People who play FPS games usually have to copy and paste their exact settings whenever they go to a PC cafe?.

    Especially when it comes to aim sensitivity—that’s the number one thing that needs adjusting.

    Different setups meant different mouse sensors and response times.

    And if someone was still hitting perfect headshots without adjusting anything,

    they weren’t just a god-tier player—they were a literal cheater.

    On top of that, Do-hee always adjusted one more setting whenever she played.

    Voice chat.

    Since Battle Colosseum relied on team communication,

    voice chat was always enabled by default.

    But for mental health reasons, she always muted enemy voices.

    And since today she was playing on a smurf account,

    she had also turned off her own mic.

    That meant her entire team was muted too.

    Or at least, that’s what she thought.

    Because just now, after Magia wiped an entire enemy squad,

    a small speaker icon flashed next to her ID.

    She had voice chat turned on.

    “Hey. Your mic is on.”

    “Ah. Forgot to mute it.”

    “How the hell do you forget that?”

    Magia had skipped all her audio settings in a rush to get into the game.

    And since her hands were smaller now,

    even holding the mouse properly was a struggle.

    On top of that, she still had to carry the game,

    so she had been so focused that she didn’t even realize her voice was being broadcast.

    At least she was also using a smurf account,

    which meant it wasn’t too big of a deal.

    Trolls tended to use similar usernames for their accounts anyway.

    [Fireworks Festival VIP Kim Duk-bae]

    Do-hee read Magia’s in-game name out loud,

    then let out a small chuckle.

    “You really do come up with the most ridiculous usernames.”

    “Well, I have to pick good ones. That way, I don’t get caught.”

    “...Caught for what?”

    Suddenly, Magia went quiet.

    Do-hee turned to look—

    Magia was glancing sideways at her,

    pretending to be fully focused on the game.

    But Do-hee was a streamer with 1.6 million subscribers.

    She knew exactly how to tease people into confessing things.

    “Caught for what?”

    She smirked.

    “If you don’t tell me, I’m not playing with you anymore.”

    “This is a trade secret. I can’t say.”

    “Oh, trade secret, my ass.

    How many other accounts do you even have?”

    Magia hesitated.

    Then, after a moment of internal struggle,

    she made a decision.

    If she could keep playing games like this with Do-hee,

    it didn’t matter if she had to throw away all her old accounts.

    “Twelve.”

    Do-hee’s jaw dropped.

    A single Battle Colosseum account cost 30,000 won.

    Twelve accounts?

    Even with discounts, that was over 150,000 won.

    “...Twelve?! You actually bought that many copies?”

    “Yeah. Had to. Otherwise, I couldn’t make new accounts.”

    “...Unbelievable. You’re actually insane, Magia.”

    “Thank you.”

    “That wasn’t a compliment....”

    Still.

    Who else could she blame for this?

    No one but herself.

    All that money?

    Magia could’ve spent it on food or literally anything else.

    But no.

    It all went into dodging account bans...

    Just to keep sniping her.

    ***

    — [Battle Colosseum Gallery] —

    [Got my ass handed to me by a little kid]

    Yeah. That was me.

    (ntube.newbie)

    Whoever that was, their double-barrel shotgun plays were INSANE.

    Honestly, I kinda deserved to lose.

    Agree?

    Anyway, I gotta know—was that actually Kim Fireworks?

    Calling all Battle Colosseum detectives, step up.

    [Comments]

    — BattleCol441: You got clapped by a kid? LMAO.

    — BattleCol851: Bro, never tell anyone you were Platinum. Ever.

    — BattleCol681: If it’s about Kim Fireworks, you should check Momo’s gallery.

    ? BattleCol681: The Momo superfans are all quarantining there right now.

    ? Chenzang (OP): Got it, thanks.

    — BattleCol615: Tbh, this does kinda feel like Kim Fireworks.

    — BattleCol615: But Kim Fireworks started playing five years ago.

    ? Chenzang (OP): ...Wait.

