Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 95

**10 PM.**

Under the sky where the traces of sunlight had completely vanished, the lights from numerous buildings began to replace the sun.

As many people finished their work and returned home, settling in for the last moments of the day, a familiar notification chimed from smartphones, computers, and the virtual reality MS Room.

When I confirmed that it was a notification from the Switch channel, most people probably tilted their heads in confusion.

[Friede’s broadcast has started.]

What’s going on?

Is there really someone broadcasting at this hour?

With skepticism in tow, I launched the Switch channel.

The awkward lag from the very start scratched the nerves of users who were used to smooth internet waves.

Today, something felt off; was there a problem with the server?

Pushing aside the unusual phenomena that usually wouldn’t be visible, they glanced at their subscribed channel list.

The title of Friede’s broadcast was incredibly straightforward but…

“Uh?”

It had such a massive impact that everyone let out an incredulous gasp.

[Friede’s Face Reveal]

Had there ever been a title with such intensity wandering around the Switch channel?

Formed of just five letters, it overflowed with an irresistible magical pull that made anyone click.

Was she finally about to address the chaos she had caused so far?

And was the result finally revealing her face?

If I’d known it would come to this, I should have caused a ruckus from the start.

No, dwelling on that right now is just a luxury. I need to get in faster than anyone, second by second.

Touching with fingers, clicking with a mouse, entering the command in virtual reality—

Thus, everyone collectively attempted to dive into Friede’s broadcast.

And then…

[Hey, you bastards, just wait to get in!!! I’m buffering here!]

[Did the Switch server spill tteokbokki! Why can’t I get in!]

[Dang, it’s so cold in here. Get me in at least a second faster!]

[Did I get reeled in by the face reveal bait and end up in a mess?]

[Choose! Sardine eye strain or pig acne bear… make your pick!]

[Nah, my sister’s a total beauty. Like, super pretty. Saber face material.]

[To those insulting her looks, prepare for a terrible demise later! Starting with me, lol!]

[For real, lol.]

Considering it was 10 PM, the time when Switch channel users were most active, they swarmed like salmon rushing through a narrow door, all just to catch a glimpse of “the face.”

Their desperate struggling to enter Friede’s broadcast was pitiful enough to provoke scorn from any observer.

With sheer determination, they tried to enter again and again, enduring the waiting time.

Luckily, there wasn’t any disaster of the room crashing under excessive queues.

This meant…

[Behold! I descend!]

[Ohhhh!!!]

[Please clarify!]

[?? But is this really a face reveal?]

[I trusted you, G-chan!!]

[Is this the famed hot spot? I heard the rumors and came.]

[Face reveal face reveal face reveal face reveal face reveal face reveal face reveal.]

It also meant that some viewers managed to muscle through the waiting crowd.

What met their eyes, surprisingly, was a reality cam.

And, as always, Friede stood in splendid cosplay armor, complete with a polished helmet.

With the right lighting reflecting off her usual jaw-dropping getup.

Those who entered felt significantly disappointed. After all, the title claimed it was a face reveal.

Did they fall victim to the schemes of the petty conspiracy again?

The chat filled with a rush of comments driven by immense anticipation and excitement.

As the broadcast began and viewers poured in, Friede adjusted her mic position.

Maybe it was the first gesture after staring blankly ahead for more than ten minutes without saying a word.

Everyone’s gaze fixed onto Friede’s hands.

Seems she hadn’t finished setting up before starting the broadcast, or perhaps just forgot.

With a click of the mouse and a gentle tap on the keyboard, her movements appeared slightly different than usual for Friede.

Perhaps that’s why, the sound of someone swallowing could be almost heard as an awkward silence hung in the air.

Just when everyone was thinking that…

“Ah, um. Can you hear me well?”

Her first words were just like her usual self.

“Can you hear me?” Or perhaps, “I’m starting the broadcast now.”

An unfanciful and plain introduction like every streamer gives at the start without their undeniable uniqueness.

In stark contrast to Friede’s greeting, the chat exploded with reactions.

Like nitroglycerin going off when the timer hit zero, the energy surged in a way more fierce than ever before.

“Hold on, calm down. Oh, it’s pointless.”

Given that it was a broadcasting title promising a face reveal, it was pretty understandable.

Friede stealthily glanced over her broadcasting settings.

The number of viewers updating at a dizzying pace resembled a booster in action.

With so many people gathered, the pile of questions was almost insurmountable, so Friede didn’t bother responding to each one.

