Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 155

**Community News: What’s New?**

At first, I didn’t realize it just from the community updates, but this pre-season… seems to be going quite grandly.

Originally, the Swit Channel was a chaotic realm filled with various content—games, leisure, music, dance, performances… even the crafts of skilled artisans.

Despite being a platform that started with games, it has expanded the diversity of genres for more content creation. It’s all about pursuing that global streaming service vibe. With all sorts of reclusive figures immersing themselves into broadcasting, it’s no wonder that the amount of stuff to watch keeps increasing.

This phenomenon has only accelerated since the emergence of virtual reality.

Even though VR devices are expensive, they have become indispensable as they allow for superior broadcasting services.

Dae-young also managed to set up a budget model for her broadcasts.

Maybe that’s why gaming is still mainstream, but other content is also quite frequently and boldly making its presence known.

However, the essence can’t be changed… Among the dominant genres that occupy Swit, games stand tall as true pillars.

The list of games under the gaming category… is incredibly consistent regarding the names of broadcasts and categories.

As I opened the Swit Channel to start my broadcast, I discovered that only news regarding the Soul Warfare pre-season dominated the rankings.

Not just the number of real-time viewers, but even when digging through existing major streamer broadcasts, it seemed like all users who had even brushed against gaming, or had any connection to it, were diving right in.

You could rightly call this a massive refugee movement.

This pre-season seems to have struck a chord with users beyond just patch details. Otherwise, so many people wouldn’t flock here.

“Wow, looks like a lot of games have been buried.”

This phenomenon, at least since my return to Earth, provided a uniquely enjoyable observation.

Thinking back, it feels like this is how it was on the release days of major game sequels.

But can just a simple patch evoke that kind of fluctuating viewer interest akin to back in the day?

The number of broadcasts categorized under Soul Warfare is in the hundreds. Whatever the reason, it seems that an unexpected golden age for Soul Warfare has dawned on the Swit Channel. Some might argue it used to be strong too, but it genuinely feels like it’s doubled now.

“Ah, what about overseas?”

So far, I’d been filtering for domestic streamers. Upon unchecking the overseas block, I was mildly shocked at the number of broadcasts doubling yet again.

Considering that Korea got the update a day later, it’d be fair to guess that overseas folks are already deep into the fun.

Let’s just reset the settings… and get ready for the broadcast.

The pre-season exploration featuring Eun-ha. Our duo broadcast on Soul Warfare content is quite a hit, so it felt wasteful to just mess around together.

If we broadcast today, we can create viewer satisfaction and give ourselves an excuse to take breaks later… it’s truly killing two birds with one stone. Having already gotten Eun-ha’s permission, it’s all good. No one can stop me!

“Friede & Lotus Soul Warfare Pre-Season Exploration”

I set the title and checked the time.

Eun-ha, who had initially suggested dancing, messaged that she’d be an hour late due to a sudden team call.

I might have experienced this before, but what can you do? Professional teams are busy adapting to the pre-season too.

I started the broadcast.

—

**[Breaking News! Breaking News!]**

Author: Slim (Fake)

Friede’s afternoon broadcast starts now!

Why is she broadcasting at this hour when she always sticks to the evening time?

Moreover, the presence of Lotus in the title feels like a moral lesson….

Is Pokey just a discardable ornament after all? The strange relationship with Friede has everyone glued to the channel!

O.o: What’s going on?


Zikgatherbelt: She’s really turned on the stream?


Kimkketta: Let’s go! Hurry!

—

It was a weekday afternoon.

Given Friede’s usual broadcasting hours, it was indeed a bit early.

Furthermore, the five characters boldly displaying “Soul Warfare” in the title were enough to send longtime Friede fans into a frenzy.

Lately, it seemed like she had been neglecting gaming content and had been on a long break, awakening the instincts of gamers who had been parched.

Plus, the guest’s presence was significant. The Friede & Lotus duo, acclaimed in the community as the Soul Warfare twin princesses.

No one could deny that Lotus’s duo strategy played a significant role in Friede achieving the top rank in the last season.

