8

Trom Games Korea's SCK (Soul Warfare Champions Korea) League official channel.

The chatroom, hosting more participants than most streamer broadcasts, was on the verge of crashing under the pressure of overwhelming activity.

If one had to find a reason to watch the official channel, it was likely due to a sense of inferiority that made watching a streamer's rebroadcast unappealing.

Suppressing the budding sense of inadequacy in her heart, Dayoung stuffed a snack into her mouth and chewed noisily.

[SB Warden Katana is here.]

[Watch closely, newbies. The katana is pure, classic fantasy.]

[TK loses here, and it's a trip to the bottom. How do they plan to beat STK this season?]

[This lineup isn't equipped to counter a katana.]

[Legendary move incoming, lol.]

[It's over.]

The signature picks of professional gamers always electrify the chatroom.

Warden, a star player, was no exception.

[Ah, Warden has picked the katana—the unique weapon from the 'Broken Blade' series. It seems TK isn't treating the nerfed katana-Warden combo as a threat.]

[And that creates pressure for TK to win this match. If they lose after letting the nerfed katana through, it could deal a serious blow to the players' morale.]

The reaction from the casters was equally intense.

Warden's signature weapon was the katana.

When he chose the specialized "Broken Blade" katana, his hard carries were as routine as breathing.

TK, the team opposing STK, was no pushover.

After finishing as runners-up last season, they assembled a dream team with the sole aim of defeating STK.

But if Warden had taken the katana pick…

'The first match might be a bit predictable…'

Even to her, Warden's gameplay was remarkably unique.

His game sense was on a different level.

It could be described as an instinct for dazzling super plays.

If the line between carrying and throwing was razor-thin, Warden had the skill to blur that line entirely with his sheer talent.

And so, Dayoung couldn't help but wonder.

'If I could freely wield the power of a hero, could I stand in his place?'

***

As the ban-pick phase ended and the casters delved into heated analyses of each team's strengths, the camera panned to the audience.

It was customary to sweep the crowd briefly during the pre-game lull.

As the camera moved, a variety of people appeared on the screen.

Some were cosplaying as characters from Soul Warfare's story mode, others were fans cheering for their teams, and even a few famous pro players from other teams were present.

'Was it because it was the opening match?'

Just as Dayoung thought about how packed the event seemed—whether in terms of players, audience, or content—the camera stopped at a particular point.

For a moment, the casters and the entire arena fell silent, as if a power outage had cut off all sound.

Normally, when the camera focused on an interesting or unique spectator, the casters would engage with witty remarks.

But the woman on screen now had a serene expression as she watched the match, exuding an otherworldly calm.

Usually, people would react with surprise when they realized they were being filmed.

However, her movements were composed and remarkably poised, to the point where one might feel tempted to tease her if seated beside her.

Yet, her presence allowed no room for such idle thoughts—she radiated an air of mystery.

Her porcelain-smooth, alabaster skin and hair like molten gold were striking enough, but her eyes, visible through tinted glasses, captured the viewer's very soul.

As the camera lingered on her, almost excessively, the woman quietly removed her sunglasses.

A pair of sapphire-blue eyes, glowing brightly in the dim audience.

A subtle wave of her hand, as if to gesture for the camera to move on.

Her golden hair swayed like flowing water in rhythm with the movement.

Even Dayoung, who had endured countless battles and hardships in her year as a hero, found herself captivated.

One could only imagine the effect on others.

"Uh… what?"

The chatroom, mirroring a bullet hell game, erupted into chaos, unleashing an unrelenting barrage of messages.

[Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona! Noona!]

[This is insane. What's the cameraman doing? Point it back at Noona already!]

[Who is Noona? SCK's goddess! Who is Noona? SCK's goddess!]

[You wish, fanboys!]

[You're dreaming if you think they'll show her again!]

[Absolutely not!]

[Blocked!]

[Noona's elegance is unmatched.]

[Feed me, Noona! Give me life with your beauty!]

"Holy…."

Dayoung sighed in disbelief as the excessive chat rush caused the broadcast to buffer continuously.

The SCK Spring Season Opening Match, meticulously planned by everyone in the industry, began with an absurd outcome—a server crash caused by the chatroom's overload.

