30

The device and internet connection were fine, as expected.

It was definitely fine, yet…

1,823 viewers.

It had only been 10 minutes since the first rank after the broadcast started.

I had gotten distracted by the overwhelming reactions from the viewers, flooding in within such a short time.

It's funny how I was dumbfounded by such a thing, but it seems the reactions were buffering as well.

Change always comes suddenly.

The blocked hole was suddenly blasted open, and the contents spilled out.

They say the first step is always the hardest, but once you've made the first move, it gets easier from there.

This was exactly that moment.

[Wow, it's really you, Noona!]

[The broadcast of Free Day Noona… this is a rare one]

[Heheh… Did she change her character model again?]

[Is this plate armor or a plate bra?]

[Not a knight of light, but a beach warrior]

[She changed her nickname too]

[Her defense is insanely high, Sensei]

[Is this a fake Free Day?]

[If that's the Grand Master fighting with a broken greatsword, then it's definitely our Noona]

Though I was in the middle of the enemy's territory, I couldn't forget the importance of fan service at times like these.

I switched to text mode, not voice, and greeted the viewers with my first official words.

"Welcome."

After the first greeting of my first broadcast, it was simple.

Before starting the broadcast, I had thought of a cool line to say.

Now, it was all in vain.

[That's her voice! I knew it]

[It's really her, Noona]

[Free Day! Godly Free Day! Queen Free Day!]

[Her voice is so sexy, Noona]

[My erectile dysfunction is cured now. Thank you, Mama]

I worried that the atmosphere might turn awkward suddenly, but it turned out to be just a false alarm.

Ah, I'm grinning.

The lips hidden under the visor of my helmet.

Even as I put my hand inside to cover my mouth, the slow-moving facial muscles felt new.

There's no worse sight than laughing and dying here.

Plus, as the influx of viewers grew, the chat was slowly descending into chaos and destruction.

Flooding comments and sexual innuendo.

At this rate, it looked like the broadcast would die before I did in this game.

"I didn't introduce myself properly. I'll finish this round quickly."

[Shocking! America is shocked, China is anxious, and Japan is jealous of Free Day's carry declaration]

[You crazy idiot, stop the mindless nationalism!]

[Noona… for us… go for it!]

[What's up with her voice? It's so sweet]

[I came from Sobong… no, I'm just leaving]

[Noona, take off your helmet]

That's when it happened.

As I was watching the barrage of comments in the chat, a subtle noise reached my ears.

—Chik, chik!

Footsteps? No, it was the distinct clinking sound of plate armor joints screaming in protest.

From the sound of the footsteps, I could tell there was only one enemy.

After all, in a game where we fought with a limited number of people, it was hard to throw in a bunch of mindless forces.

Like a game of hide-and-seek, we were both lurking, silently approaching each other while eyeing our targets.

Each one with a pure purpose of ambushing, waiting at the optimal spot, ready to strike.

–Thwack!

"Tch."

I clicked my tongue carelessly.

'Was it the sound of rainwater gathering in the crack of a building?'

Without thinking, I stepped on a puddle, and the distinct sound of plate armor ceased.

I thought about retreating, but I erased the option from my mind.

This wasn't my game alone.

As long as the viewers were watching, I needed to show them something spectacular, like an actor on a stage.

Leaning against the wall, I slowly moved forward.

I paused momentarily at the corner, timing my next move, then leapt out and swung the broken greatsword.

—Clang!

The noise of swinging the weapon in a tight corner was inevitable.

The rusty blade of the broken greatsword scraped against the armor, producing sparks, not red raindrops.

The sound of steel scraping against steel, as a shield scraped the ground, blocked the path of my sword.

And the blood-red droplets, like autumn leaves, sprayed into the air.

As the arrow grazed my left arm, the wound caught my eye, and I instinctively frowned.

From beyond the door, I could see the archer hurriedly preparing another shot.

***

[Group? Is there something going on?]

[Whoa, they sent an archer through the detour?]

[If that archer had aimed well, Free Day Noona would've been done for]

[Noona's positioning was spot on though, wasn't it?]

Indeed, the real fun of games is not just playing but watching too.

The viewers got into a chatter, talking about the changing situation.

As they said, if the archer's attack had been successful, it could have been a game-changer.

But it only grazed my arm, and now, with the time for reloading, it was my chance.

'An axe and a shield.'

Neither tough nor cautious; it's an odd combination.

What stood out most was the opponent's attitude of not going on the offense.

A faint laugh escaped me.

With the intention to parry and counterattack rather than go on the offense, this opponent was as easy to handle as it gets.

Twisting the sword I had been clashing with, I changed my stance from a powerful overhead strike to a weaker horizontal cut, slashing at my opponent's thigh.

–Schtch!

As the right leg was cut and they lost their balance, I drove my sword into the vulnerable spot—right beneath the opponent's shield, into the left shoulder.

And now, it was coming.

–Fwoosh!

With a sharp whoosh through the air, an arrow flew toward my neck.

The opponent, who had bent their knee, swung their axe as if making a final attempt, attacking at the same time.

'Was this part of their planned play?'

Twisting my neck to dodge the arrow, I tensed my body like a spring being compressed.

