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The public opinion was at its worst.

In all my time as a streamer, have I ever faced such concentrated fire?

“Dah-young… are you okay?”

“……”

Ppaeppaeng’s usual comforting tone flew right past me as I faced an unexpected crisis—my brain couldn’t filter any information.

When something big hits, it’s as if reality feels distant, and right now, I couldn’t muster any feelings beyond sheer bewilderment.

Long gone was any casual thought about what content to present in my next broadcast.

Rather than expending emotional energy on this situation, a more pressing thought hit me.

What should I do first?

Lifting my eyes, I noticed a post among the numerous threads displayed on my monitor that caught my attention.

[General] I knew Forming was using hacks too.

“…Friede?”

Suddenly, my eyes widened.

Ah, right. What about Friede?

This issue isn’t just my story; it’s not just about me.

Is Friede okay? We need to team up and figure out a plan…

“Ah….”

I hastily sent a message, but her normally quick response was eerily silent today.

After ten minutes without an answer, everything before me darkened, and I almost wished to just shut my eyes and drift away.

“Sorry, Ppaeppaeng. I’m going to sleep for a bit; let’s talk later.”

‘When I wake up, everything will be alright.’

I rationalized to myself that anyone troubled would think like that.

In the end, I fell asleep from exhaustion, unable to wait any longer, and it hadn’t been an hour since I dozed off.

I woke up at 7 PM.

I must’ve passed out for nine hours.

As a streamer, I should be busy broadcasting right about now.

I sat up, staring blankly at the computer screen, but the situation hadn’t changed.

The dream-like thought that everything would return to normal as soon as I opened my eyes didn’t happen.

It was perhaps selfish to wish that the firewood I had burned away would disappear quickly.

On the bright side, unlike the rapidly escalating situation, I had managed to calm down somewhat.

I was not the same as before when I had collapsed on my bed in shock.

Sleep might not solve everything, but at least…

‘My heart is still holding on.’

I looked at my smartphone history first.

It had been ages since I texted the MS Room, yet there was still no response from Friede.

Not even a sign that she had read it; she had completely vanished.

How should I interpret Friede’s lack of contact?

‘No, I shouldn’t be thinking about that right now…’

If I couldn’t get in touch with Friede, there was no point in worrying about anything, so I pushed those thoughts aside for the moment.

With trembling hands, I forced myself to search for news and read through the links regarding the incident.

I mindlessly moved the mouse cursor and clicked on a post I had no reason to check.

I knew the content would be redundant, so why was I doing this to myself?

[General] Forming is disappointing.

I’d watched Forming since the good old days before the fallout…

Guess they were just this kind of person all along.

Even if they’ve fallen off, they weren’t the type to stream without judgment.

Looks like I might have to switch channels.

ㄴLOL still hasn’t cut ties, huh?

ㄴDamn, that hopeless buffalos’ broth is probably super thick LOL.

ㄴWhy bother tuning in? It’s just a trashy stream anyway.

ㄴNo, for real; it was fun back then… Even as a trash streamer, I still watched.

ㄴBut this is beyond the pale.

[General] Just look at Forming’s face; they stream with that kind of look? LOL.

Slathered in makeup and just because they’re lit well, they think anyone can stream.

When the makeup comes off, rub it off with my spit, LOL.

Ugh, gross.

ㄴDamn, there are so many losers hanging out at the police station today.

ㄴThey’ve archived it, LOL.

ㄴWelcome to the age of lawsuits.

“…Ugh.”

Each post I scrolled through tore another piece of my heart away, and my muffled groans escaped before I could stop them.

I wasn’t even hit, but it hurt so much in my chest.

“Dah-young, are you hungry? Just eat this for now.”

The bowl she fussed over carried various bags of snacks.

Oh right, I hadn’t eaten anything at all.

I think someone mentioned you lose your appetite in a crisis…

Though I hadn’t eaten in ages, even seeing the snacks Ppaeppaeng brought didn’t make me hungry.

“Thanks.”

At least out of concern for my partner, I popped a chocolate cookie into my mouth.

Its sweetness softened my dry mouth.

Ah, that girl reminded me of this chocolatey feeling.

The last time I saw Friede, she had told me she wasn’t hacking, and I decided to believe her.

Though she had a bit of a need for attention, I figured that at least the Friede I’d watched wouldn’t stoop so low.

But… does eating sweets help shift your mindset?

Suddenly, I realized I held no resentment toward Friede for not reaching out, and found it oddly amusing that I was trying to understand her now.

‘She’s probably unable to contact me for some reason.’

She must reach out eventually.

