Chapter 21: Proxy player caught like a dog, LOL.

Infinity Games, the developer and operator of Teamfight Arena, the world’s most popular online game, and its Korean branch.

The marketing team needed to be aware of all the trends and issues in the gaming world.

This was especially true for anything related to Teamfight Arena.

“There’s an incredible rookie who Victory has declared as his rival?”

Manager Park’s eyes gleamed.

It felt like the start of something big.

One superstar could create immense economic value.

Victory, the idol of all gamers and the bearer of an undefeated legend, was one such superstar.

He wasn’t just a golden goose; he was more like a phoenix.

His golden eggs were so massive they fed everyone in the industry and then some.

The name that kept popping up in relation to Victory.

Pre-Legend.

If the rumors were true, Pre-Legend was at least a phoenix chick like Victory.

If nurtured well, he could become a powerhouse supporting many livelihoods.

“Assistant Manager Choi. Look into it thoroughly.”

The marketing team moved quickly to make contact with Pre-Legend.

When they investigated Pre-Legend’s information, they found:

“The account is a new account. There’s no prior registration history; it’s a clean, fresh account. But… the gender is listed as female?”

“Maybe it was just a mistake in the selection?”

“Phone verification doesn’t allow for mistakes. If you select the wrong gender, the verification won’t go through.”

“The broadcast clearly has a male voice.”

“Also, he mentioned having a preference for big breasts.”

“Hmm.”

“Isn’t it most likely identity theft?”

“I’m not touching this. What if it’s some transgender issue? These things are sensitive these days.”

“On the other hand, gender correction applications are handled quite smoothly now. It’s unlikely to be the old cases where a man had undergone gender transition but was still listed as female.”

The real issue was how well the disease had been hidden.

The mysterious illness experienced by Seola and Seol-yoon—gender transition syndrome—was deeply concealed to protect patients’ privacy.

Even most doctors were unaware of the disease’s existence.

Occasionally, someone would uncover the truth and spread information about it, but they were dismissed as crazy or urban legends.

Unaware of the existence of such a rare disease, the marketing team naturally thought of transgender issues.

This was a far more common phenomenon.

It was often a controversial topic.

What were the chances, if viewed simply?

The likelihood of using their mother’s phone for registration versus being entangled in complex gender identity issues.

The former was obviously much higher.

However, Manager Park didn’t want to touch even the slimmest possibility.

“Games must be fair. That’s something we absolutely have to uphold.”

“I’m stepping back. You handle this with the GM team.”

Assistant Manager Choi couldn’t afford to step back over such slim odds.

Games must be fair.

You must stand under your own flag, with your own name, and fight honorably.

Assistant Manager Choi headed to the GM team.

To correct any wrongs that might have occurred.

To take action, such as suspending an account if an unidentified male was broadcasting using a female phone verification.

Of course, this would only proceed after thorough verification.

[Current Viewers: 4,196]

Was the problem the sheer number of viewers?

Had I been too complacent?

Things had diverged far from my initial plans.

I hadn’t thought the game company would watch me so closely.

It’s probably because of my connection with Victory and Wild.

Since they’re successful and famous, the attention has spilled over to me.

And the result was a proxy ban?

Did they judge that the account wasn’t mine?

‘What a hassle.’

<Proxy user, get out! Proxy user, get out! Proxy user, get out! Proxy user, get out!>

<I wonder how much they earned with this skill, I’m jealous. LOL>

<Yeah, but it’s nothing compared to a first-tier pro’s salary. LOL>

<Infinity is doing a great job~ Infinity is doing a great job~ Infinity is doing a great job~ Infinity is doing a great job~>

<Why didn’t you stay in the shadows? Why come into the spotlight?>

Nothing has been confirmed, yet in people’s minds, I’m already labeled as garbage—a proxy player who made money in the shadows but got greedy for fame and attempted to launder their identity.

Occasionally, I see comments like, “Let’s stay neutral,” or, “Shouldn’t we hear what happened first?” from sane individuals, but their opinions are buried under the flood of toxic spam.

I just feel like disappearing.

The reason I pretended to be a man is simple.

In real life, I’m fed up with being pestered by clingy, annoying guys.

I didn’t want to deal with that in games too.

I wanted a clean, hassle-free life online.

The reason I lazily registered as a female was also simple.

I never thought I’d gain attention or become famous this quickly.

In the first place, I wanted to be someone aspiring to be a streamer, not an actual streamer.

You could call me an aspiring aspiring streamer.

If I only had 2–3 viewers, would this have happened?

