Chapter 10: Outsider

Aeowar Gallery is the largest Aeowar community in the country.

This so-called A-Gal is a place where people chat about all sorts of things related to Aeowar.

Things like how the latest patch went, how the pro league is doing, or who’s better than whom… trivial things like that. And, of course, discussions about the Aeowar streamers are inevitable.

**[Anyone who watched Molro’s stream today is a true A-Gal champ.]**

Starting with me. Haha.

**User A:** “Her voice was so nice, it was hard to resist.”

**User B:** “Idiot.”

**User C:** “Who’s this Molro, anyway? Talking about people only you know.”

**User D:** “If she’s streaming, get out of here and go to the streamer gallery, you broadcasting pests.”

**User E:** “Honestly, she’s good, though. Almost pro level, right?”

**User F:** “Do you guys think everyone is pro-level whenever someone new appears? Do you think pro means nothing?”

**[Today’s Molro stream link for rewatch.]**

Even though the stream was only two hours long, she suddenly logged off.

For a first stream, with 1300 viewers. It would’ve been epic if she hadn’t ended it early.

**User G:** “Where’s the good part? It was just beating down lower ranks.”

**User H:** “She’s technically Diamond 1, but looking at the matches, she’s basically Master level.”

**User I:** “What’s her record? 16 wins, 0 losses. This has got to be a boosted alt account; look at the inflated MMR.”

**User J:** “Most Grandmasters can’t even play like that. Just watching her movement and aiming skills, she’s at least Challenger.”

**User K:** “But are there any Challenger-level players using Swordsman and Sniper? And a female player at that?”

**User L:** “Where is there a female player at that rank? She’s probably a crossdresser or trans.”

**[Someone who lost twice in rank to Molro here.]**

One match as a Swordsman, another as a Sniper, and she played incredibly in both.

She was using off-meta agents that we usually only see in lower tiers, and she was the first person I’d seen who was actually good with them.

We didn’t even know the proper counter, so the match ended while we were still fumbling around.

She positioned herself so strategically as a Sniper that it was tough to even approach her, and even when we did, we couldn’t take her down.

Without taking down the sniper, we lost lane control and objective capture and eventually surrendered.

As for the Swordsman, we couldn’t even tell what she was doing, but she dodged every skill with movement alone.

She’d counter every skill perfectly, even the fastest ones, though I couldn’t tell if she was reacting to the skill animation or if it was just a mind game.

We lost because we couldn’t handle her even in 1vX situations, and her reinforcements came in to finish us off.

The Swordsman’s pace was so fast that we couldn’t keep up.

As the gallery speculated, she’s probably between Grandmaster and Challenger level.

For reference, my rank is Diamond 2.

Below is my record against Molro.

**User M:** “Maybe you just lost because you’re trash?”

**User N:** “FYI, I’m Diamond 2 with a high MMR. I’ve even matched with Masters, and her movements were totally different.”

**User O:** “Using bottom-tier agents like Swordsman and Sniper and playing like that? She’d be Challenger easily if she played top-tier agents.”

**User P:** “Isn’t she already Challenger and just bored, so she’s playing with off-meta agents?”

**User Q:** “Is there even a female player who’s legitimately Challenger level? Haha, is this for real?”

**User R:** “They’re just hyping her up because she’s a woman. She’s just another sniper clinging to get attention.”

**User S:** “Investigate her squad.”

**User T:** “It’s not about sniping her, though. The investigation squad actually likes Molro because she creates good YouTube clips for Sua.”

**[You guys are pathetic, praising her just because she’s a woman, lol.]**

She didn’t even turn on her cam, but they’re talking about how pretty she must be based on her voice alone.

Just because her voice is nice, do you assume she’s pretty? You lonely virgins, get a grip.

And she’s probably just another sniper trying to attach herself to Sua.

Why are you guys showering her with so much praise, calling her a “female rank 1” and “pro level”?

**User A:** “Why is this person so angry? They seem furious just from the tone of their writing.”

**User B:** “There are still people saying it’s cheats or something? It was proven not to be a hack ages ago.”

**User C:** “If you’re so mad, why don’t you stream too? All you need is a nice voice and pretty hands.”

**User D:** “You also need to be at least Challenger level in skill, haha.”

**User E:** “You also have to be female, haha.”

**User F:** “Failed from the first requirement, huh? Haha.”

**User G:** “Oh haha, our girl might not have shown her face, but she’s shown her hands. You can tell she’s pretty just by looking at her hands, haha.”

