Chapter 37: Third Broadcast

And then, my finger, poised to end the unintentional broadcast, froze. The viewers, who had been frantically typing, erupted in confusion.

-??
-Holy sh*t, that was close lol
-Noona… I’m scared…
-Unnie, please move your finger away, quickly
-Yes, damn it! She finally realized she can coast through life with streaming, she’s not human if she quits now lol

Instead of ending the stream, Yu-jin watched the chat messages scroll by, recalling her conversation with the Association that morning.

‘Could you please continue streaming if possible?’

It had been a plea from the staff member assigned to her case.

‘Why?’

‘According to the guidelines regarding you and Sephie-nim, designated personnel need to monitor your activities. If you stream your gameplay, we can monitor remotely, avoiding the inconvenience of visiting you in person!’

His almost desperate tone had left a strong impression.

Yu-jin considered her options.
Ending the stream wouldn’t affect her in any way. She wasn’t streaming for money, and she hadn’t even intended to start in the first place.

She had more than enough wealth to last a lifetime. And seeing her actions mocked on the forum, as she had, made her want to quit even more.

However…

‘If they know I’m playing a game, the Association will be less worried.’

Yu-jin was well aware of Sephie’s animosity towards the Association. They might try to contact her again, and

While Sephie would obey her orders, Yu-jin preferred to maintain amicable relationships. Her experiences in the other world had taught her that.

‘It might also reduce their interference, so… there’s no reason to end the stream, but.’

The forum posts made her cringe and seethe with anger.

As she wrestled with the decision,

-Ashilis-nim! Is calling yourself a Hero really a concept? Aren’t you embarrassed?

That single chat message caught her eye, adding to her confusion. Yu-jin frowned and retorted,

“How do you know my name… No, calling the Hero a concept? What does that even mean?”

Perhaps because she finally acknowledged the chat, amidst the chaotic messages, her response elicited an explosion of reactions.

The chat was flooded with questions about her behavior in the game.

Yu-jin’s head spun from the constant prodding.

The accusations of her concept being over-the-top, the questions about her motives, the comments about her being shameless – they made her clench her fists.

Some idiot even asked if Mobidik was her real-life friend. Yu-jin was speechless. Unable to express her anger, she closed her eyes, pressed her thumb against her temple, and endured the oncoming headache.

‘End it, or continue… A difficult choice.’

After a moment of contemplation, Yu-jin scoffed and opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the scrolling chat messages.

The viewers, startled by her sharp glare, momentarily stopped typing. Yu-jin moved her finger.

-Uh oh?
-Hey, you b*tch!!
-Unnie, do you want to see me go crazy?!
-Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop
-Ah, you bastards, stop with the witch hunt, damn it, you’re causing trouble

A moment of despair descended upon the viewers.

The faster Yu-jin’s finger moved towards the [End Stream] button, the faster the viewers typed, desperately trying to deny the impending reality.

But stopping her was impossible. Yu-jin, who had endured countless trials and tribulations, whose will had been forged in the fires of adversity, wouldn’t be swayed by mere mockery.

And so—,

-??
-What?
-I almost had a heart attack
-Am I still alive? The stream didn’t end, did it?

“That’s better.”

Yu-jin simply closed the chat window. Why should she care about what others thought?

‘It doesn’t matter what they say.’

A Hero persevered, regardless of the opinions of others. She reminded herself of her convictions.

‘I’ll just… be more careful.’

But she couldn’t completely ignore the insults. Since confronting them directly would be difficult, she decided to exercise restraint.

-Hey!!!
-Turn the chat back on!!!
-This push and pull is insane lol
-She’s a streaming genius; Giving us just enough?
-Learned how to condition viewers in three streams
-ㄷㄷㄷ

Of course, it was the viewers who suffered. But nothing changed. They were simply relieved that the stream hadn’t ended.

And some viewers were puzzled. Or rather, surprised.

-But it’s not as exciting as I expected
-Seriously lol She’s not even embarrassed;
-This proves it’s not a concept, but genuine madness lol

They didn’t know
How mortified Yu-jin actually was, how she was suppressing her embarrassment with sheer willpower.

The viewers who had been expecting a more dramatic reaction from Yu-jin were slightly disappointed, but they continued watching.

“Uh, hmm… So…”

Unable to shake off the memory of her embarrassing moments,

-Why is she like this lol
-Malfunctioning lol
-So cute lol Makes you want to protect her
-Protect her? Who can beat someone with S-rank physical abilities lol

“Uh, hmm… So…”

Yu-jin decided to compose herself and continue playing. Her gaze kept drifting upwards because… dust motes were floating in the air. Obviously.

She cooled her burning face with the chilly breeze and extended her hand. The thick darkness that had covered the sky was long gone, but Keliata’s remnants remained.

[Keliata’s Despair]
[A mass of tormented souls and screams, the Necromancer Keliata’s intended curse upon the world.]

-I think I know what this is
-The problem is whether the Hero knows or not ㅇㅇ
-Judging by her expression, she seems to know?

As she reached out and touched the black sphere, presumably Keliata’s soul, a description appeared.

Its purpose was unknown, but the viewers could guess based on their game knowledge, and Yu-jin knew from her experience in the other world.

‘This is for lighting the Holy Fire.’

Thinking so, she instinctively clenched her fist.

In Eftarel Verden, the Holy Fire was synonymous with progress. It was a requirement for reaching the final boss and seeing the ending.

And for Yu-jin—,

Keliata’s black soul flowed up her arm and settled in her right eye. It was both a trophy and a duty, a burden borne by the one who witnessed and shouldered despair.

‘In the past, I purified it immediately with Anastasia.’

But this was a game.
Yu-jin knew it operated within a set system, but she couldn’t shake off a feeling of resistance.

‘I hope… I don’t become addicted like Sephie worries about.’

She didn’t want to be treated like a child. Yu-jin assessed her condition and remained silent.

The viewers grew curious.

-What will she show us now?
-The Hero takes care of everything, it’s not exciting anymore…
-Washed up after three days of streaming
-ㄷㄷㄷ Fastest burnout ever;
-Don’t slander our Unnie

Just as the chat was heating up,

“C-cough—.”

-?
-??
-lol?
-What’s wrong with her?

Yu-jin let out an awkward cough, glancing around as if self-conscious, and then,

“Sh-should we go back now…?”

Unlike before, she started muttering to herself, making the viewers cringe.

Aware that her natural behavior was being mocked, she was now trying to be more careful…

“No… no tears…”

-lollollollollollollol
-Hero MK2 incoming lollollol
-This is even harder to watch, holy sh*t;
-Bring back our innocent Hero!!!

Yu-jin’s misguided attempts to control her behavior only made the viewers more uncomfortable. But as always, their suffering didn’t reach her.