Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 28

* * *

Surprisingly, the internet broadcasting happening in virtual reality had a lot of settings to tweak.

“I need to adjust the camera angles and set the lighting individually for the streaming service. Each game has its own location and corresponding atmosphere, after all.”

“Do I have to do that for every game?”

“Yep. It’s a bit of a hassle, but it has to be done for each game. You’re playing Soul Warfare, right? No plans for other games?”

I shook my head to answer. Since this was my first broadcast, I wouldn’t have the luxury to explore other games.

“Yeah, not yet.”

“Okay. Then let’s create the room first.”

I started by setting up a private broadcast.

Creating secret rooms for each mode in Soul Warfare felt like playing with clay, adjusting the lighting and camera position panels.

Dayoung, being the only viewer in the private room, kept an eye out to see if everything was okay.

If I were broadcasting alone, I would have felt like a lost child at sea.

Dayoung’s care was certainly a sign of her solid skills.

I couldn’t help but praise my past self for dragging her into my broadcast.

“It’s great with this equipment. The sensitivity is spot on.”

“Really? I don’t know much about that.”

“This is a Moses limited edition model, you know? You’ve never used any other model, right? You’d find it quite frustrating. The sensitivity and settings in virtual reality are all that way.”

Was that so? I could only tilt my head in confusion.

I had used the virtual reality room at the Warfare Mark PC bang for the opening match with a different model.

I didn’t feel a significant difference between the two devices.

After about an hour of busy adjustments, the atmosphere started to settle.

“Thinking about it, it’s amazing. Back in my day, many people avoided VR.”

“Huh? Almost no one avoids it now that virtual reality is here… Ah, you’ve been in this world for over ten years, right? So you wouldn’t know.”

Yeah, I wouldn’t know, I nodded.

Dayoung explained why face reveals were common: with rainbow-colored tattoos or dyed hair, it was easy to make countless impressions.

This is an era where you can just put a dot on your face and come back as a newcomer.

Even if the scanned avatar’s features remain the same, this kind of character customization minimizes exposure in reality.

That’s why more streamers are face revealing and broadcasting… as Dayoung told me.

It’s the power of future technology bridging the gap between streamers and viewers, something to look forward to.

“Alright, we’re all set. Just the title left. You get to choose.”

Thinking deep, I jotted down a title that came to mind.

‘Super sexy F-cup Heroine’s Soul Warfare Exposed Stream’

“Hey, sis.”

Ah, I felt a chill from the arctic creeping up from behind.

Like an alien with a gauntlet, I quickly erased the title and had to come up with a new one.

Alright, let’s not lose my humanity or sanity.

After a little thought, I decided to keep it straightforward.

Just like how I changed my ID…

‘Friede’s Soul Warfare Stream’

“Well, that’s plain but okay. Good choice.”

Dayoung, watching from behind, gave a bored nod of approval.

“You don’t need a provocative title if you’re the one streaming. Your nickname itself is already a draw.”

“Hm.”

She seemed more satisfied than I was?

* * *

The time had come.

Broadcasting ON…

Starting in the MS Room.

Sitting in front of a tidy table, I checked the dual monitors, set as host, to make sure everything was working.

Fortunately, the broadcast screen was capturing me just fine.

That’s right. I was about to start broadcasting.

Usually swirling with thoughts, right now my mind was as blank as a piece of paper, staring at the viewer count on the chat panel without even realizing it.

One viewer…

Today’s temporary manager was Dayoung, and she would be watching from outside.

So an awkward silence filled the spacious MS Room.

“Ahh….”

Bored, I decided to test the mic. I already knew it worked fine through Dayoung.

But doing something might ease the awkwardness and help me relax…

“No one’s coming in.”

I expected dozens to join right away.

After the recent nuclear controversy, the reactions during the one-on-one duel had been incredibly enthusiastic. Perhaps I had overestimated my own popularity.

Was it just that people enjoyed watching a famous streamer drop into obscurity?

[ Forming: Sis, just play the game for now. ]

Well, it’d be awkward to do a one-man show here.

Ah, since Dayoung was watching, that’d definitely not work.

I launched Soul Warfare.

—Whoosh.

A barren land with fleeting winds.

Pressured by the leaden clouds blocking the sky, I couldn’t tell if it was day or night.

