Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 22

[General] Today, I’m revoking my affection for Friede

From today onwards,

I and Friede will become one heart and one soul.

Any attack on Friede will be considered an attack on me.

“Why do you keep asking what Friede did wrong?!”

“Did you at least get Friede’s consent before saying that?”

“Honorifics, please! How dare you!”

“Go and do your business instead of bothering Friede, you pathetic noob! ^^”

[General] Summary of Friede’s response

1. Goal: Challenger rank #1

2. No thoughts of going pro

3. Planning to start streaming soon

4. Please support Hero Forming’s broadcast

5. May everyone be happy

“Jangwon! It’s Jangwon!”

“Jiyeong cried out loud after infiltrating the group for an interview.”

“I didn’t expect the broadcast to blow up like that, haha!”

“Meanwhile, so sweet how Forming takes care of her! T_T”

[General] If Friede wants to debut as a pro, give her a big thumbs up!

I’ll be the first, haha.

Let’s duo with Warden over at STK!

“No need to go to the women’s league, it seems.”

“Even Lotus is in the women’s league, don’t overact.”

“Can Lotus play like Friede?”

“But does it mean we must only go to the women’s league?”

“Who cares? Lul.”

“Damn, those pathetic noobs must be desperate now trying to get close to Warden.”

“Does Warden think you’re anything special?”

[General] I’ll hold my breath till you start broadcasting, big sis.

*Gasp!*

“That guy is already dead!”

“He’s laughing, though?”

“Just let him be; he seems to be having a good dream.”

“If you have a conscience, at least write three lines.”

“Broadcasting is a cage… this is unsettling.”

“Seriously, are those trolls gonna show up too?”

“Since it’s a virtual reality game, claims of proxies wouldn’t happen, but other problems might.”

“Yeah, yeah, the potential hacks were verified by GM, so the game is clean.”

“Hey, if you get involved with those trolls, they’ll monitor your period cycle! Haha!”

“Ugh, seriously;;;”

All communities stepping into Soul Warfare wailed.

Though not tears of anguish, it was the crocodile tears of a raging aftermath…

The heated atmosphere stirred by cheating accusations didn’t fade even after the duel ended.

In fact, the fallout blazed like a furnace that could melt everything down.

Especially while various stories were messing up in the Soul Warfare gallery, Friede’s interview surged forth with frightening momentum.

Among them, many were focused on Friede’s upcoming stream.

Knowing that it’s easier for streamers to make contact than pros, they’d been eyeing when she’d go live.

Though hidden behind a visor, the exposed lips and jawline hinted at an exceptional beauty, enticing viewers with an alluring presence.

Plus her skills that toppled the Challenger gatekeepers made her akin to an idol for gamers.

If a broadcast like this didn’t draw attention, most female streamer chances would have been cut sharply.

Of course, even those reacting to other interview responses were bouncing around looking for juicy tidbits.

One notable group was disappointed by the answer that she had no thoughts of going pro.

The thrill of imagining matches with a newcomer who could open eyes and teaming up with someone at their peak was particularly enticing.

Furthermore, if she aimed for a pro debut, the perverse desire to eventually see Friede’s face, hidden behind the mystery concept, bubbled up.

And then there was the eerie transition of those who criticized her as a cheater and their hawk-like scrutiny, especially during the 1v1 duel review.

Finally, the channel of the streamer SUHO, who sparked this controversy, was shamelessly torn apart like ragged shreds.

The reason? A poorly worded apology letter from SUHO.

Hello! Hello! This is streamer SUHO.

Hello, this is SUHO.

The reason I’m posting this is… due to something many have guessed.

Due to my misunderstanding, I’ve caused trouble for Friede and Hero Forming.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize.

I will take a period of self-reflection for a while.

When I return, I’ll tackle streaming carefully and continue to bring a more fulfilling broadcast.

I’m sorry.

—Streamer SUHO signing off—

Likes: 1

Dislikes: 872

[How bold to run away after not doing a proper apology. Amazing, Sensei]

[Well, he did apologize, and the other party accepted it, right?]

[Only one like… that’s pretty pathetic]

[Hey, give me back my donation!]

[Shouldn’t something be done about this?]

[Oh please, what do you expect the idiots to do? Haha, are you gonna stab him or what?]

[Well, since both parties reached an agreement, it’s pretty much over, don’t pick at it]

Cancelling the subscription… When controversies or accidents happen, there are always threats like this.

Usually, unless the incidents are extremely malicious, they tend to recover over time, but…

This time, it seems like it will take a little longer for the incident to wear down with the passage of time.

