5

"I was never the type to deeply reflect on myself. The reason? It's half laziness.

It might sound shameless enough to accuse me of lacking self-love, but thanks to that, I could neatly organize my current state without much deep anguish.

I had become an attention seeker.

There was a reason why I didn't feel any rejection when people glanced at me on the street or when a convenience store clerk gave me a shady look.

Naturally, my thoughts drifted to, 'How should I satisfy this troublesome fetish of mine?'

Of course, I had no intention of mindlessly drawing attention.

'Would I cry out loud and act like a loser on the street in broad daylight?'

'Or shout, 'I'm bald!' in the middle of the road?'

'What is this nonsense…?'

It might be amusing for others to watch, but still, I have my pride as a hero.

Even I have methods I can't accept, no matter what.

'There are different kinds of attention….'

Instead of being treated like a thoughtless lunatic, I wanted the kind of attention that comes with admiration and love.

Seeing posts about me popping up on the monitor screen—this seemed like the key point to fulfilling my desire for attention.

Maybe that's why I wanted to find a method related to Soul Warfare.

Sure, there might be a better and more definitive way.

But right now, at this moment, I felt more inclined to choose better over best.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

Considering the attention I'd received so far and judging by my aesthetic standards, this body's appearance fell into the so-called 'appealing' category.

'How could I gain attention while playing a game like Soul Warfare?'

The answer came quickly.

"Streamer."

It's been 30 years since gaming culture became firmly established.

Even without using the hero's authority, this enhanced body of mine had the talent to pull off the so-called 'emperor's perfect control' as effortlessly as breathing.

You might scoff at how my ego swelled after just three ordinary matches, but even the trending posts acknowledged it.

'A woman, With exceptional skills, Dominating the top tier as a streamer?'

'I wouldn't be able to resist watching that.'

If I had encountered such a broadcast before being summoned to another world, I might have become a drooling fan myself.

Sure, being a pro gamer might seem more glamorous in terms of results.

But the schedule management of a pro scene was a dealbreaker.

Especially with all the tangled interests involved in the professional circuit, it was far from the laid-back pace I preferred.

'Offline is a no-go for this reason.'

Sinking further into my chair with a lazy heart, I pondered.

'If I could gather a swarm of viewers and draw their endless attention, how exhilarating would that thrill be?'

The thought gave me a sudden jolt of clarity.

"This is insane…."

'Was this a side effect of transitioning from a hero to a jobless individual?'

It felt like I was losing my mind.

At this rate, I might even fall for the devil's temptation and corrupt myself.

It felt like I was overthinking things, and I tried to calm myself down.

"Yeah, there's no need to make a fuss right now. It's not like I'll die just because I'm not getting attention."

For now, I'd just… continue playing the game.

I hadn't even progressed much in the game, so there was no need to indulge in fantasies about being a streamer or a pro gamer.

Suppressing the passion rising in my heart, I launched Soul Warfare.

My goal was… right, to reach the Master Tier.

I mean, I'm a hero who defeated the Demon King and saved the world.

I needed at least that much of a goal to maintain my dignity.

Of course, it wasn't my final goal.

It was merely a stepping stone.

Streamer or pro gamer, I could think about that later.

I'd had a hearty meal, so I was ready.

"Let's start with clearing the story mode."

I entered the capsule.

For all the grand buildup, clearing the story mode wasn't much of an ordeal.

The strategies had already spread far and wide, and most people cleared it on their first try, so there was no reason for it to take long.

After achieving the ending and unlocking new gear, I fell into another round of contemplation.

Stats weren't particularly challenging.

As long as you aligned with the chosen weapon type, even standard stats were enough to perform decently.

The problem was what came next.

"I need to reorganize my customization setup."

Even with a visor masking my eyes like a helmet, I drew this much attention.

'This appearance… it's definitely too eye-catching.'

I casually donned the knight set I earned in story mode, complete with a helmet.

I adjusted my voice settings to include an echo, and just in case, I disabled ID visibility in spectator mode.

