Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 44

I tilted my head as I watched a viewer casually throw Molotov cocktails into the chat.

Was there a difference between what I thought the viewers expected and what they originally had in mind?

Seriously, is it the embodiment of the Light Hero Friede from reality?

If this goes on, who knows when this fireplay will end? It’s a fatal situation for a streamer like me, who has to broadcast within a limited time.

First, I need to calmly talk things out.

“Hold on, everyone, please calm down.”

My efforts felt as powerless as a leaf swept away by a typhoon, swallowed by the echoes in the air.

[Shut the hell up with that title crap]

[This is so damn exciting, you idiot]

[When will I get to see my sister’s face?]

[In 10 years?]

[What the hell, in 10 years, she’ll be a middle-aged lady, smh]

“My face? I never said I’d show it. Is this even a cam show?”

[Hey, stop this mindless baiting, it’s ridiculous!]

[No, it’s your ignorance that got you baited]

[Of course, I can’t help imagining things when I see my sister’s cam.]

“Whether I show my face or not, I’m not going to. If I were going to, I’d write it down proudly. And…”

[The fan service is really chill, Sensei]

[It’s not like seeing your face will wear out my eyes]

[Is your face a 3rd-rate one?]

[Aw, Friede is only on her 3rd day of streaming. She’s just been born, all wrinkly and must be cherished.]

The atmosphere was not calming down at all.

That so-called face reveal I thought was settled seems to have ignited new hope through this current cam stream.

What can I do? The face reveal probably won’t happen for at least a year.

I had no choice but to pull out my last card.

“If this keeps up, I’ll go back to the Islam Warrior…”

[I’ve been waiting for this kind of cam stream.]

[Hey sister, let’s start the game, shall we? ^^]

[Ugh, is this starting again? Scratch scratch~]

[Nobody should make this lady angry!]

As expected, the presence of the Islam Warrior was effective.

The chat calmed down, but it still wasn’t time to continue the game.

I needed to ease the tension that had frozen the atmosphere with thoughts of a face reveal.

“By the way, what do you think? This armor was used for character creation.”

It was a bit embarrassing to show this side of me in reality, but wait. Let’s fix that mindset.

What’s embarrassing about the Hero’s Equipment? It’s my precious companion.

“Look at this cloak. It’s really valuable, you know?”

[Wow, look at the details of the cloak…]

[I thought the graphics were enhanced, but it’s all raw?]

[Can you show the gauntlet up close?]

[Sensei, please share the artisan site you commissioned this from.]

[Look at that design! This armor is literally lit!]

The reactions were better than I expected. I mean, this isn’t just any item. It’s a custom piece made by the goddess herself.

“The person who made this armor is a mysteriarch, you know? Hm? Looks like me? Well, I guess. I do like mysterious things. Anyway, I decided to stream to show off the armor used for my character model. Today, I plan to play a slightly different game.”

[Oh? A new game from Friede? This is interesting.]

[Since it’s a real-life cam stream, it must be a PC game?]

[What’s the title?]

Instead of immediately answering the viewers’ curiosity, a creepy smile appeared on my face as I watched the cam.

I took my time, waiting for the viewers’ reactions to cook a bit more.

When I thought the chat had completely flipped a page, I added just a hint more.

If I revealed the answer right away, it would be too boring.

“It’s a classic from the ’90s, and the genre is romance.”

[Is there even a major romance game released in ’90?]

[Hey! Have you heard of Glanad?]

[Back in the day, there were times when people lauded adult games as literature, life, and poetry.]

[Seriously? Calling a light novel a straightforward piece?]

[It’s so old that it’s hard to respond, smh]

[A 20th-century work? It’s not like this is modern history class, Sensei.]

I assumed they’d be curious, but modern history? That was an unexpected comment.

If I hadn’t been summoned to this other world, I’d probably be struggling with generation gaps with the viewers right now.

Though, I wouldn’t be able to do streams in my current state anyway.

But what can I say? Right now, I’m blessed by the bean’s grace, at the age of 22.

It’s the most vibrant time of my life. I have an obligation to embrace the awkward viewers skillfully.

“Alright, I’m going to check things out now.”

Expecting a mix of surprise and cheers, I opened a folder on the screen to show the game icon.

It was shaped like a small space fighter, an icon that anyone from the early days of PC gaming couldn’t forget.

Korea’s traditional folk game.

Introducing,

“Ta-da~! It’s Stella Craft!”

[Stella?]

[Stella?]

[????]

[I saw it… I vividly saw that idiot choose that cursed game.]

[This sister seems to have a taste that’s oddly old-fashioned in games.]

The reaction was slightly underwhelming, but after gathering all these hooks, it seemed like I achieved my goal.

At that moment, a digital voice resonated through the speakers during the broadcast.

[BlackRing donated 5,000 won!

― Where’s the romance in this, sister?]

“Does everyone not know?”

[Isn’t it the sister who doesn’t know?]

[Sensei doesn’t seem to have the concept of romance, huh?]

[Since when did the RTS genre turn into romance?]

[If bugs and Lastos mate and produce a hybrid, then I guess that’s romance… rebuttal to that is valid.]

