Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 18

Chat Log

【Hurry up and come at 6, damn it】

“Do you want to see me lose my mind?”

” If you’re going crazy, you’d better head to the hospital.”

“Haha, really funny.”

【Damn, SUHO is already waiting.】

“Isn’t Friede also supposed to be there early and waiting like a pro gamer?”

“What the heck is taking her so long? Is she possibly meeting some guy? Are they rubbing their… you know… together? I’m gonna lose it…”

“Calm down, dude.”

“Seriously, your wordplay is on point.”

【First time feeling dizzy in virtual reality.】

“Why are there so many people in the arena?”

“Right now, everyone’s attracting attention, so it’s super crowded.”

“No way! Those insane avatars that look like aliens are ruining the vibe!”

“A female user entering with a lawsuit about hacking… This one can’t be missed!”

“LOL, so true!”

Already at 5 PM, Suho, who had been in the arena waiting, wore a sly grin, observing the packed stands.

The hype was evident, but I never expected this many people would gather at once, even on a holiday.

I heard from a friend that this duel was being streamed live by other streamers, too.

Including their broadcasts… there’s likely more viewers than at SCK matches.

When a hacker and a female user combine, the negative perception creates a huge buzz.

It’s the same in other games, but especially in Soul Warfare’s rank games where no other factors besides skill are allowed.

If a woman who gained popularity with a mysterious vibe, amazing skills, and angelic voice turned out to be a hacker, that would be a major betrayal.

Just think about all the people who have cheered at the downfall of a once-iconic figure.

And there I was, the hero aiming to bring justice to the world of Soul Warfare.

It suddenly made me feel like an ancient popular gladiator.

A streamer standing up against injustice with a clear purpose.

And the opponent? A hacker female user.

Naturally, I was confident I wouldn’t lose.

The cheers from my numerous supporters already echoed in my ears.

I envisioned myself reigning as a corporate streamer with 100,000 viewers.

* * *

The stands weren’t filled with just those there for the duel.

Some streamers were utilizing the features of virtual reality, personally diving in and delivering live commentary.

Of course, they needed permission from the main streamer, but in this industry, if there wasn’t serious drama, it typically wasn’t a problem.

“Hey guys, yes, the day has finally come.”

One of those streamers was Ji-yeon, who covered comprehensive game content including Soul Warfare.

She sat in the front row, reserved for broadcasters, capturing the grand view of the arena in third-person viewing mode.

[Underground~.]

[Is today a commentary mode, sis?]

[Looks like the hacking issue with Friede was crazy. No joke.]

[There are so many people, LOL.]

[The loser is gonna get absolutely demolished, LOL.]

[We, the Soul Warfare community, support Friede! We, the Soul Warfare community, support Friede!]

[Stop spamming, you jerk!]

[Who do you think you are talking down to us?]

“Is Friede really coming?”

“Girl, please hurry and come! Get wrecked and show your face, I’m about to lose it!”

“Whenever Friede’s mentioned, these idiots always show up! Crazy people!”

Even those not concentrating solely on Soul Warfare were finding out the news here or through streamers.

However, the number gathered for this arena was abnormal. This controversy surely served as a stimulant to break the usual flow of things.

“I’ve come to the duel between Light Hero Friede and SUHO, which is heating up the internet like firewood, and the hype is palpable even in the stands.”

[Didn’t they all bet their bank on this?]

[In that case, this streamer is betting her life.]

[Why is a hacker, who doesn’t even stream, getting such stakes?]

[He probably bet on that mediocre stream called “Forming”.]

[They reportedly got Friede to join, and that’s where the hacking issue erupted, so now everyone is attacking Forming too.]

“So SUHO vs Friede is basically Forming’s match?”

“Sounds about right;;”

“It’s almost 6 PM, the promised time. SUHO arrived in the arena. Will Friede show up here?”

[Flutter flutter flutter!]

“If Friede bails out, that’d be hilarious!”

“Would have to drop out of online activities.”

“Honestly, among gaming schedules, how many users could reach GM and above?”

“Why? The lady league has Lotus, right? She’s a challenger, isn’t she?”

“Lotus is an exception. Plus, she didn’t showcase performances like the hackers. It took her about three months to reach GM.”

“It took nearly 50 days to go from GM to Challenger.”

“Entering the arena at such a heated moment requires courage. Ah, wait a sec…”

While Ji-yeon was monitoring the reactions in chat, she was astonished when she received a notification in her personal inbox.

“Guys, just received the hottest news! The GM for this duel has been decided. None other than GM Law King will be present here with us. Rumor has it, Trom Games is keeping a close eye on this situation as well.”

[The King Gay?]

[An important player has arrived.]

[Just a GM? What’s so special about that?]

[He’s notorious for coming in to smack hackers whenever they show up.]

[Didn’t he jump into the game during the last hacking debacle, annihilating all the hackers with his dual permanent bans?]

“Whoa, what happens to the others if he catches someone in-game?”