Some people were purely interested in Molro as a streamer and eagerly waited for her streams, while others were envious and wanted to cut down the sudden rising star.

Molro was at the center of mixed positive and negative attention.

And yet, despite everyone waiting for her, she didn’t stream for three days after her first broadcast.

Listless.

There was no better way to describe me right now.

After reviewing my own stream, comparing it to others, and preparing for the next one, I’d apparently drifted off to sleep.

It seemed my body couldn’t keep up, and it made sense.

A woman’s body loses stamina much more quickly than a man’s.

At 23 years old, arguably in my prime, I could stay up all night gaming without any issue.

But in Ji-eun’s body, just a few hours of gaming made my body scream.

My shoulders hurt the most, and I was sure that this unnecessarily large chest was partly to blame.

Feeling annoyed, I gave one of the mounds a playful slap.

It hurt.

Let’s not do that again.

On top of that, my eyes felt dry, and my focus dropped, affecting my gameplay.

Of course, that alone wouldn’t have kept me lying in bed for so long.

Even when I was tired, a full day’s sleep would usually recharge me.

So why had I been lying here for two days now?

I was finally facing undeniable proof that I was, in fact, a woman now.

That’s right—my period.

Waking up feeling uncomfortable, I realized my shorts were damp.

The strange metallic smell coming from the chair where I had been dozing made the situation clear.

From there, well… let’s skip the details.

After dragging my uncomfortable body to clean up and washing off the sweat, I skipped the hassle of drying my annoyingly long hair.

A few hours later, lying back in bed, I found I still couldn’t get up.

My body was drained, and my mind was hazy.

I was in terrible condition.

After sleeping a few more hours, I felt a little better, though it was clear I still needed more rest.

And then, an unwelcome visitor showed up.

*Ring ring!*

My limp body jolted as a burst of tension shot through me.

It had been two weeks since I became Ji-eun, and no one had come to her house.

The only visitor had been the delivery person who came when I ordered streaming equipment.

Once, there was also a delivery driver who lingered a bit, eyeing me.

Who could it be?

The unexpected visitor made me feel anxious.

There was this inexplicable fear, as if some stranger might burst through the door and harm me.

Why am I feeling like this?

Maybe it’s because I wasn’t feeling well.

I seemed to be more sensitive than usual.

Gripped by fear, I hid my face under the blanket as the intercom bell kept ringing.

The sound grew fainter but kept going, as if it knew I was inside.

Then, when the ringing finally stopped, another sound reached me.

*Beep beep beep—*

It was the sound of someone attempting to enter the door code at the front door.

A news story flashed through my mind.

Something about a drunk man mistaking a female college student’s house for his own and repeatedly entering the code to get in.

Now, I was experiencing the fear that woman must have felt.

But how could there be a drunken stranger at this hour, mistaking my place for theirs?

*Click.*

That frightened question was answered the moment I heard the sound of the door unlocking.

Still trembling under the blanket, I cautiously peeked out to see the identity of the unwelcome visitor.

It was a young girl.

Maybe she’d just reached adulthood. Her lightly made-up face had a sweet charm.

With cheeks that still had a hint of baby fat and fair, pale skin, her eyes looked slightly fierce under her double eyelids.

I felt a strange familiarity with her appearance.

The girl resembled Ji-eun.

A sister. She was probably the younger sister listed in Ji-eun’s contacts.

It would be a lie to say I hadn’t anticipated this moment.

I had imagined that one day, I’d encounter Ji-eun’s family.

But I hadn’t imagined that it would be like this, and so soon.

Seeing me shaking under the covers, the girl seemed surprised.

“Unni. Unni!”

“Eek!”

The girl approached me and wrapped me in a warm embrace.

I let out a strange noise, caught off guard, but she seemed to take it as just another sign of fear.

Gently, she began patting my back as if to reassure me.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, unni. I’m your sister, Ji-yeon… it’s all okay.”

So her name is Ji-yeon.

This unfamiliar girl, whose name I’d just learned, kept holding me, patting my back to calm my trembling.

I tried to pull away, regaining some composure, but Ji-yeon only hugged me tighter as I struggled.

As if I’d become her cherished stuffed animal.

Once I’d realized she was Ji-eun’s sister, the fear melted away, replaced by awkwardness.

I was finally face-to-face with Ji-eun’s family, something I’d dreaded in the back of my mind.

Even so, Ji-yeon clung to me, holding me for several minutes.

I wondered when she’d finally let go.