There was no need for me to willingly put on a leash, no matter how good the conditions were.
To be honest, the offer felt so random that I couldn’t help but think, Seriously?
More than anything, I had my own cause—gathering warriors.
It wasn’t something I pursued with desperate resolve, risking my life.
Rather, it had become a fate assigned to me, a game, a goal—something to do in a life that had nothing left.
‘Maybe they saw me as just a successful gaming streamer, which is why they made such an offer.’
‘But what could I do? There was no reason for me to belong to any organization and willingly shackle myself.’
‘The only thing restraining me was the choker around my neck. Oh, and high heels.’
So, my answer could only be this.
“No. I’m not doing it.”
The words came out too quickly, and for a moment, I felt like an awkward, chilling wind was swirling around us.
But what was I supposed to do? Even if they offered me the entire STK team, it would hold no merit for me.
Recruitment or negotiation—both required some give-and-take, a compromise where both sides could gain something.
But we were just drawing parallel lines that would never intersect.
The premise itself was impossible.
“Friede, why…?”
“I just don’t want to belong anywhere. I have personal matters to take care of. And I’m not in such a desperate situation that I need to join a gaming team. Let’s drop this conversation here.”
I cut them off mid-sentence to make my rejection clear.
Regardless of whether they were the team leader or the captain, at least Warden had left a good impression.
As Eunha said, she had strong professional discipline and exceptional skills.
That’s probably why I didn’t walk away the moment he mentioned the ridiculous title of “one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Friede Fan Club.”
“This seems to be the end of it. I have no intention of revealing this conversation to anyone, so you don’t have to worry. I enjoyed the event. Send my regards to Eunha.”
With a slight nod, I turned and spoke to Dayoung and Ajin.
“What are you two doing? Come on, let’s go.”
“G-Go, go together.”
With my heightened senses, I could feel three pairs of eyes prickling at my back.
The restless team leader, the sighing captain, and Warden, who simply watched me in silence.
‘What could I say?’
“…It’s unsettling.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
It wasn’t outright hostility, nor was I completely ignoring them, but it was a delicate tension that kept poking at me.
The event match had been enjoyable, yet the way it ended left a bitter taste.
Somehow, I found myself clicking my tongue at the unpleasant aftertaste.
But I still had things to do, so I swallowed the feeling and picked up my pace.
***
“I’m sorry. I should’ve taken more time, but I let my fan spirit get ahead of me…”
“No, Manager Hong, this isn’t your fault. It was a mistake to rush things just because Manager Pepe said now was the perfect time to recruit Friede. Anyway, no need to feel down about failing to recruit her. Just keep building a good relationship. Let’s try to establish a connection through Lotus. Even if it’s just through events or anything that keeps her involved with us without interference from other teams, that’s a win.”
Leaving behind the dejected team leader and the captain trying to reassure him, Warden swallowed the sigh that had risen to his throat.
It felt like choking down bitter bile—painful and frustrating.
All he could do was stand there, watching the golden-haired woman, Friede, walk away confidently.
And he hated how small that made him feel.
He had always been praised as a top star player, and he took pride in being worthy of that reputation.
That made this failure hit even harder.
That realization crushed him—Nothing I had to offer meant anything to her.
More than anything…
‘We rushed it.’
This was our first real interaction, and somehow, I had convinced myself there wouldn’t be another chance.
That impatience had led to a mistake.
‘Had I stayed calm, would things have gone differently?’
The desperation that had driven me turned into a crushing sense of regret and emptiness.
In the end, the one who suffered the most thorough defeat in this event match was none other than me.
So all I could do was stand there and watch Friede’s back disappear down the hallway.
***
“Um… Unni, are you okay?”
The stifling atmosphere made it hard to breathe, and Ajin hesitantly spoke, hoping to ease the tension for her cherished older sister.
“I’m fine. Honestly, I’m not even mad at them.”
“Ugh!”
The one who reacted violently to that response was Dayoung, who had been sitting behind them.
Oh. Right. Pepe, the manager.
‘If it were just a coincidence that the nickname matched, they could’ve brushed it off.’
‘But the context made it undeniable—that Pepe was the culprit.’
She had been quiet for a while, so I thought things had settled down.
But to think she’d actually created a shady fan café about Unni.
Even after dealing with Pepe’s antics so many times, Dayoung still found herself completely dumbfounded.
“Unni, I’m sorry. I should have managed this better.”
Ah. She apologized again.
I really wished things like this wouldn’t keep happening.
I should have taken decisive action sooner…
A whirlwind of thoughts spun in my head, but it was too late for regrets.
Right now… it just hurt.