“Those matches got voided and immediately blew up. Dude’s seriously strict with hackers. No wonder even regular users know his name.”

[Even the game company has his back, so ordinary complaints just won’t work on him.]

[No way, no way!]

Indeed, sitting on the throne at the top of the stands was GM Law King with an air of superiority.

[What’s he doing here?]

[By the way, that guy loves to play a character!]

“Honestly, just looking at that loser, he probably has a stash of Trom game CEO’s secret sex tapes. Anyway…”

His quiet entrance drew attention, but as GM Law King Sullivan was projected on the arena’s main screen, the stands buzzed with more excitement. His presence was significant due to the hacking controversy.

And then…

“Finally 6 PM! Will Friede show up? There’s still no sign of her entering.”

While Ji-yeon’s excited voice echoed, the stands — no, the entire arena — fell silent.

Is she really going to bail out or confidently reveal herself like in that video where she challenged the duel?

That was when it happened.

“Hey, look over there!”

At a shout from somewhere in the stands, everyone’s gaze converged on one spot.

Unlike the dark fantasy atmosphere typical of Soul Warfare, the night sky they gazed at was exceptionally clear and bright.

In the very center, there was a dazzling golden light, undoubtedly what had snatched the audience’s attention.

Ji-yeon too stopped her commentary and directed her view and spectator screen upward when an unforeseen event occurred.

From the sky, the shining star of gold fell right into the center of the arena, and as it collided with the ground, it emitted a brilliance that made everyone shield their eyes.

After a brief moment, once the light that illuminated the arena vanquished, a new notification appeared before everyone.

【Light Hero Friede has entered.】

With pure silver armor and a flowing golden cape.

This wasn’t just a graphic presented within virtual reality.

It was as if aiming to save the bleak world of Soul Warfare…

The Light Hero had descended.

“Oh, um…”

After regaining her composure, Ji-yeon quickly resumed her commentary.

An entrance so splendid, it was beyond imagination.

“Wasn’t that one of the Soul Warfare package deal items? That entrance cutscene customization…”

In any mode of Soul Warfare, when your character first joins the game, a special cutscene can be triggered.

However, due to cost issues and its non-impact on character performance, it’s been relegated to a niche product.

Only users with enough money to hire someone or professional gamers used it.

To pull off such an entrance cutscene in top-notch quality…

“Sorry, I got a bit delayed while customizing my character.”

That one line from Friede seemed to ignite a barrage of messages in her chat.

[No way, she used the cutscene customization?]

“Damn, what’s with that quality?”

“The Light Hero is invincible! Friede is a goddess!”

[Wait, are you defending a hacker?]

[How do you know if she’s a hacker or not?]

[I’d bet all my points that she’s a hacker. If you’re scared, you can drop out.]

[As if I can’t bet? You jerk!]

[A fight? Everyone gather~]

[Host, get the betting ready right now!]

Her entrance, so captivating, was more than enough to entirely reverse the mood that seemed to be heading for disaster.

The atmosphere between SUHO and Friede was practically 50-50.

No need for further words; it would be a pure battle of skill from here on out…

* * *

GM Law King.

The overseer of the one-on-one duel between SUHO and Friede, dispatched as a watcher to detect any usage of hacking programs.

His concise impression while observing Friede’s entrance from his throne was simple.

“Honestly… what a joke.”

To put it nicely, he had star instincts; to put it poorly, he was someone obsessed with grabbing attention.

Well, maybe that’s why people are so obsessed with them.

Buried in his chair, Law King idly shifted his gaze between the two facing off in the arena and the holographic panel on his right.

“Seems… not hacking.”

Currently, there were no signs of abnormalities.

Who knows what might happen once the duel starts, but for now, things were stable.

The company wasn’t foolish. Trom Games was as relentless in dealing with illegal programs as it was in combating paranoid sociopaths.

They had thorough measures in place for monitoring, spotting, and countering hacks, gaining a reputation for being nearly perfect.

Unlike regular PCs, virtual reality directly affects users’ health, making it a sensitive issue.

There was no way they would skip investigating Friede during this hacking debacle.

“All clear.”

Based on the preliminary investigation, Friede showed no signs of using any hacking programs, merely just a normal user.

Therefore, Law King was unhappy with the notion of a GM involving himself in this duel like this.

Even as an observer, there was no need to showcase himself in the duel.

“Whether I observe here or from the system, it’s all the same.”

Feeling a bit self-deprecating about having to log in and show himself like this, but it was an order from above, so he couldn’t help it.

This event had grown to a considerable scale, but after all, it was merely a quarrel between users.

The company sticking its nose in this is like throwing gasoline on a burning bonfire.

They could just discretely watch this duel remotely and post a message on the company website afterwards.

Well, ultimately, this was just about making a hype out of it:

“Look how thoroughly we counter hacking in our company.”

Suddenly, he felt a peculiar similarity between the user Friede and Trom Games.

“Man, they sure love making issues.”

A bitter smile automatically graced his lips.