Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 157

A grand departure ceremony was held, whether it was a maze or not.

Swinging that fancy Oak Staff like it was nothing felt suspicious, but I followed Lotus with doubts that she would actually fight with it.

It was obvious from just the weapon description how terrible that weapon was as a weapon. I thought Friede wouldn’t stoop so low as to play with something so pathetic that even her sister would disrespect it.

In the first place, that weapon was more of an item concept vital for using magic than an actual weapon. A weapon was merely for minimal defense. It was like the daggers that archers use—nothing more than that.

Meanwhile, while Lotus was anxious, the viewers were all excited, spamming chat with their various types of bait.

[Wow! LOL, are they really fighting with that weapon? That’s savage!]

[There’s no way she would, right? She’ll fight with Soul Missiles and summon magical weapons.]

[Used to use the Broken Greatsword, but it’s a different matter now.]

[Just looking at the weapon’s performance stats makes me want to throw it away, LOL.]

[If you can’t tell the difference, you probably can’t do basic math. Certified Friede elementary school kid.]

[These days, kids are studying like crazy, ugh.]

You guys are excited. It’s an easy position for you since you just have to chew and tear apart when your sister’s getting wrecked.

Lotus clenched her teeth, secretly glancing at the corner of the screen where Friede’s broadcast and chat were open. No matter what happens, she had to avoid her sister getting utterly wrecked. Taking a deep breath, Lotus analyzed the map with sharp, cold eyes.

This map changed rooms in real-time like a maze, but it wasn’t a change that was hard to grasp. It was all happening within the confines of the game. There was ample time for room rearrangements.

‘If I enter the right room here…’

There’s a Simple Buff Object for Looting. It might look strange since it’s built like an arcade, but…

‘If it heads towards a player confrontation, the odds will be in my favor.’

She walked down the corridor to find the designated room. On either side of the path of the brightly shining white temple, dark side paths loomed. If you let your guard down even a little, you could be ambushed from those gaps. Since no one knew when or where an ambush would occur, it was necessary to remain vigilant.

—Bang!

At the noise, unexpected in the quiet temple, Lotus didn’t waste time searching for what was going on and immediately rolled away.

Leaving a glancing blade behind her, she quickly assumed Combat Stance, raising her Self Sword, eyes wide.

—Thud!

It was the kind of thunderous sound that would be heard by anyone playing Soul Warfare.

Unlike the direction of the attack aimed at her, a peak macho dude in leather armor, a Viking helmet, and wielding dual axes was the one ambushing her sister.

His muscles bulged in a way that made onlookers drool. Yet, it was a rare sight to see such a beefcake acting like a zombie with a face of ecstasy.

“Parrying?”

Lotus’s shout mixed with shock made the chat and the last remaining player who ambushed her respond with wide eyes.

[What the hell is that?]

[Successfully parrying with an Oak Stick? LOL]

[Wow, so it actually works!]

[That’s way worse than the Broken Greatsword and the soldering iron, LOL.]

[But what are they gonna do with that?]

[No idea!]

The equipment was made for magic, hence all its modifiers were set to the lowest and worst adjustments…

Moreover, given the timing and reaction speed of the ambusher, they were undoubtedly a high-tier player. Even Lotus chose to evade rather than retaliate, which was proof of that.

While everyone was mixed with admiration or astonishment, Friede was actually feeling confusion for the first time while playing Soul Warfare.

‘What is this?’

It was a moment that lasted less than a second, yet for Friede, using her cool-headed senses as a Hero felt like an unbearably long moment of boredom.

No matter how bad the judgment was, as long as the condition of ‘parrying is possible’ existed, there should be nothing that couldn’t be done, she thought.

But…

“Uh, why is this happening?”

Her confused shout made Lotus, the enemy user, and the viewers snap back to reality.

“Hey!”

The enemy user, trying to save their comrade from Friede, lunged, and Lotus’s Self Sword intervened with a flurry of strikes.

She successfully covered, directing her gaze towards the enemy, but her heart rushed back to her sister.

“W-What’s going on?! Why is this happening?”

“I can’t attack.”

“What?”

What the heck is that nonsense? Forgetting there was an enemy right in front of her, she turned slightly, and… oh no.

In front of the immobilized enemy user was Friede, flailing her Oak Staff awkwardly.

