Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 21

The audience was buzzing like a barrel full of alcohol, and the chat was exploding like fireworks.

[New hoodie! It’s Friede’s one-sided victory! www]


[Cut! Cut!]


[What’s the multi-match? It’s easy wins and early clock-outs!]


[How is M1 pulling off parries like it’s nothing?]


[From now on, it’s not combat skills; call them useless skills, how the hell is that dodging so easy?]


[In front of our beach hero, every move set looks like a traditional dance!]


[I’ll be right back; gotta change my underwear!]

After her victory, Friede’s calm demeanor shone gracefully in the light of the moon, which looked colorless against the sky.

“This is definitely cheating, no doubt about it. It has to be cheating….”

“Huh….”

This guy still hasn’t come to his senses.


That cheater won’t stop bleating about cheating even if he’s drowning.


Those who stubbornly refuse to face reality and keep rambling on, you can find them anywhere.

“Can’t you start to grasp the situation?”

“Fuck, no matter how great the program is, throwing around hacks in front of the GM? You’re done for, buddy.”

“This is quite….”

Is it despair, or does he still harbor some hope?


From Friede’s perspective, who knows exactly what kind of nonsense will come out of the GM’s mouth, Suho’s attitude appeared ridiculous.

“Are you an idiot? Or just pretending to be an idiot? Or are you so idiotic that you don’t even realize you’re imitating an idiot?”

“…….”

“At this point, just admit it. It’s pathetic.”

“Do you really think that would earn you any recognition?”

“Stop whining like a loser after getting smacked around. If you’re upset, go ask the GM. You’re a streamer, right? Your viewers must love watching this mess, huh? Oh, right!”

Covering his mouth, which can’t be easily seen through the visor of his helmet, Suho felt a creeping irritation.

“Is that a ‘sure, let’s just forget it’? Like, it doesn’t matter anymore?”

“You bitch!”

I wanted to throw a punch right then and there, but this was virtual reality. Besides, with everyone watching, Suho held back and gritted his teeth.

“Just like I thought, so stop whining.”

Friede, catching the malicious glare from Suho, merely shook her head.


This… it was utterly useless to argue no matter how many times I did or how many victories I amassed.


Could that guy really accept the outcome?


Watching the cheating squawker send a note to the GM as if asking his mother for help, a weak laugh escaped my lips like a deflated balloon.


I had endured enough and swallowed my frustrations.


Now is the time to have a drink of ‘soda’.


Called to the stage, GM Law King descended slowly into the center of the arena like a master, riding the wind as he unfurled the sacred law.

[Thump thump thump]


[Something huge is coming, something huge is coming, something huge is coming, something huge is coming!]


[Hey, stop flooding the chat!]


[Yeah, it’s all hacks, it’s hopeless!]


[Don’t spread that crap, Sister Friede’s innocence is as clear as the movements she showed in battle!]


[Shut up, you fool! Are you saying the GM Law King has been silent to keep up appearances? LOL!]


[If he looks like a GM, he probably is!]


[For real, LOL!]

The atmosphere in the audience was intense.


The GM, having turned in his place as if performing a solemn ritual, opened his mouth with a heavy and restrained demeanor.


【We received reports of Light Hero Friede using illegal programs and have been monitoring this duel and prior matches.】


Silence fell. As the GM began to speak, a stillness enveloped the area like oil in water.


Those who had just been clamoring for the GM’s ruling were now as quiet as bulls waiting for their turn at the slaughterhouse.


【The results are in, and I will share them with everyone here. There are no signs of illegal program usage by Light Hero Friede…】


He took a dramatic pause, which was not typical for him. I wondered why he was dragging this out…..


However, the audience didn’t voice any complaints.


The moment everyone’s eyes and ears focused on the GM, he spoke again.


【There are none.】


Everyone fell silent.


Was this what they called the aesthetic of a three-second pause?


But it was nothing like a pouty fish. It was more like a buildup of momentum.


And….

[What are you doing?! You snipers, aren’t you going to shoot?]


