From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea )

LeisureHermit, despite his unlucky streak, was still a chess ace.

It took Anthea some serious brainpower to beat him the night before. It had been a while since she'd encountered such a fierce opponent.

So, without hesitation, Anthea accepted to add him as a gaming buddy, labeling him a 'Loser'.

Then she fired up her live stream.

Thanks to the popularity from the previous night, Anthea's channel exploded with over a hundred viewers the moment she went live.

Sarah, clutching her phone, exclaimed in surprise, "Ann, are you not going on camera?"

"Does a gamer need to show their face?" Anthea asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sarah looked somewhat disappointed. Anthea was such a looker, which was a shame not to capitalize on that.

The viewer count would've surely skyrocketed if she had been on camera.

It was then that Sarah noticed how basic Anthea's streaming setup was. She just had a webcam and a computer, not even a ring light or a sound card in sight.

Luckily, Anthea’s skin was as smooth as cream without a single flaw. Otherwise, the HD camera would be unforgiving.

‘Hey, I'm here!’

‘Are we playing chess again tonight?’

"Yep, that's the plan." replied Anthea.

‘What's your gaming tag? I wanna challenge you. If I lose, I'll give you more gifts! If not, reveal your face! You game?’

"When have I ever been scared?" Anthea shot back, giving out her gamer ID.

Before long, she received a game invite and clicked to accept the challenge. Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

Anthea casually said, "Giving you a head start, so no one says I play rough."

‘OMG, She’s so badass! Totally crushing on you!’

‘So cool!’

‘Don't need a head start. I'm professional and never pick on the girls.’

Anthea, cool as a cucumber, hit the start button, "Even if you're professional, I’m gonna beat you."

‘What a big talk! Add another condition. If you lose, not only a face reveal but also be my fellow.’

Anthea was never one to back down, "Sounds fair. But if you lose, you'll be my fellow."

‘Deal!’

The game began.

Anthea played chess and chatted with her fans. Her banter seemed random, but every word was a gem that left her audience grinning.

With the stakes of a face reveal and the bet, the viewership skyrocketed from hundreds to thousands, and the game intensified.

Gifts kept flooding in.

The opponent was indeed a professional, capturing over a dozen of Anthea's pieces in quick succession.

It looked grim for Anthea.

‘The girl is bound to lose.’

‘The game streamer will show her face. Ready to snap screenshots.’

But then, in a stunning reversal, Anthea turned the tide!

‘Holy cow! Streamer's on fire!’

‘She’s so fierce!’

‘What a power!’

‘Damn, that was thrilling!’

‘I didn't even like chess before, but after watching you, I'm hooked!’

‘How did she do that? Is the streamer some kind of goddess?’

Many users sent online gifts to Anthea again.

Sarah watched, completely gobsmacked.

Being an avid live stream viewer, she knew the value of those virtual gifts.

Even after the platform's cut, Anthea would pocket a cool three thousand!