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“Look, Dayoung, the main character is here!”

Ppaeppaen shouted excitedly while munching on snacks as he looked at Friede on the monitor.

Dayoung sighed inwardly at Ppaeppaen’s exaggerated reaction next to her. Why does he have to talk like that?

It was disheartening to see Ppaeppaen, who had comforted and encouraged her through her struggles, revert to his usual self. She had thought he had turned over a new leaf, but perhaps it was just a fleeting change.

“Ugh! This is so reassuring.”

“What the… keep it down. We’re just getting started, and your chatter is making it hard to concentrate.”

“Aren’t you going to turn on the broadcast? Isn’t this the perfect chance to take out the trolls?”

Dayoung shook her head at Ppaeppaen’s question.

Well, it would depend on whether Friede wins. There was no intention of butting in right now.

It was merely a precaution, a sign of her overly considerate nature, worried that any unnecessary aggro might cause Friede to struggle.

By the way, the cutscene character model… they must have spent a ridiculous amount of cash on it.

She knew he enjoyed the antics, but she never expected it would attract this much attention.

“This is just the beginning.”

Two players faced each other in the center of the arena.

GM Law King, seated on his throne, was explaining the agreed-upon rules.

It was a one-on-one match, best of five, with weapon selection different from ranked games—it was free choice.

However, only melee weapons were allowed; ranged weapons were prohibited. Consumable items were also off-limits.

Each game had a time limit of 10 minutes, and if all remained standing, the user with the highest remaining health gauge would be declared the winner.

If health was completely depleted or if you fell off the cliff outside the arena, you’d lose.

This was the standard rule for one-on-one matches in Soul Warfare.

Should I go fetch some clean water and pray or something? No, it’s not that serious…

Dayoung quickly shook her head in denial. She believed in Friede; there was no need for prayers.

Friede’s skills were definitely not made from hacks.

It would be safe to say there’s hardly anyone who could beat Friede in a one-on-one. If you had to name someone in the country, maybe STK’s Warden could give it a shot.

Because of that, Dayoung had no doubt that the one who would emerge victorious from this battle would indeed be Friede.

* * *

Whew~.

Friede’s spectacular entrance was so impressive that even Suho, who was targeting her, couldn’t help but admire. The whistle that slipped from his lips was evidence of that.

“Did you see that, viewers? Whether it’s hacks or character models, we’ve got Friede here, and at this point, she might as well be the ‘Hero of Money,’ right?”

[Wow, the skin and cutscene are just all piled on… is there really no other option here?]

[Dude, that last duel applied for an MS Room, and it was all glitzy too.]

[Friede hacking scandal and rich kid controversy? This is quite something.]

[Suho-sensei, you must win to expose hackrene’s helmet, please!]

[For real, I’m super curious about her face, but lol, if she’s drop-dead gorgeous, can’t I use that as inspo? Yum!]

[You better watch out, or the cops are coming for you.]

[There are tons of cases where guys got sued for carelessly grabbing sources in virtual reality, so be quiet if you’re not profiting those hackers, homies.]

The heated responses were overwhelming compared to the usual reactions, filling the atmosphere with excitement.

With GM explaining the rules, now all that was left was to win.

“Friede? Honestly, aren’t you scared? You know your skills don’t have a chance without hacks.”

“……”

“Then, why did you apply for the duel? If you just went offline, people would forget it eventually. But thanks to you, I’m getting a sudden boost in attention.”

【Please take your positions.】

What’s this? No reaction at all.

Tilting his head at GM’s announcement, Suho grumbled as he waited at the starting position.

Worried that the chat’s hype would disrupt the duel, Suho even disabled the chat window.

And he didn’t forget to add a taunt to his opponent as well.

If he scrapes at her psyche, it’s bound to affect her gameplay.

“If you admit now that you’ve made a mistake, I’ll let you off easy and won’t expose your helmet. I’m a good guy like that.”

“I have no recollection of doing anything wrong. I’ve never used hacks.”

Still spouting nonsense…

Seeing Friede respond so calmly made Suho burst into laughter.

“Are you ready?”

GM Law King’s question had both sides nodding.

Suho’s chosen weapon was the Greatsword of Treason.

It was a tier-one weapon from the Soul Warfare arsenal, his signature pick.

Since it was a multi-match, starting with the best pick seemed like the best move.

On the contrary, Friede had her usual Broken Greatsword.

He didn’t like that the hacker was trying to play it cool, but picturing the regret of the one to suffer later made him smirk a little.

Her only trump card was parrying, and the weapon itself had pretty much zero advantages.

If she played a psychological game with a tricky and nimble tempo, she was bound to crumble.

“We’re starting the game now.”

Suho launched a ferocious assault right from the beginning.

With a rank up to Grand Master tier, it wasn’t his first one-on-one duel.

Whenever he crossed paths with troublesome players, he’d usually settle it with a 1v1 match in the arena.

In his mind, the experience dictated that a bold attack strategy was the key point in these duels.