***

Warfare Mark Virtual Reality PC Café.

This facility, tailored for eSports fans watching matches, was part of Warfare Mark's offerings.

'Normally, after a match, this place would be bustling with fans attending signings or interviews.'

Choi Hyunsu, an employee here, suppressed a wry smile at the unusual sight.

On a day that should have been lively, the café felt oddly subdued.

Staff and patrons alike seemed unusually quiet.

The reason, of course, sat tucked away in a corner, immersed in a game.

'She's even prettier in person than on stream.'

The cause of the ten-minute broadcast crash during the Soul Warfare League's opening match.

Perhaps because of her presence, the fans—who usually thronged the meeting zones like frenzied zombies—were unusually docile, akin to a herd of calm cattle under sedation.

It was a rare sight, indeed.

Even with the intense rivalry match between STK and TK—a guarantee for exhilarating gameplay—the atmosphere remained unnaturally focused on the woman.

Of course, a shift in atmosphere didn't reduce the workload.

In fact, today felt even busier than usual, or perhaps it was just his imagination.

Hyunsu occasionally glanced over at the woman seated alone, intently focused on her monitor.

To say she wasn't his type would have been a lie.

Her beauty seemed almost unreal, as though even the most heavily edited model couldn't achieve her flawless appearance.

Ding~!

The bell at the counter rang—a notification that someone had placed an order.

While tidying up dishes, Hyunsu checked the order, his face brightening as he recognized the requester.

It was a simple order for a can of cola—a refreshingly modest choice.

Breaking through the crowd that had gathered around, Hyunsu finally reached his destination and got a closer look at the woman in front of him.

'Did she gold-plate her hair or something?'

This wasn't a quality achievable through dyeing.

Even Hyunsu, who had seen countless foreigners, had never seen such golden hair before.

For a brief moment, he even considered asking for a single strand of her hair, just to satisfy his curiosity.

Of course, that was a ridiculous thought, but who could blame him? Watching her golden locks flow naturally, such whimsical thoughts came unbidden.

"Here's the cola you ordered."

Hyunsu made an effort to speak as kindly and professionally as possible.

'Did she react to the arrival of the cola or to the sound of his voice?'

The slight curl of her lips gave the illusion that she was someone well-versed in playing with a man's emotions.

"…Thank you."

Her voice was as elegant and refined as her appearance.

But that was the extent of their interaction.

'Of course, that's all there should be.'

After all, they were merely customer and employee.

Still, a sense of regret lingered.

Hyunsu's curiosity about what such a radiant woman might be doing led his eyes to drift toward her monitor.

'What?'

Thankfully, he managed to suppress the sound of surprise in his throat, but his astonishment wasn't so easily calmed.

'Master?'

The screen displayed the Soul Warfare website logged into her account.

That golden emblem of wings and a helmet next to her ID—it was the mark of a Master Rank player.

Soul Warfare was an action RPG game with a heavy emphasis on PvP.

Due to the nature of the genre, it was a game that attracted a predominantly male audience.

Like most games of this type, it was also considered more challenging for female players.

Compared to its predecessor, the more mainstream game "Legendary Clash," the difference was even more pronounced.

In fact, when women played Soul Warfare, they often focused on heavily customized characters, spending hours perfecting the 'cute and beautiful face of their avatar,' rather than the gameplay itself.

It was then that her voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, you're still here. That's great. I'd like to switch to a VR booth."

She turned her head from her monitor to make her request, startling Hyunsu into a quick response.

"Ah, yes. Please log in at booth 12."

"Okay, thanks."

The woman moved to the VR-exclusive single booth set up at position 12.

'Is she a streamer?'

Someone with her looks playing Soul Warfare…

His brain naturally jumped to the idea of her being a streamer.

It wasn't an unreasonable assumption, considering her familiarity with the game.

If she streamed, every dog and cow out there would probably throw donations at her like fools worshipping their screens.

Good-looking men and women who seemed like content incarnate were welcomed everywhere, after all.

She could easily rise to become a major streamer—or even beyond that.

"Hyunsu! Order for table 43!"

"Coming!"

The manager's voice from the counter broke his train of thought.

