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It was the day I would take my first step as the much-anticipated game streamer.

Following Da-young's advice, after a few days of rest, I was finally beginning.

It had truly been a long and harsh period, like a rusted lump of iron.

Now that I was thinking about starting today, it didn't feel real, as if I were gazing at a dreamy autumn sunset.

I spun the gaming chair I was sitting in, almost like a mechanical doll on a winding path.

The ticking second hand on the clock and the slowly turning chair made me feel like a puppet being mocked in front of people.

'Game streamer…'

Maybe being a streamer was similar to the position of a puppet.

Playing a game and broadcasting it live on the internet.

A profession that earns income through viewer donations and advertisements.

In other words, since attention from viewers is crucial, I might not be entirely free from their demands.

Of course, thinking that this would necessarily lead to unpleasant experiences is closer to speculation.

Even without focusing on games, the profession of being a full-time streamer has been well-rooted in society for decades through various broadcast themes.

Now, it is a common occupation, and the negative perceptions of the past have mostly faded.

Of course, there are still those who look at it negatively, like seeing dried food waste or the crushed remains of a small animal on a car.

But, if it had stopped here, it would have faded like a will-o'-the-wisp. Striving for a better path is a natural desire and part of human progress.

They say in ten years, even the mountains and rivers change, and after 30 years, it had clearly transformed.

'Compared to the 2020s, this is nothing.'

Healthy and diverse content.

Maintaining streamer dignity.

Improvement of viewers' perception and etiquette.

High income.

Just as the seasons change, leaving new, clean traces in the world, changes continue to accumulate, like data stored in a computer, one after another.

They say, "Little by little, a mountain is made." These activities are now recognized as a legitimate profession, even by the older generation.

I stopped spinning the chair.

The brake had been applied, and I could feel a vibration in my Achilles tendon as it stopped.

Da-young said she would help with some setups in the MS Room, but I didn't feel at ease sitting still like a pile of useless garbage.

'Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will win every battle.'

I thought I might need some preliminary knowledge, so I looked it up on the internet.

First of all, the platform I was going to use was the Switch channel.

It was one of the top platforms in the industry, famous even before being summoned to this world.

For someone like me, a newbie streamer, it might seem a bit reckless, but isn't it better to play in the big leagues?

Fighting in a small puddle would only make me sluggish, like a worm buried in mud.

Moreover, it was known to be the most compatible platform for streaming internet broadcasts in the virtual MS Room.

Last time, I had searched Soul Warfare, but this time, I sorted the channels by famous streamers, and the number was incredibly overwhelming.

The number of streamers could form an army, and there were countless interwoven interests.

Especially, the ranking of Soul Warfare streamers had never fallen below third place.

'They've all face-revealed.'

There were a few female streamers in Soul Warfare, and it was quite unusual that they all face-revealed.

What is face-revealing? It means showing one's face publicly.

For female streamers, this can be a sensitive topic.

Once a face is revealed, personal information becomes exposed, and especially for pretty and popular female streamers, stalkers and malicious fans can cause a lot of trouble, sometimes even ruining their lives.

No matter the era, some unpleasant tastes always exist.

So, I remember that many streamers who embraced mystique and didn't reveal their faces used to be quite common.

'Has the advent of virtual reality solved these issues and changed the trend?'

Of course, there are still some things that don't change, like a massive mountain standing still.

'Not much has changed.'

Among female streamers doing Soul Warfare broadcasts, skilled ones were as rare as finding a needle in a desert.

Besides Da-young, who had entered the women's league, the high-tier users in the female category had virtually disappeared from history.

Of course, there were some standout players, like the pro gamer 'Lotus,' who had reached the Challenger tier.

She was previously affiliated with STK, the same organization as the famous Warden from Soul Warfare.

She was the undisputed top in the Soul Warfare female league.

Even other female pro gamers only reached Grand Master level, so her exceptional skills stood out.

Typically, the skill gap among female gamers is extremely wide, almost like separate ocean currents passing through each other.

In that sense, Da-young could be seen as being in the middle, like the sea where two currents accidentally mixed.

Before meeting me, her tier was Diamond, and she was very close to Master, even in the top 1 tier.

"Shall I log in soon?"

The broadcast was scheduled for 6 PM, but I needed to log in earlier to prepare.

As I entered the virtual reality device, I sighed, feeling the comfort a caterpillar might experience as it wrapped itself in its cocoon.

Since all streamers' performances extend from this stage, the MS Room is considered the main arena in virtual reality.

***

[Message: Preparing for the stream.]

It had been 20 minutes since I sat, waiting on the plush sofa cushions…

A new notification flashed in the corner of my vision, like a candle flickering, announcing that Forming had logged in.

Forming, huh…

'Did she abandon the Hero badge?'

Did she think the name Hero Forming didn't quite fit?

They say others' rice cakes always seem bigger, and seeing Forming's changed ID, I too had a sudden desire to change mine.

