Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 156

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Logging into the game lobby, I was just about to start matchmaking.

“Stop!”

Suddenly, a desperate shout from beside me made my finger freeze over the button.

A familiar voice. Turning to the side, I could see Eunha rushing over from a distance, panting heavily.

“Wait… just hold on, sis!”

She looked dizzy from running so hard, her eyes spinning as if she was on the verge of losing it.

No wonder; the difference in size between the barren wilderness of the old map and the grand hall of this new map was enormous.

If I had already formed a party, it wouldn’t have mattered, but without that, finding the opponent was like searching for a needle on the beach.

Impressive that she managed to get through all that sheer determination, but…

“You got here early. I thought it would take over an hour since you said you had team calls. Why didn’t you invite a friend instead?”

“Sorry, sis. Phew, there are so many people! It was nothing much, so it ended quickly, but you didn’t respond to my notes or friend invitations. So I sprinted here. Took a bit of time to push through to get here.”

Eunha’s flushed, awkward smile as she caught her breath was quite amusing.

It was then I noticed the glowing message icon on the side.

Oh no, I completely ignored Eunha’s messages while I was focused on the opening video.

[Wow! Yeonkkot is here!]

[Eunha made it before matching with Friede, lol!]

[I should’ve just started matching and kept Yeonkkot in the lobby, such a waste!]

[This is why those who skip videos are truly the worst… sigh.]

[Watch your mouth! Don’t trash talk our senpai or the host will go nuts!]

“Oh, are we live? Hello, this is STK Yeonkkot.”

[Eunha~]

[Isn’t Yeonkkot the one who formed a sisterhood with Friede?]

[Yeonkkot definitely looks better than that fake sister, Forming!]

“Of course! I’ll try my best to collaborate with my sister. And I’d also appreciate your support for STK.”

As soon as Yeonkkot skillfully finished introducing herself, I received a friend invitation message. Naturally, I immediately went for matchmaking without a second thought.

Before I knew it, I was matched and pressed the accept button.

And then…

“Huh….”

An involuntary gasp escaped my lips. I had felt it in the opening and lobby screen, but inside was even more spectacular.

The gothic style buildings were majestic, unlike anything that reminded me of a dark fantasy from the end of the world.

This was a completely different concept map from the usual Soul Warfare. Instead of a bleak dark labyrinth, it was a temple soaring high above the sunset and clouds.

The long white corridor was designed with soft wave patterns, presenting a wonder alongside the sunset shining beyond the terrace and the sea of white clouds.

If a dark fantasy’s knight arrived at the end of his adventure at a kind of divine temple, it would feel just like this.

At this point, the term “dark fantasy” might need to drop the “dark.”

[Eunha’s look fits perfectly now, right?!]

[Oh, a team battle maze map was where Friede could really stand out!]

[For real, concept enthusiasts will pop up like crazy in this kind of map.]

“By the way, sis… do you know this map?”

“Nope. It’s my first time. Games should be enjoyed by challenging the unknown, so I’m just diving in. That’s my philosophy.”

“Um, I don’t think that’s right….”

Eunha tilted her head, puzzled, but what could I do about it?

I’m not the type to meticulously analyze patch notes whenever a game gets updated. I believe the beauty of games is feeling and learning through experience.

[You didn’t even practice mode?]

[Eunha, you should at least check the patch notes or videos!]

[Such a strong will to crash the game, huh?]

[Seriously, a streamer with suspicious preparation!]

“Hey, don’t judge me like that. Maybe just take me shopping instead.”

「DaddyPants’ sponsorship of 1,000 won!」

—I really hope you don’t give me that crap!

That sharp line from a male voice sponsorship disrupted my train of thought.

Before I could say more, I had no time to focus on the frozen chat.

The game had started, but…

“…where is everyone?”

All of our teammates except Eunha and I had vanished. Did we bug out?

Eunha, who had been quietly standing next to me, cleared her throat and said with a crisp voice.

“Hey, sis, it’s your first pre-season, right? This is the new map. They say this will be featured in the next pro league. It’s going to be quite different from the previous maze map used for team battles.”

“Different? Isn’t it just a theme change?”

Eunha smiled slightly as if I was missing something.