"I really am sneaky."

Looking at how I was playing around with this ambiguous mystique between revealing and concealing my identity…

'How did my heart grow this dark?'

But still…

"If it works, what's the harm?"

After roughly resetting my character, I turned to the remaining tasks.

My chosen direction was melee weapons.

They were categorized into small, medium, large, and extra-large, with even more detailed branches within each category.

Of course, despite the abundance of weapons, there were bound to be overpowered ones in the game.

But for some reason…

Even with countless tailored guides circulating for popular weapons, I couldn't bring myself to pick one.

I belonged to the type who valued romance over efficiency.

'Isn't there a weapon that truly captures my heart?'

I wandered here and there, looking for something that resonated with me.

As I scrolled through the weapons list, boredom began to creep in.

That's when an unusual weapon caught my attention.

Unlike the polished, completed look of other weapons, this one was rough, worn-out, and shabby.

The blade was broken, its edge sheared off at a diagonal.

The hilt, contrasting with the broken blade, only added to its imbalance.

The name of the weapon was…

"Broken Greatsword."

"When I searched for this peculiar weapon, the explanation was absurd.

Broken Greatsword, also known as the 'Broken Rod.'

Even from its nickname, you can sense the collective frustration of countless gamers.

And the weapon description is no less outrageous.

'A proper hero would never use such a weapon.'

When I searched for it on YouTube, sure enough, it seemed like a trash weapon, deserving of its infamy.

Despite being an extra-large weapon, its broken blade meant its effective range was similar to a medium-sized Longsword.

Moreover, it was forcibly categorized as a two-handed weapon, making combination play with other equipment impossible.

Its attack power was comparable to a Longsword, but its attack speed and responsiveness were as slow as other extra-large weapons.

At least it retained the super armor trait unique to extra-large weapons.

'Its performance is dreadful.'

The general consensus was that even a standard sword-and-shield combo outperformed it.

The developers, who focused on balancing weapons, ensured that it was 'usable' in actual combat, but considering its performance, it felt almost like a malicious joke.

In short, with so many better options, no player would choose this weapon willingly.

It was, in every sense, a concept weapon or something used to humiliate an opponent.

But…

As a hero who saves the forsaken, I couldn't ignore the abandoned weapon in front of me.

'If a weapon, born so pitifully, was despised and ridiculed by all who enjoyed this game, Could it truly be the weapon's fault?'

'Of course not,' I nodded to myself.

Maybe this was just unnecessary empathy from someone consumed by their desire for attention…

But my heart, tempered by my experiences as a hero, whispered to me.

'Choose this weapon.'

By the time I regained my senses, I found myself holding the Broken Greatsword and queuing for a match.

It was my first placement test.

***

The atmosphere in Soul Warfare's team battles was unique.

The loading screen displayed a panoramic view of the battlefield.

Even on a monitor, the sight of a massive fortress atop a towering mountain evoked both awe and majesty.

Looking down from the cliffs or fortress walls revealed an endless abyss, enough to trigger a fear of heights.

As I admired the scale of the battlefield on the loading screen, the scene shifted.

Each player selected their weapon, and as their characters spawned at the base, a flood of chat messages erupted.

[Aphivelno: ?? Broken Greatsword ?? What's with your weapon?]

[GolbodaQuiting: Are you crazy? Did you forget to equip a proper weapon?]

[NoConceptLeft: Why are you fighting with your dildo, you idiot? ^^]

[WantGrandma'sWraps: Change it immediately unless you want to get memorialized.]

The temperature was on a whole other level compared to my casual games with a Longsword.

'So this is… ranked?'

Perhaps because it was a ranked match, the reactions were intense.

It was the typical reception for a teammate bringing an unwelcome weapon to a team game, but I decided to stay focused.

Friendly soldiers began spawning on the central line, and fortunately, there wasn't anyone storming mid-lane out of frustration over my weapon.

'These people are nicer than I expected,' I thought, as I monitored the game flow.