If she commented on every single chat message, she’d be talking until dawn.

Moving the mouse again, she controlled the chat settings with greater restrictions than ever before.

No donations, follower-only mode, time limits, including all possible strategies she could muster.

Even though it was still hotter than other broadcasts, at least it had cooled to a level people could comprehend.

And then…

*Click,*

Friede slightly leaned back in her chair.

The camera fixed on the monitor captured both her figure and the chair that had been pushed back.

As she stared blankly at the monitor for a moment, Friede raised her hands.

At a glance, it appeared painfully slow, but at the same time, her movements were elegant and steady.

As her arms slowly lifted upward, she gracefully touched both sides of her helmet.

*Slide,*

Golden hair spun woven with pure gold danced in the air, being freed.

Though oppressed by the helmet, it flowed down perfectly without any disarray— a pitiful waterfall of shining gold.

Revealed beneath it was a visage akin to that of a goddess.

As her eyes opened, her jewel-like irises sparkled brilliantly as if embedded with sapphires.

“……”

Usually, when streamers reveal their faces, a mix of embarrassment or awkwardness highlights their expressions.

But before me, the woman showed no trace of emotion whatsoever.

The broadcast sank into an unexpected silence.

The efforts made precedingly seem futile, with nothing showing up in the chatroom, all frozen.

Every viewer was sucked into the moment, captivated like deer caught in headlights, staring solely at her face.

“Does this clear up your doubts?”

The silence was shattered not by the audience’s chat but by Friede’s voice which was sweet like honey.

She flicked her helmet to the side, sending it flying off somewhere that didn’t even enter the camera’s view.

Returning to her original position, Friede spoke in a calm tone.

“That’s the explanation finished.”

The audience, enthralled by her otherworldly and noble beauty that transcended mere human form, jolted awake from their dazed stupor.

As if her declaration was the trigger, it felt like the chatroom exploded with a torrent of comments rushing back to life at breakneck speed.

[Holy sh*t, I’m going insane!]

[Angel…?]

[Is this really Friede?]

[The idiots who called her a pig or sardine eye strain are in for a rude awakening!]

[Sis!!!!!!! Show your face forever!!!!!!]

[Wait, I think I’ve seen this sister before?]

[Was she the one from the opening ceremony?]

“Ah, yes. The sister you all mentioned from the opening ceremony, that’s me.”

Time flies, huh?

I had no idea I’d unveil my identity so soon into my streaming career.

“I originally planned to postpone it, but the atmosphere made me feel it was time to wrap things up. I’ll start preparing to end the stream soon. Oh, the next broadcast? I doubt it’ll be tomorrow. I’ll post a separate notice.”

With her nonchalant closure announcement, the chat erupted in outrage, protesting with all the energy they could muster.

There was no need to panic; Friede nodded calmly in response.

Such reactions were natural, and conversely, it would have been normal to end quietly as well.

This broadcast was opened just to do the face reveal and nothing more.

The goal had been achieved, so there was no need to hang around longer than necessary.

As Friede addressed some questions that caught her eye in the chat, her demeanor seemed remarkably calm.

“Yeah, I understand. However, I don’t feel like continuing today. Just as I understand, please do understand as well.”

[Hey, you piece of sh*t! Does a stream-ending at this time even make sense!?]

[What’s your name, sis? Where do you live? What are your measurements? Which school did you graduate from? Where were you born? How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend? How many guys do you know? Who’s in your family? Do you have an older sister? Do you have a younger sister? Sister….]

[Honestly, I want to marry you. I’ll send you an email. Please reply after seeing my specs.]

[Does your digital view count also shine like gold?]

Finally, the layers of defenses had been pierced, as the outright savage energy of youth revived.

Despite all manner of restrictions being imposed, even Friede herself couldn’t wrap her head around how this firepower was still possible.

That question would soon find an answer.

“Aha, this must be why.”

As she accessed the Switch channel through her smartphone, she spotted her own image prominently displayed at the very top of the main homepage.

The video preview, the thumbnail displaying her face reveal unabashedly, meant she had transcended beyond just being a Soul Warfare streamer named Friede.

She was currently drawing in every ghost of the Switch channel merely by her face…

Even the three-layered walls of Constantinople felt powerless against the million-strong army in front of her.

268,597.

A figure rivaling that of any global competition.

The current real-time viewership of Friede’s broadcast.

That day, Friede set a record for the highest viewership her personal broadcast had ever achieved.