With anticipation for what kind of performance they’d deliver this pre-season, the fingers eager to enter the broadcast were pumped up.

[Hah! Hah! Hah!]


[Sensei, what brings you to this hour on a lowly broadcast…]


[When did you turn on the stream? You sure it’s on now?]


[Here I am, rolling around at home. Just hopped on the Friede broadcast’s first ride.]


[Yeah! I’ve been waiting for this!]

As soon as they entered, everyone typed in the chat and shifted their gaze to the screen, where an incredibly different scene unfolded before them.

Typically, when the broadcast starts, Friede would be seen vacantly staring into space in the lobby before greeting the chat.

It’s not like it’s been a day or two; it has always been like this whenever she streams.

But… what is happening before my eyes?

Beyond the crumbling castle on the brink of ruin, Friede walks through a wasteland.

As a wanderer on an endless journey, her golden cloak and silver armor didn’t lose their shine in the rough winds.

Amidst the gray clouds that seemed to trap the sun, moon, sky, and stars, flags, swords, spears, axes… and the crumbled corpses of the dead lay strewn around.

In this lifeless world, one wonders what she’s looking for as she crosses it.

With each repeated aimless step, the surrounding background begins to change slowly.

Initially, the clouds part, revealing the wasteland under the night sky.

Crossing the wasteland, she ascends a giant mountain.

Climbing up slopes filled with snow not typically seen, the dazzling sun shone even brighter upon her.

As scenes passed by like frames of a movie, Friede’s journey was finally approaching its conclusion.

Like Icarus soaring closer to that which he could almost touch, a tremendous temple revealed itself beneath the radiant sun.

Declaring that it would accept no other colors, the massive columns taller than a human and dizzyingly high ceilings loomed, with clouds below like an ocean beneath the temple.

Everything maintained a pure white, like a blank canvas.

The player, Friede, grips the Holy Sword tightly and strides toward the automatically opening temple entrance.

After the series of scenes concluded, viewers erupted in dissatisfaction, like they had watched a full film until the credits rolled.

[Wow, are you serious? Not skipping this?]


[You know she’s pretty, doesn’t she intentionally do this? Is that it?]


[Who’s the genius that decided to make the player’s avatar the opening star?]


[Lol, Friede looks leagues above.]


[F*ck, if it was my avatar, it’d be a folk dance, but when it’s Friede, it’s epic ㅡ,.ㅡ]


[Original looks are everything in life. Blame your parents. Humans.]

An opening for a pre-season broadcast.

What kind of ‘pearls on a pig’ scenario is this? It’d be better to save it for the actual season.

Though Friede inwardly lamented about it, she figured it was working well enough for now, so she decided to roll with it.

When the video ended and she entered the lobby, it was no longer the dark, desolate wasteland and castle.

“Oh!”

[The map is super bright. Feels like I saved the world.]


[What’s the story of this map? Didn’t the previous labyrinth give some context?]


[No idea?]

With Friede’s exclamation, waves of admiration erupted in the chat.

The scene was starkly different from the gothic style of majestic architecture reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy.

The map concept was entirely different from the usual Soul Warfare, showcasing not a bleak dark labyrinth but a temple soaring high above, kissed by the sunset and clouds, just like in the opening.

Regardless of the map’s characteristics, it’s safe to say that the concept was a solid 100 out of 100.

Though time passed until the opening concluded, Friede beamed while gazing at the chat.

“Everyone, it’s a lovely day. How have you all been?”

[Now you choose to greet us?]


[I’m disappointed that you’re not the no-skip type, Sensei.]


[Finally returning to your roots, huh? Friede style ㅠㅠ]


[I was waiting for this!]


[Friede and Lotus. Is it a duo after a long time?]

“It’s been a while since Soul Warfare. I mean, isn’t a break of over a week long enough to say it’s been a while? Lotus? She was supposed to join, but personal matters came up unexpectedly, so her appearance will be a bit later.”

In the main lobby, without starting the game, Friede continued to converse by watching the chat.

It was now Friede’s time.