[GolbodaQuiting: Let's leave the dildo user as a watchdog and focus on the left lane ourselves. If we split into pairs for both flanks, we'll get wiped out.]

[Aphivelno: Agreed.]

With everyone focused on the central lane and left flank, I was left behind, standing alone.

To meet the team's expectations of me serving as some kind of human alarm, I steeled my resolve and advanced to the right.

By now, the enemy team would also be managing their objectives in their territory.

The initial jungle mobs weren't particularly challenging.

They were on par with the fodder I had defeated countless times in story mode.

When larger objectives appeared as time passed, the story would change, but for now, I needed to hurry.

Recalling the jungle route outlined in guides, I turned right and prepared to advance further.

That's when it happened.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound cut through the air, and I instinctively rolled backward to evade.

Standing before me was a heavily armored swordsman, adjusting his stance as he confronted me.

'Had he been surprised that I dodged his ambush?'

He didn't launch a follow-up attack immediately but instead remained cautiously on guard, his behavior as deliberate as the weighty armor he wore.

'He got here already.'

For the enemy to reach our flank this early, they must have sprinted straight here from the start.

Such a reckless maneuver wasn't typical.

A guide video had described situations like this with a single phrase:

[They underestimated you.]

My appearance, wielding the Broken Greatsword, must have seemed unthreatening.

It wasn't hard to understand why—a rookie character wielding a trash weapon in their first placement match.

Even my teammates had questioned why I brought this weapon.

'It's a setup that invites underestimation.'

If I fell here, there would be a gap until I respawned, and losing control of the objective would widen the point gap further.

Our already hostile team atmosphere would erupt like a volcano, and my first placement match would collapse entirely.

So…

'I'll have to prove myself.'

The Claymore-wielding opponent stepped forward cautiously, testing the distance while feigning an approach.

Then, he boldly charged forward.

His movements seemed less like an actual attack and more like an attempt to gauge my response, so I stepped forward half a pace.

Judging that my move was a misstep, he immediately activated the skill [Sword Stance] to attack.

It was a powerful, deliberate diagonal slash with overwhelming force.

At first glance, the motion seemed straightforward, but the timing was deceptively unpredictable, making it a clean maneuver.

If I didn't focus, I'd lose a significant chunk of health in one blow.

The standard play here would be to dodge and look for a counterattack.

Such attacks were linear and predictable, after all.

But against his [Sword Stance], I charged straight in.

It was as if I wanted to prove that my earlier half-step forward wasn't a mistake.

As his blade surged toward my torso, I swung the Broken Greatsword fluidly.

Clang!

The sound of metal echoed sharply through the narrow alley as the fragmented blade met his intact one.

The intact blade recoiled, breaking his [Sword Stance], and the fractured edge of my weapon slipped into the gap in his armor.

The jagged blade pierced through his abdomen and protruded from his back, its diagonal fracture making it look even more striking.

A perfect parry.

The sensation sent a slight tremor through my hands.

There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of landing a perfect parry.

Perhaps it was the hyper-realistic immersion of virtual reality.

The intense sound effect resonating through my body made it impossible not to fall in love with this technique.

The opponent stumbled backward, rolling clumsily to escape my follow-up attack.

'Had he been startled by my play or shaken by his severely reduced health?'

As he retreated, I dashed after him and closed the gap, landing a decisive two-hit combo to finish him off.

The duel ended in an instant.

A small smile crept onto my lips without me realizing it.

'This is… refreshing.'

Unlike my previous life as a hero, where I crushed foes with overwhelming power, this was entirely different.

Though my reaction speed and reflexes were fast, it felt like fighting as a mere human.

"Haha…"

I couldn't tell if I was laughing out of disbelief or exhilaration.

As a rush of excitement bubbled up inside me, I licked my lips absentmindedly.

Now, the early phase is over.

The fallen Claymore-wielder would eventually respawn.

But from now on, the situation would reverse.

Ignoring the objectives in our flank, I headed straight for the enemy's flank.

Now… it's my turn to attack.