Right, I have to do what I can do right now.

It’s crucial to figure out where this issue came from; identifying the cause is the top priority.

There must have been a trigger for this uproar.

“Ah, this is it.”

New YouTuber SUHO; I know him.

A main force among streamers, popular for Soul Warfare and sitting at Grand Master tier.

This raised some questions.

What would cause a streamer with an average viewership of 10,000 to do something like this?

‘We didn’t have much of a connection…’

I couldn’t understand why he targeted Friede.

Like it or not, let’s watch the video first; maybe I’ll find out what’s going on.

“Not a Light Hero, but is a hack hero, huh?”

What a provocative title.

The fame of being a popular streamer reaching Challenger tier adds credibility even to this kind of targeting video.

Given how popular the game is, the focus must be off the charts.

With views exceeding 500,000 already, it reflected the public interest in this incident.

And… I could see why it was getting so much attention and why SUHO would use Friede as a target to shift the heat toward himself.

A showdown of two duos caught in a corner.

One user outfitted with ‘Friede’s Great Scythe’ was clearly seen getting two consecutive falls to death due to a windmill while playing with Friede and me.

‘Oh, that user…’

If it’s two consecutive deaths to windmill, there’s really only one person it could be, and I could instantly guess who it was. Did he not recognize me since I was running a ranked game on my secondary account?

—Is this really the ranked gameplay of Soul Warfare, where a duo toys with others using hacks?

The setup is provocative from the start.

I don’t know who edited the video, but there’s a clear effort visible.

—Now, look at this section. The opponent’s reaction and response speed to my attack is between 0.1 and 0.2 seconds.

The reaction speed shown here makes no sense.

Of course, you could argue that if you’re a mad movie-level player, or if you’re at the level of the STK Warden, then sure.

That’s correct. From just this scene, it’s entirely plausible to say that. Just going by this round alone, it’s easy to agree.

But!

After building up the tension, SUHO transitioned the scene. It was the record of Light Hero Friede.

As recent highlights showed a flawless record of 20 wins in 20 games, he became increasingly animated.

—Look at Friede’s track record. I didn’t see all of it, but I went through the replay of her last 20 games.

Every single response time is the same. Like a program only showing a predetermined answer.

If you show such physical prowess in multiple games unwaveringly, wouldn’t the narrative change?

“……”

As expected… I thought so.

I had suspected that whether she was hacking or simply skilled, there would be some controversy, but I never expected it to erupt like this. New YouTuber SUHO’s public shaming was successful.

Even if some GMs questioned whether the game developers were unaware of the hacking program, it was powerless against the fierce storm.

So… what can I do here?

Even with the fire roaring, I felt powerless to take any action.

It wasn’t just that I was startled by hitting a reef on a calm voyage.

More so, I knew that a single misstep could drag everything deeper into the abyss.

“Phew…”

Despite having slept well, fatigue throbbed painfully in my head as I sank deeper into my chair.

Ppaeppaeng sat nervously at the desk, flapping around like a lost bird.

It was amusing to see this green frog guy, who always stood proud even before the Demon King, unable to handle the internet’s vitriol.

“Why, scared?”

“Dah-young, I’m worried about you, that’s why I’m saying this.”

Seeing Ppaeppaeng’s fidgety demeanor, I smiled weakly.

“Right now, it doesn’t matter what I do, Frog Guy. Jumping in would only throw gasoline on the fire. Patience is the answer for now.”

“Still….”

“Once time passes, I can get in touch with Friede. Once time passes, people’s enthusiasm will cool down, and I can explain suitably.”

“What if the Light Hero goes dark?”

“Even if I can’t meet Friede like this, in due time, we can figure things out eventually.”

Seeing Ppaeppaeng’s anxious expression, I couldn’t help but smile.

‘Unless Friede truly used hacks…’

There’s no way I’d kneel to public pressure and apologize.

No matter how sensational it may be, it’s ultimately just a video from some random New YouTuber.

If I apologize, I’d tie myself into a corner with no escape.

Will people forgive me just for admitting my fault? Absolutely not…

‘They’ll probably tear me apart even more.’

So even if they call me shameless or ugly, I won’t become a sinner.

Moreover… there’s one more reason I cannot yield.

‘I am a Hero.’

As a hero, I swear that I carry no sins worthy of condemnation from many people.

Including everyone’s time spent alongside Friede…

Let’s keep our hearts steady.

Just as Dah-young was fortifying her resolve, a notification suddenly chimed on her silent smartphone.

When she saw who had messaged her, her voice lit up with joy.

“YES! I’ve been waiting for this!”

 

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