* * *

Feeling good when things unfold as imagined.

The Soul Warfare gallery, as well as the Outven bulletin board, have been rife with discussions about this incident.

In any incident, the winning side gets to savor the sweet fruits, so the recognition of the user known as Light Hero Friede must have risen quite a bit.

Not only the existing users but also those who didn’t care about such matters now had my ID stuck in their memory.

In fact, quite a few even asked me who I was.

Everything…

“As planned.”

“As planned, my foot!”

—Slam!

The intense vibration and warmth on my back made me instinctively shrink.

Forming’s snap on my back was anything but gentle.

It seems she undoubtedly has the qualities of an excellent mother.

Forming stood with hands on her hips, her face flushed as she huffed in frustration.

“I put my life on the line for my stream, and you think I want to see anyone dying in front of my eyes?!”

“Thanks to you, we attracted interest! It’s a happy ending.”

“Interest my foot… it’s dangerous trying to gain attention like that while streaming.”

As I shrugged my shoulders, Forming sighed dramatically and shook her head, as if realizing arguing now was futile.

Then, after chewing her lips repeatedly, she looked at me with a slightly awkward expression.

Forming turned her head away and murmured.

“Still… thank you, Friede. For saving me…”

What’s with the sudden gratitude…

Of course, her face turned as red as a strawberry, brushing her finger against the tip of her nose was rather cute.

“No need! I told you when I sent the duel video, right?”

I put my finger to my lips and smiled.

“I said I’d save you because I’m a hero, right?”

Forming’s eyes widened in surprise at my words, and she eventually chuckled softly.

Yeah, when she smiles, it looks nice.

“Well… I guess I have to drop my hero title when I’m in front of Friede.”

“So when’s our next collab stream?”

“Not right now… I’ll do it again after a while. I’m glad it worked out, but in this situation, it’s better to be cautious.”

“Hmm…”

“Especially… it’d be best not to do Soul Warfare duos for a while.”

“……”

I didn’t ask why.

Forming probably didn’t want to be treated like a bus passenger through me.

Forming had reached Grand Master tier while duoing with me.

She can maintain Grand Master with her current skill, but it’d be tough to climb higher.

If I feel this way after duoing with her, viewers’ eyes would be even harsher.

Perhaps because she already suffered from the uproar of hastily recruiting a hacker.

Due to her past of devolving into a low-tier stream, Forming’s strategy seemed quite defensive.

But…

‘It would be difficult to waste time like this.’

At this moment, I decided to firm up my determination watching Forming.

“Forming.”

“Yes?”

Seeing her adorable gesture as she tilted her head made me smile even more.

“Are you free today?”

Her eyes wide enough to fit an egg were quite amusing.

* * *

The sun has now set, and the moon and stars are shining in the sky.

After waiting on the bench for dozens of minutes.

Although I came out early, time keeps moving like this, so a small sense of unease began to sprout in my heart.

‘Will she really come?’

Even though I received a reply when I suggested we meet at the MS Room, I still wondered if she would actually show up.

‘Should I perhaps thank that SUHO guy?’

If things worked out well, I was able to gain Forming’s trust.

‘Yeah, it went well. In the end.’

Well, it’s a given to earn rewards when slaying a villain.

In most cases, since our relationship was originally established online, I wanted to take my time meeting Forming in person.

Usually, when an online friend suddenly suggests meeting in reality, it’s natural to be cautious.

Is that why…

With that instigator SUHO posting the targeting video, I worried that a way to resolve Forming’s curse might be forever lost due to this incident.

If she turned away from me because of this, it could become complicated to help lift her curse.

Spending my entire life just using donations to block it seemed too cumbersome.

In conclusion, it went smoothly, so cheers~.

Ding★!

The clear notification sound from my smartphone rang out.

Hearing the alert and opening the screen, I found the content I wished for.

【I’ll be there soon.】

Like a half fried chicken, tension and relief mixed in my sigh.

It was unavoidable, and I had brought this upon myself, so I decided to accept it with humble heart.

As a hero… didn’t I vow to ‘rescue’ Hero Forming?

‘I showed her the location, so she should find it well.’

Looking around, the crowd around had greatly dwindled. Plus, I was in a spot where I wouldn’t attract any attention, at a bench tucked away in a park corner.

Showing a slight opening won’t draw the eyes.

Slowly…

‘Shall we get started?’

Today, I will definitely uncover the curse on Hero Forming.

Together with her identity…