The gloomy lobby screen of Soul Warfare was familiar.

[ Nickname: Friede / Tier: Grand Master ]

The unique golden wing badge of Grand Master greeted me.

Both Masters and Grand Masters are impressive, but the Grand Master version, decked out even more, gives off a vibe distinctly different from Soul Warfare’s usual atmosphere.

For now… yeah, let’s play some ranked games.

I figured someone would eventually join in while I was at it.

* * *

In any broadcasting platform, there are specters wandering 24/7.

These specters also exist in the Switch channel, and normal viewers have agreed to call them “ssu.”

The behavior patterns of these “ssu” are exceedingly simple.

They either poke their noses into any room, causing trouble, or quietly observe before leaving for another broadcast.

Even low-quality streams are no exception.

“Lord, grant me the privilege of being a righteous ssu today.”

What kind of mischief would I cause today, and which streamer would I bring despair to…

Among the “ssu,” different ranks exist.

The one who just prayed was a notorious bad actor in the ssu community, labeled as a malignant tumor of sorts.

Especially targeting low-quality streams, he was somewhat famous within the tangled community of ssu.

At first, he would behave politely to win the streamer’s favor, then switch to acting sternly and seriously, constantly picking at their mental.

Today, he imagined joyfully how he would shatter some low-quality streamer’s mentality like a cookie as he entered the Switch channel.

With both excitement and anticipation, he began channel surfing.

Just then, his eyes caught sight of a bizarre broadcast.

Viewer count: 1.

Indeed, it was a tragic sight: a single digit in a sea of mocking laughter.

How could anyone stream such a low-effort show? He chuckled inwardly as he pictured the face of the streamer getting wrecked by the ssu mentality.

But the moment he glanced at the broadcast title, his thoughts did a complete 180.

[ Friede’s Soul Warfare Broadcast ]

“Friede? Isn’t that the user?”

Known as the “Light Hero Friede,” she was the female gamer who appeared like a comet.

Her skills showcased in ranked games and the speed at which she climbed tiers surpassed even Yeonkkot, the top female gamer at present.

It was well-known how she decimated a Grand Master-tier streamer during the hacking controversy, proving her innocence in the process.

After that infamous hacking incident duel, her name had received bright lighting throughout all Soul Warfare communities.

After the fiery hacking controversy settled, there were occasional sightings of her ascending the ranks.

Insane reaction speed.

Acrobatic movements.

A user whose unique playstyle offered a visual treat.

At first, he pondered if it was impersonation.

Surely, a popular user wouldn’t have just one viewer, right? A completely rational deduction.

Given the thumbnail was the size of a grain of rice, distinguishing the truth felt challenging.

“Let’s go check it out.”

If it’s real, it’ll be huge; if it’s fake, he could just mess with her like usual.

Even a tiny curiosity was enough to breathe life into the specter wandering about, and as he clicked to enter, he tilted his head.

One viewer, yet… why is the loading so slow?

“Is the device crummy?”

I heard that using a low-end model can cause buffering during broadcasts.

Having watched countless virtual reality streamers without ever experiencing this, I found it surprisingly refreshing.

Also, I started to suspect this broadcast might be an impersonation.

I had heard that Friede showed us all kinds of ridiculous character customizations with money.

Surely, a low-end model wouldn’t disrupt the broadcast.

Maybe a hint of conscience lingered, as after about a minute, a notification indicated the loading was complete.

That was a decent wait. Proud of my patience, I entered, and what met the wandering specter’s eyes was…

[ For real? ]

[ Wow! It’s you, sis! You came to save us! ]

[ Wait, did you get caught too? ]

[ What the hell, Grand Master lmao ]

[ STK Warden STK Yeonkkot, stand down! ]

[ Here’s our goddess holding the Broken Club with both hands like a treasure. ]

[ Alright, let’s go! ]

[ Move aside, this stream is mine! ]

[ Upload it! Come on! ]

[ I really want to snipe, when does this match end? ]

[ What the hell, how many idiots are squeezing into this room? Why is it buffering? ]

Instantly, the viewer count exploded into the hundreds, transforming the chat into a playground of jokesters.

And on the broadcast screen, the nickname displayed.

Friede. And the Grand Master tier mark.

“What the hell!”

This broadcast was the real deal.

* * *