[Even though I don’t know who the opponent is, I’d totally blast them with a shotgun, kekekeke]
[Snipe reaction is ridiculous]
[You’re good with the bow]
[Great aim, sis]
[Show us other weapons too]
[Are you… the Joo-mong of Sowar?]
[What can we do when we can’t avoid a long-range sniper shot?]
[Just pop some popcorn]
[Better hide behind the shield… does popcorn look like J to you?]
The screen was filled with majestic flames, celebrating our team’s victory.
The chat window was buzzing with excitement, celebrating the win.
The decision to use the longbow instead of the broken greatsword wasn’t random.
It was the result of the teasing during the stream about trying out other weapons.
Using the long-range, one-shot weapon to break through a battlefield where sniping was difficult, we managed to take control of the game.
It was a tightrope walk where one slip could cost you your head.
For the viewers, there’s nothing more thrilling than a show like this.
‘But we won, so…’
With the victory, the atmosphere kept rising, and it was good to see.
Admiring the numbers on the results screen, I left the game lobby.
[ThatDamage just donated 5,000 KRW!]
[Sis, have you thought about going pro?]
“Thanks for the donation, ThatDamage. Going pro… do I really need to?”
[With your skills, you’d pass STK with ease, anyway.]
[First, let’s aim for Challenger, sis.]
[If you go pro, you’ll be a streamer, though.]
[That’s the whole point, right?]
“Pro players are better than me. Plus, if I think about the living conditions and constant practice, I’d rather not. Doesn’t seem worth it.”
[Most pros would be intimidated to even show their business cards in front of you.]
[Where can you find a pro who dodges longbow shots and lands a headshot in return?]
[If you gave them a mission, most Challengers wouldn’t even try.]
[What?]
Looking at the chat now, it’s clear that not everyone shares my opinion.
Physical skill is important, but the pros are those who have honed every aspect, like mental fortitude and decision-making.
They wouldn’t play like me, just relying on physical strength and playing for fun.
For example, charging into the enemy’s base with a longbow, or fighting with a broken greatsword like I did earlier.
In solo rank, I can either win with my physical skills and get praised, or mess up and get treated like a troll.
But being a pro means it’s not just about me—it involves my team too.
You can’t just act on impulse.
The fans of the game, and even fans within the same team, argue and bicker on the internet, creating a silent chaos.
No matter how great your physical skills are, the gap between a ranked player and a pro is vast.
“You have to take responsibility when you’re earning someone else’s money. That’s why I can’t go pro.”
[What does being a pro have to do with that?]
[Once you go into the real world and work, you’ll still be stuck with frustrating jobs, so what’s the difference?]
[Ah! If our sis says so, then it’s true.]
[You’re not just hiding out like some otaku, right?]
[Sis, you’re still a baby… gotta protect you.]
[The outside world is dangerous.]
“Anyway, I’m not planning on going pro in the future.”
I also had something else I wanted to talk about.
With all the questions flooding in, it was hard to focus on any one thing.
This was exactly why I felt lost—how do I even begin answering these questions?
[It doesn’t matter in VR, hands-on cams are useless… just do the face reveal already.]
[Maybe setting up the hair and makeup reveal would be easier… the helmet is so suffocating.]
[Who even shows their real face in VR these days?]
Especially questions about my personal details kept coming up nonstop.
Face reveal is a given, what’s my name, where do I live, what’s my body size, and so on.
At first, I thought about ignoring it, but then I realized it wasn’t a good idea to let the chat go off-topic, so I decided to address it directly.
Once the conversation shifted from the game to face reveals, the speed of the chat picked up even faster.
Even with slow mode enabled, it was still overwhelming.
“Why would I show my face? You all know the reason why I’m wearing a helmet. You all said you like my voice, so enjoy imagining my face with that voice.”
[The reason for not showing your face = because you’re a clumsy, awkward girl.]
[Don’t you see the jawline under the helmet? A pig can’t have that kind of line.]
[She’s probably keeping her face private because she’s really pretty. Of course, I’ll keep asking for the reveal anyway.]
[Lolololol]
The chat was in an uproar again.
Throwing out these little crumbs, I felt a subtle sense of control over their emotions.
But as Da-young said, if I slip up even a little, things could go south quickly.
“Alright, that’s enough with the pointless talk. Hm? You can’t really expect me to keep chatting forever. It’s not like you guys are gonna break into my MS Room and take off my helmet. Oh, the Sowar weapon? I’ll keep using the broken greatsword, but I’ll occasionally try out other weapons. Using the longbow this time was refreshing.”
I quickly glanced at the time.
‘Already 3 hours…’
It was still daylight when I started the broadcast, but time had passed so quickly.
I must have been pretty immersed.
The Q&A didn’t take long and didn’t have any particular theme.
After all, it was my first broadcast, and aside from Soul Warfare, there weren’t any other content pieces to focus on.
Most of the questions coming up were related to the game I just played and the issue of face reveals.
Well, that’s about it.
“Alright, then, I’ll wrap up today’s broadcast here.”
[Wait, I just got back from work, and it’s already over?]
