saying that “Hako attracts viewers just by mentioning Kayak’s name” has become outdated.

A more accurate expression would be “Hako attracts inquisitive Kayak fans.”

But what happens when one withstands all that scrutiny to the point of genuinely calling themselves a true fan of Kayak, to the extent of even grilling the inquisitors?

“Hey guys, did you watch Kayak’s broadcast yesterday? There was an event in the cafe! I might join it too.”

[Looks like Anya is just perfect for it.]

[Anya is a famous Kayak fan.]

[Anya