Friede chose not to jump straight into matchmaking, and instead returned to the MS Room to kill some time.
Being in the Soul Warfare lobby was hectic; it felt like everyone was swarming around the bait she had cleverly laid out, so she opted for a temporary escape.
Of course, she had to prepare for her broadcast and check a few things, so it wouldn’t be entirely fair to call it a mindless retreat.
“Heh.”
A little tune slipped out.
Hacker VS Friede.
A troublesome element that could get any gamer riled up within the game, but on the flip side, if used wisely, it would be hard to find a more sensational topic than this.
Wasn’t the victim who got falsely accused none other than herself?
A legendary gamer who once held the number one rank of the previous season, even having suspicious records.
And currently, the hackers sweeping through ranked games.
This scenario really is the perfect bait for what’s often dubbed ‘something big is coming.’
As a gamer and a streamer, Friede didn’t want to miss this chance to grab some juicy content.
As she found herself this far, old memories suddenly resurfaced.
“Ah, I understand what that player… what’s his name… felt.”
An ancient villain streamer whose name she had long forgotten.
The guy who got cyber-sniped like Rekka and was schooled, only to be pushed to the depths of her memory… he had to be a guy, right?
It had been so long that not only his face but his name had entirely slipped from her mind. Yet, she could somewhat empathize with the nameless ‘player’ whose face she couldn’t even recognize.
That’s why she planned to put her heart and soul into this broadcast. After all, the concept was straightforward. Just keep matchmaking until she bumped into a hacker.
She had already collected several suspicious nicknames that were rumored to belong to hackers. It was pretty easy to find, considering how blatant they were.
What mattered in this broadcast was not some half-baked concept play, but a victory that felt as refreshing as a soda.
In other words, the viewers tuning in wanted to see Friede go head-to-head with a hacker and emerge victorious.
To showcase that story arc and ending, it felt like Friede’s single viewpoint was somewhat lacking.
“Let’s fix the position here… and adjust the remaining camera to face slightly upwards… done!”
She added three cameras in different angles to capture a third-person perspective.
A serious, all-out duel.
It was a battle between Friede, who was almost impossible for regular celestial-tier players to catch up to, and a hacker who’s transcended the laws of physics.
If the two collided, ordinary gamers wouldn’t have a clue about what was happening at all.
So she set the cameras to capture from as many angles as possible, even altering the playback speed for each one.
With her first-person view, she’d deliver broader details to the audience.
As she was finishing up the settings, Friede checked the status of her broadcast.
Even though it wasn’t formally open yet, merely sitting there was a sea of people.
If she were to start streaming like this… it could be quite a spectacle.
In reality, it would look like a massive dam bursting, unleashing a waterfall of trapped water.
Exactly. She thought she had started off with a stealthy opening, but the response was incredibly good.
Broadcast on.
As she began, the chat flooded with viewers at a speed that could cause lag.
Managed by Ah-Jin, the chat restrictions were practically martial law level, yet this was overwhelming.
‘Looks like the title alone drew in the crowd.’
Taking a moment to breathe, Friede smiled softly.
“Ah, hello everyone. It’s been a while.”
[Stop talking nonsense and get to ranked games!]
[Hey Friede, can you handle this?]
[Move aside! This bait’s mine!]
[Are you really going to fight a hacker?]
[I missed you, Mama! ㅠㅠ]
[Sensei, how will you defeat them?]
[With Friede’s reflexes, she might just win?]
[Show us that refreshing victory!]
「KimKkaetalRaKku donated 50,000 won!
― Matchmaking quickly! Matchmaking quickly! Matchmaking quickly!」
「ZekeGotBelts donated 10,000 won!
― If you show us a refreshing ending, I’ll donate more.」
Amidst the barrage of chat messages, many donations were vying for attention.
It was unusual for Friede’s stream, which had turned into a camping car advertisement, to see donations decreasing beforehand.
“Looks like a lot of new faces today. Is something going on?”
Pretending to be oblivious while testing the waters, yet her smile betrayed a hint of mischief, causing the majority of onlookers to shudder.
[Don’t play dumb, TenRen!]
[If you really don’t know, you’re just a noob.]
[Even if you knew, you’d still be a noob lol.]
