16

"Great work today, Forming."

"You too, Friede."

As the broadcast ended inside the MS room, I felt my body, which had been stiff with tension, slowly relax.

Was Forming feeling the same? It seemed like we understood each other through our shared gaze, encouraging one another.

Exposing myself through broadcasting.

There's a certain thrill I've always desired, but I realized there's also a subtle pressure to perform even better because it's a broadcast.

No, thinking about it, that's only natural.

There's no way a poorly executed broadcast would attract attention.

The two-day joint stream, in my opinion, was quite a success.

To conclude, both Forming and I were promoted to Grand Master.

The main goal of this joint stream—"King's Mission Completion"—was achieved.

Considering the favorable outcome, and even factoring in the process, this broadcast could truly be called outstanding.

"Honestly, Friede, you were so greedy. You must have taken on at least 30 missions!"

"If it's fun, it's all forgiven."

"It might have been fun for you, but for me, it felt like I was riding a rollercoaster. I'm just glad we almost succeeded; otherwise, I was worried I'd drop back to Diamond tier."

"Mission failures don't directly lead to game losses. You're jumping to conclusions, Poming. That's not good."

Hearing Poming's playful grumbles, I couldn't help but smile.

Still, we earned over 4 million won from completing missions.

If the results are good, doesn't that naturally make the process shine too?

***

"But Friede."

"Yes?"

As we were wrapping up, Poming cautiously spoke up.

"I'm genuinely curious… Do you play other virtual reality games too?"

"If it's VR, I only play Soul Warfare. Why?"

"Well, it's just…"

Trailing off, Poming hesitated before finally speaking while avoiding my gaze.

"It's hard to believe, you know? Seeing someone do so well with mediocre gear on their first try at Soul Warfare."

"Hmm…."

"Forgive me for saying this, but sometimes I wonder if the skills you showed…"

"Aren't actually mine but were aided externally. That's what you're thinking, right? Like…"

Resting my chin in thought for a moment, I quickly caught on to what Poming was implying.

"Hacks, for example."

"…Yeah. Soul Warfare did have a lot of issues with hacks at one point."

Watching Poming nod apologetically, I returned the gesture to show I understood.

To be fair, I get it.

If I were an outsider with no knowledge of the situation, I might have suspected "Hero Friede" of hacking too.

'I definitely would have. If I were in their shoes.'

But honestly, I don't think it's worth worrying about.

The gameplay I've shown so far reflects my own abilities, and I've heard enough about hacks in Soul Warfare to be aware.

In other words, I'm confident and innocent.

Plus, I played dozens of matches to get promoted from Master to Grand Master.

If I had been using hacks, wouldn't the GMs have noticed?

While I don't know the exact size of the Soul Warfare management team, I believe they would have caught on during the time I played with Poming.

So, I've been performing with no reservations, showing my true skills.

"Of course not. Have you ever seen a hack that lasts this long, Forming?"

"…No."

"As you said, virtual reality hacks are tricky. They can cause severe side effects to the brain."

I winked with one eye—though the visor of my helmet probably made it invisible—and added:

"If there were any issues, they'd have surfaced back when I was still in the Master rank. What do you think? Do I seem suspicious to you, Forming?"

Poming seemed to calm her worries, nodding in agreement.

It's common sense that hacks can't last this long.

She seemed to process that thought and settle her unease.

"Oh, uh… I'm sorry. You just looked so impressive. It's hard to believe you're just another player like me."

"It's fine. I'd have thought the same. You said you're taking a break from streaming for three days, right?"

"Yes, I've posted a notice since I have some personal matters."

A brief break, then. I mulled over what to do during that time as I replied.

"Then we'll both enjoy some refreshment. Make sure to tell me next time you start streaming."

"Of course. See you next time, Friede."

And with that, we logged off.

***

Rising from the device, I glanced at the clock.

The hour hand pointed to 3 AM.

I drew back the curtains and looked out at the view through the window.

"So quiet."

The whole street seemed to be dreaming, devoid of the usual car noises or lights.

In this tranquil night, I was reminded of how spectacular the scenery can be at any time.

Looking at the silent city that contrasted with the vast view, I found myself reflecting on my streaming activities.

'Would streaming make me as busy as this broadcast did?'

For two days since the joint stream began, my time was entirely consumed by Soul Warfare.

Well, not every broadcast would involve such demanding mission objectives, I guess.

But still, I realized something about joint streams—they're a bit different from the solo streaming I imagined.

There's an unavoidable discomfort, a twinge of pressure in the heart, from involving others and mixing in shared interests.

Maybe that's why, when playing ranked matches with Poming, I threw myself into the "missions disguised as quests" with such fervor.

It felt suffocating to treat it as work, so I tried to enjoy it in my own way.

And ultimately, it was a success.

Looking at the list of completed missions made me feel proud.

Then, a sudden thought struck me.

'Is this work, or is it a hobby?'

The motivation to feed off others' attention, especially positive emotions.

I chose the path of being a streamer, thinking it would be an easy way to stand out.

Since it's just personal broadcasting, there's no need to watch my surroundings.