“Please, Friede… please! Let me use Soul Missile… let me shoot Soul Missile!”

[Wow, that Avian guy shows up a lot these days.]

[I seriously need that super bad Soul Missile.]

[Come on, just use magic!]

[At least use basic magic to cut his health in half.]

[Seeing Friede play like this really isn’t anything special… she should just take a fashion shoot instead.]

[*** has been forcefully disconnected.]

As the chat grew increasingly heated and immersed, the clone of A-jin re-entered, swinging its sword once more, while the situation deteriorated further.

The parrying strike wouldn’t activate, causing her to keep repeating the same powerless stance. This thought felt disrespectful to her sister, but Friede’s swift movements to succeed in landing a strike within the fixed time frame looked utterly ridiculous, like the dance of the Bong San mask dance. It was no different than just flailing the staff.

Until now, she had always been overwhelming, dazzling, beautiful, and cool… to see her break down like this was unbelievable!

‘My sister isn’t like this!’

Lotus had never thought about using a staff as a weapon, and even Friede was at a loss for the parrying mechanism’s failure.

Seeing the opponent gradually come back to their senses, Friede squinted her eyes and struck down with the staff all the way.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

—Crack!

The cheerful thud of a hit echoed throughout the temple hallway.

“Huff, huff….”

It’s a virtual reality, so I shouldn’t be getting tired, but strangely I was short of breath. It felt quite dirty since as a hero, I had hardly ever been out of breath over trivial matters until now.

Despite the energetic strike, it didn’t seem to cause much damage. In reality, I would have probably fainted already. Thanks to the game system or maybe due to the macho appearance of that beefcake, he felt notably tough.

“Sis! Are you okay?”

In response to Eunha’s concern, I silently nodded.

I didn’t know why the finishing attack through parrying wasn’t working, but it didn’t seem to be a major problem.

The main point was that I needed to hit more to take him down.

The standoff didn’t last long. The dual axes held by the macho guy lunged in with power.

Maybe thinking I was a magician, he rushed in easily, but after being cracked on the head by the staff, he came to his senses. He approached with a cautious and sharp form, clearly showing he was not just any player.

Seeing clearly that he was aiming for my neck, I slightly shifted my body to dodge the attack’s path. I felt a slight graze, but it wasn’t anything serious.

Was it possible… that I was the one who wasn’t paying attention?

To keep the offensive flow going, I began hammering away with the axes in a sequential assault.

No matter how amazing the equipment was, if used properly, it would carry the advantages of being held in one hand, making it something a normal user would frown at.

Slipping and stepping, maintaining barely enough distance. Not yet. Just a bit closer, and…

‘Now!’

Worried about falling stamina, I caught sight of the axe descents, and a light faster than the speed of light signaled my brain, prompting my body to move.

The two feet that had been stepped before turned into sturdy footholds like a tree deeply rooted, while the pitiful Oak Staff drew a graceful arc.

—Thud!

The moment the staff sliced into the gap of the dual axes and lifted up, the parrying was triggered like a thunderous roar disgruntled at the axe raised towards the sky.

Toward that beefcake macho Viking stunned in ineffectiveness, I swung the staff for a finishing blow.

Far colder than ever, defying the slow flow of time like a flash.

But….

“Ah, indeed….”

I clicked my tongue, hesitant to hit due to worries of the parrying’s cooldown breaking off.

It’s still not activating. No way a more delicate play would be feasible. If even I found it impossible, it could only mean one of two things.

The game, or this weapon, has a bug preventing parrying attacks, or else…

“This weapon’s parrying attack is simply impossible.”

As I assessed the situation, my brows furrowed involuntarily.

Ah, it feels like a loss here. To swiftly take him down using this lousy weapon, the parrying counter was a must.

In the end, would I just have to hit his head again and again like a spoon murderer, slowly trying to win?

At this rate, dear Eunha wouldn’t just take down one or two foes.

‘There’s no other choice.’

What can I do? In the end, the thirsty person digs a well.

If I can’t change the system right now, I just have to adapt.

I lifted the Oak Staff back up, ready to strike down again.

A truly fearsome bludgeon radiating an air of resolve.

As if it harbored feelings against being used as a weapon instead of for magic, that intensity felt far from ordinary.

With a mighty swing down…

—Crack!

That day, the beefcake macho Viking met the head of his twelfth encounter.