Even with 20–30 viewers, this probably wouldn’t have happened.

If I had 200–300 viewers, maybe it wouldn’t have happened either.

I think so.

Infinity is a major gaming company.

Unless they were bored of being corporate drones and looking for entertainment, there’s no way they’d monitor such small-scale players.

It’s because of Wild and Victory.

Those two are much bigger names than I realized, so they attracted a lot of attention.

That’s probably why even the game company started noticing me.

They seem to have switched up their spamming pattern, with single-character messages endlessly flooding the chat: “Explain,” “Ruin,” over and over.

Honestly, I don’t feel like explaining anything.

But on second thought, I’m not in this alone.

I already said I was friends with Wild and Victory.

I shouldn’t drag them down with me.

Being someone who pretended to be a man to hide my identity is a much smaller scandal than being friends with a proxy player who undermines the fairness of the gaming world.

At this point, I think everyone has figured it out, but Victory and Wild are just online gaming friends.

However, for me, whose real-life relationships are completely shattered, they are my only remaining connections.

In fact, the only numbers in my phone are for family and hospitals.

So, they’re the only people I can truly call friends.

“I can explain.”

“I think I also know why I was banned.”

<Let’s hear it, then.>

<Let’s see how lame the excuse is.>

<Ruin, ruin.>

I minimized the game client on my streaming screen and brought the voice changer program, which I had hidden on another monitor, to the center of the screen.

<What’s this?>

<What’s that thing?>

“This setting is my current voice.”

I adjusted the pitch, reversing the modified voice to its original tone.

“ot, of, of.”

Raising the pitch doesn’t magically turn a female voice into a male voice.

The vocal techniques themselves are different between the two genders.

I relaxed my strained throat to produce a much more natural and comfortable voice.

“I’m not a proxy player. Actually, I’m a woman. Are you monitoring this? Is an admin watching?”

<What is happening?>

<Jeon Jeonseol is a woman?>

<No way, how could someone that good be a woman?>

<A skilled female gamer? Must be a proxy player.>

<What’s with the voice changer?>

<Victory’s rival is actually a top-tier S-class beauty from our area?>

<How can a woman be good at Team Fight Arena? LOL How can a woman be good at Team Fight Arena? LOL How can a woman be good at Team Fight Arena? LOL>

“Is this real???”

“No, wait, what are you saying? You’re a woman?”

“I told you to call me hyung!”

<Wild didn’t know either?>

<A hidden identity… a cute girl?>

<You don’t even know her face; why are you calling her a beauty?>

“Well, her voice sounds beautiful.”

<So why did you pretend to be a guy?>

<I won’t believe it until there’s visual proof. LOL> – [Message temporarily blocked and deleted.]

“Get out of here, you piece of shit.”

This is exactly why I didn’t want to reveal that I’m a woman.

If I hadn’t been banned, I never would have said anything.

Even if I had been banned, if it weren’t for Wild and Victory being involved, I would’ve just disappeared quietly.

“Even if I use my voice to convince people, they’re just going to think it’s a scam.”

<Show us on cam?>

<Face reveal? LOL>

<I believe you, noona, just from your voice. 😭😭>

<A gamer girl with a pretty voice? Incredible.>

<Victory’s only recognized rival is a woman????>

<How can we trust you actually played?>

Do they think I’m crazy enough to reveal my face?

I don’t even own a webcam or anything like that.

I wasn’t even planning on sharing my voice.

Instead of using my computer, I turned on my phone camera and showed my hand.

And then I brought out a measuring tape.

“My hand measures 13 cm from the tip of the palm to the tip of the middle finger.”

<Is that short?>

<Wow, such tiny hands.>

<I just measured mine—it’s 22 cm.>

<The average for women is 15 cm, isn’t it?>

<Why are your hands so pretty? LOL>

<I’m convinced now—I was born to marry Jeon Jeonseol.>

<Noona, please take me.>

“Now, I’ll use these hands to play a game.”

<Wow.>

“But didn’t your account get banned?”

“Of course, I’ll play Magical Fight instead.”

<Oh.>

<She’s a magical fight demon.>

<What does Magical Fight even mean to Jeon Jeonseol?>

<By the way, didn’t you say you’re into big boobs? You like Venus, right?>

“I really like Venus. Yeah, I like big boobs. So what?”

<Gasp.>

<She’s gay… she’s gay…>

<Wait, isn’t Magical Girl anime originally for girls?>

<What!? Magical Girl anime is for girls???>

<(Shock) (Horror) (Confusion)>

<I’m in an all-girls middle school, and all my friends love Magical Girls.>