    ? BattleCol615: If you’re saying that voice was a kid,

    then five years ago...

    they would’ve been five years old. LMAO.

    ? Chenzang (OP): ...Damn. That’s actually weird.

    — [Momo Gallery] —

    [To the guy who got bodied by a kid]

    Listen up, dumbass.

    That player’s voice might’ve sounded like a kid,

    but judging from your deathcam,

    they’re 99.9% Kim Fireworks.

    (Attached GIF: Deathcam Highlight)

    Kim Fireworks always jumps before taking a shot.

    That way, they get a wider headshot angle—

    because it’s easier to hit headshots from above.

    After all, Magia was just a regular employee.

    She had zero interest in becoming a full-time VTuber.

    All she had to do was drop in occasionally,

    playing the role of the "Rain Impression Master" every few months.

    Not even every few weeks.

    Once every two or three months would be enough.

    If they kept the audience waiting,

    the anticipation would explode.

    And when that finally paid off...

    It would be a guaranteed jackpot.

    "...Hmm."

    But there was one problem.

    If they gave in once,

    Magia’s debut wouldn’t be a choice anymore.

    It would be a requirement.

    The moment people see something once, they want to see it again.

    The rarer something is,

    the more insane the demand becomes.

    And this wasn’t just about impressions—

    Magia was also great at singing.

    This situation?

    There was no way the audience wouldn’t lose their minds.

    Do-hee had seen this happen before.

    Her old duo partner, Taro,

    who had once been Momo’s closest collaborator,

    had debuted as a VTuber under similar circumstances.

    But this time, there was an even bigger factor that could make things explode.

    The Parallel Gallery and Momo Gallery had already dug up a massive rumor—

    That Momo’s infamous stream sniper,

    Kim Fireworks,

    was actually Magia.

    There were a lot of former trolls.

    But a troll who could do perfect impressions?

    And on top of that, had a naturally cute voice?

    Extremely rare.

    And if, during today’s stream,

    that rumor somehow got confirmed...

    The aftermath would be unpredictable.

    There were too many variables.

    Too many things to consider.

    That’s why Do-hee was hesitating.

    "If we go along with this... Magia’s debut is inevitable."

    Of course, if Magia suddenly decided to become a VTuber,

    it’s not like Do-hee couldn’t handle it.

    She could just hire someone to take over Magia’s current work.

    Smoothly transfer everything.

    And then, like the others,

    train her properly for streaming.

    But the most important thing?

    Magia herself had no interest.

    And that meant—

    It wasn’t happening.

    So Do-hee’s internal conflict only deepened.

    Bzzzzzt.

    Bzzzzzt.

    Her phone vibrated on the desk.

    She picked it up.

    “...She has an uncanny sense for when she’s the center of attention.”

    Speak of the devil.

    Magia.

    “Hey, Magia. What’s up?”

    [Magia: CEO, shouldn’t we help Rain?]

    ...Of all the things she could have said.

    You realize that if you keep showing up, you’ll have to debut, right?

    Didn’t she swear she had no interest in becoming a VTuber?

    But if Do-hee thought about it more carefully,

    Magia’s actions weren’t actually contradictory.

    It all traced back to a favor Do-hee had asked before the first-gen members debuted.

    When she entrusted Magia with watching over them,

    she had told her one thing:

    "They’re still inexperienced. They’re going to ask for a lot of favors.

    Say yes to everything, but if you’re unsure whether you should step in, ask me first."

    From Magia’s perspective,

    jumping into the stream to help Rain still fell under that category.

    So now, she was checking with Do-hee before doing anything.

    "Is this the right moment for me to step in?"

    Do-hee explained her concerns.

    “This won’t end after one appearance.

    You, of all people, should understand that.

    You’re a former troll.

    You know how people think.”

    Magia didn’t hesitate at all.

    [Magia: Is that so?

    ...Anyway, the donation pool is at 2,000—

    Wait, no.

    2,100,000 won now.

    Are we really letting that go to waste?

    Seriously?]