“You don’t have to be sorry, Dayoung. Hmm… yeah. Pepe isn’t a helpless baby. You’re her colleague and friend, not her babysitter. You’re not responsible for her actions, so don’t apologize. I really am fine.”
“Really? You’re not just saying that, right?”
Of course not.
At the very least, Unni had always been on my side.
She had always been on our warriors’ side.
So I believed her.
But… even if she wasn’t sure she had the right to feel guilty over this, Dayoung knew she couldn’t just stand by any longer.
No matter how much Unni said she was fine, this incident was the final straw.
Dayoung made up her mind—she would settle things with Pepe once and for all.
Just then, she heard her sister’s voice calling her.
“Dayoung.”
“Hm?”
“Let’s go to your place for a bit.”
She didn’t bother asking why.
There was no need for such a foolish question when she already knew exactly what Unni meant.
Yeah. This was actually perfect.
Maybe, with Unni by her side, they could finally put an end to this.
“Okay. Please.”
“Leave it to me.”
“W-Wait, what? What are you two scheming now?”
As Ajin fumbled, unable to keep up with the flow of the conversation, the luxurious Rolls-Royce Sweptail, worth a staggering 16 billion won, picked up speed amidst the rush hour traffic.
It was an absolute menace on the road.
***
“Heh. By now, Bitch Sehee must have gotten STK’s streamer offer.”
Flapping his wings, Pepe twisted his body in excitement, convinced that everything was going according to plan.
From his perspective, the STK gaming team was a prime target.
It had already cemented its status as the most prestigious esports organization, reigning at the top of the industry.
The lineage of legendary players it had produced—StellarCraft, Legend Battle, Soul Warfare—was undeniable.
Even after retirement, many remained as affiliated streamers, making STK a land of milk and honey, a fully cultivated paradise overflowing with riches.
Trying to build Warrior Company from scratch? That was just slamming one’s head against a brick wall.
Sure, he knew Ji sehee was wealthy, but in this world, even massive fortunes could vanish in an instant without proper investment and management.
A safer, proven foundation would be a much better backer for Sehee’s plans.
More than anything, Pepe had high hopes that this move would propel Dayoung to new heights.
Yes, all of this was part of Pepe’s grand scheme for her Dayoung-gay.
He could already picture it—Dayoung soaring to endless success with Friede and STK as her twin wings.
“A comeback story for a washed-up streamer? Hell yeah.”
A sinister glint flickered in his eyes.
Bitch Sehee, Dayoung-gay, Ajin-gay, Yuri-gay… and all the countless warriors still scattered across the world.
She envisioned Warrior Channel, the ultimate space of influence, a showtime arena that would control the entire scene.
A grand stage where she herself would make her dazzling debut.
The rise of Pepe—the internet’s newest megastar, leading an army of devoted fans.
“Of course, my username has to be Pepe-zwa, no doubt about it.”
Once the warriors all reached the top, he would rise along with them, making his comet-like debut as a super streamer with millions of live viewers.
Drunk on this sweet fantasy, Pepe was suddenly pulled back to reality by the sound of a car pulling up outside his house.
‘Huh?’
‘Dayoung-gay didn’t own a car.’
Tilting his head in confusion, he moved toward the window—only to feel a sudden chill race down his spine.
It was such an intense mental shock that his wing muscles spasmed, almost cramping up.
Not wanting to suffer the embarrassment of crashing to the floor, he forced himself to stay airborne, managing a shaky landing before sighing in relief.
“Whew… barely made it.”
For a moment, he had almost become Lucifer falling from the heavens.
Muttering to himself, he grumbled, “Damn it, it’s not like the Demon King just walked in or something…”
The suffocating pressure he had felt when facing a true Demon King before—no, this was even worse.
He wouldn’t have gone into full panic mode just from a hallucination.
It was too overwhelming to dismiss as mere paranoia.
At first, he questioned it, but soon, he decided to erase the thought from his mind.
He’d been drowning in work lately, buried under a packed schedule.
He was just exhausted.
That had to be it.
Shrugging it off, Pepe readied himself to lift off again.
But then—
Beep!
The sound of a door unlocking echoed from the entrance below.
His eyes widened.
‘Wait. Was that… Dayoung-gay?’
He hadn’t received any messages.
Frowning in confusion, he started toward the living room.
But before he could even reach Dayoung’s room—
“Pepe.”
A voice, chillingly cold, rang out.
At the same moment, a golden light flashed before his eyes.
A firm yet inescapable grip seized him, holding him completely still.
And there, standing before him with a frostbitten smile, was Ji sehee.
“Repeat after me: I am dead today.”
“…Huh?”
‘Why was she wearing warrior’s armor?’