“Nope. The key feature of this map is….”

Before Eunha could finish, a change came quickly.

The sound of machinery ringing between walls echoed vibrantly.

In sync, the wall rotated, revealing a location completely different from the room we had seen earlier.

“A maze?”

“Ding ding! You got it.”

I answered with the thought, but understanding that concept was a bit of a struggle. A maze for team battles? How would we even proceed with the game?

According to Eunha’s rough explanation, the four outside of our main base would randomly start in pairs of two.

It sounded like a battle royale happening in a maze where the corridors change every so often.

“That side has a narrow corridor between the rooms, huh? Using ranged weapons would be difficult. Plus, bow users have already entered the room, so that’s tricky.”

“Exactly! There’s been a lot of talk that the added traits and the layout of the map don’t mesh well. The new magical traits would align easier with the previous maze map. Well, magic isn’t just mass attack types, but regular players usually focus on that. Even with magic, I need to push forward with the basics like enchantments or magic missiles. That’s just a sub-skill anyway; ultimately, the advantage goes to those wielding weapons.”

Besides, on this map, it’s been quite some time, but nothing has changed except that the room layout has flipped.

The rooms themselves aren’t spacious, so if every area is like this configuration, what would this map even leave us with?

I was beginning to think that while it’s a team battle, the map’s concept was completely different. It felt a bit too extreme, but who cares?

“For now, I’m glad we’re starting together. No getting lost.”

“Right?”

“Yeah, I’ll be counting on you.”

Having the skilled, top-ranked Eunha with me, I wouldn’t be scared no matter how new the map was.

With an encouraging soft smile, Eunha beamed like a sunflower.

“Leave it to me. I’ll lead the way.”

Eunha was decked out in the black and red knight set typical of the STK team, which clashed quite a bit with my chosen character design and felt strangely out of place in this battleground.

Well, I suppose I was the same during the old maze as well. Swapping roles felt refreshing in some way.

“Oh, so what weapon did you choose, sis? The Holy Sword, like always? Or something different this time?”

Eunha usually suited up with a self sword and a small shield. I confidently showed off my main pick weapon.

A Broken Greatsword.

A Holy Light Sword.

The new face of this magical traits patch would be…

“This one.”

“…huh?”

It was an Oak Staff.

Looking at the staff I held up, Eunha’s face turned a shade of incredulity.

Which made total sense; it matched horribly with my white armor and golden cloak character, even more than a Broken Greatsword would.

[??????]

[Am I seeing things? Why the heck are you holding a total joke of a weapon when you could have such a dope one?]

[Explain yourself, sis!!!]

[Hey, Friede! Why aren’t you wielding the Holy Sword!]

[The legendary Friede… a knight wielding a staff now, lol!]

[Magic is for kids… I still have to protect it.]

[Geez, I just wanted to see Friede fighting with the Holy Sword!! The map’s ready, so why!!!]

Ignoring the numerous outbursts, I waved the staff around playfully.

Hmm, the grip feels great. I’d say it’s on par with the fishing rod I took camping long ago.

“Hey… are you going to be a wizard this time? You invested your stats in intelligence and focus, right?”

“Huh? Nope.”

I only mentioned the magic traits, but I hadn’t checked at all how to operate it.

As you can tell from movies, a true mage usually beats everything with their staff, and true essence of magic comes from physical prowess.

“My stats are the same as usual. Let’s take down all the enemies together.”

“Wha….”

[Wait seriously, you’re going full-on wizard Friede now?]

[What are you talking about? It’s strength-wizard Friede, alright!]

[Sniff sniff. I can smell the aroma of a gray-robed wizard coming from somewhere!]

[Shh! Don’t say any more!]

[That staff is a magic catalyst, right? The weapon’s performance is utterly awful; how are you going to fight?]

[This is why style chasers are so annoying! Magic isn’t just that. There are plenty of options in the magic swordmaster tree in the list.]

[Do I seem clueless to you? When does Friede ever play normally, holding a staff? She started off with a Broken Club, after all!]

[Oh shoot!]

Looks like there’s someone with some insight in the chat.

That’s right.

I was a strength-wizard.

I’ll be parrying and just smashing heads with this.

Well, I’ll also use magic when needed.

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