The blood vessels in my body screamed for release, and the heat rose in my face, reddening my skin.

Then, like a spring releasing its tension, I sprang upward, my body shooting out with explosive force.

He stomps on the ground.

With the sound of sand shattering and the ensuing recoil, his body accelerates and leaps into the air.

Using a slightly protruding brick beside him as a foothold, he glides behind the opponent, like a surfer riding a wave.

Thud!

A clean landing.

At the same time, he thrusts the broken greatsword he had been holding reverse into his back.

Thunk!

Though his back was facing the opponent, it was already too late.

Both of them faced away from each other, but the warrior holding an axe could only look at the blade piercing through his chest as he vanished.

[Crazy woman, crazy woman!]

[How is she moving like that? That's broken!]

[Did you see her 3D movement skills?]

[Her reflexes and movements don't make sense.]

[Does she move like that in real life too? Is she like a military-trained high school girl?]

[Honestly, this seems like hacking.]

[Stop washing your mouth, you idiot.]

[Zeke Garterbelt donated 10,000 won!

[Wow, your voice is amazing!]

"Ah, thank you for the first donation."

It was her first time receiving a donation, so she simply expressed her gratitude without much thought.

But it seemed the viewers interpreted it a bit differently.

[First? First? First? First? First? First? First?]

[She… she took the first from her!]

[Who is this Garterbelt?]

[Garterbelt, you son of a bitch, how dare you take her first donation?]

[Friede could have been my mother!]

[Can I have the first too? I want the first too! I want the first too!]

Amidst the uproar in the chat, the second donation notification appeared.

[Midir the Destroyer donated 30,000 won!

[Please take off your helmet, Heeung~]

"Midir, thank you for the 30,000 won. Sorry, but I'll be keeping the helmet on."

She casually changed her target, watching the viewers react with excitement, and couldn't help but feel a bit proud.

Her nerves were tempered like steel, burning brightly with pure focus, free of impurities.

It looked like she could finish this round even faster.

***

The promised cycle of victories is always bound to wear out, whether in movies or comics.

But when it comes to games, especially player vs player matches, there's nothing more exhilarating.

Ask anyone who plays and, even if they win a hundred matches, no one gets bored.

The sense of omnipotence from defeating enemies in a virtual space.

The thrill of leading the game, of being the one in control, is indescribably exhilarating.

And… the internet broadcasts of skilled gamers have an addictive quality, a blend of opium and cocaine that pulls you in.

'Just as expected…'

She realizes again how ideal being a streamer is to fulfill this desire.

She dodges an archer's shot, then chases down the opponent and finishes them off.

In the maze of back alleys, she fights tirelessly, cutting down opponents.

Charging head-on into an attack route, she takes down at least one, sometimes two, securing the advantage.

Victory appears on her virtual screen.

Her character, selected as the MVP, lights up with the event of extinguishing a flame, and the chat goes wild with praise.

[Super carry, Friede!]

[So this is what it's like in Grand Master?]

[19 kills, 4 deaths, 13 assists… she turned the game around.]

[Victory is always so stable.]

[She's a human blender.]

[Would love to duo with you, Friede.]

[Friede is like a baby… gotta protect her.]

[I'm off to play solo with a broken greatsword.]

[Stop the nonsense, you idiot!]

The cheering continues as the match repeats.

Every word, every action, stirs excitement in the chat.

[Wow, I thought most of these people couldn't even react like Friede, but it looks like some of them can.]

[The solo play is good too, polished.]

[When the holes in the game opened, a lot of people rushed in to stabilize.]

[In this low rank, she crushed a 3:1, but when she got to Grand Master, even 2:1 is tough, haha.]

[Even Wardens can't handle 3:1 in Grand Master.]

[Friede would never be beaten.]

[Friede's insane for being able to do this in Grand Master.]

Some viewers were trying to keep a level head and watch her gameplay critically.

It didn't matter to her either way.

Whether they cheered or analyzed it coolly, she was just happy that everyone was sharing in her experience.

Her joy was further painted over by the enthusiasm of the viewers, like colors on a canvas.

"A lot of people have come."

She felt a strange excitement as she looked at the nearly 3,000 viewers after just one match.

[TaeYangManSe donated 200,000 won! Friede, do a sexy pose! Do a sexy pose! Do a sexy pose!]

[This is really getting dizzying.]

[The thirst is real here.]

[Our babies are thirsty as hell. What will happen if Friede goes offline?]

[Ugh, that content is creepy.]

She frowned at the blunt request.

It wasn't like she could show anything under her helmet anyway, but it still made her feel the need to manage her expression.

There were always people like this in female streamer broadcasts.

"Yes, thank you for the donation, TaeYangManSe. As I said, I'm not good at reacting… but the money you donated will be used to help me live."

[Donation of 77 million!]

[That was a really bad reaction.]

[TaeYangManSe's money is melting away, while Friede is earning it.]

[Making money is really easy, right?]

The viewers took her words and used them as ammunition to mock TaeYangManSe for the donation.

Raising the tension too much, whether from alcohol or something else, didn't seem to matter.

The first stream was, in many ways, a successful first try.