Clang—!

‘Oh?’

Thinking she’d hesitate without hacks, it seemed like she had decent reaction times.

‘So she’s at a certain level?’

The clash of blades echoed the scream of steel as their weapons met.

Perhaps overwhelmed by Suho’s ferocity taking the lead, Friede pulled her sword inward and took a step back.

It was an assertive display, having judged she could no longer be his opponent.

Her reach and power eclipsed the Broken Greatsword.

The Greatsword of Treason, known for its relentless assault, was the perfect weapon to seize control of the situation.

Her aggressive actions while reducing variables were annoying as heck.

[No hacks, but bad moves lmao]

“Wow, GM shows up, and suddenly, she’s rolling over like a puppy.”

“Just give up.”

“WTF, the legs of a loser? Is Friede really going down? She only climbed up the ranks using hacks, isn’t she talkin’ a high game? lmao”

“Hey, Friede, better leave the room.”

“Don’t pull a sudden change of tactics in the next set, losers.”

[Isn’t this false hope torture, tasty?]

While the majority of the audience booed as they saw her on the defensive, Suho twisted his wrist to redirect his strike.

Reacting late, Friede tried to push back, but…

The elegant curves of her sword created an optical illusion.

[Wow, seriously, like in rank games, could you move a bit quicker?]

“Is this really hacks? Her moves are off.”

“At this point, being sick is the scientific truth of not being able to fight.”

[Please, let me hit my points!!!]

“You might melt, but the points and responsibility remain entirely on you.”

[Let’s head to Han River.]

“Do you think female gamers are that common? Did you know that besides female professional gamers, top-tier users have vanished?”

Amidst it all, there was a person watching with a puzzled expression.

“What’s going on?”

GM Law King’s head tilted, confused.

It was a stark contrast from when he’d watched her previous matches, something seemed off.

“I thought you’d finish her in a second.”

Friede’s helmet concealed most of her face behind the golden visor.

And below, her red lips barely visible.

Those cherry-like, vibrant lips were pressed tightly.

Well, it wasn’t entirely surprising. She was being pushed back, unable to utter a word.

Especially in front of this many viewers.

“…Huh?”

A flustered exclamation slipped from Law King’s lips as he witnessed something strange unfold.

What met his eyes was the joy reflected in her smile.

As if she were mocking her opponent, the audience packed in the arena, all the viewers watching this incident…

Now that he thought about it…

‘Has some time passed?’

And still, her health was at 100%?

By this point, even if neither fell, significant health loss should have occurred.

But…

“Not falling?”

Realizing this made a chill run down his spine.

Even in virtual reality, the realistic sensations were sending shivers down his spine.

When he took a closer look, he found that Friede had not allowed a single hit to connect.

[Huh? Wait, she still has 100% health?]

[What? Didn’t she take some effective hits?]

[Nope, it’s clear now that she was fending them off like a pro.]

[Oh… That explains why the match is dragging on.]

[Man, no way, it really was?]

[So every time I tried to touch her, she nimbly deflected it?]

[Has she been at a 100% defense for five minutes straight now?]

[Is it that Suho’s attacks are just weak, or is it that Friede’s defense is perfect?]

[Both.]

[For real, lmao.]

As the audience began to engage, it was evident; they weren’t fools. If time kept passing without either side falling, they’d notice.

Even those who scoffed at her previously were now captivated by her impeccable defense revealed in slow motion.

In a game where quick reflexes are essential, successfully blocking hits before they even connect is no small feat.

Moreover, maintaining a perfect defensive posture for over five minutes, it was no wonder the audience’s feelings had shifted.

“Damn it! Just do a backflip already, you hacker!!”

With the pent-up anger from his assaults not landing, Suho’s frustration exploded into a yell.

Thinking she wouldn’t be able to defend against what he thought to be a decisive blow, he swung down the mighty Greatsword head-on.

Ah, this attack should be tricky to defend against; surely the effective hit is about to land.

Everyone focused on the duel, intent on catching every move.

No one was worried for Friede.

Only curiosity filled their minds: How would she block, dodge, or would she finally take a hit this time?

“Please!”

Except for Dayoung, who was passionately screaming for Friede from the monitor.

—Clang!

As the lightning strike clashed with the glare…

Boom!

Before the thundering effect of the parry even hit the ground…

Everyone thought the same thing.

“……?”

All of a sudden, silence fell.

The viewers felt an illusion of time standing still.

The only permitted action in this space was…

—Puhak!

The swipe of the Broken Greatsword plunging into Suho’s chest, rendered groggy from the parry.

The fierce demeanor he had a moment ago faded like a mirage as Suho’s body crumpled to the floor.

—Thud!

“Not hacks.”

With the Hero’s declaration of innocence once more, the chat erupted in unison, almost like it was in a sacred procession of Protoss.

[Shiiiiit!!!!!!!]

“You did it!!! Friede!!!!”

The first set ended with a perfect victory for Friede, who sustained no health loss and finished with a single, devastating parry.