[No way…]
[Can’t you see the 6,000 people yelling right now?]
[We’re seeing a collective demise here… There’s no devil like you, Sensei.]
Someone must have set the chat on fire, as the comments were ablaze.
As a streamer, I had to put out this fire in the chat.
“I’ve been broadcasting for over three hours now, so I’m tired. Hmm, I’ll adjust the broadcast times going forward. I’ll create a channel and post an official notice.”
[That’s expected. But come on, let’s go for a run today, Sis.]
[I’ve only watched for 5 minutes.]
“Well, have a good night, everyone. Adieu~”
Broadcast OFF.
***
The MS room became eerily silent, almost like the screen of a movie where a horde of zombies had just been cut off.
‘Is this what they mean?’
“Did we clear it?”
I muttered to myself, but it felt like a decent joke, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Stepping into the unknown world of broadcasting and then surfacing again left me with a special feeling.
Oh, I was just broadcasting until now.
Just a few minutes ago, I was talking with people.
People were watching my broadcast through other devices.
“Ha-!”
I exhaled in relief, feeling a refreshing sense of liberation.
‘Was there a breeze in this virtual world, where you can’t find traces of nature?’
As I took off my helmet, an inexplicable sense of freshness seemed to pass over my face.
“Ahh!”
After finishing my first broadcast, the tension in my body relaxed, and I stretched.
‘What should I do now?’
Oh, I need to create a YouTube channel too.
‘How should I handle the editing? Should I just cut it up and upload it?’
‘I’ll have to ask Dayoung.’
At this point, I realized just how much I was relying on Dayoung when it came to broadcasting.
She helped me with everything from the setup to the precautions, and she was incredibly reliable.
Since we opened up to each other back when we were both warriors, we had a strong bond that others couldn’t understand.
The more we became friends, the more she seemed to go out of her way to help me.
I thought I couldn’t lose to that.
On a whim, I decided to send a message to celebrate the end of the broadcast.
[Friede, the broadcast is over.]
[Forming: Message typing…]
I thought it was about time for a reply, but all I saw was the “typing…” notification.
‘Did something go wrong with my broadcast?’
‘Did she watch it all the way through?’
As my thoughts tangled, I found myself staring at the message box aimlessly.
I had watched the broadcast until the very end.
From a veteran streamer’s perspective, Sehee’s first broadcast could be considered a great success.
In her first broadcast, she hit 6,000 viewers in less than three hours.
The peak time, where most viewers are concentrated, was only briefly reached, and most people watched in the late afternoon, so there was a debuff in effect.
If she had started the broadcast around 8 p.m. during prime time, hitting 10,000 viewers wouldn’t have been a dream.
This thought made me smile contentedly, but then the memory of my own shortcomings and Pepe’s trolling almost ruining the broadcast made me feel down.
‘It’s bittersweet—does this mean I’m showing signs of early-stage depression?’
[Friede: The broadcast is over.]
[Forming: Message typing…]
“Ha, what should I say…?”
At first, I thought I should apologize, but…
Now, I found myself hesitating, as though my fingers had gone numb.
It wasn’t a shallow calculation to hide my mistakes, but a sense of guilt for causing trouble for someone I care about.
“If I admit my fault, I could just go and bow, right? Dayoung.”
“You’re just going to go and apologize like that? Do you even have the intention to apologize properly?”
“Well, most of the time, if you bow your head, people forgive you.”
‘Should I smack her on the head?’
I felt an urge to slap Dayoung’s head into a V-shape, but I tried to calm myself down.
“Right, even though it’s frustrating to say it…”
Pepe’s words were right.
‘What good would it do to dwell on it?’
No matter what, I had to face things head-on.
Only then would the path open up.
“Pepe!”
“What?”
“Do you think I should bow, or should I give her the deep bow? What do you think?”
“Obviously, the deep bow. Don’t you know the rules of Kkumkumta?”
“Alright, then, I’ll do the deep bow, and you do the regular one.”
I ignored Pepe’s pathetic glare and turned toward the monitor.
Taking a deep breath, Dayoung focused, her slender fingers tapping quickly on the keyboard.
It was like she was in a hurry to finish before her determination ran away.
[Forming: Sis, if you’re free today, can we meet? I have something I need to say…]
[Friede: Message being written…]
There was a slight delay before the reply came.
She must have been thinking about the sudden request.
‘What could it be? What’s going on?’
‘Would she think it’s weird? Would she gossip about me behind my back?’
Ah, I hate this.
I’m not a teenager anymore, trembling over the emotions of one friend.
What a mess.
As Dayoung anxiously stared at the screen, Sehee’s response came through.
[Friede: Oh, alright. I’ll send you the address. Come over. Let’s have dinner.]
[Forming: Thanks.]
Fortunately, I received the OK sign.
“Hey, are you ready?”
“What’s there to prepare? Let’s go already.”
I looked in the mirror.
My forehead was all shiny.
There wouldn’t be any problem with the bowing.
Now, it’s time to go with that wicked frog and do the deep and regular bows in front of her.