[Great points taken, thank you, followers^^ 770 million~]


[Goddess Friede! Hwangide! King Friede!]


[Wow, I trusted you!]


[Earlier, that dude was saying our sister was cheating and now he’s flipping the script!]


[You idiot, is that not cheating? The balance is totally wrecked! ^^]


[LOL, crushed those challengers with a broken club!]


[STK, move it!]


[This is insane LOL, but if Friede turns pro, it’s going to be a blast.]

Amidst the chaotic excitement erupting like a volcano, the GM’s verdict was like a sharp wedge driving right into Suho’s head.


–Thud.


I lost all strength in my legs and dropped to the ground.


After suffering successive defeats, I finally ran out of the hope that I could keep it all together.


Was this what it felt like when your last stronghold crumbled? The people watching reacted with even more fervor.

[Are they just trying to wipe the floor with Suho? I’m not just saying that because I’m twisted, right?]


[You’re twisted and Suho’s just reaping the consequences of his karma, you fool.]


[Did this guy get hit by Suho? What’s his problem?]


[LOL, let’s play with some snacks~]


[Falling apart over snacks and your channel gets deleted… that’s quite the tale.]


[Yeah, our Suho is bottoming out like Obama.]

“Good job.”


Was that Friede’s voice or the sound of a ghost’s wail?


Suho’s dazed face looked pale, like a zombie drained of color.


“I wanted to try tightrope walking in that first match. So I just defended, but I never thought I wouldn’t land a single hit.”


What?


Suho’s pupils shook violently at Friede’s words, which dragged out the truth he had been desperately trying to deny.


His brain felt like it was being bleached with a mixture of chemicals.


What to do?


He boldly threw down his challenge and then lost.


The GM supported her innocence and purity.


Was it really just my delusion?


His eyes raced around, scanning the arena for any hint of the atmosphere.


Everyone was looking at him with mockery and hostility, in an isolated space.


“Ugh!”


Suho’s brain, which had been consuming all sorts of insults until now, whirred into action.


With public opinion now turned against him, he quickly determined the best course of action.


What he did next was enough to surprise everyone, including Friede and the GM—a deep bow.

“I’m sorry, Friede. Please, spare me.”

“…….”

[????]


[Hey, what are you doing?]


[Wow, WTF LOL!]


[Thud thud thud, I’m going to sing a happy song too!]


[This is a dogeza, grand prostration!]


[Hey Suho, hurry up and just delete your channel and quit!]

Amidst the uproar of ridicule, Suho bowed his head even lower, pleading only to save his channel.


“I’m not the smartest guy around, and I didn’t bother studying, so this is my livelihood. If this stops, I won’t have anything to eat; please, just this once, overlook it. I’m sorry.”

【Oh wow.】


Even the GM let out a gasp of disbelief. Of course, I felt the same level of astonishment.


It’s just a dispute among users; there was no way to intervene any further, so I could only watch in silence.


Well, considering Suho’s stream was doing well enough, it wasn’t hard to understand his actions, but still.


Meanwhile, Friede shrugged her shoulders and said.


“Hey, if you think someone’s cheating, don’t try to snipe them like this; just quietly report it to customer service. Don’t they catch cheaters well?”


“That, um… I kind of got caught up in the hype.”


Well, yeah. Did the sniper really have such a grand motive?


A streamer’s sniping isn’t all that special.


“Yeah, I might’ve brought up the discussion about snacks….”


It’s nothing a hero should pursue when lives are at stake.


Things like virtual snacks between streams, it’s not like it’s a campaign promise from a politician; you can just ignore it.


It’s just a trivial matter.


Running around yelling about cheating was ridiculous.


Since things turned out well and he gained something, wrapping things up here would make the most sense.


“Let’s call it a day. But apologize to Formingi as well. Here in front of everyone.”


“What? But Formingi isn’t even here right now.”


“Doesn’t matter; he’s watching, so just apologize to the camera and wrap it up neatly.”


After finishing a deep bow and an apology to Formingi… Suho suddenly—

–Ding!