[Don’t get fooled, idiots. It literally says Hacker VS in the title, how can you miss that?]
[Uwocha! I almost fell for Friede’s tricks again.]
[Where are you pretending to lose focus?]
「SisterEatingMidir’s mission for 100,000 won!
― Meet a hacker and school them!」
“Hacker, hacker. Ah, those were the good old days, I was once treated like one myself. Can we call this akin to kindred spirits?”
[You were a skills player.]
[Are you not doing the absurd concepts like Broken Club or whatever? You wouldn’t, right? I trust our Friede.]
[For real, this hacker seems crazier than usual, so you should be fully prepared.]
Well, that was the plan anyway.
After all, even renowned celestial-tier rankers and professional gamers were being taken down left and right. For now, she ought to treat it as being on par with her usual self.
She equipped herself with a Holy Sword, and took up the skill recommended by Eunha.
The magic trait, one of the highest tiers in the faith category, ‘Supernova.’
When her health drops below 15%, her stamina becomes infinite, and the amplification of her existing stats triples.
‘15%, huh…’
With a decent-sized weapon attack, luck aside, managing to hold on for even two times would be pushing it.
So while it was considered a top-tier skill, it often ended up as a trap pick.
Even if the skill activated, she usually didn’t have enough health, so one slip and she’d be down for the count.
However, for Friede, this skill felt almost like a trap pick for the opposite reason.
No one had drained her health that much before, so it had just been a waste of slots and stats.
Recommended by Eunha, she equipped it, but ironically, she’d never actually used it once.
[Supernova? You’re really going to use that?]
[I’m looking forward to it. If anyone can maintain 15% while boosting the Supernova, it’s Friede!]
[But that only applies when fighting against regular users. Would it work against a hacker?]
[The stat amplification triples. Friede could change the game!]
[Have there been players who have brought her health down to 15%? ーー]
As Friede confidently wrapped up her armor, there was a flurry of advice and discussions within the chat regarding her traits.
「yaSergei donated 5,000 won!
― Mama, is there a reason you chose Supernova? @@」
“Ah, I think this skill could be good. From what I hear, it’s an extreme speed hack that hackers use. If I’m going to react, I might as well be on the same level, right? Plus…”
Pausing for a moment, Friede flashed a grin at the camera.
“When it activates, my body shines brightly. It looks so cool. Reminds me of my old nickname, Light Hero Friede; it really gives off that vibe. Doesn’t it feel nostalgic?”
[Oh no, here comes the show-off again.]
[Being an attention seeker is a whole different level.]
[Facing hackers, only to lose as ‘the light hero’. What a joke lol.]
Trying to ignore the mean comments, Friede logged into Soul Warfare.
Without hesitation, she immediately started matchmaking, and it didn’t take long for a team to form.
As Friede readied up in the team lobby, chat exploded.
[Wow, what the hell lmao!]
[What the hell’s going on?]
[Was he throwing a fit over there?]
[Changed his nickname too lol.]
[Seems like he was forgotten, but clearly, he’s fallen into despair… so scary!]
[Wow, what a nostalgic name, gamer lol.]
“…?”
Friede was puzzled by the particularly noisy response in the chat and looked closely at her teammate’s nickname.
Was there a hacker among her allies? It’d be a disaster considering she joined ranked to take down hackers; running into one on her team would be the worst luck.
Fortunately, none of the names stood out. Shifting her gaze to the opposing team…
“Oh?”
Was that a familiar face?
An infamous memory flashed through her mind, stimulating her neurons and passing like a movie reel.
So that face belongs to…
“Player, what was it again?”
It seemed like the name had changed, but it was definitely that guy who had falsely accused her of hacking a few months back, only to be schooled.
Reuniting with him was already a big deal, but the chat was responding for another reason.
The nickname DevilProtector.
Probably changed it from last time, but,
[The one who accused her of hacking became a hacker himself lol.]
[And he now meets Friede, the one he falsely accused… what the hell, this writer’s got some plot twist skills!]
[I’m out! Writer, please rethink your life!]
[If Earth rewinds, we’re all in danger…!]
“Oh my….”
Even the legendary Friede couldn’t help but sigh as she encountered such a lukewarm fate once more.
Why are you here?