"Hey, sis."

"Forming, welcome."

It wasn't intentional, but somehow we ended up greeting each other like an inconvenience duo, as if we were mooching off an old neighbor's house.

"You changed your ID?"

"That jerk, Pepe, kept making me look bad with my ID. So, I just came back as Forming."

"Ah…"

I paused for a moment, offering a brief moment of silence for Pepe, whose skull was likely crushed in the shape of a 'V' because of that incident.

Calming her emotions, Da-young asked me, as though interrogating a suspect.

"So, what's with the outfit? What happened to the character you showed before?"

"Oh, this? Now that I'm broadcasting, I thought I'd change it up for the content."

The outfit I was wearing was a Hero's armor, though with a slight alteration.

It was based on the original Hero's gear, but with some minor changes to reduce the overall weight.

Well, the conclusion was simple.

"Why are you wearing this when you could be in the awesome armor? And what's that under the armor?"

The once-dazzling Hero's armor was now replaced with something more commonly seen on the internet—something akin to a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, an item with extreme defense.

It was now the Bikini Armor and Dolphin Pants.

I wouldn't say anything if it didn't suit me, but looking at it now, it strangely did, so I kept it.

"Somehow, it feels wrong."

I lightly stroked the back of my neck where a tingling sensation was spreading from her sharp gaze.

I understood why Da-young wasn't ready to accept this change.

The heavy-duty armor was supposed to have a dignified feel, wrapping the body neatly.

It made sense that she was struggling with it, not being able to accept this new wind of change.

But then again, winter and summer clothing can't always be the same.

The character, Hero of Light, Friede, once had a concept of heavy armor, but now, as Friede, the player was aiming to break away from that image.

"Did you change how you see me just because I didn't call you 'oppa'?"

I hastily tried to explain as I saw Da-young's expression go blank, like a city after a blackout.

"Well, it's not like I'm covering anything. This outfit's not a problem, right?"

"No, it's just that you're still a gamer streamer. Why change genres?"

"Don't worry. This is the limit, I'm not going to do anything beyond that. It's just gaming from here on out."

"Hmm…"

Her eyes narrowed, sharp like a hawk hunting its prey.

Da-young seemed to scrutinize me for a while, searching for weaknesses.

But eventually, she sighed and gave her subtle advice.

"I don't really care how you do your broadcast; it's your freedom. But I hope you don't throw away your integrity. The trend right now isn't just about stripping down."

"Ah, I should definitely listen to you, Da-young."

See? She's so embarrassed when I praise her.

She tries to act nonchalant.

Da-young is just too worried about everything.

"Should we start preparing for the broadcast now?"

"Wait, hold on. First, let's do this."

I quickly manipulated the settings console and entered the process to change my ID.

[ID Change: Hero of Light Friede → Friede]

The ID was too long, and anyway, it was just too cluttered to read or remember.

As a streamer, not just the broadcast title, but even the nickname should be simple, like tofu, so it sticks in people's memories.

Since Da-young changed hers to Forming, I figured I'd go simple as well.

I shared some of my MS Room privileges with Da-young, and she immediately began operating it skillfully, impressing me.

"Alright, here are the streaming settings. You can check and set the camera angles that will be shown to the viewers. You can also adjust the lighting and filters, so let's go step by step and find the best setup for you."

"But I'm wearing a helmet. Do I have to take it off and show my face to set things up?"

"Since you can change your appearance freely through the character settings in virtual reality, more and more female streamers are doing face reveals. But I don't think you need to do that."

Da-young, who had been folding her arms, hesitated for a moment before offering her opinion.

"A mysterious concept is also fine. For most female streamers, it wouldn't work, but you've already left an impression on people through my stream. Back then, you didn't do a face reveal, but you still captivated people with your voice. If you do a face reveal now, it would be a waste of content."

"So you think I should eventually do it?"

"Yeah, it's better to do it at some point. You know, if you take too long, it's going to be tasteless, like cold food. Unless your hobby is picking ants…"

"Hmm, I get it."

No matter how good a voice is, a face reveal is a topic that can't be avoided for female streamers.

With everyone doing it through virtual reality these days, the mysterious concept seems to be fading away.

However, Da-young's thoughts that it would still work for a while, at least until the middle of the broadcast, seemed valid.

"I really owe it to you, Da-young. It feels like I'm starting off well thanks to you."

"What are you talking about? You'd do fine even without me."

"I think otherwise. I'm just glad I have you with me."

At my unintentional compliment, Da-young quickly looked away and cleared her throat.

"Well, I am a hero too."

"Yeah, that's right. I trust you."

I wonder if she thinks turning her head means I won't see her.

'Or is she doing it on purpose?'

Anyway, her shamelessness is pretty impressive.

She really is a veteran streamer, after all.

Now, let's start preparing for the broadcast, following Da-young's K-style training one step at a time.