Chapter 15
Chapter 15: The Food of Gods
“Today was quite the struggle, Pomming.”
“And you too, Friede.”
As the broadcast wrapped up in the MS Room, I felt my tense body starting to relax.
I wondered if Pomming felt the same way. In our exchanged glances, we seemed to understand each other, and we offered silent encouragement.
Exposing myself during the broadcast had its thrill, but I realized there was a subtle pressure to perform well since it was a broadcast.
Well, I guess that was to be expected.
A broadcast that isn’t good wouldn’t get any attention anyway.
I think our two-day collaboration was quite a success.
To put it simply, both Pomming and I leveled up to Grand Master.
We successfully achieved our goal of taking the King on as well.
With such positive results, including the process, this broadcast surely shines even brighter.
“Really, Friede, you were so greedy! You’ve racked up at least 30 missions so far.”
“Everything can be forgiven if it’s fun.”
“Sure, it might be fun for you, but I felt like I was on a roller coaster. I was lucky to have almost succeeded; I thought I might drop back to that Diamond tier!”
“Failing missions doesn’t mean losing a game. You’re being too absolute, Pomming. That kind of thinking isn’t good.”
Hearing Pomming’s grumbling put a smile on my face.
After all, we earned over 4 million won from our successful missions.
When the results are good, the process is usually wrapped up nicely, right?
“But, Friede.”
“Yes?”
While we were casually chatting, Pomming suddenly opened up tentatively.
“I’m really curious… do you play any other virtual reality games?”
“For virtual reality, I only play Soul Warfare. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that….”
Pomming hesitated for a moment, avoiding my gaze before mumbling out.
“I just found it hard to believe, you know? Someone new to Soul Warfare doing well with such a weak weapon.”
“Hmm….”
“Excuse me for asking, Friede, but sometimes I think… maybe the skill you showed was…?”
“You’re thinking it could’ve been fake help from outside, right? Like….”
As I propped my chin up, I quickly caught on to Pomming’s stammered answer.
“Like hacks?”
“…Yeah. Soul Warfare had a huge hacking scandal at one point.”
Seeing Pomming nod apologetically, I nodded back in understanding.
It’s understandable really.
If I were a third party looking at the gameplay of the user ‘Light Hero Friede,’ wouldn’t I also have suspected hacking?
“I’m sure they did. I would have too.”
However, I thought there was no need to worry about it.
The gameplay I’ve shown was authentic, and I had heard enough about Soul Warfare hacks.
In other words, I was innocent and could walk with my head held high.
Furthermore, I had played dozens of games to level up from Master to Grand Master.
If I had been using hacks, wouldn’t GM have caught on?
Of course, I have no idea how competent the Soul Warfare management team is, but I at least believed they’d catch it during the time I played with Pomming.
So, I had confidently showcased my skills without any reservations.
“Of course not. Pomming, have you ever seen a hack that someone used for this long?”
“…No.”
“As you said, hacks in virtual reality can be tricky. They can seriously affect the brain.
I winked and grinned—though the visor of my helmet wouldn’t show it.
“If there was a problem, I would have already had issues back in Master Rank. What do you think? Do I seem problematic to you, Pomming?”
Pomming, shaking off his concerns, nodded in agreement.
Common sense dictates you can’t use a hacking program for this long anyway.
It seemed Pomming was calming himself down, thinking of this point.
“Ah, um… I’m sorry. You show such an impressive side. I just couldn’t help but think of you as anything less than a top player.”
“It’s alright. I would have thought the same. You said you’re taking a break for three days, right?”
“Yeah, I took a break notice due to personal matters.”
Looks like it was time for a little rest. I pondered over what I might do during this downtime.
“Then we’ll enjoy refreshing ourselves. You’ve got to let me know when you’re back to streaming next time.”
“Of course! Until next time, Friede.”
We logged off from each other.
As I got up from the device and glanced at the clock, it pointed to 3 AM.
I pulled back the curtains and gazed out at the scenery.
“Quiet.”
It felt as if the whole area had fallen into a dream, with no usual car noises or lights piercing the tranquil night.
I realized yet again that no matter the time, the scenery would always be exquisite.
Looking at the silence in a city that didn’t seem to belong to such wide-open landscapes, I reconsidered my streaming activities.
‘If I become a streamer, will I be as busy as during this broadcast?’
From the day I started the collaboration, the last two days had been packed tight with Soul Warfare.
Well, not every broadcast content has crazy mission goals like this one.
But it felt like collaborating might get somewhat tiresome compared to what I had thought.
After all, it’s mixed in with the interests of others, and I couldn’t shake off this slight discomfort in my heart.
So, when I played rank games with Pomming, I probably accepted any mission that seemed brainless, like a quest.
If I thought of it as work, I felt like I might choke, so I approached it with a mindset of enjoying it my way.
And, of course, it ended up being successful, and I felt good seeing the list of cleared missions.
But suddenly, a thought struck me.
Is this work, or is it a hobby?
The motivation comes from wanting the attention of others and that too with positive feelings.
I thought it would be easy to get noticed, leading me to pursue the path of a streamer.
Since it was a personal broadcast, there wouldn’t be a need to be cautious, and I only needed to focus on the flow between me and my viewers.
I thought it’d be light since everything could be decided at my discretion, but when it involved others, something unknown surfaced—a sense of obligation.
“I shouldn’t do collaborations with anyone else after finishing with Pomming.”