[Is species breeding press romance too? Oh my!]

It seems our viewers lacked a fundamental understanding of genre interpretation.

“What is romance… what is romance? Is it simply a man and a woman playing around and rubbing their lips together… if it’s 19+, is it just going at it, is that romance?”

[Why are you asking us?]

[Of course, that’s romance, what else could it be?]

[Sensei, finish the game before rambling all this nonsense.]

[Yass! Yass! Yass! Yass! Yass! Yass! Yass! Yass! Yass!]

See? Everyone’s trapped in fixed ideas, unable to comprehend the essence.

As the Hero, I must help these poor little lambs realize the truth.

“I’ll tell you why this is romance.”

Stella Craft.

A game that still has loyal players, continuously and actively maintaining its legacy in Korea.

It’s a game I’ve returned to after nearly a decade.

To me, it’s one of the games I find easy to readjust to.

Aside from the minor bug fixes, not much has changed.

With a slightly trembling heart, I executed the icon.

This was a return to the past, a reunion with old memories.

Finally, the thumbnail screen of ‘Stella Craft: Species Breeding’ appeared.

In the center was the female character, Bug Queen Gojimgo, peeking out is the male lead from the right, the villainous priest Dragunnis, and calmly staring at the viewers on the left is the old dude, Lampard Dughal.

“Look, everyone. This composition, with two male leads running after the female lead in a dogged love pursuit…”

Love and betrayal, feelings sprouting in a fierce battlefield.

A space romance painted against the vast emptiness of the universe.

“The thumbnail is a national rule of romance, isn’t it? The female lead is in the middle while two male leads are on either side…”

[Stop your nonsense and just get on with the game already.]

“…….”

I guess that didn’t land at all.

I tried my best to reflect seriously on this game, but it felt kind of disappointing and embarrassingly awkward. Thank goodness I was wearing a helmet during this talk.

It’s not perfect, but at least I dressed it up a bit, so I logged onto the wornet.

I created a temporary ID and thought I’d explore the custom games before looking at the ranks.

“Oh, it’s been a while.”

When I entered the custom games, familiar names from 30 years of history flitted before my eyes.

<1:1 Valor only for beginners!>

<1:1 Battles exclusively for Toss beginners>

<Only for beginners in Valor, come on! ^^>

<1:1 Warmhearted matches for beginners, just come on down!>

<4:4 Hunter Beginner Wars>

Indeed, this game is a playground for those stale and stagnant, hoping for beginners to come.

How many years have we spent holding on to just Valor? Well, Valor is pretty lit, though.

[How old are those guys playing?]

[They’re nearing their sixtieth birthday?]

[For real? lol]

[My uncle plays that, too.]

[Sensei, do you know how to play this game?]

[Seriously, these days, do women even play Stella Craft?]

[With the skills shown in SoWar, that’d be impossible.]

“Hey, don’t look down on me. I’m a solid 1,800-point user.”

[Oh, that’s pretty good?]

[Seriously? You’re not lying, are you?]

[Already imagining how I’ll be tormented… nom nom.]

[Even if it’s a fashion rank, I’d still roughly get how to build it… Let’s go, Sensei!]

With everyone’s encouragement, I scrolled through the list of custom games.

Is there a room that catches my eye, one that everyone would enjoy watching?

‘They all look the same.’

Most of them are just filled with deceiving titles like “Only for Beginners^^”…

Even after ten years, it felt as if I was looking at an eerily similar pair of twins.

“The titles are all alike. Back in the day, did oil once come from dinosaur remains? Regardless, it happened so long ago that it dissolved into something indistinct, right? Isn’t this custom lobby just like that?”

[Well, that’s just how the stale folks are.]

That’s right. Stale folks are always like that.

They’ve already enjoyed all available content and hope for something new while they’re long gone.

Before I was summoned to this other world, there were many who enjoyed Stella Craft, who’d lick their lips and torment the newbies with glee.

Let alone those who’ve been tangled in webs for over ten years.

I’m already excited to see what bizarre things they’ll show me.

“I like this room.”

The title I chose was this one.

<1:1 Valor only for beginners>

A bold title calling for beginners while writing it in an imperative tone.

It couldn’t be a more fitting title for a Stella-like warrior.

Let’s see, who could I find…

“Huh?”

Upon entering the room, I saw the impressive numbers on the stat board.

[Korea] Custom Game ― Wins: 20,398, Losses: 9,994, Disconnects: 1,015

[Room Leader] yaSergei: hey yo

[What the hell, lol]

[How did I get matched with this kind of player? lol]

[Sensei, there’s no way you can go for gacha now, right?]

[Wow, this truly is an embarrassment. For real.]

[Such a record exists, huh?]

[This is the skill of a player approaching 40 years… my head is spinning.]

[The SoWar record holder seems shabby in comparison to this old dude ♥]

This was not the general stats I had known about Stella Craft.

The pressure of reaching nearly 30,000 victories already weighed heavily upon me.

This wasn’t just a seasoned player. This was a fossil from over 30 years.

‘Why did I have to match with someone like this…’

Damn it, it said only for beginners.