Hyunsu reluctantly left his spot but couldn't help sneaking a glance back.

Her character wore a helmet, so he couldn't confirm it, but he couldn't help but wonder, 'Did she scan her own face to customize the character's skin?'

The thought of what kind of character could emerge if someone modeled it after her looks danced in his mind.

It was a questionable, borderline creepy thought, but Hyunsu couldn't help grinning at the amusing idea.

Classic early-stage simp symptoms, no doubt.

***

The game was a nail-biter, but in the end, STK secured a 2:1 victory to close out the set.

"They're really good."

Their skill was so impressive that Hyunsu doubted he could keep up even if he reached Challenger Tier and matched against such players in solo queue.

'This is what it means to be at the top of Challenger, or even a professional.'

Although there was another match coming up, Hyunsu decided he'd already enjoyed enough quality gameplay and left the arena.

Perhaps because everyone was still inside watching, the lobby was quieter now.

As his eyes scanned the empty lobby, his feet naturally led him toward the Warfare Mark PC Café he had noticed earlier.

It felt like the next logical stop.

He carried with him a small curiosity: 'What's changed about PC cafés after ten years?'

To sum up his thoughts—PC cafés had changed as much as the landscape itself after a decade.

Modern PC cafés seemed more like family restaurants, with flashy menus that could rival those of professional chefs.

Not only did they have PCs, but they also offered VR equipment, complete with single and group booths ranging from solo rooms to seven-person setups.

It was impressive enough to leave Hyunsu feeling a faint sense of awe.

Still, he only ordered a single can of cola.

***

Returning to his VR booth, the game he had started was now approaching its climax.

Shwoosh!

With his super armor activated, he absorbed the whip's strike and retaliated with a bold slash, knocking the opponent backward.

Rather than chasing them down, he finished them off with a clean headshot using his throwable weapon.

'Why does this have such an FPS vibe to it?'

If he had been using the broken greatsword, he wouldn't have been able to equip throwable weapons due to the penalties associated with oversized weapons.

After dealing with the last enemy player and extinguishing the flames of their final objective—a massive bonfire—he secured the second round victory.

The bold "Victory" displayed on the screen gave him a moment to relax.

It was nearing 9 PM.

Time to call it a day.

As he logged out of the VR system and left the booth, he froze momentarily at the sight of the crowd waiting for him.

"Wow! That was amazing!"

"Did you play the entire match with just the longsword? That's not your main weapon, is it?"

"Did you scan your face to make a custom skin?"

"Are you close to Grandmaster Rank now?"

"Why don't you use dual swords?"

"Have you ever considered going pro?"

Uh, hold on.

'Oh, they were watching through the spectator feed.'

Since VR gameplay in public spaces was broadcast live for safety reasons, his actions had been on display the whole time.

Only now did it click.

Had he realized earlier, he wouldn't have logged into VR.

Gathering his thoughts amidst the barrage of questions, he smiled gently and said, "I'm not considering going pro. I just play casually with whatever—longsword, two-handers, you name it."

"But why hide your ID? And why wear the helmet?"

Ah, these guys.

His decision to hide his ID and wear a helmet seemed to have been the right one.

Had he not, the situation would've been twice as overwhelming.

"Ah, I just don't feel comfortable revealing that."

"I'm in Diamond and trying to climb to Master Rank. Can you share your build or setup?"

"There's nothing special about my build. It's just a straightforward focus on agility."

Yet…

And so on…

The incessant chatter made them seem like sparrows clamoring for food.

Except these weren't tiny, adorable sparrows—they were excitable young gamers and Soul Warfare enthusiasts.

Feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the growing attention, Hyunsu decided it was time to make his exit.

"Phew…"

With a quiet sigh of relief, he paid and quickly left Warfare Mark.

'If I ever come back to a PC café, I'll pick a private booth where my gameplay isn't broadcast.'

If such a place didn't exist, he'd just stick to playing at home.

As a hero, it felt wrong to completely ignore such attention from others, but even so…

'Facing a horde of demons might be more comfortable than dealing with this.'

Perhaps this, too, was one of the trials and tribulations of being a hero.

'Or something like that.'