–SUHO has left the arena.


He abruptly quit.


“Ah….”


【He’s gone.】


Nodding to the GM’s words of disappointment, I felt a sense of solidarity.


Suho….


For someone who stirred up the cheating controversy, he sure wasn’t cool about ending it.

* * *

The rise of a new star is always spectacular.


A female user, with an extreme character creation and the most pathetic weapon, stepped into ranked games and reached Grand Master rank in record time.


After being caught up in the cheating controversy, she proved her skills in a 1v1 duel, backed up by the final ruling from the GM….


Some may criticize the heightened reactions to a duel between rankers, but for most watching the unfolding events, nothing quite matches such a dramatic development.


“Hello, Friede. Thanks for agreeing to this interview.”


“Not at all.”


Her short reply, but the subtle smile on her lips suggested she was in good spirits.

[What the heck is this?]


[WTF, an exclusive interview with Sister Friede? I want in too!]


[Bring in the viewers!]


[Is this the place where Friede’s mom is having a solo interview?]


[The host’s not bad-looking either, let’s give her some credit.]


[Ugh, those disgusting Friede fanatics are going wild.]

And so, in the grand finale of this shining story, the protagonist’s exclusive interview was seized by Jiyé, who cheered quietly in her heart.


As Friede was about to leave the duel venue, following Suho’s hasty exit, she managed to snag a precious opportunity with Friede.


It was a true exclusive interview, with no other streamers intruding.


Looking at the tide of viewers crashing in, Jiyé trembled with sheer joy.


Number of viewers: 118,547.


Of course, this interview alone skyrocketed her popularity.


There are cases where big companies throw hosts into the mix or streamers burst under the pressure, but Jiyé didn’t mind.


What’s it to her? This wasn’t born out of the charity of a big company.


The rise in viewers was simply because of the Soul Warfare star.


If the viewers come voluntarily, they are always welcome.


“Friede, first of all, congratulations on your victory. How do you feel?”


“Yeah. Speaking frankly… is it really just me doing interviews like this now? The world has changed quite a bit… well, that’s the feeling.”

[How old are you to say such things?]


[Why do you think I wore a helmet? Get a grip!]


[Our Friede’s voice is ear-gasm; I don’t care if it’s just one tone!]


[Handling a broken club with that voice and seasoned hands… wow.]

Definitely, up close, Jiyé felt the intensity in Friede’s gaze tremble slightly.


Understanding why the fans were experiencing ear-gasm made it clear to her.


After collecting her thoughts momentarily, Jiyé began to lead the conversation with excessive enthusiasm.


“Even though SUHO is known as the Challenger Gatekeeper, he’s still ranked much higher than you in rank points; didn’t you feel pressured when challenging him?”


There was no pressure.


As tiers rose, it became rare to dominate one versus many like before, but conversely, she had confidence in one-on-one duels against anyone.


She wasn’t about to worsen the situation with a cheating controversy by throwing a challenge out like tossing a torch into a powder keg.


“Honestly, if it’s one-on-one, I’m confident I wouldn’t lose to anyone, so there’s no pressure.”

“Do you have a goal for your tier?”


“Of course, Challenger, and I want to aim for number one.”


Did she catch a whiff of interesting tidbits?


Jiyé’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.


“Are you implying that your statement about not feeling pressure applies even to users in the Challenger tier, specifically those top-tier players?”


“Yes, certainly.”

[Wow, talk about confidence!]


[If you reach the top, doesn’t that mean you’ll run into Warden too?]


[Warden vs. Friede, my heart is racing!]


[Are you actually going to turn pro?]


[Friede, come join TK, please! I want to see them win!]

Warden vs. Friede….


As a viewer who enjoys Soul Warfare, this is irresistible bait.


While there were more questions lined up, Jiyé couldn’t capture everything she had wanted.


Before she could endure the overwhelming influx of viewers in her stream, it would explode…..


Jiyé only had two minutes of interview — the absolute maximum.

* * *