I can simply focus on the flow between myself and the viewers.

It's all under my control, so I thought it would be simple.

But when I get involved with others, like in today's joint stream, I feel an inexplicable sense of obligation.

"I shouldn't do joint streams with anyone else after Forming."

It'd be troublesome if my hobby ends up tagged with exhaustion and fatigue.

With that thought settled, I accessed the Soul Warfare community on my smartphone.

I had noticed before that, regardless of my feelings, the joint stream with Poming had potential.

I was curious to see what stories were circulating now.

'What were they saying about me, about us?'

Ego-searching is such a dark yet thrilling experience.

Perhaps because I was in a high-rise area, the connection buffered a little.

Looking down at the empty streets below, the wind brushed past my ears like a gentle tickle.

The breeze blowing from the heights felt like the only noise under the nebula-filled night sky.

For a moment, I indulged in the solitude.

***

This three-day streaming break was a very important time for Dayoung.

Even though she was still a small-time streamer, she held onto the hope that she could rise again, as she had before.

She needed to keep fighting relentlessly to achieve her goal.

Normally, after finishing a joint stream, she would stay up all night editing the footage.

But this time was an exception. She couldn't afford to show herself struggling.

She decided to upload the edited videos to YouTube later.

After a good night's sleep, Dayoung woke up late in the morning and got ready to go out.

Leaving Bbaebbae behind at home, Dayoung arrived at a place that was hard to miss—a massive building complex.

XX University Hospital.

Currently the largest hospital in South Korea, it is renowned for treating all kinds of illnesses, especially cancer patients.

Dayoung went up to the ward and knocked on the door of Room 402.

"Come in," said a voice from inside, one that was familiar and precious to Dayoung.

When she opened the door, she saw her mother resting in bed.

"Dayoung, is that you?"

"Yes, Mom. How are you feeling?"

"Same as always. You didn't have to come all the way here."

"I don't come all the time. I had to visit on a day like this. You must get lonely."

Dayoung pouted at her mother's words, knowing full well that she was secretly glad to see her.

Although her mother tried not to burden her, Dayoung knew better, and her heart ached even more.

"Are you eating well? Why do you look so thin?"

"I'm taking care of myself. Eating too much doesn't look good anyway."

"Do you have side dishes at home? You're not sick, are you?"

The usual repertoire of questions, but Dayoung didn't mind her mother's concerns.

"I'm fine. Take care of yourself, Mom. What did the doctor say?"

Her mother smiled gently.

"The doctor said everything looks fine. That's a relief."

"That's good…."

Dayoung sighed in relief, grateful that her mother's condition hadn't worsened.

"How's the streaming going?"

"It's okay. Things are looking up lately. Just wait a bit longer, and I'll cover more of the hospital bills to get you out of here healthy. Just a little longer."

"There's nothing for me to wait for. As long as you're doing well, that's enough for me."

'There it is again.'

What's the point of only me doing well? The whole family has to thrive.

Feeling a sting in her heart from her mother's words, Dayoung decided to spend as much time with her as possible.

She wanted her mother's spirits to stay positive.

After all, this was the least she could do for a mother who had endured so much waiting for her missing daughter, summoned as a hero.

Buzz!

Dayoung's phone vibrated, but she turned it off instead.

It was probably just spam, anyway—there was no one who would contact her.

***

After spending the rest of the day at the hospital, Dayoung returned home the next day.

She resolved once again to become a successful streamer and help cover her mother's medical expenses.

Thanks to the momentum from her joint stream with Friede, she decided to aim for Challenger rank next.

The combination of a female streamer and Challenger rank was sure to create a great synergy.

It might also be good to film a segment where Friede teaches her how to prepare for streaming.

Lost in these thoughts, Dayoung opened the door to her house and spoke casually.

"Bbaebbae, I'm home."

"Huh? Why didn't you say anything…?"

Frowning, Dayoung headed to her room.

"Hey, Pepe, why aren't you answering?"

When she opened the door, the sight before her left her speechless.

A frog was trembling in front of the computer screen.

"Pepe?"

At Dayoung's call, Pepe turned around.

To her surprise, his sinister eyes were filled with tears.

"W-what do we do…?"

Gone was the usual sly gaze that seemed to mock her with 'You're back, Dayoung, you little rascal.'

Instead, there was desperation, as if he were reproaching her for not coming sooner.

Dayoung was flustered.

"W-what's wrong?"

Tears streaming, Bbaebbae barely managed to choke out a response.

"Dayoung… We're screwed."

On the computer screen in front of Bbaebbae was the Soul Warfare community.

And the posts were explosive:

[Hot Topic: Is Soul Warfare User Friede Using Hacks?]

[Subheading: A Hero of Light or a Hero of Hacks?]

[Soul Warfare in Crisis! A Hack Undetected by GMs?]

[A New Virtual Reality Hack Emerges—What's the Truth?]

[Did Forming Really Not Know About Friede's Hacks? Who's to Blame?]

"…Hah!"

No wonder things had been going too smoothly until now…

Dayoung could sense it.

They were really screwed.