Because it wouldn’t be good if my hobby became burdensome or tiring.
As I organized my thoughts, I accessed the Soul Warfare community on my smartphone.
I had realized it before, but my collaboration with Pomming had potential, irrespective of my emotions.
I became curious about what topics might be heating up there now.
What would they be saying about us?
Ego searching can truly be both grimy and thrilling at the same time.
Perhaps because I was up high, there was a slight buffering during the connection.
As I looked down at the empty streets below, a breeze brushed past, teasing my ears.
The wind blowing from such heights felt like the only noise beneath a sky filled with nebulae.
And like that… I enjoyed my moment of solitude for a while.
* * *
The next three days of my break were crucial for Dayoung.
Even if she’s a low-ranked streamer, there’s a reason to hold onto the hope of rising again like before, and she had to keep pushing through.
Under normal circumstances, after the collaboration, she would have been too engrossed in editing to even sleep until morning.
But this time, it was an exception. She couldn’t show any signs of struggle.
She decided to postpone uploading her edited version to YouTube for later, and after a good night’s sleep, Dayoung woke up late in the morning to prepare to go out.
With her lonesome pet Bbae Bbae left at home, she arrived at a place that was rare to see—a large building complex.
XX University Hospital.
Currently, the largest hospital in South Korea.
This place is known for handling all types of ailments, particularly renowned for cancer treatment.
Dayoung headed upstairs to find room 402, where she gently knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
From inside, she heard a familiar and precious voice.
When she opened the door, she saw her mother resting on the bed.
“Is that you, Dayoung?”
“Yes, Mom. How are you feeling?”
“I feel the same as always. Why did you have to come?”
“I don’t come every day. I should at least come on a day like this. You must be bored, too.”
Dayoung pouted at her mother’s words, which weren’t genuinely heartfelt.
Despite stating otherwise, she must have been longing for her daughter’s presence more than anyone.
Understanding that it was her mother’s consideration to avoid being a burden made Dayoung’s heart ache more.
“Are you eating well? You’ve lost a lot of weight.”
“I’m just managing it these days. If I eat too much, I’ll gain weight and look bad.”
“Do we have enough side dishes at home? You’re not feeling ill anywhere, right?”
Same old questions in the same old repertoire. But Dayoung didn’t mind the concern at all and shook her head.
“I’m doing well, so please take care of yourself, Mom. What did the doctor say?”
Her mother smiled and replied, “The doctor said I’m okay. Thankfully.”
“That’s good….”
I sighed in relief inwardly, glad that her illness wasn’t deeply rooted.
“How’s the broadcast going?”
“There’s not much to say. But lately, it’s been on the rise, so it’s alright. Just wait a bit longer, and I’ll make sure to cover your hospital bills and get you out healthy. Just wait a little longer.”
“What’s there for me to wait for? What’s most important is that you do well.”
“…….”
There it was again.
The sentiment that the entire family needed to thrive. What good would it do if only she succeeded?
Maybe it was due to her busy streaming schedule that she hadn’t visited her mother often enough; her words felt like thorns in her heart.
There was plenty of time left until tomorrow, so she decided to spend it with her mother.
If they stayed together longer… surely her mother’s mood would improve.
For the sake of her mother, who had struggled waiting for her daughter, the Hero summoned and vanished, this would be nothing.
—Bzz!
Though her smartphone vibrated, Dayoung turned it off instead.
There wouldn’t be anyone contacting her; it was probably just spam anyway.
* * *
After caring for her mother overnight, Dayoung returned home.
She renewed her determination to make a comeback as a successful streamer to contribute to her mother’s hospital bills.
Thanks to her collaboration with Friede, she felt exhilarated; maybe she could aim for Challenger this time.
The combination of a female streamer and Challenger should definitely produce some good synergy.
It would also be nice to film a scene where Friede teaches her how to prepare for streaming.
Thinking over various ideas as she arrived home, Dayoung opened the front door and dully said,
“Bbae Bbae, I’m home.”
“…….”
“What’s up? Why are you so quiet….”
Tilting her head in confusion, Dayoung immediately went into her room.
“Hey, Bbae Bbae. Why aren’t you answering?”
As she opened the door, Dayoung fell silent at the sight that met her.
In front of her was a frog trembling while staring at the computer screen.
“Bbae Bbae?”
At the call of her name, Bbae Bbae turned around.
To Dayoung’s shock, that crafty gaze was filled with tears.
“Oh no….”
“…?”
Bbae Bbae’s usual expression had morphed into an alarming one that seemed to question, ‘Why did you take so long to come back, Dayoung?’
Something desperate and urgent surfaced in their eyes, making Dayoung feel flustered.
“W-what’s wrong?”
With tears welling up, Bbae Bbae managed to sputter out just a few words.
“Dayoung… you’re screwed.”
On the computer screen Bbae Bbae was showing, there was a post from the Soul Warfare community….
“Recently hot Soul Warfare user, Friede’s hack controversy – subtitle: Not a Light Hero, but rather a Hacker Hero?”
“Soul Warfare in crisis! Is there a hack that even the GM can’t detect?”
“The newly revealed truth about hacking programs in virtual reality?”
“Did Pomming really have no idea that Friede was a hacker? What’s the responsibility here?”
“…Huh!”
No wonder my luck had been inexplicably good until now….
I instinctively felt that I was in trouble.
